January/February 2021 - 11

ELIMINATING PATHOGENS
FOOD SAFETY
knowledge gaps. Under prevention, the
FDA focused on advancing agricultural
water safety and bolstering inspection,
auditing and certification programs.
To further support prevention
efforts, FDA is testing samples of
romaine lettuce grown in California's
Central Coast, Central Valley and
Imperial Valley and in Yuma, Arizona,
for pathogenic E. coli and salmonella.
They also aim to determine which
sampl ing techniques are most
effective in detecting contaminated
product at harvest.
In an effort to improve response
activities, FDA believes it is critical
to share lessons learned in previous
outbreaks. As such, FDA agreed to
publish an outbreak investigation
report that included the trace-back
and sampling activities conducted in
the Salinas Valley growing region of
California.
Following three separate E. coli
outbreaks that were linked to leafy
greens in the fall of 2019, the FDA,
the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) and state partners
launched an investigation. Authorities
traced the strain (STEC E. coli O157:H7)
back to romaine lettuce, which was
further traced back to the Salinas
Valley growing region in California.
Results of the investigation suggest that
a potential contributing factor was the
proximity of cattle to production fields.
FDA also promised to conduct followup
surveillance during the fall 2020
California growing and harvest season,
to promote tech-enabled traceability,
and to enhance outbreak and recall
communications.
Under addressing knowledge gaps,
FDA promised to conduct longitudinal
studies. In November of last year, FDA
announced the launch of a multi-year
longitudinal study to improve food
safety through a deeper understanding
of the pathogens that cause foodborne
illness outbreaks.
" In alignment with the FDA's New
Era of Smarter Food Safety initiative,
the findings from this longitudinal
study will contribute new knowledge
on how various environmental factors
may influence bacterial persistence
PRODUCE PROCESS ING
11
and distribution in the region, and
how those factors may impact the
contamination of leafy greens, " Frank
Yiannas, FDA Deputy Commissioner for
Food Policy and Response, said at the
time of the announcement.
Equipment manufacturers step up
their game
Prevention, though, goes beyond the
field. At the processing level, equipment
manufacturers, including Sormac and
Kronen, are making strides to mitigate
the spread of foodborne pathogens at
the processing level.
Sormac offers optional UV-C
disinfection for washers
In a recent internal study, Sormac
conducted an investigation to see if
UV-C could be used to disinfect wash
water. UV-C is ultraviolet light that
lies outside of humans' observable
spectrum. Their investigation found

January/February 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January/February 2021

January/February 2021 - 1
January/February 2021 - 2
January/February 2021 - 3
January/February 2021 - 4
January/February 2021 - 5
January/February 2021 - 6
January/February 2021 - 7
January/February 2021 - 8
January/February 2021 - 9
January/February 2021 - 10
January/February 2021 - 11
January/February 2021 - 12
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January/February 2021 - 15
January/February 2021 - 16
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/september-october-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/2024-digital-buyers-guide
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/november-december-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/september-october-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/2023-digital-buyers-guide
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/may-june-2023
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/january-february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/november-december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/september-october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/2022-digital-buyers-guide
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/november-december-2019
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