Given the importance of risk assessment to public health decisions, food safety agencies have established mechanisms to engage the entire food industry on such issues.
For a lab to receive accreditation, it must be able to prove to an accrediting body that its tests are applicable, appropriate and functioning correctly.
The food industry as a whole has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in food safety interventions that have directly resulted in lowered levels of microbial contamination on meat.
As E. coli O157:H7 emerged as a significant foodborne illness-causing pathogen, efforts were made to measure the incidence of this microorganism in raw ground beef and trimmings.
Listeria monocytogenes is clearly the foodborne illness-causing pathogen at the top of the RTE meat and poultry product manufacturer’s list of concerns.
Produce producers have witnessed a troubling and corresponding rise in microbial foodborne illness incidents associated with raw and minimally processed fruits and vegetables