Food Safety

The earliest regulations of food were designed to protect consumers from adulteration and swindlers. In the 20th century, knowledge of the agents of foodborne illness increased and efforts to prevent exposure to these hazards began in earnest. Foodborne illness is very common, but underreporting makes it difficult to measure the actual impact. There are many agents of foodborne illness, including bacteria, viruses, parasites, and toxins; and some populations are more susceptible to foodborne illness than others. Food safety is regulated at the federal, state, and local levels to differing degrees. Both food safety systems, such as the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point system (HACCP), and safety certifications, such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) series of standards for food safety management (ISO 22000), are ...