YOU CAN MAKE THOSE CUCUMBERS SAFER TO EAT

I have just enjoyed a delicious cucumber salad, prepared the way I prefer it: with non-fat yogurt and fresh dill. It was left over from a party on the weekend, but still delicious.

Yes, I am continuing to eat raw cucumbers in spite of that outbreak of "cucumber illness" in Europe, mainly centered in Germany. But I live in North America, not in Europe. True, a couple of Americans returning home from travel to Germany have become ill with similar symptoms, but as far as we know at present, none of the suspect cucumbers from Spain are actually being sold in the U.S. or in Canada.

But I do take some precautions, not just to avoid any pathogenic E.coli, but also those common Salmonella bacteria, and parasites.

First, I buy carefully, not just checking to see how the cucumbers were grown (organic/conventional) but also where they came from. This information should be available. Mandatory "Country-of-Origin" (COOL) for fresh produce went into effect in the U.S. in 2008. If it's not actually on the cucumber, I look for information on the crate.

Secondly, I make sure the cucumbers I pick are firm and the skin is undamaged, which would allow easier entry of contaminants.

Thirdly, once in my home and before I let a knife anywhere near them, I wash the cucumbers well. Unless you are buying cucumbers in a farmers' market, these days most are covered with a layer of wax rather than dust or dirt, but I do it anyway.

Thirdly, I peel the cucumbers. Years ago, I used to eat them with the peel on, but now I remove it - pleasanter to eat with any waxed produce, and safer, although I am aware that I am losing some of the nutritional value.

Will this avoid any dangerous bacteria in my cucumbers, including those deadly E.coli 0104 that are popping up in Europe? No, but it is likely to reduce how many are present in what I eat. Realistically, some may be left in the actual flesh of the cucumber, and so may the toxins they produce.

Let's face it, as I stress in The Safe Food Handbook, raw is always riskier than cooked - including in the case of vegetables such as cucumbers. But at least you can reduce your risks a bit by making some smart decisions and actions.

To your good health!
TSF

ARE U.S. CUCUMBERS SAFE TO EAT?

2011 seems to be the year of the cucumber. In food safety terms, that is. Three hazards have surfaced in cucumbers in just the past two months. Where does that leave us with eating raw cucumbers in the U.S.?

First there was the concern about radiation in cucumbers from the Fukushima area in Japan (see post of May 7). Yes, according to the latest government statistics I found (for 2009), Japan is eligible to export cucumber to the United States. But it is a very small player. Besides, as I said in the earlier blog, a small dose of radionuclides in a cucumber or two is not likely to cause permanent damage to your health. Although yes, pregnant women and young children should be extra careful.

The next cucumber-related safety issue that has surfaced this year is our old friend Salmonella bacteria. In early May there was a recall of cucumbers by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) because of Salmonella contamination (see post for May 3). The infective dose for Salmonella bacteria is usually fairly low. Most likely you could just have eaten one of these Salmonella-infected cucumbers, or even a few slices and become ill. But in all, this seems to have been a fairly small outbreak.

Now there is the very frightening E.coli 0104:H4 outbreak in Europe, that appears to have originated in cucumbers exported from two growers in Spain. So is the U.S. importing cucumbers from Spain? The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) data I found suggests that Spain is indeed eligible to export cucumbers to the U.S. But do we get them from the two cucumber producers in Spain that seem to be implicated in this outbreak? I don't know. But I am trying to find out.

In the meantime, if you are nervous about it, I would suggest that you buy local wherever possible. Personally, I have not stopped eating raw cucumbers. But until we know more, I check to make sure they are not imported from Spain. And as soon as mine are large enough to eat (if the squirrels don't get them first) I'll eat those.

To your good health!

TSF

ACTION TO STOP THE CUCUMBER-LINKED OUTBREAK

This cucumber-associated outbreak of food borne illnesses in multiple countries in Europe is really frightening, mainly, because of the virulence of the hemorrhagic E. coli involved. A large percentage of people - around three fourths women - are not just having a few miserable days with diarrhea, but actually developing complications of Haemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) and ending up in the hospital. As of today, at least ten have died. There will be more.

But don't panic. Action is being taken all over Europe to stop the outbreak of illnesses. Everywhere, the culprit food (that is, if it's only the Spanish cucumbers) is being withdrawn from the market - Germany, the Czech Republic, Luxemburg, Hungary and elsewhere. National authorities everywhere in Europe are checking what was imported, where it went, and trying to catch every vegetable before any more people eat them. The public is also being advised not to eat them and restaurants and consumers have been told to throw out any they might have bought.

Restrictions have been imposed on the two suspect Spanish cucumber growers, even before conclusive proof is available that the problem started with them. So, there won't be any more coming in from those sources. In parallel with these activities an investigation is ongoing. Interviews are being done with victims, laboratory testing is being performed on actual vegetables (including others, as well as cucumbers), and every point along the distribution line is being checked and examined for possible failures which could have resulted in contamination.

Assuming we have the right culprit vegetable (and that it's not eggplant or tomatoes or lettuce as well), and assuming that there is no other grower anywhere with the same problem, new illnesses should soon stop occurring since the incubation period for this bacterium is usually less than a week.

But then, there is the problem of secondary illnesses(people becoming ill from someone else - usually a family member - who did eat the food), or other indirect routes, as through swimming pool water (see previous post). Some studies have found around 10% of pathogenic E.coli illnesses to be secondary. But a few case studies I looked at had a higher incidence. Given the rarity of this particular E.coli 0104:H4, we don't really know what will happen.

To your good health!
TSF

CUCUMBER TRAVEL ADVICE FOR BRITONS - AND OTHERS

A couple of weeks ago, vacationing or business travel in Germany would have been considered very safe. Not any more. Particularly around Hamburg. This is the center of the "cucumber crisis." Most of the over-thousand hermorragic E.coli-related illnesses have been linked to eating food here. A considerable number have occurred among people from other countries such as Sweden, Denmark, France, visiting this area, or, residents of Germany who ingested the cucumbers and at home and then went abroad and became ill.

Britain is the latest country to be hit by cucumber fears. At least three cases among visiting Germans are suspected to be part of this outbreak, one of them confirmed. In fact, the advice to Britons now is not to eat raw cucumbers - or, raw lettuce or tomatoes (see earlier post) - when visiting Germany. And remember, washing or peeling is not guaranteed to solve the problem. If the cucumber has been sliced up or otherwise prepared in a restaurant or hotel, the risk could be even greater, as it could also be contaminated by a food worker who is a carrier of the bacteria (or others).

The "incubation" period for pathogenic E.coli (the time between ingesting it and developing symptoms of illness) can be as little as one day or a week or even longer. That means that you can feel perfectly well for a while after eating that deadly cucumber, keep working or vacationing and get on that plane and then become ill.

And yes, the bacteria are contagious. That is, they can be passed along not only in food or water, but also from person to person and even from the water in a swimming pool where it can survive for weeks, particularly if not well chlorinated. So I will add a bit more advice to travelers: don't let the water from a public swimming pool enter your mouth - not even a few drops. Don't dive in, don't dive under, and in fact, you may want to think twice about using the pool at all.

To your good health!
TSF

COULD TOMATOES OR LETTUCE ALSO BE CONTAMINATED?

The large outbreak of foodborne illness in Europe caused by Enterohemorrhagic E.coli 0104:H4 (EHEC) has been attributed to contaminated organic cucumbers imported from Spain. But keep an open mind. It could be another fresh vegetable as well, one such as tomatoes or lettuce.

In fact, German authorities have advised people to be careful when eating any of these vegetables raw. Why? Well, at least one study of women who had become ill (adult women are the main victims) found that a slightly higher percentage had eaten raw tomatoes than had eaten cucumbers in the preceding days. Lettuce also scored well in this survey.

So why were cucumbers pinpointed as the culprit vegetable? Actual testing did find the identical EHEC bacteria to be present in those imported whole cucumbers. To date, no testing has turned it up in tomatoes or in lettuce. But that doesn't mean it won't be found tomorrow, or in a week's time.

It wouldn't be the first time that the initial identification of a culprit food wasn't quite accurate. This happened with a large outbreak of Salmonella illnesses (Salmonellosis) in the United States in 2008. For weeks tomatoes were believed to be the cause, but later it was found that the culprit vegetable was Jalapeno and Serrano peppers (with "maybe" tomatoes as well). In other incidents strawberries have been blamed when it was actually raspberries. And so on. Nor is it impossible that more than one fresh vegetable is involved. This is quite likely if they came from the same farm or even the same area. The same improperly prepared organic fertilizer, E.coli 0104:H4 contaminated irrigation or processing water, or even packing ice could have been used.

So yes, if you live in Germany, and especially Northern Germany (where most of the illnesses have occurred) or are visiting there, I would avoid all three of these fresh vegetables for a little longer, until the investigation comes up with more answers. Washing may help a bit, but it may not work completely.

To your good health,
TSF

MORE WOMEN THAN MEN ARE BECOMING ILL AND DYING FROM CONTAMINATED CUCUMBERS

The bacteria causing the outbreak of cucumber-linked foodborne illness in Europe is E.coli 0104:H4. It is relatively rare. In fact, to my knowledge there has never before been a large outbreak caused by this particular E.coli. But E.coli 0104:H4 is one of the more deadly ones, since an illness can progress to Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). This complication can be fatal, particularly for the elderly or the very young.

Usually it is children who are most likely to develop complications of HUS when they have one of these types of E.coli infections. The odd thing is that in the case of the currently ongoing outbreak in Europe, especially in Germany, most of those being hospitalized with HUS are adults. And, there are many more women than men. The reported illnesses change from day to day, but one analysis I did showed 78% to be female. Other earlier estimates were slightly lower. Of the ten people that have died to date in this outbreak, nine were women.

Why are more women becoming seriously ill than men? I doubt the explanation is very complicated. Women probably eat more raw vegetables such as cucumbers and are therefore statistically more likely to ingest the bacteria.

To your good health!
TSF

HOW DID SPANISH CUCUMBERS BECOME CONTAMINATED?

At the moment there seems to be a distinct possibility that the European Union could fall apart over cucumbers. I am not serious, of course, but the current E.coli contamination of cucumbers from Spain is certainly creating some tensions. Germany is blaming Spain for sending them deadly cucumbers. The Spanish authorities are saying "it's not us" and "this isn't our kind of bacteria." There are even some reports - which may not be true -that a source of cucumbers in the Netherlands is also involved. The Dutch authorities are denying any connection.

The bottom line: we don't know yet at what point in time or even in which country the bacteria got into the culprit cucumbers. Normally, in the case of a whole (that is, not cut up) vegetable such as a cucumber, one would suspect contamination at the farm level. It could be that the organic fertilizer was not properly treated, that the water used in irrigation was contaminated, or that the bacteria were in the soil. Of course, they could also have entered during washing (from contaminated water) or packing or transportation.

One argument that in my opinion does not hold much water is that of the agriculture minister of Spain, who is basically saying that because the strain of E.coli involved is very rare in Spain, the contamination could not have originated there. Just a moment - a strain can be rare and then suddenly it is everywhere. With microorganisms such as bacteria it happens all the time.

The culprit cucumber shipment has been destroyed and investigation is ongoing. But it could take weeks, even months, to get all the answers. But one thing we do know is that at some point the bacteria originated in animal feces. This kind of enterohemorrhagic E.coli can come from farm animals such as cattle, sheep and pigs. Wild animals roaming the fields such as rabbits may also carry it. They would not show symptoms of disease, but would shed it in their feces.

UPDATE: This was a misidentification. Cucumbers were later eliminated as the suspect. Considerable hardship resulted for innocent farmers all over Europe, and especially in Spain.

To your good health!
TSF

E.COLI CONTAMINATED CUCUMBERS CAUSE ILLNESSES IN EUROPE

There has been an outbreak of deadly foodborne bacteria in the European food market. It's one of the most dangerous E.coli - a bacteria which we usually associate with meat. And, the culprit food? Those innocent-looking cucumbers - organic ones. On May 26, the European Commission triggered its Rapid Alert System, which is does not happen very often.

It seems that the cucumbers originated in provinces of Almeria and Malaga in Spain and were exported. Many of the illnesses have occurred in Germany. Spain is one of Germany's largest suppliers of cucumbers (accounting for about 40% of all cucumbers imported). As of today, probably at least ten Germans have died of the infection, and hundreds are seriously ill with Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). Not everyone who gets a case of E.coli-caused foodborne illness will get complications of HUS. Maybe one out of ten, or even less. Usually it will develop in people who are weaker - such as children and the elderly. HUS affects the kidneys, other body organs and sometimes even the brain. It requires hospitalization, and can be fatal. I should know. I almost died of it - although not from these cucumbers.

These cases of cucumber-related foodborne illness have also been reported in Sweden, Denmark, Britain, Netherlands, many of them among people who had travelled to Germany. People in other European countries which import cucumbers, such as Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Luxemburg, are also becoming very nervous. Oddly, no illnesses have been reported in Spain. (Send your deadly food overseas!). There is also a possibility that lettuce, and maybe tomatoes may be contaminated as well.

My advice if you live in one of the countries that imports cucumbers from Spain: toss out any still in your home. If you have already eaten some of these raw cucumbers recently, don't panic. It is very unlikely that every cucumber will carry enough bacteria to make you ill. But watch out for symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, weakness, stomach cramps. If you do become ill and don't get better in a few days, and particularly if you have bloody diarrhea, go and see your doctor.

UPDATE: Cucumbers were mistakenly identified as the culprit food by the German investigators, and too quickly announced to the public by the officials. It turned out to be locally grown sprouts.

To your good health!

TSF

ARE FUKUSHIMA CUCUMBERS SAFE?

I just checked my blog statistics for search keywords, and found this exact phrase: "Are Fukushima cucumbers safe?" I have been thinking about cucumbers lately anyway, so this prompted me to address the issue.

A few days ago, while involved in my daily reading of The New York Times, and as always, checking on the situation in Japan, I came across an interview with a Fukushima Prefecture farmer. He was not farming inside the evacuation zone, but nearby. (In the Nakadori area which is the agricultural center of the prefecture). He was saying that he had to throw out his entire crop of cucumbers because no one would buy them. How sad. Having worked with small farmers much of my professional career, I know how devastating the loss of an entire crop can be. And growing some vegetables myself, I know what hard work it is, with so many climatic and wildlife risks involved. And on top of all this, who needs radiation?

But could his cucumbers have been contaminated with radiation, even tens of kilometers from the evacuation area? Yes, they could have been. The radiation waste is spreading much further than the evacutation area, though at lower levels, and any growing vegetables absorb and concentrate such toxic substances.

Back on April 28, I blogged "The Biggest Threat in the U.S. Food Supply." Wait - you are asking what this has to do with Fukushima cucumbers. Well, it does. Radiation in Fukushima cucumbers would be one of those longer term type of hazards in Japan's supply, especially relevant to people who are younger - and particularly children, who will have several decades of life ahead of them. But even then, someone would have to eat radiation-contaminated cucumbers regularly for a while before they were affected. How long it would take, would depend on how badly contaminated they were, and the eater's own age and health.

But take Salmonella bacteria in cucumbers (as occurred in the U.S. food supply - see Post of May 3). If cucumbers in Japan were carrying Salmonella, eating just half a contaminated cucumber could be enough to cause a case of food poisoning.

So particularly if you are older, I would not worry about eating a few Fukushima cucumbers. But wash it well and peel it, and don't eat a cucumber a day for several months.

To your good health,
TSF

SALMONELLA OUTBREAK SEASON IS BEGINNING IN THE U.S.

Salmonella bacteria are a very common cause of food poisoning. Usually, the symptoms are ones like diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain or cramps, weakness, fever. These organisms can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, people with weakened immune systems and those who are frail or elderly. Some members of this family of bacteria are particularly vicious.

Most Salmonella outbreaks in the United States food supply, and particularly in fresh produce, occur in the spring or early summer…In other words, about now. And right on schedule, here we go. During the last 12 days, Salmonella has cropped up in several of those nice healthy foods most of us eat, which are now being recalled:

• In cucumbers, distributed by L&M Companies, Inc. of Raleigh, North Carolina. There aren’t many recalls of cucumbers, so this is somewhat unusual.
• In alfalfa sprouts, distributed by Jonathan's Sprouts of Rochester, MA. Alfalfa sprouts are one of the riskiest food you can eat, and every year there are a number of outbreaks and recalls.
• In cilantro, distributed to food service customers, by Satur Farms of Cutchogue, New York. Salmonella in cilantro is also not unusual.
• In grape tomatoes grown by Six L’s of Immokalee, Fla.. In turn, these tomatoes were used by Taylor Farms Pacific of Tracy, California, for some 70 different ready-to-eat salads for Albertsons, Raley's, Safeway, Savemart, Sam's Club, & Walmart. (Wouldn’t you think that a label which includes the word “Farms” would be growing their own produce instead of bringing it from Florida?). For the entire list of RTE products under recall, go to: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm253580.htm (It is too long to reproduce here).
• And….......

There are more to come. Summer is just beginning. So is Salmonella season.

TSF