Very shortly I will be announcing preliminary results from the first nine months of the inspection program, but I can say now that the system is working dramatically improving the safety of the food we feed our families. So today, the focus is squarely on prevention which is a major cultural change for industry and for government because our public policy now makes it crystal clear that industry is responsible for producing safe food. It's also abundantly clear that science is increasingly central to our food safety efforts. We look to research centers like Tennessee State for the next giant leaps in food safety. As we saw in the presentation by TSU scientists, you are asking some of the tough questions about some of the tough pathogens.
New technologies are equally fascinating.
Today I am here to announce a new breakthrough developed by USDA's Agricultural Research Service that allows for more rapid testing of a deadly strain of Salmonella called DT 104. In the past, it would take six weeks to identify DT 104. Doctors would almost be flying blind not knowing which antibiotic to prescribe and in some cases having to over-prescribe just to be on the safe side. Well, the new test will cut the turnaround time from 6 weeks to 2 hours. Not only will this test improve doctors' ability to treat food poisoning from salmonella, it could save lives through quicker, more accurate diagnosis.