Food safety professionals have a vested interest in improving food safety and preventing foodborne outbreaks.  Nevertheless, patients who suffer from foodborne illnesses, as well as their families, often appear only as numbers or statistics to those professionals who most greatly impact food safety on a day-to-day basis (e.g., research scientists, government officials, epidemiologists, and food industry management personnel).  The reality and personal tragedy accompanying a severe foodborne illness is intensely physiological, emotional, and psychological, affecting the patient, their family, friends and co-workers.  Oftentimes, humans do not become aggressively motivated to remediate a disease until they see the dark and painful “human side” of an otherwise list of data and statistics.  Only after a person sees through the eyes of the patient, the physician, or the grieving parent, does the illness take on new meaning – increasing their resolve to find solutions and cures to the excruciatingly painful scourge of human suffering.  This symposium will provide (for many attendees) new insight and perspective into the pain that is experienced in the wake of a foodborne outbreak.  Attendees will hear first-hand accounts of the physiological, emotional, and psychological outcomes of foodborne illnesses.  The intent of this symposium is to both inform and inspire food safety professionals as to the extremely valuable nature of their work – with the goal of motivating IAFP attendees to excel in their fields; hopefully preventing future foodborne illnesses.

Presentations