This article looks back at the events of the 1993 E. coli outbreak associated with hamburgers served at Jack in the Box restaurants along the U.S. West Coast, examining the regulatory changes inspired by the fatal outbreak and its impact. Also discussed are the corporate and industry changes, spearheaded by Dr. David Theno, that set new standards for leadership and management in foodservice and food safety. 

A collaboration that began with the Beef Industry Food Safety Council to address issues related to Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) now focuses on reducing illness attributed to Salmonella in beef by applying a meaningful risk analysis through shared industry data and best practices. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released a statement saying that its investigation into the 2020 outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 tied to leafy greens found that cattle grazing on lands near leafy greens fields could have increased the risk of product contamination. 

No, the title of this column does not contain a typo. Under the right circumstances, most of which are unpredictable, Salmonella can give you a real body slam.