BEEF RECALLED BECAUSE OF E.COLI

It's about time. We have had so many incidents of Listeria monocytogenes in our U.S. food supply lately and some Salmonella bacteria as well, one began to wonder if E.coli had disappeared off the scene. It hasn't.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced today that Dale T. Smith and Sons Meat Packing, of Draper, Utah, is recalling approximately 38,200 pounds of beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. They were distributed to retail and wholesale establishments in Salt Lake City and in California, and have probably been reprocessed, so goodness knows what label they are being sold under. The authorities suspect that a refrigerator malfunction caused the contamination.

The safety rules: 1) be careful when handling raw beef - especially ground meat- and simply assume that it is contaminated, and 2) cook it well. Don't eat your beef underdone.

To your good health,
TSF

Organic Cacao Nibs with E.coli O157:H7 Bacteria

So many "healthy" and "organic" foods unfortunately turn out to be unhealthy. Here's another: cacao nibs.

Don't know what they are? I have to confess - I didn't either. But apparently they are a crunchy snack food, high in anti-oxidants as well as other good things. At least some are imported from Ecuador and there are various brands. Even Amazon sells them.

FunFresh Foods, Inc. of San Clemente, California is recalling 6 ounce packages of FunFresh Foods™ World Berries™ Organic “Cacao Nibs” because they may be contaminated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 bacteria (E. Coli O157:H7). Yes, that very dangerous bacterium that can give you bloody diarrhea, send you to the hospital, and even be fatal.

These potentially contaminated products were distributed in the U.S. in the following states to health and natural food retail stores : AK, AR, AZ, CA, CT, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NH, NJ, NM, OH, OK, OR, SC, SC, TN, TX, WA, WI, and WV between April 12 and 17.

Although only this company is recalling them at present, it would be wise to avoid any brand of cacao nibs for a while until more testing is done. This recall could spread. Some internet sites suggest you buy them for your mother for Mother's Day. Unless you really hate your mother, I suggest that you get her something else - at least this year.

To your good health,
TSF

HOW TO AVOID BACTERIA IN MEAT

Let's face it. In spite of all the precautions taken these days in slaughterhouses and in processing of meat, it can still contain bacteria when it reaches us consumers. That is particularly the case with ground meat, or ground meat products such as meat patties. But it can happen with any kind of meat or poultry. Some of these bacteria are harmless, but others can be dangerous. The E.coli 0157:H7 bacteria that turned up recently in the U.S. beef patties imported from Canada (see previous post) is an example.

So what can we do to avoid them? First, simply assume that all raw meat and poultry has bacteria in it, and treat it that way.

• Refrigerate raw meat within two hours of purchase, or, within one hour if the temperature is above 90° F. Make sure it is away from other foods and that the juices do not leak.
• Unwrap the meat carefully from any wrapping paper or packaging, trying not to touch the meat itself, or touch the inside of the wrap, and discard the packaging immediately.
• If you can't use utensils and have to use your hands, then either wear disposable gloves (washing the outside first) or be careful to wash your hands vigorously afterwards (to dislodge tiny pieces or smears of fat or meat), using warm or hot water and soap.
• Make sure the meat does not touch or drip on any surface. If it does, clean up right away.
• Prepare the meat on a non-porous cutting board or dish (not a wood cutting board).
• Wash cutting boards, dishes and any utensils that you used with hot, soapy water as soon as you finish with them.
• Keep any raw meat or poultry and their juices away from any other foods that will be eaten raw (such as salads) while preparing food.
• Thoroughly cook meat such as ground beef to an internal temperature of 160° F, as measured with a food thermometer.
• Refrigerate cooked meat and poultry within two hours after cooking.

To your good health,

TSF

E.coli 0157 Found in Fresh Spinach

Avon Heights Fresh is recalling certain packages of fresh packaged spinach. The brands include Krisp Pak 10oz bags, Better Brand 10oz.bags, and Avon Heights 4-2.51b bags. Yes, here we go with another bagged fresh produce recall.

What happened is that during routine sampling for the commonly occurring bacteria in food, one package of Better Brand 10oz spinach tested positive for E.coli 0157 - a very dangerous bacteria.

The company has decided to be careful and recall all the packages of spinach that were produced at their plant on that particular day. This privately owned company prides itself on the safety of its products, but unfortunately, such problems can happen in spite of safety measures. Here's a quote from their website (www.avonheightsfresh.com):

We pride ourselves on keeping our facilities clean and efficient - food safety is one of the foremost cornerstones of the Avon Heights Fresh brand, and we work hard to make sure that our customers are taking only the healthiest, safest product possible into their kitchens.

All the packages have codes DP 340 and T691 and a "best if used by" date of December 16 - that is, over a week ago. What this means is that most of it has been already eaten. Nothing new there. Unfortunately, food recalls often come too late to do us poor consumers much good.

Don't panic if you think you ate some of the recalled product. It is very unlikely that every package would be contaminated. But if you do get food poisoning symptoms (incubation period is 3-9 days), or, already have them, be sure to tell your doctor about eating this product.

To your good health,

TSF

E.COLI TURNS UP AGAIN IN BAGGED SALADS

It's bad news again for bagged salad eaters in the U.S. Ready Pac Foods, Inc. located in Irwindale, California, which prides itself on its safety record, has issued a recall for 5,379 cases of bagged salad products containing Romaine lettuce, because they may be contaminated with E. coli (E.coli O157.H7). This is the most common of the worst kind of E.coli bacteria.

The Use-by Date on these ready-to-eat salad products is November 18, 2011. The salads have been sold in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, Texas, and Washington. Here's the full list, so that you can check your refrigerator. No other Ready Pac Foods, Inc. products are included in the recall.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION UPC # BEST IF USED BY
10oz. Ready Pac Caesar Romaine 0-77745-00202-6 NOV 18
9.25oz Ready Pac Santa Fe Caesar Complete Salad 0-77745-21404-7 NOV 18
10oz. Ready Pac Classic Caesar Complete Salad 0-77745-20566-3 NOV 18
10oz. Ready Pac Bella Romaine 0-77745-21407-8 NOV 18
10oz. Dining In Classic Caesar Salad Kit 0-11225-02530-3 NOV 18
10oz. Raley’s Caesar Romaine 0-46567-71642-8 NOV 18
10oz. Trader Joe’s Romaine Salad 0013-2145 NOV 18
16oz. Trader Joe’s Very American Salad 0020-7225 NOV 18
10oz. Safeway Farms Caesar Romaine 0-21130-98350-6 NOV 18
9oz. Safeway Farms Hearts of Romaine 0-21130-98358-2 NOV 18
10oz. Safeway Farms Complete Caesar Supreme 0-21130-33677-7 NOV 18
10.25oz Safeway Farms Complete Southwestern Ranch 0-21130-33679-1 NOV 18

You will see from the above list that poor Safeway (as well as several other stores) has yet another recall (see earlier posts).

If you find any of these products in your home, throw it out or take it back to the store for a refund. You can also call Ready Pac Foods during office hours at at (800) 800-7822. They seem to be bending over backwards -a good thing - to track the products and help consumers. If you or anyone else in your family have eaten it, remember that not every package is contaminated, so don't panic. But do watch out for the usual symptoms of food poisoning.

To your good health,

TSF

IS ORGANIC FOOD MORE DANGEROUS?

I am always surprised by the number of people who believe that if a food item is "organic" it will not carry any bad bacteria. Yes, organic fruits or vegetables are likely to have lower levels of pesticides. But that does not protect them from those dangerous bacteria that we hear so much about these days - ones such as E.coli 0157, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes and others. In fact, much of the research done suggests that they are even more likely to be contaminated than are conventionally grown foods.

The Rocky Ford cantaloupes that are causing the current outbreak of Listeriosis (from Listeria monocytogenes bacteria) were "pesticide free." (They have now caused at least 22 deaths and over 100 illnesses). The recently recalled grape tomatoes were organic.

Over the past few years we have had recalls of a huge range of organic foods because they were contaminated - including organic alfalfa sprouts, many organic fruits and vegetables, organic beef, organic turkey, organic peanut butter, organic eggs, organic cheese and even of organic chocolate and tea. (What have I missed?)

In fact, sad though it be, several recent studies, including one published this past May in the Journal of Food Protection, have concluded that organic food is more likely to have fecal contamination which is where these bacteria usually come from. The higher incidences of fecal contamination in organic foods is linked to the heavy reliance of composted animal manure for fertilizer. The book discusses this issue in more detail.

To your good health,
TSF

WHY WE DON'T WANT E.COLI IN SCHOOL LUNCHES

This week's recall of E.coli 0157-contaminated beef, meant for school lunches in Georgia (see previous post), reminds me again that institutional food tends to be more deadly. We don't want this dangerous E.coli anywhere in our food. But having it in the meat destined for the school cafeterias is even worse. Here are three reasons why.

First, food stored and produced in large quantities is more likely to not get as cold as it needs to throughout, or reach the no-risk temperature it should reach to kill such bacteria. This applies to all institutional food, not just to that served in schools.

Secondly, because of budgetary constraints, many schools, particularly in some districts, have inadequate or poorly functioning equipment, such as refrigerators and cooking equipment. This increases the preceding risks.

Thirdly, studies have shown that school children who become ill with food poisoning at school frequently pass it on to their siblings, and especially younger siblings, at home. This bacteria can be particularly dangerous for such younger children.

For these three - and other reasons - it is especially important to make sure that any food served to school children is not just healthy, but safe for them to eat.

To your good health,

TSF

E.COLI O157:H7 CONTAMINATED BEEF MEANT FOR SCHOOL LUNCHES

This has been a fairly typical week in terms of food safety in the U.S. In addition to all kinds of allergens in a variety of foods, we have had announcements of Listeria monocytogenes bacteria in fresh cheese produced by Del Bueno of Grandview, WA, undercooked (and therefore dangerous) breaded chicken breasts sold at Roundy’s Supermarkets Inc., uneviscerated (and potentially contaminated) Smoked Spilt Herring originating at World Wide Fish Products, Inc. of the Bronx, NY and bits of thin wire in Naturals Sesame Sticks, made for Pepperidge Farm.

Just to round out the week, we now have another recall of contaminated beef. Palo Duro Meat, an Amarillo, Texas, firm, is recalling 40,000 pounds of frozen fine ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. It wasn't sold by retailers (as far as we know). Just sent to warehouses in Georgia for distribution to institutions.

And the worst part of it was that these institutions include six school districts in Georgia, with the meat intended for children's lunches as part of the National School Lunch Program.

The only good news is that the USDA believes that most of the product has not left the warehouses (they don't say how much has gone out). And so far USDA/ FSIS is not aware of the contaminated meat having actually been served as part of school lunches in these Georgia districts.

So much for healthy school lunch!

To your good health,
TSF

CONTAMINATED STRAWBERRIES: ARE THE DEER TO BLAME?

I have a love-hate relationship with deer. I can't help but admire their beauty and grace of movement. At the same time, I hate it when they eat my beans and peas and snip the heads off my roses and Agapanthus. My neighbors feel the same. We are constantly exchanging tales of woe about what we have lost.

Unfortunately, the deers' droppings can be the biggest hazard. This lesson has been brought home by the recent outbreak of E.coli 0157 bacteria in strawberries from a farm in Oregon, USA (see previous post). During July, these strawberries were distributed in several counties in Oregon and sold at some 8 farmers' markets, 10 retail outlets, and over 40 roadside stands or farm stands. (For the known list of reseller locations see http://oregon.gov/ODA/FSD/strawberries.shtml).

Public Health officials say that maybe 10% of strawberry samples from one farm have been found to be contaminated. This is an unusually high rate of contamination. It is suspected that deer dropping may be the cause. The feces found near the strawberry plants is presently being tested for the same bacteria that caused the illnesses.

This wouldn't be the first time that Oregon deer have tested positive for E.coli 0157 - or, that strawberries have been found to carry this bacteria.

Joe Jaquith, the owner of this large strawberry farm, and a fourth-generation farmer is devastated. But what could he have done? I have seen deer leap over my 6 foot fence, seemingly with ease. Nothing we have tried seems to stop them.

To your good health,
TSF

THE CANADIAN SIDE OF THE HAZELNUT RECALL

The recent DeFranco & Sons (of LA, California) recall of E.coli 0157:H7 contaminated hazelnuts (also known as "filberts") involves Canada as well as the United States (and, for all we know at present, may also spread to other countries).

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued an alert to Canadian consumers, noting:

"If you have purchased bulk or unlabelled, in-shell hazelnuts or in-shell mixed nuts containing hazelnuts after Nov. 16, 2010, and are unsure if you have the recalled product, check with your place of purchase to determine if you have the affected product."

The affected nuts are known to have been distributed in Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario, but, as the CFIA said, they could also have been distributed elsewhere in Canada (because some of the big bulk bags of hazelnuts have probably been re-packaged into smaller ones by other distributors and shipped elsewhere - see earlier blog).

So far, two Canadians have fallen ill with a strain of E. coli 0157:H7 that matches the genetic fingerprint of the strain responsible for the hazelnut-linked illnesses in the United States.

For a list of recalled products - also relevant to Canada - see earlier post. And the warning I gave earlier also applies in Canada: some of these hazelnut could have been used as ingredients in finished foods (such as chocolates, baked goods and so on), so avoid such foods for the time being until we see where this recall ends.

TSF

E.COLI CONTAMINATED HAZELNUTS

E.coli 0157:H 7 contaminated hazelnuts (and, I bet, a growing list of hazelnut-containing processed foods). Yes, you read correctly.

DeFranco & Sons of Los Angeles, California, is recalling in-shell hazelnuts and mixed-nut products in bulk and bags. They were distributed nationwide in the US and to Canada. (I wonder where they were grown? California or imported? I'll find out and let you know). These nuts have already been linked to seven cases of E.coli 0157:H7 illness in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. There will be more.

E.coli 0157 contamination of nuts is very uncommon. Usually it's Salmonella bacteria (as it was in the case of past peanut and pistachio outbreaks we had). And, we all know by now that this nasty bacteria can cause very serious illness, especially in young children and the elderly who could develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) just as they think they are getting over the diarrhea.

If you have eaten hazelnuts recently, or, any product containing hazelnuts (such as peanut butter, chocolates, baked goods, ice creams) watch out for symptoms of bloody diarrhea, in case you were unlucky. Onset of symptoms is usually 3-4 days (but can be 2-8) after eating the nuts. Get yourself (or your child) to a doctor if that happens.

And my advice - avoid any brand hazelnuts or hazelnut containing product for the moment, until we find out where this outbreak ends up.

TSF

RECALL OF BEEF TRIM

The USDA/FSIS which is in charge of the safety of American meat and poultry, has at least one inspector on the ball. As he/she (and I hope it is a woman)was inspecting the records of a Colorado producer of beef trim he/she found a problem. A large shipment of beef trim,labelled "for cooking only," should have been sent first to a federally approved facility for the "kill" step before it went into the food supply. But no - the company's records showed that it had been sent to the wrong place - where no such treatment of meat was done. This meant that this meat most likely entered our food system loaded with bacteria.

Why? Because beef trim is the worst, and most dangerous of beef, scraped off the skeleton of the cow, and trimmed off other cuts. It is used for making hamburger meat (no wonder hamburger meat is so risky). E.coli 0157:H7 bacteria are estimated to be present in 2-3% of US cattle (the cattle do not show signs of illness, so they are not eliminated at the slaughterhouse). These bacteria easily get into meat during the slaughtering process, in spite of precautions taken and in spite of inspectors keeping a round-the-clock eye on things.

Of course, the company's recall notice makes a point of saying that no illnesses have been linked to this recalled meat as yet. But, it is very difficult to establish links with this kind of product. Good luck finding any proof - or, recalling any of the meat, for that matter. It was produced on Dec. 2, 2010. The recall took place six weeks later. And your butcher or supermarket or some prepared hamburger manufacturer - maybe several - have used it long ago to make your hamburger meat (often it is made on the premises).

I just hoped you cooked those burgers well back there in December.

TSF

IS CHEESE OUR MOST DANGEROUS FOOD?

This has been a very bad year for cheese. We used to think of it as a safe food. But not after the last few months! And it is no longer just those Salmonella or Listeria monocytogenes bacteria that are cropping up in cheese. It is E.coli 0157:H7 as well and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (which can also be deadly, particularly if antibiotic resistant). Recently there has been "an outbreak of outbreaks" linked to our cheeses.

Almost all the contaminations have been in raw soft or semi-soft cheeses, many of them produced by higher end artisanal cheese makers, sold in the more expensive stores and served in upper end restaurants. In the United States, raw milk cheeses are only supposed to be sold if they have been aged for 60 days (which is expected to allow most bacteria to die). Well, after this year, the government certainly has some ammunition for extending that time period, or, prohibiting raw cheese sales altogether.

Let's take a look at a six month period, July through December, 2010. In July, there was a recall of - yes, aged - raw milk cheddar cheese made by Milky Way Farm in Pennsylvania. Staphylococcus aureus and enterotoxin bacteria were found in samples of the cheese. Also in July, Azteca Linda Corp. of New York, had to recall a number of fresh cheeses and string cheeses because of Listeria monocytogenes contamination.About 5 weeks afterwards, they had to do another recall for the same reason. Then in August Queseria Chiplo of New Jersey had to recall a huge variety of their fresh and string cheeses again because of Listeria. This was followed in early September with a cheese recall issued by Morningland Dairy of Missouri, which had a double contamination of its cheeses - Listeria and Staphylococcus aureus, distributed under both its own name brand and that of Ozark Hills Cheese. The "healthy" Whole Foods Market admitted that it had sold the recalled Morningland Dairy Cheese and the Ozark Hills Cheese, and conducted its owns recall.

Also in early September, Estrella Family Creamery of Monstesano, Wash. was found to be selling Listeria contaminated cheeses, but resisted recalling them (this is an interesting side issue for a future blog). Things were quiet for a month or so, but then in early November we got a new cheese contaminant - E.coli 0157:H7. And guess what - Costco found it was selling Gorganzola Cheese distributed by DPI Specialty Company which carried that deadly contaminant. Even worse, it had offered the cheese in store tastings. This was followed by a cheese recall by Del Bueno which included a range of cheese types (fresh, Ricotta cheese, dry cheese and more) again because of Listeria. In mid December, Sally Jackson Cheese was forced to recall all its soft cheeses made from raw cow, goat and sheep milk. To complicate matters, these cheeses apparently did not carry codes. Whole Foods was caught out again. It had repackaged the cheeses when cut up and placed its own store label on them.

If I have counted correctly - and haven't missed any - that makes some ten incidents associated with cheese in the last six months of this year. Well - not quite six months yet. A few days to go. Will there be more?

TSF