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Foodborne diseases are a significant public health concern. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), every year in the United States 48 million people (1 in 6 Americans) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from foodborne illnesses.¹ Food pathogen outbreaks have prompted massive and costly recalls. Consumer awareness—and concern—are at all-time high levels.
In January 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) passed the Food Safety Modernization Act, a ground-breaking piece of legislation that gives federal regulators the authority to prevent outbreaks rather than just responding to them. The law requires food facilities to implement and monitor effective measures to prevent contamination, conduct regular hazard analyses, and assess potential safety risks. Under these guidelines, the FDA has mandatory recall authority for all food products.
The need for advanced, cost-effective, efficient technologies and delivery platforms for pathogen screening tests has never been more imminent.
The CDC recognizes 31 pathogens known to cause foodborne illness.¹
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