Fresh Produce Discussion Blog

Created by The Packer's National Editor Tom Karst

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Fw: Chairman Lincoln's Statement on the Appointment of Dr. Roger N.Beachy, Ph.D. as Director for the new National Institute of Food andAgriculture at USDA

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From: "Lincoln, Lincoln Communications (Lincoln)"
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:15:33 -0500
Subject: Chairman Lincoln's Statement on the Appointment of Dr. Roger N. Beachy, Ph.D. as Director for the new National Institute of Food and Agriculture at USDA

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 30, 2009

Contact: Katie Laning Niebaum, Leah Vest DiPietro

(202) 224-4843

 

 

 

Chairman Lincoln's Statement on the Appointment of Dr. Roger N. Beachy, Ph.D. as Director for the new National Institute of Food and Agriculture

 

Washington – The Honorable Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today issued the following statement on the appointment by President Barack Obama of Dr. Roger N. Beachy, Ph.D. as Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

 

"I look forward to working with Dr. Beachy as he leads the new National Institute of Food and Agriculture at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  He is internationally known for his groundbreaking research on developing virus-resistant plants through biotechnology, and his leadership of the Donald Danforth Plant Sciences Center in St. Louis, Missouri, has prepared him well for this new position," stated Chairman Lincoln. "Enhancement of our research capabilities in agriculture will have large impacts on our ability to produce the food, fiber, and fuel needed in this country and abroad, and I remain a strong supporter of these initiatives."

 

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has been established to improve the oversight, administration, and execution of competitive research grants at USDA.  NIFA will also provide enhanced support for the research, extension, and higher education programs conducted at America's land-grant universities and related institutions.  It will assume all authorities from the Cooperative State, Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) and house all competitive grant programs.  NIFA was established by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008.

 

Dr. Beachy is the founding president of the not-for-profit Danforth Center. In this role, Dr. Beachy has been responsible for developing and implementing the Danforth Center's strategic direction, recruiting its staff, and formulating its research programs.  Prior to joining the Danforth Center, Dr. Beachy headed the Division of Plant Biology at The Scripps Research Institute from 1991-1998, a leading biomedical research center in La Jolla, CaliforniaDr. Beachy was also previously a member of the Biology Department at Washington University in St. Louis from 1978 to 1991, where he was Professor and Director of the Center for Plant Science and Biotechnology.

 

--30--

 

Fw: Press Release: Subcommittee Reviews Implementation of AgriculturalResearch Programs

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-----Original Message-----
From: AgPress <agpress@mail.house.gov>

Date: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:20:59
To: News Distribution<news@aglist.house.gov>
Subject: Press Release: Subcommittee Reviews Implementation of Agricultural
Research Programs


News from the House Agriculture Committee


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 30, 2009

Media Contact: April Slayton (202) 225-6872; Scott Kuschmider (202) 225-1496



Subcommittee Reviews Implementation of Agricultural Research Programs



WASHINGTON - Today, the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research held a hearing to review
implementation of the research title of the 2008 Farm Bill. Congressman Tim Holden of Pennsylvania chaired today's hearing, which
featured testimony from three witnesses, including Dr. Rajiv Shah, the Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics at the
U.S. Department of Agriculture.

"We expect the changes we made in the 2008 Farm Bill will enhance cooperation and maximize efficiency throughout USDA's research
agencies," Chairman Holden said. "Agricultural research is in high demand, and is an important investment in the future of our food,
fiber, and fuel system."

"In developing the research title of the recent farm bill, this Committee spent considerable time working with USDA, the research
community, and the beneficiaries of publicly funded research, education and extension programs to enhance the quality, transparency
and accountability of these programs," said Ranking Member Bob Goodlatte of Virginia. "With the implementation deadline October 1st
for several significant provisions of the research title, it is particularly timely for this Subcommittee to hear from USDA, the
USDA research advisory board, our land grant universities and other constituent groups to update us on these important
developments."

The 2008 Farm Bill made important changes to research and education programs at USDA. It streamlined agricultural research by
establishing a National Institute of Food and Agriculture. In addition, the bill created a new premier research program called the
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative to meet the growing list of needs in agricultural research, extension, and education for
food and agricultural sciences.

The opening statements of all witnesses are available on the Committee website at http://agriculture.house.gov/hearings/index.html.
A full transcript of the hearing will be posted on the Committee website at a later date.



Witnesses:



Panel I

Dr. Rajiv Shah, Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.


Panel II

Dr. D.C. Coston, Vice President for Agriculture and University Extension, North Dakota State University, on behalf of The Board on
Agriculture Assembly, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, Fargo, North Dakota
Mr. Joseph H. Layton, Jr., soybean, corn, and grape producer, on behalf of National Coalition for Food and Agricultural Research,
American Soybean Association, and the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board, Vienna,
Maryland


The U.S. House Committee on Agriculture web site http://agriculture.house.gov has additional information on this and other subjects.

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Fw: Radanovich: Valley Agriculture Needs Water, Not Committees andStudies

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From: "Pederson, Spencer"
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:25:32 -0500
To: Pederson, Spencer<Spencer.Pederson@mail.house.gov>
Subject: Radanovich: Valley Agriculture Needs Water, Not Committees and Studies

Picture (Device Independent Bitmap)       
For Immediate Release

Contact: Spencer Pederson

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Phone: 202-225-4540

Radanovich: Valley Agriculture Needs Water, Not Committees and Studies

Washington DC – Congressman George Radanovich (R-Mariposa) today released the following statement after participating in the Department of Interior's California water forum.

"Without a doubt, the long term solutions to solve California's water problems are a heavy lift and I appreciate Secretary Salazar and Senator Feinstein's commitment to the issue.  However, what is needed right now is an immediate, short term solution for San Joaquin Valley agriculture.  Unfortunately, we are no closer to short term solutions than we were a year ago.

"It's time to get our priorities straight and put people before fish.  If the Department of Interior thinks government committees and lengthy studies are necessary, let's focus on those efforts after we take care of our farmer's economic future.

 "In order to move California's water supply, storage and infrastructure forward, the three major stakeholders—agriculture, urban and environmental—need to be moving together, equally gaining and sacrificing.  Today, that is not the case—environmental and urban water users dominate the landscape, receiving 90 percent of their priorities, leaving California agriculture on the short end of the stick.

"Valley agriculture needs to see immediate results, particularly when it comes to the interim projects like Two Gates and the Canal Intertie that provide a bridge to long term water solutions to for California.

 "While I applaud the efforts to achieve a guaranteed long term water supply for all California, the short term effort to produce an interim solution for agriculture gets an 'F'."

###

       

Spencer Pederson

Press Secretary

Legislative Assistant

U.S. House of Representatives

Congressman George Radanovich

p. 202/225.4540

f. 202/225.3402

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Fw: Taxing Soda Could Trim State Deficits (and Waistlines), Says Report

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From: News from CSPI
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:31:59 -0500
To: News from CSPI<cspinews@cspinet.org>
Subject: Taxing Soda Could Trim State Deficits (and Waistlines), Says Report




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, September 30, 2009                
Contact:  Jeff Cronin, 202-777-8370, or Stacey Greene, 202-777-8316

Taxing Soda Could Trim State Deficits (and Waistlines), Says Report

"I actually think it's an idea that we should be exploring.  
There's no doubt that our kids drink way too much soda."
 President Barack Obama to Men's Health

WASHINGTON—Even as 48 states and the District of Columbia are facing grim budget shortfalls, only 25 states currently impose special taxes on soda and other beverages with added sugar, and all of those taxes are very small.  And according to a new paper from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, states could generate a total of more than $10 billion per year by levying a tax of 7 cents per 12-ounce can of Coke or Mountain Dew.  If implemented by Congress in the form of a national excise tax, that $10 billion could make an important contribution toward paying for health coverage for all Americans.

Plus, says CSPI, the decrease in soda consumption due to a higher price would help reduce the incidence of obesity, diabetes and other costly chronic diseases. Americans spend approximately $147 billion a year on medical expenditures related to obesity, of which half is paid with Medicare and Medicaid dollars.

CSPI's report comes shortly after seven prominent nutrition experts made the case for a tax on soda in a separate paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine.  Earlier this month, the prestigious Institute of Medicine included soda taxes as one of several policies that should be adopted to help reduce obesity, and a Brookings Institution committee on health reform, led by former Medicare and Food and Drug Administration director Mark McClellan, issued a report that called for a soft-drink tax.  President Obama's interview with Men's Health magazine is further renewing interest in soda taxes, according to CSPI.  

"President Obama is exactly right when he say kids are drinking too much soda," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson.  "Soda is dirt cheap and promotes expensive and debilitating diseases, which in turn run up health-care costs at all levels of government.  Federal, state, and even local governments would be wise to institute or increase taxes on a product that causes so much medical and financial harm."

Also recently, a joint statewide study from the California Center for Public Health Advocacy and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research confirmed that soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages are one of the largest—if not the largest—contributors to obesity. According to thestudy, the 24 percent of adults who drink one or more non-diet sodas a day are 27 percent more likely to be overweight than adults who don't drink soda.

        On its web site, CSPI has a Liquid Candy Calculator that enables legislative staffers or citizens to calculate the revenue their state could raise from sales or excise taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages.

        The Senate Finance Committee raised the prospect of soda taxes and higher alcohol taxes when it released a policy options paper on health care reform in May.  Such taxes were not included in the draft legislation released by Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) yesterday, nor have they been offered in an amendment during the committee's ongoing markup, but CSPI and other health groups are still urging members of both houses of Congress to include soda taxes in the final legislation.  

        "About half of the states have small soda taxes and there certainly hasn't been any outrage over them," said Jacobson.  "If the Senate Finance Committee decides to leave these billions and billions of dollars on the table, I suspect more state legislatures will tap soda taxes to help pay for their own prevention efforts.  In fact, more states could do what New York City is doing, and fund an ad campaign designed to discourage soda consumption."

###




The Center for Science in the Public Interest is a nonprofit health advocacy group based in Washington, DC, that focuses on nutrition, food safety, and pro-health alcohol policies.  CSPI is supported by the 900,000 U.S. and Canadian subscribers to its Nutrition Action Healthletter and by foundation grants.  

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Tuesday, September 29, 2009

John Muir Would Like This Too

It had been awhile since I had done some face-to-face with my longtime tomato shippers in the San Joaquin & Salinas valleys in California, so last week I tried to beam myself from Chicago to the Budget Rent-A-Car center at the Oakland airport. But seeing that I’m teleport-challenged, I resorted to Southwest Air, home of the candied peanut bags that require teeth to open.

Each trip to the coast, I’m just amazed at the climate changes within a relatively small geographic area. In Oakland, it was 80 & sunny. After I made the logistical mistake of traversing a winding Highway 92 to Half Moon Bay at an engine-choking 5 mph atop brown foothills dry as toast, I drove down coastal Highway 1 to Carmel through a 60 degree mist, peering at surfers between clouds of fog while trying to stay on the road. Next day at Firebaugh in the Central Valley, it was a kiln-like 101.

And because I knew that the Ken Burns PBS series “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” was starting this week, a brief two-hour side trip from the valley floor in Merced to Yosemite at an elevation of 8000 feet was in order. What scenery! Totally breathtaking, and not only from the very-real prospect of mindlessly driving off a cliff, never to be heard from again. The coolest thing that I’ve found out from watching the Burns series was that as pristine & untouched as the Yosemite landscape seems now, that’s how garbaged-up & huckstered-out the park was way back around 1890, when there were no laws protecting these wonderful vistas. In the past 100-plus years, it’s come full circle. The parks are truly treasures.

But really, there’s plenty of neat stuff to see just driving around in Ag California. Berry fields, artichoke fields, brussel sprout fields, lettuce fields. The almonds were in full harvest last week around Manteca, and the dust around the trees & machinery was incredible, evoking images of Tom Joad and The Grapes of Wrath.

Then there were the tomatoes. Always the tomatoes! It’s interesting how the tomato packing lines at these sheds have their share of 21st Century computerization, but the most important aspect of it—taking bad/cull tomatoes out of the equation—is done by human eye & hand. Another difference since my last trip, no doubt brought on by the faux salmonella fiasco last year, is the absolute fixation on food safety. Where the sales staff & shed managers used to discuss maximizing production, they now strategize over the next visit by the Davis Fresh auditors. It’s a very real, pervasive part of the business now. The risk is too great to do anything less.

Later,

Jay

Thursday, September 24, 2009

RPE Adds Staff

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From: Melinda Goodman
Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:34:21 -0500
To: 'Melinda Goodman'<melinda@goldensunmarketing.com>
Subject: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: RPE Adds Staff

For More Information Contact
RPE

Randy Shell, VP of Marketing

PH:  (952) 353-4747

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

RPE Fuels Mission for Growth;
Expands Staff With Four New Positions

 

Bancroft, Wis; September 24, 2009, – RPE recently expanded their staff with four new positions in the areas of business, sales and marketing and agricultural research and development. 

 

In the area of sales and marketing, recent hires include Madhu Jamallamudi and Melissa Copas.  Jamallamudi will serve as Senior Business Analyst and will be responsible for both category and operations data analysis with the goal of identifying opportunity gaps for increased efficiencies and sales opportunities. With a master's degree in agribusiness, Jamallamudi's previous experience includes tenure with the United Potato Growers of America.  Additionally, Copas has joined RPE as a marketing assistant to expand customer communication and advance the image and brand of RPE.  Copas was previously employed by Indiana University where she worked as the Assistant Director of Marketing for Campus Recreational Sports. 

 

In the area of business management, Sheila Meddaugh has been promoted from Human Resource Manager to Business Manager.  Meddaugh has been with the company for 10 years and will be working to establish workflow processes and efficiencies across all departments as part of her new position.  When asked to comment about her new position Meddaugh remarked, "I'm happy to work for such a progressive, yet family-focused company.  The opportunity to be part of the development and implementation team is exciting as we develop new plans for the future."

 

Finally in the area of agricultural research and development, Michael Copas has joined the staff of RPE as Senior Agronomist.  Copas is a recent graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Madison where he earned a doctoral degree in horticulture, focusing his research on potatoes and other vegetable crops.  His role at RPE will include continued potato research, as well production recommendations for potato growth, storage and packing operations.

 

Russell Wysocki, President and CEO of RPE commented, "This is an exciting time at RPE.  We are on a rapid growth trajectory and a talented staff is our number one tool.  The addition of these new positions and these valuable players to our team brings valuable skills and knowledge to our program so we can continue to offer innovative solutions to our customers."

 

When asked to sum up the new positions at RPE, Melissa Copas had this to say.  "It's not every day you find a company so motivated to grow, yet not willing to lose sight of their family roots.  The team of professionals at RPE is well balanced and diverse.  I'm excited to be part of the group as we continue to execute on a vision for Responsible Farming and Innovative Solutions."

 

RPE, a second generation family farm, is a category leader and key grower/shipper of year-round potatoes and onions.  RPE prides itself on maintaining a high level of business integrity that includes commitments to environmental sustainability, as well as category innovation and retail solutions.

 

###

 

Labels:

Hearings begin on leafy greens agreement

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From: Doug Powell
Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:26:27 -0500
To: BITES-L@LISTSERV.KSU.EDU<BITES-L@LISTSERV.KSU.EDU>
Subject: [BITES-L] bites Sept. 24/09


bites Sept. 24/09

UK: Redhill parents to sue E. coli farm

UK: E.coli tally grows as more farm cases found

CALIFORNIA: Hearings begin on nationwide standards for produce safety

US: Strawberry season starts with a lesson on food safety

UK: Fraudsters target food businesses

US: Edible apple film wraps may protect meat and poultry products against foodborne pathogens

US: Microwaving frankfurters may protect against foodborne illness

US: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology may help in keeping foods safe

KANSAS: Food safety cannot be taken for granted

ILLINOIS: 4 arrested in Ill. dogfighting ring at day care

UK: Fish fend off invading germs with an initial response similar to the one found in people

CHINA, BRASIL collaborate on aquaculture

EU: EFSA holds two-day conference to debate GMO risk assessment

UK: Pesticide Residues Committee annual report published

US: Residue monitoring reports – FDA pesticide program residue monitoring: 1993-2007

Internalization of Salmonella enterica in leaves is induced by light and involves chemotaxis and penetration through open stomata

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UK: Redhill parents to sue E. coli farm
24.sep.09
This Is Surrey Today
http://www.thisissurreytoday.co.uk/news/Redhill-parents-sue-E-coli-farm/article-1366454-detail/article.html
A children's petting farm is facing legal action from families affected by an E. coli outbreak.
Redhill's Gemma Weaver, 24, of Bramley Close, has vowed to "never forgive the farm" after her three-year-old son, Alfie, suffered kidney failure following a visit to Godstone Farm.
The business, on Tilburstow Hill Road, has been in the spotlight since September 12 after it was closed following one of the UK's largest E. coli outbreaks.
Mrs Weaver said: "We are taking legal advice at the moment.
"I will never, ever be setting foot in a farm with my children again. Not just Godstone Farm but any farm."
Mrs Weaver said she still hadn't heard from (farm manager) Mr Oatway.
"I phoned him on the day it closed to tell him how ill Alfie was, and where he had been on the day, and I still haven't heard back from him," she said.
However, when the Mirror contacted manager Richard Oatway regarding Mrs Weaver's concerns, he said a colleague had called her back.
But he said: "Obviously I'm sorry for what happened to Alfie and I hope he gets better soon."
Questioned on how he thinks his business will be affected by the E. coli outbreak, Mr Oatway vowed to reopen.
He said: "We will definitely be opening again.
"There are still ongoing investigations but we are sure we will open again."




UK: E.coli tally grows as more farm cases found
24.sep.09
Sky News
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Petting-Farm-Ecoli-HPA-Confirms-Three-More-Cases-Linked-To-Godstone-Farm-Taking-Tally-To-79/Article/200909415388501?lpos=UK_News_Carousel_Region_2&lid=ARTICLE_15388501_Petting_Farm_E.coli%3A_HPA_Confirms_Three_More_Cases_Linked_To_Godstone_Farm_Taking_Tally_To_79
Three more cases of E.coli linked to a children's petting farm have been confirmed - taking the number of people affected to 79.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said they expected more people to develop symptoms of the O157 strain due to a delayed incubation period.
Four children remain in hospital in a stable condition.
Tests have shown the bug present in animal droppings collected from Godstone Farm in Surrey.
Of 102 samples taken by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, 33 contained the
bug.
Positive samples came from ewes, lambs, pigs, goats, cattle, ponies and rabbits, but not pond water or sand from the sandpit.




CALIFORNIA: Hearings begin on nationwide standards for produce safety
23.sep.09
Monterey Herald
Lane Wallace
http://www.montereyherald.com/local/ci_13400547?nclick_check=
Expanding a program that began in California to the entire country would be "the best available instrument" to ensure food safety, a Castroville farmer testified Tuesday.
Joe Pezzini, chief operating officer for Ocean Mist Farms, was the first witness in a U.S. Department of Agriculture hearing in Monterey on a proposed national leafy green marketing agreement.
Although it's called a marketing agreement, it's more about food safety than marketing. The California Leafy Green Marketing Agreement was started in 2007 after three people died and about 300 people were sickened by an E. coli outbreak traced to spinach grown on the Central Coast.
"Sales of spinach plummeted" after the outbreak, said Pezzini, chairman of the advisory board for the California agreement. People in the industry "realized we had to do something to raise the bar ... to make sure we don't have a repeat."
Arizona and California are the only states that have agreements.
The state Leafy Green Marketing Agreement is voluntary, but once growers sign on, they're subject to government audits of food safety practices set forth in the agreement. Almost all of those who handle leafy greens in the state have signed up, and they bear the cost of those audits.
The hearing is scheduled to continue through Thursday at the Hyatt Regency Monterey and, depending on the number of speakers, it could continue Friday. There are no restrictions on who can testify. The speakers are subject to questions from the opposition and the USDA staff.
Additional hearings will be held across the country through October. The final decision on the national agreement is up to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.




US: Strawberry season starts with a lesson on food safety
23.sep.09
Monterey Herald
Lane Wallace
http://www.montereyherald.com/business/ci_13400551?nclick_check=1
Strawberry pickers started the season with a tailgate event this year, but it wasn't a party.
Workers got "tailgate training," a food-safety program in the fields developed by the Strawberry Commission.
The workers were shown a series of pictures on a flip chart, showing them how to wash their hands and how to handle the fruit. It also reminded them of things they're not supposed to do, such as eating or drinking while picking.
There was also a reminder that if there's an outbreak of food-borne illness traced to strawberries, "it will shut down the industry and you will have no work," said Carolyn O'Donnell, communications director for the Strawberry Commission in Watsonville.
The tailgate trainings, which began this year, are part of a program that began in the late 1990s, when illnesses were traced to Guatemalan raspberries in 1996 and Mexican strawberries in 1997.
They weren't California berries, but the outbreaks "devastated the industry," O'Connell said.
In 1998, the Strawberry Commission began its food safety program. Growers were following safe practices, O'Donnell said, but the program offered standardized methods.
While information and a poster have been available to growers since the program started, the flip-chart presentations didn't begin until this year.
The Strawberry Commission doesn't train workers, but it offers seminars for supervisors on how to make the presentations.
The commission has trained 350 supervisors who will make presentations to 40,000 field workers, or from 40 percent to 50 percent of the berry workers in the state, O'Donnell said. The commission hopes to get all workers trained by next year.
Growers "are thrilled" with the program, she said.




UK: Fraudsters target food businesses
24.sep.09
Food Standards Agency
http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2009/sep/fraudfsa
The Food Standards Agency is warning food business operators to be aware of fraudsters who are visiting food business premises claiming that they are from the Agency. The fraudsters claim that they are there to carry out inspections and then extract substantial amounts of money as a fixed penalty fee for the premises being allegedly unhygienic.
The Agency does not carry out food inspections and there are no fixed penalties for food safety breaches. All inspections are carried out by local authority authorised inspectors who carry relevant identification when visiting a food business.
If your food business is visited by anyone claiming to be from the Food Standards Agency you should not part with any money and should contact the local police or your local authority.
You can also report the crime by emailing foodfraud@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk or report any known or suspected food fraud by telephoning the food fraud hotline, tel: 020 7276 8527.
More on the Agency's Food Fraud Advisory Unit can be found at the link below.




US: Edible apple film wraps may protect meat and poultry products against foodborne pathogens
23.sep.09
Institute of Food Technologists
http://www.ift.org/cms/?pid=1002134
CHICAGO –- Foodborne pathogens like Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes are serious safety issues for food processors and consumers alike. However, meat and poultry products may be rendered safer with the use of edible apple film wraps, according to a new study in the Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists.
Researchers from the University of Arizona investigated the use of carvacrol and cinnamaldehyde in apple-based films. Carvacrol is the main ingredient of oregano oil, and cinnemaldehyde is the main ingredient of cinnamon oil. The researchers looked at how the antimicrobials in these films would protect against S. enterica and E. coli O157:H7 on chicken breast and L. monocytogenes on ham at two different temperatures. Their findings are as follows:
* Carvacrol was a stronger antimicrobial agent against both Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 than cinnamaldehyde on the chicken breast at 4° C.
* At 23° C, S. enterica population reductions were similar for both carvacrol and cinnamaldehyde but higher for carvacrol against E. coli O157:H7.
* Carvacrol was also a stronger antimicrobial agent against L. monocytogenes than cinnamaldehyde on ham at 4° C and 23° C.
* The antimicrobials containing apple films were also effective against the natural microflora present on raw chicken breast.
"Our findings provide a scientific rationale for large-scale application of apple-based antimicrobial films to improve microbial food safety," says lead researcher Sadhana Ravishankar. "The use of edible antimicrobial films offers several consumer advantages, including prevention of moisture loss, control of dripping juices—which reduces cross contamination—reduction of rancidity and discoloration, and prevention of foreign odor pick-up."
NOTE: This study was conducted in collaboration with Mendel Friedman and colleagues of USDA-ARS-WRRC in Albany, CA, where the apple-based edible antimicrobial films were prepared. This research was partially supported by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Arizona and by the USDA-CSREES-NRI grant #2006-01321.




US: Microwaving frankfurters may protect against foodborne illness
23.sep.09
Institute of Food Technologists
http://www.ift.org/cms/?pid=1002138
CHICAGO –- A new study from the Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists, shows that microwave reheating of hotdogs for 75 seconds at high power may decrease risks from pathogens that cause foodborne illness.
Because of their speed and convenience, microwave ovens are commonly used to cook and reheat food; however, these appliances often provide non-uniform heating, which may produce hot and cold spots within food products being heated. The uneven distribution of heat could lead to the survival of pathogens in contaminated food cooked in microwave ovens.
Most studies on the effectiveness of microwave oven heating of foods and its control of pathogens have been based solely on heating frozen meals and cooking meat, chicken or fish. With regard to chilled leftovers and ready-to-eat meats, such as frankfurters and deli meats, limited or no information is available about the effectiveness of microwave ovens increasing microbial safety.
Researchers evaluated different power and time combinations of microwave oven heating for inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes on inoculated and stored frankfurters. The frankfurters were formulated with and without antimicrobials, inoculated with Listeria monocytogene and stored under different conditions. The findings are as follows:
* The highest reductions of Listeria monocytogenes contamination were obtained when frankfurters were reheated at high power for 75 seconds. Standing time after treatment may also play a role in obtaining a more uniform distribution of heat, by conduction, after the microwave power is off and can improve microbial destruction in food.
* Frankfurters that were formulated with antimicrobials, which inhibited growth of the pathogen during product storage, displayed a decrease in Listeria monocytogenes counts after microwave treatments at high power for 60-75 seconds, regardless of storage time or packaging condition.
* Frankfurters that were formulated without antimicrobials and in which counts of Listeria monocytogenes steadily increased during product storage, treatments of medium power for 60 or 75 seconds and high power for 30 or 45 seconds were consistently ineffective in decreasing pathogen numbers. The effectiveness of the 75 second-high power treatment depended on the contamination level of the pathogen on the frankfurters, which in turn, was related to the length of product storage and packaging condition
"Microwave oven reheating instructions must be designed specifically for each type of product and consider variations in microwave appliance power, amount of food to be reheated, age of the product and the presence of antimicrobial compounds in the formulation of the food," says Colorado State University researcher and IFT member expert Patricia Kendall.




US: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology may help in keeping foods safe
23.sep.09
Institute of Food Technologists
http://www.ift.org/cms/?pid=1002139
CHICAGO –- The October 2009 issue of the Journal of Food Science reviews the key concepts of RFID technology and its food safety applications to the food industry.
RFID technology has led to better safety handling of raw materials and finished products in the food industry and is used to speed up the processing of manufactured goods and materials. RFID technology enables identification of an object from a distance without requiring a line of sight. RFID tags can also incorporate additional information such as details of the product and manufacturer and can transmit measured environmental factors such as temperature and relative humidity.
Scientists from North Carolina State University detail the numerous applications of RFID technology in the food industry:
* Within supply chain management, RFID tags can be used to track food products during distribution and storage.
* Multiple tags can be read simultaneously and RFID technology can facilitate automated product shipments from a warehouse to a retail location.
* Freshtime RFID tags monitor the shelf life of foods to which they are attached. The tags sense temperature and integrate it over time to determine the shelf life of products.
* ThermAssureRF is a new RFID-based system that combines tracking and temperature measurement to ensure foods such as meat, fruit and dairy products remain at a safe temperature during transportation and storage. It is currently being used by companies that ship wine, produce, seafood, meat, poultry, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
"The challenges that face RFID technology are read range and accuracy in retail environments, nonuniform standards, cost, recycling issues and privacy and security concerns" says lead researcher K.P. Sandeep. "Another challenge is the differences in frequencies allocated for RFID applications because each country is setting their own standards for the new technology."




KANSAS: Food safety cannot be taken for granted
23.sep.09
NBAF Blog
http://www.nbafblog.com/2009/09/food-safety-cannot-be-taken-for-granted.html
This column, by the President and CEO of the Kansas Bioscience Authority, Tom Thornton, is a good reminder of the importance of ongoing research into our country's food safety needs. The federal government is taking threats to the safety of our food supply seriously as evidenced by the recent announcement that a construction manager was selected. The NBAF is on schedule to be fully operational by 2015.
Here's the column:
"One of the things we don't often have to think about is the safety of the food on those dinner tables. Yet a recent report serves as a reminder that food safety cannot be taken for granted, and we must renew our efforts to fight diseases that threaten the food supply.
"Former senators Bob Graham of Florida and Jim Talent of Missouri issued the "World at Risk" report, which came to the conclusion that even more imminent than the threat of a rogue nuclear attack in the next five years is the threat of an attack by biological weapons.
"Perhaps because of the agricultural heritage of Kansas, I am particularly attuned to biological threats, especially those that could attack our food supply and agriculture economy. These threats, if carried out, would affect all of us — young and old, urban and rural, poor and rich.
"With that perspective, I was heartened this month when our nation took an important and serious step forward to address this concern.
"That step was the recommendation of Kansas as the preferred location for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, a proposed federal research laboratory that will develop vaccines and countermeasures for animal diseases that could harm our food supply.
"In other words, the federal government is moving ahead on a much-needed, state-of-the-art science lab for research to prevent and defeat biological agents that could diminish the integrity of our livestock and other food sources.
"Kansas is the best place for this research, and we are prepared to focus the state's expertise on meeting this national challenge.
"The Graham-Talent report reinforced what experts have been saying for years: It is past time to accelerate research to ensure that our agricultural infrastructure is protected from foreign animal diseases, either intentionally or unintentionally introduced.
"There is no laboratory today in the U.S. to conduct the level of research needed to protect the food supply and agricultural economy from the most serious diseases, despite the clearly identified danger of biological pathogens.
"This vulnerability does not have to remain for long — and must not. The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility must be built without delay.
"It can serve as the nation's premier research facility for developing vaccines and countermeasures to safeguard livestock and other animals.
"A lack of research, or research that does not make full use of the best expertise and infrastructure available in America, will only keep us at risk longer."




ILLINOIS: 4 arrested in Ill. dogfighting ring at day care
23.sep.09
USA Today
Associated Press
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-09-23-dogfighting-day-care_N.htm?csp=34
CHICAGO RIDGE, Ill. -- Police say four people who allegedly operated a "horrific" dogfighting ring out of a suburban Chicago home day care have been arrested.
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart says during a raid police found blood spattered on the walls of the home and devices to train the dogs were discovered not far from where children played.
Police say felony dogfighting charges are pending against several of those arrested including the day care operator's husband.




UK: Fish fend off invading germs with an initial response similar to the one found in people
24.sep.09
The Company of Biologists
Kristy Kain
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-09/tcob-ffo091709.php
Since the human response to infection is highly complex, research to understand how people fight infection is facilitated by studying how similar processes occur in simpler organisms. Zebrafish are becoming an important model for human disease, since they are easily handled, maintained and manipulated and many fundamental processes between zebrafish and humans are conserved. In addition, the small zebrafish embryo is highly amenable to drug screening assays. The functional similarity between the initial responses of zebrafish embryo and humans to infection suggests that the zebrafish embryo may be a valuable model for understanding early immune responses and identifying potential therapeutics for infection or immune mediated disease. However, the initial response of zebrafish to infection and how it compares to the human response is not well understood.
When humans first encounter germs, like viruses or bacteria, the first stage of a two-part inflammatory response is triggered, which is termed the innate immune response. During this early phase, proteins are made around the site of infection to initiate the body's defense system and to recruit circulating immune cells, which begins the inflammatory process. A family of proteins that are critical to instigating the immune response are the interferons (IFN), particularly IFN-γ.
Scientists now report that IFN-γ is also produced in zebrafish embryos when they are exposed to bacteria that cause disease in fish. These studies use developing zebrafish embryos whose response to infection is isolated to the innate immune response. Since the zebrafish embryo only demonstrates innate immunity, it allows for specific study of the effects of IFN-γ on these early events. This study demonstrates that both zebrafish and human IFN-γ proteins function in much the same way, despite having very distinct protein structures. In both zebrafish and humans, IFN-γ triggers the production of an array of proteins that rally the defense mechanisms of the infected cell and activate the immune system. They also found that compromising the ability of the zebrafish embryos to produce IFN-γ impairs the fish's ability to survive infection. Thus, the zebrafish embryo may provide a very simple model to understand the innate immune response.
Interestingly, large quantities of bacteria, which would cause septic shock -- a potentially fatal condition -- in humans, do not elicit the same response in zebrafish. This suggests that some key differences between the immune systems of zebrafish and humans may also provide insight into harmful events associated with inflammation.
The characterization of IFN-γ function in zebrafish is presented in the Research Article titled 'The role of gamma interferon in innate inity in the zebrafish embryo', which was written by Dirk Sieger, Cornelia, David Neifer and Maria Leptin at the University of Cologne in Germany and Astrid van der Sar at the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam in The Netherlands. The study is published in the November/December 2009 issue of the new research journal, Disease Models & Mechanisms (DMM), http://dmm.biologists.org/, published by The Company of Biologists, a non-profit based in Cambridge, UK.
About Disease Models & Mechanisms:
Disease Models & Mechanisms (DMM) is a new research journal, launched in 2008, that publishes primary scientific research, as well as review articles, editorials, and research highlights. The journal's mission is to provide a forum for clinicians and scientists to discuss basic science and clinical research related to human disease, disease detection and novel therapies. DMM is published by the Company of Biologists, a non-profit organization based in Cambridge, UK.
The Company also publishes the international biology research journals Development, Journal of Cell Science, and The Journal of Experimental Biology. In addition to financing these journals, the Company provides grants to scientific societies and supports other activities including travelling fellowships for junior scientists, workshops and conferences. The world's poorest nations receive free and unrestricted access to the Company's journals.




CHINA, BRASIL collaborate on aquaculture
24.sep.09
FIS
Analia Murias
http://www.fis.com/fis/worldnews/worldnews.asp?l=e&country=0&special=&monthyear=&day=&id=33946&ndb=1&df=0
A group of Chinese technicians will collaborate with the National Fisheries Development Institute (INDP) to start work intended to facilitate the drafting of a Strategic Pisciculture Development Plan (PNDP) for Cape Verde.
Their objective is that this Plan spurs the development of marine and hatchery farming of various species, and shrimp and lobster in particular.
More importantly, the Cape Verde government seeks to enable the production of a considerable volume of the most-consumed shellfish in the local market, as well as increase seafood exports.
The plan was first developed in San Vicente and should be concluded within a year, Macauhub reports.




EU: EFSA holds two-day conference to debate GMO risk assessment
22.sep.09
European Food Safety Authority
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/EFSA/efsa_locale-1178620753812_1211902898772.htm
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) held a two-day conference on GMO risk assessment for human and animal health and the environment in Brussels on 14-15 September 2009, bringing together risk assessors from EU Member States, risk managers, and representatives from stakeholders including industry, consumer and environmental groups from the EU and beyond.
Opening the conference, EFSA Executive Director Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle reaffirmed EFSA's role as a provider of independent scientific advice on GMOs. "EFSA is neither pro-GMO nor anti-GMO," she said. She acknowledged that there exists a significant divergence of opinion among various actors in the field of GMOs in the EU and low social acceptability. It was important that the conference clarified EFSA's role in the risk assessment of GMOs. "We are here not only to inform but also to listen and learn. We want to get as wide a range of views and experiences as possible," she said. The Commission's Director-General for Health and Consumers DG Robert Madelin welcomed the conference and said scientists can help regulators make better decisions. He said the EU needed to continue to open up the risk assessment process to integrate public concerns and imbed it in a global context.
Day 1: Assessing the risks for human and animal health and the environment
On the first day, experts from EFSA's GMO Panel and the GMO Unit presented the EU legal framework for GMOs and some of EFSA's updated guidelines on the risk assessment of GM plants, which are developed in the context of mandates from the European Commission and to reflect the latest scientific state of the art. Specific and detailed guidelines ensure greater clarity for applicants regarding data requirements.
Howard Davies from the GMO Panel, presenting EFSA guidance related to food and feed safety, stressed that this was defined in close consultation with Member States and stakeholders. EFSA participated in several consultation meetings and held a public consultation on the guidance before adoption. The updated guidance is currently being discussed by the European Commission (EC) and Member States in view of adoption as an annex to an EC regulation. It has been developed to include more detailed data requirements from applicants, for example, concerning field trials, as highlighted by Claudia Paoletti from the GMO Unit.
The environmental risk assessment (ERA) of GM plants is a complex area where science is evolving and EFSA's guidelines in this field are currently being updated to take into account latest scientific developments. GMO Panel experts Salvatore Arpaia and Jeremy Sweet presented two of the main topics related to the new ERA guidelines: the assessment of effects on non-target organisms and the assessment of long-term environmental impacts. Andreas Heissenberger of Austria's Environment Agency presented Austria's scientific view on environmental risk assessment (ERA). He concluded that while Austria endorses EFSA's case-by-case approach, it believes the ERA is based on insufficient data and he provided a detailed view on how it could be improved. EFSA will consider inputs from the EC, Member States and stakeholders when finalising its updated guidelines.
The aim of the new guidelines is to strengthen and streamline GMO risk assessment processes, contributing to increase their efficiency and transparency. EFSA's risk assessment is only one part of the EU regulatory framework on GMOs, as highlighted by Chantal Bruetschy, Head of the Commission's Unit of Biotechnology, Pesticides and Health, who explained the legal provisions on Post Market Environmental Monitoring, as well as its relation with the risk assessment carried out by EFSA and also with the initial environmental risk assessment carried out by Member States.
Day 2: The impact of GM crop cultivation on the environment
The second day began with presentations from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC). EFSA works in close liaison with the scientific community and international bodies in the field of GMO risk assessment. Peter Kearns from the OECD illustrated risk assessment from a global perspective and presented the work of the OECD Working Group on Biosafety.
Emilio Rodriguez Cerezo from the JRC focused on the impact of GM crops presenting an analysis of the experiences in the cultivation of Bt maize during the past 10 years in Spain and showed figures from various Spanish regions on reduced use of insecticides and yield increase. Similar experiences of farmers on GM cultivation were shared by Esther Esteban Rodrigo of Spain's Ministry of Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs. Spain has practical experience in GM crop cultivation and is a Member State working closely with EFSA in environmental risk assessment of GMO applications.
Representatives from stakeholder organisations were also invited to the conference to present their views. Helen Holder from Friends of the Earth recognised that there had been improvements in EFSA's risk assessment work, but reported some outstanding concerns of her organisation regarding environmental risk assessment and expressed criticism of some of EFSA's scientific opinions on GMOs. EFSA is holding one of its regular meetings with NGOs on October 2 this year for further dialogue on a number of specific GMO issues.
Presenting the views of EU farmers, Copa-Cogeca's Director of Commodities and Trade, Arnaud Petit, said farmers wanted to keep the option of choosing between GM, conventional or organic farming. The biotechnology industry, represented by Willy De Greef of Europabio, European Association for Bioindustries, asked for the existing experiences of the safe use of GM crops to be better taken into consideration in EU risk assessment and called for a clearer distinction between risk research and risk assessment.
Closing the conference, the Commission's Director-General for the Environment, Karl Falkenberg, said the Commission valued the work that EFSA carries out as the body providing scientific advice to support its decision making.




UK: Pesticide Residues Committee annual report published
24.sep.09
Food Standards Agency
http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2009/sep/prcreport08
The 2008 annual report of pesticide residues on food in the UK has today been published by the Pesticide Residues Committee (PRC) – an independent committee that advises the Food Standards Agency.
Of the 4,129 samples tested, 50 (1.2%) contained a residue that was above the legal maximum residue level (MRL). Limits are set to ensure that any traces of pesticides left on food are at safe levels. The MRLs are the maximum amount of residues that should be found on food when the pesticides are being used correctly. However, foods with traces of pesticides above the MRL do not necessarily mean that the levels of residues are harmful to people's health.
The PRC oversees the UK surveillance of residues of pesticides in both food produced in the UK and imported foods. It advises Ministers, the Director of the Chemicals Regulation Directorate and the Chief Executive of the Food Standards Agency on its work and the importance of its results.
The Agency's role is to advise on the UK surveillance overseen by the PRC, and act upon the findings. The Agency has a nominated member of staff on the committee and also has representatives at meetings. More information on the role of the committee and its work can be found on the PRC website at the link below.




US: Residue monitoring reports – FDA pesticide program residue monitoring: 1993-2007
31.jun.09
FDA
http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FoodContaminantsAdulteration/Pesticides/ResidueMonitoringReports/default.htm
Since 1987, annual reports have been prepared to summarize results of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) pesticide residue monitoring program. Reports from Fiscal Years (FYs) 1987 to 1993 were published in the Journal of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists/Journal of AOAC International.
FY1993 and FY1994 reports were published in the journal and also made available on the World Wide Web. Reports for FYs 1995-2007 are available only from WWW. Each report is available in the format(s) used at the time they were written.
Also available: databases of monitoring results, FY 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007.
Results in these reports continue to demonstrate that levels of pesticide residues in the U.S. food supply are well below established safety standards.
2007 Report and Database (6/09)
HTML format
FDA 2007 Pesticide Monitoring Database
2004-2006 Reports and Databases (8/08)
2004-2006 Introduction
FY 2004 Results and Discussion
FY 2005 Results and Discussion
FY 2006 Results and Discussion
FDA 2004 Pesticide Monitoring Database
FDA 2005 Pesticide Monitoring Database
FDA 2006 Pesticide Monitoring Database
2003 Report and Database (6/05)
HTML format
Adobe Acrobat PDF format (408 Kb).
FDA 2003 Pesticide Monitoring Database
2002 Report and Database (5/04)
HTML format
Adobe Acrobat PDF format (307 Kb).
FDA 2002 Pesticide Monitoring Database
2001 Report and Database (4/03)
HTML format
Adobe Acrobat PDF format (278 Kb).
FDA 2001 Pesticide Monitoring Database
2000 Report and Database (5/02)
HTML format
Adobe Acrobat PDF format (205 Kb).
FDA 2000 Pesticide Monitoring Database
1999 Report and Database (5/00)
HTML format
Adobe Acrobat PDF format (313 Kb).
FDA 1999 Pesticide Monitoring Database
1998 Report and Database (3/99)
HTML format
Adobe Acrobat PDF format (266 Kb).
FDA 1998 Pesticide Monitoring Database
1997 Report and Database (8/98)
HTML format
Adobe Acrobat PDF format (231 Kb).
FDA 1997 Pesticide Monitoring Database
1996 Report and Database (1/98)
HTML format
Adobe Acrobat PDF format (234 Kb).
FDA 1996 Pesticide Monitoring Database
1995 Report (10/96)
HTML format
Adobe Acrobat PDF format (438 Kb).
1994 Report (10/95)
The text, tables, references, and appendices (94wp51.zip, 47Kb) are a group of files in WordPerfect 5.1 format, zipped using PKZIP 2.04g.
The charts and graphic figures (94hg3.zip, 34 Kb) are a group of files in Harvard Graphics 3.0 (DOS) format, zipped using PKZIP 2.04g.
The charts and graphic figures (94tif.zip, 99Kb) are a group of files in TIFF format, zipped using PKZIP 2.04g.
ALL of the above files (94all.zip, 171 Kb) are available here zipped using PKZIP v. 2.04g.

1993 Report (10/94)
HTML format
For additional information or to send comments, contact Ronald.Roy@fda.hhs.gov.




Internalization of Salmonella enterica in leaves is induced by light and involves chemotaxis and penetration through open stomata
01.oct.09
Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Vol. 75, No. 19, p. 6076-6086
Yulia Kroupitski, Dana Golberg, Eduard Belausov, Riky Pinto, Dvora Swartzberg, David Granot, and Shlomo Sela
http://aem.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/75/19/6076
Outbreaks of salmonellosis related to consumption of fresh produce have raised interest in Salmonella-plant interactions leading to plant colonization. Incubation of gfp-tagged Salmonella enterica with iceberg lettuce leaves in the light resulted in aggregation of bacteria near open stomata and invasion into the inner leaf tissue. In contrast, incubation in the dark resulted in a scattered attachment pattern and very poor stomatal internalization. Forcing stomatal opening in the dark by fusicoccin had no significant effect on Salmonella internalization. These results imply that the pathogen is attracted to nutrients produced de novo by photosynthetically active cells. Indeed, mutations affecting Salmonella motility and chemotaxis significantly inhibited bacterial internalization. These findings suggest a mechanistic account for entry of Salmonella into the plant's apoplast and imply that either Salmonella antigens are not well recognized by the stoma-based innate immunity or that this pathogen has evolved means to evade it. Internalization of leaves may provide a partial explanation for the failure of sanitizers to efficiently eradicate food-borne pathogens in leafy greens.


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Thursday, September 17, 2009

Students ignore hygiene tips

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile


From: Doug Powell
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:03:58 -0500
To: BITES-L@LISTSERV.KSU.EDU<BITES-L@LISTSERV.KSU.EDU>
Subject: [BITES-L] bites Sept. 17/09 -- II


bites Sept. 17/09 -- II

BARFBLOG: Kate Gosselin: use a meat thermometer and maybe you won't give your kids Salmonella poisoning

BARFBLOG: UK Food Safety Agency is now the sustainability agency; serve it piping hot

US: Students tend to ignore hygiene tips, study finds

UK: E coli 0157 in Surrey: Update

IOWA: Food safety specialist earns reputation as innovative, dedicated

UK: Three swimming pools shut in water bug outbreak

UK: Agency's fish advice takes account of sustainability

The changing panorama of bacterial enteric infections

A re-evaluation of the impact of temperature and climate change on foodborne illness

A prolonged outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium infection related to an uncommon vehicle: hard cheese made from raw milk

Risk factors for the occurrence of Escherichia coli virulence genes eae, stx1 and stx2 in wild bird populations

Evaluation of Gram-positive rod surveillance for early anthrax detection

A tale of two parasites: the comparative epidemiology of cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis

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BARFBLOG: Kate Gosselin: use a meat thermometer and maybe you won't give your kids Salmonella poisoning
17.sep.09
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/2009/09/articles/thermometers/kate-gosselin-use-a-meat-thermometer-and-maybe-you-wont-give-your-kids-salmonella-poisoning/
Earlier this week on Jon and Kate plus 8, or whatever it's called, newly single Kate took to the grill for apparently the first time and was terrified of poisoning her brood.
"Dear chicken, please do not give us sammonella. Love Kate."
Cara gets bloody chicken. Kate laughs this off and says "oops" in the interview chair. … Ashley confirms the raw chicken. 


Stick it in. And don't poison your kids.
http://gosselinswithoutpity.blogspot.com/2008/09/movie-catch-recap.html




BARFBLOG: UK Food Safety Agency is now the sustainability agency; serve it piping hot
17.sep.09
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/2009/09/articles/food-safety-communication/uk-food-safety-agency-is-now-the-sustainability-agency-serve-it-piping-hot/
The U.K. Food Safety Agency has decided it is now the deciderer of sustainability. I'm not sure what that has to do with food safety, or the agency's mission.
But, in addition to telling British consumers to cook their turkey until it is piping hot, FSA has now entered the sustainability word barf fest:"
"… the advice is being set more firmly in the wider sustainability context and consumers are now being asked to think about the choices they make when they choose which fish to eat."
The Food Safety Agency is now encouraging consumers to:
try to choose fish that has been produced sustainably or responsibly managed
look for assurance scheme logos
be adventurous and eat a wider variety of fish species
The Agency worked with Defra, the Department of Health, the Scottish Government and other Government departments, responding to recommendations from stakeholders such as the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution and the Sustainable Consumption Roundtable.
.
Wow, that a lot of government salaries sitting around the table. And nothing to do with food safety,
http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2009/sep/fish
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/2007/12/articles/food-safety-communication/how-to-check-if-a-turkey-is-cooked-piping-hot-is-not-sufficient/




US: Students tend to ignore hygiene tips, study finds
17.sep.09
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Katherine Mangan
http://www.chroniclecareers.com/article/Students-Tend-to-Ignore/48454/
Posting signs and scattering bottles of hand sanitizer are not enough to make students practice good hygiene, even in the midst of a swine-flu pandemic, according to a study by researchers at North Carolina State University and Kansas State University.
College health officials who want students to change their habits must be creative, communicate through social-networking sites, and lose the scientific jargon and polite euphemisms, says Benjamin J. Chapman, an assistant professor of family and consumer sciences and a food-safety specialist at North Carolina State.
"For example," he says, "don't refer to something as a 'gastrointestinal illness.' Instead tell them, 'This could make you puke,' or 'Dude, wash your hands.'"
The study, published in the September issue of the Journal of Environmental Health, was conducted during a suspected norovirus outbreak at the University of Guelph, in Ontario, in 2006. Mr. Chapman and one of his co-authors, Brae V. Surgeoner, were graduate students there. Ms. Surgeoner is now a food-safety researcher at Kansas State, where the third co-author, Douglas Powell, is an associate professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology, as well as an expert on food safety.
The virus that struck Guelph is highly contagious and causes diarrhea and vomiting. The researchers wanted to see whether students were complying with instructions that were plastered around the campus.
"We couldn't follow students into the bathroom, because that leads to ethical problems," Mr. Chapman says. So the researchers focused on whether students were using a plastic bottle of hand-sanitizing gel placed at the entrance of a cafeteria that had been described to them as "ground zero" of the outbreak.
Signs were posted to remind people to use the sanitizer, and campus officials were under the impression that many were using it. Mr. Chapman and his colleagues were unconvinced. As they watched from a discreet distance during a pair of two-hour sessions, they observed that only 17 percent of the students entering the cafeteria used the gel, even though 83 percent of those later polled said they routinely practiced all prescribed hand-hygiene practices during the outbreak.
"What people do and what they say with regard to hand hygiene are two different things," Mr. Chapman reports.
He says health officials should aim their messages at specific audiences, such as students living in a particular residence hall. Instant messaging and other social-media tools should be used as well.
"It really hits home," he notes, "when their classmates start changing their IM names to something like Puking Veronica."




UK: E coli 0157 in Surrey: Update
17.sep.09
Health Protection Agency
http://www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAweb&HPAwebStandard/HPAweb_C/1253114164898?p=1231252394302
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) reports that the total number of cases of E Coli O157 linked to Godstone Farm in Surrey is 45.
Twelve children are currently being treated in hospital. Of these children four are seriously ill, six are in a stable condition and two are improving.
More information: http://www.hpa.org.uk/ecoliVTEC




IOWA: Food safety specialist earns reputation as innovative, dedicated
17.sep.09
Iowa State University
Michelle Rydell
http://www.hs.iastate.edu/news/inside/view/265/
On any given day, you can find Sam Beattie on his back underneath a conveyor belt in one of Iowa's 350 food processing plants. Looking for pest and rodent infestations is one of his favorite parts of working as Iowa State University's Extension food safety specialist, he'll cheerfully tell you, though it is a decidedly unglamorous task.
Beattie, who returned to his alma mater six years ago to work in Extension and as an assistant professor of food science and human nutrition, spends 75 percent of his time in Extension and 25 percent in research. He works side-by-side with consumers and food processors, teaching them about risks associated with foods and how to reduce those risks.
Developing food safety programs in food processing plants is crucial to their success in the larger marketplace and in their collaboration with regulatory authorities. Through Beattie's food safety programs, processing plants not only produce safer food, but also reach larger markets, which in turn stimulate Iowa's economy.
Many of his clients go on to market their products to national corporations. In Iowa City, Beattie set up a food safety program for Bochner Chocolates, which now sells truffles to Target. It's just one part of his job that reminds him that his work has an important purpose that reaches beyond the state level.
"Food safety is not just hand washing and proper cooking," Beattie said. "When we get into food processing, food safety becomes a complex and vital part of the mission of any processor who wishes to expand."
But Beattie has not only earned a reputation as an Extension specialist with a knack for understanding complex problems and offering practical solutions. His research has also earned national attention, notably from R&D magazine, which touted his research in their annual "Top 100 Innovations of the Year" in 2009.
Beattie's research has a history that is rooted decades ago in the basement of the Dairy Industries Building (now Food Sciences Building) at Iowa State, the same building he works in today.




UK: Three swimming pools shut in water bug outbreak
17.sep.09
Wales Online
Madeleine Brindley
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/09/17/three-swimming-pools-shut-in-water-bug-outbreak-91466-24716136/
All the swimming pools at Merthyr Tydfil Leisure Centre have been closed following an outbreak of cryptosporidium.
The outbreak control team today said the decision to close the three pools is a temporary measure but it follows a new cluster of cases.
A thorough investigation into this second outbreak - the first cluster of cases was linked to a pool party at the leisure centre in mid-August - is now being carried out.
The move comes after eight further cases of cryptosporidium have been confirmed in children and adults who swam in the pool between the end of August and the beginning of September. One other possible case is being investigated.




UK: Agency's fish advice takes account of sustainability
17.sep.09
Food Standards Agency
http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2009/sep/fish
The Food Standards Agency has today updated its fish and shellfish advice to help consumers make informed, sustainable choices as part of its commitment to taking sustainability into account in all of its policy making.
As the evidence for the health benefits of fish consumption remain clear, Agency advice is unchanged: people should be eating at least two portions of fish a week, one of which should be an oily fish.
But the advice is being set more firmly in the wider sustainability context and consumers are now being asked to think about the choices they make when they choose which fish to eat.
Consumers are, for example, encouraged to:
try to choose fish that has been produced sustainably or responsibly managed
look for assurance scheme logos
be adventurous and eat a wider variety of fish species
The updates to the fish and shellfish advice, which appear on the Agency's consumer website eatwell.gov.uk, are supported by links to sources of useful information and follow work with a range of stakeholders and partners and a public consultation.

The Agency worked with Defra, the Department of Health, the Scottish Government and other Government departments, responding to recommendations from stakeholders such as the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution and the Sustainable Consumption Roundtable.

The eatwell fish page continues to provide advice on preparing, storing and cooking fish and shellfish, fish allergy, and contains specific advice for pregnant women. There is also detailed advice about the recommended limits for adults and children because of the low levels of pollutants in certain fish – advice based on the joint report of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition and the Committee on Toxicity.
You can read the Agency's updated fish advice at the eatwell link at the foot of this page.




The changing panorama of bacterial enteric infections
17.sep.09
Epidemiology and Infection (2009), 137:1531-1537
C. STEIN-ZAMIR, H. SHOOB, N. ABRAMSON, G. ZENTNER and V. AGMON
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=6191064&fulltextType=RA&fileId=S095026880900243X
We studied the age-specific population-based incidence of bacterial enteric infections caused by Shigella, Salmonella and Campylobacter, in Jerusalem. During 1990–2008, 32 408 cases were reported (incidence rate 232·1/100 000 per annum). The patterns of Shigella (47·4% of cases), Salmonella (34·4%) and Campylobacter (18·2%) infections evolved noticeably. Campylobacter rates increased from 15·0 to 110·8/100 000 per annum. Salmonella rates increased from 74·2 to 199·6/100 000 in 1995 then decreased to 39·4/100 000. Shigella showed an endemic/epidemic pattern ranging between 19·7 and 252·8/100 000. Most patients (75%) were aged <15 years; children aged <5 years comprised 56·4% of cases, despite accounting for only 12·9% of the population. Campylobacter was the predominant organism in infants aged <1 year and Shigella in the 1–4 years group. The hospitalization rates were: Shigella, 1·8%; Campylobacter, 2·3%; Salmonella, 6·9%. Infants were 2·2 times more likely to be hospitalized than children aged 1–14 years (P=0·001). Household transmission occurred in 21·2% of Shigella cases compared with 5% in the other bacteria.




A re-evaluation of the impact of temperature and climate change on foodborne illness
17.sep.09
Epidemiology and Infection (2009), 137:1538-1547
I. R. LAKE, I. A. GILLESPIE, G. BENTHAM, G. L. NICHOLS, C. LANE, G. K. ADAK and E. J. THRELFALL
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=6191088&fulltextType=RA&fileId=S0950268809002477
The effects of temperature on reported cases of a number of foodborne illnesses in England and Wales were investigated. We also explored whether the impact of temperature had changed over time. Food poisoning, campylobacteriosis, salmonellosis, Salmonella Typhimurium infections and Salmonella Enteritidis infections were positively associated (P<0·01) with temperature in the current and previous week. Only food poisoning, salmonellosis and S. Typhimurium infections were associated with temperature 2–5 weeks previously (P<0·01). There were significant reductions also in the impact of temperature on foodborne illnesses over time. This applies to temperature in the current and previous week for all illness types (P<0·01) except S. Enteritidis infection (P=0·079). Temperature 2–5 weeks previously diminished in importance for food poisoning and S. Typhimurium infection (P<0·001). The results are consistent with reduced pathogen concentrations in food and improved food hygiene over time. These adaptations to temperature imply that current estimates of how climate change may alter foodborne illness burden are overly pessimistic.




A prolonged outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium infection related to an uncommon vehicle: hard cheese made from raw milk
17.sep.09
Epidemiology and Infection (2009), 137:1548-1557
Y. T. H. P. VAN DUYNHOVEN, L. D. ISKEN, K. BORGEN, M. BESSELSE, K. SOETHOUDT, O. HAITSMA, B. MULDER, D. W. NOTERMANS, R. De JONGE, P. KOCK, W. VAN PELT, O. STENVERS and J. VAN STEENBERGEN
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=6191028&fulltextType=RA&fileId=S0950268809002337
In 2006, in The Netherlands, an outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium phage type 561 (STM DT7, corresponding to the rare DT7 in the international typing scheme) was detected, accumulating to over 200 cases. By telephone interviews, data were collected from all laboratory-confirmed cases. In addition, in August 2006, a case-control study was performed in a subset of cases. Environmental and microbiological investigation was performed on a suspected dairy farm. In the case-control study (51 cases, 105 matched controls), hard cheese purchased from a farm, specifically farm X, and from a market stall were found to be associated with infection. The dairy production room of farm X tested STM DT7-positive in August. However, it was only in November, after earlier unsuccessful attempts, that a low-level contamination was confirmed in the hard farmhouse cheese, triggering control measures. A timely and adequate response was hampered during this outbreak for several reasons. Measures for improvement in handling future similar incidents are discussed.




Risk factors for the occurrence of Escherichia coli virulence genes eae, stx1 and stx2 in wild bird populations
17.sep.09
Epidemiology and Infection (2009), 137:1574-1582
L. A. HUGHES, M. BENNETT, P. COFFEY, J. ELLIOTT, T. R. JONES, R. C. JONES, A. LAHUERTA-MARIN, K. McNIFFE, D. NORMAN, N. J. WILLIAMS and J. CHANTREY
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=6191100&fulltextType=RA&fileId=S0950268809002507
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) can cause serious disease in human beings. Ruminants are considered to be the main reservoir of human STEC infections. However, STEC have also been isolated from other domestic animals, wild mammals and birds. We describe a cross-sectional study of wild birds in northern England to determine the prevalence of E. coli-containing genes that encode Shiga toxins (stx1 and stx2) and intimin (eae), important virulence determinants of STEC associated with human disease. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified unique risk factors for the occurrence of each virulence gene in wild bird populations. The results of our study indicate that while wild birds are unlikely to be direct sources of STEC infections, they do represent a potential reservoir of virulence genes. This, coupled with their ability to act as long-distance vectors of STEC, means that wild birds have the potential to influence the spread and evolution of STEC.




Evaluation of Gram-positive rod surveillance for early anthrax detection
17.sep.09
Epidemiology and Infection (2009), 137:1623-1630
D. MLYNARSKI, T. RABATSKY-EHR, S. PETIT, K. PURVIANCE, P. A. MSHAR, E. M. BEGIER, D. G. JOHNSON and J. L. HADLER
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=6191172&fulltextType=RA&fileId=S0950268809002581
Since 2003, Connecticut laboratories have reported Gram-positive rod (GPR) isolates detected within 32 h of inoculation from blood or cerebrospinal fluid. The objectives were to rapidly identify inhalational anthrax and unusual Clostridium spp. infections, and to establish round-the-clock laboratory reporting of potential indicators of bioterrorism. From 2003 to 2006, Connecticut's GPR surveillance system identified 1134 isolates, including 657 Bacillus spp. (none B. anthracis) and 241 Clostridium spp. Reporting completeness and timeliness improved to 93% and 92%, respectively. Baseline rates of Bacillus spp., Clostridium spp. and other GPR findings have been established and are stable. Thus far, no cases of anthrax and no unusual clusters of Clostridium spp. have been detected by the GPR surveillance system. This system would probably have confirmed the inhalational anthrax case in Pennsylvania in 2006 3 days sooner than traditional reporting. Using audits and ongoing evaluation, the system has evolved into a highly functional 24/7 laboratory telephone reporting system with almost complete reporting.




A tale of two parasites: the comparative epidemiology of cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis
17.sep.09
Epidemiology and Infection (2009), 137:1641-1650
S. J. SNEL, M. G. BAKER, V. KAMALESH, N. FRENCH and J. LEARMONTH
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=6191076&fulltextType=RA&fileId=S0950268809002465
New Zealand has a higher reported incidence of cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis than most other developed countries. This study aimed to describe and compare the epidemiology of these infections in New Zealand, to better understand their impact on public health and to gain insight into their probable modes of transmission. We analysed cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis notification data for a 10-year period (1997–2006). Highest rates for both diseases were in Europeans, children aged 0–5 years, and those living in low-deprivation areas. Cryptosporidiosis distribution was consistent with mainly farm animal (zoonotic) reservoirs. There was a dose–response relationship with increasing grades of rurality, marked spring seasonality, and positive correlation with farm animal density. Giardiasis distribution was consistent with predominantly human (anthroponotic) reservoirs, with an important contribution from overseas travel. Further research should focus on methods to reduce transmission of Cryptosporidium in rural areas and on reducing anthroponotic transmission of Giardia.


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