Abstract
This paper reviews methods for assessing the economic costs of foodborne disease and estimates the annual costs of salmonellosis and campylobacteriosis. These foodborne diseases cause intestinal disturbances in approximately 4.1 million Americans annually. Annual medical costs and lost wages from salmonellosis and campylobacteriosis are estimated at $1.4 to $2.6 billion. Inclusion of the economic value of leisure time lost and other factors would increase these cost estimates.
Chicken was associated with 9.5 percent of the outbreaks of salmonellosis reported in 1981, and fresh chicken may cause half of the cases of campylobacteriosis. Irradiation is one method proposed to reduce the incidence of these diseases caused by chicken. Irradiation is estimated to have a favorable benefit/cost ratio of between 2.2 to 4.2. Estimated net benefits range between $186 to $498 million annually.
The views expressed here are those of the author and not necessarily those of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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Roberts, T. (1987). Valuing Food Safety. In: Lave, L.B. (eds) Risk Assessment and Management. Advances in Risk Analysis, vol 5. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-6443-7_44
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-6443-7_44
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