ABSTRACT
In the United States, an estimated 76 million persons, about one in every four, contract foodborne illnesses each year (1). Most cases of foodborne illness are relatively mild, with the affected individuals suffering from a few days of gastrointestinal cramping, headache, vomiting and/or diarrhea. However, some foodborne illness is much more serious, with an estimated 325,000 cases requiring hospitalization and 5000 resulting in death in the United States (1). Persons who are very young, elderly, pregnant (because of risk to the fetus) and those with weakened immune systems are especially susceptible to foodborne illness and the serious consequences that may result.
