Foodborne-Diseases Books

This book is a great introduction to food safety. It is accessible to a person who knows little about food safety without "dumbing it down." The book contains many credible epidemologial studies and warns the danger of food-borne diseases.

But the biggest strength of this book is the author's ability to translate all the information into practical and actionable advice. The book contains a series of checklists that you can photocopy and stick it in your kitchen.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is serious about food safety.

A book that describes how that which sustains you may also maim you. Light reading? Hardly, but it is also not a bad or difficult read. Dr. Satin's prose and ability to address sensitive topics without bludgeoning the reader makes this book enjoyable indeed. It would be easy to assume that food borne pathogens and the illness that they cause is the other guy's problem. Dr. Satin shines a bright light on food handling and shows that we can all improve. He exposes the reader to the best that science has to offer to help us avoid illness. He repeatedly shows food irradiation to be a valuable tool that the alarmists in the food activists groups have unfairly maligned. As food irradiation becomes more available in the local grocery and restaurant, it is my hope that rational voices like Dr. Satin's carry the day.

Proof of Dr. Satin's wit shows through while debunking myths and passing on advice.
-If anybody insists that a little dirt is good for you, take them out to the garden and have them swallow a thimbleful of the stuff.
-When you are finally sure you can eat off the floor, make sure you do not!

If you can stand to take a critical eye at your own food prep and local restaurant, this book will help you avoid the dangers in your food. Protect your children, pregnant and elderly with the ideas you will garner from this text.

Food Alert is a must for every kitchen. And should be placed right next to our cookbooks to remind us of the dangers of infected food.

During the last days in 1992, at the height of the Christmas season, several people on the west coast began to succumb to a lethal food-borne infection. Most of the unfortunate victims were children who had eaten hamburgers at a Jack in the Box restaurant. Toddlers who came in contact with the children who had eaten the burgers were also infected. It infected over 700 people in Washington, Idaho, California, Nevada. The really heartbreaking part of this whole mess was that several of the youngest victims died an unusually cruel and agonizing death, and a lot of those that lived have had to have repeated intestinal surgery and extended kidney dialysis, many will be infected for the rest of their lives. Food borne illnesses can happen at home also, and can be just as fatal and that is why this book is so important to have in our kitchens. More than 600 food borne diseases are known about today. Food alert provides everything that we need to know to protect our families

1) Learn about the 20 most causes of food contamination in your kitchen. 2) What steps you can take to lower the risk of food borne illness. 3) The causes of food borne disease. 4) How to avoid buying, handling, or eating contaminated food. 5) How to tell if you might be suffering from a food borne illness.

A very informative book that will open our eyes about what we are preparing and feeding our families and ourselves. This is an excellent book to have in our kitchens. Get informed now.

This is an excellent book! Satin really seems to empathise with readers because he is able to explain very complicated medical and technical jargon in a way that anyone can easily understand. Not only is it a 'Who's Who' of all the causes of food poisoning, but it also a manual on how to avoid the experience. Although the book is crammed with an unbelievable amount of information on all the food-borne diseases and how to avoid them, it is an easy book to negotiate through. There is an excellent index, glossary and in particular the appendices on disease symptoms and food storage make this one of the most practical and convenient books I ever read. The book is a bit frightening because, despite the author's sense of humour, the book tells it all - the food poisoning problems in the home, in restaurants and fast food places, in school cafeterias, even on cruise ships, picnics and barbecues. Satin really gets into what goes on in the food industry. I was particularly concerned with some of the terrible long-term consequences of food poisoning. This really yanked the subject away from the typical image we have of food poisoning as being simply diarrhoea or an upset stomach. The book also talks about the added dangers of food poisoning for young kids, pregnant women, senior citizens and people who have AIDS. Satin always refers to actual recorded cases, which brings the matter much closer to home, because you can see how easy it is for anyone in your family to get food poisoning. Unless you know what you are doing, eating is like playing roulette. This book will definitely improve your chances of avoiding food poisoning. A good knowledge of food poisoning is a must these days. That's why I highly recommend this book as a 'must' read.

Especially interesting and informative. Very valuable from the standpoint of family protection and community awareness on health problems.

This book cuts through the confusing, contradictory information we hear regarding pesticides, organic food, and other issues effecting the quality of the food we eat. It is extremely well referenced, timelessly relevant, easy to read, and, best of all, NOT BORING.

This book cuts through the confusing, contradictory information we hear regarding pesticides, organic food, and other issues effecting the quality of the food we eat. It is extremely well referenced, timelessly relevant, easy to read, and, best of all, NOT BORING.

I have followed the contamination of our food supply with interest, but nothing puts it in perspective like Ms. Fox's book. There is so much more food-borne illness that goes unreported that it's a miracle you haven't already gotten sick from something you ate, unless you have.

Her reporting is meticulous and runs the gamut from meat packers to academic reports. I rank this book right up there with "Diet for a New America" and "Fast Food Nation." As soon as I finished reading this book, I read "Spoiled - Why Our Food Is Making Us Sick and What We Can Do About It," also by Ms. Fox.

There is enough irrefutable factual information in these books to put you off most mass-produced food forever. Fortunately, the author also includes information on how to avoid food-borne illnesses and what to do if you think you have come in contact with a food-borne illness. She has opened my eyes to the hazards of our age, and equipped me to protect myself against them. For this, and for a very readable book, I thank her.

What you don't know really can (and probably does!) hurt you!! Nicols Fox here provides a timely and sobering look at the problems facing all of us in today's global food market. Although you probably won't remember all the scientific names of the microscopic beasties which may ruin your day/week/month/year, you WILL walk away with some pragmatic ways to minimize the number of times per year food makes you sick. EVERYONE WHO EATS FOOD IN AMERICA SHOULD READ THIS BOOK!!!! IN OTHER WORDS, BUY IT, read it, and heed it!!

Most Americans are aware that spoiled food can make a person ill; but after reading this book by Nicols Fox, I now take meticulous care in the kitchen. Disposable cutting boards, plenty of soap and hot water; clean knives to cut vegetables, etc. are all some of the changes I have made. everyone MUST read this book!!

Dear friend I want to isolate kinds of bacteriophages from ewes fetus.I would like to help me about this project . Are there researcher cooperate about this project,welcome to control Listeria moncytogen in nature by phages. Your Sincerely Ebtehaj

I want to know about Liesteria bacteriophage. Can we use Listeria bacteriophage for producing avirulence listeria monocytogen which induce abortion in ewes and cow.

Dr. Mike Doyle, the world's leading specialist in E. coli, the "hamburger bug" that can cause illness with as few as 10 bacteria present, now offers his knowledge to the scientific community. I have worked with him as a graduate student, published his scientific papers in the J. OF FOODSERVICE SYSTEMS, which I edit and have every respect for professional standing. An outstanding leader in the field of food science and food microbiology.

Edited by food science and health experts Barbara M. Lund and Paul R. Hunter, The Microbiological Safety of Food in Healthcare Settings is a scholarly textbook useful to students and professionals in all aspects of the food industry, yet especially invaluable to physicians, doctors, and nurses responsible for controlling the effects of food-borne pathogens and protecting those patients who are most vulnerable. A variety of experts in the field present in-depth information concerning properties of microorganisms that cause foodborne disease, issues concerning provision of food and water in healthcare settings, practical implementation of food safety management systems in healthcare settings, and much more. Black-and-white charts, graphs, and illustrations enhance the instructive, in-depth text. "Considerable caution must be used if reheating is carried out using microwave ovens. Only ovens designed for commercial use must be used and these only according to the manufacturer's instructions (NHS, 1996), and it is essential that a temperature of at least 70 degrees Celsius for 2 minutes should be achieved in all parts of the food. A commercial microwave oven must have a suitable defrost programmed if it is to be used for thawing frozen food." Highly recommended for intermediate to advanced food science students, and a lifesaving "must-have" for healthcare professionals.

Ok...I would not recommend this book to anyone who panics easily or does not have an 'iron' stomach. This book is not for the squeamish. Fox does an excellent job of researching the massive problems in our modern-day food industries. She not only includes the companies that prepare and can our foods (such as Gerber, Heinz, Del Monte, and the many less-well-known providers of meat), but she includes the cattle and chicken industries, and even restaurants.

This book caught my eye after the horrible breakout last summer in our local Chi-Chi's of Hepatitis A. Hep A is not supposed to be a killer, but the strain that hit this restaurant exposed a huge amount of people to illness...over 600. Among that group were people who had immune system problems such as diabetes, and there were four deaths from what is currently believed to be exposure through green onions. It was unfathonable to many that something such as green onions could lead to deaths; I still have a problem believing that was the source.

But Fox makes clear in this book that our foodstuffs are not as safe in many ways, as they used to be, due to modern industry practices, and the lobbying efforts of the industries in pursuit of the almight dollar.

The book is fascinating, and the only reason I gave a four star rating was due to the fact that many times Fox's writing seemed repetitious. I am certainly taking much more care of the way I prepare foods, and even which foods I shop for thanks to this book. Like many of the current books dealing with what could be 'doomsday' scenarios, I tend to take the books with a grain of salt...you can't spend your entire life being afraid of things. However, you can spend more time in care of your families, and I think this book is valuable for that reason.

Karen Sadler,
Science Education,
University of Pittsburgh

This book is a brilliant investigation into the present state of our food supply. Many of us have read scattered news items about food poisoning outbreaks here and there, but have never really noticed what's been happening to our food supply. In this book, Fox brings together hundreds of stories of outbreaks, and through them, brings the elusive big picture into focus. Fox takes us behind the burger counters back to the factory farm, where chickens are sick, and cows are fattened up on the dung and bedding from the sick chickens. The manure from the chicken-dung eating cows is spread on apple orchards, and all of the sudden organic apple cider must be pasteurized to kill the e. coli. Before reading this book, I wondered why eating raw cookie dough never made me sick as a child, but now we're cautioned never even to consider such dangerous habits. As Fox explains, eating raw eggs wasn't dangerous before, but thanks to modern agribusiness practices, chickens have salmonella in their ovaries, so all eggs must be assumed to be tainted As a result, the only safe egg these days is one whose yolk is cooked solid- -eating eggs sunny-side up is akin to Russian roulette.

Fox's main message is that it is vitally important to know who grew your food and how, as well as who cooked your food. If you choose to eat meat, you should know where the meat came from. In the interests of making a profit, factory farms feed meat and milk animals waste products including diseased animal parts and dung. Even if the animals are able to digest such a diet, bacteria and other pathogens from such a diet eventually end up on our plates. Hamburger meat is exceptionally risky since a single pound can include meat from hundreds of individual cows, and if any one of those hundreds carries a pathogen, the entire lot of meat will be tainted. The only way to be reasonably sure of getting healthy meat is to purchase it from a farmer that you know, someone whose farm you can visit in person. Meanwhile, food handlers and preparers seem to be less and less familiar with basic rules of food safety. Fox mentions supermarket workers who don't know the dangers of dented or bulging cans, and teenagers earning minimum wage frying meat at burger joints who have never cooked anything before in their lives. She stresses how important it is not to assume that food is safe just because it is on sale. Sure, the USDA, FDA, and threat of lawsuits give the consumer some protection, but a lawsuit is of little use in bringing a child back to life after a little case of food poisoning.

Living in Dubai, my husband and I experience at least one incidence of food poisoning per month, despite being cautious about where and what we eat. We have learned to inspect every package carefully in the supermarket, considering the country of origin, the condition of the container, and the manner in which the goods are stored. In restaurants, we choose our food not by what looks tastiest, but instead by what is least likely to be tainted. We've seen supermarket food handlers at the deli counter blithely lift dripping raw chickens over cooked ones and we've become vegetarians out of necessity. In this book, Fox argues that it's up to American consumers to see that their food supply doesn't continue to go the same way.

I have just read this book - it took me almost four months. The thoroughness and attention to detail held me spellbound throughout. Future readers must be prepared to read, enjoy, savour and ABSORB this book to give it its just desserts. Ms. Fox throws buckets of icy water into our faces to cause us to think about the food we eat. I will not become a vegetarian - as she has - because man is by nature and heritage a carnivore. Besides she cites as many - if not more - problems with fruit, vegetables (especially raw)and their juices as with meats, which we must learn better to prepare. Certainly a (pre)cautionary tale for all!

I found out about the book because it was referenced at the end of Robin Cook's book Toxin. The author gives detailed accounts of numerous outbreaks of contaminated food. She shows that what we were lead to believe was an isolated incident, is not an isolated incident. I was amazed to find out that Russia demanded higher standards for the chickens that are shipped to their country, but as American citizens we have not asked for higher standards.

She points out that consumers have been blamed for not using proper food handling when in fact the food producer is at fault for not providing safe food.

While I really liked the book, I gave it only 4 stars because at times the book can be a little too detailed. I found it difficult to keep reading the book at times.

Fox's well-researched book is shocking. Mad Cow Disease is a trivial problem compared to some of the others revealed in this fascinating investigation into the underbelly and oversights of America's food industry.

But also check out Peter Phillips' CENSORED 1999's top censored news story for an additional jolt: a government near you soon will be wholly beholden to any corporation which chooses to violate the already-established food laws. If the powers that be get their way, the stories in fox's SPOILED will be barely the tip of the iceberg in a few short years.

Wake up, America! Read this book and raise some hell! How? Call your local, state, and federal representatives and tell them you're not going to take it any longer!