Outbreaks related to food-borne illnesses affect one out of six Americans annually according to research. Due to this, a startup company is now developing bar codes that would detect any food-borne illnesses on fruits and vegetables.
These bar codes are not easy to spot because they are DNA-sized and the product is said to be called DNATrek. The DNATrek is said to create liquids that contain a unique DNA sequence, which are said to be tasteless, odorless, and colorless. The DNA sequence will be sprinkled on the surface of a produce and it will have this genetic bar code that will only be identified by a unique machine.
The researchers added that the bar code would be detected then the polymerase chain reaction technology will deduce the route that the item traveled pinpointing where the contamination begun.
The makers of the said machine are from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the DNATrek might just solve the growing concern over food-borne diseases. Basically, the product will be able to track the source of the food as it can track where the food items have been grown, packed, or shipped.
DNATrek is believed to be a powerful tool that would prevent the spread of the food-borne illnesses as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) already recognized it as a safe food additive.
However, it is not being used yet as there will still be large-scale tests that will begin by 2015. The DNATrek will be able to save the country from spending over $150 billion a year in health-related expenses.
Just last week, the group traveled to the Pentagon so they could run their third series of tests, which was successful.
Also, despite the approval of the FDA, some advocates are worrying over the consequences of DNATrek. According to a statement released by Dana Perls from Friends of the Earth, "DNA does not perform one task, but can have a myriad of unforeseen impacts."
The researchers then pressed the items will not be injected with the DNA and that the spray will only stay on the items for seven weeks before it fades away. They assured the concerned group that they will confirm the safety of DNATrek in their upcoming tests.
