Listeria Cases on the Rise
An April 14, 2006, article in the Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report (MMWR), a weekly publication of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), says that Listeria cases rose in 2005 and failed to meet national objectives for lowering the rate of Listeria by 2005 (MMWR 2006 Apr 14;55(14):392-5) The Consumer Federation of America blames the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the rise in Listeria cases:
The Consumer Federation of America said while the government made progress lowering the rate between 1996 and 2002, Listeria has started to climb because USDA hasn't established tighter controls for deli meats and hot dogs. "There is no progress if you don't have the government pushing the industry to improve," said Carol TuckerForeman of the Consumer Federation of America. (Reuters)
The USDA needs to get serious about eliminating Listeria in deli meats and hot dogs, which account for most of the Listeria cases in the United States. Consumers have still not gotten the message--and they may never get it--that hot dogs and deli meats have to be cooked to kill any Listeria bacteria that may be present. Any reliance, therefore, on consumers to take measures to prevent Listeria is misplaced. Ready-to-eat meat processors have to eliminate Listeria bacteria from their processing plants, which will require tighter and better-enforced USDA rules and regulations. This starts with regular USDA inspections.
One of the problems with our food supply as a whole is the lack of adequate funding for frequent inspections. To change this there will have to be a willingness on the part of Congress to address the need, which may only occur if there is an outbreak of epic proportions.
An encouraging development in the fight against Listeria is products being tested that kill Listeria in the places they love to hide in processing plants, like drains. These new products will only prove effective, however, if processors use them as directed. Again, the USDA will most likely have to be involved to regulate the usage of these new products.
