All foods have a layer of air around them that slows down the process for using steam to kill bacteria on foods. The VSV technology removes this air layer, kills the bacteria with steam, and then evaporatively cools the meat. Cooling the meat after steaming is especially important for processed chickens to prevent immediate cooking. There is a zero-tolerance for this bacterial pathogen, since it can grow and spread in cold storage. ARS researchers conducted preliminary studies using VSV to treat hot dogs and achieved up to a 99.999-percent kill rate against L. monocytogenes.
Listeriosis produces flulike symptoms, such as fever and chills.
With Deere and Company, Conyers, GA, to evaluate the concept of site-specific tillage and to develop specialized equipment for that purpose. This technology should allow farmers to save 25 to 75 percent on tillage energy costs. That's because farmers often till compacted soil deeper than necessary. Currently, farmers manually set the tillage depth and maintain it throughout the field. This depth is usually based on the maximum needed for the most compacted areas.