Sleuthing bacteria DNA in food

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis.

Personal injury litigation over foodborne illness outbreaks will be increasingly influenced by genetic profiling of pathogens and new federal food safety standards….

A new genetic test for bacteria and viruses rolled out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention precisely pairs foodborne illness outbreak victims to a contaminated source, using the pathogen’s DNA as a guide.

The new test, known as Whole Genome Sequencing, promises to better track and identify the 48 million foodborne illnesses that occur in the U.S. each year—particularly those that trigger multi-state outbreaks.

Related on the SLP

Viewpoint: Raw milk and the myth of safety—ProPublica exposes the growing anti-homogenization movement Viewpoint: Cyclospora alert—explaining the devastating impact of Trump’s cuts to public health

Convinced COVID shots cause widespread harm, Kennedy plans federal initiative to incentivize doctors to report alleged injuries

Should we be afraid of our food?

5 deaths, 1,000 reported cases: These horrific numbers underestimate the consequences of the anti-vax movement

That scientific stride will be furthered by food facility testing and other measures mandated by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, a federal law designed to shift the national focus from responding to food contamination to preventing it.

Read full, original post: Germ Genetics, New Rules Drive Foodborne Illness Litigation