Many animal rights advocates would like you to believe that beef and milk products are the only culprits responsible for these ailments. E coli and Salmonella can both be traced in many cases to eggs, fish, and vegetables. All of the food we eat in America is at risk for some form of food borne pathogen.

First lets look at some of the major food borne pathogens and illnesses found in the United States food supply.

E. coli O157:H7 is one of many strains of the bacterium Escherichia coli. Most strains are harmless and live in the intestines of healthy humans and animals; this strain produces a powerful toxin and can cause severe illness (Center for disease Control and Prevention web site). E coli is more often than not contracted from eating improperly cooked ground beef, but can also be contracted from consuming lettuce and sprouts (CDC web site). The CDC recommends cooking all ground beef to an internal temperature of 160 degrees, not ingesting water while swimming, and washing hands

Listeriosis is a serious infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. Listeriosis is a potentially life threatening disease. Every year nearly five hundred people in the United States die from infection from Listeria (CDC web site). "Listeria monocytogenes is found in soil and water. Vegetables can become contaminated from the soil or from manure used as fertilizer. Animals can carry the bacterium without appearing ill and can contaminate foods of animal origin such as meats and dairy products. The bacterium has been found in a variety of raw foods, such as uncooked meats and vegetables, as well as in processed foods that become contaminated after processing, such as soft cheeses and cold cuts at the deli counter. Unpasteurized (raw) milk or foods made from unpasteurized milk may contain the bacterium (CDC Web site)". Individuals at highest risk from infection by Listeria are pregnant women, infants and the elderly as well as persons with depressed immune systems. Prevention of Listeria is relatively the same as it is for the above illnesses as well as cooking of all processed meets like cold cuts and hot dogs to a steaming hot temperature. Those persons at higher risk may want to avoid unpasterized milk and soft cheese product such as cottage cheese and feta cheese and may want to avoid eating cold bologna and processed meats.

The CDC in Conjunction with United States Department of Agriculture developed the FoodNet in March 1999 (USDA Report to Congress 1998). The FoodNet is a surveillance system for food borne diseases in the United States. The FoodNet report shows that most all food borne diseases have declined in the United States. This is believed to be in part because of increased consumer awareness and the effectiveness of food preparation education (USDA Report to Congress 1998).

President Clinton on August 25 1998 issued and executive order establishing the President's Council on Food Safety (White House press release 1998). The President's Council on Food Safety is comprised of various secretaries including the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Health and Human Services, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology/Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy as well as others from the administration (White House press release 1998). This council is tasked with developing a comprehensive s

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