This month, FDA unveiled new technology the agency is using to trace bacterial pathogens back to their sources faster and more precisely than traditional testing methods. The GenomeTrakr database combines big data analytics and whole genome sequencing to compare pathogens in food samples to pathogens isolated from sick patients.

Alice Welch, director of FDA's Technology Transfer Program, described the new initiative in a recent blog post: "If the isolates from food or environmental samples match the pathogens taken from the sick patients, scientists can establish a reliable link that helps characterize the size and location of the foodborne disease outbreak." This real-time information will help public health officials home in on contaminated ingredients and remove them from the food supply. It is estimated that foodborne illnesses contribute to 325,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths in the United States every year.

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