Food Safety in the Twenty-First Century

The past decade has taught us that pathogenic microorganisms are adapting themselves to processing treatments and environmental conditions once thought to be effective in controlling their proliferation. Genetic exchange is sprouting new varieties of bacterial strains with increased abilities to cause disease. The scientific community must adopt a proactive approach, including an aggressive research agenda that seeks to determine the ecology of the food production and processing environments, as well as the basic biology of pathogenic organisms. In addition, it is crucial that we develop a well-integrated educational strategy that seeks to educate industry and consumers. Historical Perspective III the past decade, food safety has become a very important issue to consumers. They have taken an organized stand demanding that the foods they eat—whether produced domestically or im-ported-be safe and wholesome. Our society has come to realize that if we do not examine our his-tory and learn from it, we are doomed to repeat it