Fw: [BITES-L] bites Sep. 11/10
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Date: Sat, 11 Sep 2010 09:36:52 -0500
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Subject: [BITES-L] bites Sep. 11/10
bites Sep. 11/10
Raw egg aioli promoted for Ocean's Eleven screening
Porcupine health reports salmonella outbreak in Moose listening area
HONG KONG: Public reminded to prevent E. coli O157:H7 infection
IRELAND: Kenmare Bay Seafoods recalls chilled cooked mussels due to diarrhetic shellfish poisoning toxin
ILLINOIS: Experts say big egg farms can mean big problems
US: Which came first, the USDA or FDA?
BRITISH COLUMBIA: Hazmat team called after sauerkraut explosion at B.C. school
ONTARIO: Appeals fly over food safety ratings
Areas of consensus developed among industry and regulatory leaders in ongoing animal disease traceability debate: Detailed in white paper
MARYLAND: Tracking triclosan's field footprint
Serological correlate of protection against norovirus-induced gastroenteritis
MISSISSIPPI: Southern soils mitigate manure microbes
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Raw egg aioli promoted for Ocean's Eleven screening
10.sep.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/144065/10/09/10/raw-egg-aioli-promoted-ocean%E2%80%99s-eleven-screening
Dinner and a Movie on TBS is incredibly hokey and contrived, which makes it perfect entertainment fare along with trashy magazines and Tom Robbins novels while recharging at the beach.
During a (probably repeat) screening of the George Clooney Ocean's Eleven remake on Friday night, the recipe to accompany the movie was 'Risky Aioli;' risky because, as the hosts said, the recipe included raw egg.
The host did say that if you didn't feel up to it (were a wus) a tablespoon of commercial mayo could be substituted instead. They went ahead with the raw egg.
I'm guessing the egg-of-course-we-only-promote-the-cooked-kind industry didn't register any health objections when the episode originally aired.
Porcupine health reports salmonella outbreak in Moose listening area
10.sep.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/144064/10/09/10/porcupine-health-reports-salmonella-outbreak-moose-listening-area
Moose FM 100.9 in Kapuskasing (that's in Ontario, Canada) reports the Porcupine Health Unit continues to investigate a cluster of salmonella cases in the Cochrane district.
No specific cause has been found yet. The investigation was prompted by a number of cases in Cochrane where seven cases of salmonella have now been confirmed.
It really is Moose FM and it really is the Porcupine Health Unit.
http://www.moosefm.com/ckap/news/890-cause-of-salmonella-not-known
HONG KONG: Public reminded to prevent E. coli O157:H7 infection
10.sep.10
news.gov.hk
http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201009/10/P201009100282.htm
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (September 10) reminded people to observe good personal, food and environmental hygiene to prevent intestinal infection caused by E. coli O157:H7 bacteria.
The appeal followed confirmation by laboratory test of a local case involving a six-month-old boy living in Mong Kok. This is the sixth case of E. coli O157:H7 infection reported to the CHP this year.
The boy presented with loose stools with mucus since August 31. He was admitted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital twice on September 5 and 10. He is now in stable condition.
His stool specimen grew toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7.
IRELAND: Kenmare Bay Seafoods recalls chilled cooked mussels due to diarrhetic shellfish poisoning toxin
10.sep.10
FSAI
http://www.fsai.ie/KenmareMussels.html
Summary
Category 2:
For Information
Alert Notification:
2010.15
Product:
Kenmare Bay Mussels with White Wine and Shallot Sauce (400g); Kenmare Bay Mussels in Marinade of Honey and Herb (400g)
Batch Code:
Use by 14/09/2010; approval number IE KY 0028 EC
Country Of Origin:
Ireland
Message:
Kenmare Bay Seafoods are recalling mussels harvested from Ardgroom, Co. Cork on 24.08.2010 due to the possibility of elevated levels of Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) toxin. Mussels from the production area were sampled under the National Biotoxin sampling programme on the 25.08.2010, the results were positive for DSP toxin and the production area was then closed. The implicated mussels with a use by date of 14/09/2010 should not be eaten as they could cause illness. Symptoms are diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain which starts 30 minutes to a few hours after ingestion. Complete recovery occurs within three days. Consumers who may have already consumed this product and are feeling unwell should seek medical advice.
Food business operators who have sold these chilled cooked mussels have been asked to display a Point of Sale notice advising consumers not to eat the affected mussels.
ILLINOIS: Experts say big egg farms can mean big problems
10.sep.10
Associated Press
David Mercer
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g6NkpUuptp3SA3CioWATxNN0dDeAD9I4TSEO0
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- From the first days of the recent recall of 550 million eggs from two Iowa farms, one issue about large-scale agriculture has been clear: When something goes wrong on a big farm, it's going to be a big problem.
It's a point even some supporters of industrialized farming acknowledge.
"If you have something go wrong, it'll generally go wrong through a million and a half birds," said Arnold Riebli, one of the owners of Sunrise Farms near of Petaluma, Calif., which has more than a million laying hens.
But although big farms may end up with big problems, Riebli and others argue that their operations are no more at risk, or are even safer, than smaller farms. Others, such as the Humane Society of the United States, disagree.
The issue has received more attention since two huge Iowa farms acknowledged some of their eggs were contaminated with salmonella and ordered the recall. As many as 1,500 people have become ill in the outbreak, the largest blamed on a single strain of salmonella.
US: Which came first, the USDA or FDA?
11.sep.10
Los Angeles Times
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-eggs-20100911,0,1516301.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews%2Fopinion+%28Los+Angeles+Times+-+Opinion%29
While the outrage over salmonella-tainted eggs was rightly focused on Congress' failure to pass long-overdue food safety legislation and the Food and Drug Administration's refusal to require vaccination of chickens, something equally appalling but less noticed had been going on at the two Iowa egg farms involved. Even though U.S. Department of Agriculture employees worked full time at both filthy facilities, there was no word from them about the rodents, maggots and piles of leaking manure.
The USDA employees weren't there as food safety inspectors. They graded eggs, and though many consumers might think that a stamp of "Grade A" means eggs are safe to eat, it's really no more than an indication that eggs aren't misshapen, that "large" eggs are in fact large, and that white-shelled eggs haven't been placed in the same carton as brown. It wasn't their job to look for unsafe conditions outside the egg-packaging operations, even if they were just several dozen feet away. Former workers at the farms said the USDA employees ignored their complaints.
The fact that there were federal food examiners on site yet they had nothing to say about the dangerous filth around them offers a jarring reminder of the bizarre division of food responsibilities between the FDA and the USDA, a confusing list of contradictory missions that currently pending legislation would do nothing to fix.
BRITISH COLUMBIA: Hazmat team called after sauerkraut explosion at B.C. school
10.sep.10
Vancouver Sun
Postmedia News
http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Hazmat+team+called+after+sauerkraut+explosion+school/3508854/story.html
PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. -- A hazardous materials team was called to Prince George secondary school Friday after teachers and staff grew concerned that an exploded canister in a food science lab could potentially cause a botulism outbreak.
The explosion splattered the canister's contents on to students and staff shortly before 2 p.m., Prince George RCMP said in a news release.
Two dozen students and four staff were quarantined while a hazardous materials technician and a safety officer investigated the substance.
It turned out to be sauerkraut, which had been fermenting in the can for several years.
When it was determined a botulism outbreak had not occurred, students were returned to their classes but dismissed early from school.
ONTARIO: Appeals fly over food safety ratings
11.sep.10
Windsor Star
Ted Whipp
http://www.windsorstar.com/Appeals+over+food+safety+ratings/3509920/story.html
The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit's restaurant rating website was only launched Friday, but it already has at least one restaurateur consulting a lawyer and others contesting their results.
Elie Haddad, of the Beirut Cafe & Lounge, 900 Erie St. E., emailed The Star Friday stating he'll be seeking a lawyer about his health unit inspections. The latest inspection in April shows two stars, a decline from the previous inspection last year with the highest or excellent rating of five stars.
"My place is spotless," Haddad said when contacted.
"We have the appeal process," Bennett said, available within 14 days of an inspection. "We did not receive an appeal from this gentleman.
"If they're not satisfied," Bennett said of food premises operators, "they have the right to appeal in a timely manner."
Also Friday, the health unit accounted for itself over issues raised about its information and inspections.
In one case, the health unit revised information about the Market Buffet at Caesars Windsor, correcting the star rating to the higher and better four stars instead of three.
Deb Bennett, director of health protection, explained following a news conference about the website the situation resulted from an inadvertent human error involving the input of information.
Still, posting food premises inspections online will provide public accountability, availability and transparency, health unit executives say.
While a star rating remains in place until the next inspection depending on the schedule for low- to high-risk establishments, the appeal process remains available, Bennett emphasized.
From the seven appeals in all so far, one star rating has been upheld and the remaining six were upgraded by one star, Bennett said at the news conference.
Areas of consensus developed among industry and regulatory leaders in ongoing animal disease traceability debate: Detailed in white paper
10.sep.10
USAHA
Colorado Springs, CO / St. Joseph, MO -- Strong and ongoing collaboration among producers, commercial interests and regulatory agencies at both the state and federal level is the key component to successful animal disease traceability in the United States.
This was just one point of agreement included in a White Paper developed from the discussions at the Joint Strategy Forum on Animal Disease Traceability (Forum), which was collaboratively developed by the National Institute for Animal Agriculture, and the United States Animal Health Association and held August 30‐31, 2010 in Denver, Colorado.
The White Paper summarizes the main discussion points reached by the 193 individuals who attended the Forum. 43 states, four tribes, 33 state animal health agencies, 38 industry organizations, 8 universities, and 34 producers and supply companies were represented at the Forum. In addition, representatives from Canada, Mexico, and Japan were among the attendees.
Forum attendees recognized a significant need for more efficient and effective Animal Disease Traceability among all states and livestock species. The White Paper includes in depth notes from the Forum discussions on several subjects including:
· The inclusion of identifying feeder cattle after a workable system is in place for adult cattle.
· The use and relevance of "Brite" tags, back tags and brands.
· Reasonable timelines and benchmarks for states to implement a traceability system.
· How to accommodate the needs of different species.
· Uniform data collection among states.
· The use of official "840" eartags for U.S. born animals.
· Education and outreach to animal producers, handlers, marketers and processors in regard to new requirements.
According to the White Paper, the focus of the Forum was on the preliminary directions the Traceability Regulation Working Group (TRWG) are suggesting in the areas of official identification, exemptions, performance standards, compliance components, recordkeeping requirements, and proposed timelines.
The White Paper notes that efforts to develop animal identification methods and systems to provide traceability have been underway for several years; however issues such as data confidentiality, system costs, a lack of understanding of device and reader technology, and a lack of standardization has led to frustration and pushback from producers.
During February 2010, USDA announced a new, flexible framework for animal disease traceability in the United States. The framework is projected to provide the basic tenets of an improved animal disease traceability capability in the United States. USDA suggests it will:
• Only apply to animals moved in interstate commerce;
• Be administered by the States and Tribal Nations to provide more flexibility;
• Encourage the use of lower‐cost technology; and
• Be implemented transparently through federal regulations and the full rulemaking process.
Following the announcement of the new direction, State and Tribal animal health officials, through a Traceability Regulation Working Group (TRWG), have been developing the basic tenants of the new traceability framework. It is anticipated that USDA will draft a proposed rule on animal disease traceability which is projected to be published by April, 2011 and provide for a 60‐90 day public comment period.
Please visit www.AnimalDiseaseTraceability.com for more information about the meeting and to download the White Paper. In addition, other animal disease traceability resources are available at the website.
The National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) is a non‐profit, membership‐driven organization that unites and advances animal agriculture: the beef, dairy, equine, goat, poultry, sheep and swine industries. NIAA is dedicated to programs that work toward the eradication of diseases that pose risk to the health of animals, wildlife and humans; promote a safe and wholesome food supply for our nation and abroad; and promote best practices in environmental stewardship, animal health and well‐being. Farmers, ranchers, veterinarians, scientists, state and federal officials and business executives comprise NIAA's membership. More information is available at www.animalagriculture.org.
The U.S. Animal Health Association (USAHA), this nation's animal health forum for over a century, is a science‐based, dues‐supported, voluntary organization whose membership includes state, federal and international animal and public health agencies, allied industry and professional organizations, as well as individual members representing academia, animal owners and animal health professionals. USAHA primarily serves as a forum for communication and coordination among animal health constituents on issues of animal health and disease control, animal welfare, food safety and public health. USAHA operates with 32 species‐ and subject‐oriented committees, and hosts an annual meeting each year with the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians. More information is available at www.usaha.org.
MARYLAND: Tracking triclosan's field footprint
10.sep.10
ARS News Service
Ann Perry
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2010/100910.htm
A study by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists and cooperators provides new details about how fertilizing soils with biosolids also introduces triclosan—an antibacterial agent in soaps and other cleaning supplies—into the environment.
Farmers add "Class B" biosolids, also known as treated wastewater solids, to their fields as a fertilizer. These biosolids meet federal regulations for human health and safety, but little information has been obtained about their triclosan levels. Triclosan has not been identified as a human health hazard, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently conducting a scientific and regulatory review of the compound.
For this project, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) chemist Clifford Rice, in the ARS Environmental Management and Byproduct Utilization Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., partnered with University of Maryland engineers Nuria Lozano and Alba Torrents. District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority scientist Mark Ramirez also contributed to the study. ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency.
The scientists determined that triclosan levels in Class B biosolids from a Mid-Atlantic wastewater treatment plant averaged around 15.5 milligrams per kilogram. They then collected surface soil samples from 26 farms in northern Virginia, mostly from pastures. Some fields had never been amended with biosolids and others had been amended with from one to four applications of biosolids within the previous 9 months to 13 years. Most of the biosolid amendments came from the wastewater treatment plant in the study.
The researchers found farms that had not received biosolid applications had background triclosan levels that peaked at 4.5 nanograms per gram of dried soil. Farms that had received single and multiple biosolid applications also had low triclosan levels, but the concentrations varied from 3.1 to 66.6 nanograms per gram. (One billion nanograms are in one gram.) The results also suggested biological degradation of triclosans in the soils that had been amended with biosolids resulted in the loss of 78 percent of the triclosan after 7 to 9 months, and that up to 96 percent was removed after 16 months.
Results from this study, which were published in Chemosphere in 2010, provide baseline data about triclosan levels in treated biosolids and in agricultural fields that have been amended with biosolids—information that can help support future studies of triclosans in the environment.
Serological correlate of protection against norovirus-induced gastroenteritis
03.sep.10
The Journal of Infectious Diseases
Reeck A, Kavanagh O, Estes MK, Opekun AR, Gilger MA, Graham DY, Atmar RL
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20815703
Abstract
Background. Norovirus infection is the leading cause of acute nonbacterial gastroenteritis. Histoblood group antigens (HBGAs) are host susceptibility determinants for Norwalk virus (NV) infection. We hypothesized that antibodies that block NV-HBGA binding are associated with protection from clinical illness following NV exposure. Methods. We developed an HBGA blocking assay to examine the ability of human serum to block the interaction of NV viruslike particles with H type 1 and H type 3 glycans. Serum samples from persons who were experimentally challenged with NV were evaluated. Results. There was a high correlation between the H type 1 and H type 3 synthetic glycan assays ([Formula: see text]; [Formula: see text]); the H type 1 assay had higher quantitative sensitivity ([Formula: see text]). Among 18 infected secretor-positive individuals, blocking titers peaked by day 28 after challenge and were higher for individuals who did not develop gastroenteritis than for those who developed gastroenteritis on days 0, 14, 28, and 180 ([Formula: see text] for each). In addition, 6 of 6 subjects without gastroenteritis had measurable prechallenge blocking titers (>25), compared with 2 of 12 subjects with gastroenteritis ([Formula: see text]). Conclusions. Blocking antibodies correlate with protection against clinical NV gastroenteritis. This knowledge will help guide the evaluation of new vaccine strategies and the elucidation of the nature of immunity to the virus. Trial registration. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00138476 .
MISSISSIPPI: Southern soils mitigate manure microbes
11.sep.10
redOrbit
http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1915566/southern_soils_mitigate_manure_microbes/
That swine manure sprayed on to fields adds valuable nutrients to the soil is well known. But what is not known is whether all that manure is bringing harmful bacteria with it
A new study looks at the levels of nutrients and bacteria in soils of fields that have been sprayed with manure for fifteen years or more. The research team, composed of scientists from the USDA-ARS Crop Science Research Laboratory at Mississippi State, tested soils inside and outside fields of five farms on twenty different soils types. Their results are reported in the September-October 2010 Journal of Environmental Quality, published by the American Society of Agronomy, the Crop Science Society of America, and the Soil Science Society of America.
Manure sprayed fields were found to contain higher concentrations of several types of bacteria. These include measurements of total bacteria, fecal bacteria, Staphylococcus (a common bacteria living inside animals and a potential human pathogen) and Clostridium (common gut inhabitants and potential pathogens).
Two other types of bacteria that are potential pathogens, E.Coli and Enterococcus, showed no differences in between sprayed or non-sprayed fields. One type of bacteria, Listeria, was found in higher concentrations outside, rather than inside, the fields. Two gastrointestinal pathogens, Campylobacter and Salmonella, could not be cultured in any significant amount from the fields, although DNA testing did detect some bacteria, though there were no differences between sprayed and non-sprayed fields.
The investigators also analyzed public health data from three public health districts with similar land areas, populations, and agricultural bases, but with varying numbers of swine confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), a typical source of swine manure. Their analysis of annual reports of illnesses caused by Campylobacter and Salmonella from 1993 through 2008 showed no relationship between reported cases of these human illnesses and swine CAFO numbers.
The research team also tested soils for nutrient levels. These tests showed higher pH and higher levels of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, sodium, copper, and zinc inside spray fields compared to outside. These results were consistent with what was expected for spray fields after long-term use. Finding differences between the same soil types inside and outside confirmed that outside soils had not been contaminated with manure and would provide good comparisons of bacteria.
"Finding low levels of pathogens outside spray fields is not surprising, because these bacteria are known to infect a wide range of wild and domestic birds and animals," said team leader Mike McLaughlin.
Team microbiologist, John Brooks, added, "Finding similar low levels inside and outside the spray fields suggests that the low levels of pathogens in [manure] are further diluted in spray fields and either do not survive in soil or survive at low levels below cultural detection limits."
This first report on spray field bacteria in the region suggests that manure nutrient management plans have been effective for nutrients and for bacterial pathogens. Future research will focus on enhanced resolution of pathogen levels in manure and soils, on pathogen survival and transport in soil and on plants, and on practical solutions to further reduce or eliminate risks from these pathogens.
The full article is available for no charge for 30 days following the date of this summary. View the abstract at https://www.agronomy.org/publications/jeq/abstracts/39/5/1829.
The Journal of Environmental Quality is a peer-reviewed, international journal of environmental quality in natural and agricultural ecosystems published six times a year by the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), and the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA). The Journal of Environmental Quality covers various aspects of anthropogenic impacts on the environment, including terrestrial, atmospheric, and aquatic systems.
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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