Abstract
An increasing number of parasites are being added to the list of those that can be transmitted via food or water and that pose a risk to human health if ingested. These zoonotic infections usually have complicated life cycles requiring a number of hosts for completion or a diversity of cycles of transmission that may interact. The challenge in all control efforts is to break the cycle of transmission that may lead to human infection, which requires the ability to detect and characterize the relevant parasite life cycle stage in food or water. This requires tools that are both sensitive and specific, and often beyond the limitations of conventional techniques such as microscopy.