State Hygienic Laboratory Director Christopher Atchison has announced plans to retire from the University of Iowa on June 30 after serving the university since 1999.

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More than four million facilities in the United States manufacture, use or store hazardous materials (HazMat). It’s no surprise that these chemicals are common in some industries. The Department of Homeland Security reports that hazardous materials also may be found in everyday settings such dry cleaners, gas stations, hospitals, residential garages and households.

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An outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes that began in early February has expanded to include more than 130 cheese products sold in at least 10 states and Canada.

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When a criminal forensic scientist runs DNA evidence through the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), they may be using the FBI’s database to identify an offender. When a food scientist runs DNA through GenomeTrakr, they are trying to match the DNA fingerprint of a pathogen with that in contaminated food.

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Since the launch of Iowa’s foodborne illness reporting hotline in October, the number of reports have increased by more than 300 percent.

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