WASHINGTON -- A major food manufacturers group on Tuesday announced what it called “wide ranging” initiatives designed to make everyday food supplies safer in the wake of the deadly salmonella outbreak traced to Georgia peanuts and in advance of new federal food safety regulations in the works.

The efficacy of a 24-h Salmonella real-time, or quantitative, PCR (qPCR) detection method was assessed through a collaborative effort involving eight Federal and state laboratories. Eleven foods including mashed potatoes, soft cheese, chili powder, chocolate, eggs, sprouts, apple juice, fish, shrimp, ground beef, and ground chicken were tested.

Four organic acids (lactic acid, acetic acid, caprylic acid, and levulinic acid) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) were evaluated individually or in combination for their ability to inactivate Salmonella and Escherichia coli O157:H7.

Every few weeks, it seems, deadly germs turn up in the food supply. Heather Whybrew, a college student in Washington State, became gravely ill after eating a salad in her school cafeteria. Carl Ours, of Ohio, was temporarily paralyzed after eating chili dogs and drinking beer. Mari Tardiff, of California, spent three months on life support after she drank unpasteurized milk.