Historical aspects of food safety
The availability and nutritional adequacy of food have been driving forces of human evolution and civilization. Prior to the domestication of plants and animals, some 12,000 to 10,000 years ago, humans lived an existence as hunters and gatherers. Survival of a group or tribe of people depended on the relative abundance of wild animals and plants and the ability of its members to hunt and gather the fauna and flora, respectively. People often lived a nomadic existence, following the migration of animals or moving during seasonal changes in the weather. Scholars generally believe the domestication of plants and animals occurred gradually over millennia through a series of accidents or subconscious behavior until, at some point, humans consciously manipulated other forms of life to their advantage and survival. The adoption of agriculture and the domestication of plans and animals reduced the need for nomadic lifestyles among groups of people. Communities of humans became more permanent and grew larger allowing skilled craftspersons to barter or sell their services in exchange for the necessities of life-principally food. Eventually, as agriculture flourished and produced larger food surpluses, these communities grew into cities furthered the pursuits of government, art, and technology for which human civilization is known.