One in three suffers foodborne illness annually. Safeguarding food quality: a national priority

Foodborne illness is a relatively common occurrence. It is estimated that one third of the U.S. population suffers from foodborne illness each year and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 9,100 die. These illnesses have been attributed to contaminating microbes, plant toxins such as pyrrolizidine alkaloids in herbal tea and plants, pesticide and antibiotic residues and microbes that have become antibiotic-resistant.