J. F. BROCK 
Immediate ill-effects 
These fall under two main headings: 
(a) Unsuccessful sterilization. 
(b) Acute toxicity of additives. 
The first of these is represented by the immediate effects of 
preformed bacterial toxins such as those produced by staphy- 
lococci, Clostridium welchitt and Bacillus botulinus. ‘These 
‘““ptomaine”’ poisons may occur in naturally-stored foods but 
their effects may be rendered explosive and epidemic by 
unsatisfactory canning. With improved public hygiene, 
especially through household refrigeration, reduction in their 
frequency and severity will eventually be counted among the 
advantages rather than the disadvantages of technological 
sophistication. 
The second group is unlikely to occur except through 
industrial mistakes in the identity or quantity of preservatives 
added in processing. 
Early Effects 
The early adverse effects of technological sophistication 
result mainly from the magnification of the spread of bacterial 
infection of food by wholesale processing. Meat, milk, eggs and 
vegetables, infected with salmonellae, are an increasing problem 
to countries relying on imported foodstuffs. In Britain 
recorded outbreaks of food-poisoning increased ten-fold 
between 1938 and 1959. The major factor in this increase 
has been importation of contaminated foods from abroad, and 
most of this has been attributable to salmonellae of which 
seven hundred serotypes are now recorded. Against this debit 
to technological sophistication must be set the credit of reduction 
in other food-borne bacterial diseases by public hygiene 
generally and pasteurization of milk in particular. The 
balance must surely be on the credit side. 
Intermediate Effects 
Under this heading the tale of ill-effects of sophistication of 
foods mounts heavily. The story may best be handled by 
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