A BAD WEEK FOR POTATOES

We tend to think of potatoes as a relatively risk-free food. Offhand, how many cases of food poisoning can you think of in which potatoes have been involved? But the last few days may make us think twice about this popular vegetable.

McCain Foods USA, Inc. has had to recall their frozen hash brown potato products because of bits of golf balls (can you believe it?) hiding in them. I have been trying to figure out how on earth this could have happened. But I can see where it is possible. If a potato field happens to be near a golf course, a large mechanical harvester of potatoes could pick up a ball or two.

Anyway, throw out any 2 lb. bags of hash browns in your freezer if they are Roundy’s or Teeter brands, and if you live in Illinois and Wisconsin (Roundy’s brand) or in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia and Maryland (Harris Teeter brand).

By the way, McCain Foods also supplies restaurants with vegetables and distributes to some 160 countries around the world. Who knows where golf-ball hash browns will pop up? You may want to be careful if you are biting into some hash browns at your favorite restaurant.

And you had better pass on the potato chips too if Jalapeño Flavored Frito-Lay‘s Kettle Cooked chips or Jalapeño Flavored Miss Vickie’s Kettle Cooked potato chips are your favorite. In this case there could be Salmonella bacteria in the Jalapeño seasoning that was used. Yes, as I discuss in The Safe Food Handbook (the book, not this blog) Salmonella bacteria are remarkably hardy. They can live in very dry conditions – as in spices – for months.

Remember, Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and anyone who has a weakened immune system, such as people receiving cancer treatment.

TSF

SALMONELLA IN NUTS AND SPICES

Yes, it's true: bacteria, like most living organisms, prefer to grow where's there some moisture. But some, like the well-known Salmonella, manages to survive for months in very dry situations, including in dry foods. That's why it crops up fairly often in unexpected places such as nuts and spices.

For instance, presently in the U.S. there is a recall of 5,000 pounds of imported Turkish Pine Nuts because Salmonella Enteritidis bacteria have been found in them. Sad news for us pine nut lovers. Nor is this the first time that Salmonella has turned up in pine nuts, as well as in other nuts.

The recall is being made by Wegmans Food Markets. They were sold in the Bulk Foods department of most of Wegmans 79 stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, and Maryland between July 1 and October 18, 2011. So far there have been at least 42 confirmed illnesses due to eating these nuts. Most of the cases have been in New York State.

Wegman's got their nuts from Sunrise Commodities of Englewood Cliffs, N.J., which imported them. One would assume they came from Turkey, but I am going to check this further as their web site only lists China and Spain as sources for their pine nuts (Chinese Turkish pine nuts? ).

Unfortunately, this is a particularly vicious strain of Salmonella . Symptoms usually occur 12-72 hours after eating a heavily contaminated food. Most people would just get the usual diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal cramps. But in the case of an unlucky few, the bacteria can end up in the bloodstream and lead to more serious and long-lasting illnesses such as arthritis, arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms) and endocarditis.

Avoid it! You may also want to avoid prepared foods that contain pine nuts for a while. Wegman's also used the nuts in some of theirs (e.g. Caprese salads), and the supplier may also have sold them to others.

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

IS ORGANIC FOOD MORE DANGEROUS?

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

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

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

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

To your good health,
TSF

A SOY FLOUR RECALL STARTS: RISKS FOR HUMANS AND PETS

Just announced by the FDA - a Salmonella contamination of soy flour in the U.S. Thumb Oilseed Producer’s Cooperative in Mich., is recalling 2623, 40-lb. bags and 360, 1,500-lb. totes of soybean flour; in addition to 924 .08-ton loads of bulk soy meal. That is an awful lot of flour. It was sent to wholesalers, who would have sent it on to food producer and possibly retail clients in smaller quantities.

I bet this recall is really going to expand with many of these food companies that used this flour having to recall whatever they made with it. That's another downside risk resulting from the interconnectedness of our industrialized food supply. And it is going to affect both human and animal food, since both commonly use soy flour as an ingredient.

An expansion always happens when a commonly used food ingredient is found to be contaminated. It happened with peanut products and again with dry milk in mid 2009 - both with Salmonella bacteria the cause (which survives very well in dry conditions). It will happen with soy flour this time. And it will not only have health costs, but also financial ones, with some small food producers going under because of lost production and costs of the recall. Of course, if the food production process cooks the food to a high enough temperature it should kill the bacteria.

Phew..This has been a really bad month in the U.S. in many ways, including in terms of food risks. I have enough trouble keeping up with all the ups and downs in the stock market, let alone the ones in our food. I am wondering whether the attempts at cost-cutting by some producers and food companies has resulted in dangerous shortcuts and slipups. And I am not even mentioning all those "foreign matter" recalls (like tiny bits of metal in Kraft Velveeta shells) and numerous allergens.

To your good health,
TSF

REPLAY: CARGILL TURKEY CONTAMINATED AGAIN

A particularly vicious strain of Salmonella bacteria was found in Arkansas-based Cargill Meat Solutions' ground turkey products about a month ago. This resulted in a large recall of a range of turkey products (see earlier posts). Now there is another outbreak at the same meat processing facility. It looks as though it is the same bacteria. There's also another recall of 185,000 pounds of ground turkey products by the company. Again, the turkey meat was distributed nationwide in the U.S.

The products involved include several fresh ground turkey chubs, fresh ground turkey trays, and fresh ground turkey patties, all produced at the end of August. The retail distribution list(s) will be posted on FSIS' website at www.fsis.usda.gov/FSIS_Recalls/
Open_Federal_Cases/index.asp. If you think you may have bought some, consult it.

So why is there another outbreak in meat from the same company so soon after the last one? The simple reason - the source of the contamination has not yet been identified. Yes, of course the US Department of Agriculture has done all kinds of testing, and the company has tried to clean up the facility. The usual. But obviously, they haven't succeeded. This sort of situation is not uncommon at all. It's not easy to find the culprit piece of equipment, ventilator duct, plant worker, or whatever.

If you want to be really safe, I suggest that you avoid all ground turkey products from this company for a month or two - even those that are not presently being recalled. Let's get a good "all clear" from the USDA before we go back to eating them.

To your good health,
TSF

TWO MORE FOODS RECALLED: CHEESE SPREAD AND BACON

Two more food product recalls have been announced by U.S. food safety authorities. They are cheese spread, contaminated with Salmonella bacteria, and bacon products, contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

The cheese spread was sold through retailers, whereas the bacon products, originating in Canada, went to food service facilities.

Here are the details:

Miss Bonnie’s Gourmet, LLC is recalling its Miss Bonnie’s Gourmet Classic Cheddar Cheese Spread distributed between 8/1/11 and 8/10/11, with a “Best By Date” of December 23, 2011 and batch code number 0116206G113. The product is packaged in 8 ounce glass jars and was distributed to Kroger Stores in Roanoke, Virginia; Cincinnati, Ohio; Louisville, Kentucky; and Memphis, Tennessee.

Aliments Prince, S.E.C., an establishment from Ontario, Canada, is recalling approximately 380,000 pounds of diced bacon products. Food service institutions take note! The list of products recalled is posted on http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_063_2011_Release/index.asp:

To your good health,
TSF

RECALL OF THE CONTAMINATED GROUND TURKEY IN CALIFORNIA

I have noticed that a lot of my California-based blog readers are wondering where the recently recalled Cargill ground turkey was sold here (see previous posts). People are particularly concerned - rightly so - because this is not just any old meat recall. It involves a Salmonella bacteria which is multi-drug resistant. That is the type of bacteria we all fear most, whether it be a Stahylococcus, Streptococcus, E.coli, or Salmonella. And, it is also the type of bacteria that is increasingly cropping up as antibiotics are overused, including at sub-therapeutic levels in poultry and meat production.

The California Department of Health (CDPH) has now put out a list of places where these recalled meat products were sold. It is paying particular attention to this nationwide recall, since several illnesses and the one death, have occurred in California (above see map).

The California stores involved in the recall include: WinCo, Food4Less, Foodsco, Stater Brothers Markets, Ralph's, Ralph's Fresh Fair, and Cala (only in San Francisco). I say "include" because who knows, more may be added to the list.

The products bore brand names of Kroger, Honeysuckle White and Riverside (see earlier posts for the products recalled). They were sold in many parts of California. The list of towns and cities is too long to include here but can be accessed on the Excel spread sheet provided by CDPH: see http://www.cdph.ca.gov/pubsforms/Documents/fdbFrCMSd.xls (or, search on cdph.ca.gov for Cargill turkey recall). The list includes store addresses and telephone numbers which allows you to call them if you have any questions.

But remember that these potentially dangerous products have now been taken off the market. At least we hope so (besides, their Best by date has expired). And, as I have said before, just because pathogenic bacteria are found in significant numbers in a few items does not mean that they are present in every single package bought.

To your good health,
TSF

THE SALMONELLA MYSTERY SOLVED: IT'S GROUND TURKEY!

For the past five months or so, the authorities in the U.S. have been wondering what has been causing all those Salmonella illnesses throughout the country (at least 79 ill, and one death). Well, it seems that the mystery is finally solved. It's ground turkey. Yes, that risky ground meat product again.

Today the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a huge recall by the firm Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation, of Springdale, Ark. In all, 36 million pounds of ground turkey products are being withdrawn from the marketplace before they make more people sick.

If you find any of the below in your refrigerator, don't eat it. Return it to your store or throw it out. Don't even cook it for the dog, as handling it could put you at risk as well. This is a particularly bad Salmonella bacteria - not only because it is the more potent Salmonella Heidelberg, but because it is a multi-drug resistant strain. The products were distributed nationwide. It's a very long list, but here goes:

Ground Turkey Chubs - Use or Freeze by Dates of 2/20/11 through 8/23/11
• 10 lb. chubs of Honeysuckle White Fresh Natural Lean Ground Turkey with Natural Flavorings
• 10 lb. chubs of Unbranded Ground Turkey w/ Natural Flavoring 2 Pack
• 80 oz. (5 lbs.) chubs of Riverside Ground Turkey with Natural Flavoring
• 10 lb. chubs of Natural Lean Ground Turkey with Natural Flavorings
• 16 oz. (1 lb.) chubs of Fresh Lean HEB Ground Turkey 93/7
• 16 oz. (1 lb.) chubs of Fresh HEB Ground Turkey 85/15
• 16 oz. (1 lb.) chubs of Honeysuckle White 93/7 Fresh Ground Turkey with Natural Flavoring
• 4-1 Pound Packages of Honeysuckle White Ground Turkey with Natural Flavoring Value Pack
• 16 oz. (1 lb.) chubs of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Fresh Ground Turkey
• 48 oz. (3 lb.) chubs of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Fresh Ground Turkey

85% Ground Turkey - Use or Freeze by Dates of 2/20/11 through 8/23/11
• 19.2 oz. (1.2 lb.) trays of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Ground Turkey
• 19.2 oz. (1.2 lb.) trays of Honeysuckle White Taco Seasoned Ground Turkey Colored with Paprika
• 19.2 oz. (1 lb. 3.2 oz.) trays of Kroger Ground Turkey Fresh 85/15
• 48.0 oz. (3 lb.) trays of Kroger Ground Turkey Fresh 85/15
• 20 oz. (1.25 lb.) trays of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Ground Turkey
• 48.0 oz. (3 lbs.) trays of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Ground Turkey Family Pack
• 16 oz. (1 lb.) trays of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Ground Turkey
• 19.2 oz. (1.2 lbs.) trays of Honeysuckle White Seasoned Italian Style Ground Turkey with Natural Flavorings
• 20 oz. (1 lb. 4 oz.) trays of Safeway Fresh Ground Turkey with Natural Flavorings * 15% Fat
(NOTE: Sold in Texas only at Randall's and Tom Thumb, Use or Freeze by 03/12/11 through 05/05/11)

93% Ground Turkey - Use or Freeze by Dates of 2/20/11 through 8/23/11
• 19.2 oz. (1.20 lb.) trays of Honeysuckle White 93/7 Lean Ground Turkey
• 48 oz. (3.0 lbs.) trays of Honeysuckle White 93/7 Lean Ground Turkey Family Pack
• 19.2 oz. (1.2 lb.) trays of Fit & Active Lean Ground Turkey 93/07
• 19.2 oz. (1.2 lbs.) trays of Giant Eagle Ground Turkey Fresh & Premium Lean
• 19.2 oz. (1 lb 3.2 oz.) trays of Kroger Ground Turkey Fresh Lean 93/7
• 20 oz. (1.25 lb.) trays of Honeysuckle White 93/7 Lean Ground Turkey

Ground Patties
• 16.0 oz. (1 lb.) trays of Honeysuckle White Ground Turkey Patties with "Use by" or "Freeze by" dates of 2/20/11 through 8/23/11
• 16 oz. (1 lb.) trays of Kroger Ground Seasoned Turkey Patties Fresh 85/15, with "Use by" or "Freeze by" dates of 2/20/11 through 8/23/11
• 16.0 oz. (1 lb.) trays of Shady Brook Farms Ground Turkey Burgers with Natural Flavoring with the following "Use by" or "Freeze by" dates: 07/09/11, 07/10/11, 07/11/11, 07/15/11, 07/16/11, 07/21/11, 07/22/11, 07/24/11, 08/01/11, or 08/04/11

Frozen Ground Turkey - Production Dates of 2/20/11 through 8/2/11
• 16 oz. (1 lb.) chubs of Honeysuckle White Ground Turkey with Natural Flavoring
• 16 oz. (1 lb.) chubs of Spartan Ground Turkey
• 48 oz. (3 lb.) chubs of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Ground Turkey
• 40 lb. Bulk Packed Ground Turkey with Natural Flavoring for Food Service Use Only

To your good health,
TSF

ACCUSED SPROUT GROWER COULD BE INNOCENT

The Idaho (USA) produce company whose sprouts were found to be contaminated with Salmonella bacteria this week is not going along with approved U.S. food safety policies. Yes, it has halted production of those sprouts, but it is refusing to recall any products already out there on store shelves and at restaurants in Idaho, Montana, and Washington state.

As a result, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has had to itself issue an alert to consumers, advising them not to eat Evergreen Produce alfalfa sprouts or spicy sprouts (see Alerts column on this blog). Of course, as has been suggested,the FDA could do the recall itself, but by the time it gets organized for this new power it's been given, there may be nothing left to recall. After all, big bureaucracies are unwieldy and slow to move and sprouted seeds have a short shelf-life.

Although I don't agree with what they are doing - or rather, not doing, I have to admit that I do understand why Evergreen has taken a stand against public health interests. Recalling products is expensive, and the chances are that they don't have insurance for this. During the current recession, many fresh vegetable and sprout producers have found their insurance rates going through the roof while sales have gone down.

Besides, they feel they have been careful, followed the rules, and they conduct both regular water testing and sprout sample testing of their own - with negative results for these bacteria. To them, the FDA has simply not proven that their product is "bad." "It's all speculation, assumptions," the co-owner said in an interview. The FDA inspection of the facility, and the test taken, have so far not turned up the bacteria involved.

It could well be that inspection and testing never turns up the contaminant at the sprout grower's. That is not unusual. It has happened in several instances, including at least one this year. I spoke with the owner of this other sprout farm involved, while the FDA was still crawling all over his plant. He was in tears. He listed everything he was doing. And believe me, he really was going beyond what was required, to keep his sprouts safe. But, unlike the owners of Evergreen Produce, he wanted to make 100% sure that he protected those who sold and ate his sprouts, so he immediately put out a recall anyway.

It is quite possible that both Evergreen and other accused sprout growers in the U.S., France and Germany, are totally blameless . Their plant and equipment could be clean, the workers healthy, and the water used free of contaminants. The problem could be with the seeds they innocently bought (see previous post). Decontamination measures may not have completely worked completely (they often don't - see post on 7/3 - "Accused Sprout Farmer Could be Innocent").

Albeit, if their sprouts are indeed found to be contaminated, they will suffer enormous financial losses, and maybe even lose their business. Now you can see why I feel sorry for them. Farming is a tough business. I know, I've done it.

To your good health!

TSF

WHY ARE SPROUTED SEEDS RISKY TO EAT?

Outbreaks of foodborne illness from sprouted seeds are common. They have occurred since the 1970's, all over the world. The second largest outbreak in terms of illnesses caused, and the most vicious in terms of the seriousness of those illnesses, occurred this year in northern Germany. Even as the Hamburg-Germany outbreak gradually winds down, new ones have started in France and the United States.

How do sprouts become so risky? Most of the time it is suspected that the actual seeds were the cause. That is, it wasn't contaminated equipment at the sprout farm, or water used during sprout germination, or some disease-carrying worker on the farm or at the packing plant. This means that the sprout grower was also an innocent victim. The bacteria were there already when the seeds were purchased. They had picked up these bacteria from their own growing environment.

However, the chances are that bacteria will be present in fairly low numbers in the seeds themselves. The dry conditions of an ungerminated seed are not ideal for the rapid multiplication of bacteria. But all this changes when the seeds are moistened during pre-germination. Multiplication speeds up even more in the few days during which the seeds germinate into sprouts. The bacteria happily take advantage of all those great nutrients in the seeds and the sprouts and multiply and multiply.

Whereas one teaspoon of seeds may just have contained a hundred or so E.coli, Salmonella, Listeria or other bacteria, after germination, there can turn into a million or more. Those few in the dry seeds may not have been enough to make someone ill, but the large numbers in the sprouted seeds are.

At present, we know of no way to make sprouts completely safe without destroying the seed's power to germinate (see next post). That's the sprout version of Catch 22.

To your good health,

TSF

NEW OUTBREAK IN SPROUTS IN THE U.S.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers about a new outbreak in sprouted seeds in the U.S. I have been wondering when we would get the next one here, as we haven't heard of any for over a month.

Before you get too nervous - no, it is not the same bacteria as in Germany and France (a very toxic E.coli). It's just a plain old Salmonella bacteria - what we usually get in our sprouted seeds over here. But, having said that, it is one of the more nasty Salmonella -S.Enteritidis. And, I gather it is a fairly heavy contamination - not just a few bacteria, but loads of them - a much heavier contamination than usual. A heavier bacterial load means more chance of becoming seriously ill.

Illnesses are indeed occuring in several states - at least 20 so far in Idaho, Montana, New Jersey, North Dakota and Washington State. Expect more.

The FDA has advised consumers not to eat Evergreen Produce brand alfalfa sprouts and spicy sprouts. They are being sold in 4 oz. or 16 oz. plastic bags labeled “Evergreen Produce” or “Evergreen Produce Inc."

I would suggest you avoid any of Evergreen Produce's sprout products for the time being, while we see if others are contaminated as well. No doubt the FDA is busily testing everything. Since the company is refusing to recall any of them, they are still out there being sold (I'll elaborate on this in my next post).

To your good health,

TSF

COOKING SPROUTS TO MAKE THEM SAFER

Authorities in an increasing number of countries are coming out with the same warning: don't eat sprouted seeds raw. That applies to not just alfalfa, bean sprouts and other legume seeds, but also sprouted grain seeds and others such as mustard, radish, broccoli, sesame, fenugreek, and more.

Throughout the years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has repeatedly warned people at high risk not to eat sprouted seeds raw, and at times (as in 2009) elevated this warning to include everyone. The German government now has a similar warning out. The British FSA issued a revised and strengthened warning yesterday: "As a precaution, the Agency is advising that sprouted seeds should only be eaten if they have been cooked thoroughly until steaming hot throughout; they should not be eaten raw."

Sprouted seeds have been recognized as unsafe for decades because of the fact that they commonly carry disease-causing bacteria. Very few people in public health eat them raw for that reason. What has got governments particularly concerned is the recent huge and deadly German outbreak of a very rare and super-toxic strain of E.coli linked to bean sprouts. Now there is a much smaller outbreak of deadly E.coli in a suburb of Bordeaux in Germany, that is also being blamed on contaminated sprouted seeds. A less toxic E.coli was found in beet sprouts in the Netherlands earlier in June of this year. In the United States there are regular outbreaks linked to sprouted seeds, usually alfalfa, and most often, of Salmonella bacteria. In fact there were outbreaks in January, February, March and April of this year (see post of June 5).

Cooking would destroy most of these bacteria. But let's face it, sprouted seeds don't always taste as pleasant when cooked, and no longer add a decorative touch to food. I searched for ideas and recipes on line to see if there was any way to make cooked sprouted seeds appealing. Clearly some kinds of sprouts lend themselves to cooking better than others. Here are some ideas: azuki bean sprouts cooked in chili, cooked mung bean sprouts in miso soup, mung bean or alfalfa sprouts cooked in stir-fried vegetables, alfalfa sprouts cooked mixed in with sauteed potatoes, lentil sprouts cooked in lentil soup or lentil salad, garbanzo bean sprouts or soybean sprouts cooked in soup, alfalfa sprouts in baked goods.

Some recipes suggest very light cooking of the sprouted seeds: adding sprouts to a dish at the very last minute, and cooking for no more than 30 seconds. The results might be better from a taste, texture and visual appeal perspective, but such quick cooking may not always bring the sprouts to the temperature required to kill bacteria (165 degrees F), particularly if the dish is not stirred well. Note the above warning of the British FSA refers to thorough cooking "until they are steaming hot."

To your good health,

TSF

CHEESE IS BACK IN THE FOOD SAFETY NEWS

For a while we were getting regular cheese recalls in the U.S. because of bacterial contamination - usually Listeria monocytogenes, but sometimes also a Staph, E.coli or Salmonella bacteria. In fact, I called cheese the most dangerous food of 2010 (see Post for 12/22/10 -"Is Cheese our Most Dangerous Food?").

But recently the food safety spotlight has focused more on other foods. Now it seems to be turning back to cheese, with two relatively small but interesting recalls. The New York State Agriculture Commissioner has warned people not to eat certain kinds of fresh cheese - "Queso Fresco" made by Quesos CentroAmericano Corp. of Freeport, New York. This type of cheese is particularly popular with the Latin population of the U.S. The reason for the recall: possible Staphylococcus aureus contamination.

This bacteria can give you a really bad case of food poisoning if you happen to be vulnerable (beware - young children, older consumers and those who have serious health conditions). Anyone who is serious about avoiding food poisoning should best avoid unpasteurized fresh cheeses. Symptoms of Staph food poisoning: nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping and weakness. In more severe cases, there can also be headache, muscle cramping and changes in blood pressure and pulse rate. Thankfully, Staph food poisoning usually only lasts about 2 days.

Then there was another, small U.S. recall of cheese imported from England -one of my husband's favorites - “Royal Blue Stilton. ” The cheese is being recalled by Atlanta Corporation, a food importer and distributor based in Elizabeth, New Jersey. This food distributor decided to test this cheese for Listeria monocytogenes, after another cheese importer, Schratter Foods Incorporated, a Fairfield of New York, recalled cheeses that were made by the same English dairy (Quenby Hall Dairy - see Alert for May 17 and the post on June 11). Sure enough, theirs also tested positive for Listeria.

Luckily only one big wheel of this cheese had reached the marketplace, chopped up in chunks of course. But what took them so long? The other recall took place almost a month before they announced theirs, and it doesn't take so long to test for Listeria (I have done it).

Watch out for this Stilton cheese in the store or in your refrigerator. They will be labeled “Product of England” “Keep Refrigerated” “Royal Blue Stilton” “English Semi-Hard Cheese". You'll also see a small circular English flag in the upper left, and the logo of the exporter “Coombe Castle International” in the upper center. The rest of the suspect cheese is being quarantined and destroyed by this importer.

To your good health.
TSF

ARE SPROUTS SAFE TO EAT?

On January 4 of this year, I posted "Five Foods I Won't Eat in 2011." Sprouts was one of them. In fact, it was first on the list. I guess if all those unfortunate people who are very ill with the German E.coli had read this post, they would be much happier today. I wish they had. This outbreak is no joke. Nor is this new super-toxic strain of E.coli bacteria.

The Safe Food Handbook has identified sprouts as one of the riskiest foods to eat. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not like sprouted seeds either. In fact, it warns people who are elderly or with a weakened immune system, not to eat them. There have been certain periods of time, such as April, 2009, when the FDA has warned everyone - even healthy people - not to eat sprouts. That is what the German government is doing now. For thousands of people, it's too late.

The usual contaminant of sprouts in the United States is Salmonella bacteria, although E.coli 0157:H7 has also been involved in contaminated alfalfa sprouts in the U.S. , as has the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. In the German outbreak, it is E.coli. Both in the case of the Salmonella and the E.coli bacteria, the original source is likely to be animal manure. In the case of Listeria contamination, the point of entry could be during processing.

Will washing sprouts help? Not always, because the contaminant can be right inside the seed itself.

Will cooking help? (Not that most of us like well-cooked sprouts) Sometimes. In the case of some E.coli bacteria, the enterotoxins they produce are heat-labile (meaning they are destroyed at high temperatures). But other E.coli enterotoxins can survive. That means that even cooking won't always solve the problem. And it is the toxins that really attack your body and continue to do so, even when the bacteria themselves have left the scene.

You may think twice about eating those sprouted seeds in the future.

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

"PURE" BOTTLED WATER, CHIVES AND MORE GRAPE TOMATOES RECALLED

(Here's another note I managed to forget to post a few days ago). You could have lunch on recalled food on a day like today: a "healthy" veggie plate with maybe Salmonella-contaminated tomatoes in it, chives with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria to sprinkle on top for extra flair and contaminated water to drink. Perhaps by the end of today we'll have some fish or meat product recalled as well. Welcome to industrialized food in the United States. Eat at your own risk!

Here are the facts.

• Bottled Water - So you thought that "pure" bottled water was uncontaminated, and better than the stuff that comes out of the tap? Think again. And never trust labeling. Specific lots of Mountain Pure water are being recalled because of "biological contamination" (not spelled out..My guess, is that the bacterial count is too high, but I am checking further). If you have a weakened immune system avoid drinking 16.9 fl. oz. (506 ml.) size bottles, with Best By date of 2-27-2013 MPWA or 2-28-2013 MPWA. Healthy people should be OK, but you may want to play it safe.

• Platters with grape tomatoes - I said the Six L Packing Company recall would spread even further. Here we go again. Mann Packing is voluntarily recalling certain vegetable platters and Snacks on the Go products because the grape tomatoes used in them came from the Six L lot that have been found to be contaminated with Salmonella. Ah yes..and as of today, that includes Safeway’s Eating Right Veggie Party Platter (see next post for specifics, and the earlier one on Safeway and Grape Tomatoes).

• Chives - Goodness Gardens, Inc. of New Hampton, NY is voluntarily recalling Chives Lot # 0201111, because these chives may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Watch out pregnant women!

To your good health!

TSF

"EATING RIGHT" WITH SAFEWAY VEGGIE PARTY PLATTERS

(I was wondering why no one was reading this post, until I realized today that I had left it in draft, without posting. Here it is..though a bit late.)

That big U.S. supermarket chain, Safeway, has realized that marketing healthy food can translate into profits. It hasn't been doing badly compared to its grocery peers, but let's face it, not nearly as well as Whole Foods Market (in fact, last year it only had about half of WFM's earnings-per-share - EPS -growth rate). So here's a chance to catch up: market to the healthy food image, just as Whole Foods Market is doing.

The result: we have the "Eating Right" Safeway food line: it includes entrees, juices, fresh bagged salads - and party trays. Unfortunately, the name did not protect it. There's now a recall of Safeway Eating Right Veggie Party Platters because Mann's Packing - the food company that made them for Safeway - used those recalled (potentially Salmonella-contaminated) grape tomatoes from Six L Packing Company.

The recall affects Eating Right Veggie Party Platter, UPC Code 79893-10708, sold from 04-29-2011 to 05-07-2011 with “Best if Used By” dates ranging from 05-09-2011 to 05-16 2011.

It is packaged in a clear, plastic, clamshell container.These party trays were sold at all Safeway and Safeway-owned stores, including Vons, Pavilions, Dominick’s, Genuardi’s, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Carrs and Pak N’ Save stores.

Poor Safeway. It really has been hard hit by these teeny cute grape tomatoes - salads, kabobs, and party trays.

So how about "eating right" with a little Salmonella ? Raw is risky - much as we love it.

To your good health!

TSF

WHY ARE GRAPE TOMATOES CONTAMINATED?

An old friend in Australia asked me on my Facebook site whether I thought their grape tomatoes were also unsafe to eat. After I answered the question, something occurred to me. Perhaps she - and some other people - are thinking that the recently discovered Salmonella-bacteria contamination of some U.S. grape tomatoes has something to do with the nature of grape tomatoes themselves. That is, that grape tomatoes are less safe than other kinds of tomatoes.

That isn't the case. As far as I know, grape tomatoes are no more likely to carry pathogenic bacteria. And remember, in the current U.S. outbreak, all the tomatoes came from just one Florida farm which sent them to one Florida packer. Other grape tomatoes from other farms - as far as we know - are currently safe.

Any kind of tomato can become contaminated. Who knows, tomorrow we may hear of a recall of cherry tomatoes or plum tomatoes or Roma tomatoes. Over the years, we have had many incidents of contaminated fresh tomatoes, and Salmonella has been a common culprit. While they are growing, bacteria can get into growing tomatoes through contaminated irrigation water, fertilizer (especially if composting has not been properly done), from birds or insects or wildlife (such as those squirrels which are always trying to take a bite out of mine). While being sorted and packed, workers who are carriers of bacteria, viruses or parasites can also contaminate them. There have been cases when even the washing water was found to be the cause. Although fresh tomatoes are most likely to cause food poisoning, processed, as well as fresh tomatoes can carry bacteria and viruses. In 2010 there was a somewhat unusual small outbreak of Hepatitis A in France caused by sun-dried tomatoes (imported from Turkey). Basically, anything can happen.

So how can you keep eating those delicious fresh tomatoes and still be safe? There is no magic answer. Growing your own would certainly help (the photo is of one of my heritage tomatoes). And if you can't do that, there are studies which have shown that tomatoes still on the vine are safer than those off the vine.

TSF

"PURE" BOTTLED WATER, CHIVES AND MORE GRAPE TOMATOES RECALLED

You could have lunch on recalled food on a day like today: a "healthy" veggie plate with maybe Salmonella-contaminated tomatoes in it, chives with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria to sprinkle on top for extra flair and contaminated water to drink. Perhaps by the end of today we'll have some fish or meat product recalled as well. Welcome to industrialized food in the United States. Eat at your own risk!

Here are the facts.
• Bottled Water - So you thought that "pure" bottled water was uncontaminated, and better than the stuff that comes out of the tap? Think again. And never trust labeling. Specific lots of Mountain Pure water are being recalled because of "biological contamination" (not spelled out..My guess, is that the overall bacterial count is too high, but I am checking further). If you have a weakened immune system avoid drinking 16.9 fl. oz. (506 ml.) size bottles, with Best By date of 2-27-2013 MPWA or 2-28-2013 MPWA. Healthy people should be OK, but you may want to play it safe.

• Platters with grape tomatoes - I said the Six L Packing Company recall would spread even further. Here we go again. Mann Packing is voluntarily recalling certain vegetable platters and Snacks on the Go products because the grape tomatoes used in them came from the Six L lot that have been found to be contaminated with Salmonella. Ah yes..and as of today, that includes Safeway’s Eating Right Veggie Party Platter (see next post for specifics, and the earlier one on Safeway and Grape Tomatoes).

• Chives - Goodness Gardens, Inc. of New Hampton, NY is voluntarily recalling Chives Lot # 0201111, because these chives may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Watch out pregnant women!

To your good health!
TSF