Microsoft Word 2007 ichrie conference Proceedings Final-Final 06-06-07. doc

INTRODUCTION 
Background of the Study 
According to a 1995 report of a World Health Organization (WHO) Consultation with the participation of 
the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), foodborne diseases remain a major public health problem in the 
world and an important cause of reduced economic productivity. WHO estimates that 1500 million cases of 
diarrhea occur annually around the world, resulting in 3 million deaths, of which 2.1 million are caused by 
biologically contaminated food. Hartwig de Haen, assistant director general of the UN’s Food and Agriculture 
Organization, in an address to policy makers and specialists from 40 countries in the region, reported that more than 
700,000 people die yearly from consuming contaminated food or water in the Asia-Pacific region (Phil. Daily 
Inquirer, May 25, 2004, p A9). A foodborne illness is a disease that is carried or transmitted to human beings by 
food. Most victims of foodborne illnesses do not readily associate symptoms with food intake, but consumers are 
becoming more aware of food-related illnesses. Any kind of food can be the vehicle of foodborne illness but high 
protein foods are responsible for most such illnesses.
In the Philippines, foodborne illnesses are a major health concern. Roque and Roces (1996) report that 
such diseases are not always recognized and there is no surveillance system specifically for the disease group.
Surveillance is the systematic collection of reports of specific health events as they occur in a population. This 
monitoring is linked to action (Tauxe, 2002). While outbreaks associated with a particular commercially 
processed food tend to attract headlines and focused attention, a much greater number of individual cases of 
foodborne illnesses occurring in restaurants and in the home are not reported or are linked to other known cases of 
illness (Oblinger ed., 1988, Billy, 2002). 
Rationale 
Perdigon (1998) reports that according to the 1995 census report of the National Statistics Office (NSO) in 
the Philippines, there were a total of 40,392 eateries all over the country. The Industry and Trade Statistics 
Department of the NSO reports that in the year 2000 there were 89,472 hotel and restaurant establishments in the 
Philippines. The doubling of food service and related establishments over a 5-year period makes this study 
worthwhile. Although documentation of foodborne illnesses in the Philippines is not accurate, reports of incidence 
through the media and communication networks point to a serious issue which must be addressed. Reports from 
other countries (Oblinger ed., 1988, Pritchard and Walker, 1998) show that many foodborne disease outbreaks are 
attributed to food service establishments. The findings of this study are of value in developing an approach to food 
safety training that is sensitive to the conditions under which information is processed, thereby leading to sustainable 
food safety.

---