With so much at stake, companies invest millions today to prevent an outbreak, a recall, listeriosis and all the dominoes that get knocked over when contamination is discovered.
"A company's food safety reputation is a high priority among consumers and needs to be relayed to the buyer, supplier, grocery chains and so on," said Jason Bolton, assistant extension professor and food safety specialist at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.
Listeria develops on the raw material, but can be found in water, soil, plants, and animal intestines (including humans).
"Therefore,
