Food Safety: Problems of the Past and Perspectives of the Future ¹

Historically, most bacterial food poisoning in the United States is associated with mishandling, either in the home or in the food service establishment. Outbreaks traceable to errors in processing plants are rare. When they do occur they are often associated with changes in processing or packaging technology whose effect is not determined before the product is on the market. Areas of future concern that need research include (1) a better understanding of the mycotoxins; (2) how to minimize Salmonella contamination in animal products; (3) how to prevent, or at least predict, red tides; (4) better bactericidal agents that can be applied to foods; (5) an understanding of the nature and significance of mutagenic agents that are produced in foods during cooking.