Food safety and defense are intimately associated like the faces on a coin, in that they interface with food and microbiology. In fact no food is devoid of a microbial component, even canned food that has been processed to the 12D thermal processing standard (FDA21CFR108).Thefoodthatweconsumefeedsnotjustourowncellsbutthemilieuofmicroorganismsthatinhabitourgastro- intestinal tract. Assuming a food is not sterile (whatever that truly means) the organisms in the food itself have an impact on the food over time. Fermentation processes, either accidental or deliberate, change the taste, appearance, and nutritional value of the food. Spoilage is the undesirable outcome of the action of one or more microorganisms on the original food. Finally, the safety of the food and the ability of the agents in the food to cause disease have a most profound impact on society.