American Journal of Epidemiology Advance Access originally published online on August 29, 2007
American Journal of Epidemiology 2007 166(10):1230-1231; doi:10.1093/aje/kwm243
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
BOOK REVIEW |
Epidemiologic Principles and Food Safety
Edited by Tamar Lasky
Division of Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, MD 20782
(e-mail: MMcDowell{at}cdc.gov)
ISBN 978-0-19-517263-8, Oxford University Press, New York, New York (Telephone: 800-445-9714, Fax: 919-677-1303, Website: http://www.oupusa.org), 2007, 272 pp., $49.95 (Hardcover)
A safer, healthier food supply ranks as one of the top 10 public health achievements of the 20th century (1). Epidemiologic Principles and Food Safety (2) reminds us that food safety is a continuing public health challenge. Every year, an estimated 75 million Americans are sickened by foodborne illnesses, and more than 300,000 require hospitalization (3). Significant changes have occurred in the nation's food supply and the food consumption patterns of individuals.
The food we eat comes from a global marketplace comprising more than 170 countries (4). Additionally, much of the food we eat at home and away from home is produced and distributed by large "agribusinesses" rather than being locally produced and marketed. These changes have important ramifications for the food safety assessment and surveillance activities in which epidemiologists are engaged.
Many of us were introduced to foodborne illness outbreak investigation methods when we took an introductory epidemiology course. The classic case studies often involved localized outbreaks of foodborne illness that could be traced to poor sanitation, unsafe food preparation and handling methods, or perhaps an infected food handler. Although localized outbreaks are still common, several recent foodborne illness outbreak investigations have required transnational sleuthing and sophisticated laboratory analyses to elucidate their causal pathways. Epidemiologic Principles and Food Safety profiles new infectious agents and contaminants and the modern "farm-to-table" continuum, whereby contaminants and pathogens can enter the food supply. The readings provide insight into food safety surveillance methods that have been used in chronic disease epidemiology and infectious disease epidemiology. Risk assessment principles for food safety policy are proposed as an "upstream" approach to prevent future outbreaks of foodborne illness.
The contributors, experts in public health, science, medicine, economics, and policy, describe the components of the US and international food safety systems. The book is composed of 13 chapters and begins with a brief history of food technology, foodborne illnesses, food safety and inspection regulations, and surveillance activities. The chapters that follow describe modern-day foodborne pathogens and toxins in detail, including several bacterial strains and their toxins, parasites, prions, protozoa, and shellfish toxins (chapter 2), national and international surveillance activities and data systems (chapter 3), and the risk factors and sources of foodborne illness outbreaks (chapter 4). The strengths and limitations of the dietary data sources and exposure estimation methods that epidemiologists and food scientists use to quantify human exposures to foods, ingredients and additives, and food contaminants are discussed in chapter 5. Food outbreak investigation methods are described (chapter 6), and six case study scenarios are provided to illustrate the variety of foodborne outbreak management and investigative methods that are used by epidemiologists. Epidemiologic study designs (chapter 7) and data quality considerations (chapter 8) provide a backdrop for a discussion of food safety risk assessment principles and applications that are used in the United States and abroad (chapter 9). The final chapters describe food production and processing (chapter 10), food-handling and -processing methods and controls (chapter 11), the economic context of food production, inspection, and surveillance (chapter 12), and the regulatory environment in the United States and overseas (chapter 13).
This book will have broad appeal within the public health community. Readers who are interested in epidemiologic methods, risk assessment, and food science will gain insight into the complexity of the modern food production system and the methods that are used to monitor the nation's food supply. Epidemiology instructors and students, nutritionists, policy makers, and practitioners who want to learn about food surveillance and foodborne outbreak investigations will find the book to be informative as well. Several chapters are worthy of a book in their own right. The authors do an excellent job of highlighting the salient points for the benefit of their readers, and references are provided for additional readings. Bioterrorism and outbreaks that stem from intentional contamination are not discussed in detail. One shortcoming is that the book ends without suggesting a process or plan to accomplish the proposed ideas. Perhaps epidemiologists reading this book will be inspired to assume leadership roles in food safety research and policy.
In summary, Epidemiologic Principles and Food Safety provides a succinct and informative profile of food safety epidemiology. The contributors have contributed to an important dialogue on the safety of the food supply. New approaches to risk assessment that utilize epidemiologic methods are proposed to improve food safety and public health.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Conflict of interest: none declared
References
- Ten great public health achievements—United States, 1900 –1999. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep (1999) 48:241–3.[Medline]
- Lasky T, ed. Epidemiologic principles and food safety (2007) New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
- Foodborne illness. In: Frequently asked questions (2005) Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/files/foodborne_illness_FAQ.pdf). Accessed July 9, 2007.
- Harkness J. U.S. food system deeply at risk (2007) Washington, DC: The Institute for America's Future. (http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2007/05/31/us_food_system_deeply_at_risk.php). Accessed July 9, 2007.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||