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Last week, The New York Times reported the tragic story of Stephanie Smith, a 22 year-old dance instructor who was paralyzed after eating a hamburger tainted with an acutely virulent strain of E. coli. Sadly, Ms. Smith’s story isn’t uncommon. Tens of thousands of people fall ill from eating food contaminated with E. coli every year. According to The Times, hamburger is the “biggest culprit.”

What is perhaps most shocking about The Times story, however, is the fact that the tainted hamburger that found its way into Ms. Smith’s kitchen did so legally. Currently, there is no federal law requiring hamburger grinders to test for E. coli. With officials and experts claiming that the beef used to make hamburgers is especially vulnerable to E. coli contamination, this proved to be a particularly shocking revelation – as evidenced by the flood of opinion pieces and letters to the editor criticizing the meat packing industry and its regulators that followed publication of The Times article.

Now, hamburger producers find themselves in a precarious position. It’s no longer enough to simply articulate that they comply with all food safety regulations. Nor is it enough to remind home cooks of their responsibility for food safety by detailing the rules for preparing hamburger meat  in the kitchen. Now is the time to go beyond compliance – and be seen doing so by concerned consumers who expect action.

Companies that implement stricter testing standards and then make these enhanced safety procedures marquee elements of their marketing and communications strategies moving forward won’t only be sending the right message at a time when anxiety is reaching fever pitch; they will be setting the gold standard for food safety that all their competitors will ultimately have to match.

By demonstrating concern for, commitment to, and action on behalf of their customers in such a way, hamburger producers now have an opportunity to be seen as leaders of reform, rather than being forced into it by angry consumers, lawmakers and regulators.

Gene Grabowski is Senior Vice President of Crisis and Litigation at Levick Strategic Communications, the nation’s top crisis communications firm, and a contributing author to Bulletproof Blog. Connect with him @crisisguru.