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Food and Milk Testing
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Bacteria such as Salmonella,
Campylobacter and E. coli O157 cause severe abdominal cramping, diarrhea, and vomiting and in some severe cases of E.coli O157, hemolytic uremic syndrome and kidney failure.
These bacteria causing patient
disease have been positively linked
to the ingestion of contaminated food. |
Retail Food Studies:
The Environmental Microbiology laboratory performs routine studies
of retail food to screen for bacterial contamination. (Current study: broiler chickens are studied for Campylobacter contamination.)
The laboratory collaborates with the CDC and nine other states via the Foodborne
Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) to provide
data that create a better understanding of the public health effect of foodborne illnesses. |
Testing Suspect Food:
The Environmental Microbiology laboratory also performs analyses on
large numbers of food samples suspected as being the source of foodborne illness. In collaboration with the Consumer Protection Division, the laboratory obtains food samples suspected of containing bacteria which may be responsible for illness and quickly tests food specimens to aid in the recall of contaminated food sources. (Examples of newsworthy identification of food contamination provided by the Environmental Laboratory include: E.coli O157 contamination of spinach and Salmonella contamination of peanut butter and jalapeno peppers.) |
Milk Testing:
As the primary site in Colorado for milk testing, a number of analyses are performed on all milk samples
by the Environmental Microbiology lab to ensure a safe and quality product is available to consumers.
The laboratory was issued a renewed certification by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a fully
accredited milk-testing laboratory in 2009. |
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