Evolving public health approaches to the global challenge of foodborne infections

Abstract

The landscape of foodborne infections is in flux. New pathogens emerge, established pathogens may acquire new characteristics and appear in unexpected food vehicles, while many existing problems remain unsolved. Consumers want more fresh foods year round, populations age and migrate, and the technologies and trade practices that produce foods change. Protecting the public health and minimizing the burden of foodborne illness mean expecting the unexpected, and being prepared to understand it when it occurs, so that prevention can be improved. Public health surveillance is also constantly evolving, as new diseases emerge and are judged worthy of notification, as new diagnostic tests change the ease and specificity of routine diagnosis and as social interest in particular issues waxes and wanes. Accurate health information, including reliable estimates of the burden of foodborne disease, can improve foodborne disease prevention, foster global health security, promote economic growth and development and strengthen evidence-based policy making.