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Originally Posted by braingonebad
All the food recalls are scary. I wonder, is food really less safe, are they just doing more recalls now, or are we just hearing more about it?
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I was reading up on this last night (can't find the link now), but apparently this particular bacteria used to kill far more people then it does now (even with a much smaller population/distribution channels back in the early 1900's). What I read today was:
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In the 1980s, the United States government began taking measures to decrease the occurrence of listeriosis. Processed meats and dairy products are now tested for the presence of Listeria monocytogenes. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) can legally prevent food from being shipped, or order food recalls, if they detect any Listeria bacteria. These inspections, in combination with the public education regarding the proper handling of uncooked foods, appear to be working. In 1989, there were 1,965 cases of listeriosis with 481 deaths. In 1993, the numbers fell to 1,092 cases with 248 deaths.
In 1996, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began a nationwide food-borne disease surveillance program called "FoodNet," in which seven states were participating by January 1997. Results from the program indicated that, in 1996, one person out of every 200,000 people got listeriosis. FoodNet also revealed that the hospitalization rate was higher for listeriosis (94%) than for any other food-borne illness. In addition, FoodNet found that the Listeria bacteria reached the blood and cerebrospinal fluid in 89% of cases, a higher percentage than in any other food-borne illness."
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This is interesting . . .
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Listeria bacteria can pass through the wall of the intestines, and from there they can get into the blood stream. Once in the blood stream, they can be transported anywhere in the body, but are commonly found the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord); and in pregnant women they are often found in the placenta (the organ which connects the baby's umbilical cord to the uterus). Listeria monocytogenes live inside specific white blood cells called macrophages. Inside macrophages, the bacteria can hide from immune responses and become inaccessible to certain antibiotics. Listeria bacteria are capable of multiplying within macrophages, and then may spread to other macrophages.
Infection is most common in babies younger than one month old and adults over 60 years of age. Pregnant women account for 27% of the cases and immunocompromised persons account for almost 70%.
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http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz...isteriosis.jsp
So, perhaps they are doing a much better job of identifying this infection before it spreads too far, combined with more immunosuppressed consumers (who are generally living longer these days, with the use of meds, transplants, etc.).
That's just one type of bacteria, but the others that are found in food are probably following the same protocol.
Then there are recalls due to tampering, etc.
Most foods are mass produced now, and the rules about allergens and cross-contamination (even nutrients) are much stricter. It's much easier to have a 'screw-up' when there are so many rules in place these days.
Cherie
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