WHY GROUND MEAT IS RISKY

I have just realized that while I have written some 38 blogs that deal with ground meat, I have never really explained why this type of meat is more likely to be contaminated with bacteria.

What prompted these thoughts today was yet another ground beef recall in the U.S. this past week. National Beef Packing Company, a Liberal, Kan., firm, recalled some 50,100 pounds of ground beef products because of possible contamination with E. coli O157:H7 . As we know by now, this is a very nasty bacterium. It can make you quite ill, and even send you to the hospital. Such recalls are not at all unusual. In fact, they happen every year.

Alright, one of the reasons there are so many reported issues with ground meat is that there is more of it around in our meals. The most popular form of beef eaten in the U.S., is ground beef or hamburger meat. It is used to make hamburgers, and present in taco fillings, pasta sauce, meatballs and so many other types of food. In fact, when eating out, Americans reportedly order a meal made out of ground beef almost half the time. But there is more to it than popularity.

Ground meat is also especially unsafe because of the way it is made. Bacteria are present everywhere in our environment, and animals carry a lot of them in their intenstines and on their bodies. While the slaughtering process is much more sanitary than it used to be, some of these bacteria can still contaminate the meat. The trouble is, if the pathogens are present on the surface of the meat when it is ground, the grinding process allows these bacteria to be mixed in throughout the meat. In the case of a steak, you can easily kill the bacteria on the surface during cooking, but in the case of ground meat, it's harder.

If the bacteria present in our ground meat are E. coli O157:H7 we could be particularly out of luck for three reasons. One, they can produce nasty toxins. Two, E. coli O157:H7 bacteria can survive refrigerator and freezer temperatures and can even multiply at temperatures as low as 44 °F (6.7 °C). And thirdly, it is believed that it takes only a few of these bacteria to make us ill, particularly in the case of children, older adults and anyone with a weakened immune system (on that topic - check out my earlier post on mold toxins).

Bottom line: if you are vulnerable, either avoid ground meat or cook it very, very well, and don't eat any foods made with ground meat when eating out.

To your good health,

TSF

ANOTHER BEEF RECALL BECAUSE OF E.COLI BACTERIA

And here's yet another beef product recall in the U.S. You may remember that we had one a week ago, that originated in Texas (see earlier post). This one started in beautiful California. They both involve E.coli 0157:H7 -the most common of the dangerous E.coli bacteria.

Since it is late, this is the third recall post of today, and my dog is waiting for a walk, let me get to the facts. Manning Beef, LLC, a Pico Rivera, Calif. establishment, has had to recall about 80,000 pounds of beef products because testing turned up too many E. coli O157:H7.

The recalled products include a variety of beef primal and subprimal cuts (such as top round and tri tip) and manufacturing trimmings. These products do not go directly to our store shelves. They are are used for further processing by retailers and food service establishents, for example, for hamburger meat. Apparently they were shipped to Arizona, California and Nebraska.

When they have it, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA/FSIS) is going to post the list of retailers selling the potentially-contaminated final beef products on their website at www.fsis.usda.gov/FSIS_Recalls/Open_Federal_Cases/index.asp. If you are worried - check it out.

In the meantime, cook your beef well!

To your good health,
TSF

GROUND BEEF RECALL IS EXPANDED

This is another case of "I told you so." The U.S. ground beef recall, due to contamination with E.coli 0157:H7 bacteria, has been expanded. (Read yesterday's post). Now more products are being recalled by the Michigan-based McNees Meats.

Here's the latest list of products:

1 and 10-lb. clear packages of “McNees Ground Beef Bulk.”
1 to1.5-lb., approximate weight clear plastic bags of “McNees Ground beef patties.”
1-lb. packages of “McNees Ground Round.”
1 and 2-lb packages of “McNees Ground Beef Bulk” sold in red and white plastic bags.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture doesn't know yet exactly where they were sold but says it will post the information on its website when it has it. If you are concerned, check: www.fsis.usda.gov/FSIS_Recalls
/Open_Federal_Cases/index.asp. Remember, it could take anywhere between 2 to 10 days for symptoms of E.coli to start occurring.

And cook all meat well, especially any ground meat.

To your good health,
TSF

FARMERS' MARKET STRAWBERRIES CARRIED E.COLI 0157:H7

Yesterday I blogged the deadly E.coli 0157 bacteria in ground meat (in Michigan, USA). Today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced an outbreak of the same type of bacteria in strawberries (in Oregon).

Even worse for those of us who love shopping at farmers' markets - these strawberries were marketed there and at roadside stands. Reportedly, Jaquith Strawberry Farm of Newberg, Oregon, sold the contaminated strawberries to bulk buyers who then resold them to consumers. So much for that lovely, fresh, farmers' market produce handed to you personally by the farmer himself or herself!

It is not at all unusual for strawberries to be contaminated with bacteria, including pathogenic E.coli. Outbreaks occur on a fairly regular basis both in domestic and imported berries. Usually the culprit is water contaminated with animal feces. But we keep eating them, and I do too. In fact, I ate them for breakfast this morning on my yogurt.

Of course, I washed them thoroughly, as one is supposed to do (even if they grow in your own yard or field). But you can't rely on washing to get rid of all of the bacteria. Some mayt still be solidly embedded in that lovely strawberry's flesh.

All the Jaquith Farm strawberries have most likely been eaten by now as their strawberry season is over. People have been becoming ill for several weeks. One woman has died. As usual, trace-back by the authorities has not progressed very fast. It never does.

But if you live in Oregon, particularly in Washington, Clatsop, and Multnomah Counties, and put some fresh strawberries from a farmers' market or roadside stand in your freezer during the last couple of weeks in July, I would suggest you throw them out.

To your good health,

TSF

E.COLI 0157:H7 FOUND IN U.S. BEEF

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) seems to be having a busy month. Two more meat recalls today. That makes fourteen recalls in July. This time, it is not ready-to-eat products (see my earlier posts of today and of July 19 and 20). Just beef. One of the recalls is because of a finding of that very nasty E.coli 0157 bacteria. The other is due to a finding of dangerous drug residues (the drug is Ivermectin - see next post).

Tri State Beef, a Cincinnati, Ohio, is having to recall some 228,596 pounds of beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. But this E.coli contamination may not be as bad as it sounds since it was sold to other companies in Chicago, Ill., Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio, Iowa and Virginia for further processing and distribution.

Reportedly, it was not sold directly to consumers. The meat will undergo cooking before it ever reaches the consumer. Hopefully, such cooking will be done properly so that it will inactivate any bacteria in the meat. Since the facilities are federally inspected, such inspection should make sure that this was the case. Let's hope those inspectors are doing their job!

In sum, this is not expected to be a recall that the consumer has to worry about.

To your good health,
TSF

ARE SPROUTS THE DEADLIEST FOOD IN THE WORLD?

Sprouts (sprouted seeds) have now caused the two largest known outbreaks of E.coli food borne illness. You could say that they are the deadliest food in the world. And, unfortunately, a little goes a long way in terms of making you ill.

In the summer of 1996, in Sakai, Japan, an estimated 12,680 were sickened and at least 11 people died from eating radish sprouts. Many where school-age children.

In the early summer of 2011, in northern Germany, at least 3100 people have been sickened and so far 31 have died, from eating bean sprouts. Hundreds remain critically ill, as the outbreak winds down. Although sprouts were the second suspect, and then dismissed, the authorities have now concluded that the outbreak did after all originate in organic sprouts grown on a farm in the northern German village of Bienenbuettel.

Just a few days ago, the Dutch recalled exported beet sprouts from three countries, because E.coli was found, but not by the vicious Hamburg strain. It was another pathogenic E.coli bacterium.

There have also been numerous sprout-linked outbreaks in the United States and Canada over the years, many of them in alfalfa sprouts which are the most popular in the U.S. Sprouts are commonly contaminated with not just various E.coli, but also Salmonella and even Listeria (see earlier post). The government-recommended treatment of seeds (not obligatory), is not used by all growers, and even when used, does not always work. Organically grown sprouts appear to be no safer than conventionally grown ones.

At the beginning of this year, sprouts headed my list of 5 foods I would not eat in 2011 (see post of January 3). They are still there.

To your good health!

TSF

NO CAUSE FOR ALARM IN U.S. OR CANADA OVER EUROPEAN E.COLI

The second-largest outbreak due to E.coli bacteria in the world is still ongoing. The number of victims now stands at about 2,400 confirmed illnesses in 14 countries, over 600 of worst cases hospitalized with life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and at least 24 deaths. Multiply the number of illnesses by about 10 and you'll probably be closer to the real numbers (not everyone will become ill enough to see a doctor). The culprit food (and we are still assuming it was food) has not yet been identified.

In Canada, only one case (in Ontario) is recorded at present. In the U.S., at least 4 cases are believed to be part of this outbreak. The CDC says the one in Massachusetts has been confirmed, and two suspected cases are in hospital with HUS in Wisconsin and Michigan one each). The fourth case is not as bad. All five people ill in North America had recently been in Hamburg, Germany - the center of the outbreak, and eaten there.

However, at the moment there is no cause for alarm. The United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and health officials in all the states are taking special action to quickly catch any cases and to prevent spread to others. (This bacterium can spread person-to-person as well as animal-to-human and through contaminated food or water). Suspect foods imported from affected European countries is undergoing special testing. Canada is also taking extra precautions. That is about all that government can do at present.

However, realistically, there will probably be more cases. If you have travelled to Europe recently, watch out for symptoms of diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea and sometimes, vomiting. But remember that many other bacteria, viruses and parasites can cause the same symptoms (not to mention irritable bowel and all those other things!). When you see your doctor, don't forget to mention your trip.

To your good health!
TSF

ANOTHER U-TURN IN THE E.COLI OUTBREAK INVESTIGATION?

So the culprit vegetable for the huge toxic E.coli outbreak was declared to be (Spanish, imported) cucumbers. And then it wasn't cucumbers. Next it was (German-Saxony, organic) bean sprouts. And now doubt is being cast too on this being the criminal food. Talk of a mess! And talk of an embarrassing situation for German officials. And, a very frustrating situation for all the people living or visiting Northern Germany who are trying to not starve to death or ruin their health, but not knowing what to eat.

But I am a little sympathetic, because of the pressures and challenges involved in solving this mystery. If you have "been in the business" - as I have (among other things, having done bacteriology in public health laboratories), you tend to be more aware of the barriers and pitfalls. For one thing, particularly in the case of food, sufficient numbers of bacteria rarely turn up in every single sample. So you may get some negatives as well as positives. In this case, the news reports 23 out of 40 samples from the farm had turned out negative so far. There are still 17 to go. Let's see...

But there is also the chance - although less likely - that the bacteria entered at a later point. There are still other possibilities as well. I don't have the details on when the sprout samples were taken, but conceivably, it might be possible that the contamination was temporary, in that it only affected sprout crops at a certain period of time (around end of April to early May). This could have been a rainy period, with more runoff from fields where cattle were grazing. Or, perhaps wild animals (which can also carry such bacteria) were running around then, and are now gone. Sprouts do spoil rather quickly, so there may have been none of the original samples left on which to do tests.

Investigating the cause of a food outbreak is always a challenge, particularly with perishable produce or perishable legumes, unless you just happen to get lucky (for instance, finding the contaminated food sitting in the refrigerator of someone who has become ill). But, admittedly, this is one for the history books.

To your good health,

TSF