Fw: Western Growers Congratulates Senator Stabenow

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From: Wendy Fink-Weber <wfweber@wga.com>

Date: Fri, 19 Nov 2010 12:03:31 -0600

To: Wendy Fink-Weber<wfweber@wga.com>

Subject: Western Growers Congratulates Senator Stabenow

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                              
CONTACT: Paul Simonds, Mgr. Communications

(949) 885-2257/ PSimonds@wga.com
Or

 Wendy Fink-Weber, Dir. Communications

(949) 885-2256 / WFWeber@wga.com

WESTERN GROWERS CONGRATULATES DEBBIE STABENOW ON HER ELECTION TO THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF SENATE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE

 

 

IRVINE, CA. (November 19, 2010)

 

Statement from Western Growers' President and CEO Tom Nassif:

 

"We welcome the news that Senator Debbie Stabenow will be the next Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee.  As a Senator from one of the most important and diversified agricultural states, she understands the challenges facing all U.S. farmers, and the significant contribution of the specialty crop industry—representing approximately 50 percent of the total U.S. crop farm gate—to the economic underpinning and health of our nation.  Senator Stabenow's practical, consensus-driven approach insures that under her leadership the Senate Agriculture Committee will continue the bipartisan, collegial process so critical to the development of sound agriculture policy. 

Even though Western Growers would not be considered a traditional constituency for the Senator, we appreciate her willingness to work with us regardless of the issue.  She is respected for her thoughtful, balanced approach to some of the most controversial and complex issues impacting our industry today including energy policy, environmental regulation, and the imperative of ensuring a safe and abundant supply of healthy food to U.S. consumers.  Western Growers looks forward to working with Chairman Stabenow and her colleagues on the Senate Agriculture Committee in the 112^th Congress."   

   

Western Growers is an 85-year-old agricultural trade association whose more than 2,500 members from Arizona and California grow, pack and ship nearly half of the nation's fresh produce.

###

 

 

 

 

Wendy Fink-Weber

Director of Communications

Office: 949.885.2256

Cell: 949.302.4065

Fax: 949.809.6256

 

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

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From: Doug Powell <dpowell@KSU.EDU>

Sender: Bites <BITES-L@LISTSERV.KSU.EDU>

Date: Fri, 19 Nov 2010 06:54:53 -0600

To: BITES-L@LISTSERV.KSU.EDU<BITES-L@LISTSERV.KSU.EDU>

ReplyTo: Doug Powell <dpowell@KSU.EDU>

Subject: [BITES-L] bites Nov. 19/10

bites Nov. 19/10

New Food Safety Infosheet: Holiday meal food safety

No hot water, Grand China Restaurant closed

E. coli infection linked to long-term health problems

Escherichia coli O157:H7 increases risk of cardiovascular, renal disease

US: Small farms would be exempt from food safety regs

Zoo animals for dinner - Why not?

CANADA: No audit of meat plant inspectors done: Ritz

Salmonella enterica in commercial swine feed and subsequent isolation of phenotypically and genotypically related strains from fecal samples

It takes a village: Mechanism alerts neighbors to amplify immune response

Prevalence of Escherichia coli enterohemorragic O157:h7 in frozen bovine meat in Algeria

TEXAS: Restaurant violations

how to subscribe

New Food Safety Infosheet: Holiday meal food safety
19.nov.10
bites
Benjamin Chapman
http://bites.ksu.edu/sites/default/files/foodsafetyinfosheet-11-19-10.pdf
The newest food safety infosheet, a graphical one-page food safety-related story directed at food businesses, is now available at www.foodsafetyinfosheets.com
Food Safety Infosheet Highlights:
- A recent foodborne illness outbreak in Kansas affecting 159 people has been linked to a turkey dinner served at a church function.
- Recent research has shown that when washing poultry, the pathogens can be spread within 3 ft of the sink, which might include already prepared fixins.
- The only way to know whether the turkey is done is with a tip-sensitive digital thermometer reading at least 165°F.
Food safety infosheets are created weekly and are posted in restaurants, retail stores, on farms and used in training throughout the world. If you have any infosheet topic requests, or photos, please contact Ben Chapman atbenjamin_chapman@ncsu.edu.
You can follow food safety infosheets stories and barfblog on twitter @benjaminchapman and @barfblog

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No hot water, Grand China Restaurant closed
19.nov.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/145177/10/11/19/no-hot-water-grand-china-restaurant-closed
KTNV reports Grand China Restaurant on West Craig near Decatur in North Las Vega was closed by inspectors after they discovered that the restaurant did not have any running hot water.
It usually takes more than 40 demerits to close a restaurant, but a situation such as this resulted in an automatic shutdown by the Southern Nevada Health District at 35 demerits.
And there were many other problems: a continues leak from a kitchen sink that needed fixing; hand sinks being used for jobs other than hand washing; uncovered food found double-stacked; prepared food in the walk-in cooler improperly labeled and dated; and a tea bag wrongly attached to the spout of a hot water dispenser.
An inspector found an extremely filthy wok station, a dirty can opener, and an ice cream scoop left on a dirty surface. The floor was very dirty and, when inspectors looked at the ceiling, they found falling tiles due to excess water damage.
Channel 13 stopped by Grand China once the restaurant re-opened for business after re-inspection.
Tricia Kean: You had 35 demerits and a closure because you had no hot water. Is there a manager or owner here that I can talk to?
"No, nobody can talk here."
http://www.ktnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13521950

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E. coli infection linked to long-term health problems
18.nov.10
British Medical Journal
Emma Dickinson
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-11/bmj-eci111810.php
Research: Long-term risk for hypertension, renal impairment and cardiovascular disease after gastroenteritis from drinking water contaminated with Escherichia coli O157:H7: A prospective cohort study
People who contract gastroenteritis from drinking water contaminated with E. coli are at an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, kidney problems and heart disease in later life, finds a study published on bmj.com today.
The findings underline the importance of ensuring a safe food and water supply and the need for regular monitoring for those affected.
It is estimated that E. coli O157:H7 infections cause up to 120,000 gastro-enteric illnesses annually in the US alone, resulting in over 2,000 hospitalisations and 60 deaths. However, the long term health effects of E. coli infection in adults are largely unknown.
So a team of researchers in Canada assessed the risk for hypertension, renal impairment and cardiovascular disease within eight years of gastroenteritis from drinking contaminated water.
They used data from the Walkerton Health Study – the first study to evaluate long term health after an outbreak of gastroenteritis in May 2000 when a municipal water system became contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 and Campylobacter bacteria.
Study participants were surveyed annually and underwent a physical examination and laboratory assessment to track their long term health.
Of 1,977 adult participants, 1,067 (54%) experienced acute gastroenteritis of whom 378 sought medical attention.
Compared with participants who were not ill or only mildly ill during the outbreak, participants who experienced acute gastroenteritis were 1.3 times more likely to develop hypertension, 3.4 times more likely to develop renal impairment, and 2.1 times more likely to have a cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke.
The authors conclude: "Our findings underline the need for following up individual cases of food or water poisoning by E. coli O157:H7 to prevent or reduce silent progressive vascular injury."
They add: "These long term consequences emphasise the importance of ensuring safe food and water supply as a cornerstone of public health."

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Escherichia coli O157:H7 increases risk of cardiovascular, renal disease
18.nov.10
Insider Medicine
http://www.insidermedicine.ca/archives/Escherichia_coli_0157H7_Increases_Risk_of_Cardiovascular_Renal_Disease_Video_4808.aspx
Silent and progressive vascular injury may occur among individuals who suffered acute infection with Escherichia coli (E. coli) 0157:H7 and campylobacter, resulting in an increased risk for cardiovascular and renal disease, according to research published in the British Medical Journal.
Here are some recommendations regarding the use of antimicrobial therapy for acute diarrhea, from the World Gastroenterology Organisation:
• Antimicrobials are reliably helpful only for children with bloody diarrhea, suspected cholera with severe dehydration, and serious nonintestinal infections.
• Antiprotozoal drugs can be very effective for diarrhea in children, especially for Giardia, Entamoeba histolytica, and now Cryptosporidium, with nitazoxanide.
• In adults, benefit should be weighed against the cost, risk of adverse reactions, harmful eradication of normal intestinal flora, the induction of Shiga toxin production, and the increase of antimicrobial resistance.
Researchers out of London Health Sciences Centre collected health information annually on 1,977 adults recruited into the Walkerton Health Study between 2002 and 2005, after an outbreak of gastroenteritis caused by contamination of the municipal water system with E. coli 0157:H7 and campylobacter.
Overall, 54% of participants suffered from acute gastroenteritis during the outbreak. During the study period, incident hypertension was 33% more likely to occur among residents who were acutely ill than those who were only mildly ill or not ill at all. Similarly, acutely ill residents were 3.41 times more likely to develop renal impairment and 2.13 times more likely to have a cardiovascular event.
Today's research highlights the long-term health implications of acute infection with E. coli 0157:H7 and campylobacter and indicates a need for careful long-term follow-up of affected patients.

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US: Small farms would be exempt from food safety regs
18.nov.10
Associated Press
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gpU-5wHv2jYYWOHo3_bvqvNPpfzQ?docId=44d2d17af1e244c7b2fafbd95f5b2a36
WASHINGTON -- Some small farms would be exempt from government efforts to prevent foodborne illness under a Senate agreement on food safety legislation announced Thursday.
The food safety bill now pending in the Senate would give the Food and Drug Administration more authority to recall tainted products, increase inspections of food processors and require producers to follow stricter standards for keeping food safe. Operators of smaller farms and advocates for locally produced food have worried that the bill's requirements could force small farms out of business.
An agreement brokered by Democratic Sen. Jon Tester of Montana would attempt to allay those concerns, allowing farmers who make less than $500,000 a year in revenue and sell directly to consumers, restaurants or grocery stores within their states or within 275 miles of their farms to avoid expensive food safety plans required of larger operations. State and local authorities would still have oversight over those farms.
Food safety advocates have objected to the exemptions, saying Tester's concerns are overblown and the size of the farm is not as important as the safety of the food. But many of those groups signed off on the Tester amendment after it was narrowed and language was added to allow the FDA to revoke exemptions for operations that have been involved in an outbreak.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the Senate will vote on the bill after Congress returns from a one-week Thanksgiving recess. Reid said senators will vote on several amendments, including two sponsored by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla.

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Zoo animals for dinner - Why not?
19.nov.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/145179/10/11/19/zoo-animals-dinner-why-not
In a form of logic that only the Brits could come up with, The Independent argues that if a recent listeria-related recall of turkey breast and ham by a Texas firm is casting doubt on Thanksgiving plans, then why not go for exotic meats, like the deer and turkeys in my backyard in downtown Manhattan (Kansas).
Not quite sure how the editors at The Independent got to zoo animals in the headline.
Chef Dave Arnold, director of culinary technology at the International Culinary Center's French Culinary Institute, blogs in a Nov. 8 blog entry written for Popular Science magazine's Web site, that those who prefer tougher meat should enjoy wild game even more than standard meat and poultry, which he says are generally butchered young to ensure tenderness, and lack the flavor of their full-grown counterparts.
Arnold's tastes are nothing new - during the Middle Ages, bear meat consumption was symbolic, and bear paws are still considered a delicacy in Cantonese cuisine. Beaver meat has been eaten by indigenous North American populations for generations.
Upscale Chicago eatery Moto served a road kill raccoon dish back in 2008. (see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i3F4MleHaE), and this past June an Arizona restaurant owner caused a public uproar when he put lion burgers on his menu.
Exotic meats are generally avoided due to concerns over bacterial contamination and animal cruelty. However, in light of recent fears of listeriosis sparked by common meats found in neighborhood supermarkets, people may be more willing to step out of their comfort zones this Thanksgiving.
But no one got sick in the listeria positive recall cited in the story because at least someone was looking (in this case, U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety Inspection Service). And the public was warned. Recalls are not the same as outbreaks.
Dave Arnold's Low-Temperature Game Cooking Notes
In all cases sear the meat first and put into Zip-loc bags with butter. Cook in an immersion circulator for the prescribed times, then sear again for a minute or two per side on high heat.
Yak: cook at 56°C for 24 hours. Rich and gamey, with notes of duck.
Lion: 57°C for 24 hours. Tastes like pork but richer.
Black bear: 57°C for 3 hours. Tastes a little bloody and metallic. Younger bears are reportedly better.
Beaver tail: 60°C for 48 hours. Woodsy, delicious.
Duck, and birds that cook like duck (teal, widgeon): 57-58°C for 45 minutes to an hour for the breast. Braise the legs.
Squab: 56°C for 45 minutes for the breast. Braise the leg.
Raccoon: I recommend cooking raccoon in a traditional braise.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/zoo-animals-for-dinner--why-not-2138427.html
http://bites.ksu.edu/news/145129/10/11/15/texas-firm-recalls-fully-cooked-ready-eat-turkey-breast-products-possible-liste
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-11/some-people-prefer-more-exotic-meats
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i3F4MleHaE

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CANADA: No audit of meat plant inspectors done: Ritz
18.nov.10
Postmedia News
Sarah Schmidt
http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/audit+meat+plant+inspectors+done+Ritz/3850358/story.html
OTTAWA -- Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz on Thursday conceded the government has not conducted an external audit to determine how many inspectors are needed to police Canada's meat plants.
In the wake of the deadly listeriosis outbreak in the summer of 2008, independent investigator Sheila Weatherill said a resources audit by outside experts was needed because the Canadian Food Inspection Agency implemented its new inspection system without conducting a full assessment of resources required.
And after determining that the inspectors assigned to the Maple Leaf facility "appear to have been stressed due to their responsibilities at other plants," Weatherill said the audit also should include an analysis of how many plants for which an inspector should be responsible.
Ritz has always maintained that the government is acting on all 57 Weatherill recommendations with a special $75-million investment. But after being pressed Thursday about a resources audit by NDP deputy agriculture critic Malcolm Allen, Ritz confirmed that an external auditor has not been hired and indicated there are no plans to do so.
"Well, we haven't called it an audit," Ritz told reporters of the "review" or "oversight" conducted earlier this year by PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The firm, hired by Agriculture Canada, was brought in to review CFIA's own calculation that an effort equivalent to 260 full-time inspectors is required this year to deliver all inspection tasks at both slaughterhouses and non-slaughterhouses.

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Salmonella enterica in commercial swine feed and subsequent isolation of phenotypically and genotypically related strains from fecal samples
01.nov.10
Applied and Environmetal Microbiology
Bayleyegn Molla, Allyson Sterman, Jennifer Mathews, Valeria Artuso-Ponte, Melanie Abley, William Farmer, Päivi Rajala-Schultz, W. E. Morgan Morrow, and Wondwossen A. Gebreyes
http://aem.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/76/21/7188
The purpose of this study was to determine the occurrence and genotypic relatedness of Salmonella enterica isolates recovered from feed and fecal samples in commercial swine production units. Of 275 feed samples, Salmonella was detected in 10 feed samples that originated from 8 of 36 (22.2%) barns, with a prevalence of 3.6% (10/275 samples). In fecal samples, a prevalence of 17.2% was found at the early finishing stage (1,180/6,880 samples), with a significant reduction in prevalence (7.4%) when pigs reached market age (392/5,321 samples). Of the 280 Salmonella isolates systematically selected for further characterization, 50% of the feed isolates and 55.3% of the isolates of fecal origin showed similar phenotypes based on antimicrobial resistance patterns and serogrouping. About 44% of the isolates were multidrug resistant. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) genotyping grouped the 46 representative isolates into five genotypic clusters, of which four of the clusters consisted of genotypically related isolates recovered from feed and fecal samples. The occurrence of genotypically related and, in some cases, clonal strains, including multidrug-resistant isolates in commercially processed feed and fecal samples, suggests the high significance of commercial feed as a potential vehicle of Salmonella transmission.

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It takes a village: Mechanism alerts neighbors to amplify immune response
18.nov.10
Cell Press
Elisabeth Lions
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-11/cp-ita111210.php
New research reveals a clever strategy that enables a host organism to outsmart an invading bacterium by counteracting its efforts to suppress the innate immune response. The study, published by Cell Press in the November 24th issue of the journal Immunity, describes a mechanism by which an infected cell can quickly alert unsuspecting (and uninfected) neighboring cells that can join the fight, amplify the immune response and defeat the invader.
The pathogen Shigella flexneri invades the cells that line the gut and causes Shigellosis, a disorder characterized by diarrhea and sometimes even death in humans. S. flexneri subverts the normal immune response of the host by interfering with the ability of the infected cell to secrete chemicals called chemokines that stimulate inflammation. Inflammation is a complex response to pathogens that attracts white blood cells to destroy the bacteria. Despite the documented ability of S. flexneri to suppress inflammation in infected cells, intestinal cells do secrete large amounts of chemokines and exhibit substantial inflammation during Shigellosis.
Professor Cécile Arrieumerlou from the University of Basel in Switzerland led a study designed to investigate the molecular mechanisms that control inflammation during bacterial infection. Using a sophisticated microscopic technique that allowed analysis of S. flexneri infection at the single cell level, the researchers discovered that activation of proinflammatory signaling pathways is propagated from infected cells to adjacent uninfected cells, leading to chemokine secretion from the bystander cells. "We found that this mechanism was mediated by specialized intercellular connections called gap junctions that allowed the infected cells to communicate with neighboring uninfected cells," explains Prof. Arrieumerlou.
Taken together, the results show that even when the immune response is suppressed in the infected cell, alerted bystanders can amplify the inflammatory response. "We have identified a novel mechanism of cell to cell communication that amplifies the immune response against bacterial infection by rapidly spreading signals via gap junctions to yet uninfected cells," concludes Prof. Arrieumerlou. "This mechanism enables the host to circumvent the immunosuppressive activity of bacteria and to massively amplify inflammation during bacterial infection."

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Prevalence of Escherichia coli enterohemorragic O157:h7 in frozen bovine meat in Algeria
18.nov.10
Journal of Applied Sciences Research, 6(11): 1576-1580
Mohamed Salih Barka and Mebrouk Kihal
http://www.insipub.com/jasr/2010/1576-1580.pdf
Abstract: The presence of Escherichia coli O157: H7 in frozen imported meat was studied in north- western Algeria. Two hundred and fifty one samples were tested for the presence of E. coli serogroup O157: H7 using the standard method of culture and serotyping technique. The pathogen was detected in 0.44% of samples. The isolate strain was nonsorbitol fermenter, O157 and H7 agglutinating. It was tested using the method of KIRBY and BAUER according to the nccls standards to view resistance to antibiotics and was considered sensitive to the ten antimicrobial agents (ampicillin, chloramphenicol, gentamycin, colistin, flumequine, enrofloxacin, nitrofurantoin, cephalothin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and tetracycline). This study confirms that frozen imported meat is an important reservoir of E. coli O157:H7 pathogenic for human.
INTRODUCTION
The first E. coli enterohaemorrhagic (EHEC) occurred in 1982 in the United States (Oregon and Michigan), with two outbreaks of severe hemorrhagic colitis, after consommation undercooked hamburgers from a fast food chain. A strain of Escherichia coli of a new serotype O 157: H7 was detected in the faeces of patients and in beef burgers[30]. Shortly after, a study on the of children faeces suffering from haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), showed the presence of E. coli producing a cytotoxic toxin to Vero cell cultures, hence the name "verotoxin" also known as Shiga-toxin because of its close similarity to a toxin produced by Shigella dysenteriae[15]. Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157 : H7 is a human pathogen that causes no apparent disease in cattle, its primary reservoir host.
The sources of E. coli O157 :H7 are mainly the products of animal origin in the first place with hamburgers from an undercooked beef[10,21,31,32] dairy products (cheese from raw milk)[4,26] ovo-products but also products of plant origin (cider apples, lettuce, potatoes, radish shoot)[2,7,16,23,26].
On the other hand, the external environment is an important source, especially through water swimming or wading in lakes contaminated with feces of human origin, or inadequately chlorinated drinking water[18,4, 11,19].
Ruminants and especially cattle are considered at present as the main reservoir of E. coli O157:H7[5].
Given the importance of imported bovine frozen meat in Algeria, and the fact that many meat products from this specie was not treated with any previous bacteriological sterilization procedures. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of STEC O157:H7 in bovine meat in order to determinate the potential risk that the consumption of these products can have from the standpoint of public health and hygiene.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
2.1. Sample Collection: Two hundred and fifty one samples of frozen imported beef from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia were analyzed. The imported meat at sea, is placed in containers and placed in refrigerated vehicles.
Samples are taken randomly from boxes outside of our region and conveyed respecting the freezing temperature of -18 °C to the Regional Veterinary Laboratory of Tlemcen.
After suffering a slow thawing at room temperature, the microbiological samples were performed.
2.2. Culture and Isolation of Escherichia Coli O157:H7: Enrichment cultures for each sample were carried out by combining 25 g of each sample with 225 ml of buffered peptone water supplemented into a stomacher bag, homogenized for at least 2 min and incubated at 37°C for 16–18 h. After incubation, the 251 isolates belonging to E. coli were cultured on Sorbitol Mac Conkey medium for detecting non sorbitol variants. This test required the identification guides to the pathogenic EHEC strains. The strains metabolizing sorbitol are excluded, however the rest of the strains are tested for their immunological confirmation by the method of Farmer and Davis.
2.3. Serological Identification: All biochemically identified non sorbitol fermenting colonies from the SMAC Agar were subjected to slide agglutination with the E. coli O157 BD E. coli antisera (Difco) and the agglutinating colonies were further processed for definitive confirmation[14].
2.4. Antibiotic Susceptibility Test: The isolated strains were tested for ten antibiotics resistance (ampicillin, chloramphenicol, gentamycin, colistin, flumequin, enrofloxacin, nitrofurantoin, cephalotin, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim and tetracycline) using the standard Kirby–Bauer method[6].
Results: From 251 samples of meat analysed; 288 gram negative bacterial strains were isolated in which 259 Escherichia coli sorbitol positive were characterized by classical phenotypic tests in all samples. Whereas, only one isolated of Escherichia coli sorbitol negative was identified and isolated from Uruguay sample (Tab:1). This isolate was rod and gram negative nonsorbitol fermenting and produce indole. The agglutinating test showed that this strain is belonging to the serotype of Escherichia coli O157 and H7 (Tab: 2). These characters' were specific for the Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), also called verotoxin-producing E. coli, is the most important recently emerged group of food-borne pathogens, especially the serotype O157:H7.
The isolated strains were susceptible to the ten antimicrobial agents tested (Tab: 3): ampicillin, chloramphenicol, gentamycin, colistin, flumequin, enrofloxacin, nitrofurantoin, cephalotin, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim and tetracycline.
Discussion: Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 is an important human pathogen that has been isolated from contaminated water as well as meat products. It produces hemorrhagic colitis after oral ingestion, and Shiga toxin-producing strains may additionally cause acute renal failure or neurological disturbances especially in young, elderly or immunocompromised individuals[27].
A large number of studies on the incidence and the isolation of E. coli O157: H7 from different foods in different countries, Dontorou et al.[12] reported that (1.0%) samples of ewes' milk , 1.3% of fresh sausages and 2.0% swine intestines prepared for kokoretsi were contaminated by E coli O157 H7[12]. Abdul-Raouf et al. (1996) reported that 6% of raw cows' milk samples examined in Egypt were contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.
In 2004 Cagney and collaborators noted the presence of E. coli O157: H7 in 2.8% over 1533 samples of beef burger. In Netherlands, 1.1% of 571 samples of raw minced beef were contaminated[16] and in Switzerland, no E. coli O157:H7 was isolated from 211 minced beef samples tested[13]
In our study the interest was based on the search of E. coli O157: H7 in frozen imported meat considering that consumption of red meat and especially beef' has risen steadily and the stock continues decreasing in Algeria, in order to know if the cold chain was observed during the transport of foods. Apart from the study by Chahed et al.,[9] on the contamination assessment levels in bovine carcasses with this bacteria in Algeria, where the author has detected two strains of serotype O157: H7, the others were serotype O157: H-. a total of 230 samples [9].
There is very few data on this subject in North Africa and particularly in Algeria. Of the 251 samples studied, 259 E. coli were isolated and only one strain of serotype E coli O157: H7 detected from beef from Uruguay with a prevalence of 0.44%. The presence of a single strain of E. coli O157 H7 is due to the satisfactory hygienic quality of the conservation treatment before freezing. And in addition the use of cold act in two ways, one as an agent for growth inhibiting bacteria in which the temperature varies between -10°C and -18°C, in this case the water is transformed into ice, the other is an ultra rapid lowering of the temperature until it reaches -18°C which significantly reduces the rate of bacterial growth. Regarding the study of the sensitivity of all the isolated bacteria to antibiotics, there is a high percentage of resistance for E. coli non O157 especially tetracycline, nitrofurantoin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole with respective rates of 71.42%, 64.47%, 58.30%. And only one resistance was observed for E. coli O157: H7 for tetracycline, and sensitive to the other antibiotics.
However, some studies showed a certain resistance to streptomycin, sulfisoxazole, and tetracycline[20,24]. Other studies have shown a higher rate of antimicrobial resistance in E. coli O157 bovine strains compared to human origin strains[22,24]. Also, the same searchers reported that all food resistant strains were isolated from ground beef. Radu et al.[29] tested for susceptibility 28 isolates from tenderloin beef and chickenburgers to 14 antibiotics, and found that all were resistant to two or more of the tested antibiotics.
Our data on the prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 are relatively low on account of good meat processing and the hygiene conditions. Presence in meat of E. coli O157:H7, which is involved in human foodborne illness, is considered important. In view of this study monitoring continuum is recommended with the development of specific techniques and the development of a culture medium that enables a rapid and reliable detection of the presence of E. coli O157:H7 at even minimal doses.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors wish to thank the Dr Boudilmi Benabdallah (LVRT) for his technical support.

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TEXAS: Restaurant violations
19.nov.10
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
http://lubbockonline.com/restaurants/2010-11-19/restaurant-violations
Restaurant reports for the week ending November 14:
No critical violations:
• Ambrosia Catering, 4208 Boston Ave.
• American State Bank, 1401 Ave. Q
• Caprock Cafe (Bar), 5217 82nd St. Ste. 109
• Domino's Pizza, 1708 Parkway Dr.
• Double Nickel Steakhouse (Bar), 5405 Slide Road
• Eddie's Barbeque, 1324 E. 50th St.
• First United Methodist Church, 1502 13th St.
• Starbuck's Coffee Co., 801 University Ave.
• Tanglewood Village, 5501 34th St.
• Tinsel Town USA, 2535 82nd St.
• Williams Elementary School, 4812 58th St.
One critical violation:
• Blue Box, 1721 Parkway Ave. — food contact surfaces found soiled. Corrected on site.
• Paradise Club, 2228 Clovis Road — inadequate handwashing facilities. Corrected on site.
• Which Wich? Superior Sandwich, 1021 University Ave. — toxic items stored improperly. Corrected on site.
• Bridge of Lubbock, 1301 Redbud Ave. — observed possible cross contamination. Corrected on site.
• Frenship Westwind Elementary School, 6401 43rd St. — inadequate date-marking systems. Corrected on site.
• Furrs Cafeteria, 6001 Slide Road — observed possible cross contamination. Corrected on site.
• Spanky's, 8111 University Ave. — good hygiene practices not followed. Corrected on site.
• Texas Roadhouse of Lubbock (Bar), 4810 Loop 289 — good hygiene practices not followed. Corrected on site.
• Whataburger, 1717 50th St. — good hygiene practices not followed. Corrected on site.
• Con-Agra, 3301 Cornell Ave. — cold hold food held at inadequate temperature. Corrected on site.
Two or more critical violations:
• Tejano's Club 97, 5401 Ave. Q — good hygiene practices not followed. Observed possible cross contamination. Food contact surfaces found soiled. Corrected on site.
• El Gran Elotes, 2131 Clovis Road — inadequate handwashing facilities. Observed no thermometer in refrigerator. Corrected on site.
• Baker Bros., 5106 Slide Road — improper handling of ready-to-eat foods. Food contact surfaces found soiled. Corrected on site.
• Holiday Inn Express, 6023 45th St. — inadequate date-marking systems. Corrected on site. No certified food manager on site at the time of inspection. Corrected by 11/08.
• Texas Roadhouse of Lubbock (Food Service), 4810 Loop 289 — good hygiene practices not followed. Food contact surfaces found soiled. Corrected on site.
• Double Nickel Steakhouse (Food Service), 5405 Slide Road — inadequate dish-sanitation. Food contact surfaces found soiled. Corrected on site. Observed no posting of Consumer Heimlich Advisories. Corrected by 11/11.
• Sonic, 6419 W. 19th St. — good hygiene practices not followed. Inadequate handwashing facilities. Food contact surfaces found soiled. Corrected on site.
• Genghis Grill, 6201 Slide Road — good hygiene practices not followed. Observed possible cross contamination. Inaccessible handwashing facilities. Corrected on site.
• Hong Kong, 4845 50th St. — cold hold food held at inadequate temperature. Inaccessible handwashing facilities. Food contact surfaces found soiled. Corrected on site.
• Great Wall, 1625 University Ave. — good hygiene practices not followed. Observed possible cross contamination. Inadequate handwashing facilities. Corrected on site. Inadequate dish-sanitation. Observed no tip-sensitive thermometers for thin-massed foods. Corrected by 11/09.
• Golden Field Buffet, 7307 University Ave. — cold hold food held at inadequate temperature. Good hygiene practices not followed. Observed sharply dented can. Inadequate handwashing facilities. Toxic items stored improperly. Inadequate dish-sanitation. Food contact surfaces found soiled. Corrected on site.
Compiled from city of Lubbock
Environmental Inspection Services.

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