Silent and undetectable to the naked eye, pathogens are the nemeses of processors. If a test result comes in positive, it can mean, at the very least, a bumpy road ahead for an uncertain amount of time. A lot is riding on these food safety tests, and more of them are being conducted than, perhaps, ever before, thanks, in part, to the Food Safety Modernization Act’s emphasis on preventative controls.
In an interview conducted after Sabra Dipping Company issued a voluntary recall in November 2016 due to a positive Listeria monocytogenes test result in its factory, but not found in the finished product, company officials made it clear that hummus is not particularly susceptible to foodborne pathogens.