Author: McKenna Madison Coveny

Listeria monocytogenes remains a research magnet because it sits at an uncomfortable intersection: it is comparatively rare as a cause of foodborne illness, yet it is disproportionately severe, and it can be exceptionally hard to eliminate from real-world food systems once it gains a foothold. A recurring theme in newer work is that “Listeria control” is less a single intervention than a multi-layered engineering problem spanning facility design, sanitation chemistry, microbial ecology, and high-resolution genomics. Recent synthesis papers and empirical studies continue to emphasize how persistence can be enabled by mundane features of food-processing environments—hard-to-clean harborage sites, equipment geometry, inadequate…

In foodborne disease epidemiology, an “outbreak” is not defined by media attention, the number of hospitalizations, or whether a recall occurs; it is defined by a linkage standard. At its core, a foodborne outbreak exists when two or more people experience a similar illness and public health can plausibly tie those illnesses to a shared exposure, most commonly a particular food or beverage. This threshold matters because it distinguishes a single, isolated illness (which may be severe) from a pattern that suggests a common source that could continue to harm others. In day-to-day practice, the term is used in a…

Food recalls happen when there is credible reason to believe a product in commerce is unsafe or otherwise “violative” under U.S. food laws, and a firm (or a regulator) determines the product should be removed, corrected, or both before more people are exposed. In pathogen-driven recalls—particularly for Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes—the trigger is usually a convergence of evidence: a positive microbiological finding, a link to human illnesses, or regulatory findings during inspections that show contamination is present or reasonably likely. FDA describes recalls as typically voluntary actions initiated by manufacturers or distributors, though FDA can also request and, in certain…

Norovirus is the most common cause of foodborne illness in the United States, responsible for millions of cases of acute gastroenteritis each year. Despite its prevalence, many people still underestimate how contagious and disruptive this virus can be. Often referred to as the “stomach flu,” norovirus is not related to influenza but is instead a highly resilient virus that spreads rapidly through contaminated food, surfaces, and close human contact. One of the greatest dangers of norovirus lies in how easily it spreads. As few as 10 viral particles can cause infection, making it far more contagious than many bacterial foodborne…

Suzanna’s Kitchen, a food manufacturer based in Suwanee, Georgia, has issued a nationwide recall of more than 62,000 pounds of fully cooked, breaded chicken products due to misbranding and the presence of an undeclared allergen. According to federal officials, the recalled products contain soy, which was not listed on the product label, posing a serious risk to individuals with soy allergies. The recall affects fully cooked, bone-in breaded chicken portions that were produced on October 16, 2025 and distributed to restaurants and foodservice establishments nationwide. The products were packaged in 18-pound cases and bear the USDA mark of inspection along…

Oysters are often viewed as a delicacy—fresh, briny, and synonymous with coastal dining. However, consuming raw or undercooked oysters carries significant health risks that many people underestimate. While oysters themselves are not inherently dangerous, the environments in which they grow make them particularly vulnerable to contamination. One of the most serious risks associated with raw oysters is Vibrio bacteria, especially Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. These bacteria naturally live in warm coastal waters and can accumulate in oysters as they filter seawater. In healthy individuals, infection may cause diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and fever. For others, particularly those with weakened…

Food poisoning, also known as foodborne illness, is a significant public health concern worldwide, affecting millions of people each year. It occurs when individuals consume food or beverages contaminated with harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, or toxins. While food poisoning can happen at any time of the year, extensive epidemiological research shows that many foodborne illnesses do in fact follow seasonal outbreak patterns. These patterns are influenced by environmental conditions, food production and distribution systems, human behavior, and the biological characteristics of pathogens. Understanding the seasonal nature of food poisoning is critical for improving prevention strategies, enhancing public health surveillance, and…

Raw milk — defined as milk that has not undergone pasteurization — has become a topic of heated debate in recent years, framed by proponents as a natural, nutrient-rich alternative to commercially processed dairy and by health authorities as one of the riskier foods consumers can choose to drink. Pasteurization, a process in which milk is heated to a specific temperature for a measured period to kill harmful organisms, has been widely used since the early 20th century and is credited with drastically reducing milk-borne illness. Yet, despite this history and strong scientific evidence supporting pasteurization’s safety benefits, raw milk…

Every winter, a familiar but unwelcome visitor returns — norovirus. Often called the “winter vomiting bug,” it’s notorious for ripping through schools, restaurants, cruise ships, and family gatherings with stunning speed. But what makes norovirus so explosively contagious? And why, once it enters a community, does it seem almost impossible to stop? The answer lies in the virus’s frightening efficiency. A Single Particle Can Make You Sick Unlike many illnesses that require a large infectious dose, norovirus needs only 10 to 20 viral particles to make a person sick. For comparison, it takes thousands — sometimes millions — of particles…

For most of modern history, antibiotics have been the quiet heroes of medicine. They’ve turned once-deadly infections into routine inconveniences and transformed everything from surgery to childbirth into far safer endeavors. Yet beneath the surface of our confidence lies a problem many people don’t see coming — one that scientists warn could become the defining medical crisis of the 21st century. Antibiotics are becoming less effective. And the consequences could reshape healthcare as we know it. The Rise of the Untreatable Infection The issue isn’t that antibiotics suddenly “stopped working,” but that bacteria have outsmarted them. Bacteria evolve quickly —…