THERE ARE SUPERBUGS IN OUR MEAT

It is always nice to know you are right. But, there are times I wish I wasn't. When writing The Safe Food Handbook : How to Make Smart Choices about Risky Food, I tried to be ahead of the issues in food safety - not behind. It has been the same in this blog (as in the case of the Japan - Daichii nuclear tragedy leading to radiation in food, the case of "bird flu" which is once again an issue, and the Listeria bacteria threat in our food plants).

One of the issues I stressed was the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in our food - particularly in meat. This was several years ago. At that point it was an emerging and very frightening problem about which I was - and still am - particularly concerned. I also strongly oppose the U.S. practice of sub-therapeutic (preventive) use of antibiotics in industrialized livestock production for that reason, even though I am aware that it helps to keep our meat prices down.

Today, CNBC has an article by Mark Koba titled : Antibiotic-Resistant "Super-Bugs" Creep into Nation's Food Supply. This article seems to have been triggered by secondary analysis of data from the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System ( published in February) by the Environmental Working Group (EWG).

The EWG concluded that that antibiotic-resistant bacteria are turning up very, very frequently in meat sold in the U.S. It was found in 81 percent of raw ground turkey, 69 percent of raw pork chops, 55 percent of raw ground beef and 39 percent of raw chicken bought over the counter in 2011. Even if this is an overestimation of our exposure in 2011, it is likely to be that much or even more in 2013. Our food regulators, and some of our politicians are aware of the problem, and trying to do something about it, but only small steps have been taken so far.

The data is scary, to say the least. If nothing else convinces you to give up eating meat, this well might. The CNBC on-line article quotes Lance B. Price, a professor of environmental and occupational health at George Washington University: "I think this is one of the greatest threats to us as a nation and the planet." I agree.

The Safe Food Handbook has more information on this food threat, particularly in the Meat and Poultry chapter, under the section "The Superbug Issue." Yes, I wish I wasn't right on this issue. But I was. I will also bet that we'll be hearing more about it in the future.

To your good health,
TSF

SALSA IS ONE OF THE RISKIEST FOODS TO EAT

Salsa is probably one of the most dangerous dishes you can eat, especially if you eat it in a restaurant. But ready-to-eat salsa bought in a store can be risky too.

The reason: salsa has a high chance of containing bacteria that can make you ill - ones like Salmonella. They can be there in the raw ingredients (such as hot hot peppers, cilantro and tomatoes) to begin with. Of course, there is no cooking step to kill them. In some 30% of cases a major problem is that the salsa is not stored properly, helping small numbers of bacteria to multiply. And in an estimated 20% of cases, the equipment used or food workers are the source of contamination.

That is why the current recall by Club Chef LLC of its Hot Salsa, Mild Salsa and Pico de Gallo products has come as no great surprise. Believe me, this is no small salsa maker. The product was distributed to retailers and foodservice distributors within eleven states in the U.S.: Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, Indiana and Illinois.

In stores, these salsa products are sold in 12 oz. (Private Selection brand name) and 16 oz. (Heinen’s brand name) clear plastic packages marked with Use by Date of 3/27/2012 (see photo). And by the way, the use-by date is 12 or 13 days after the shipping date. So much for the "fresh" salsa!

If you are pregnant or have a weakened immune system, you would be wise to pass on ready-to-eat or restaurant salsa.

To your good health,

TSF