Marilynn Marchione, medical writer for the Associated Press, wrote a recent article on the decline in fooodborne illnesses reported by CDC. In the article, she points out that federal statistics show that foodborne illnesses are occurring at record-low rates, but
The trend could reverse in coming years if fruit and vegetable growers do not address problems like those that led to the spinach scare, Tauxe and others said.”
“The meat and poultry industry has made great strides. The produce industry has a long way to go to catch up,” said Michael Doyle, a microbiologist who heads the University of Georgia’s Center for Food Safety.
Compared with statistics from 1996-1998, CDC’s FoodNet tracking system has reported a decrease in nearly every major foodborne illness. Campylobacter infections are down 30 percent. The bacterium, which along with Salmonella sickens the most people, usually is found in raw or undercooked poultry or eggs.