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Chapter 1
isolated from undercooked bacon produced by the Company (Company A).
The undercooked meat had come as a result of a cooker failure on one of
their production lines, the bacon was subsequently quarantined, however
at this point, the contaminated undercooked products had already entered
the food chilling area, where it may have come into contact with surfaces
or other meats [58].
The food processing plant (Company A), supplied two chain stores (Chain A
and Chain B) implicated through patient interviews. Therefore the
hypothesis was that the breakdown of a cooker in the food processing
plant may have allowed the pathogen to remain viable in the cooked meat
food supplied by the company. After inspecting the food processing plant
and the outlets of the two chain stores, multiple samples of beef strips
from Company A supplied to Chain A were found positive for the outbreak
strain in Northern Ireland, Wales and Ireland. Bacon pieces from chain B
which were sourced back to company A were also found to be positive for
the outbreak strain. In addition to the microbiological testing of the food,
extensive environmental testing was performed within the food plant. The
outbreak strain was isolated in the low risk area in the environment (raw
food area) during the outbreak which may have allowed its travel into the
high risk area (cooked, ready to eat area). All contaminated products (beef
and bacon) were withdrawn from the market, in addition nine other
products that may have come in contact with the contaminated batches
were also recalled. Production and circulation of food products ceased until
all health authorities were assured it was safe to restart. A pharmaceutical
grade clean (using vaporised hydrogen peroxide) was applied throughout
the plant and bio-markers were used to detect any post cleaning
contamination. All personnel were also tested for carriage of Salmonella
but none was detected [58].
Company A was a major exporter of processed foods throughout the EU,
which may provide an explanation as to how the outbreak disseminated so
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