It is ironic that the recently DNA sequenced “cancer germ” is exempted from toxic control by EPA because it is so ubiquitous in the environment!
Arrow scientific reports that:
Bacillus licheniformis is a Gram-positive, motile, spore-forming, facultatively anaerobic rod. Information regarding Bacillus licheniformis in relation to food safety is limited. Food poisoning by Bacillus licheniformis is characterised by diarrhoea, although vomiting occurs in half of reported cases. Bacillus licheniformis food poisoning has been associated with cooked meat, poultry and vegetable dishes (particularly stews and curries which have been served with rice).
I have seen everyone eating a good steak dinner become infected with this organism. You must take responsibility for your own health as your doctor will not test for this infection and the government does not control the use of this organism in industry. In the 1940’s, New York hospitals were curing ulcers with antibiotics. It took over 50 years before the medical community would consider that an ulcer could be caused by a microorganism. I suspect that it will be at least 2050 before this organism is accepted as a causative factor in most cancers. Meanwhile, you are on your own.
Bacillus Licheniformis TSCA Section 5(h)(4) Exemption: Final Decision Document
1. Risks from use of the recipient microorganism B. licheniformis are low. B. licheniformis is ubiquitous in the environment and the releases expected from fermentation facilities will not significantly increase populations of this microorganism in the environment. Although the possibility of human infection by B. licheniformis is not non-existent, it is low in the industrial setting, because it occurs primarily in highly immunocompromised individuals. Infection might be a possibility following trauma, but in the industrial setting with the use of proper safety precautions, good laboratory practices, and proper protective clothing and eyewear, the potential for infection of workers should be quite low. Although B. licheniformis may be associated with livestock abortions, the use of this microorganism in fermentation facilities will not substantially increase the frequency of this occurrence.
2. Use of strains of B. licheniformis which are eligible for the TSCA section 5(h)(4) exemption present no unreasonable risk. While not completely innocuous, B. licheniformis presents low risk of adverse effects to human health or the environment. Because the recipient microorganism was found to have little potential for adverse effects, introduced genetic material meeting the specified criteria would not likely significantly increase potential for adverse effects. As further assurance that risks would be low, EPA is specifying procedures for minimizing numbers of organisms emitted from the facility for the Tier I exemption and will be reviewing the conditions selected for the Tier II exemption.