Study Evaluates Risks of RTE Meat and Poultry Samples

Fruit linked to unprecedented listeriosis outbreak sparks renewed efforts to ensure produce safety

Salmonella. Escherichia coli. Listeria. These words strike fear in the hearts of in-house counsel and executives in the food industry. Outbreaks of foodborne illnesses—and other incidents involving tainted food—have received a great deal of attention in recent years. In 2007, they reached a new peak: an outbreak of botulism infections caused by canned chili, a recall of more than 21 million pounds of ground beef and hamburger patties due to fears of E. coli contamination, a peanut butter recall related to Salmonella poisoning outbreaks in 47 states, and a recall of baby food allegedly tainted with Salmonella. For the companies involved, the inevitable fallout will include defense and liability costs incurred in large-scale litigation, including consumer class actions, losses due to product recalls and business interruption, damage to reputation, and in some cases, bankruptcy.

Bacteriophages are the focus of new research at the University of Nevada