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Widespread Food Recall Involves Spinach and Listeria Contamination Concerns

Listeria Testing

Category	Press Release
Publish Date	4/6/2015
Author	Paul Cochrane
Title	Widespread Food Recall Involves Spinach and Listeria Contamination Concerns
Introduction	EMSL Analytical provides food testing services to identify Listeria and other microbial pathogens to help prevent foodborne illnesses and costly product recalls.
Cinnaminson, NJ, April 6^th, 2015 Last month, several food manufacturers announced a recall of spinach containing products due to concerns over the possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes. The recalls involved everything from organic cut leaf spinach to spinach dips and frozen products containing the vegetable. These products were offered to consumers from various food manufacturers in stores in numerous states from coast to coast. Listeriosis is a rare but serious illness caused by eating foods contaminated with the bacteria called Listeria monocytogenes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that almost everyone who is diagnosed with listeriosis has "invasive" infection, in which the bacteria spread beyond the gastrointestinal tract. People who are at a higher risk of developing listeriosis include pregnant women, newborns, those with a weakened immune system and older adults. A person with listeriosis usually has fever and muscle aches, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. Symptoms can appear from a few days up to a few weeks after consumption of contaminated foods. “Listeria is the 3^rd leading cause of death from food poisoning according to the CDC,” said Joy Dell’Aringa, M.S., RM (NRM), CFSP, National Food Director at EMSL Analytical, Inc. “At EMSL, our food scientists can help avert these types of outbreaks by using advanced testing techniques to identify Listeria and other foodborne pathogens. These services, when provided to food manufacturers, can help to prevent contaminated foods from reaching the public or to identify the source of an outbreak if one has already occurred.” EMSL has sponsored an educational video about Listeria that can be seen at: http://youtu.be/iXQOwCfZQek. To learn more about testing for Listeria and other food testing services, please visit www.FoodTestingLab.com or www.EMSL.com, call (800) 220-3675 or email info@EMSL.com. About EMSL Analytical, Inc. EMSL Analytical is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider of food, environmental and materials testing services and products to professionals and the general public. The company has an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies.