4/21/2005
The recent Hepatitis A outbreak in Campbell County is renewing interest in food safety. According to Food Scientists at the University of Tennessee, at least 57 million people get food poisoning every year.
Research shows most of those cases occur while eating at home, not at a restaurant.
“There’s a very good chance you’ll acquire some kind of food poisoning this year. You’ve got a 33%-35% chance, and I’d go to Las Vegas with those odds,” said UT Food Science Professor Ann Draughon.

Draughon isn’t too concerned about what happens beyond the kitchen door at a restaurant. She is more worried about fruit and vegetables coming into the United States from foreign countries.
“We have very little control over how those are produced in other countries. It’s impossible for us to be on those sites to inspect and to look at those on a very frequent basis,” said Draughon.
The scientist suggests asking your grocer about the origin of a particular fruit and vegetable. She recommends not only washing it, but cooking it too, since heat kills bacteria.
The food safety experts at UT also point out that outbreaks occur across the country on a daily basis. They add most of the time these cases are never reported to public health officials.
Scientists say if you are older than 65, are pregnant, or have a compromised immune system, you are at greater risk.