The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported that rates of foodborne illness and the incidence of pathogens in food declined significantly between the late 1990s and 2005. The incidence rates of infection for major pathogens declined by the following rates: Listeria, 32%; Campylobacter, 30%; E. coli 0157:H7, 29%; and Salmonella, 9%.

The decline in the incidence of pathogens found in beef and other meats have been especially dramatic. E. coli 0157:H7 in ground beef has declined by 80% since 1999, and Salmonella in ground beef has declined 75% since 1998 (SOURCE: CDC Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network).