It seems that almost every week, news media outlets are reporting on yet another foodborne illness outbreak. From Listeria monocytogenes in ice cream, Salmonella in peanut butter or Norovirus on a cruise ship, no food commodity appears immune to the outbreak of foodborne pathogens. Considering all of the advanced technology and preventative controls being employed from farm to fork, it seems highly unlikely that a foodborne illness outbreak would even occur in the first place. But, it does. So, why are food recalls continuing to occur despite current preventative technologies and food safety regulations?
A major fallacy concerning food recalls is that the food industry is producing less safe food. In reality, the food being produced today is safer than it has historically been. According to foodborne disease outbreak reports generated by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), a total of 13,360 cases of illness were reported in 2013 compared to 19,231 cases in 1990. However, the number of food disease outbreaks rose from a reported 533 in 1990 to 818 in 2013. The potential reasons for fewer cases of illness but increased number of outbreaks are more awareness, better enforcement of food safety practices and improved ability to identify and track cases of foodborne illness.