Editorials by Brundtland and Pershagen Most food is now produced by large farms, processed industrially, and sold in supermarkets and multinational food outlets. Modern food production has reduced the cost and increased the variety of food available, but this centralisation of the food supply presents an opportunity for foodborne pathogens and toxins to infect and poison large numbers of consumers.1 Furthermore, the globalisation of food trade means that food can become contaminated in one country and cause outbreaks of foodborne illness in another.2–4 Modern food production is so complex that a systematic approach is needed to identify the hazards at each point in the food chain. ### Summary points I made an electronic search of the Medline database between January 1990 and May 1999, using the search terms food poisoning and epidemiology, food additives and adverse effects, pesticides and poisoning, and food contamination. Statistical information on the incidence of food poisoning and adverse reactions was obtained from the Public Health Laboratory Services; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta; and the UK Department of Health. Data on food surveillance was obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food. Information on risk assessment was derived from working papers of the WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius …