Identificationof agents involved in foodborne diseases and the aetiological
researchof foodborne diseases beganat the end of the 19thcentury when the
work of VanErmengemserved to clarifythe aetiology of botulism in humans
(Van Ermengem,1897).Latermilestones in this categoryincluded the recogni-
tionofClostridiumperfringensas a foodborne pathogenin 1943(McClane,
1979)andBacilluscereusin the 1950s(Kramer and Gilbert, 1989).Human
infectionswithListeriamonocytogeneswerewellknownby the 1940sand
foodborne transmissionwas suspected(Rocourt and Cossart,1997),but it was
not untilthe occurrenceof an outbreakin Canadain 1981 that proper evidence
was obtained. In this case, illnessfollowedthe consumption of contaminated
coleslaw (Farber and Peterkin, 2000). Since then, numerous foodborne
outbreakshavebeenreportedin differentcountries,and prevention of listeriosis
has become a major challenge for the food industry. Around 1980±198 5
SalmonellaEnteritidis re-emergedvia the internal contamination of chicken
eggs. At the same time a new emerging pathogenic started to emerge:
Escherichia coliO157: H7 (Willshaw et al., 2001).This organismcauses
haemorrhagic colitis. Somevictims,particularlythe veryyoung,maydevelop
haemolyticuremicsyndrome(HUS)whichis characterisedby renal failureand
haemolytic anaemia.From0 to 15% of haemorrhagiccolitis victims may
develop HUS. The diseasecan leadto permanent loss of kidneyfunction.
Although therewereenormousdevelopments in foodborne diseaseresearch
at the beginning of the 20thcentury the reportingof incidents remained low.
Unlessone or moredeathswereinvolved, or an outbreak was on a considerable
local scale,incidents of gastroenteritisrarelycameto the knowledge of the
authorities.Savageand BruceWhite (1925)complained aftera case in whichan
elderly womandied as a result of eatingcanned salmon.Investigations werenot
carried out. Difficulties in reporting and adequate investigations were
acknowledgedobstaclesto a fullerunderstanding of the natureof and factors
in bacterialfoodpoisoning. Before the SecondWorldWar, mostfoodpoisoning
incidents undoubtedlyremainedhidden. To improve the situation in 1939the
UK establishedthe `Emergency Public Health Laboratory Services' ± a network
of 19 provincial and 10 metropolitan laboratories,whoseserviceswereto be
available free of charge to medical officers of health if required for the
investigation and controlof infectiousdiseases.
The SecondWorldWar is generally seenas a seminal eventin history of food
poisoning.Duringand after the war, therewas a rapidextension of mass
catering,bothin termsof feedinglargenumbersof peoplein canteensand
restaurants,and in mass productionof preparedfoodstuffs.Thisresultedin
many newproblems.Egg-borne Salmonella infectionsreceived widespread
publicity when incidents were tracedto the use of bulkimportsof American
powderedeggs(Hardy, 1999).Tradein bothhumanand animalfoodstuffs
became internationalised and opened many European countries to a large
number of exoticSalmonellatypesfromall over the world.
After the introduction of compulsory notification, foodborne diseases
acquired a statisticalprofile. After an uncertainstart notifications beganto
8 Handbookof hygienecontrolin the foodindustry