--- title: Keeping Meat Safe for the Table date: 2005-02-15T15:43:48-08:00 author: Bill Marler canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/news_events/keeping-meat-safe-for-the-table" section: News --- [All News](/news_events) / # Keeping Meat Safe for the Table Jan. 05, 2005 By Harold Brubaker Guy Giordano has no stomach for risking the future of the roast beef company that bears his father’s name. That’s why Vincent Giordano Corp. spent $2 million on a packaging system to ensure that no listeria contaminates the more than 250,000 pounds of roast beef, corned beef and pastrami that the South Philadelphia company ships weekly to Acme, Wawa and other customers. “I don’t think anybody else has safer product on the street right now,” Giordano said yesterday. Several other area meat processors, including Dietz & Watson Inc. in Philadelphia and Snow Ball Foods L.L.C. in Gloucester County, have also spent millions in the last few years to improve food safety at their plants. Many of the changes were spurred by a U.S. Department of Agriculture regulation issued in 2003 to prevent the contamination of pre-cooked meat and poultry by listeria monocytogenes, an often lethal strain of a common bacteria. Yesterday, though, the Consumer Federation of America said government and industry had not done enough, arguing in a 41-page report that the Bush administration weakened the proposed listeria regulation, which was published in the final days of the Clinton administration. Industry interests have prevailed over consumer interests in terms of testing requirements, government oversight and labeling, said Carol Tucker Foreman, director of the federation’s Food Policy Institute. The federation cited a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report estimating that in 2003 – when the new rule went into effect – the national incidence of listeria food poisoning climbed from 0.27 to 0.33 per 100,000 people. The CDC, however, tracks illnesses by pathogen, not by food group. The Agriculture Department’s Food Safety Inspection Service countered that the new rule has been a success, with the number of listeria recalls falling from 40 in 2002 to 15 last year. The period after the proposed rule was published in 2001 was punctuated by large listeria-related recalls of turkey deli meats produced in Franconia Township, Montgomery County, and Camden. A criminal investigation of what happened in 2002 at the Wampler Foods plant in Franconia continues. Giordano recalled one day’s production of meat last year after Georgia state inspectors found listeria monocytogenes in a sample at a supermarket in January. The company got back 800 of 60,000 pounds of goods, but no illnesses were reported, Giordano said. The company’s new packaging system, which began operating in March, uses two steps – infrared ovens and hot-water pasteurization – to kill bacteria, and has “virtually eliminated any risk of listeria,” Giordano said. David Howard, owner of Unitherm Food Systems, a Bristow, Okla., company that supplied the equipment, said Giordano was one of only two customers that had chosen both layers of protection. Giordano – which employs 75 and which expected $55 million in sales last year – went the two-step route because it provides the best protection against listeria without harming the taste or texture of the meat, Guy Giordano said. Snow Ball Foods, a chicken and turkey processor in Williamstown, started operating a hot-water pasteurization system in April, said Kevin Moffett, director of operations at the company, which employs 300. Virtually all food producers also combat listeria by testing surfaces that contact meat as well as noncontact surfaces, such as vents and table legs. Listeria could even be in condensation dripping off a pipe. Dietz & Watson, for example, conducts 35 surface tests every week at its plant on Tacony Street near the Frankford Armory, said Patrick H. McDonald, assistant manager of quality assurance. As much as possible, Dietz & Watson tries to avoid measures that harm the quality or taste of the meat, such as using chemical additives that inhibit the growth of bacteria. Food-safety efforts pay off in the marketplace, Giordano said. “I’m getting invited to look at business where I couldn’t get my foot in the front door before.” ### Other Listeria Lawsuits [Clover Hill Dairy Cheese sickens 12 with Listeria - 1 Death](https://marlerclark.com/clover-hill-dairy-cheese-sickens-8-with-listeria) [70 Sickened by Salmonella Cantaloupe](https://marlerclark.com/70-sickened-by-salmonella-cantaloupe) [Headcheese linked to Listeria illnesses in Illinois](https://marlerclark.com/headcheese-linked-to-listeria-illnesses-in-illinois) [Kroger and Walmart Pasta Listeria Outbreak](https://marlerclark.com/kroger-and-walmart-pasta-listeria-outbreak) [Listeria Outbreak linked to Kroger and Walmart Chicken Fettuccine](https://marlerclark.com/listeria-outbreak-linked-to-kroger-and-walmart-chicken-fettuccine) [Fresh & Ready Foods linked to California and Nevada Listeria Outbreak](https://marlerclark.com/fresh-ready-foods-linked-to-california-and-nevida-listeria-outbreak) [14 Listeria Deaths tied to Lyons ReadyCare or Sysco Shakes](https://marlerclark.com/11-listeria-deaths-tied-to-lyons-readycare-or-sysco) [Boar's Head Deli Meat Sickens 61 in 19 States with Deadly Listeria - 10 deaths](https://marlerclark.com/deli-meat-hits-28-in-12-states-with-deadly-listeria) [Rizo-López Foods recalls cheese after deadly Listeria Outbreak](https://marlerclark.com/rizo-l%C3%B3pez-foods-recalls-cheese-after-deadly-listeria-outbreak) [Listeria Outbreak linked to Peaches - 11 Sick with 1 Death](https://marlerclark.com/listeria-outbreak-linked-to-peaches-11-sick) [Listeria Outbreak linked to Frugals \| Marler Clark by retained three victims](https://marlerclark.com/listeria-outbreak-announced-in-washington) [Six States Report 16 Victims of Listeria Linked to Deli Meat and Cheeses](https://marlerclark.com/six-states-report-victims-of-listeria-outbreak-linked-to-deli-meat-and-cheeses) ### Lawsuit updates about foodborne illnesses [Reactive Arthritis Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=reactive-arthritis&year=all) [E. coli Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=e-coli&year=all) [Guillain-Barre Syndrome Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=guillain-barre-syndrome&year=all) [Salmonella Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=salmonella&year=all) [Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=hemolytic-uremic-syndrome&year=all) [Listeria Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=listeria&year=all) [Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=irritable-bowel-syndrome&year=all) [Hepatitis A Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=hepatitis-a&year=all) [Norovirus Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=norovirus&year=all) [Botulism Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=botulism&year=all) [Campylobacter Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=campylobacter&year=all) [Shigella Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=shigella&year=all) [Cyclospora Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=cyclospora&year=all) ### Lawsuits updates by year [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 1998](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=1998) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 1999](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=1999) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2000](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2000) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2001](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2001) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2002](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2002) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2003](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2003) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2004](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2004) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2005](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2005) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2006](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2006) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2007](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2007) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2008](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2008) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2009](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2009) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2010](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2010) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2011](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2011) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2012](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2012) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2013](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2013) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2014](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2014) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2015](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2015) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2016](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2016) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2017](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2017) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2018](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2018) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2019](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2019) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2020](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2020) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2021](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2021) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2022](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2022) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2023](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2023) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2024](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2024) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2025](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2025) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2026](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2026) ##### Get Help #### Affected by an outbreak or recall? The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ Get a free consultation ](https://marlerclark.com/contact) ##### Related Resources ###### [Listeria Food Poisoning](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria/about-listeria) What is Listeria and how does it cause food poisoning? Listeria is a gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium that is ubiquitous and can grow under either anaerobic (without oxygen) or aerobic (with... ###### [The Incidence of Listeria Infections](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria/the-incidence-of-listeria-infections) How common are Listeria infections? Listeria bacteria are found widely in the environment in soil, including in decaying vegetation and water, and may be part of the fecal flora of... ###### [The Prevalence of Listeria in Food and the Environment](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria/listeria-prevalence) Listeria bacteria are common in nature. Listeria monocytogenes is omnipresent in nature; it is found widely in such places as water, soil, infected animals, human and animal feces, raw and... ###### [Transmission of and Infection with Listeria](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria/transmission-of-and-infection-with-listeria) Listeria typically spreads to people through contaminated food or water, but can also be transmitted from mother to fetus. Except for the transmission of mother to fetus, human-to-human transmission of... ###### [Who is Most at Risk of Becoming Ill with Listeria?](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria/who-is-most-at-risk-for-becoming-ill-with-listeria) The elderly, pregnant women, and anyone immunocompromised is most at risk for contracting Listeria. Several segments of the population are at increased risk and need to be informed so that... ##### Outbreak Database #### Looking for a comprehensive list of outbreaks? The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ View Outbreak Database ](https://outbreakdatabase.com)