The report by the American Society for Quality (ASQ) could apply pressure to legislators, resulting in more mandatory food safety requirements being introduced in processing plants.

Steve Wilson, chief quality officer for the US Commerce Department and an ASQ board member, said a two pronged approach will be most effective.

"The problem is that we can't inspect the defect out of the product," he said. "Since we each can't have our own food tasters - like the medieval nobles did - our best option is to take more proactive steps in earlier stages of food production."

ASQ's report identifies other actions that experts say can make a major difference.

Maintenance procedures, such as personnel training and hygiene practices should be reinforced in plants. Further programs to teach workers about sanitation and maintenance, effective recall programs, provisions for safe water supply and product handling are all essential to improve food safety, the ASQ said.

Another action suggested is to improve processors and consumer awareness about the dangers involved following improper handling of food.

The ASQ said that regulatory agencies should be strengthened in high risk areas, to combat the risks of sabotage and bioterrorism.

Companies can become be more diligent and the ASQ claimed that the recent melamine problem that sickened pets across the country was more a failure of corporate supplier quality programs than a failure of regulatory systems.

Improving inspections, but not necessarily increasing their frequency is another action. Targeted checks where the safety risks are highest, such as certain high-risk foods and products known to come from processors where federal standards are not complied with, is a more effective use of resources, claims the ASQ.

The problem for food safety inspectors is that more than half of reported foodborne outbreaks cannot be attributed to any specific microorganism by current diagnostic methods, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

John Surak, a food safety consultant and member of ASQ's Food, Drug and Cosmetic Division, said that the key trends are pushing the industry toward a more preventative approach to food safety.

"Consolidation of food processing to fewer plants with increased output has guaranteed that if you're going to have a glitch, it's going to be a big one," he said. "More health-conscious consumers demanding ready-to-eat fresh fruits and veggies year-round also increase pressure for the industry to look at new ways to grow, harvest and process safe produce."