ABSTRACT
The importance of food safety for health and development has been recognized and addressed in many international fora. Foodborne diseases are caused by a wide range of agents, with varying degrees of severity ranging from mild indisposition to chronic or life-threatening illness. Biological contaminants, that is, bacteria, viruses, and parasites, constitute the major cause of foodborne diseases. The situation is somewhat different in the industrialized countries, which benefit from well-developed health-related services, including safe drinking water. Infections due to helminths are also a worldwide public health problem, affecting particularly developing countries. Despite the progress, foodborne diseases remain a major public health issue in developed countries at least partly: Improved standards of living have led to an increase in consumption of food of animal origin, which has increased the risk of exposure to meat- and poultry borne pathogens. In a number of cases, food has been contaminated because of unsafe packing and leakage of pesticide during storage or transport.
