[[email protected]]

Is this getting to be a regular thing now? Are we more sensitive/aware of these things, or is it just now happening, or???

Jen

 

[[email protected]]

Sorry--- I'm really screwing up, today. Forgetting to paste in the url, ...argh... is it Monday?

 

[Chrome Bumper]

We just hear more about it. The awareness actually decreases the occurance I believe. I hope today's u-pick peaches are safe:wink:

 

[Jared Jorgensen]

After working in a cannery for a few years, I don't eat food in cans......
Home canned beans are one of the most dangerous foods out there (due to low acid content). Commercial foods are usually safe but:shrug:

 

[Thumper]

Is this getting to be a regular thing now? Are we more sensitive/aware of these things, or is it just now happening, or???

Jen

There are indeed more reported outbreaks of food-borne illnesses.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/Slides_092806_CSmithDeWaal.pdf

But it is likely that the cause of the higher incidence of reports is a much better reporting system. The U.S. health agencies never released such information to the public until a Freedom Of Information Act lawsuit back in 1997 caused them to reverse their longstanding policy of silence.

Two other factors are at play.

First, the incidence of handwashing has nearly doubled in the U.S. For example, in the mid-1990s fewer than 35% of Americans washed their hands after using the toilet. Today the frequency of handwashing is more than 60%. Similar gains in handwashing in the kitchen can be demonstrated.

Second, today's reporting includes food-borne illness from such causes as "norovirus", which was not even identified in earlier years. Today noroviruses are known to be responsible for about 40% of all food-borne illnesses.

So yes, the frequency of reported outbreaks is rising, but much of that is likely due to better reporting and a zealous attempt by the media to spread the word about such illness outbreaks.