Press Releases at EMSL

Since September of last year, officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have been collaborating with public health experts in several states, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Public Health Agency of Canada to investigate an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections.

In addition to fifteen people from eight states who have been infected, seven people from five Canadian provinces have also been infected with the same outbreak strain. The CDC has reported that laboratory tests performed to date on clinical isolates from ill people in Canada showed that the isolates are highly related genetically to Listeria isolates from ill people in the United States.

State and local health departments and federal investigators have interviewed infected people about the foods they may have eaten or other exposures in the month before they became sick. Of eight ill people who were asked about packaged salad, all reported eating a packaged salad. Four ill people were also able to specify the brand of packaged salad they ate. In response, the producer of the packaged salads that were identified voluntarily recalled all salad mixes produced in their Ohio processing facility in January.

“Listeriosis is a rare but serious illness caused by eating foods contaminated with the bacteria known as Listeria monocytogenes,” said Joe Frasca, Senior Vice President of Marketing at EMSL Analytical, Inc. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that Listeria is the third leading cause of death from food poisoning. EMSL’s food scientists can help avert these types of outbreaks by using advanced testing techniques to identify Listeria and other foodborne pathogens. These services can help to prevent contaminated foods from reaching the public, to identify the source of an outbreak if one has already occurred and to evaluate disinfection procedures at food processing facilities.”

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 environmental, indoor air quality, consumer product and materials testing services and products for professionals and the general public.  The company has an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies.