990561 USDA Targets Deadly Bacteria in Hot Dogs & Meat

Washington - Pregnant women and the elderly should stop eating soft cheeses and cook hot dogs and deli meats thoroughly to avoid the risk of a deadly foodborne bacteria, the federal government said.

The health warning was part of a USDA announcement of new rules requiring meat plants to begin testing ready-to-eat products for the bacteria listeria monocytogenes.

An outbreak of listeria in Sara Lee Corp. hot dogs and deli meats earlier this year claimed 21 lives and sickened more than 100, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

The tiny bacteria, which is harmless to most people, is commonly found in air, water and elsewhere in the environment. But listeria can be deadly for pregnant women, the elderly, chemotherapy patients and HIV-infected patients.

The USDA's stepped-up plan to fight listeria also ordered meat and poultry plants to reassess food safety plans within 30 days and begin testing hot dogs and ready-to-eat products.

“We knew we had to do more,” said Tom Billy, head of the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. “This reassessment forces all plants to take immediate, real action.”

While consumer groups sought warning labels on packages of meat products, the USDA said it was not ready to go that far. “We are very open to the possibility of taking additional steps,” said Billy, adding that the USDA would gather data to decide if warning labels on packages might be necessary.

The Consumer Federation of America urged the USDA to establish limits for the shelf life of ready-to-eat products, many of which are in circulation for months. Federal meat inspectors should also conduct regular tests for listeria to compare against plant tests, the group said.

The federal government will immediately begin distributing listeria warning brochures to physicians, nursing homes, public health officials and others who come into contact with pregnant women and people with weak immune systems.

The booklet, which is also available on the USDA's web page, urges at-risk consumers to stop eating soft cheeses such as feta, brie, Camembert or Mexican- style cheese. It also recommends that hog dogs, lunch meats, cold cuts, sausage and other deli-style meat and poultry products be reheated until steaming hot to kill any bacteria.

Pregnant or ill consumers should also steer clear of unpasteurized dairy products and unwashed fresh vegetables, the USDA said.

The guidelines, which do not have the force of law, are expected to be adopted by most major meat and poultry plants. A recall of tainted meat can cost a company millions of dollars in lost sales and unwelcome publicity.

The Sara Lee outbreak and a recent rash of other meat and dairy firms' listeria recalls has worried scientists, who speculate that more resistant strains of the bacteria may be emerging in foods that consumers do not have to cook.

Some researchers say the testing program may not be as effective as the government hopes.

“I'm not convinced that this is going to be very valuable because listeria coming off the assembly line is most likely to be present in very small amounts,” said Mike Doyle, a food safety expert at the University of Georgia. “The listeria organizm is unusual because it can grow from just a few cells to millions of them during a few weeks in the refrigerator.”

It's also a difficult bacteria to control because it thrives on the inside walls of refrigerators, where it can easily spread to other foods, Doyle said.

A better approach, he said, might be for food makers to offer single-serve packages of meat products that are thrown away after use.

The National Food Processors Association said irradiation of ready-to-eat foods is another way to fight listeria. The group is preparing a petition asking the USDA to expand a current rulemaking designed to allow irradiation of raw meat.

“Like the government, the meat and poultry industry is redoubling its efforts to battle this elusive pathogen,” said J. Patrick Boyle, head of the American Meat Institute, which represents packers and processors. The group recently agreed to raise $5 million in special funds for food safety research.

The USDA plans to work with the FDA over the coming year to develop food safety standards for all ready-to-eat foods that will cover a range of foodborne diseases.

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