Sleuthing bacteria DNA in food

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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.

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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