An Economic Assessment of Food Safety Regulations

Figure 1 - Tracking pathogens from farm to fork

Pathogens are found to

some degree in all farm

animals.

HACCP and other control

techniques can reduce

pathogens in processing.

Consumers and foodservice

workers can use safe food

handling precautions and

make safe food consumption

decisions.

---

3

Economic Research Service/USDA

An Economic Assessment of Food Safety Regulations

estimate that, each year, between 6.5 and 33 million

people in the United States become ill from microbial

pathogens in their food; of these, up to 9,000 die (CAST,

1994).   These figures are estimates based on reported

outbreaks and other epidemiologic data.  The actual

number of reported cases is much smaller, averaging

about 18,000 cases of foodborne disease for the period

1983-87 (CAST, 1994).   There are several reasons why

the range of estimated cases is so much greater than the

number of actual, reported cases.  First, many foodborne

illnesses have symptoms that are similar to other gastro-

enteric illnesses, and might not be reported by physicians

as foodborne.  Second, in some cases there is a delay of

days or weeks between exposure to a foodborne patho-

gen and the resultant illness; many illnesses that are

reported are not linked to specific foods or pathogens.

Finally, many people who become ill do not seek medical

care, and these cases are, therefore, not reported.

Table 1 presents illness and death estimates from all

sources for seven pathogens for which we have the most

reliable information:  These include 

Salmonella, Campy-