Foodborne microbial diseases are a significant public health threat.They occur in both developed and developing countries with different food industry expansion, food safety regulations, food hygiene and consumption habits, and climate and environmental situations.The subsequent economic burden associated to them is also different.Most foodborne diseases are sporadic and often not reported, but sometimes foodborne outbreaks may affect a large number of individuals and compromise economic sectors and sanitary resources.Contamination of foods can occur at any point along the food chain, while pathogenic microorganisms enter the body through the ingestion of contaminated food.A series of pathogens and diseases are emerging, driven by factors such as the change in pre-and postharvest stages of food production and manufacturing, pathogen adaptation and evolution, and changes in lifestyle, consumption habits, or host susceptibility, which modify the global exposure to foodborne pathogens.Other factors contemplated as possible contributors to the increased incidence include the recent changes in the food supply system, which result in intensive production and complexity of the supply chain.Because food production, manufacturing, and marketing are global, infectious agents present in foods can be disseminated from the original point of processing and packaging to the place of consumption thousands of kilometers away.Travel and expansion in international trade of foods have also increased the occurrence of outbreaks involving several countries and of cross-border transmission of agents and diseases.