Listeria Lawyer & Attorney : Marler Clark Law Firm : Listeria Blog

The Portland Shellfish company today announced that it was recalling lobster claw and knuckle meat distributed under several brand names because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.  The products were distributed nationwide to wholesale and retail outlets under the brand names Portland Shellfish Co. Inc brand, Claw island, Craig’s All Natural, and Inland Ocean cooked, fresh or frozen lobster claw and knuckle meat.

Listeria can be very dangerous for pregnant, elderly, or immune-compromised individuals.

Recalled products and Lot numbers:

LOBSTER CLAW & KNUCKLE MEAT, CS 6 x 2 LB, packed under the Claw Island, Craig’s All Natural or Inland Ocean brand, production lot numbers 13210, 13310, and 13410, shipped between 05/14/2010 and 05/26/2010.

LOBSTER KNUCKLE MEAT, CS 6 x 2 LB, packed under the Inland Ocean brand, production lot numbers 13210, shipped on 05/13/2010.

LOBSTER CLAW & KNUCKLE MEAT, CS 18 x 15 oz, packed under the Claw Island brand, production lot numbers 13210 and 13410, shipped between 05/25/2010 and 06/08/2010.

LOBSTER CLAW & KNUCKLE MEAT, CS 20 x 8 oz, packed under the Craig’s All Natural brand, production lot numbers 13210, shipped on 05/14/2010.

LOBSTER KNUCKLE MEAT, 1 LB bag, fresh, packed under Portland shellfish brand, production lot number 13310, shipped on 05/12/2010.

LOBSTER CLAW & KNUCKLE MEAT, 4 oz bag, fresh, packed under Portland shellfish brand, production lot number 13310, shipped on 05/13/2010.

LOBSTER CLAW & KNUCKLE MEAT, 1 LB bag, fresh, packed under Portland shellfish brand, production lot number 13210 and 13310, shipped on 05/12/2010 and 05/13/2010.

LOBSTER CLAW & KNUCKLE MEAT, 2 LB bag, fresh, packed under Portland shellfish brand, production lot number 13210 and 13310, shipped on 05/12/2010 05/13/2010, 05/14/2010.

LOBSTER CLAW & KNUCKLE MEAT, 5 LB bag, fresh, packed under Portland shellfish brand, production lot number 13210, shipped on 05/12/2010.

Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume it and to return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at 207-699-5505, Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m

No related foodborne illnesses have been reported to date.

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Custom Corned Beef, Inc., a Denver, Colo., establishment, is recalling approximately 460 pounds of fully cooked crumbled pork sausage products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The following products are subject to recall:

* 10-pound boxes with two, 5-pound packages of “POLIDORI, FULLY COOKED PORK SAUSAGE CRUMBLES, KEEP REFRIGERATED/FROZEN.” Each box label bears the establishment number “EST. 4121” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

The fully cooked crumbled pork sausage products were produced on Apr. 9, 2010, and were distributed to institutional establishments in Colorado.

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New York State officials are out with a warning not to drink "raw milk" from the Breese Hollow Dairy in Hoosick Falls.

The diary is allowed to sell raw or "unpasteurized" milk on the farm and is subject to regular inspections by the NY Department of Agriculture.

Recent testing, however, turned up possible Listeria contamination in Breese Hollow "raw milk."  The sample that was positive for Listeria was collected sometime last month.   The dairy will not be allowed to make further sales of "raw milk" until its cleared by future testing.

"Raw Milk" cannot be sold for human consumption in 21 states.  CNN recently reported that:

"... it is illegal to sell raw milk in Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming."

There are , however, loopholes in some states with prohibitions, such as allowing the sale of so-called "cow shares" that enable the co-owners to all purchase raw milk and many states, like New York, Kansas, Minnesota and Wisconsin, that permit on the farm sales of small quantities.

We fully understand why dairy farmers are tempted to get into "raw milk" sales.   Milk prices, especially at the farm, have collapsed during the past nine months.   Recent payments to dairy farmers are down 35 percent at about $1.04 per gallon.

“In Pennsylvania and New York, they’re getting anywhere from $8 to $12 a gallon,” says lawmaker Nelson Albano. “So if a local dairy farmer here in New Jersey was selling raw milk, he’d be able to get at least that much, so they definitely would be making more money, and that would be a great benefit.”

New Jersey lawmakers are currently considering dropping the Garden State ban on raw milk sales.

U.S. milk production is measured in "million of pounds" based on reports from 23 dairy states to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).   Each gallon of milk weighs 8.59 pounds.  First quarter production was off a mere 0.5 percent at 47,351 million pounds in 2009, down from 47,610 a year earlier.

The fact that the huge price collapse has not had much impact on production levels has both dairy farmers and USDA thinking about more drastic actions.   Some dairy farmers are dumping milk on the ground and USDA is offering payments for reducing herds.

What we cannot find are any estimates on how much milk sold "raw" versus pasteurized.  We suspect that even with the prospect of making $12 per gallon,  "raw milk" remains a very small percentage of the total market.  ( But the amount of those "raw milk" sales is something that somebody should be tracking.)

A buck a gallon is not enough for the nation's dairy farmers who supply safe, pasteurized milk for Americans and many others from around the world.

 

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Schaller Mfg. Corp. (Schaller & Weber), a Long Island City, N.Y., firm, is recalling approximately 564 pounds of duck leg confit and kolbase sausage products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced late on June 3rd. 

The following products are subject to recall: [View Labels]

• 2.5-pound approximate-weight vacuum packages, 6 legs per package, of "D'ARTAGNAN TRADITIONAL DUCK LEG CONFIT." Each package bears a "USE/OR/FREEZE BY" date of "08/07/09" as well as the establishment number "P-5374" inside the USDA mark of inspection.
• 2.5-pound approximate-weight vacuum packages of "Schaller & Weber HUNGARIAN BRAND KOLBASE." Each package bears a date code of "MFG. 005159" as well as the establishment number "EST. 5374" inside the USDA mark of inspection.

The duck and sausage products were produced on May 13, 2009. The duck products were sent to distributors and restaurants in Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.

 

The sausage products were sent to distributors and restaurants in New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia as well as the company's retail store in New York City.
Routine testing by the company led to the discovery of listeria contamination. For more from FSIS, go here.

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There is a bit of a mystery down-under. South Australia (SA) Health cannot find any listeria in other products at either Kyana Farms at Wingfield nor Conroy’s Smallgoods at Bowden.

Bulk meat that ended up in 100 gram pre-packaged IGA Deli roast beef slices and sold at South Australia supermarkets originated at Conways and was sold to Kyana, which supplied the markets.
Nevertheless, the Deli roast beef slices sold by the supermarkets, with a use-by date of June 24, 2009, were found to be contaminated with listeria and recalled on May 28th.

SA Health public health director Kevin Buckett told the newsite Adelaidenow that the two companies had co-operated fully during the investigation.  ``We have found no evidence that the product is linked to any illnesses,'' he said.  ``However, anyone who has this product is advised not to consume it and to throw it out or to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.''

Kyana Farms will continue to suspend production until the company has completed a plan, which includes a review of the incident to identify the likely source of contamination.  Conroy's complies with the nationally agreed listeria control program, according to an SA Health assessment.

Listeria infection can be deadly, especially  for the sick, elderly, newborns and pregnant women. More can be found on SA Health's website here.

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For the second year in a row, Chang Farms of Whatley, MA is recalling bean and soy sprouts because of the possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes (L. Monocytogenes) contamination.

Testing at a retail store in New York was positive for Listeria.

The affected product is packaged in 10 lb bags (bulk) and 12 oz plastic bags (retail), labeled under the Chang Farm Brand as Soy Sprouts and have a “Sell By” date of May 23, 2009 or May 24, 2009 and Bean Sprouts with “Use By” date of May 23, 2009 or May 24, 2009.

The product has been distributed to retail stores and restaurants throughout MA, CT, NY and NJ.

Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

In April, 2008, The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) is issued a warning to the public not to consume any soy sprouts produced from Chang Farms in Whatley, Mass. because Listeria was discovered in the product.  We covered that recall here.  The FDA's website carries the Chang Farms recall press release here.

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The special hearings on the state of food safety in Canada --called after people consumed meat contaminated with listeria last summer from a Maple Leaf Foods plant in Toronto, resulting in the death of 22 Canadians---continue up north.

Latest to weigh in with their opinions are Canada's meat inspectors.  

According to the Vancouver Sun, front-line meat inspectors and supervisors on Monday told parliamentarians they were "grossly" understaffed prior to the outbreak and more resources are still needed to ensure food is safe to eat.

It was the first public comment by the meat inspectors since last summers deadly listeriosis outbreak.

"We want to ensure process meat inspectors are responsible for no more than two RTE (ready-to-eat) facilities," said Agriculture Union president Bob Kingston at a parliamentary subcommittee.

Kingston said meat inspectors in Canada are overworked making it impossible for them to carry out their duties.

Mandatory quarterly and annual audits were not completed at the Maple Leaf Foods plant, which he said lead to CFIA "missing the signs of trouble in May and June, just before the outbreak." 

There is more on what the MPs are being told in the Vancouver Sun here, and Toronto Star here.

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The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is in the running as one of the nominees for the prestigious Code of Silence award, recognizing the most secretive government, department or agency in Canada.  The award is made by Canadian Association of Journalists and the winner will be made at Saturday in Vancouver at CAJ's annual gala.   The Association has 1,300 members from across Canada. 

The CFIA was nominated for the award, according to CAJ, because:

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency for dramatic delays and extensions on requests related to the listeria outbreak that killed 22 Canadians and triggered hundreds -- perhaps thousands -- of illnesses. Requests filed for inspections records on the Toronto-area Maple Leaf plant at the centre of the outbreak took nine months to produce, and communication records with the company are still embroiled in delays. For one of the biggest public health issues to face Canada in recent years, details behind the cause of the outbreak, the apparent delay in warning Canadians and the agency's handling of the aftermath remain filled with unanswered questions.

CFIA is up against some tough competition for the award, including what CAJ calls the "spin machine" of Prime Minister Stephen Harper.   We won't be there, but will attempt to bring you a report on who wins.

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“Got Milk?” Better check to see if it is produced by Whittier Farms and is distributed to customers in the greater Worcester/Shrewsbury area. Brand names produced at Whittier Dairy include Whittier, Schultz, Balance Rock, Spring Brook and Maple. Consumers were warned by the Health Department not to drink any milk products from Whittier Farms in Shrewsbury after two people died from listeria bacteria contamination, the Department of Public Health announced. Four cases of listeriosis infection have been identified by DPH. The cases involved three elderly residents and a pregnant woman from Worcester County.

According to the Whittier Farms website, the farm:

…has taken a unique approach to farming as we milk the cow, haul the raw milk to our processing plant in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts and then sell the processed milk at our milk store and at our processing plant. The whole process from cow to cup is two days, which means farm fresh milk to our satisfied and loyal customers.   We have revived the old method of bottling milk in glass bottles. The glass bottles keep the milk colder, which means the milk stays fresher, giving the milk a sweet and smooth taste. Our milk is also bottled in plastic and cardboard for those who prefer this convenience.

An udder catastrophe.

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With all the E. coli outbreaks, Listeria has taken the back seat during 2007. The year's recall list --a long one-- maintained by the Food Safety & Inspection Service started with 290 pounds of listeria contaminated hog head cheese. That was on Jan. 3, 2007. The responsible party was Pap's Louisiana Cuisine.

Two days later, Denver's Gold Star Sausage Company recalled 15,514 pounds of sausage franks due to listeria. There would be seven more listeria recalls by year's end, the largest being a 2.8 million pound recall of chicken breast strips by West Columbia, SC-based Carolina Culinard Foods.

Other listeria contaminated products included ready-to-eat turkey, semi boneless ham steaks, frozen sausage rolls, and a chicken and pastry product. All totaled, listeria-laced recalled products came to just a tad under 3 million pounds.

The only listeria recall remaining "active" at year end was Meridian, TX-based Double B Foods Inc., which sought return of 98,000 pounds of its frozen sausage rolls on Nov. 15.

So, it was not a big year for listeria recalls, but neither was it an insignificant one. Especially if you were a pregnant North Carolina woman hopeing for a baby instead of a still-born.

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A California company is recalling its pasta salad with chicken because it may be contaminated.

Trader Joe's brand Spicy Thai Style Pasta Salad with chicken breast is the name brand for Garden Leaf Food's product.

Each label bears the establishment number P-21252 inside the USDA mark of inspection and has a "sell-by" date of Jan. 25.

Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea, as well as miscarriage and stillbirth. It can be fatal in those with weakened immune systems.

Keep reading here

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Recall Release CLASS I RECALL
FSIS-RC-006-2007 HEALTH RISK: HIGH

Congressional and Public Affairs
(202) 720-9113
Amanda Eamich

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2007 - Garden Leaf Foods, a Gardena, Calif., firm, is voluntarily recalling approximately 1,591 pounds of pasta salad with chicken that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.

The following product is subject to recall: [View Label]

* 12-ounce plastic containers of "TRADER JOE'S, Serves 2, Spicy THAI STYLE PASTA SALAD, with chicken breast." Each label bears the establishment number "P-21252" inside the USDA mark of inspection. Each package bears a "Sell-by" date of "1-25-07."

Keep reading here.

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MARION - The Ohio State University is seeking Marion County families to help with a food safety study that researchers hope will lead to revisions of the nation's food safety guidelines.

Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center is studying the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, which causes the food-borne illness listeriosis. It is most commonly associated with pre-packaged, ready-to-eat foods such as deli meats, salad and hot dogs.

While illnesses are rare, researchers said it is fatal for about a quarter of the people who become ill. Pregnant women, infants, senior citizens and people with compromised immune systems are the most vulnerable.
"Those who are healthy can usually fight it off," said Marion General Hospital infection control coordinator Kathy Ridge.

Lead researcher Lydia Medeiros, associate professor of human nutrition in the College of Education and Human Ecology, said that the university started

the study about a year ago but needs more families to get the kind of data it needs. Researchers are looking for both non-farm families who live in rural areas and families who live on farms with dairy or beef cattle, sheep or goats.

Keep reading here

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For information contact: January 5, 2007 Arty Schronce, Yao Seidu or Jackie Sosby (404) 656-3689 Possible Listeria contamination Tommy Irvin Alerts Georgians About Recalled Frankfurters

Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin is alerting Georgians that some frankfurters sold in the state may possibly be contaminated with a species of bacteria that can potentially cause illness.

Gold Star Sausage Co., Inc, a Denver, Colo., firm, is voluntarily recalling approximately 15,514 pounds of its products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

The following products are subject to recall:

Read list here

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The head cheese products were produced on December 27, 2006, and were distributed to retail establishments in Southeast Louisiana.

The problem was discovered through the FSIS routine microbiological testing. FSIS has received no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of this product.

Read the whole article here.

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Cochise County health officials are warning residents about risks associated with eating cheese made from milk that has not been pasteurized.

Queso fresco and other Mexican-style soft cheeses made from unpasteurized milk can contain listeria bacteria, the source of a dangerous and sometimes fatal food borne infection called listeriosis. The county Health Department is launching an informational campaign to educate people about the dangers of listeriosis, along with steps that address prevention.

While anyone who eats cheese made from unpasteurized milk can be affected by listeriosis, health officials are particularly concerned about high-risk groups, including pregnant women, newborns, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, pregnant women are 20 times more likely than other healthy adults to contract listeriosis.

Keep reading

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Imagine going to your doctor with joint pain and leaving with a prescription for ginger.

Before the advent of synthetic drugs, that might have happened. Herbs and spices have a long history as folk medicine, and not without merit.

Today, researchers are working to quantify their health benefits.

"We don't have enough evidence to say herbs and spices are 100-percent disease-preventing, but several have positive outlooks," says Milton Stokes, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

Oregano: The strongest health benefit for oregano, shown at left, is that it's been linked to food preservation. In 2003, researchers found that applying a concentrated oregano extract to prepared meats may destroy Listeria bacteria. "The same chemical constituents that give herbs and spices their pungency are also powerful bacterial inhibitors," says Catherine Donnelly, Ph.D., professor of nutrition and food science at the University of Vermont. "Oregano is one of the best bacteria killers." Its phenols -- a type of antioxidant -- destroy the cell membranes of bacteria.

More Spices

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PROVIDENCE – Customers are advised to discard any food items prepared at Compare Foods, 863 Broad St., Providence, the R.I. Health Department said in a warning late Friday.

Affected by the warning are prepared foods including sandwiches, deli sliced meats and cheeses, and deli salads, such as tuna, macaroni, seafood, turkey, ham and cheese or potato salad, or cole slaw. Any such foods "should be discarded, because there is the potential that they may be contaiminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the Health Department said.

Multiple samples collected from the market, during an investigation of an illness, tested positive for the bacteria, the department said.

keep reading here

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The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has said that seven cases of self-reported illnesses have been linked to the contamination of HoneyBaked Foods ham and turkey products, which are with Listeria monocytogenes.

Read more here. (subscription)

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Mexico’s queso fresco can cause serious disease

Crumbly, soft queso fresco — a type of homemade, fresh white cheese — is a signature favorite in Mexico that is now available in many U.S. supermarkets.

However, consuming queso fresco imported from Mexico could make you gravely ill, officials warn. And outbreaks of severe illness are continuing to occur on both sides of the border.

"It’s a problem that’s been going on for decades," said Dr. Stephen Waterman, a California-based medical epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Keep reading here

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For the second time this month, a Norfolk food packer has voluntarily recalled its mixed fruit product.

The owner of Krisp-Pak tells Your NewsChannel 3 that one sample of the mixed fruit tested positive for listeria. Of the 49 samples sent out for testing, only one came back positive Monday. The samples were taken from Krisp-Pak on November 14th.

Local grocery stores have been notified. 40 Farm Fresh stores across Hampton Roads and two Super K-Marts, one on Military Highway and another on Holland Road, have pulled the mixed fruit from their shelves.

So far, there have been NO reports of anyone being sick. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, listeria is a serious infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes.

keep reading here.

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Nov 24, 2006 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An Ohio-based company is recalling 46,941 pounds of turkey and ham products that officials fear could cause listeriosis, a potentially fatal disease, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Friday.

HoneyBaked Foods Inc. is voluntarily recalling the meat, which includes cooked, glazed and sliced ham and turkey, USDA said in a statement.

The meat, which was produced between September 5 and November 13, may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, which can bring about high fever, headaches, neck stiffness and nausea, USDA said.

Keep reading here

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After HoneyBaked Foods Inc. of Toledo issued a voluntary recall for certain hams and sliced and glazed turkey breasts on Wednesday, officials decided to open their store on Merger Drive for part of yesterday’s Thanksgiving Day holiday.

“We didn’t want people driving up and saying, ‘They’re not here,’” Craig Kurz, an officer and shareholder of the company, said yesterday.

The business also will be open today during regular business hours.

Mr. Kurz said a handful of people stopped by the Merger Drive store in Springfield Township yesterday.

Keep reading here

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The F.D.A. came in and swabbed down Krisp-Pak's packaging plant on Southampton Boulevard on Thursday, one day after a sample tested positive for a potentially dangerous bacteria.

The company is throwing out 400 pounds of fruit that may be contaminated with a bacteria called Listeria.

The F.D.A. swabbed the facility from top to bottom and watched how Krisp-Pak workers clean and cut food.

Every time you cut a piece of fruit, you open it up to infection. If you slice into an apple, the bacteria can go from your knife to inside the flesh. That can make people stick. The owner of Krisp-Pak does not believe that' s what s happened in this case.

For the second time in two months, Paul Battaglia is trashing his produce and profit. F.D.A. Workers watched him dump about four carts full of fresh fruit.

Read more here

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BOSTON --Boston Salads and Provisions Co. Inc. is recalling containers of cole slaw salad with sell-by dates of Nov. 9 and Nov. 11 because they could be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a microorganism that can cause serious or fatal infections.

Children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems are most susceptible to the infections. It can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. Healthy adults can experience symptoms including fevers, severe headaches, nausea and diarrhea.

The cole slaw was sold in 5-, 10- and 30-pound bulk containers and 1-pound retail containers. The salad was sold in supermarkets, delicatessens and convenience stores under the following brand names: Boston Salads & Provisions Co., Inc., Dietz and Watson Inc., Hummel Brothers Inc.

Read more here.

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A Norfolk-based fruit distributor has recalled packages of fresh cut fruit from supermarkets and military commissaries in Virginia and North Carolina after one package tested positive for a potentially fatal bacteria.

Krisp-Pak Company Inc. ordered the recall Tuesday after the food inspection section of the U.S. Army Veterinary Services told the company of the test result, owner Paul Battaglia said.

One package was found to have listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria that can cause fatal infections in children, the elderly or people with weak immune systems, Krisp-Pak said in a statement.

Listeria infection could cause short-term symptoms such as high fever, headache and nausea in healthy people, the statement said. It also can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

Read more here

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BELLVILLE — A warning about ready-to-eat and smoked meat products at the Bellville Meat Market has been withdrawn, the Texas Department of State Health Services said Tuesday.

Last week a warning was issued after the health department found listeria monocytogenes as part of a routine inspection. Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that can cause listeriosis. The warning was withdrawn after recent lab tests of samples from the market were negative for listeria, the health department said. Bellville is about 60 miles northwest of Houston, in Austin County.

From www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/4301645.html

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Here is some good information on Listeria from The Cooking Blog

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BELLVILLE — Customers were being warned by the state health department on Wednesday not to consume any ready-to-eat or smoked meat products purchased from the Bellville Meat Market on or after Oct. 6. The warning comes after a product tested positive for listeria monocytogenes. The bacterium can cause listeriosis, with symptoms including fever, muscle aches and sometimes diarrhea or nausea. The incubation period is usually from 12 hours to three weeks but can be longer.

From http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/4288156.html

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Techniques such as high-pressure processing, pulsed electric fields, radio-frequency electric fields, ultraviolet light, and irradiation have been shown to be faster and less disruptive to quality than traditional thermal processing techniques, say researchers.

Food safety concerns and regulation have driven the food industry to explore different methods of killing harmful pathogens while maintaining quality. Heat sterilisation techniques are common. However heat can also lower quality.

Researchers at the US agriculture department are currently investigating several alternative non-thermal processing technologies, including high-pressure processing, pulsed electric fields, radio-frequency electric fields, ultraviolet light, and irradiation.

Read more here

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A dose of bacteriophages can help ready-to-eat meat producing companies meet food safety standards for Listeria, according to a university study.

To food pathogens like Listeria, bacteriophages are the viral hit squads of the microscopic world. Bacteriophages are viruses that target bacteria, rather than human, plant or animal cells. For every bacteria, there is a phage that likes to latch on to them, take over their life processes and multiply. The baby phages then burst out to attack other nearby targets, thus killing the host cell.

They have the potential to be the next big technological advance in anti-bacterial agents processors can use in ensuring their products do not leave the plant loaded with dangerous pathogens like Listeria, Salmonella, Campylobacter and E. coli

Keep reading

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Scientists in Wyndmoor, Pa., are improving methods to detect foodborne pathogens

"Listeriosis, the illness caused by L. monocytogenes infection, affects around 2,500 people in the United States every year, and kills about 500. Newborns, seniors, pregnant women and individuals with compromised or weakened immune systems are particularly susceptible.

Most methods for detecting harmful foodborne bacteria rely on antibodies, which are proteins used by the immune system to fight infections and foreign bodies. Because these antibodies target very specific infections, researchers can use them to identify and locate specific pathogens."

More after the jump.

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