A LEADING CAUSE OF FOOD POISONING IN OLDER ADULTS

If you have read The Safe Food Handbook (my book, not this blog) you will probably guess that one of my favorite agents of food poisoning is the tiny bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. It is believed to be the third leading cause of death from food poisoning in the United States.

Listeria turns up on a regular basis in our processed foods and in restaurant meals. Recently, it was suspected in Ruth's Pimento Spread, which is distributed in Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.

This blog has often highlighted how dangerous the Listeria bacterium is for pregnant women, that is, for their unborn child (causing miscarriages and stillbirths). But today I want to touch on how dangerous it is for older adults and anyone else with a weakened immune system (such as those receiving cancer therapy).

As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states, more than half of all Listeria infections occur in people age 65 and older. Why? The CDC points to the fact that as we age our immune system and organs aren’t as good at recognizing and ridding our body of harmful germs as they used to be. Chronic conditions such as diabetes and cancer also tend to occur more in people who are older and also weaken the immune system. Add to this the fact that as we age, our whole body, including our digestive system, tends to become more sluggish and ineffective, allowing pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes to multiply and cause us more harm.

I suspect it also had something to do with the fact that older people who still live independently tend to eat more processed "easy" foods such as Ruth's Pimento Spread, which is a typical place for this nasty bacterium to hide.



TSF

IS THERE TOO MUCH RADIATION IN RICE?

This blog warned about nuclear contamination of food in Japan very soon after the Fukushima nuclear plant crisis in northeast Japan on March 11. At that point, there was, as yet, no evidence or discussion of it. (Read the 20 earlier posts on this issue, beginning March 15). These fears have been confirmed. Excessive levels of radiation have been found in milk, vegetables, fruit, seaweed, fish, drinking water, animal feed - and, most recently, in beef.

It was only a matter of time before attention would turn to rice. Back on April 10, I (see "Can Rice be Contaminated?") I mentioned that the Government of Japan had advised farmers not to plant rice in certain areas because of this risk. We'll know soon whether such warnings were enough. The rice planted back in the spring is about to be harvested. Government-required testing of the rice is beginning in at least 14 prefectures in north and east Japan. About 40 percent of the annually harvested over 8 million tons of rice is grown in this area.

The testing will check levels of cesium in rice to make sure that they are not above the maximum government-imposed cap of 500 becquerels per kilogram. If any are, then shipments of rice from the area will be stopped.

Obviously farmers are anxious. But so are consumers. Rice is something that most people in Japan eat every day - including young children and pregnant women, who are at special risk. Cesium can build up in the body, resulting in higher risk for certain cancers as well as other health problems.

To your good health,
TSF

RECALL OF FOODS FOR STARBUCKS EXPANDED AGAIN

On July 19th, Flying Food Group of Georgia, recalled two kinds of ready-to-eat (RTE) products it had made for sale in Starbucks restaurants in Georgia and Alabama in the U.S. Testing had found Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.

On July 26th, the recall was expanded to include more Starbucks items as well as foods sold to Race Trac and Core Marc, Atlanta. Today, July 28, the recall was expanded again, to now include 40 RTE foods, 21 of them made for Starbucks (see also posts of July 25 and July 19). As the last "enjoy by" date is July 26, most likely the majority of these items have been eaten.

But those who ate them may just be starting to become ill. The symptoms of Listeriosis can reportedly take up to as long as 90 days to develop, but usually it's around 12. Therefore, if you ate at a Starbucks in Georgia or Alabama, and especially if you are pregnant of have a weakened immune system, you may want to try to recall what you ate, and call your doctor if you are worried. But remember - just because they are being recalled, does not mean that all were contaminated with Listeria.

Here's the latest Starbucks list.

• 6.6 ounce packages of “Egg Salad Sandwich” that have “Enjoy By” dates of 7/15-7/26
• 5.9 ounce package of “Chicken Chipotle” that have “Enjoy By” dates of 7/15-7/26
• 7.5 ounce package of “Tarragon Chicken Salad Sandwich” that have “Enjoy By” dates of 7/15-7/26
• 5.0 ounce package of “Roma Tomato & Mozzarella” that have “Enjoy By” dates of 7/15-7/26
• 6.4 ounce package of “Turkey and Swiss Sandwich” that have “Enjoy By” dates of 7/15-7/26
• 5.5 ounce package of “Ham and Swiss” that have “Enjoy By” dates of 7/15-7/26
• 8.1 ounce package of “Strawberry and Blueberry Yogurt Parfait” that have “Enjoy By” dates of 7/16-7/27
• 8.1 ounce package of “Dark Cherry Yogurt Parfait” that have “Enjoy By” dates of 7/16-7/27
• 6.1 ounce package of “Greek Yogurt & Honey Parfait” that have “Enjoy By” dates of 7/16-7/27
• 8.3 ounce package of “Sesame Noodles Bistro Box” that have “Enjoy By” dates of 7/15 – 7/26
• 5.3 ounce package of “Cheese & Fruit Bistro Box” that have “Enjoy By” dates of 7/15-7/26
• 6.8 ounce package of “Protein Bistro Box” that have “Enjoy By” dates of 7/15-7/26
• 5.9 ounce package of “Tuna Salad Plate Bistro Box” that have “Enjoy By” dates of 7/15-7/26
• 5.1 ounce package of “Hot Panini Roasted Tomato & Mozzarella” that have “Enjoy By” dates of 7/15-7/26
• 6.1 ounce package of “Hot Panini Roasted Vegetable” that have “Enjoy By” dates of 7/15-7/26
• 6.1 ounce package of “Hot Panini Chicken Santa Fe” that have “Enjoy By” dates of 7/15-7/26
• 5.2 ounce package of “Hot Panini Ham & Swiss” that have “Enjoy By’ dates of 7/15-7/26
• 8.4 ounce package of “Chipotle Chicken Wraps Bistro Box” that have “Enjoy By” dates of 7/16-7/26*
• 6.3 ounce package of “Chicken & Hummus Bistro Box” that have “Enjoy By” dates of 7/16-7/26*
• 4.6 ounce package of “Salumi & Cheese Bistro Box” that have “Enjoy By” dates of 7/15-7/26*
• 7.3 ounce package of “Chicken Lettuce Wraps Bistro Box” that have “Enjoy By” dates of 7/15-7/26*

To your good health,
TSF

ANOTHER CHICKEN PRODUCTS RECALL DUE TO LISTERIA

Yesterday I blogged the Starbucks ready-to-eat chicken products recall. Today there is another one. The reason is the same: the USDA testing turned up Listeria monocytogenes bacteria - the one that is so dangerous to pregnant women and certain other people (see previous post).

This time the company recalling the products is based in Texas not Georgia. It's Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation. Do you remember their huge recall of RTE turkey and chicken products for the same reason (Listeria bacteria) in 2002? (See the next post).

Here are the items being recalled:

- 10 lb. boxes containing 2 5-lb bags of “Sweet Georgia Brand Fully Cooked Breaded White Chicken Nuggets Shaped Patties”
- 30 lb. boxes containing 6 5-lb bags of “Pilgrim’s Pride Fully Cooked Grilled Chicken Breast Fillet with Rib Meat

But you won't find these products in U.S. stores. They were only sent to institutional clients through Ohio, New Jersey, and Texas distribution centers. Who knows where they ended up. Our food really travels around these days. And it is packaged and repackaged and repackaged and relabelled again and again.

The USDA notice of the recall does not say that the products were frozen, but they must be since the use-by date on the grilled chicken products is December 26, 2011. By the way, that is six months after they were produced. Ugh - antique food! No wonder it is contaminated. By the way, Listeria monocytogenes bacteria survive very well in the refrigerator, and, in the freezer.

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

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.

WHY IS LEAD IN CANDY?

This is probably a final blog on this topic. But it is important. Most children eat candy. The last thing parents want is for that candy to be contaminated with lead.

The current revelation of high levels of lead in candy imported from Pakistan is not the first - nor will it be the last incident. Throughout the years, there have been cases in the United States of lead-contaminated imported candy from various countries. In fact, in 2009, the Food and Drug Administration advised pregnant women and young children not to eat candy imported from Mexico because of this risk.

How do you know when the lead is there? The point is, you don't. The candy tastes the same. Nor will you (or your children) have symptoms at the lower blood levels. As the levels of lead in blood rise, symptoms will start to appear. The younger the child, the more he or she will be at risk because lead affects the child's developing nerves and brain. The fetus is especially vulnerable, which is why pregnant women need to be so careful. When symptoms do appear, they are often vague and easy to dismiss - irritability, sleeplessness, anemia, headaches, loss of appetite, low energy, and so on.

How does lead get into the candy? Spices could be the cause, especially chili powder which is extensively used in candies and soft drinks to give them that extra "punch." As explained in The Safe Food Handbook (section on "Can There be Lead in our Spices?), it could happen because of the way the chilies are dried, processed or stored. So is domestic candy any safer? It is hard to tell. It may also use imported chili spices as an ingredient. But both spices and candy are tested for such unhealthy substances, although such testing cannot cover or catch everything.

TSF

LISTERIA IN SALADS - A GLOBAL TREAT

Listeria monocytogenes bacteria commonly crop up in ready-to-eat (RTE) salads as well as other RTE foods. This bacterium can be present in the soil, in improperly treated organic fertilizer and in irrigation water. Animals who carry it may show no symptoms of illness.

The bacteria could also enter from packaging or plant equipment - and, in my opinion, one of the biggest risk factors - is that it is commonly carried by food industry workers. How often this happens, is difficult to say as estimates vary - let's say, somewhere between 5-20% of food workers may be carriers (that is of course, a broad range, but I bet it varies in different parts of the US.

And don't assume that this is just a US problem. It is not. For the readers of this blog in Canada, Australia, New Zealand (and my stats tell me there are quite a few of you in those countries) you have also had quite a few similar outbreaks and recalls - Listeria monocytogenes in RTE salads (as well as other foods). In fact, several occurred in 2010 in all these countries. At least one was reported in New Zealand about a week ago (Pams Fresh Express, and Living Foods Brands were involved).

And unfortunately, you can't assume organic produce is any safer. For one thing, it is handled just as much. For another, it is just as subject to environmental, animal and plant contamination. Take today's recall by State Garden, Inc. (see previous blog). One of the salad products on its recall list is Olivia's Organics. In fact, some 20 of the 90 (currently) recalled salad products bear this label. This organic line was launched with all kinds of great publicity by State Garden in March, 2006. I am quoting from the company's website at that time: "The mission of OLIVIA’S ORGANICS™ is three-fold: to encourage healthy eating by offering all-natural, organic products; to aide the local community though the work of its Foundation; and to protect the environment by endorsing earth-friendly, organic farming techniques." This sounds like a wonderful initiative - for a profit oriented company. But, unfortunately, bacteria don't discriminate - they are an equal-opportunity threat.

Listeria monocytogenes is not only a global food safety risk, but it can turn up just as much in organic as well as in conventional produce and other kinds of foods. Pregnant women - take special care (see my next blog).

TSF