Food born illnesses were something I had to be aware of at one time. I lived and taught in Korea for a couple years before going to college, some of the time out in the countryside. At that time it was common for untreated sewage from cess pools and septic systems to be spread on fields. Needless to say, everything needed to be washed and cooked. Strawberries needed to be washed in dillute bleach solution and water boiled. We also had to be careful with fish and seafood purchases and look at the eyes carefully and apply a nose at time of purchase. I never had any problem, but new others who did, but nothing serious. Usually it was something they did like eat leftovers that had sat in the fridge too long. Even in that fairly un-regulated time in that country, food safety was really not too bad, with one exception. The idea of "Integrated Pest Management" really hadn't ever been considered or caught on and most of the fruit was pretty well doused in very hard pesticides. We usually used soap and water. If the consumer handles the food he gets properly, most food borne illnesses can be avoided. Obviously there are exceptions to this like when you eat at restaurants, then you are at the mercy of whoever is handling the food back in the kitchen and their individual standards of personal hygene.

Looking back though, it was a great experience to go to Korea (even got a Korean language minor out of it) and I still miss the open air markets for purchasing in-season produce, usually from the farmer's wives/daughters.

Still food is something that I see more and more in the news, like this article today:

www.insidebayarea.com/food-an...12191438