Here are 10 questions to put on your agenda.

• What professional associations do you belong to that might be relevant to this project? (Does the consultant fit with your idea of expertise?)
• What is the analytical method used to understand my problem and the solution? (Are you able to understand what the consultant has to offer and does it fit with your expectations?)
• How many alternative solutions do you present? (Does the consultant accept and respect your views and goals?)
• How will we be billed and for what? (Do you agree on the scope of the project?)
• What up-to-date equipment is used in diagnosis of the problem? (What kind of data are you looking for?)

E. coli 0157:H7 is one of the hundreds of strains of E. coli found in the large intestine of animals. It is associated with several serious outbreaks linked to undercooked meats, cheeses, lettuce, unpasteurized milk, raw fin fish, cream pies, mashed potatoes and other prepared foods.

You can find more this detailed information from the National Restaurant Association website which states the following:

"Symptoms can be severe abdominal pain, cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and occasionally fever. Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) is a serious consequence of this disease and is the leading cause of kidney failure in children. Central nervous system disease, seizures, coma and blood clots in the brain may also develop, and may result in death."

Humans and animals are the source.

When I saw a video about edible RFID, I thought it was pretty farfetched. However, considering the current E.Coli outbreak in Germany which has claimed 25 lives, you can see how it might make sense. Read about the E. Coli outbreak.

In Europe, they appear to be confused concerning the source of this outbreak. They suspect Spanish cucumbers, but they can’t tell for sure. If those cucumbers had been tracked with the tags, investigating doctors could have found the source quickly. Add the possibility of food poisoning through cooked meat, a worldwide concern, and you can see that E. Coli is possible everywhere.

Recently, I read an article about the Quebec Maple Syrup Producers Federation in Canada (wow that's quite the name). It has allocated funding to the study of RFID chips as a traceability tool. They would like to examine the use of RFID (radio frequency identification) chips on maple syrup barrels. It appears the federation is interested in finding a tracking method which could solve a major problem all Canadian producers struggle with.