NO LISTERIA HYSTERIA

David Merrefield

What would it mean if a whole group of people walked through a room strewn with banana peels, and no one fell down?

It might mean that everyone was very careful, it might mean that everyone was lucky, it might mean that banana peels really aren't that slippery, or it might mean that the banana peels quickly became a normal walking hazard that everyone overcomes.

Those possibilities inform the muted public reaction to the latest outbreak of a strain of the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, which lately caused 15 deaths and 79 cases of illness in a 17-state area, according to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta. Facts such as these quickly capture the attention of the food industry since the infection is caused by consumption of contaminated food. Foods that can carry the bacterium include beef, pork, poultry, dairy products and vegetables.

Listeriosis is a serious condition, but it is far from widespread. It's estimated that about 1,100 people in this country become seriously ill with listeriosis each year, of which number about 250 die. Symptoms of the disease may be no more severe than a case of the flu, although it can also lead to confusion, loss of balance or convulsions as it spreads into the nervous system.

People especially at risk for the condition include pregnant women, those with a weakened immune system, the elderly and the ill. The disease is treated with antibiotics, although not always successfully. Better yet, it can be avoided altogether by cooking meat thoroughly and by washing vegetables thoroughly, as is the case with other food-borne microorganisms.

So, all in all, while listeriosis is far from a joke, the chance of winning a lottery is greater than is the chance of contracting listeriosis, let alone suffering much from it or dying of it.

Maybe that's part of the reason the latest recalls of Listeria-bearing processed meats apparently haven't occasioned much of a reaction from the public. The news article on Page 31 of this week's SN shows that on the retail level, there hasn't been consumer hysteria observed, nor much returning of product. Vendors involved, and the CDC, have fielded many telephone queries though. Admittedly, the news article wasn't based on an all-inclusive survey of retailers, nor would they have much reason to acknowledge to SN that panic has ensued, but I have a feeling the news story is about right. (A Newswatch article on two other cases involving recalls appears on this page.)

What seems to have happened is that American consumers have become inured to product recalls and announcements of food-related sickness, or even death, because such information seemingly pours out in a never-ending stream.

Like the people walking through the room full of banana peels, consumer adaptation has occurred, and panic doesn't happen.

Most likely, that's because the constant stream of announcements of hazard has simply turned them into background noise. Others who hear of a recall or food-related illness might simply take the easy precautions needed to avoid illness, and others might avoid hazard because they are exceptionally lucky. And, after all, it's easy to see that the level of risk really is quite low.