preview

Reaction Paper On Listeria

Decent Essays

FOOD QUALITY AND SAFETY ASSURANCE
Listeria is an infection caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. An estimated 1600 people are diagnosed with listeriosis each year around the world, and about 1/5th of these patients die.(“Listeria (Listeriosis) | Listeria | CDC,” n.d.)⁠
The symptoms of Listeria include fever and diarrhea similar to other food contaminating germs, but the common nature of those means it is rarely diagnosed.
Invasive Listeria, or when the bacteria has spread beyond the stomach, is especially dangerous to pregnant women, as it can usually fly under the radar with symptoms analogous to that of flu and fatigue. It can, however, cause complications with childbirth, leading to stillbirth and miscarriages in some cases. The other demographic immediately and most at risk are the older people and people with weakened immunity- due to diseases such as HIV or other health issues. …show more content…

While other food borne diseases are quick to show symptoms, it can some times take as much as 10 weeks for the symptoms to show up after being exposed to the bacteria, which makes it far more difficult to treat. (“Symptoms | Listeria | CDC,” n.d.)⁠
One of the most recent examples of Listeria outbreak in recent times has been that of Dole Salads. Dole Salads is a major US company with its products being sold under the umbrella of various brands in major supermarkets such as Lidl, Aldi, Walmart etc.
This outbreak was in many ways precedent setting. According to the Center for Disease Control in the US, this was one of the first major Listeria outbreak which could be attributed to Leafy greens. Listeria, in most cases is associated with deli meats, raw dairy products or seafood. The indication that the bacterium in question is slowly evolving to find new suitors for itself is scary enough, but not as scary as the actions taken by Dole Salads in this particular

Get Access