WHAT CAUSED THE FOOD POISONING?

Almost everyone I know has come down with food poisoning at some time or another, many more than once. Yesterday my handyman told me that he had been hospitalized last week. “I ate a bad double-burger at Burger King,” he told me. He still looked a bit weak and pale.

The symptoms struck him two hours after that hamburger meal: a splitting headache, sharp pains in his abdomen, violent vomiting and diarrhea. He is generally a very strong and healthy young man, who does not drink or smoke, exercises a lot and eats reasonably, although he eats most of his meals out and doesn't like fruit. But he told me that the food poisoning last week totally wiped him out. “I can’t imagine someone old or a child getting this, "he said. “I was so ill I thought I was going to die.”

Was it food poisoning? And was the hamburger the cause?

Well, it could have been food poisoning. Certainly the symptoms are fairly typical, although such violent headaches don’t always occur. The doctor who saw him at the hospital also seemed to believe that contaminated food was the cause, although he himself initially had suspected that he had a ruptured appendix because of the sharp pains.

But was it the hamburger that did it? Maybe, or maybe not. Almost everyone that comes down with food poisoning tends to blame the last meal they ate, especially if they ate it out. There is also a tendency to blame the meat ingredient on the plate, as did my handyman. In reality however, it could have been the cheese on the burger or that skimpy lettuce leaf or slice of tomato. That is, if it was the hamburger at all. It could have been something else. In fact, it could have been something he ate more than a month ago!

The problem is that the incubation period for the toxins, chemicals, metals, microorganisms and other nasty things that cause food poisoning varies. It can be as short as 30 minutes(as in the case of the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, or, some marine and fungal toxins) to as long as 70 days or more as in the case of the bacterium Listeria moncocytogenes that is so common in ready-to-eat foods (see my previous posts).

Let’s just take the case of one bacterium most of us have heard of – Salmonella. Some of the less deadly Salmonella bacteria can make you sick within 6 hours, whereas others, such as Salmonella typhi can take as long as 60 days. Then on top of all this is the fact that how quickly bad food will affect you will depend on your general health, and of course, how much of the contaminant - whatever it is - that you get. All this confuses the picture.

What it boils down to is that it is unlikely that the doctor treating you will know for sure what particular food item or meal caused you to become so ill. The laboratory tests - if they are done - may not turn it up either, since they don't cover all the possibilities/

So was it the hamburger that gave my handyman food poisoning? Who knows. It could have been the tacos he ate for lunch, or the dinner the day before, or the burger the day before that, or.....Who knows.

To your good health,

TSF

GIVE UP THOSE DELI SALADS, SPREADS AND DIPS!

If you are a regular eater of ready-to-eat foods – salads, dips, spreads, cold cuts or whatever, you may want to think again, particularly if you are older or pregnant. The past 10 days of food recalls in the U.S. and Canada once again highlight how unsafe they can be.

The main risk with such foods is that nasty bacterium Listeria monocytogenes (although others do pop up as well). It is particularly tricky for two reasons. First, it can affect people so differently, and secondly, there is often a very long time between the time you eat that Listeria-contaminated salad or dip or whatever, and the time you begin to feel ill. I have written so much about this bacterium in previous posts, so won’t repeat it here.

Reser's Fine Foods of Beaverton, Oregon and Boston Salads and Prepared Foods of Boston, Massachusetts, are two of the several ready-to-eat food producers who have had to recently recall hundreds of their products. As often happens, the recalls kept expanding over the days, with more and more products suspected of being unsafe as investigators took a closer look.

And there is such a huge variety. Take the Reser’s recall. I went through their lists of ready-to-eat foods under many different brand names as well as their own and was amazed at the variety they offer.

Take just one of my local retailers – Safeway. It alone had some 30 different delicious-sounding salmon, crab and other dips and macaroni, potato, ham, chicken and other salads and slaws recalled.

So you thought some hard-working employee back there behind the Safeway Deli counter made those salads you just bought? Unfortunately not. We are living in the age of industrialized food production. They came from some huge food plant such as one of Reser’s which in turn, sources its ingredients from several suppliers, which may get theirs from still others. Who knows how many miles those prepared foods travelled, and how many days they took to reach your store.

Yes, these hundreds of recalled Reser’s products all over the U.S. and Canada apparently all came from their Topeka, Kansas salad manufacturing facility. How far is that from your home?

To your good health,

TSF

MORE SANDWICHES MADE WITH RECALLED EGGS

The list goes on and on. It's amazing how many different kinds of U.S. salads and sandwiches contain eggs. And unfortunately, it turns out that many of them contain eggs from Michaels Foods which have been suspected of carrying Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.

Here is another sandwich recall in addition to those that I have already blogged.

Grand Strand Sandwich Company of Longs, SC, is recalling its 4.5oz and 5 oz Chicken Salad Sandwiches, with the following labels: Grand Strand Sandwich, Lunch Box Sandwiches, and Country Harvest Sandwiches. They just found out that their sandwich manufacturer, Bost Distributing bought some of the Hard Cooked Eggs that were produced by Michael Foods which has an ongoing recall on those eggs.

Notice...The eggs were laid by hens on farms, then sent (directly or indirectly) to Michael Foods, which sent them to Bost Distributing (among others), which then made chicken salad sandwiches containing those eggs, which sandwiches were then sold to Grand Strand Sandwich Company, which then sent them for sale to us consumers at convenience stores in the U.S. southeast. There they sit around for weeks in the cooler waiting for you to buy them as "fresh sandwiches."

Ugh.....I think I would rather starve. Or, just eat a banana.

And on top of all that, look at all those mysterious ingredients in that so-called healthy and fresh sandwich (the photo of the label may not be clear enough for you to read them, but examine the label yourself the next time you are tempted to buy a ready-made sandwich).

To your good health,

TSF

PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD NOT EAT PRE-PACKAGED SANDWICHES

One of the risks that pregnant women need to avoid most in their food is the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. They are more susceptible to getting Listeriosis, and if they do, this illness during pregnancy can cause miscarriages, stillbirths and health problems in the newborn.

Pre-packaged (ready-to-eat -RTE) sandwiches are one of the food most likely to carry this bacterium. If you don't believe RTE sandwiches should be on your "don't eat" list during pregnancy, think of some of the recalls during the last few months in the United States. Let's start with now.

M.E. Thompson, Inc. of FLorida has just recalled its Anytime Deli Turkey & Ham Sub Sandwich, UPC 0543200194, with an expiration date of January 19th and January 22nd because Listeria monocytogenes bacteria have turned up in them. (By the way, they were sent to convenience stores in Florida and South Georgia already on January 2nd and 3rd!).

Flying Food Group’s Lawrenceville, GA facility recalled at least seven kinds of sandwiches - plus other RTE foods in late November and December 2011 because of Listeria bacteria. They were sold at Race Trac and at Starbucks, as well as at Core-Mark stores. There have been many other similar recalls over the years, and several sandwich-makers have had to fold because of this bacterium (see next post).

And don't think it is just a U.S. problem. Pregnant women in all industrialized countries should beware. At the end of last October, Federal health officials in Canada warned the public to avoid eating Hygaard Mini Sub sandwiches because of possible Listeria contamination. They were widely sold in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nunavut and Yukon Territories.

The UK has had several alerts over the years on pre-packaged sandwiches because of Listeria bacteria. Some of these were sold to schools and hospitals. In 2011 a number of Listeriosis illnesses in London were found to have a common link in pre-packaged sandwiches served at hospitals. It is the same story in other countries.

If you want to eat sandwiches while pregnant, make your own. If using deli meat - heat it until it is "re-cooked" and then put it on your sandwich. Or how about a meat-ball sandwich or a cooked mushroom and spinach one? There are many alternatives that avoid deli meats and cheese. But whatever you do avoid those pre-packaged ones. Your child's life could depend on it.

To your good health,

TSF

FIVE FOOD SAFETY LESSONS FROM 2011

What have we learned from the food-related outbreaks and recalls of 2011? Here are five of my thoughts.

Our food is not getting any safer:
In fact, it might be getting less so. Improved legislation (such as the U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act, passed in late 2010) will have no positive impact unless there is also money and will to make improvements.

Food related outbreaks can be very large:
Food poisoning is no longer just a few people getting sick at the church picnic. Outbreaks can be huge. This was best illustrated by the enormous 2011 E.coli 0104 outbreak centered in Northern Germany, which made over 4,000 people seriously ill, and caused some 50 deaths. All this caused by some tiny sprouted fenugreek seeds that not many people eat.

The cause of an outbreak is quite difficult to trace and can take a long time:
As we saw in the above case, finding the culprit food is far from easy, particularly when political and economic factors interfere. It is not unusual for wrong foods to be initially suspected as occurred in Germany (The Safe Food Handbook also illustrates several such cases). Many food recalls also expand or have spinoffs, which is why I often warn readers to draw a large circle around a recalled product until the investigators have time to do their jobs.

Ready-to-eat foods and raw foods continue to be risky:
The Safe Food Handbook discusses the special risks in "raw, ready and remote" food. The food recalls of 2011 in the U.S. certainly confirm this. Look back on the recalls, and you'll see that a large proportion were foods that were ready to eat or "convenience" foods, many of them raw (such as bagged produce), and yes, we also had a lot of problems with imported products (I'll blog this separately).

Organic is no guarantee of safety:
Many of the contaminated foods of 2011 have unfortunately been organic - the organic celery seeds, organic grape tomatoes, organic bagged spinach, organic strawberries, organic milk and cheese, and more. True, organic foods are likely to have less pesticide, and some of them carry less hormones or antibiotic residues, but organic foods can be as likely, and perhaps even more likely, to carry bacteria and viruses.

To your good health,
TSF

STILL ANOTHER BAGGED SPINACH RECALL

All these incidents of bacteria in the U.S. food supply are wearing me out, trying to keep up. You may notice that most of them are in produce - which we tend to eat raw. That is, no cooking "kill step" for bacteria. And yes, today we have another one.

At least it's a change from Listeria. Church Brothers, of Salinas, California is recalling 560 bags of clipped spinach after one bag tested positive for Salmonella bacteria during a random USDA testing. The recalled product was processed on October 6, 2011 and shipped in 2.5 pound bags to Super King Markets in Los Angeles, California. The “best if used by” date is 10/23/11, but it's been for sale for a couple of weeks.

By the way, this is the second bagged spinach recall this year due to Salmonella - check my post for April 7. It was Fresh Express that time.

And wait...That name "Church Brothers" rang a bell with me. Ah yes, they were involved in the bagged lettuce recall(Listeria that time) just a couple of weeks ago. Church Bros. is part owner of True Leaf Farms by the way, which name may be more familiar to you in connection with that lettuce recall (see earlier posts). It seems that True Leaf Farms is their processing arm (I thought it was the other way around). And, in spite of sending food out with two different kinds of bacteria in the last few weeks, they pride themselves on their safety precautions.

Here's a quote from their website:
"Church Brothers and True Leaf Farms pride themselves with having the highest integrity when it comes to Food Safety Standards and we adhere to the Leafy Green Marketing Agreement standards."

Maybe they should double check. Obviously something is wrong.And I would bet we are going to hear more about Church Brothers' plant and their bagged greens.

To your good health,
TSF

HOW TO MAKE YOUR CANTALOUPE SAFER

This ongoing outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes bacteria in whole cantaloupes has Americans scared. Food poisoning is one thing, but once people start dying it's another. There have now been at least 100 confirmed illnesses and 18 deaths. Nor is this the end, because of the long lead time before symptoms develop. The detailed personal stories on line in some of the lawyers' blogs are enough to make one give up eating cantaloupes for life.

But many of us really like cantaloupes. We don't want to stop eating them. So how can we eat them more safely? Cooking cantaloupes is out, so we have to think of other ways to avoid - not kill - most of any existing bacteria. Here are some ideas.

• Eat whole cantaloupe rather than cut-up ready-to-eat packaged ones. Yes, I know this outbreak started in whole cantaloupes, but usually bacteria, and especially Listeria monocytogenes, are more likely to turn up in the sliced-up "convenience" type, coming from workers who are carriers or contaminated equipment or even packaging that is used.
• Always wash thoroughly your whole cantaloupe before cutting it, using cold running water. True, some have already been washed and look perfectly clean, but may not be, and others are clearly soiled. Use a soft brush if the cantaloupe has a rough skin, to get into all the crevices. Never use hot and then cold water, because this can draw any bacteria on the skin inside the cantaloupe.
• Wash your hands first and then peel the whole cantaloupe with a clean knife and then rinse it again under running cold water. This is a little tricky to do as it's pretty slippery. In that case, you may want to cut the cantaloupe in half, running it briefly under cold water where cut and then peel it. Rinse the now peeled item, the knife and your hads quickly again, before slicing up the cantaloupe.
• If a cantaloupe has a soft bruised area, cut off this part, with at least an inch margin (depending how bad the bruising is). Use an even wider margin if part of it is moldy.
• For the time being, avoid the Jensen Farm pesticide-free Rocky Ford ones if you happen to come across any, although not every cantaloupe will be heavily contaminated. As far as we know right now, the problem is limited to this farm's produce, and to any processors that used them for salads or convenience products. The cause of the contamination has not yet been identified, and if it is the irrigation water, contaminated soil or processing water, it will take a while to resolve. If that cantaloupe in your frig has no label, discard it anyway, just to be safe.

To your good health,
TSF

AN EXPANDING BAGGED LETTUCE RECALL IN U.S. AND TO CANADA

I feel as though I am repeating myself. Last night I blogged the expanding cantaloupe recall. Now I am blogging the expanding bagged, chopped, ready-to-eat Romaine lettuce one. Both involve the potentially-deadly Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.

But I will say that at least the recall expansion in the lettuce case didn't come weeks after the first alert and recall - only a day. Much better. Also, it came at the FDA's urging - not because of bad record keeping.

Down to the facts. Here is what is happening. On September 29, True Leaf Farms issued a recall for 90 cartons of chopped romaine because Listeria monocytogenes turned up during testing of it. The recalled product was shipped between September 12 and 13, with a use-by date of September 29 - the date of the recall. Notice again how FDA testing results come far too late, especially for fresh produce, which tends to be eaten quickly. But I will add, that the company acted as soon as it got the results of the FDA testing.

The lettuce went to an institutional food service distributor (Church Brothers) in Oregon who further distributed it to at least two additional states, Washington and Idaho.

The next day's update expanded the recall to cover 2498 cartons of lettuce, to include additional product shipped to wholesale food service distributors in 19 more states - and to Alberta, Canada. The U.S. states include Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Vermont.

Three notes:
- Listeria monocytogenes turns up quite often in lettuce and leafy greens, especially ready-to-eat kind, and the FDA is trying to find out why. So this is a fairly typical recall.
- This recall has nothing to do with the ongoing cantaloupe one.
- The recall notice says that no illnesses have been connected to it - yet. (See my earlier post on this issue).

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

A BAD FEW WEEKS FOR READY-TO-EAT FOODS

At least in the U.S., and no doubt elsewhere as well, there are regular recalls for ready-to-eat, or "convenience" food products. The reason is usually that testing has turned up dangerous bacteria in the food. Since they are "ready" for eating, and are therefore rarely cooked, such bacteria are also more likely to cause illnesses.

For instance, between July 5 and July 26 - a period of just three weeks, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued 11 recalls for meat-containing ready-to-eat foods. Two of the product recalls were simply for mislabeling or undeclared allergens (which I do not blog) However, nine recalls are taking place because testing by USDA turned up pathogenic bacteria in the food. Of these, 7 (counting two expanded recalls) were due to Listeria monocytogenes bacteria being found . The other two were for Salmonella bacteria.

You can see why I keep saying that pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems should go easy on eating ready-to-eat foods.

To your good health,
TSF

EXPANDING FOOD RECALLS

If you follow food recalls, you will realize that they often start small and get bigger. What I mean is that originally we are told that a few specific products and lots of a food item may be contaminated. Then, some days or even weeks later, we are told that there are actually a few more, and then even more. It happens over and over again.

And it happened this past week. The recalls involved ready-to-eat meat products that were contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. One recalling food producer was Flying Food Group, of Georgia, which produced these products for Starbucks and the other was the well-known Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation of Texas. Both had to expand their recalls six days after they were initially made, to include additional items produced at the same plant, which had not been named in the original recall.

What happens if bacteria are found, is that other foods produced at the same plant or using the same suspect ingredients, or, the same equipment, are tested as well. And that is when additional contaminated products often start turning up and more have to be recalled.

So what does this have to do with the health-conscious consumer? Actually, quite a lot. Say, for instance, that you are a pregnant woman who needs to involve being exposed to Listeria bacteria at any cost. In that case, as soon as a recall is announced for one of a company's products, avoid any similar ones for at least a week or two, in case they turn out to be risky as well - just in case. If you read my alerts, you'll see that I often advise this. Such precautions may sound a bit extreme. But they really aren't. Not if the life of your unborn child could be involved.

To your good health,
TSF

UPDATE: Flying Foods Group issued a third expansion of th recall on July 28. Here's a summary of how it has gone so far: July 19th - 2 RTE foods recalled (made for Starbucks only). July 26 - recall expanded to cover 10 items. July 28 - recall expanded to cover 40 items (with now 3 distributors). Ugh!

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

STARBUCKS CHICKEN PRODUCT RECALL

Over the years, Starbucks has extended food and drink offerings way beyond all those wonderful varieties of coffee. This roaster and retailer of specialty coffee now operates in over 50 countries in the world. Share prices are up over 50% over the past year. But with an expanded menu also comes added risk. Today the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a recall of two of its menu items. The USDA/FSIS again found that nasty bacteria, Listeria monocytogenes, that keeps turning up in ready-to-eat food.

The items recalled are:

• 8.4-ounce packages of “STARBUCKS CHIPOTLE CHICKEN WRAPS Bistro Box”
• 6.3-ounce packages of “STARBUCKS CHICKEN & HUMMUS Bistro Box”

These ready-to-eat chicken products were produced for Starbucks by Flying Food Group, LLC, of Lawrenceville, Georgia on July 13, 2011. They were distributed to coffee shops in Georgia and Alabama. Most likely, they have already been eaten. No illnesses have been reported so far, but that's hardly surprising. The incubation period for Listeriosis (the illness caused by Listeria bacteria) can range from as little as 6 hours to 70 or even 90 days. But is usually around 12 days. In other words, not enough time has lapsed yet for people to get sick.

As stressed in The Safe Food Handbook pregnant women, people on corticosterioid therapy, and people with a compromised immune systems need to be aware of the extra risks involved in eating ready-to-eat foods and in eating out. Listeria bacteria are a common threat. Read the several earlier posts on Listeria in ready-to-eat foods and on how Listeriosis can be disastrous for pregnant women.

To your good health,
TSF

UPDATE: This recall has been expanded twice - July 26 and 28, to include additional products. See separate post.

SALMONELLA IN CANADIAN DUCK

And now it's smoked duck - delicious smoked, ready-to-eat, imported duck. Two U.S. importers have issued recalls because the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA/FSIS) - which is charged with keeping such meat products safe - found Salmonella bacteria in a test sample. They both got the duck product from Canada.

If you've read The Safe Food Handbook: How to Make Smart Choices about Risky Food, you'll know that these products comply with two of the four high-risk criteria - "remote" (imported, travelling many miles) and "ready" (ready-to-eat, RTE, foods are more risky).

The recalling U.S. companies are: Sid Wainer & Son, Inc., of New Bedford, Mass. and Palmex, Inc., of Champlain, N.Y. They got it from a Canadian company named Charcuterie Parisienne (a private company, based in Montreal).

The product being recalled is "Magret de Canard Fume Seche - Dried Smoked Duck Breast, Produit du Canada/Product of Canada." I don't know yet whether any of this product was distributed in Canada itself by the original company, or, by one of the importers (oddly enough, sometimes food does a U-turn and goes right back across the border to where it came from - I discussed this in an earlier post).

The U.S. imports a lot of food from Canada (and visa versa). Comparatively speaking, it is fairly safe. But recalls do happen. This is certainly not the first instance. There have been several for deli meat or poultry over the years.

These duck products were sold for institutional use, meaning that they went to places such as restaurants, hotels, retailers and so on. The first company distributed them in in Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania. The second one sent them for on-distribution to sites in California and to the Dominican Republic (notice again, how the food we eat travels around these days). Who knows where it ended up.

We are not talking about huge quantities here (some 350 lbs so far, but there may be more). People just don't eat that much duck, particularly in this economy, since it is usually pretty expensive. But you may want to think twice before ordering an "away from home" smoked duck salad, or something similar, in the next few weeks, no matter how good it sounds.

To your good health,
TSF

CONTAMINATED READY-TO-EAT FOODS

One of the consistent arguments of The Safe Food Handbook is that ready-to-eat (RTE) foods are likely to be more risky. This applies to meat products as well as non-meat RTE foods. And it's the same everywhere - not just in the United States and Canada.

Did you notice in the previous blog ("The Food Recall Myth") that almost all of the items on the 2010 6-month list of USDA recalls fell into that category (fried pork loaf, salads, appetizers, sandwiches, potstickers and so on - take a look). In fact, it was a bad year for RTE products, particularly those containing meat or based on meat.

Here's what I found for 2010 as a whole (12 months - but I included only recalls linked to possible contaminants of one kind or another - not those for mislabeling, an undeclared allergen or ingredient): 73% of the recalls by the USDA were for ready-to-eat products. This was up considerably from 2009, where the majority of such food recalls (22 compared to 19) were for uncooked fresh or frozen meat - usually ground beef products.

Why? I bet it's at least partly because we are cooking less and less and eating more and more of the "grab and go" type of foods. Alright, I perfectly sympathize with the woman who wrote in and said that after a day's work, when she was too tired to cook, it was at least a step up from fast food. Agreed. But it's a step down from a 10-15 minute, "frig to plate" fresh-cooked meal.

OK - I'm super fast, but yes, you can make a great though simple dinner for two based on fresh products in that time (complex ones naturally take longer). Of course, another way to do it is what one of my busy but health-conscious friends (who up to recently lived alone) does: she goes to the farmer's market on the weekend and then fresh cooks and freezes dinners for the weekdays ahead. OK, maybe a bit limiting, but certainly less risky.

We live in the real world. Most of us end up compromising on RTE foods, and eat them at least once in a while. But let's try to do it less often. This is a growing eating trend - but not a healthy one.

TSF

DOES RE-WASHING BAGGED SALADS HELP?

I am often asked whether washing ready-to-eat, that is, already washed salads will help to make them safer.

The experts - and the Food and Drug Administration, which is in charge of making sure that these kinds of foods are as safe as they can be - usually say it might, but then again, it might not. In other words, they don't come right out and say it helps. But they point out that it doesn't hurt either.

Let me explain this better. Ready-to-eat salads (in bags, plastic clamshell containers or other) are usually triple-washed by the distributor before they are sent to the store. It has been estimated that this will get rid of around 90-95% of any bacteria on the salad leaves (irradiation would get rid of an additional 5% or so). But notice - I said "on" - not "in." Research shows that some bacteria can get right inside the leaves. If so, washing prior to packaging, or washing in your own home won't get rid of them.

How about some cooked salad?

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

A LITTLE SLIP-UP LEADS TO A RECALL

Now beef is trying to make up for lost time last year. We are getting one beef recall after another. The latest - "FULLY COOKED BLACK ANGUS GROUND BEEF STEAK PATTIES,” (whatever that means). They were apparently contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria which is so deadly to people with compromised immune systems (see previous blog about Steve Jobs) - and, to pregnant women.

But try recalling beef patties, when that product "has been used and is no longer available in commerce." (I am quoting the company's recall notice). The Angus beef patties in question were produced by United Food Group, of California, on October 11 last year.

Why is this recall so late? It seems when the company was conducting its end-of-year inventory, it discovered that this large package of contaminated burgers, that had been placed on hold, had been accidentally shipped out after all. Oooops. A little slip-up. It went to a single distributor in California who apparently shipped the patties off to "institutional users." Hospitals? Schools? Nursing homes? NOT a good idea....

TSF