The Listeria Kinard and Bodnar got was traced to the Ballpark hot dog brand made in this plant in Southwestern Michigan owned by the Sara Lee Company. Listeria has been found in other plants this year. Thirty million pounds of meat was recalled from the Stone Apple Valley plant in Arkansas. There have been six other recalls of meat, one of milk and just today a cheese recall. But Dr. Pamela Diaz says Listeria is not confined to the food industry.
Bacteria can be Anywhere.
It's found in the soil, found on plants, found in animals, found in humans. It's a very, very ubiquitous organism, and because of that, it is also very hardy, because of the fact that it is surrounding us at all times. Those conditions make it difficult for the industry to combat it, according to American Meat Institute Spokesperson Sara Lilygren. I mean, we have companies actually cook their equipment to 160 degrees as a last-ditch effort to try and destroy the bacteria. It can live in the threads of screws, and all kinds of little places that you wouldn't even imagine.