How do companies deal with foodborne illness? U of I professor weighs in:

URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — According to the CDC, one in six Americans contract foodborne illnesses each year.

Just last month a deadly E-coli outbreak forced McDonald's to take the quarter pounder off of the menu.

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WCIA checked in with a University of Illinois expert to see what companies might be doing to prevent this.

Doctor Matthew Stasiewicz teaches applied food safety. He said outbreaks like this can come from diseases being introduced in planting, harvesting or processing. Stasiewicz is confident food companies are taking steps to keep their products safe, but there is no quick fix to the issue.

"Broadly, reasons why, is I think the way that we eat is continuing to cause stress on the food system," Stasiewicz said. "We want food available all year round, you know, lack of season. To have a fresh tomato or fresh lettuce at all times of the year. And those just create more challenges. So, as we work to adapt to those challenges, it becomes harder and harder to drive the absolute numbers of illness down."

He also said there is no evidence more people are dying from foodborne disease now than they were 10 years ago.