ABSTRACT

Foodborne illnesses are usually infectious or toxic in nature, and everyone, whether in industrialized or developing countries, is at risk of acquiring a foodborne illness. The global incidence of foodborne illness is difcult to estimate, but in 2005, 1.8 million people died from diarrheal diseases, a large percentage of which can be attributed to contaminated food and drinking water.1 In developed countries, up to 30% of the population suffers from a foodborne illness each year.1 Less well or poorly documented are the populations in developing countries that suffer from a wide range of foodborne diseases, including those caused by parasites, but the high prevalence of diarrheal illness in these countries suggests major food safety problems.