ence-based food safety system was the development and implementation of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) procedures in the food industry in the 1960s. In parallel, the development of “farm to fork” strategies by the industry extended the notion of quality management along the entire supply chain (Hanak et al., 2002).

     Food contamination creates a social and economic burden on communities and their health systems. The market costs of contaminated commodities cause significant export losses (Box 2-11), while sampling and testing costs and costs to food processors and consumers can be high.

     The incidence of food-borne diseases may be 300 to 350 times higher than the number of reported cases worldwide. Sources of food contamination may be either microbiological or chemical and may occur throughout the food chain, from the farm to the table. Risk, particularly in developing countries, is in part due to difficulties in ensuring that appropriate procedures are followed.

     Microbiological contaminants, the most reported cause of food-borne illnesses, include bacteria, fungi, viruses or parasites (Box 2-12) and usually result in acute symptoms. Over the past few decades, the incidence of reported illnesses caused by pathogenic microorganisms in food has increased significantly.

     Food-borne illnesses caused by chemicals are sometimes difficult to link to a particular food, as the onset of effects may be slow and hence may go unnoticed until permanent or chronic damage occurs. Contamination by pesticides, heavy metals or other residues intentionally or unintentionally introduced into the food supply, or introduced through poor post-harvest techniques leading to mycotoxins, are included in this category (Box 2-13). On the other hand, food poisonings can also be acute with immediate adverse effects including death, such as those caused by organophosphate pesticides (Box 2-13) (Kishi, 2005).

     Food irradiation is another controversial food safety issue. Although useful in reducing the risk of microbial foodborne illness, the technology also destroys vitamins (OCA, 2006); affects taste and smell; poses dangers to workers and the environment; may create toxic byproducts; and has the potential for cellular or genetic damage. The European Commission heavily regulates irradiated foods and food ingredients (EC, 1999).

     Recent trends in global food production, processing, distribution, and preparation are creating a growing demand by consumers for effective, coordinated, and proactive national food safety systems. Although governments play critical roles in protecting the food supply, many countries are poorly equipped to respond to the growing dominance of the food industry and to existing and emerging food safety problems. Fraudulent practices such as adulteration and mislabeling persist and can be particularly devastating in developing countries where 70% of individual income may be spent on food (Malik, 1981). The effectiveness of HACCP is limited to large scale firms (Unnevehr and Jensen, 1999; Farina and Reardon, 2000). Export safety standards are often higher than those applied to domestic products markets particularly in developing countries. In some cases, governments have shifted the burden of monitoring product safety to the private sector, and in so doing, have become at most an auditor of the industry’s programs.