The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reportedly confirmed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes at a San Antonio, Texas, processing plant implicated in four deaths. According to a November 3, 2010, FDA press release, the agency’s inspection of SanGar Fresh Cut Produce identified the bacteria “in processed celery and in multiple locations in the plant environment, including on food contact surfaces.”

FDA also noted that its samples matched “the DNA fingerprint of the clinical cases of listeriosis reported by the Texas Department of State Health Services [DSHS],” which last month closed the plant and ordered a recall of all products shipped since January 2010. “It comes as no surprise to us,” one DSHS spokesperson was quoted as saying. “If there was any doubt out there, this erases it. It’s another layer of confirmation that this plant had serious issues.” Additional details about the outbreak and recall appear in Issue 369 of this Update. See The Associated Press, November 3, 2010.

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For decades, manufacturers, distributors and retailers at every link in the food chain have come to Shook, Hardy & Bacon to partner with a legal team that understands the issues they face in today's evolving food production industry. Shook attorneys work with some of the world's largest food, beverage and agribusiness companies to establish preventative measures, conduct internal audits, develop public relations strategies, and advance tort reform initiatives.

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