FOOD SAFETY MATTERS

FOOD SAFETY MATTERS

It would be a big surprise if most or all of these outbreaks didn't turn out to be preventable. Experience has taught us a great deal about eliminating microbial contamination and the food industry has had plenty of opportunities to learn from its mistakes. For instance, the cases of salmonellosis caused by contaminated liquid egg white are difficult to comprehend, especially as it seems the product was pasteurised. Peanut butter also has a rather undistinguished history as a cause of food poisoning, as do fresh cheeses and smoked salmon. And what about those strawberries and how they became contaminated with noroviruses? Dirty irrigation or washing water looks a likely culprit. I would be prepared to bet that none of the investigations into recent outbreaks will reveal anything genuinely new that could not have been anticipated and therefore prevented.  by Richard Lawley