| Food safety risks and microbial outbreaks have significant health impacts on society as a whole, as well as economic loss to food processing firms. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), an estimated 76 million foodborne illnesses occur each year in the United States. Of these cases, 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths occur each year (Mead et al., 1999). The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Services (USDA-FSIS) (1996) estimated that approximately 4,000 deaths each year are attributed to contamination in meat and poultry products. For food processing firms, microbial outbreaks often result in significant economic losses: food recalls, lost market share, and decreased consumer confidence. The intangible... |
