Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) tests show Listeria strains found in Roos cheese are highly related to those isolated from ill patients, according to an update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The results add "further confidence that cheese products produced by Roos Foods were a likely source of the outbreak," says the CDC. Normally, a process called pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) is used to match outbreak isolates, but WGS provides an even clearer distinction of isolates, according to the CDC. The WGS was performed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Virginia’s Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services as part of a Listeria WGS initiative that is a collaboration between the CDC, FDA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Center … [Read more...]
Our editor, Linda Larsen, has written 28 cook books. She worked for the Pillsbury company in their test kitchens and for the Pillsbury Bake-Off. She holds a degree with High Distinction in Food Science from the University of Minnesota.
Fred Pritzker is a food safety advocate and attorney. He represents people sickened by contaminated food.