Three of the meat industry’s emerging technology trends are rapidly developing in parallel: 1) traceability systems, such as blockchain; 2) whole genome sequencing (WGS); and 3) a greater understanding of how pre-harvest actions can affect the presence of pathogens at slaughter. Their likely convergence in the not-too-distant future will likely lead to systematic changes in the industry’s approach to controlling pathogens and foodborne illnesses. These technologies also have the potential to alter our present approach to accountability along the supply chain.
The litigation related to the 2000 E. coli O157:H7 outbreak at two Sizzler franchise restaurants provides a good case study to illustrate the new challenges that improved traceability may pose. In the Sizzler case, the restaurants failed to observe basic food safety principles regarding cross-contamination. Moreover, there was no proof that the packing establishment violated the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA); E. coli O157:H7 is not an adulterant in intact meat. However, under Wisconsin state law, the restaurants prevailed against the packer and the packer was held responsible for the majority of the damages associated with the outbreak on the basis that it shipped products with pathogens and could not rely on its customer to control the hazard. In short, complying with federal and state meat laws may not shield an establishment from financial liability.