and market agents to detect and refuse unsafe food, thereby pushing quality assurance up the supply chain. Some cheap and effective technol- ogies already exist for reducing health risks, yet nonscientific fears concerning the “unnaturalness” or lack of safety of the technique have meant that they are by and large not being used. (Examples of this include lactoperoxidase for milk preserva- tion or irradiation of food to eliminate pathogens.) Other technologies are under development, some of which may prove to be acceptable as well as effective. Additionally, atitudes toward existing solutions may turn more favorable if food availabil- ity worsens. Mobile phones and Internet tracking are already providing more comprehensive and accurate surveillance, and molecular epidemiology allows tracking of pathogens from the victim to the source. Also, continued innovation in intensive farming systems can reduce hazards at the source, mitigate environmental damage, and dampen the development of antimicrobial resistance.
CONCLUSIONS
A series of high-profile foodborne disease events, along with concerns over the ecological and animal
welfare impacts of agriculture, has led consumers in developed and emerging economies to become increasingly wary of industrial agrifood systems and their products. At the same time, consumers (espe- cially the less rich) are increasingly dependent on the abundant, cheap, and generally safe foods these intensive systems produce. Some consumers are demanding a total reconfig-
uration of agrifood systems, the reconceptualization of food as a commons rather than as a commod- ity, and a complete dismantling of current food systems.32 However, it seems most likely that growing con-
cern over food safety will result in increased safe- guards for intensive production that beter assure consumers of food safety. Improved production methods may also reduce the emergence of diseases from agroecosystems. A positive evolution of agrifood systems will
require beter governance and continued techno- logical innovation. Food safety and prevention of disease emergence from agroecosystems are global public goods requiring international cooperation and investments in safer foods and agriculture by the international community as well as national governments. ■
FOOD SAFETY
49
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139