Fw: [BITES-L] bites Sep. 9/10 -- II
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From: Doug Powell <dpowell@KSU.EDU>
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Date: Thu, 9 Sep 2010 14:44:30 -0500
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Subject: [BITES-L] bites Sep. 9/10 -- II
bites Sep. 9/10 -- II
Washing pre-washed lettuce, trying saying that 10 times
Food poisoners: deliberate or negligent, send them to jail
Egg recall: Mouse, fly infestations date back 10 years, workers say
Ontario investigates four cases of E. coli O157:H7 associated with Leadbetters Cowboy Beef Burgers
Village Voice don't like disclosure
UK: Second person dies in Legionnaires' outbreak
Ella's Kitchen withdraws certain batches and date codes of some of its products due to possible natural microbial spoilage inside the straw of the pouches
UK: Imported food and feed sampling activity published
Surveillance for outbreaks of gastroenteritis in long-term care facilities, AUSTRALIA, 2002–2008
Geographical association between livestock density and human Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157 infections
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Washing pre-washed lettuce, trying saying that 10 times
09.sep.10
barfblog
Rob Mancini
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/blog/144030/10/09/09/washing-pre-washed-lettuce-trying-saying-10-
The public seems to be bombarded with a myriad of confusing mixed food safety messages. This is to be expected as food safety is a technical discipline that is rather complicated. Should pre-washed lettuce be washed again in the sink or not?
No.
This practice would encourage cross-contamination of the already pre-washed lettuce from the sink, an unnecessary step. Others may feel that washing their lettuce in the sink with a dilute solution of bleach would be the answer. Dilute, what is dilute and what is the magic number? I don't know of anyone to have chlorine test strips in their house to verify free chlorine, which would end up being combined chlorine due to the organics anyway, to measure 50 ppm. Research shows that simple agitation under running water for 10 minutes is a very effective means in reducing E. coli counts. The best treatment, however, is applying 35% white vinegar directly on the lettuce and let sit for 10 minutes(1). This has been shown to dramatically reduce E. coli counts on lettuce. You've gotta love science.
1. CHITRA VIJAYAKUMAR AND CHARLENE E. WOLF-HALL. Evaluation of Household Sanitizers for Reducing Levels of Escherichia coli on Iceberg Lettuce.
Journal of Food Protection, Vol. 65, No. 10, 2002, Pages 1646–1650
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Food poisoners: deliberate or negligent, send them to jail
09.sep.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/144031/10/09/09/food-poisoners-deliberate-or-negligent-send-them-jail
I've screwed up. I've done time. Maybe not enough, that's another discussion.
With Peanut Corporation of America CEO Stewart Parnell back in the nut business after killing 9 and sickening 700, there's a move afoot for stricter penalties for those who knowingly market unsafe food.
BBC News reports that Ramazan Aslan, the former owner of some hole-in0the-wall takeaway in Walse that was the likely source of an E. coli outbreak that sickened four, will face charges in court.
He will face a number of food hygiene offences.
The National Public Health Service for Wales said in 2009 that the Llay Fish Bar, Llay - now operating under new ownership - was the likely source.
Four people, including a three-year-old girl, had the same strain of E. coli after buying food from the premises in July last year.
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/blog/143992/10/09/08/peanut-man-parnell-back-work-nut-consult.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-11247656
Egg recall: Mouse, fly infestations date back 10 years, workers say
09.sep.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/144032/10/09/09/egg-recall-mouse-fly-infestations-date-back-10-years-workers-sayJust like with the salmonella outbreak involving Peanut Corporation of America, employees of DeCoster egg operations in Iowa are now coming forward to say problems with mice, filth and flies go back at least 10 years.
Past and present workers at Wright County Egg said mouse and fly infestations cited in a federal report stretch back at least a decade. The workers also reported ammonia levels high enough to cause chronic health problems, and inconsistent availability of safety equipment such as face masks and gloves.
Dozens of chickens died daily, their bodies lying undiscovered in cages for days, and perhaps weeks, at a time, they said. "There's always been mice," former worker Lucas Garcias said through an interpreter. "I saw maggots and sometimes mice on the conveyor belt."
And who was governor of Iowa during those years? Step forward current U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack.
Philip Brasher of the DesMoinesRegister.com also writes today the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is taking a second look at its authority over the Galt feed mill that supplied the DeCoster egg operations. The state agency had decided before the massive egg recall linked to the DeCoster farms that the feed mill was exempt from state oversight. Company officials told inspectors that the DeCoster-owned mill only supplied the company's hens. That exemption has been called into question by news that the mill was supplying feed to a second company, Hillandale Farms of Iowa, that was also involved in the recall.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20100909/BUSINESS01/9090350/Egg-recall-Mouse-fly-infestations-date-back-10-years-workers-say
http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/category/business/greenfields/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Vilsack
Ontario investigates four cases of E. coli O157:H7 associated with Leadbetters Cowboy Beef Burgers
09.sep.10
Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
http://news.ontario.ca/mohltc/en/2010/09/ontario-investigates-four-cases-of-e-coli-o157h7-associated-with-leadbetters-cowboy-beef-burgers.html
The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care is investigating four cases of E. coli O157:H7 associated with Leadbetters Cowboy Beef Burgers.
Although the investigation is ongoing, all four individuals reported eating Leadbetters Cowboy Beef Burgers from 4oz/20 pack boxes between August 12 and August 21. The genetic fingerprint of the E. coli O157:H7 is identical in all four cases. These individuals are from three different health units. The ministry is aware of a Canadian Food Inspection Agency recall of Leadbetters Cowboy Beef Burgers in 2.27 Kg (5 lb) cartons containing 20 X 113.5gr (4oz) burgers bearing the UPC 8 73587 00003 5 and code 20169.
Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Arlene King, is advising people who have purchased this brand of frozen burgers with this lot code to not eat the product and to discard the product as it may contain E. coli.
Individuals who develop symptoms of E. coli infection after consuming Leadbetters Cowboy Beef Burgers should seek medical attention and if they have any product remaining they should contact their local public health unit for further assistance.
The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care is investigating the illnesses in conjunction with local health units, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and will continue to monitor all reports of illness in Ontario for any possible links to this investigation.
QUICK FACTS
Symptoms of E. coli illness include stomach cramps and diarrhea (possibly bloody).
E. coli illness sometimes leads to a serious complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which can cause kidney failure. Children are at particular risk for developing HUS.
People typically become ill 2 to 5 days after eating contaminated food.
Transmission occurs most frequently by ingestion of contaminated food, such as undercooked beef and unpasteurized milk.
Ontario has approximately 300 cases of E. coli each year.
Village Voice don't like disclosure
09.sep.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/144029/10/09/09/village-voice-don%E2%80%99t-disclosure
Once trendy, now trashy, New York's The Village Voice has nothing but disdain for NYC's restaurant inspection grading system.
Most recently, the Voice used the dirty kitchen story to conclude, "Your kitchen is probably filthier than New York's dirtiest dive."
"In yet another glaring example that the Department of Health's restaurant inspection letter grades are likely to be formidably misunderstood by the average dining Joe, researchers have found that at least one in seven home kitchens would fail the DOH inspection -- in other words, score less than a C grade. …
"If the top-rated restaurant in the city can only get a C (and White Castle is at the top of the class alongside A-graded Popeye's Chicken and McDonald's), something must be wrong with the system."
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/forkintheroad/archives/2010/09/your_kitchen_is.php
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/144024/10/09/09/bad-food-safety-reporting-i-would-your-home-kitchen-fail-food-safety-inspection
UK: Second person dies in Legionnaires' outbreak
09.sep.10
Wales Online
Claire Hutchinson
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/09/09/second-person-dies-in-legionnaires-outbreak-91466-27236689/
A 70-year-old man has become the latest victim to be linked to an outbreak of deadly legionnaires' disease.
The man, who has not been named, died in hospital on Wednesday.
Health officials have also linked the death of a 64-year-old woman on Monday night to the outbreak, which is thought to have originated in the Heads of the Valleys corridor.
Some 14 cases have now been confirmed, all of whom required hospital treatment.
Another case is also now under investigation, a spokesman for Public Health Wales (PHW) said, bringing the total number of people thought to have contracted the airborne disease to 17.
A spokesman for PHW refused to say where the 14 cases are being treated or where the two victims are from.
Officials are still investigating the possible source of the outbreak, which they believe could have come from industrial premises or a cooling tower.
Ella's Kitchen withdraws certain batches and date codes of some of its products due to possible natural microbial spoilage inside the straw of the pouches
09.sep.10
FSA
http://www.food.gov.uk/enforcement/alerts/2010/sep/ellaskitchenbabyfood
Product:
Ella's Kitchen Stage 1 Carrots, Apples and Parsnips (batch code: CAP)
Ella's Kitchen Stage 1 Strawberries and Apples (batch code: SA)
Ella's Kitchen Stage 1 Apples and Bananas (batch code: AB)
The Yellow One Smoothie Fruit (batch code: YO), recalled as a precautionary measure
Risk:
The company's investigation has shown a small percentage of the above batches to be affected by harmless natural microbial spoilage, present in the straw of the pouch.
Pack size:
Stage 1 products: 120g; Smoothie Fruit: 90g
Affected Letters in Batch Code (on back of pack):
CAP, SA, AB and YO.
'Best before' dates:
April 2011, May 2011, June 2011 and July 2011.
Action taken by the company:
The company has withdrawn the affected product from retail stores. Consumers have been made aware of this precautionary action via the company website (see link below), Facebook, Twitter and an e-newsletter to the company's consumer database.
The company has detailed instructions informing consumers to contact Ella's Kitchen Customer Care on 0845 2625221 for a full refund.
No other Ella's Kitchen products are affected.
Advice to consumers:
For refund information please refer to the company's recall notice at the link below.
UK: Imported food and feed sampling activity published
09.sep.10
FSA
http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2010/sep/impfoodsurvey
The Agency has published the results of sampling and surveillance, during 2009/10 of food and feed imported into the UK. The Agency provides support for local authorities and port health authorities to carry out this sampling.
The annual reports help to ensure that checks at ports, and monitoring of imports throughout the food chain, are targeted towards products that pose the greatest risk.
The latest report shows that local authorities took samples of a wide range of imported food, including spices, rice, meat and beverages. In total, 5,846 food samples were analysed and 261 (4% of samples) were found to be unsatisfactory due to microbiological or chemical contamination, and 947 (18%) were not labelled correctly.
The checks on these foods fall within a number of priority areas, such as contaminants, irradiated products, and food authenticity. For animal feed, local authorities monitor samples for areas of concern such as dioxins, heavy metals and unauthorised GM organisms.
The programme provides an insight into the overall compliance of imported food and feed with official controls in the UK and has enhanced the Agency's understanding of the level of chemicals present in foods and feed. This has supported the Agency in developing policies and informing negotiating positions in Brussels. One of the FSA's key priorities is to ensure imported food is safe to eat and since 2003 the Agency has been working with UK enforcement authorities to improve controls over imported food and feed entering the country.
Surveillance for outbreaks of gastroenteritis in long-term care facilities, AUSTRALIA, 2002–2008
08.sep.10
Clinical Infectious Diseases
Martyn D. Kirk, Kathleen E. Fullerton, Gillian V. Hall, Joy Gregory, Russell Stafford, Mark G. Veitch, and Niels Becker
http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/656406
Background.Each year in Australia, health departments investigate hundreds of gastroenteritis outbreaks. Long‐term care facilities (LTCFs) for elderly persons are a common setting for these outbreaks and can result in potentially serious outcomes.
Methods.We established surveillance for gastroenteritis outbreaks in 2001, and analyzed data on outbreaks occurring from 1 July 2002 through 30 June 2008 to estimate the incidence in Australian LTCFs and residents. We summarized outbreaks by mode of transmission and etiological agent. We used negative binomial regression to examine variation in the number of fecal specimens collected in outbreaks—a marker of investigation intensity.
Results.During surveillance, 3257 (52%) of 6295 outbreaks of gastroenteritis and foodborne disease in Australia were reported in LTCFs. These outbreaks affected 84,769 people, with 1577 people hospitalized and 209 deaths. There were 0.19 (95% confidence interval, 0.14–0.26) residents affected per 1000 bed days and 16.8 (95% confidence interval, 12.4–22.7) outbreaks per 100 LTCFs annually. LTCF outbreaks were most commonly transmitted from person to person. Only 43 (1.3% ) of 3257 outbreaks were foodborne, although 47 (6.4%) of 733 residents were hospitalized and 20 (2.7%) of 733 died. Norovirus was responsible for 1136 (35%) of all 3257 outbreaks. Higher numbers of fecal specimens per outbreak were collected in 4 Australian States, in later years of surveillance, and where the etiology was identified.
Conclusions.Norovirus outbreaks spread from person to person are common in LTCFs, although clinicians should be alert for foodborne outbreaks with more serious consequences. There is a need to identify effective infection control measures to assist facilities in managing outbreaks of gastroenteritis.
Geographical association between livestock density and human Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157 infections
08.sep.10
Epidemiology and Infection
I. H. M. Friesemaa C1, J. Van De Kassteelea, C. M. De Jagera, A. E. Heuvelinka and W. Van Pelt
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?aid=7892029
SUMMARY
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) bacteria can cause outbreaks and sporadic cases of gastroenteritis in humans. Ruminants are seen as the main reservoir. The aim of this study was to evaluate the spatial association between reported human STEC O157 infections in The Netherlands and different livestock densities. Data were collected at the municipality level and a spatial regression analysis was performed. Between April 1999 and December 2008, 409 symptomatic sporadic cases were registered. Adding an interaction term between season, age, and livestock density showed an increased risk of STEC cases in summer for living in areas with cattle, in particular for young children. In conclusion, cattle, but not pigs or poultry, are indicated as an important source for human STEC O157 infections in rural areas. The association is probably due to direct or indirect contact with cattle, resulting in symptomatic infections, especially in young children.
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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