Eric Tegethoff, reporter/producer, Oregon News Service, a bureau of Public News Service.
A recent foodborne illness outbreak linked to deli meats is spotlighting how these foods are regulated.
The listeria outbreak in Boar’s Head products has led to 10 deaths and at least 59 people sickened across the country.
Jovana Kovacevic, associate professor of food science and technology at Oregon State University, said it is important to know listeria is prevalent in the natural environment. Kovacevic pointed out the United States has a zero-tolerance testing system for listeria, which is different from other countries and, counterintuitively, might do more harm than good than a system testing for certain levels of the bacteria.
“It would encourage industry to sample more,” Kovacevic asserted. “And once they find positives, it would help them act before the food becomes contaminated and before any contaminated foods end up in the commerce.”
Kovacevic pointed out listeria is most harmful to vulnerable populations, such as pregnant people, older people, and those with compromised immune systems. Members of Congress recently wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture over its concern that the agency wasn’t able to prevent the outbreak.
However, Kovacevic noted progress in how the USDA and the Food and Drug Administration, which also monitor food safety in some situations, prevent foodborne illnesses. Still, she argued there is room for improvement.
“Standardizing our approach to listeria probably we would benefit from it,” Kovacevic contended. “Consumers would benefit and the industry would benefit in terms of having the ability to look openly for listeria as opposed to fearing if they find any positive what’s going to happen.”
Kovacevic added that consumers can prevent outbreaks by storing meats at the proper temperatures and cooking them thoroughly.
“There’s just certain foods that are higher risk foods,” Kovacevic explained. “If you’re in that vulnerable group, you want to avoid those foods. So, we really need to do better to engage consumers in these discussions.”
