A panel of researchers at the Sandia National Labs' National Infrastructure Simulation and Analysis Centre (NISAC) have developed an analytical mapping tool to detect fresh food contamination.
In 2011, German vegetable sprout was identified as the source of the deadly European E. coli outbreak, which claimed 31 lives and sickened 3,100 people across Europe. The researchers have applied stochastic mapping technique to test the fresh sprout sector in a single state in the US using a distribution system in their computational model.
[Read: When to Seek Medical Help for Food Poisoning]
Generally, the process of tracking down food contamination is time-consuming and difficult as affected people where food borne exposures have occurred are to be examined. The Sandia researchers claim that the tool finds contamination easyily and quickly to help prevent an outbreak of food poisoning in a particular region.
The tool is a new hope for healthcare and food authorities to figure out the root of contamination and take an immediate action.
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