Be sure to catch Food, Inc. airing on PBS Wednesday, April 21 9pm EST
Read Be Food Smart, CFI's 6 Tips for Food Safety
Some of you may know me from Food, Inc. where I talk about how my family learned first-hand that contaminated food can make a person very ill and, in some cases, can cause death. I tell Kevin's story so that people will understand that foodborne illness is a serious public health issue, affecting one in four Americans each year. Of those sickened, an estimated 325,000 are hospitalized and 5,000 die.
Foodborne illness is caused by consuming food that contains bacteria, viruses, parasites, molds, myotoxins or prions. The outcomes of foodborne illness can be quite severe even beyond the initial illness--ranging from irritable bowel syndrome to reactive arthritis to kidney failure. Children, seniors, pregnant women and anyone who has a compromised immune system are at highest risk of developing serious complications.
In the United States, we are constantly being told that we have the safest food supply in the world – and while that statement may be true, it doesn't mean that our food is as safe as it could be. So, what's a consumer to do? We cannot see, taste or smell foodborne pathogens. Therefore, managing food – by using safe food practices from farm to table – is critical.
There are steps that you can take to help reduce the risk of foodborne illness. In 2006, I co-founded the Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention (CFI) to help America find innovative, science-based solutions to the food safety challenges of the 21st Century. At CFI we know that foodborne illness can never be 100 percent eliminated--but by following safe food practices throughout the farm to fork continuum and by making informed choices about food, we can help prevent foodborne disease.
Whether you are growing, processing or selling food, grilling in your backyard or planning a pot-luck party to watch Food, Inc--follow CFI's Six Safe Food Practices and enjoy your next meal knowing that you did your part in making your food is as safe as it can be!
Learn how you can prevent contracting foodborne illnesses through food safety. Read Be Food Smart, CFI's 6 Tips for Food Safety.
For more information on CFI and what you can do to help improve food safety in the United States, please visit: www.foodborneillness.org.
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