Fw: [BITES-L] bites July 30/10

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From: Doug Powell <dpowell@KSU.EDU>

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Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:47:25 -0500

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Subject: [BITES-L] bites July 30/10

bites July 30/10

More on frozen mice as reptile food; first outbreak linked to MiceDirect started in Aug. 2008 in U.K.; over 400 now sick

UK: Warning about drinking 'Zam Zam' water

FDA needs to fix 'audit creep' if it can says GEORGIA fruit and veg growers

What's in a label? Is chicken injected with salt and water 'all-natural'

Development of associations and kinetic models for microbiological data to be used in comprehensive food safety prediction software

GEORGIA: Restaurant inspection scores released

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More on frozen mice as reptile food; first outbreak linked to MiceDirect started in Aug. 2008 in U.K.; over 400 now sick
30.jul.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/143426/10/07/30/more-frozen-mice-reptile-food-first-outbreak-linked-micedirect-started-aug-2008
"I never thought that a mouse could have salmonella. It just never entered my mind."
So says Steve Gilfillan, 51, a deputy sheriff in Council Bluffs, Iowa, who, according to the New York Times this morning, keeps "a couple hundred" garter snakes in several neat rows of roomy enclosures in his basement. The snakes, he said, are like part of the family, which leads to a certain familiarity.
"As far as precautions, I don't know," said Mr. Gilfillan, adding his three children helped feed and care for his pets. "Snakes got to eat and snakes got to poop and you got to clean it up. It's just the nature of keeping them."
More than 400 people, many of them snake owners or their children, in the United States and Britain, have been sickened by salmonella outbreaks, all traced to frozen mice sold over the Internet as food for exotic pets by a small Georgia company called MiceDirect.
The company announced this week a recall involving millions of frozen mice and said that it would begin irradiating future shipments to kill infectious bacteria.
MiceDirect also recalled frozen rats and baby chickens used as pet food by reptile fanciers, although those products had not been linked to the salmonella outbreaks.
Health officials said that owners of reptiles should be mindful that such pets, including snakes and turtles, often carry salmonella and have been the cause of outbreaks in the past. Rodents carry similar risks, whether kept as pets or used as food for other animals.
Snakes can become infected after eating tainted mice, although the snakes may show no signs of illness, said Dr. Casey Barton Behravesh, a veterinarian and epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Snake owners can become sick from handling the frozen or thawed mice, handling infected snakes or cleaning feces from an enclosure.
Mr. Gilfillan and many other snake owners thaw mice to serving temperature in warm water. Dr. Barton Behravesh said people should not use a microwave oven, because the bacteria could spread to other food.
She also said that mice and reptiles should be kept out of the kitchen and away from areas where food is served. Reptile cages should not be cleaned in the kitchen sink, she said, and mice should not be kept in a freezer with food for humans.
And she said that reptile owners should wash their hands thoroughly after handling their pets or the rodents the pets eat.
The first salmonella outbreak linked to MiceDirect began in Great Britain in August 2008. Since then, more than 400 people have fallen ill there, about two-thirds of them have been children under 10, according to Chris Lane, a senior epidemiologist of the Health Protection Agency's Center for Infections in London. Although the shipments of tainted mice were halted last year, people continue to get sick there, Mr. Lane said.
The first case in the United States appeared in January 2010, according Dr. Barton Behravesh. The C.D.C. has identified more than 30 cases in 17 states with the same strain as the British outbreak. She said the cases were not concentrated in one region but spread across the country. Half the victims were under 12.
Accounts from both sides of the Atlantic suggest that American authorities were slow to react to indications of a problem.
British investigators looking into the outbreak found that many of the victims came from families where snakes were kept as pets. They eventually began looking at the frozen mice fed to the snakes and found shipments from MiceDirect that contained the same strain of salmonella as that isolated from the victims.
British officials contacted MiceDirect, Mr. Lane said, and the company promised to act to prevent further contamination.
On July 21, 2010, the F.D.A. told the company that tests of its products and plant had found salmonella. Two days later, the agency said, MiceDirect agreed to a recall.
But the recall effort has been haphazard. The company's recall notice was not prominently posted on its Web site until Thursday. And neither the company's site nor the F.D.A.'s site gave clear instructions on what to do with mice that customers still had.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/30/business/global/30mice.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/143353/10/07/28/feeding-lizards-salmonella-sickens-17-states-linked-frozen-mice-rats-chicks

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UK: Warning about drinking 'Zam Zam' water
30.jul.10
Food Standards Agency
http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2010/jul/zamzam
As Muslims observe Ramadan, the FSA advises that people should consider avoiding drinking bottled water described or labelled as Zam Zam water. This is because tests have shown 'Zam Zam' water sold in the UK, or brought into the UK for personal consumption, contains high levels of arsenic or nitrates.
Zam Zam water is sacred to Muslims and comes from a specific source in Saudi Arabia. Under Saudi law, Zam Zam water cannot be exported from Saudi Arabia for sale. Any water on sale in the UK that is labelled as Zam Zam is therefore of uncertain origin.
Tests carried out on water described as Zam Zam in the UK over the past few years, including water brought into the country for personal consumption, have indicated the presence of arsenic at almost three times the legal limit.
Muslims need to be aware of the health risks associated with drinking this water. Drinking 'Zam Zam' water that is contaminated with arsenic could contribute to increasing people's risk of cancer. People should consider avoiding drinking any water described as Zam Zam because there is no completely safe level of arsenic in water – and the more arsenic consumed the greater the risk. However, if anyone has occasionally drunk small amounts of this 'Zam Zam' water, the risk to health for adults and older children would be very low.
Infants may also be sensitive to the level of nitrate present so we do not recommend that they are given the water to drink.
The FSA has consulted on this issue with its Muslim Organisations Working Group (comprising representatives from Muslim community groups and companies involved with the production of halal food) which advises the Agency on foods appropriate for Muslim faith groups.
If consumers find any water on sale that is labelled as Zam Zam, they should contact the local authority enforcement office at their local council so they can investigate further.

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FDA needs to fix 'audit creep' if it can says GEORGIA fruit and veg growers
30.jul.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/143427/10/07/30/fda-needs-fix-%E2%80%98audit-creep%E2%80%99-if-it-can-says-georgia-fruit-and-veg-growers
Audit creep is not something Chapman was knowingly called while visiting farms – maybe behind his back.
For this story, audit creep refers to the expanding inclusion of more requirements on growers of fresh produce, many which have nothing to do with food safety. The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association explains excetpts below from a submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on ways to improve preventative controls for produce safety (thanks to Tom Karst of The Packer for continuing to keep his eye on comments being submitted).
Food safety has long been a crucial part of GFVGA with the creation of the Georgia Good Agricultural Practice Food Safety Program (GA GAP) in 2000. We provide food safety education to producers across the southeast at various conferences as well as one-on-one farm visits. The GA GAP program also helps in the implementation of food safety plans, documentation and training on farms and in packing facilities as well as preparing producers for third party food safety audits.
Currently, there are more than 75 farms or packing facilities that have passed a certified third party food safety audit through the GA GAP program. We have provided one-on-one food safety training at approximately 300 farms and packing facilities across the southeast.
The 1998 FDA document, Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, has served as the basis for food safety policy in the United States. It has allowed our nation and the produce industry to set a foundation from which sound, safe farming and handling practices were established.
The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association supports a federal food safety policy. Federal oversight is seen as the only way to establish and enforce a level playing field for all parts of the industry from producer to broker, retail chain to consumer.
In the current situation with no federal oversight, the food safety industry is decided by each retail supplier, food service organization, or brokerage firm. In 1998 there were no problems with food safety audit company checklists drifting far from the common foundation of the new FDA guidance. As consumers became more educated about their food and food sources and technology allowed for more quickly identifying food borne illness clusters, retail organizations began asking for more stringent food safety standards to lower their liability and tout their safer food supply.
They also began to demand the inclusion of non-food safety related materials such as business practices and sustainability on third party food safety audits. These tighter standards and non-food safety related demands are not bad, however they are not based on any science or industry practice; simply the idea that more is better.
Over the past twelve years this "audit creep" has continued and audit company's marketing teams and delivery systems have grown more sophisticated. Many retail chains will pick one audit company format and require all suppliers use that service. Many of the larger producer, packer, shipper operations with multiple customers must undergo multiple audits.
Research has shown all audits contain 85% to 90% of the same questions. This proves to be a monetary, personnel, and time burden as audits begin at $750 (not including auditor travel expenses), audits last on average one to one and a half days and the auditor must be accompanied at all times during the audit. Food safety is no longer a small piece of the marketing program but an integral cog in the entire operation.
The common message from grower members of GFVGA is they see the value of food safety programs and are willing to make the necessary changes. What growers do not like is having the audit standards change year to year. Many of the grower's customers will require one audit company and format one year and change to a different required audit company and format the second year. While most of the information is encompassed in their food safety, the difference in audit format, audit expectation, different metrics and constant change takes time and money.
The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association supports a common foundation with the updating of the 1998 FDA guidance. We feel any federal food safety program, guidance and/or oversight should consist of science based regulations. This is one area that will require substantial time and resources as the research is simply not available. One example is water quality. In the absence of definitive microbial standards for irrigation water, the authors of the California Leafy Greens Market Agreement Best Practices Document have chosen to use the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recreational water standards. Scientific research is needed to show if these standards are appropriate for irrigation water. …
The expense of a food safety program is not in implementing the program, changes and documentation. The expense is in having a third party audit. If federal guidance does not require a private audit from a third party, much of the monetary anxieties are taken away. An argument can be made that a smaller operation has less literal hands involved and can be more closely monitored. However E. coli and other harmful bacteria do not know whether they are in a 2 acre field or 200 acre field. Having a food safety program in place with documentation to remind and ensure Good Agricultural and Handling Practices are used is beneficial for all farms and consumers."
Respectfully submitted,
Beth Bland
Director of Education and Food Safety
Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association
http://thepacker.com/Georgia-Fruit---Veg-Growers-to-FDA--solve-audit-creep--if-you-can/FreshTalkBlog.aspx?oid=1183913&tid=

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What's in a label? Is chicken injected with salt and water 'all-natural'
30.jul.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/143428/10/07/30/what%E2%80%99s-label-chicken-injected-salt-and-water-%E2%80%98all-natural%E2%80%99
Food is 21st century snake oil.
And shopping for food can be so confusing.
Natural, organic, local, antioxidants, welfare-friendly, whole wheat made predominantly with white flour, hormone-free, hucksterism of whatever kind.
Juliana Barbassa of Associated Press reports today that a disagreement among poultry producers about whether chicken injected with salt, water and other ingredients can be promoted as "natural" has prompted federal officials to consider changing labeling guidelines.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture had maintained that if chicken wasn't flavored artificially or preserved with chemicals, it could carry the word "natural" on the package.
But the agency agreed to take another look at its policy after some producers, politicians and health advocates noted that about one-third of chicken sold in the U.S. was injected with additives that could represent up to 15 percent of the meat's weight, doubling or tripling its sodium content. Some argue that could mislead or potentially harm consumers who must limit their salt intake.
The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service plans to issue new proposed rules this fall.
Perdue, the nation's third largest poultry producer, is among those pushing for a change. The company has joined a group called the Truthful Labeling Coalition, which has hired a lobbyist and launched an advertising campaign.
The two largest chicken processors, Pilgrim's Pride and Tyson Foods, are among those that affix "natural" labels to chicken injected with extra salt and water.
A buyer perusing the chicken counter at a San Francisco supermarket agreed.
Muembo Muanza, 30, said he read the label and considered the price but never thought to check the salt content when buying fresh chicken.
"If it says natural, I expect it to be all natural - nothing but chicken," he said.
I'd be more interested if food-types would start marketing based on microbial food safety.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i90vasCLs4qBaTXZY6eVjZNV0h5QD9H993EG0
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/blog/139259/07/06/20/tyson-hucksterism
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/blog/139229/07/05/01/all-natural-hucksterism

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Development of associations and kinetic models for microbiological data to be used in comprehensive food safety prediction software
27.jul.10
Journal of Food Science
Amit Halder, D. Glenn Black, P. Michael Davidson, and Ashim Datta
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123594591/abstract
Abstract: The objective of this study was to use an existing database of food products and their associated processes, link it with a list of the foodborne pathogenic microorganisms associated with those products and finally identify growth and inactivation kinetic parameters associated with those pathogens. The database was to be used as a part of the development of comprehensive software which could predict food safety and quality for any food product. The main issues in building such a predictive system included selection of predictive models, associations of different food types with pathogens (as determined from outbreak histories), and variability in data from different experiments. More than 1000 data sets from published literature were analyzed and grouped according to microorganisms and food types. Final grouping of data consisted of the 8 most prevalent pathogens for 14 different food groups, covering all of the foods (>7000) listed in the USDA Natl. Nutrient Database. Data for each group were analyzed in terms of 1st-order inactivation, 1st-order growth, and sigmoidal growth models, and their kinetic response for growth and inactivation as a function of temperature were reported. Means and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for prediction equations. The primary advantage in obtaining group-specific kinetic data is the ability to extend microbiological growth and death simulation to a large array of product and process possibilities, while still being reasonably accurate. Such simulation capability could provide vital ''what if'' scenarios for industry, Extension, and academia in food safety.

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GEORGIA: Restaurant inspection scores released
29.jul.10
Northeast Georgian
http://www.thenortheastgeorgian.com/articles/2010/07/30/news/business/01business.txt
Following are the foodservice inspections for June 29-July 12 by the Habersham County Health Department's Environmental Health Section.
The letter grade U means unsatisfactory compliance and is applied to a score of 69 or less. Foodservice establishments are required to post their score sheets in public so that customers can review them.
For more information about an inspection, contact the environmental health office at 706-776-7659.
# Cornelia Plaza, 101 Market Center, Cornelia. Inspection time: 1:50 p.m. Purpose: routine. Score: 98; current grade: A; last score: 98.
Inspection notes: 15C. Clean under grill and inside ovens more frequently.
17C. Clean floor more frequently in back storage area where pans are stored; repair screen door where torn.
17D. Replace light shields in kitchen and food storage closet.
# Tiny's, 6725 Hwy 17 N., Clarkesville. Inspection time: not listed. Purpose: routine. Score: 99; current grade: A; last score: 96.
Inspection notes: 15C. Nonfood-contact surfaces clean. Clean gasket on reach-in cooler. Clean inside microwave. Temps great, very clean!
# Fender's Diner, 631 Irvin St., Cornelia. Inspection time: 2 p.m. Purpose: routine. Score: 100; current grade: A; last score: 100.
Inspection notes: Good job!
# Correction Resource Group, Habersham County Jail, Clarkesville. Inspection time: 11:55 a.m. Purpose: routine. Score: 99; current grade: A; last score: 98.
Inspection notes: 15A. Food and nonfood-contact surfaces cleanable, properly designed, constructed and used. Reseal and caulk behind hand wash sink. Very clean.
# Chuck's BBQ, Highway 17 North, Clarkesville. 12:40 p.m. Purpose: Routine. Score: 91; current grade: A; last score: 92.
Inspection notes: 6-2. Proper date marking and disposition. Must label and date all prepared foods (pork, slaw, potato salad) with date prepared or expiration date (pork, stew, beans, etc., seven-day maximum hold time).
8-2B. Toxic substances properly identified, stored, used. Remove any household pest control products. All chemicals must be clearly labeled and stored in separate place.
15C. Nonfood-contact surfaces clean. Clean cooler gaskets where mildewed. Vent hood/filters in need of thorough cleaning.
# McDonald's, Clarkesville. Inspection time: 10:45 a.m. Purpose: routine. Score: 95; current grade: A; last score: 99.
Inspection notes: 4-2B. Food-contact surfaces clean: cleaned and sanitized. Clean icemaker frequently. Recommend more often during summer. Monitor closely for any potential mold growth.
15C. Nonfood-contact surfaces clean. Clean gaskets on cooler doors regularly. Clean behind dispenser nozzles on Coke machines frequently to prevent buildup.
Facility very clean. Note: check label maker to ensure proper label is being used for appropriate date-making practices. All items were well date-marked.
# Great Wraps, 700 Historic Highway 441, Cornelia. Inspection time: not listed Purpose: routine. Score: 94; current grade: A; last score: 99.
Inspection notes: 4-2B. Food-contact surfaces clean: cleaned and sanitized. Clean meat slicer thoroughly after use. Clean drink nozzles daily.
14C. Single-use single-service articles; properly stored, used. Store self-serve forks with handles facing outward so customer does not touch lip contact end of fork.
15C. Nonfood-contact surfaces clean. Clean bin where self-serve forks are stored (the outside).
Clean all sandwich grillers (3).
# Johnny's Pizza, 700 Historic Highway 441, Cornelia. Inspection time: not listed. Purpose: routine. Score: 94; current grade: A; last score: 96.
Inspection notes: 4-2B. Food-contact surfaces clean: cleaned and sanitized. Clean drink nozzles daily.
15C. Nonfood-contact surfaces clean. Clean inside lid of ice machine.
17C. Physical facilities installed, maintained and clean. Clean floors under pizza oven.
# Blimpie, 160-A Franklin St., Clarkesville. Inspection time: 2:30 p.m. Purpose: routine. Score: 100; current grade: A; last score: 90.
Inspection notes: Excellent job!
# Dominos, 160-B Franklin St., Clarkesville. Inspection time: 3:15 p.m. Purpose: routine. Score: 89; current grade: B; last score: 95.
Inspection notes: 2-1C. No bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods. Must wear single-use gloves or use utensils when handling pizza toppings; (gloves available for use; made staff aware and will begin using consistently).
15A. Food and nonfood-contact surfaces cleanable, properly designed, constructed and used. Discard/replace utensils once no longer easily cleanable.
15C. Nonfood-contact surfaces clean. Clean vent hood filters; replace caulking at hand sink; clean plumbing under hand sink.
17C. Physical facilities installed, maintained and clean. Repair and completely seal back door. Repair moulding around back door.
17D. Adequate ventilation and lighting; designed areas used. Replace light cover near three-compartment sink. Repair non-working lights in back kitchen. Keep all employee items in designated area, or if in cooler, label clearly.

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