Microbiological Control

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According to internal FDA and CDC reports uncovered by NBC News and attorney Bill Marler, in November 2024, a multistate Escherichia coli outbreak linked to lettuce sickened 89 people, resulting in 36 hospitalizations and one death. Mention of the outbreak was not made public until the investigation was closed, nor were any details shared openly.

This episode of Food Safety Five discusses two scientific advancements related to Listeria monocytogenes control: 1) a study that showed the effectiveness of combining antimicrobial blue light with chemical sanitizers for pathogen inactivation, and 2) the development of a new growth prediction model for L. monocytogenes in artisanal cheeses.  

According to FOODAKAI’s Global Food Recall Index, the first quarter of 2025 has seen significant increases in food product recalls across the dairy, poultry, and produce categories internationally.

According to UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) laboratory data on campylobacteriosis and non-typhoidal salmonellosis reports in England for 2014–2023, the total number of confirmed reports for both pathogens reached ten-year highs in 2023, and incidence for both also increased from the previous year.

In May 2024, USDA-FSIS published a final determination setting levels at which Salmonella would be considered an adulterant in not-ready-to-eat (NRTE), breaded and stuffed chicken products, which also established a verification sampling program and a requirement for establishments to reassess their HACCP plans. FSIS has delayed the date for its sampling program and the HACCP reviews from May to November, 2025.

A limited number of state jurisdictions have completely adopted the most recent norovirus food safety provisions outlined in the FDA Food Code, according to an analysis conducted in 2020 by CDC researchers. 

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) recently published its first annual report summarizing infectious disease trends, which noted increases in the incidence of infections by important foodborne pathogens like Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter, and norovirus.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has alerted the public that pathogens resistant to last-resort carbapenem antibiotics are increasingly being found in European food animals and food products.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Dr. Edward Dudley, Director of the E. coli Reference Center and Professor of Food Science at Penn State University, about the potential for wastewater monitoring to aid foodborne pathogen surveillance and bolster foodborne illness reporting. 

Although trends in Listeria monocytogenes outbreaks are important, it is more concerning that these outbreaks continue to occur despite industry efforts. This article explores the underlying causes of persistent L. monocytogenes outbreaks and emphasizes the need for leadership behaviors outside of food safety to transform organizational culture to eradicate or control L. monocytogenes.