Not my usual cheery post, but I was so struck by this news that I felt I would be remiss if I didn't pass 
Listeriait along.

On June 1, 2005 the Food & Drug Administration ("FDA") approved the spraying of bacteriophages onto deli or luncheon meats such as bologna, hot dogs, turkey and ham to combat the Listeria bacteria. Listeria is commonly found on all ready-to-eat foods, but the FDA is only approving the bacteriophage therapy on meats and poultry at this time. Listeria is known to cause illness in thousands of people each year and to kill hundreds each year.

Bacteriophages, or phages (a word derived from bacteria and the Greek work phagein which means 'to eat'), are viruses that infect bacteria. Most commonly they can bind to specific molecules on their targeted bacteria producing hundreds of offspring. These baby phages overtake the host and infect more bacteria. Phages and bacterium must be matched since specific phages infect only one specific type of bacterium. Sometimes mixes of several strains of phage are used to create a broader spectrum cure. Lytic and lysogenic are the two types of phages and only the lytic or virulent phages are meant to be used for this kind of "therapeutic" application. The FDA has approved the use of six specific lytic phages for killing Listeria on the lunch meat products.

Phages were first used in treating bacterial diseases in 1921 in Europe and Russia.  Phage therapy's success rate was very
Phageshigh at about 90%.  While discontinued in Europe, its use continued in Russia as an alternative to antibiotics.  It is known that phages work best applied directly to an infection or open wound which would make the spraying of the food a good application. 

I don't know about you, but I wouldn't feel comfortable developing a relationship with food that needs to be protected before I can eat it.  Maybe those of us who are vegetarians aren't so crazy after all.