Fresh Produce Discussion Blog

Created by The Packer's National Editor Tom Karst

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Fw: [BITES-L] bites Dec. 19/10

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From: Doug Powell <dpowell@KSU.EDU>
Sender: Bites <BITES-L@LISTSERV.KSU.EDU>
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2010 19:44:26 -0600
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bites Dec. 19/10

In Sunday-evening surprise, Senate unanimously passes food safety bill

ILLINOIS: Local Jimmy John's owner stunned by illness reports

Food scare crises and price volatility: The case of the BSE in Spain

Effect of E-beam treatment on the safety and shelf life of mayonnaise potato salad

Virulence profiling and quantification of verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli O145:H28 and O26:H11 isolated during an ice cream-related hemolytic uremic syndrome outbreak

Determination and improvement of microbial safety of wheat sprouts with chemical sanitizers

Listeria monocytogenes: Antibiotic resistance in food production

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In Sunday-evening surprise, Senate unanimously passes food safety bill
12.dec.19
Health Watch
Alexander Bolton
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/food-safety/134447-in-sunday-evening-surprise-senate-passes-food-safety-bill-by-unanimous-consent
The U.S. Senate unexpectedly approved food safety legislation by unanimous consent Sunday evening, rescuing a bill that floated in limbo for weeks because of a clerical error.


The Senate passed the Food Safety and Modernization Act on Nov. 30 by a vote of 73-25. But the bill was later invalidated by a technical objection because it was a revenue-raising measure that did not originate in the House — Senate staff had failed to substitute the food safety language into a House-originated bill.

A coalition of groups supporting the bill sent a letter Sunday to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) calling for action on food safety.


"Our organizations are writing to support attaching S. 510, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, to the Senate's proposed short-term continuing resolution," the groups wrote. "Strong food-safety legislation will reduce the risk of contamination and provide FDA with the resources and authorities the agency needs to help make prevention the focus of our food safety strategies."


The American Public Health Association, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union and other groups signed the letter.

Democrats first attempted to attach the food safety bill to the two-and-a-half-month spending measure but Republicans balked because they wanted to keep that measure clean, according to Senate aides.

Republicans, however, later agreed to pass it by unanimous consent.

Reid announced he would send the legislation — this time properly attached to a House-originated measure — back to the lower chamber for final approval.
"Our food safety system has not been updated in almost a century. Families in Nevada and across America should never have to worry about whether the food they put on their table is safe," Reid said in a statement. "This is a common-sense issue with broad bipartisan support.
"Tonight we unanimously passed a measure to improve on our current food safety system by giving the FDA the resources it needs to keep up with advances in food production and marketing, without unduly burdening farmers and food producers," he said.

The legislation is a high priority for Reid and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa).


Reid's staff earlier in the day had told a coalition of groups supporting the legislation that it had a chance of passing but the prospects appeared to dim as Sunday wore on. The swift approval by unanimous consent caught some aides and lobbyists working on it by surprise.
Sen. Tom Coburn, the outspoken conservative Republican from Oklahoma, had been blocking the legislation. He lifted his objection at the final moment.




ILLINOIS: Local Jimmy John's owner stunned by illness reports
18.dec.10
Pantagraph
Steve Hoffman
http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/article_513dee44-0ae3-11e0-b048-001cc4c03286.html
BLOOMINGTON -- The owner of four Twin City Jimmy John's sandwich shops said she was stunned to hear McLean County listed as one of nine Illinois counties linked to 46 illnesses reported by people who ate at the chain.
The Illinois Department of Public Health said Friday the cases had been tentatively linked to alfalfa sprouts at Jimmy John's locations in Adams, Champaign, Cook, Kankakee, McHenry, McLean, Peoria, Will and Winnebago counties.
Mary Strack, who owns sandwich shops in Bloomington and Normal, said she first heard about the illnesses through a media report.
"I have never gotten a comment from anyone being sick. I have never heard anything from the McLean County Health Department. I am totally surprised," Strack said Saturday. She did make the decision to remove sprouts from the menu "until we get some sort of clarification."
McLean County Health Department spokeswoman Erin Tolle Link said confirming the exact source of salmonella is "tricky" because the illness can take from six to 72 hours to develop after ingesting contaminated food. That means there could be a variety of potential sources.




Food scare crises and price volatility: The case of the BSE in Spain
17.dec.10
Food Policy
Teresa Serra
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VCB-51R51GH-1&_user=10&_coverDate=12%2F17%2F2010&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=595b183e6d8f259815346f9007e3b035&searchtype=a
Abstract
Recent incidents of contaminated food products coupled with the widespread diffusion of news by mass media and the growing social concerns about food safety, have resulted in significant food market crises. One of the most highly publicized recent food scares involved Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). In our analysis, we evaluate the impacts from a BSE outbreak on the price volatility transmission along the Spanish food marketing chain by using a smooth transition conditional correlation (STCC) GARCH model. Our work is the first to assess price volatility responses to food scares. Results suggest that two distinct regimes involving different price volatility behavior can be distinguished, one characterized by turbulent markets and another where markets are calming down.




Effect of E-beam treatment on the safety and shelf life of mayonnaise potato salad
18.dec.10
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease
María I. Cambero, María C. Cabeza, Juan A. Ordóñez, L. de la Hoz
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/fpd.2010.0652
Abstract
The radioresistance of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis, and S. enterica serovar Typhimurium has been studied in a complex matrix like mayonnaise potato salad. D10-values of 0.56, 0.32–0.35, and 0.41–0.42 kGy were calculated for each organism, respectively. Keeping in mind these values, the microbiological criteria, the characteristics of the microorganisms, and a shelf life of the products of 20 days stored at 4°C, an irradiation treatment of 1 kGy was calculated to reach the food safety objectives. A duplication of the shelf life is also achieved with a dose of 1 kGy. Mayonnaise potato salad radiated with doses of up to 2 kGy showed negligible off-sensory characteristics.




Virulence profiling and quantification of verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli O145:H28 and O26:H11 isolated during an ice cream-related hemolytic uremic syndrome outbreak
18.dec.10
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease
Glenn Buvens, Björn Possé, Koen De Schrijver, Lieven De Zutter, Sabine Lauwers, Denis Piérard
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/fpd.2010.0693
Abstract
In September–October 2007, a mixed-serotype outbreak of verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) O145:H28 and O26:H11 occurred in the province of Antwerp, Belgium. Five girls aged between 2 and 11 years developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, and seven other coexposed persons with bloody diarrhea were identified. Laboratory confirmation of O145:H28 infection was obtained for three hemolytic uremic syndrome patients, one of whom was coinfected with O26:H11. The epidemiological and laboratory investigations revealed ice cream as the most likely source of the outbreak. The ice cream was produced at a local dairy farm using pasteurized milk. VTEC of both serotypes with indistinguishable pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns were isolated from patients, ice cream, and environmental samples. Quantitative analysis of the ice cream indicated concentrations of 2.4 and 0.03 CFU/g for VTEC O145 and O26, respectively. Virulence typing revealed that the repertoire of virulence genes carried by the O145:H28 outbreak strain was comparable to that of O157 VTEC and more exhaustive as compared to the O26:H11 outbreak strain and nonrelated clinical strains belonging to these serotypes. Taken together, these data suggest that O145:H28 played the most important role in this outbreak.




Determination and improvement of microbial safety of wheat sprouts with chemical sanitizers
18.dec.10
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease
Fatih Tornuk, Ismet Ozturk, Osman Sagdic, Hasan Yetim
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/fpd.2010.0709
Abstract
In this study, total aerobic mesophilic bacteria (TAMB), total coliform (TC), yeasts and moulds (YM), and Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus counts of wheat seeds and sprouts germinated for 9 days under different relative humidity (RH) (90% and 95%) and temperatures (18°C, 20°C, and 22°C) were determined. The disinfection capabilities of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) (100, 200, and 400ppm) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) (3% and 6%) on wheat seeds/sprouts were also investigated. It has been found that native TAMB, TC, YM, and E. coli population significantly increased (p<0.05) with the germination; however, no Salmonella and S. aureus were detected on the seeds and/or sprouts. Again, increasing the temperature and RH resulted in a rapid proliferation of microorganisms. On the other hand, E. coli population could be completely eliminated by the treatment of different concentrations of NaOCl or H2O2 before the germination of wheat seeds. Again, increasing the NaOCl and H2O2 concentrations resulted in additional reductions of TAMB, TC, and YM population; and the highest reductions in sprouts were observed when the seed was soaked in 400ppm NaOCl for 30 minutes followed by tap water wash and germination for 9 days. Population reduction of 1.46 log colony-forming unit (cfu)/g of TAMB, 1.97 log cfu/g of YM, and 0.84 log cfu/g of TC in sprouts was achieved when compared with the control. The chemical sanitization did not negatively affect the germination capability of the seeds. Therefore, soaking the seeds in 400ppm of NaOCl for 30 minutes followed by a germination environment of 18°C and 90% RH was found to be the most appropriate germination condition for wheat sprouts with reduced microbial population.




Listeria monocytogenes: Antibiotic resistance in food production
18.dec.10
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease
Bwalya Lungu, Corliss A. O'Bryan, Arunachalam Muthaiyan, Sara R. Milillo, Michael G. Johnson, Philip G. Crandall, Steven C. Ricke
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/fpd.2010.0718
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is an opportunistic human pathogen that causes listeriosis, a disease that mainly affects the immunocompromised, the elderly, infants, and pregnant women. Listeriosis has become increasingly common in the last 25 years since the first foodborne outbreak was noted. Treatment for listeriosis currently consists primarily of supportive therapy in conjunction with the use of intravenous antibiotics. Antibiotics have been commercially available for over 60 years for treatment of a myriad of clinical diseases. Bacteria resistant to antibiotics have been developing over this same period. This review seeks to elucidate the extent of antibiotic resistance in L. monocytogenes, the possible transmission mechanisms, and contributing factors to distribution of antibiotic resistance among Listeria species, and possible control strategies.


bites is produced by Dr. Douglas Powell and food safety friends at Kansas State University. For further information, please contact dpowell@ksu.edu or check out bites.ksu.edu.

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Friday, December 17, 2010

Fw: Maryland draft local regs published

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From: Mark Powell <PowellMS@mda.state.md.us>
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 2010 14:41:57 -0600
To: Tom Karst<TKarst@vancepublishing.com>
Subject: Maryland draft local regs published

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                        CONTACT:            Sue duPont
                                                                                                                                    410-841-5889
                                                                                                                                    Julie Oberg
                                                                                                                                    410-841-5888
 
 
Draft Regulations to Define "Local" Foods Published in the Maryland Register
Public Comment Accepted through January 18, 2011
 
 
ANNAPOLIS, MD (December 17, 2010) – Proposed rules regulating the advertising of "local" foods are published in today's Maryland Register for public comment announced Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance. The regulations were drafted by MDA as part of a law signed by Governor O'Malley earlier this year which seeks to bring clarity to consumers as to what constitutes local.
 
"With the increased interest in buying local and the current lack of agreement on defining local, we feel it is paramount that consumers have the information they need to make informed decisions about their food purchases," said Secretary Hance.  "If advertising a food product as 'local', the proposed regulations will require businesses to disclose the origin of their product and consumers can make their own determination if a food advertised as 'local' meets their standard."
 
The law authorizes the Secretary to regulate the use of the terms "local" or "locally grown" when used to advertise agricultural and seafood products.  It aims to support Maryland farmers and provide transparency to consumers interested in purchasing local foods by informing Marylanders about their local foods purchases.  In recent years, interest in locally produced foods has surged, leading to the rapid growth of farmer's markets, and the appearance of Maryland products in restaurants and grocery stores.  However, there has been little agreement as to the definition of "local" foods.  A task force of farmers, retail representatives, consumer advocates, and other interested stakeholders provided input for the proposal. 
 
The 2010 Policy Choices Survey by the University of Baltimore Schaefer Center for Public Policy found that 78 percent of Marylanders are more likely to buy produce that is identified as having been grown by a Maryland farmer.
           
Visit http://www.dsd.state.md.us/MDRegister/mdregister.aspx for a link to the Register. Comments may be sent to Mark Powell, Chief of Marketing, Maryland Department of Agriculture, 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Annapolis, MD 21401, or call 410-841-5775 or email PowellMS@mda.state.md.us, or fax to (410) 841-5957.  Comments will be accepted through January 18, 2011.  A public hearing has not been scheduled.
 

# # #

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Fw: Release: Lucas Welcomes New Republicans on Agriculture Committee

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From: House Republican Agriculture Committee <agrepublicanpress@politicalmediagroup.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Dec 2010 16:30:46 -0600
To: Tom Karst<TKarst@vancepublishing.com>
ReplyTo: "tamara.hinton@mail.house.gov" <tamara.hinton@mail.house.gov>
Subject: Release: Lucas Welcomes New Republicans on Agriculture Committee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 16, 2010
MEDIA CONTACT:
Tamara Hinton, 202.225.0184
tamara.hinton@mail.house.gov

Lucas Welcomes New Republicans on Agriculture Committee
16 new members added to Republican roster for 112th Congress

WASHINGTON – Today, House Agriculture Committee Chairman-elect Frank Lucas of Oklahoma issued the following statement congratulating the new Republican members of the House Agriculture Committee for the 112th Congress.

"I am pleased to welcome our new members to the Agriculture Committee. They represent a broad slice of the country and will bring that perspective as we address the issues facing production agriculture and rural economies. The work of our Committee affects the lives of every American. We must work to ensure that there is proper oversight of the administration, that rural America has opportunities for job growth, and that our farmers and ranchers have the necessary tools and certainty they need to provide us with a safe, affordable, and abundant food, fiber, feed, and fuel supply," said Chairman-elect Frank Lucas.

The new Republican members on the Agriculture Committee are:

Rick Crawford (AR)
Scott DesJarlais (TN)
Renee Elmers (NC)
Stephen Fincher (TN)
Bob Gibbs (OH)
Chris Gibson (NY)
Vicky Hartzler (MO)
Tim Huelskamp (KS)
Randy Hultgren (IL)
Reid Ribble (WI)
Martha Roby (AL)
Bobby Schilling (IL)
Austin Scott (GA)
Steve Southerland (FL)
Marlin Stutzman (IN)
Scott Tipton (CO)


###

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Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Fw: [BITES-L] bites Dec. 14/10

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From: Doug Powell <dpowell@KSU.EDU>
Sender: Bites <BITES-L@LISTSERV.KSU.EDU>
Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2010 06:23:42 -0600
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Subject: [BITES-L] bites Dec. 14/10


bites Dec. 14/10

1 dead, 10 sick from E. coli at MISSOURI Thanksgiving meal

UK prisoners suing over salmonella; same place Julian Assange is visiting

Kenka closed by NYC health department

Dodd defends: E. coli and salmonella in cattle production

MRE: tastes great, less filling, lasts forever

Salmonella strikes baby at 4-star hotel

Health hazard alert – Certain cantaloupes purchased at Safeway store located on Osborne Street, Winnipeg, MANITOBA, may contain Salmonella bacteria

U.S. Marshals seize FDA-regulated food stored at rodent-infested warehouse in New Mexico

ILLINOIS: New Morgan County restaurant inspection system voted into place

Fatal Vibrio vulnificus infection associated with eating raw oysters, New Caledonia

CANADIAN pork industry targets 48 hour swine movement reporting

Occurrence of Listeria spp. in Brazilian fresh sausage and control of Listeria monocytogenes using bacteriophage P100

The use of microbiological surveys to evaluate the co-regulation of abattoirs in New South Wales, Australia

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1 dead, 10 sick from E. coli at MISSOURI Thanksgiving meal
14.dec.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/145650/10/12/14/1-dead-10-sick-e-coli-missouri-thanksgiving-meal
Details are trickling out about the death of Jasper County, Missouri, resident from E. coli last week.
The Joplin Globe reports this morning that a food or a beverage served at a Thanksgiving dinner is the apparent source of an E. coli outbreak that killed a 51-year-old Carthage woman and sickened several other people.
Tony Moehr, director of the Jasper County Health Department, said,
"We have two confirmed cases of E. coli O157:H7 in Jasper County. One of the cases resulted in a death."
Moehr said a third confirmed case of the bacterial infection has been reported in Dade County and involves someone who attended the Thanksgiving dinner.
"It appears the cases are related to a family gathering for Thanksgiving on Nov. 27," he said. "We have identified seven or eight additional illnesses related to that gathering, but we don't have the test results back for them. These cases occurred around the same period of time but were not as severe."
It is believed that 11 of the 24 people who attended the event became ill.
The department, Moehr said, did not issue a press release about the E. coli death because the incident was associated with a family gathering and did not pose a threat to the public.
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/145601/10/12/10/missouri-resident-dies-e-coli-10-others-sick-family-gathering
http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/x1707764641/Authorities-Family-s-Thanksgiving-meal-source-of-fatal-E-coli-case




UK prisoners suing over salmonella; same place Julian Assange is visiting
13.dec.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/145636/10/12/13/uk-prisoners-suing-over-salmonella-same-place-julian-assange-visiting
The Brits do have a way with words. From today's issue of The Sun:
Rapists, paedophiles, a killer and drug-dealers may pocket £300,000 after prison sarnies gave them food poisoning.
A group of 164 inmates were all poleaxed after eating egg and cress rolls infected with salmonella.
Their lawyers have filed a High Court claim demanding £1,800 compensation for each convict for "pain, suffering and loss of amenity".
They are almost certain to get some money because the Ministry of Justice has admitted kitchen staff at South London's Wandsworth Prison failed to cook the eggs properly.
A Whitehall source said: "There is no doubt that compensation will be paid, but the amount of money the prisoners are after will be contested vigorously. There will be very little public sympathy for this."
And now, a message from Julian Assange:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3272868/Prisoners-may-pocket-300000-after-jail-sarnies-gave-them-food-poisoning.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of-_0Czr4Gs



Kenka closed by NYC health department
13.dec.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/145637/10/12/13/kenka-closed-nyc-health-department
One of New York's most popular Japanese spots, Kenka, was closed by the Health Department last week after racking up 93 points on its inspection.
According to Grub Street, the good-luck tanuki (actually a raccoon dog) didn't do its job, because the restaurant was cited for evidence of mice, inadequate personal cleanliness, and potentially contaminated food, among other violations.
Among the violations:
• Hot food item not held at or above 140º F..
• Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan.
• Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.
• Hand washing facility not provided in or near food preparation area and toilet room. Hot and cold running water at adequate pressure to enable cleanliness of employees not provided at facility. Soap and an acceptable hand-drying device not provided.
• Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared.
• Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2010/12/health_department_busts_kenkas.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nymag%2Fgrubstreet+%28Grub+Street+-+nymag.com%27s+Food+and+Restaurant+Blog%29




Dodd defends: E. coli and salmonella in cattle production
13.dec.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/145638/10/12/13/dodd-defends-e-coli-and-salmonella-cattle-production
Chuck Dodd looked fairly snappy as he defended his PhD (below, left) today – to go with his MS and DVM – but he spent much of the past three years (right), knee deep in cow poop.
Chuck's thesis was entitled, Epidemiology of Salmonella and E. coli O157 in Beef Cattle Production Systems and included four interrelated studies:
• effects of Salmonella Newport SRP® vaccine;
• prevalence and persistence of Salmonella;
• relatedness of E. coli O157 in feces and on carcasses; and,
• a simulation model for E. coli O157 interventions.
During his defense, Chuck said he learned "you can't test or inspect your way to food safety. It's the entire system."
Good for him, and best wishes. When he finally washes out the cow smell, Chuck's off to the Landstufl Regional Medical Center in Germany.
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/blog/140300/09/07/22/improving-sampling-and-risk-communication-fsis




MRE: tastes great, less filling, lasts forever
14.dec.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/145648/10/12/14/mre-tastes-great-less-filling-lasts-forever
In honor of Chuck Dodd successfully defending his PhD yesterday at Kansas State University, I decided to crack open the military Meal Ready to Eat (MRE) he'd given to me a couple of years ago.
In June 2008, The Christian Science Monitor reported about Jeanette Kennedy, a food technologist at the US Army Natick Soldier Systems Center (NSSC) west of Boston. Kennedy faces creative challenges unlike those before any other chef because she creates MREs, designed to fuel soldiers lugging 100-pound packs all day.
The story says that meals can't just taste good; they've got to last ... for three years stored at 80 degrees F., be capable of withstanding chemical or biological attacks, and survive a 10-story free fall (when packed in a crate of 12).
MREs were first served in the 1980s when canned fare gave way to meals packed in sturdy beige pouches. Others have called them Meals Rejected by the Enemy, Meals Rarely Edible, and Meals Refusing to Exit (a name that continues to stick despite the addition of more fiber).
Troop acceptance of the meals, which cost the military $7.13 each, has taken center stage. Back in 1982 when MREs debuted, designers assumed they could hang up their aprons. But when the first Gulf War broke out, the new ration moved from limited training use to the only food soldiers ate for months on end. Angry letters flooded in from the trenches, and the military realized that rations had to be a work in progress.
Now food technologists conduct focus groups with troops across the country, follow restaurant fads, and even attend culinary school to make sure their approach isn't entirely scientific.
The MRE I had contained noodles in butter-flavored sauce, cheese sauce, breaded chicken patty in curry-flavored sauce, toaster pastry, crackers, cappuccino, condiments, and of course, M&Ms. The activated heater pouch to warm food and coffee MREs was particularly innovative. The food? I wouldn't want to live on it.
In 2008, chef Kennedy said, "[MREs] really go along with the trends. As new things come out at restaurants, new flavors like chipotle or buffalo [get popular], they get incorporated into the MRE.... The trend [now is] going to more comfort foods like Salisbury steak, beef briquette, but it's not just macaroni and cheese, it's Mexican macaroni and cheese."
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/blog/145638/10/12/13/dodd-defends-e-coli-and-salmonella-cattle-production
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0630/p20s01-usmi.html?page=1




Salmonella strikes baby at 4-star hotel
14.dec.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/145649/10/12/14/salmonella-strikes-baby-4-star-hotel
A couple whose baby fell seriously ill with food poisoning at a four-star hotel are taking action against holiday firm Thomson.


Metropolitan police officer Ediz Mevlit, 35, and wife Jenny said today it was "terrifying" watching daughter Melissa suffer from the salmonella (photo, right, from the Evening Standard).
The London Evening Standard reports that the child, now 15-months-old, contracted the bacteria on a £1,500 Moroccan holiday to the Royal Atlas hotel in September, the family's first foreign trip.
Mrs Mevlit, 28, said her daughter was sick for three weeks and may suffer long-term health problems.
The couple also had mild stomach cramps. They said they spoke to others who suffered food poisoning at the hotel. One couple reported on website Trip Advisor that much of what was available at the Royal Atlas was "inedible."
The 338-bedroom hotel in Agadir is exclusive to Thomson customers. Thomson said all the hotels it used "are closely monitored to ensure the highest health, safety and comfort levels are maintained", adding: "As this case is being investigated by our legal team, we are unfortunately unable to comment any further."
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23906592-baby-struck-by-salmonella-at-four-star-hotel.do




Health hazard alert – Certain cantaloupes purchased at Safeway store located on Osborne Street, Winnipeg, MANITOBA, may contain Salmonella bacteria
13.dec.10
CFIA
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2010/20101213e.shtml
OTTAWA -– The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume the cantaloupes described below because these cantaloupes may be contaminated with Salmonella.
The affected cantaloupes were sold unwrapped. There is no lot code sticker, UPC or product name on the individual cantaloupes.
The cantaloupes were sold from Canada Safeway Limited, located at 655 Osborne Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba on December 5, 2010.
There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.
Food contaminated with Salmonella may not look or smell spoiled. Consumption of food contaminated with these bacteria may cause salmonellosis, a food borne illness. In young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems, salmonellosis may cause serious and sometimes deadly infections. In otherwise healthy people, salmonellosis may cause short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Long-term complications may include severe arthritis.
For more information consumers and industry can call the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).
For information on Salmonella, visit the Food Facts web page at: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/cause/salmonellae.shtml.
For information on all food recalls, visit the CFIA's Food Recall Report at: http://active.inspection.gc.ca/eng/corp/recarapp_dbe.asp.
To find out more about receiving recalls by e-mail, and other food safety facts, visit: www.foodsafety.gc.ca. Food and consumer product recalls are also available at http://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca.




U.S. Marshals seize FDA-regulated food stored at rodent-infested warehouse in New Mexico
13.dec.10
FDA
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm236773.htm
U.S. Marshals, acting under a court order sought by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, today seized chili pods, ground chili, crushed chili, and other chili products located in the rodent-infested food warehouse owned by Duran and Sons LLC in Derry, New Mexico. The New Mexico Environment Department had previously placed an embargo on all products in the company's food warehouse on Nov. 17, 2010.
The U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico issued a warrant for the seizure of all FDA-regulated food in the warehouse. The federal government's complaint alleges that the products are adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act because they have been held under insanitary conditions and may have become contaminated with filth.
An FDA inspection of the company's facility between Nov. 15 and 22, 2010, revealed "an active and widespread insect and rodent infestation in the food warehouse," according to the complaint.
"The alleged violations at this facility are serious and widespread," said Dara A. Corrigan, the FDA's associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. "This prompted the FDA to take aggressive enforcement action to protect the health of consumers."
FDA investigators found rodent nesting material and dropping on and around food, several rodent gnawed containers of food, and stains indicative of rodent urine. In addition, they saw a live cat, live birds, apparent bird nesting, bird droppings, feces and urine from other animals, live and dead insects, and insect larvae throughout the entire product warehouse. FDA laboratory analysis of samples collected during the inspection confirmed the investigators' observations.
For more information:
FDA Inspections, Compliance, Enforcement, and Criminal Investigations
http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/default.htm




ILLINOIS: New Morgan County restaurant inspection system voted into place
13.dec.10
WLDS and WEAI
Eric Brooks
http://www.weai.com/news/2916-new-morgan-county-restaurant-inspection-system-voted-into-place
The Morgan County Board approved stricter food guidelines Monday morning, updating Morgan County code that hasn't been touched since it was passed in 1977.
The vote was unanimous in passing the revised Morgan County Food Ordinance.
Food Program Manager Linda Day says the change was prompted by regulatory updates from the Illinois Department of Public Health.
"The new inspection form that we are going to start using focuses more on foodborne illness risk factors," says Day. "We're looking at this thinking if we use a different form and we're focusing more on foodborne illness and the risk factors, maybe it might help us to have restaurants using better guidelines."
Day says it changes the department's point system.
"What used to be four and five-point violations, which is what we would call our critical violations, now would be four, eight and nine-point violations," says Day. "For instance, if someone is not washing their hands, what used to be a five-point violation would be a nine-point violation."
The new regulations hope to curb restaurant cleanliness in the kitchen.
The changes go into effect January 1st.




Fatal Vibrio vulnificus infection associated with eating raw oysters, New Caledonia
01.jan.11
Emerging Infectious Disease
Cecile Cazorla, Aurelie Guigon, Martine Noel, Marie-Laure Quilici, and Flore Lacassin
http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/17/1/136.htm
To the Editor: The bacterium Vibrio vulnificus is a marine flora saprophyte that can cause necrotic skin infection and septicemia in humans who eat shellfish. Symptoms of septicemia (mortality rate >50%) have been described mostly in Florida and Japan among persons who ate raw filter-feeding shellfish when seawater temperatures are >20°C (1).
V. vulnificus–related septicemia introduced through the digestive system appears within 7 days after ingestion (2). Clinical signs and symptoms include fever, collapse, and metastatic necrotic skin lesions. We report 3 patients from New Caledonia who died after V. vulnificus infection, which they probably acquired by eating contaminated oysters. These patients were hospitalized during February–May 2008 at Noumea Hospital (Noumea, New Caledonia).
Patient 1 was a 51-year-old man with fever, muscle pains, bleeding gums, and a history of alcohol abuse; within 48 hours after symptom onset, he died of septic shock, with diffuse ecchymoses and purpura. Patient 2 was a 67-year-old woman with no known concurrent conditions who was admitted to the hospital with chills, diarrhea, and vomiting; septic shock developed, with painful erythematous plaques on the lower limbs becoming foamy, confluent, and necrotic. Patient 3 was a 74-year-old woman with untreated lupus who was hospitalized with lower-limb edema, hypotension, hypothermia, and erythematous skin lesions. All 3 patients received cephalosporins but died of multiple organ failure within 12 hours after hospital admission.
Peripheral blood aerobic–anaerobic samples were taken from all patients, stored in BacT/Alert FA vials (bioMérieux, Marcy-l'Etoile, France), and incubated in the BacT/Alert 3D system (bioMérieux). Curved mobile gram-negative bacilli were isolated from blood samples cultured on conventional media without additional salt within 24 h after incubation at 37°C in a 5% CO2-enriched atmosphere. V. vulnificus was identified through the Vitek2 system (bioMérieux) and confirmed by using the Api 20E system (bioMérieux).
Strains were sent to the Centre National de Reference des Vibrions et du Choléra, (Institut Pasteur, Paris, France), which by PCR confirmed the gene encoding virulence-associated hemolysin, a species-specific marker (3). Molecular typing by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was performed to assess possible clonality of the strains.
Several studies have shown the genomic diversity among environmental and clinical V. vulnificus isolates. The use of genotyping methods has identified >100 V. vulnificus strains in a single oyster (4) and notable heterogeneity among clinical isolates from multiple patients, even if a unique pathogenic strain causes the infection in each patient. Thus, V. vulnificus infections within a large population at risk may result from rare events controlled more by the host than by the bacterial strain (5).
Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis genotype analysis enabled us to divide the strains into 2 groups. One group included the isolate from patient 1, and the other group included isolates from patients 2 and 3, which despite having slightly different NotI and SfiI patterns reflecting genetic rearrangement, clearly belonged to a single clone. Isolation of strains with such a high degree of homogeneity is not common, raising the question of the existence of V. vulnificus clones that are particularly virulent or adapted to humans. Currently, however, reliable markers for determining V. vulnificus virulence do not exist. Thus, no genotyping system is likely to be useful for rapidly identifying strains that affect public health (6). V. vulnificus–related analysis requires the assumption that all strains are virulent.
Epidemiologic information collected from patients' families indicated recent consumption of raw oysters. Two of the 3 cases occurred within a short time frame and were associated with eating local oysters harvested on the west coast of New Caledonia.
The literature mentions few cases of V. vulnificus infection in the South Pacific. Cases described were isolated, rarely fatal, and involved infection through the skin (7–10). The V. vulnificus infections we report may be related to the emergence of a new clone or to changes in the climate or environmental conditions. New Caledonia experienced unusual weather conditions during the first half of 2008 (heavy rains and exceptionally high temperatures). These specific conditions may have favored higher sea surface temperatures, lower salinity, increased turbidity, and subsequent multiplication of V. vulnificus in seawater.
A range of projects were implemented to train practitioners to recognize potential V. vulnificus infections. Local health authorities issued criteria for defining suspected cases of V. vulnificus infection and recommendations for early medical care of patients with clinical symptoms. Methods of detecting the bacterium in human and animal health laboratories were improved, particularly by the systematic use of selective media in the event of suspected clinical V. vulnificus infection and standardized reporting of V. vulnificus isolation. Preventive measures, such as improving microbial surveillance and warning consumers about risks associated with eating raw seafood, are essential to help reduce the risk for V. vulnificus–induced illness.
Acknowledgments
We thank Jacob Kool, Martha Iwamoto, Rajal Mody, and Dominique Hervio-Heath for help in investigating these cases and for formulating recommendations.
References
Koenig KL, Mueller J, Rose T. Vibrio vulnificus: hazard on half shell. West J Med. 1991;155:400–3.
Hlady WG, Klontz KC. The epidemiology of Vibrio infections in Florida, 1981–1993. J Infect Dis. 1996;173:1176–83.
Brauns LA, Hudson MC, Oliver JD. Use of the polymerase chain reaction in detection of culturable and nonculturable Vibrio vulnificus cells. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1991;57:2651–5.
Buchrieser C, Gangar VV, Murphree RL, Tamplin ML, Kaspar CW. Multiple Vibrio vulnificus strains in oysters as demonstrated by clamped homogeneous electric field gel electrophoresis. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1995;61:1163–8.
Tamplin ML, Jackson JK, Buchrieser C, Murphree RL, Portier KM, Gangar V, et al. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and ribotype profiles of clinical and environmental Vibrio vulnificus isolates. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1996;62:3572–80.
Sanjuán E, Fouz B, Oliver JD, Amaro C. Evaluation of genotypic and phenotypic methods to distinguish clinical from environmental Vibrio vulnificus strains. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2009;75:1604–13. PubMed DOI
Ralph A, Currie BJ. Vibrio vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus necrotising fasciitis in fishermen visiting an estuarine tropical northern Australian location. J Infect. 2007;54:e111–4. PubMed DOI
Wise KA, Newton PJ. A fatal case of Vibrio vulnificus septicemia. Pathology. 1992;24:121–2. PubMed DOI
Preda TC, Preda VA, Mekisic AP. Septic shock from penetrating leg injury with Vibrio vulnificus infection. Med J Aust. 2009;190:716.
Upton A, Taylor S. Vibrio vulnificus necrotising fasciitis and septicaemia. N Z Med J. 2002;115:108–9.




CANADIAN pork industry targets 48 hour swine movement reporting
14.dec.10
Farmscape
http://www.farmscape.com/f2ShowScript.aspx?i=23561&q=Canadian+Pork+Industry+Targets+48+Hour+Swine+Movement+Reporting
The Manager of PigTrace Canada says the faster information can be reported on the movement of swine the more effective a new national swine traceability system will be.
Proposed federal regulations designed to accommodate the creation of a new national swine traceability system are expected to be published for public comment in Canada Gazzette-1 in the first quarter of 2011.
Under the proposed regulations stakeholders will be required to report information on the movement of swine within 48 hours.
Jeff Clark, the manager of PigTrace Canada an initiative of the Canadian Pork Council, acknowledges there have been concerns expressed that 48 hours might not be practical.
Clip-Jeff Clark-Canadian Pork Council:
Right now that's in the regulations for a couple of reasons.
It's an international standard.
If we can accomplish it it'll give the Canada pork sector a very very good reputation in terms of not just our excellent pork quality but also a very strong traceability system that's becoming more and more of an interest to the importing countries that buy Canadian pork.
There's reasons to really hit that 48 hours.
When you're looking at an emergency situation, the worst one being a foreign animal disease, a foot and mouth disease issue but even production diseases like PRRS, the quicker you can get on top of it and find the source of the contamination or disease infection and then eradicate it you'll prevent spread and then potentially the quicker you can get back into business.
We do know from economic studies that have been done, the longer it takes to get the traceback information, the longer it takes to actually do the investigation and the financial repercussions are exponential so the tighter we can get it the better the return on investment will be.
Of course if we can get real time on the hour it would be great.
We know that's not achievable for most people.
48 hours is kind of a happy medium.
Clark says, while there are no guarantees traceability will improve market access, a growing number of the high value importers are demanding traceability and in some cases it could become a requirement to sell pork into certain markets.
For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.




Occurrence of Listeria spp. in Brazilian fresh sausage and control of Listeria monocytogenes using bacteriophage P100
13.dec.10
Food Control
Lívia P.R. Rossi, Rogeria C.C. Almeida, Layse S. Lopes, Ana C.L. Figueiredo, Maria P.P. Ramos and Paulo F. Almeida
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T6S-51P9WXR-1&_user=10&_coverDate=12%2F13%2F2010&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=677c03f9f6eb90e4b093b00109bd12b4&searchtype=a
Abstract
Since the 1980s, an increase in outbreaks of human listeriosis linked to contaminated food has been a concern of health authorities. Intensively manipulated foods, such as Brazilian fresh sausage, are frequently responsible for food‑borne diseases. In this work the occurrence of Listeria monocytogenes and the efficacy of bacteriophage P100 (LISTEX™) to control the microorganism was evaluated in Brazilian fresh sausage. Eighty samples were analyzed, 40 each of swine and chicken Brazilian fresh sausage. Listeria spp. were isolated from 12 samples (15%), of which three (3.75%) were positive for L. monocytogenes. L. monocytogenes strains isolated belonged to serotype 1/2a. L. monocytogenes1/2a was inoculated in Brazilian fresh sausage (2.1 x 104 cfu/g) with the bacteriophage added thereafter (3.0 x 107 pfu/g). Samples were analysed immediately (day zero) and then stored at 4 °C for 10 days. The bacteriophage P100 reduced L. monocytogenes counts by 2.5 log units at both 0 and 10 days compared to controls without bacteriophage. In spite of this, the populations of L. moncytogenes increased over the 10 day storage. Our data demonstrate that in one of the samples the use of the bacteriophage dropped the bacteria count below the level of direct detection. This study demonstrates a new alternative for pathogen control in the food industry, especially in the processes used to produce Brazilian fresh sausage.




The use of microbiological surveys to evaluate the co-regulation of abattoirs in New South Wales, Australia
13.dec.10
Food Control
Catherine Bass, Paul Crick, David Cusack, Glenn Locke and John Sumner
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T6S-51P9WXR-2&_user=10&_coverDate=12%2F13%2F2010&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=e430fe87351621d09a2fddd4a7349988&searchtype=a
Abstract
In order to develop a microbiological baseline of meat produced for domestic consumption in the state of New South Wales, chilled carcases were sampled from 16 abattoirs. Aerobic Plate Counts (APCs) and Escherichia coli counts were obtained from samples taken by sponging sites specified for each species in the Microbiological Guidelines to the Australian meat standard. On beef carcases the mean log10 APC/cm2 was 2.21 and E. coli was detected on 25% of carcases (mean log positives -0.61/cm2). For sheep carcases corresponding values were 2.4, 53% and log10 -0.06/cm2, respectively. For pig carcases values were 2.81, 63% and log10 -0.23/cm2, respectively. For skin-off goat carcases values were 1.15, 27% and log10 -0.38/cm2, respectively. In the present survey, levels of indicator bacteria on carcases processed via the co-regulatory system operated in Australia were similar to those established in surveys of abattoirs that operate the traditional system overseen by government inspectors.


bites is produced by Dr. Douglas Powell and food safety friends at Kansas State University. For further information, please contact dpowell@ksu.edu or check out bites.ksu.edu.

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Monday, December 13, 2010

Fw: Nestlé Urged Not To Buy Chicken-Flavored Fungus Company Quorn

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From: News from CSPI <cspinews@cspinet.org>
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 2010 11:38:59 -0600
To: News from CSPI<cspinews@cspinet.org>
Subject: Nestlé Urged Not To Buy Chicken-Flavored Fun gus Company Quorn




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Monday, December 13, 2010  
Contact:
 
Jeff Cronin, 202-777-8370, or Stacey Greene, 202-777-8316


Nestlé Urged Not To Buy Chicken-Flavored Fungus Company Quorn

CSPI Cites Dangerous Allergic Reactions


WASHINGTON—A nonprofit nutrition and food safety watchdog group is urging Nestlé not to purchase Quorn, a line of fungus-based fake meats that causes severe allergic reactions—including vomiting, diarrhea, and anaphylactic reactions—in some people.  In a letter to Nestlé, the Center for Science in the Public Interest says that it will continue to press government agencies to withdraw Quorn from the market or at least require that it bear labels warning consumers of the risks of eating it.

        Scientists first discovered Quorn's fungus, Fusarium venenatum, in 1967 in a soil sample from the British town of Marlow.  Grown in giant fermentation vats and continuously fed a supply of oxygen, glucose, and nutrients, Quorn's fungus spawns a protein-rich paste.  That paste is further processed into vaguely meaty chunks or strips.  And in 1985, Marlow Foods introduced a "savoury pie" composed of what it now calls "mycoprotein."  Today, Quorn typically takes the shape of patties or nuggets designed to simulate chicken, as well as a one-pound cylindrical "Turk'y Roast," and ethnic dishes such as the "Tikka pieces" and "Fillets in Tomato and Olive Sauce" it sells in the U.K.

        The scientists who found Quorn's fungus might have had an inkling about their discovery when they chose the Latin venenatum—or "filled with venom"—for its name.  Sure enough, an early study by Quorn's manufacturer found that 10 percent of 200 human subjects fed Quorn developed nausea or a stomachache.  Other scientists found that Quorn caused allergic reactions in some patients.  And in 2003, CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson published a letter in the journal Allergy characterizing the adverse reactions of 284 Quorn consumers (CSPI has a Web site to collect such reports).  A subsequent article in the American Journal of Medicine reported that, according to a CSPI-commissioned telephone survey in Britain, a higher percentage of people believe they are sensitive to Quorn than to shellfish, milk, peanuts, wheat or other common allergens.  Though no deaths have yet been linked to Quorn, anaphylaxis can be life-threatening.

 "It was clearly a mistake for food safety regulators in Europe, the United States, and Australia to approve Quorn for human consumption in the first place," Jacobson said.  "It would be a real tragedy for a major food company like Nestle to start marketing foods made with this harmful ingredient on a bigger scale.  There's so much concern about allergic reactions to conventional foods, so it's especially inappropriate to broaden the marketing of an unnecessary and novel powerful allergen."

        Quorn is presently owned by U.K.-based Premier Foods.  It has been previously owned by private equity firms and the drug company AstraZeneca.  CSPI has been urging the Food and Drug Administration to revoke its "generally recognized as safe" designation for Quorn mycoprotein, and CSPI's litigation unit has filed suit on behalf of an Pennsylvania woman who had a severe reaction from eating Quorn.  Those efforts have not yet succeeded in getting Quorn off the market or requiring warning labels on the product, though previously CSPI got the company to at least acknowledge on the label that mycoprotein comes from a fungus.

        "I was curled in a ball on the bathroom floor for almost three hours continually throwing up," said Marisa Santanna, a behavioral health case manager from Harrisburg, PA, who ate Quorn nuggets and cutlets. "It got so bad that I started to throw up blood.  The next morning I felt fine, and I made the connection that the last time this happened I ate Quorn, too.  I read the ingredients on the box and decided to look up mycoprotein and was shocked at what I found online.  There isn't even a warning on the box."        

        Quorn's manufacturer used to claim that its signature ingredient was "mushroom based," but the company still describes Fusarium venenatum as "an edible fungi [sic] like mushrooms, morels, or truffles."  But Fusarium venenatum is quite unlike mushrooms, and is actually a form of mold—some of which are edible and some not.  Other members of the Fusarium genus produce dangerous mycotoxins and have been studied for potential use as biological weapons or herbicides.

        "We have so many safe, sustainable, and wholesome fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to enjoy on their own and from which to make meat substitutes," Jacobson said.  "Why resort to vat-grown, allergenic mold?  To me, Quorn seems better suited to dystopian science fiction than health food stores."

# # #



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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Saturday, December 11, 2010

Fw: [BITES-L] bites Dec. 10/10 -- II

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From: Doug Powell <dpowell@KSU.EDU>
Sender: Bites <BITES-L@LISTSERV.KSU.EDU>
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 2010 21:17:16 -0600
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Subject: [BITES-L] bites Dec. 10/10 -- II


bites Dec. 10/10 -- II

MISSOURI resident dies from E. coli; 10 others sick from family gathering

UK bacon producer fined 18,000 for illegally selling hams

ONTARIO restaurant sickened 5 in 2007; conviction still stands in 2010

Headline error: 'Firm recalls sauteed children'

RUSSIA: Killer pig tails impounded

CANADA: Ottawa takes on control of B.C. salmon farms

how to subscribe

MISSOURI resident dies from E. coli; 10 others sick from family gathering
10.dec.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/145601/10/12/10/missouri-resident-dies-e-coli-10-others-sick-family-gathering
A Jasper County resident died earlier this week from what sounds like shiga-toxin producing E. coli food contamination and health department is investigating other possible cases that might be related to a single family gathering over Thanksgiving weekend.
Jasper County Health Department Director Tony Moehr told the Carthage Press the victim died this week of an extreme case of E. coli and his department is trying to determine what the people who got sick ate at this gathering, adding,
"Sometimes people have symptoms and they get over them in a day or a few days. In rare cases, severe E. coli poisoning can progress to conditions like hemolytic uremic syndrome that can cause the organs to shut down. That more severe form is apparently what happened in this case."
Moehr said his office has collected the leftover food that remains from that family event. He said a total of 11 people out of 24 people who attended the event have reported some symptoms, including the one person who died.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carthage,_Missouri
http://www.carthagepress.com/news/county/x1921996244/Jasper-County-resident-dies-from-E-coli-apparently-related-to-family-gathering




UK bacon producer fined 18,000 for illegally selling hams
10.dec.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/145598/10/12/10/uk-bacon-producer-fined-18000-illegally-selling-hams
When food safety types arrived for a routine inspection at a bacon producer on Dec. 17, 2009, they found the company had started cooking and selling hams at the premises.
The Wiltshire Gazete and Herald reports a subsequent inspection of the ham production area found problems with cleaning and food safety management, including structural defects and poorly maintained equipment.
Remedial Action Notices were served requiring them to stop the production and sale of cooked meats at the premises. The company, Sandridge Farmhouse Bacon Ltd in Bromham, agreed to voluntarily surrender all the hams on site because they had not been produced in accordance with the relevant food safety legislation.
Sandridge Farmhouse Bacon Ltd and the managing director, Roger Keen, pleaded guilty to all seven charges brought by Wiltshire Council, which were:
Failure to ensure the council had up-to-date information about the business and its operations
Failure to have in place a food safety management system
Failure to ensure the design and construction of the premises helped protect against the formation of condensation and mould on surfaces
Failure to ensure the premises was kept clean and maintained in good repair and condition
Three counts of failing to ensure that surfaces (including the surfaces of equipment) in areas where foods were handled were in a sound condition and easy to clean and disinfect.
In addition to the fine, Mr Keen and Sandridge Farmhouse Bacon Ltd were ordered to pay costs of £1,000 and a £15 victim surcharge – for a total of £18,000.
Councillor Keith Humphries, Cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said,
"This was a deliberate attempt by the business to supply food for the festive season which was produced in unsatisfactory conditions. I commend the food safety officers for their prompt action in removing the food from sale and safeguarding public health."
Since the inspection last December standards at the premises have greatly improved and they are now able to resume ham production.
http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/8732317.Bromham_bacon_producer_fined_after_food_safety_offences/




ONTARIO restaurant sickened 5 in 2007; conviction still stands in 2010
10.dec.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/blog/145600/10/12/10/ontario-restaurant-sickened-5-2007-conviction-still-stands-2010
In May, 2007, five patrons of the Yaman Restaurant in St. Catherines, Ontario (that's by Niagara Falls) got sick with E. coli.
The problems started when owners Mahmoud Asaad and Senan Daoud continued to run their business on May 19, 2007, despite the fact water to the restaurant was cut off due to a water-main break. The restaurant was shut down by the region that month, but reopened with a clean bill of health in August that year.
The two were convicted in 2009 on five counts each of selling food unfit for human consumption, and were fined $7,500 each.
The St. Catharines Standard reports that Judge Ann Watson said today in a written decision the 2009 convictions by another judge would stand in relation to four of five patrons.
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/blog/140113/09/04/11/bad-idea-running-restaurant-without-water-people-get-sick-owners-fined-15000
http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2885497




Headline error: 'Firm recalls sauteed children'
10.dec.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/145599/10/12/10/headline-error-%E2%80%98firm-recalls-sauteed-children%E2%80%99
The folks over at foodconsumer.org may want to revisit the headline on a news brief about a U.S. Department of Agriculture recall of sauteed chicken products because they contain an undeclared allergen.
http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Shopping/Alerts/sauteed_children_10121006087.html




RUSSIA: Killer pig tails impounded
09.dec.10
Moscow News
Andy Potts
http://themoscownews.com/russia/20101209/188266111.html?referfrommn
Pigs tails can kill – and Russia's health watchdog has seized 25 tons of infected meat destined for the far east.
The unlikely cut of meat is a culinary delicacy and the bulk order had been imported from Germany to Khabarovsk and was due to go on sale in city supermarkets.
Vitaly Salenko announced that the tails had been tainted with listeria, which can cause an infection with a 25 per cent mortality rate among humans, RIA Novosti reported.




CANADA: Ottawa takes on control of B.C. salmon farms
10.dec.10
Canadian Press
http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20101210/bc_salmon_101210/20101210?hub=BritishColumbiaHome
The federal government took control of regulating British Columbia's aquaculture industry on Friday, promising more regulations, transparency and oversight of the controversial salmon farming business.
Federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea was in Vancouver to sign a memorandum of understanding with B.C. Agriculture and Lands Minister Ben Stewart, who had responsibility for salmon farms and ocean aquaculture until a landmark B.C. Supreme Court ruling last year forced the transfer.
"The new regulatory regime will provide the industry with operational certainty, ensure the public knows the environment will be protected and provides the most efficient and effective management regime possible," Shea announced.
The shift will see Ottawa in control of the cultivation of fish, enforcement of new Pacific aquaculture regulations and the conditions of licensing for fish farms.
"The new regulation and conditions of licensing will mean stronger environmental control, as well as increased monitoring and enforcement," Shea said.
She added that fish farms will be required to provide more data that will be made public for analysis. An ongoing public inquiry into the state of B.C.'s wild salmon stocks recently ordered salmon farming companies to turn over some of its data which has never before been released.
The inquiry was announced last year, after an abysmal year for salmon runs on the Fraser River that led many to fear the stocks had completely collapsed. The inquiry by commissioner Bruce Cohen is going ahead although this year saw historic returns.
Stan Proboszoz, of the Watershed Watch Salmon Society, said that data reporting must be made mandatory and not optional.
"Transparency concerning fish health data on salmon farms is critical as was recently affirmed by justice Bruce Cohen's ruling," he said in a statement.
"If (the Department of Fisheries and Oceans) wants a management regime that rebuilds public confidence as they claim, transparency should be the cornerstone of the new aquaculture regulations."


bites is produced by Dr. Douglas Powell and food safety friends at Kansas State University. For further information, please contact dpowell@ksu.edu or check out bites.ksu.edu.

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Fw: DELAURO RENEWS CALLS FOR A SINGLE FOOD SAFETY AGENCY

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-----Original Message-----
From: "Richards, Kaelan" <Kaelan.Richards@mail.house.gov>
Date: Sat, 11 Dec 2010 13:37:52
To: Richards, Kaelan<Kaelan.Richards@mail.house.gov>
Subject: DELAURO RENEWS CALLS FOR A SINGLE FOOD SAFETY AGENCY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Kaelan Richards
December 11, 2010 (202) 225-3661

DELAURO RENEWS CALLS FOR A SINGLE FOOD SAFETY AGENCY

Washington, DC— Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), Chairwoman of the FDA and Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, released the following statement today in response to the Washington Post's analysis of the food safety recall of over half a billion eggs over the summer.

"The massive recall of contaminated eggs earlier this year highlighted how the fragmented food safety regulatory structure delays important reforms and slows the government's response to outbreaks.

Just this week, the House of Representatives passed the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, which represents a good first step forward in reforming our food safety system and protecting American consumers from food-borne illnesses. It gives the FDA greater authority to inspect food safety records relating to recalls, creates a better registry of food facilities, increases inspection of high-risk facilities, and improves traceability of food history in the event of an illness outbreak.

But this is not enough. We must do more, and I plan to re-introduce legislation next week and in the next Congress that would create a single food safety agency. Currently, there are 15 federal agencies that share jurisdiction in protecting our food supply—and I believe that is 14 too many. A single food safety agency would provide a regulatory structure that would utilize the advances in food safety, prevent jurisdictional confusion, and reduce the potential for future outbreaks. One agency focused exclusively focused on protecting our food supply would help to ensure that the food in our stores, restaurants, and on our tables is safe."

###
DeLauro.House.Gov

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Fw: RELEASE: Welch and 53 House Democrats oppose Obama tax deal

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From: "Heintz, Paul" <Paul.Heintz@mail.house.gov>
Date: Thu, 9 Dec 2010 08:19:09 -0600
To: Heintz, Paul<Paul.Heintz@mail.house.gov>
Subject: RELEASE: Welch and 53 House Democrats oppose Obama tax deal

Congressman Peter Welch
United States House of Representatives
 
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, December 9, 2010
 
CONTACT:
Paul Heintz
202.226.8346 (o)
202.577.7970 (c)
 
Welch and 53 House Democrats oppose Obama tax deal
               
In letter to Speaker, they say "Don't back down" from commitment to middle class
               
WASHINGTON, DC – In a significant demonstration of opposition to President Obama's tax deal, Congressman Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and 53 members of the U.S. House came out against the President's proposal Thursday morning.
 
In a letter sent to Speaker Pelosi Thursday, Welch and his colleagues called the proposal "fiscally irresponsible" and "grossly unfair."
 
"America is wading into fiscal quicksand. Borrowing nearly a trillion dollars to finance tax cuts that disproportionately favor millionaires and billionaires threatens our ability to create jobs, grow the middle class and protect seniors," Welch said. "Digging the country deeper into debt to pay for misguided tax policy is irresponsible and simply doesn't make sense."
 
The letter, which Welch authored and first circulated late Monday, was signed by: Reps. Earl Blumenauer, Judy Chu, Yvette Clark, Steve Cohen, John Conyers, Elijah Cummings, Danny Davis, Peter DeFazio, Donna Edwards, Keith Ellison, Anna Eshoo, Sam Farr, Bob Filner, Barney Frank, John Garamendi, Alan Grayson, Raul Grijalva, Luis Gutierrez, Alcee Hastings, Martin Heinrich, Maurice Hinchey, Rush Holt, Jay Inslee, Jesse Jackson, Sheila Jackson-Lee, Paul Kanjorski, Dennis Kucinich, Barbara Lee, John Lewis, Ben Ray Lujan, Steven Lynch, Doris Matsui, Jim McDermott, Mike Michaud, Jim Oberstar, John Olver, Chellie Pingree, David Price, Tim Ryan, Linda Sanchez, Jan Schakowsky, Carol Shea-Porter, Adam Smith, Jackie Speier, Pete Stark, Betty Sutton, Bennie Thompson, Mike Thompson, Paul Tonko, Anthony Weiner, Lynn Woolsey, David Wu and John Yarmuth.
 
The full text of the letter is copied below:
 
 
Dear Madam Speaker,
 
We oppose acceding to Republican demands to extend the Bush tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires for two reasons.
 
First, it is fiscally irresponsible. Adding more than $900 billion to our national debt, as this proposal would do, handcuffs our ability to offer a balanced plan to achieve fiscal stability without a punishing effect on our current commitments, including Social Security and Medicare.  
 
Second, it is grossly unfair. This proposal will hurt, not help, the majority of Americans in the middle class and those working hard to get there. Even as Republicans seek to add billions more to our national debt in tax cuts to the wealthy, they oppose extending unemployment benefits to workers and resist COLA increases to seniors.
 
Without a doubt, the very same people who support this addition to our debt will oppose raising the debt ceiling to pay for it. 
 
We support extending tax cuts in full to 98 percent of American taxpayers, as the President initially proposed. He should not back down. Nor should we. 
 
Sincerely,
 
PETER WELCH
Member of Congress
 
# # #
 

Fw: Chairman Lincoln's Opening Statement at Hearing on Nomination ofUSDA General Counsel

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From: "Rowe, Courtney (Agriculture)" <Courtney_Rowe@agriculture.senate.gov>
Date: Thu, 9 Dec 2010 09:44:54 -0600
Subject: Chairman Lincoln's Opening Statement at Hearing on Nomination of USDA General Counsel

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 9, 2010

Contact: Courtney Rowe, Ben Becker (202) 224-2035

 

 

 

Opening Statement of the Honorable Blanche L. Lincoln, Chairman

 

Hearing on the Nomination of USDA General Counsel

 

December 9, 2010

 

 

As prepared for delivery.

  

"I call the Committee to order.  Thank you all for being here today.  The Committee is meeting to consider the nomination of Ramona Emilia Romero to be General Counsel for the United States Department of Agriculture.

"Considering and approving the President's nominees is a fundamental constitutional obligation of the Senate.  It is a responsibility that I take seriously, and gladly perform in order to confirm qualified and eager nominees so that they can carry out the vital functions of their respective agencies. 

"Ms. Romero, on behalf of the Committee, I extend a welcome to you, your family, and friends who are here today.  Congratulations on your nomination.  It represents your phenomenal academic, professional, and personal success.  Thank you for seeking a nomination which will bring your considerable talent to the USDA and public service.

"I'd like to recognize Senator Casey, who will introduce Ms. Romero.

"The USDA's Office of General Counsel provides legal counsel and services to the Secretary of Agriculture.  The Counsel's practice is as broad as the services performed by the agencies within the USDA.  Ms. Romero, if confirmed, you will be ultimately responsible for diverse legal functions such as litigation and rulemaking within issue areas ranging from civil rights to natural resources.  The General Counsel's job is a daunting one, but absolutely essential to the Department's mission.  The General Counsel must ensure that the Department acts within the authority granted to it by Congress, especially when promulgating rules and regulations to administer programs such as the controversial new GIPSA regulations."

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