However, there is one last catch. Among the studies that inspired the 1997 meeting are studies that showed the bacteria salmonella and listeria may also survive the 60-day aging process. And while Gifford and his associates are focusing on the FDA's E. coli study, the FDA is also conducting a listeria risk assessment along with the USDA to determine what steps need to be taken in terms of eliminating the threat posed by disease-causing bacteria. Conventional wisdom dictates that if listeria can survive, the milk will have to be pasteurized, says Robin Woo, PhD, deputy director of the Georgetown University Center for Food and Nutrition Policy in Washington. Considering that these bacteria zero in on unborn babies and could kill people with weakened immune systems, it would be too dangerous to leave these products on the market as is, especially since doctors generally are unfamiliar with these food-borne illnesses, she says.
Pasteurization is a process in which raw milk is exposed to heat in order to kill bacteria.
But at that point, it will not be just cheese that hangs on the line. While looking at cheese, the risk assessment itself was inspired by an outbreak of listeria that was linked to deli meat. Whining, though, can be very successful. On numerous occasions, industry objections have been a pain in the neck for the FDA, whose actions are closely watched by Congress. And in this case, the battle lines already have been drawn.