As the recent green-onion infections make clear, food safety practices need to be in place in every area of food and beverage processing.
More than 600 confirmed cases, including three deaths, were tied to November's outbreak of Hepatitis A infections of patrons at a Chi-Chi's restaurant in western Pennsylvania. The case dramatizes two important points in the effort to deliver safe food to American tables: produce as well as meats, beverages and other foods is just as vulnerable to contamination, and bacteria aren't the only danger. Viruses such as Hepatitis A, mycotoxins from fungi, even yeast and mold can be lethal to consumers. Effective food safety practices must be cognizant of the range of contaminants that compromise product safety.