Presenting compelling and current information about some of the most important food safety issues, this book is an invaluable reference for anyone interested in avoiding foodborne disease or understanding how food safety standards could be improved.

Food safety affects everyone. For citizens who live in industrialized nations, it is easy to assume that our foods are always rigorously inspected and assessed for safety. While food safety standards and regulations are in place to protect the consumer public, food safety problems do exist: according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year, 48 million Americans are sickened by food,128,000 people are sick enough that they are hospitalized as a result, and 3,000 people die from foodborne pathogens.

This third edition of Food Safety: A Reference Handbook examines the history of food safety and describes in detail key events and trends that have created the food safety issues of today. It explores the many controversies concerning food consumption, including contaminants in food, GMOs, factory farm-produced meat, and standards regarding the labeling of food products as well as the ways that these issues have been handled by authorities. Readers will find this book’s overview of food safety topics informative and highly accessible. Additionally, the perspectives chapter provides varying viewpoints from food safety professionals and researchers on key issues.

Provides an up-to-date summary of food safety issues, many of which are controversial or commonly discussed in the media

Offers a breadth of perspectives about the future of food safety from a range of professionals

Includes an excerpt from the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act that enables readers to directly examine the key elements of this law that affects many aspects of the food we eat