DON'T GET SICK FROM DOG FOOD

Every once in a while I am tempted to cover pet food on this blog as well as human food. There is quite a bit of overlap. In fact, I have a half-finished book on safe dog food - a sort of follow up to The Safe Food Handbook, but for our pets. Whether I will ever finish it is another matter.

Anyway, one of the most common health risks for dog owners, and especially for children, is to get Salmonellosis (caused by pathogenic Salmonella bacteria) from handling contaminated dog treats. Washing hands well immediately afterwards would help, but how many of us do that all the time?

If you think I am exaggerating the whole thing, below is a summary of suspected Salmonella-contaminated dog food that has been recalled in less than two months in the U.S.(Note - most recalls involve treats). The source is the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) - a thorougly reliable one.

08/31/2012 Milk replacer - Brands: Quality Feed, Inc., Dairy Princess, Peachey's or Yo-momma, made by Quality Feed, Inc.

09/11/2012 Natural Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Adult Dog Formula Breeder's Choice - Brands: Breeder's Choice, AvoDerm, made by Breeder's Choice Pet Food

09/21/2012 Pet treat - Brand: Boots & Barkley, made by Kasel Assoc. Industries.

09/24/2012 Dog food - Brand: Dogsbutter - Made by Sunland Inc.

10/02/2012 Chicken Jerky Dog Treats - Brand: Nature's Deli, made by
Kasel Associated Industries

10/04/2012 Flavored butters, spreads and more - Brands: American Choice, Archer Farms, Arrowhead Mills etc., made by Sunland Inc.

10/10/2012 Pet treat - Brand: Yoghund, made by TBD Brands, LLC

10/13/2012 Pet treat - Brand: Nature's Recipe, made by Del Monte Foods

10/17/2012 Pet treats - Brand: Boots & Barkley, made by Kasel Assoc. Industries

Food poisoning second hand, is just as bad as getting it directly from our own food! Take precautions.

To your good health,
TSF

WHAT DO TURTLES, PEANUT BUTTER AND MANGOES HAVE IN COMMON? (ANSWER - SALMONELLA)

Today's trivia question: what do small turles, mangoes, cantaloupes, peanut butter, tuna, ground beef, dry dog food, live chickens, hedgehogs and raw scraped ground tuna have in common?

The answer- they have all been linked to outbreaks caused by different Salmonella bacteria just in the last 3 months in the United States. No, we can't only blame our food supply. It can also be our pets. And in fact, touching your pet turtle or hedgehog or chicken may prove to be just as dangerous as eating that bad cantaloupe or ground beef!

In case you don't believe me, here are the facts, summarized from information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - CDC. Remember that these are not the final figures for many of these outbreaks as they are still ongoing:

•Peanut Butter – 35 Salmonella-caused illnesses in 19 States, 8 hospitalizations, 0 deaths

•Hedgehogs – 14 Salmonella-caused illnesses in 6 states, 3 hospitalizations, 0 deaths.

•Mangoes – 121 Salmonella-caused illnesses in 15 states, 25 hospitalizations, 0 deaths.

•Cantaloupes – 261 Salmonella-caused illnesses in 24 states, 94 hospitalizations, 3 deaths

•Ground Beef - 46 Salmonella-caused illnesses in 9 states, 12 hospitalizations, 0 deaths

•Live Poultry - 3 outbreaks in the past 3 months, involving 5 different kinds of Salmonella – total of 276 illnesses in 11, 22 and 26 states, with a total of 58 hospitalizations and 3 deaths.

•Dry Dog Food - 49 Salmonella-caused illnesses in 20 states, with 10 hospitalizations, 0 deaths (caused by people touching the dog food - not eating it!).

•Raw Scraped Ground Tuna Product - 425 Salmonella-caused illnesses, in 28 states, 55 hospitalizations, 0 deaths.

•Small Turtles - 3 different Salmonella bacteria causing 196 illnesses in 31 states, 36 hospitalizations, 0 deaths.

To your good health,
TSF

THIS MANGO RECALLING COMPANY DESERVES PRAISE

The mango recall is ongoing and expanding in the U.S. A number of fruit salad and other fresh fruit product manufacturers are recalling their products (see previous post). But this is a case where I think the mango distributor that started the process - Splendid Products - really deserves some praise.

Let me tell you why. First, they immediately recalled their Daniella brand mangoes, even though there was no proof at that point that their mangoes were the ones that were related to cases of Salmonellosis in Canada and the U.S. Secondly, the company publicized the recall on their website and provided useful information to consumers, including a FAQ (Frequently Asked Question) list.

You would be surprised at how few companies acknowledge an ongoing recall publicly. And I have never seen one that goes out of its way to provide this much information. Take a look on: http://www.splendidmangos.com/.

I hope this company - established in 1976 - survives this recall and does not have to declare bankrupcy like so many others that have had similar experiences.

To your good health,

TSF

CONTAMINATED MANGO RECALL WEEK

It looks as though we are in the middle of mango recall week. These mangoes came from Mexico and are now just about all over the U.S. and Canada. Mexico is the world's fifth mango-producing country (4.2% of all mangoes), and a lot of them are exported to the U.S. and Canada. And yes, this isn't the first time they have been found to be contaminated.

The current recall involves Salmonella braenderup bacteria. Mangoes have been linked to a number of recent cases of salmonellosis in Canada, and may also be the cause of cases in California and perhaps other states.

The recalls started with produce distributor Splendid Products recalling certain lots of Daniella brand mangoes.(By the way, my compliments to Splendid Products, which has done about the most helpful recall I have ever seen - see next post). Some of the mangoes were sold as individual fruit with the sticker brand “Daniella” at various retail stores throughout the U.S. between July 12 and August 29, 2012. The stores include Costco, Save Mart Supermarkets, Food 4 Less, Ralph’s, Topco stores, El Super, Kroger, Giant-Eagle, Stop & Shop, Aldi, Ready-Pac Foods, and some Whole Foods stores. Other stores may also have sold the recalled product. Not all these retailers sold them in all their locations.

But then, as often happens, the mangoes also underwent further processing. For instance, Spokane Produce, Inc., is recalling a small lot run of Pineapple/Mango Pico de Gallo because of having used them. Winn-Dixie has announced an immediate recall of select cut fruit produced by Renaissance Food Group which contained the mangoes. Pacific Coast Fruit Company, of Portland, Oregon has had to recall multiple types of fresh cut processed items based on the potential contamination of Salmonella Braenderup. I bet this isn't the end of the list either.

What I suggest - sad though it be - is that if you live in Canada or the U.S. you avoid all mangoes and mango-containing fresh fruit salads or cut up fruit for a while.

To your good health,

TSF

UPDATE: 9/2/2012. And yes, I was right. There have been several more recalls of fruit products using the Daniella mangoes, for instance, by F&S Produce company, Pacific Coast Fruit Company, and more...

SALMONELLA BACTERIA IN SALT?

Alright, it's not "real" salt - it's what is called "mock" salt. That's the kind of salt you are supposed to use if you have high blood pressure or need to reduce your salt intake for other reasons.

Washington-Jones’ Seasoning Blends LLC is recalling Jones’ Mock Salt Original as well as Jones’ Mock Salt Spicy Southwest Blend. The reason: Salmonella contamination is suspected. It is not unusual for Salmonella bacteria to turn up in dry herbs and spices, as they survive very well for months in such environments. And, as you will see from the above photo of the label - the products are "organic." Yet another "organic" food item with bacteria...

So how did the bacteria get into the product? Well, this is one of those spinoff recalls. You may remember that over a month ago (note the long time-lapse) we had a recall of celery seed (see my 4 posts of Dec. 18 through Dec. 22, 2011) because of possible contamination by Salmonella bacteria. The same celery seeds are used as an ingredient in these mock salt products, which now have to be recalled too:

- Jones’ Mock Salt Original: Organic Salt Free Seasoning, 1.6 oz bottles (UPC 0 94922 16616 6), 12 oz bags (UPC 0 94922 07199 6) and 16 oz bags (0 94922 16616 6).

- Jones’ Mock Salt Spicy Southwest Blend: Organic Salt Free Seasoning, 1.6 oz bottles (UPC 0 94922 01560 0).

As there is no lot number on the bottles or bags, the company advises that to be safe you should destroy any products purchased from July 1, 2011 to December 14, 2011.

And yes, you could get enough Salmonella bacteria from a little sprinkle to make you ill if the bacteria are there in large numbers.

After reading the history of this small one-woman created company on the website, I feel very sorry for her - in fact, as sorry as I did for the owner of the sprouted seed plant as he wept over the phone to me as FDA inspectors were crawling over his plant. This is a story of admirable entrepreneurship. I do wish this hadn't happened to her, and I hope her business survives. She is the victim of a bad ingredient - one she trusted - and nothing she could have done would have avoided this.

My only criticism is the long delay - over a month, in recalling her products, which again, I do understand. No one wants a recall - especially a small company like this for which it can be a fatal blow, particularly during difficult economic times.

In fact, if you are buying these products, or thinking of doing so, and this company does not fold because of this unfortunate incident, I would suggest you don't hold this recall against them.

To your good health,

TSF

MAYBE YOU SHOULD PASS ON THE CHICKEN LIVERS

Personally, I never trust the so-called "ready-to-eat" products of all kinds that are so popular in the food supply of industrialized nations like the U.S. If I do buy them, which I don't very often, I end up cooking them anyway. It's safer. Sometimes, ready-to-eat is not ready-to-eat.

Take the present recall of ready-to-eat broiled chicken liver products. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA/FSIS) announced today that Schreiber Processing Corporation, of Maspeth, New York, is recalling an undetermined amount of broiled chicken liver products. Apparently they have been linked to a cluster of at least 169 Salmonellosis illnesses, mainly in New Jersey and New York. These livers were meant to be fully cooked. But, oops, they turned out not to be fully cooked after all. Salmonella Heidelburg - one of the worst Samonella bacteria - was found lurking in them.

The products were distributed to retail stores and institutional users in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania. They were distributed in large 10lb bags, and apparently had a Meal Mart label, but who knows what label they were finally sold under, or what institutional purchasers did with them. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at: www.fsis.usda.gov/FSIS_Recalls
/Open_Federal_Cases/index.asp.

By the way, my research suggests that this company also supplies airline meals. I looked at their airline menu, and it sounds a lot better than anything I eat on a plane these days. But I think I'll just pack a home-made sandwich for my next trip.

And maybe it's better just to pass on the chopped chicken livers or anything else to do with chicken livers for a while till they find and destroy all these products (that is, when they haven't already been eaten).

To your good health,

TSF

PEANUT BUTTER RECALL

This seems to be a bad week for anything "nuts." Not only do we have a recall of hazelnuts (nationwide in the US and fairly wide in Canada), but we also have contaminated peanut butter.

Unilever United States, Inc. has announced a limited recall of Skippy® Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter Spread and Skippy® Reduced Fat Super Chunk Peanut Butter Spread. This time apparently the company itself found the contaminated product during routine sampling. It turned out to be Salmonella. No illnesses that we know of so far.

The affected product, which is packaged in 16.3 oz plastic jars, is as follows:

UPCs: 048001006812 and 048001006782 (located on the side of the jar’s label below the bar code.)
Best-If-Used-By Dates: MAY1612LR1, MAY1712LR1, MAY1812LR1, MAY1912LR1, MAY2012LR1 and MAY2112LR1 (Stamped on the lid of the jar.)

Oh well...maybe not quite as bad as E.coli 0157:H7 (the hazelnut contaminant - see previous posts), but can be very dangerous for children and the elderly.

TSF

GUESS AGAIN

Test yourself: The egg carton has a label saying "Trafficanda Egg Ranch, Van Nuys, California. So where do you think these eggs were laid? California, of course. No...wrong. Actually, the hens they came from are sitting there at Wright County Egg farm in Galt, Iowa, and those eggs then travelled all the way to California, to be packaged and distributed here. And, they are now included in the shell egg recall - as of today.

How embarrassing for Trafficanda..and, annoying for us. We consumers in California were innocently buying and eating the eggs, thinking that at least they were California eggs, not Iowa eggs, so they were safe...And, local.

This is just one case. There are plenty of other examples. Moarc LLC, is another California distributor which is recalling over 24,000 eggs - received from the Iowa Hillandale farm, and re-packaged under the under the brand names Albertsons, Yucaipa Valley, Farmer’s Gems and Mountain Dairy, as well as sent to foodservice customers (unbranded). Similar things happened with the peanut product and pistachio outbreaks in 2008-2009.

Our food is distributed, and redistributed and repackaged and relabeled and repackaged and relabeled again. How do we know where it comes from? How will label reading help to keep us safe? We are constantly misled by the label, often confusing the location of the distributor with the place the food item was actually produced. During a recall, such as the present shell egg one, where the number of egg brands are constantly increasing, there is little we can do to make smart purchasing decisions, except to rely on the retailer to pull risky foods off the shelf...which some fail to do. The retailers also have a hard time keeping ahead of the recall-curve.

Of course, retailers could be extra careful, like one of my favorite and fairly safety-conscious local stores. Yesterday, when I walked over to get a carton of fresh eggs, I was met instead with what looked a group of stuffed hens (the correct size and with real feathers). If they hadn't been standing so still, I would have thought they were real. A sign below said something like this: "Our ---- (brand) eggs are not part of the recall, but we have removed them anyway to avoid confusion."

But they are correct: we consumers ARE confused. Who can remember all those different recalled brand names, "best-by" dates and Julian dates when they go to buy eggs? And keeping in mind that this is a constantly expanding list...

Eat beans instead.

Bon appetit!
TSF

Who's Right About the Salmonella?

We have had another one of those incidents. FDA's laboratories have turned up dangerous bacteria in a food product, and the responsible food company says that its own testing didn't find any. It happens all the time - peanut butter, spices, lettuce, ground beef...Who is right? Of course, we tend to believe the government (sometimes, that is) and we tend to distrust the profit-focused public-health neglecting food industry. But they could both be right.

In the case in May, 2010, the suspect product was bagged spinach, distributed by Organicgirl, based in Salinas, California. Organicgirl (slogan - "good clean greens") is a USDA certified organic company with a devoted customer base (just read the facebook raves). It not only has "mother earth" in charge, but even uses 100% recycled plastic. "Most" of the greens it sells come from California and Arizona (where do the rest come from? Mexico?) and it tries to minimize food miles (all the way to Alabama). It also triple washes everything (maybe even quadruple washing, if you count that extra spraying).

But on May 27 Organicgirl had to admit that just possibly, one of its products was contaminated by Salmonella bacteria - lovely bagged baby spinach. The spinach had been distributed to California, Oregon, Arizona, Wisconsin, North Carolina and Alabama. The Best-if-used-by date was May 22 (a full week earlier). The company statement read: "organicgirl raw product testing records for the relevant time period did not show the presence of any pathogens." But the FDA's did, so it had to recall some 336 cases of expired (very likely to now be consumed) spinach.
So what happened? My guess is the following - and I am only guessing. Very small numbers of Salmonella bacteria were present when the company first did its testing, so the tests turned up negative. But, over the next few days - maybe even weeks, while on the road and in the store, the bacteria multiplied. Maybe just 3 or 4 Salmonella in a bag had become 3,000 or 4,000 or more. By the time the FDA sample was taken (apparently from a store), there were large enough numbers of Salmonella bacteria present to be show up in the tests. The chances are that my theory is right.

The lesson for us consumers - the fresher, the better. If the bacteria are below the numbers needed for an infective dose - maybe 1,000 to 10,000 of them, we may not get sick. Check the dates.

Bon appetit!
TSF