E.COLI FOUND IN BEEF PATTIES FROM CANADA

Yes, the temporary lull in U.S. food recalls seems to be over. Now we have another recall of beef due to deadly bacteria being found in the products.

Sysco Seattle Inc., a Seattle, Wash. firm, is recalling approximately 16,800 pounds of ground beef patties imported from Canada because they may have been contaminated with E.coli O157:H7. The products were produced by New Food Classics of Burlington, Ontario and were imported by Sysco Seattle Inc., for distribution to restaurants in Arizona, Colorado, Texas and Washington.

This is a rare instance of a company taking quick action. Sysco was already recalling the products (on March 20) even before the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the alert. It appears that the Canadian firm involved acted responsibly and immediately notified Sysco when the problem was discovered. Nice change. Delays can cost lives.

By the way, in case you have forgotten, since E.coli O157 has been out of the news for a while, this is a potentially deadly bacterium, especially to the very young, and seniors or other people with weak immune systems. It can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in the most severe cases, kidney failure.

Be careful how you handle and cook raw meat, and especially ground meat products (see the next post).

To your good health,

TSF

NOW WE HAVE A RECALL OF LISTERIA-CONTAMINATED SAUSAGE

Things have been quiet for the last few weeks on the U.S. food recall front. I've noticed only a few recalls because of undeclared allergens or mislabeling. Nothing much has happened with bacteria or other food-poisoning related threats. But now we have another one of those scares with ready-to-eat foods because of Listeria bacteria being discovered.

It's sausage this time. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has announced that Southside Market & BBQ, of Elgin, Texas, is recalling approx. 2,373 pounds of ready-to-eat "Original Beef Sausage" and "Hot Recipe Beef Sausage" products.

FSIS turned up this dangerous Listeria monocytogenes bacteria in the sausage products during routine testing. The sausage has been distributed to retail warehouses in Texas, as well as through internet sales to California, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, and Texas. And, from there, probably already into the marketplace.

Watch out pregnant women and anyone else who has a weak immune system. You are at most risk. The usual symptoms of Listeriosis are: high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. Don't confuse it with the 'flu.

To your good health,

TSF

CAMPBELL'S SOUP WITHOUT BPA FROM THE CANS

Well, it has happened. Campbell's has finally caved in to pressure from the public and the Company's shareholders. Soon - although we don't know quite how soon - there will be no more of that toxic BPA (bisphenol A) in the cans used to package soups and other food products made by Campbell's.

Severals health-focused organizations deserve credit: the Breast Cancer Fund which released reports on finding BPA in several Campbell's products, including ones marketed to children such as Cambell's Disney Princes and Toy Story soups. The Healthy Child Healthy World Organization also did its part. It sent 20,000 of the 70,000 letters to Cambell's by supporters of the Cans not Cancer campaign. Other groups and organizations have also been involved over the years.

As Gretchen Lee Salter, policy manager at the Breast Cancer Fund said: "Campbell's decision to move away from BPA is a victory for consumers..."

And, about time. Who wants a chemical in the epoxy-lining of their food cans that has been linked by research to breast and prostate cancer, infertility, type-2 diabetes, early puberty in girls, attention deficit disorder - and more.

Eleven states in the U.S. have now restricted BPA in infant food containers. There is also legislation before Congress which could ban the use of BPA in all food - and also beverage containers. Get a move on Campbell's and implement the change!

To your good health,

TSF

HOW SAFE IS ST. PATRICK'S DAY GREEN FOOD?

If you live in a country that celebrates St. Patrick's Day, you are likely to be eating more green food on March 17 than on any other day of the year. And I am not referring to those healthy green vegetables. No, I was thinking of all those violently-green iced pastries and those cookies with green sprinkles on them - like the ones I bought this morning for our Irish neighbors.

In the U.S. it is estimated that over half the population will celebrate the occasion, spending several billions of dollars to do so - a good of it on green food. But is food that is loaded with that rather unnatural green coloring really unsafe to eat? Apparently not. At least in countries such as the U.S., all food coloring (including color additives used in beverages and in and animal food) is strictly regulated these days, and has to be tested before it is released into the marketplace. That includes FD&C Green No.3 which the FDA website lists as being approved.

Things weren't always that way. Food coloring has a long history. Naturally occurring substances such as paprika, turmeric and saffron color were used to color food and drink as far back as 300 BC. Synthetic dyes began to be used about 1896. By 1900, many foods, drugs, and cosmetics available in the U.S. (as well as elsewhere in the world) were artificially colored. Several of the dyes in food and drink later turned out to be very unhealthy substances - some even carcinogenic. When the U.S. federal government, through Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took over responsibility for color additives, it began to progressively tighten the regulations and safety improved.

That is not to say that we still don't have some unpleasant surprises when coloring that is believed to be safe suddenly turns out not to be so. Sometimes the FDA also has to take action when imported or even U.S.- made processed foods slip in banned synthetic dyes or don't declare the ones that are there. Such events can lead to recalls, or warning letters, detentions, issuance of import alerts, or even seizures of food products.

To my knowledge there has never been a recall of St. Patrick's Day cookies, McDonald's green Shamrock Shakes, Burger King's (special occasion) green dipping sauce for fries, Heinz's green St. Paddy's Sauce, Brueger's green bagels, green-iced doughnuts from Dunkin'Donuts, or any other special St.Paddy's day food or drink. That doesn't mean there won't be. In the meantime, some experts do say that getting a lot of this green dye could give you an upset stomach and maybe even diarrhea. That goes double for young children. So watch out!

To your good health,

TSF

CONCERN ABOUT FOOD SAFETY ON ANNIVERSARY OF FUKUSHIMA

March 11, 2012 is the anniversary of last year's Japanese earthquake, Tsunami and nuclear disaster. Japan and the world are remembering this horrible tragedy - the lives lost ( an estimated 15,848 dead and 3,305 missing), numerous families, businesses and farms destroyed, and a nightmare which still haunts millions of people.

This awful event has also left many people in Japan still worried about how their health and the health of their children has been affected by the high levels of radiation leaked from the TEPCO operated Daichii-Fukushima nuclear power plant, not just through environmental exposure, but indirectly, through radiation-contaminated food and water. Many feel they were not adequately protected or informed - and still aren't.

I started blogging the issue already on March 15 - before there was any mention of food contamination. Today, in memory of the event, I glanced back at my 30 or so posts on radiation in food in Japan and in food exported from Japan. Sadly, my predictions seem to have been borne out.

The problem is not over. Some of the radionuclides continue to exist in soil, air, and water even hundreds of Km from Daichii. Japanese consumers continue to be concerned. People in other countries are also worried, particularly those living close to nuclear power plants.

But remember - eating a meal or even a few meals with high levels of radionuclides is not likely to cause lasting damage to your health. So when should you worry? I can't provide hard data. What I can do is pass on what the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says will determine if this will be an an issue for you:

• the percentage of radiation contaminated foods in a your diet
• how much of the food you usually eat
• the length of time that you are eating such contaminated food (days, weeks or months)
• how vulnerable you are (for instance, infants and children and pregnant women are at special risk).

To your good health,

TSF

DANGEROUS SALT IN POLAND

The safety of our salt is one of the things we tend not to question. But, that salt you so liberally sprinkle on everything from eggs to meat to potatoes to your vegetables, could be undermining your health in more ways than one. Especially if you live in Poland.

The media has been reporting that a six-month long investigation in Poland has uncovered a horrible scandal: salt that was only meant to be used for de-icing of roads or for use in the chemical industry, is now everywhere in the food supply. Apparently it has been secretly repackaged and sold as edible salt to food processors, bakeries and food wholesalers.

And believe me, you don't want to eat this kind of salt. It originated as a waste product from one of the largest fertilizer producers in Poland - Anwil S.A. The salt contains dangerous carcinogenic chemicals, including ones that could become carcinogenic dioxins in the human body.

People in Poland are afraid that this carcinogenic salt is likely to be present in everything they eat. After all, it wasn't just a bag of the stuff that was sold. Reports estimate that three Polish businesses have been buying some 1000 metric tons of "road" salt a month over a period of 10 years and selling it as edible salt.

Could this happen elsewhere in the world? Of course it could. Times are tough and there are plenty of people anxious to make "a fast buck" no matter what the cost to others.

To your good health,

TSF

IS IRRADIATED FOOD DANGEROUS?

I thought I would do a quick post on irradiation of food. I notice that a lot of blog readers continue to worry about it - and, are confused.

No, irradiation does not have anything to do with "radiation" or nuclear contamination of food (that is, radionuclides like Iodine-131 (I-131), Cesium-134 (Cs-134) and Cesium-137 (Cs-137) in food). Irradiation, or "ionizing radiation," is a process that briefly bombards food with high-frequency energy. The purpose is to damage the DNA of insects, bacteria or parasites in or on the food.

Let's take irradiation of produce as an example, since it is coming into wider use. If you wash that fruit or vegetable, you may only get rid of 90 to 95 percent of any bacteria on it. If you irradiate it, you are likely to inactivate or kill some 95 to 99 percent.

At medium-dose levels irradiation therefore extends the shelf life of that fruit or vegetable by preventing sprouting and delaying ripening (which is important in our factory food system). You can also argue, that it makes food safer to eat in terms of not giving you food poisoning. This could be particularly important for super-vulnerable people such as those in nursing homes.

So does the process of irradiation do something else to our food that could damage our health over the longer term? Those who support it (which includes the USFDA, USDA, WHO, FAO, and many other key U.S. and international organizations) will tell you that you shouldn't worry: if correctly done, food irradiation is no more risky than canning or pasteurization. But those opposed to it, will tell you that some research has shown that animals who consistently ate irradiated food ended up with some pretty horrible health problems.

So where does the truth lie? I guess one day, we'll find out. In the meantime, your tastebuds may make the decision for you. To people who are sensitive to taste, the texture and flavor of an irradiated item - such as lettuce - is simply, well, yucky. And, if you are worried, and in reasonably good health, why not avoid it?

To your good health,

TSF