Food safety experts launch battle against E. coli bacteria
IRELAND - Food safety experts are meeting in Dublin, Ireland this week to discuss international standards they hope will cut back on the rising number of infections caused by the deadly enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) bacteria.Representatives from UN bodies and member countries that make up the Codex Alimentarius committee on food hygiene are considering the need for risk-based standards to control EHEC. The five-day meeting began yesterday.
“We are seeing a worldwide increase in the number of people infected with these dangerous pathogens, particularly E coli O157” stated Dr. Peter Ben Embarek from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Sarah Cahill, a representative from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said legal costs arising from just one outbreak in the US amounted to a payout by one manufacturer of $30m (€23m).
Source: Food Production Daily