Of the numerous foodborne biological agents that threaten public health, foodborne parasites, it would appear, are a lower order of concern than are bacteria, viruses, and fungi. In some communities and for certain classes of food products, this risk assessment may indeed be a risky one. The list is long, and the illnesses and deaths caused by foodborne parasites are very consequential. More often than not, the reporting on biological hazards in human food are focused on bacterial pathogens. Almost on a daily basis, we are inundated with reports of products recalled due to Listeria contamination. By comparison, contemporary food safety literature on the subject of foodborne parasites is nearly mute.

Parasites are reported in all manner of foodstuffs and across the entire spectrum of the food supply. They infect fish and shellfish, fresh fruit, and vegetables, and they abound in the flesh and internal organs of the animals that are most frequently used as sources of meat. These non-bacterial agents of foodborne disease include helminths, ameba, sporozoa, and assorted other of the protozoa. They are complex organisms, and they are far more challenging than are bacteria when it comes to detection and control. For the purposes of risk assessment, food safety personnel must be cognizant of both the occurrence and significance of these medically important foodborne organisms.