Foodborne Disease Outbreaks Linked to Foods Eligible for Irradiation, United States, 2009–2020

Abstract

Food irradiation can reduce foodborne illnesses but is rarely used in the United States. We determined whether outbreaks related to Campylobacter, Salmonella, Escherichia coli, and Listeria monocytogenes were linked to irradiation-eligible foods. Of 482 outbreaks, 155 (32.2%) were linked to an irradiation-eligible food, none of which were known to be irradiated.

Keywords

• Food irradiation
• Campylobacter
• Listeria monocytogenes
• Salmonella
• Escherichia coli
• food safety