Without federal inspection of meat, however, chances of contracting food-borne illnesses would be much higher and the everyday task of eating would be much riskier. (source: book We the People)
This sentence reads normal and commonplace, but when I try to discern what it is that distinguishes the three noun phrases in terms of article use, I couldn't quite identify it. I understand the reason behind the definite article in the last boldfaced noun phrase is that it is a specific reference while the other two generic, but what makes it so? What about the first two phrases that makes them non-specific?