SHOULD I EAT THE RAW MILK CHEESE?

I am facing a food safety dilemma. I did one of those rush food shoppings (mainly for dog food, but picking up a few other things as well) and ended up - accidentally - with some raw milk cheese. The dilemma: should I eat it or toss it out?

That's what happens when the so-called northern California "summer" is dark and gloomy and you feel like taking comfort in something delicious - and salty. When I picked up the cheese, all I read was "Product of France" and the word "aged." Just what I felt like. I didn't read the small print until I got it home: "Made from Raw Milk."

In general, I do not think that people who have compromised immune systems, are pregnant, or are over 50 (which unfortunately, I am) should risk their health eating raw milk cheeses when other delicious alternatives are available. The food safety regulations in the U.S. require that all raw milk cheeses be aged for a minimum of 60 days in order to be sold. This cheese met the current FDA requirements.

But I know that, while aging the cheese for 60 days is better than nothing, it is not enough. Such cheeses have been found to still carry live bacteria - enough to make you ill (see alerts column). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering tightening the rule (which is strongly opposed by the artisenal cheese industry). Getting food poisoning from Listeria monocytogenes or some other nasty bacteria is not what I had in mind right now. Right, this one had actually been aged 180 days, which is even better than 60 days. But, as a former microbiologist, I also know that some bacteria can survive very well in quite dry conditions for over 180 days. Even years.

So what do I do? I had an absolute craving for this cheese. The only other cheese I had available was a Chevre (made with pasteurized goat's milk), which didn't quite meet my need. Frankly, it had been a pretty rotten day, and I felt I owed myself something pleasant. Should I eat it and risk food poisoning, or throw it out (or give it to the dog) and be totally safe? It looks delicious..My inclination is to compromise..Maybe eat a little..

But there is another point here: not everything on a store shelf may be safe for YOU. We vary in terms of how vulnerable we are. In other words, just because a food is being sold, doesn't mean that you would be wise to eat it.

To your good health,
TSF

THE "LISTERIA " FOOD RISK FOR PREGNANT WOMEN

If you are pregnant, you need to be especially careful about what you eat. Not only is it a question of eating the good foods you need, but of avoiding harmful foods. Both can affect the health and normal development of your unborn child.

On top of that "avoid" list is any food that can contain the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, which causes an illness caused "listeriosis." L. monocytogenes is a very strange bacteria, in that it can be almost harmless for some people, and lethal for others. In the U.S., at least 2500 Americans catch Listeriosis each year. About a fifth of them die of it.

Pregnant women are about twenty times more likely to get listeriosis than are healthy women their age who are not pregnant. In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that about one third of all cases of listeriosis occur during pregnancy. Nor is this just a North American risk. The situation is likely to be much the same in other developed nations.

L.monocytogenes bacteria can be passed to an unborn baby through the placenta even if the mother is asymptomatic, that is, is not showing signs of illness. Listeriosis during pregnancy can result in miscarriage or stillbirth, premature delivery, infection of the newborn or development problems.

I once happened to open a website which carried personal stories of women who had had listeriosis during pregnancy. It was really heartbreaking. If you are pregnant and have a hard time giving up foods that are more likely to contain Listeria bacteria (look at my alerts column for some of these and earlier posts), just think of what the cost might be. And, read what The Safe Food Handbook has to say.

To your good health,

TSF

TWO RECENT HAM RECALLS BECAUSE OF LISTERIA BACTERIA

There have been two U.S. recalls of cooked ham products in the last couple of weeks. The reason in both cases was the finding of Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. This bacteria causes Listeriosis - a disease which can be fatal for some people.

Pregnant women need to be particularly careful they don't catch this Listeriosis as it can cause miscarriages and birth defects. Other people with weakened immune systems are also at serious risk. If you are perfectly healthy, you may be lucky and have almost no symptoms. Effects vary considerably.

The first of these recent recalls took place late June (see the Alerts column) and was for Serrano ham products, imported from Spain. The company involved was Specialities Agro Alimentation, of Millington, N.J.

Yesterday's recall announcement involved a different company in another state - Carolina Pride Foods, Inc., a Greenwood, S.C. The recall was for 18,416 pounds of boneless, fully cooked ham products, distributed in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

The brands involved are: "CAROLINA PRIDE Smoked Diced Ham," "CAROLINA PRIDE Diced Ham" and "HARDEE's Smoked Diced Ham." If you think you may have eaten these products or are concerned, check the USDA news release for more detailed information - http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_046_2011_Release/index.asp.

Are these two recalls linked? I have not found any information yet on whether the ham in the second recall was also imported. If I find out more, I'll update this post. In the meantime, check your refrigerator. And remember that L.monocytogenes survives very well in the frig.

By the way, I wouldn't be at all surprised if we had some additional recalls of ready-to-eat products such as salads and sandwiches in the next few days.

To your good health,
TSF

KELLOGG IS IN TROUBLE WITH THE FDA OVER LISTERIA BACTERIA - AGAIN!

The FDA has sent a warning letter to Kellogg, giving it just 15 days to come up with a fool-proof plan to clean up its factory in Augusta, Georgia. The problem - Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. The plant produces cookies - those delicious Keebler and Famous Amos ones. This bacterium was found in several spots along the production line, all of which come into direct contact with the cookies. The problem actually turned up earlier this year, and Kellogg promised to clean up the plant. It took a number of actions, but it still didn't pass the FDA's follow-up inspection.

This isn't the first time Kellogg is in trouble over Listeria, or has received a warning letter from the FDA. In September, 2009, the bacteria were found in Kellogg's Buttermilk Eggo Waffles manufactured at an Atlanta plant, which also produced frozen food products. This was also a case where Kellogg apparently made a huge effort to investigate the issue and clean up and sanitize the plant, but still failed the FDA follow-up inspection.

As other companies have found out, once bacteria are fairly wide-spread in a food manufacturing plant, it is often very difficult to get rid of - whether it be Salmonella or Listeria monocytogenes. Plant workers can also be carriers without even knowing it. Listeria may be particularly tricky as it can survive and even multiply in the refrigerator. Did they look in there?

This is also an odd bacterium which may barely affect some people, but can be life-threatening to others. Pregnant women have to be especially careful, because they are much more likely to catch it, and it can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth or premature delivery or illness of the newborn.

Symptoms to look out for: may include diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms, fever, muscle aches, stiff neck, confusion and sometimes diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms. A bit like the flu. See my earlier blogs for more on Listeria monocytogenes.

To your good health.
TSF

ANOTHER RECALL OF DELI MEATS BECAUSE OF LISTERIA BACTERIA

The post on this blog with the most views, although it is only three months old, is "Foods Pregnant Women Should not Eat." There have been very few days when it has not headed the "most viewed" list, consistently beating out the other 140 or so posts. Some 600 people have read it. One of the items on the "beware list" in that post is the following:

• Deli meats, including hot dogs and salami, unless you re-heat them to a temperature of 165 degrees.

The reason is that there are frequent incidents of Listeria monocytogenes contamination in deli meats. This bacterium is a great survivor, and can even multiply in the refrigerator. Although with some people it may cause nothing more than a very mild illness, in about a fifth of cases this bacterium can be fatal. According to the CDC, about one third of Listeriosis cases occur during pregnancy. Although the disease rarely kills the pregnant woman herself, it can result in miscarriage, premature delivery, stillbirth and infection of the newborn. The bacterium is also very dangerous for people with AIDS, and others with a weakened immune system.

Fast forward to the present and the U.S. food supply. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has just announced that Rose & Shore Meat Co., of Vernon, Calif., has recalled a number of its deli meat products because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled products include:

• "OLYMPIC GOLD BEEF PASTRAMI" with the lot number "20911" and a "04-05-11" pack date.
• "ROSE AND SHORE N.Y. STYLE PASTRAMI" with the lot number "20911" and a "04-05-11" pack date.
• "COOKED ANGUS ROAST BEEF" with lot number "20941" and a use by date of "05-17-11."
• "TOGO'S PASTRAMI" with the lot number "20911", a "04-05-11" pack date and a use by date of "05-23-11."

These products were all shipped in large boxes (with smaller packages inside) to distribution centers in California for further distribution to food service establishments in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. The FDA reported that there have been no retail sales. Those who would have been exposed to these deli meats would be people eating in restaurants, delis, hospitals, nursing homes, schools and similar places that use such products. Apparently one of the food service clients asked the company to test the meat in response to a consumer complaint (obviously someone getting ill, since you can't smell or see the difference in the meat). And - there we are - the testing turned up Listeria monocytogenes.

To your good health,

TSF

RADIATION RISKS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN IN TOKYO AND NEARBY

The good news today is that radiation levels in Tokyo are slightly down from yesterday. But they are still many times what they should be. We can't really be sure just how high radiation is in Japan's food and water. But we do know that soil, irrigation canals, drinking water systems and growing crops, grass and food animals as much as 100km away from the affected Fukushima power plant are picking up radioactive iodine and other contaminants such as caesium 134 and 137. And, we also know that at least some radiation-contaminated food and water is even reaching Tokyo.

Japan's Ministry of Health has warned about risks for infants, but has not issued warnings for pregnant and nursing women. They should have. Pregnant women also take up more iodine-131 and this dangerous substance does cross the placenta to the fetus. Animal testing and studies of human atomic bombing victims and those exposed by incidents like Chernobyl have shown that such iodine may have disasterous effects on the fetus. It can not only cause childhood cancers, but also miscarriages, malformations (such as neurological and motor problems), growth retardation, reduction in IQ and even mental retardation.

Two main risk factors are: the radiation dose, including whether it is acute ( a single dose) or chronic (small doses over time) and the stage of pregnancy when exposed. Exposure during the first trimester is the most serious. Pregnant women need to take extra precautions to avoid exposure to radiation from any source. That includes food and water.

If there is a shortage of bottled water in the home, priority needs to be given to the pregnant woman. She should also be careful what fresh milk she drinks and what vegetables and fruits she eats. This might be a good time to resort to tinned and powdered milk and to tinned and frozen produce, on the assumption that these were produced before the recent tragic earthquake, tsunami and associated nuclear power incident.

TSF

THREE FOOD RISKS WOMEN SHOULD WATCH EVEN BEFORE THEY BECOME PREGNANT

Few women are aware that there are food risks they may need to watch, even before they conceive - maybe even several years before.

Two of these are PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and dioxins - groups of very persistent chemicals. In spite of cleanup efforts in North America and other industrialized nations, they continue to exist in our environment, in the soil, air, and waterways. From there they get into the foods we eat. Some dioxins and PCBs are extremely toxic and can affect the unborn child's physical and mental development. The problem is that they can remain stored in a woman's body in a type of half-life for six to ten years. About 80% of our exposure to these chemicals is believed to come from foods that are high in animal fat, such as milk, meat, fish, eggs and related products.

• If you want to have children in your twenties, start thinking of PCBs and dioxins in your teens, if in your thirties, start watching these chemicals in your twenties.
• Keep low on fatty food, especially the fatty part of meat and fish and stick to low-fat or non-fat dairy, except for the occasional ice-cream or whipped creaam splurge.

A third risk you may want to avoid, although it is not as common is toxoplasmosis. This disease is caused by a small protozoan parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. In healthy people it may not even cause any symptoms, or, you may just think you have a touch of the flu. Food and cats are main sources. If pregnant women are infected, this parasite can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, or structural or neurological damage in the newborn. This infection is much more common than is commonly believed. Some estimates say that an infected pregnant woman has about a 40% chance of passing toxoplasmosis on to her unborn child. While not common, there is a small risks of your baby even becoming infected if you contract toxoplasmosis a few months before you become pregnant.

• Avoid undercooked meat and fish.
• Wash fruits and vegetables well.
• Wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw meat (better still, wear disposable gloves).
• Don't drink contaminated water.
• Don't let your cat eat undercooked meat either, or eat a rat, and get someone else to change the cat's litter box (a good excuse to get out of that nasty chore).
• Get tested for toxoplasmosis before you conceive, or immediately afterwards.

TSF

FOODS PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD NOT EAT

I have been promising to write this for some time, in response to a question. As someone said to me the other day, it seems that you have to eat well while you are pregnant, but at the same time, there are so many foods that are dangerous that you shouldn't eat. Yes, if you want to give birth to a healthy child - and who doesn't- you definitely have to be more careful.

From a safety point of view, pregnant women are wise to avoid foods that are more likely to carry those contaminants that can cause miscarriage, birth defects or developmental problems. The worst hazards in industrialized nations include the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella, the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, toxic metals such as mercury and dangerous industrial chemicals like dioxins and PCBs. This is of course, only a partial list.

Here are the foods you may want to avoid. To keep this short, I am not going to give a technical explanation here of each food, but may explain some in future posts.

• Raw eggs, undercooked eggs and foods containing raw or undercooked egg such as Caesar dressing, mayonnaise, homemade ice cream or custard, unpasteurized eggnog, Hollandaise sauce….
• Any unpasteurized dairy products, including raw cheeses, even if aged 60 days, as we are now discovering that this may not be enough to kill all bacteria. To be safer, it is better to avoid all soft cheese, for example, blue-veined cheeses such as Roquefort, feta, Brie, Camembert, and Latin-American soft white cheeses such as queso blanco, queso fresco, queso de hoja, queso de crema, asadero. (Eat hard cheeses like cheddar).
• Meat or poultry that is rare or undercooked.
• Deli meats, including hot dogs and salami, unless you re-heat them to a temperature of 165 degrees.
• Pate and meat spreads, unless they are tinned.
• Raw sprouts such as alfalfa, and fresh pre-cut fruits and vegetables (eat well-washed whole fruit and vegetables and cooked produce)
• Unpasteurized juices (including apple juice and apple cider).
• Vegetables grown in an area where cats roam around.
• Raw or undercooked shellfish of any kind (such as oysters, clams and mussels). Remember too that cooking shellfish well may kill the bacteria, but will not inactivate natural toxins that shellfish can carry.
• Raw fish dishes such as sushi, sashimi, ceviche, carpaccio, tartare, yusheng, kuai, mul-hoe and smoked fish.
• High mercury fish, especially shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish. Eat other fish in moderation: a rough guide – no more than 12 oz. per week with preference to canned fish and smaller ocean fish. Five of the most commonly eaten seafood that are low in mercury are shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish. *
• Fish that might contain industrial pollutants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in their fatty tissues, such as bluefish and striped bass, and freshwater fish such as salmon, pike, trout, walleye from contaminated lakes and rivers.*
• Smoked seafood, often carrying the label of lox or nova style, unless you cook it well first (to at least 165 F degrees). Don't eat it as it comes out of the package.
_______

* This warning should already be heeded by women who are planning to become pregnant in a few years’ time.