Chapter 9 - Challenges in Emerging Food-Borne Diseases

Abstract

Food is an excellent vehicle by which many pathogens can reach an appropriate colonization site in a new host. The burden of diseases caused by these food-borne pathogens remains largely unknown. Concern over pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms in foods is increasing due to the increase in outbreaks of food-borne diseases (FBDs). Food safety procedures are critical to reducing pathogen caused FBDs. Although food production practices change, the well-recognized FB pathogens seem to be able to evolve to exploit novel opportunities to generate new public health challenges like antimicrobial resistance and previously unknown FB pathogens are constantly emerging. There is no way to completely eliminate the risk of consuming contaminated products (CP) and there have been many outbreaks where it has been difficult to identify the CP using current best practices. Food safety standards will depend on constant vigilance maintained by monitoring and surveillance but other food-related issues, such as food security, obesity, climate change, and competition for resources in the future, to enable this may be fierce. Clearly, the overall need is the generation and maintenance of constructive dialogue and collaboration between the public health, veterinary, and food safety experts and multipathogen expertise to monitor changing trends in the well-recognized diseases and detect emerging pathogens.