New England Journal of Medicine · 2011 · 41 citations · 1 references
AgricultureFood ScienceInfectious DiseasesFood HygieneFood SafetyOutbreak InvestigationFood ContaminationFood Safety HazardsFood Safety PolicyFoodborne PathogensMicrobial ContaminationMicrobiological Food SafetyFood System RegulationFoodborne Disease PreventionFoodborne Illness EpidemiologyFoodborne Outbreak PreventionLeakageOutbreak DescriptionPublic Health ProtectionRain Leakage Risk
Large-scale outbreaks of foodborne illness have recently focused attention on the ability of the U.S. food-safety system to protect the public health. The nationwide outbreak of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium infection associated with peanut products that is described by Cavallero et al. is one example.1 This contamination, which was ultimately traced to the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), took a high toll — 714 people were affected, about 200 were hospitalized, and 9 died. Investigators found multiple potential routes of contamination at PCA facilities, such as rain leakage and cross-contamination between raw and roasted peanuts. Although the outbreak was eventually . . .
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