Most of us don’t give that question a second thought. And why should we?
In the US, as in other “first world countries”, our food and the way it moves through the food chain, is monitored and regulated by various government agencies.
But even so, at times there are food safety warnings and even recalls of FDA (Food and Drug Administration) regulated foods.
According to the FDA, “Food producers recall their products from the marketplace when the products are mislabeled or when the food may present a health hazard to consumers because the food is contaminated or has caused a foodborne illness outbreak”.
Unfortunately safety warnings and recalls are not as infrequent as we’d like them to be. And people, in the US and all over the world, do get sick from foodborne illnesses.
Knowing and understanding the issues around food safety are even more important as you get older.
Some of the infections caused by contaminated foods tend to affect people with poor or compromised health to a larger degree. Young children, the elderly and people already battling illness, are at much greater risk for serious illness.
Not long ago, the WHO (World Health Organization) published information and facts on food safety. You can read the main points below.