Foodborne Outbreak

Foodborne Outbreak Student Name Institution Course Professor Date Foodborne Outbreak Summary of the 1993 Jack in the Box E. coli Outbreak The U.S. food safety landmark event of the 1993 Jack in the Box epidemic featured the E. coli O157 pathogen. Four deaths resulted from this infection, which fortunately infected over 700 individuals across multiple states (Griffin et al., 2017). Jack in the Box restaurants were traced back to the outbreak of undercooked hamburger patties (Marler, 2022). Regulations regarding pathogens in meat were not as strict then, and the industry had no standardized standards for cooking temperatures or pathogen monitoring. It prompted significant regulatory changes, such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) declaring E. coli O157 a contaminant in crushed beef in 1994. Mandatory testing for this pathogen was introduced along with new protocols, including stricter cooking guidelines and increased industry oversight, to reduce foodborne risks. Summary of Two Recent Leafy Green E. coli Outbreaks Recent E. coli outbreaks were associated to leafy greens highlight persistent safety issues. During the 2018 E. coli O157 outbreak connected to local romaine lettuce grown in Yuma, Arizona, 210 total illnesses were reported in 36 states, including five deaths (CDC, 2024). According to investigations, contamination was apparently from irrigation water close to a concentrated animal feeding operation. In 2019, 167 cases of E. coli O157 were testified in 27 states in the California Salinas Valley romaine lettuce growing region (CDC, 2024). According to environmental assessments, contamination from neighboring cattle operations was the primary source. To date, laws demand that water utilized during fresh produce production lack microorganisms; the FDA's 2015 Rule for Produce Safety highlights the importance of safe agricultural water use to minimize pathogen risks. These measures are, however, difficult to enforce. The FDA's Leafy Greens STEC Action Plan, which aims to help prevent recurring outbreaks by testing water qu...