FOOD SAFETY AUTHOR DIES OF FOOD POISONING

It is very embarrassing when the author of a book (and blog) on food safety comes down with food poisoning - which is what happened to me last week. And no, I did not die. But in the midst of my misery, I kept making up titles for my obituary in the New York Times. Assuming of course, that they would bother running it. "Food Safety Author Dies of Food Poisoning" came out the winner.

So what food was the culprit? Frankly, I don't know. I am pretty careful. But I suspect chives. What happened is that I had a sudden craving for chives, and the only jar (yes, opened) that I could find was in the refrigerator, but had no "best by" date on it. I did look. So I pretended to myself that it would be fine. But in all honesty, those chives might have been years old - and maybe contaminated with Listeria bacteria which can survive in very well in cold conditions and even multiply.

Anyway, let me tell you again, food poisoning is no fun. The only comfort I had was that at least 10 of my friends have come down with food poisoning of one kind or another in the last 12 months, some of them more than once. In many cases it was from restaurant food or deli take-out. Others thought that the cause was fresh fruit or vegetables. Some blamed meat or seafood. But none had real proof, any more than I did. The tendency is to suspect the last food you ate, but that may not be true. Some kinds of food poisoning have a long lead time between ingestion and feeling sick.

Listeria monocytogenes - so common in our food these days, actually has one of the longest lead times. It can take from 3 to 70 days to make you ill; occasionally even longer. The fastest one I can think of is a mold toxin that can take just minutes. Salmonella bacteria, one of the most common causes of food poisoning, usually take 12-72 hours from the time you ingested them. The different E.coli vary in toxicity, but let's think in terms of 1-10 days. In all cases, a lot will depend on how vulnerable you are, and how big a dose you got, and of course, exactly which kind you got.

Off to recover from my food poisoning..(By the way, I tossed out the chives, just in case).

To your good health,

TSF

NOW WHAT - CONTAMINATED HERBS?

Did you think that herbs could not be contaminated? Not true. Even organic ones.

Over the past few years, American and Canadian food processing companies, restaurants and consumers, have begun to use more and more herbs in food.

Now there is a recall for oregano - that popular herb that we love to put in our pasta sauce, on our pizza, and in other foods. I have a couple of wonderful types of oregano growing in my garden, so I no longer buy it. But, if you do, Olde Thompson Inc. located in Oxnard, California, has just recalled certain lots of Earth’s Pride Organics: Organic Oregano that was packaged in a 2.2 oz. glass jars with a cork closure. The reason - possible contamination by Salmonella - a bacterium that can give you a bad case of food poisoning.

According to the recall, these items were sold exclusively at BJ’s Wholesale Club in CT, DE, FL, GA, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, RI, and VA, between January 1, 2013 and July 10, 2013. In other words, for almost six months. If you shop there and use herbs in cooking, you had better check your shelves. But, I also found these herbs for sale on Amazon. I don't know if they may also be contaminated or not, but if you have bought them on line, you may want to call customer service.

Nor is this the first herb recall in the U.S. There have been several recalls of contaminated basil due to Salmonella bacteria being found. There are also frequent recalls of Chinese medicinal herbs. Herbal supplements and herbal teas have also been recalled, in some cases these too were found to be contaminated by Salmonella bacteria. Salmonella is a survivor and can live in very dry conditions - like your herb container - for several months.

The Safe Food Handbook has a whole chapter on Herbs and Spices. Among other things, it notes that often herbs, and especially, spices, are imported from countries which have questionable food safety standards. Of course, the FDA tries to keep them safe. So does the American Spice Trade Association (ASTA). But nothing is 100%. Sometimes that nasty Salmonella slips through... And, in case you were wondering, yes, it is possible to get enough of the bacteria from herbs to make you ill. However, thorough cooking will solve the problem.

To your good health,
TSF

BEWARE PREGNANT WOMEN: LISTERIA IS EVERYWHERE

If you are pregnant, or ever have been pregnant, you have probably heard of Listeria bacteria as something to really avoid in food. Actually, it is just one of the Listeria family that is deadly - Listeria monocytogenes. This tiny bacterium is not just very dangerous to pregnant women, but to newborn babies, people over age 60, and anyone with reduced immunity.

L. monocytogenes is most likely to be found in ready-to-eat foods, such as deli meats, cheeses, hot dogs, smoked seafood and store-prepared deli-salads and sandwiches. It causes food contamination not just in the U.S. - but all over the world. Often the source of the problem is food plant workers carrying the bacterium, or contaminated equipment or facilities.

But it can turn up almost anywhere - including in some unexpected places. For instance, in November, 2012, Listeria turned up in chocolate cake, leading to a recall by the big supermarket Publix of chocolate cake. A month earlier, it turned up in flavored snacks such as popcorn, leading to a recall by Dale and Thomas Popcorn of Englewood, N.J. In February of 2013, the bacterium turned up in sprouted seeds. The recall by Sprouters Northwest of Kent, Washington, included broccoli, clover, spicy sprouts, 3-Bean Munchies, Brocco Sandwich Sprouts, Alfalfa Sprouts, Bean Sprouts, Broccoli Sprouts, Clover Sprouts, Deli Sprouts, Spicy Sprouts, Wheatgrass and Pea Shoots.

More recently, Listeria turned up in the U.S. in snacks again. Lipari Foods of Warren, Michigan recalled some 52 different snack foods such as Raw Sunflower Seeds, Roasted Sunflower Seeds and Snack Mixes because they might be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The company investigation concluded that the culprit was bulk raw sunflower seeds. These sunflower seeds had not only been used in a variety of snack mixes but might also have lead to cross contamination to a large range of snack mix products (such as banana chips, crystallized ginger, chocolate almonds and many more) during production.

So if you are in a high risk group, how can you avoid Listeriosis? It is almost impossible to avoid the "odd" places, such as snacks and cakes. But, you certainly would be wise to avoid deli meats and seafood - unless you cook them until they are steaming hot, make sure any barbecued hot dogs you eat are very well cooked, don't eat sprouted seeds, and take it easy on cheese. Remember too that Listeria bacteria can survive and multiply in your refrigerator, contaminate it and spread from one food to another.

Listeria monocytogenes is no joke. It can cause miscarriages and stillbirths, can make vulnerable people very ill and can even be fatal to adults. If you are at high risk - be careful.

To your good health,

TSF

CAN YOUR TEA KILL YOU?

Actually, it's true. Your tea can die from drinking tea - not because you drink too much of it, or because it is particularly unhealthy, but because it is contaminated.

We were reminded of that this week when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a recall by Harmony Chai of Eastsound, WA of their Concentrated Black Spiced Chai and Decaffeinated Roobios Chai. Both come in bottles. The tea is made with sugar and spices, many of them from India and sounds delicious. The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) discovered while testing the teas, that they had not been properly processed as required. This was accidental - not conscious cheating on safety. The company is trying to find out how it happened.

Unfortunately, such improperly processed tea beverages can be contaminated with the deadly bacterium, Clostridium Botulinum. If you ingest enough of this bacterium it can make you critically ill or even lead to death. (In the old days, it used to turn up a lot in badly done canning).

So how do you know if your tea can harm you? You can't tell that it is bad from either the taste or the smell. But if you suddenly find you have trouble with speaking or swallowing (and it's not nervousness) you may want to make sure you don't have the other symptoms of botulism. These often include double-vision, general weakness and dizziness. You may also have difficulty in breathing, weakness of muscles, abdominal distension and constipation (not because you didn't eat enough fiber).

By the way, concentrated Black Spiced Chai and Decaffeinated Rooibos Chai were distributed through farmers markets, grocery stores and cafes in Western Washington. They are also sold through the internet. If you live in that area, or know someone who lives there, or someone who drinks this tea, let them know.

To your good health,

TSF

ARE YOU EATING FAKE FOOD?

No, I don't mean the kind of "fake food" that artists very cleverly make as props for photo shoots, for restaurant display windows, films, theater productions - or simply for home decoration. What I am talking about is fake ingredients in our food, and occasionally, a totally fake food product (claiming to be something it is not). Annoying, yes, if we are not getting what we want. But can it also be unhealthy?

A report by the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) has argued that more and more of such "fake ingredients" are being used in our food products. Other organizations, such the National Consumers League have also done studies and tests that confirm this finding. The reason, of course, is to reduce costs - and increase the producer's net profit. Is this yet another effect of the recession on our food supply?

Liquids and ground foods are the easiest to adulternate. Here are some examples - though there are many more:
• Honey may contain large quantities of corn or cane sugar instead of real honey
• Olive oil may be diluted with cheaper oils
• Lemon juice labeled 100%, may actually be diluted with water and sugar
• So-called 100% pomegranate juice may be diluted with other cheaper juices
• Tea has been found to contain fillers like lawn grass or fern leaves
• Spices such as paprika or saffron may really be other ingredients that have been dyed with food colorings
• Expensive seafood such as tuna or albacore in your sushi may instead by some cheaper fish such as escolar.

But can such food actually be unsafe? Well, sometimes it just means a nutritional loss, and that's about it. At other times there can indeed be health risks - and not only for people with food allergies. It has also been argued by the FDA that if fake ingredients are used by a food product producer, they may also be cheating on other aspects - such as safe production practice.

Let's take spices. The Safe Food Handbook: How to Make Smart Decisions about Risky Foods, warns against buying spices, especially ones such as paprika and saffron overseas where they are usually much cheaper than in the U.S. Such spices could well be unsafe because of dangerous food colorings used.

One of my best friends brought back saffron from Morocco - including some for me (I guess she had not read that part of the book, or had forgotten...), and then discovered it was fake. She didn't buy it at a market. She bought it in a very elegant "tourist" spice shop, where she was taken on a very reputable and expensive tour.

Of course, most of these spices, when sold in the U.S. or Canada, are also imported. See The Safe Food Handbook for more on this topic - and how you can be safer.

To your good health,
TSF

CAN YOU AVOID GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD?

I had an unusual family correspondence about genetically modified food (GMOs) this week. It involved my brother who was concerned about possible health effects of eating such food, and another relative who is an expert in genetic engineering. This, and all the recent news in the U.S. papers, has forced me to focus again on the issue. I hadn't looked much at it since doing masses of mind-boggling research on the topic for The Safe Food Handbook: How to Make Smart Choices About Risky Food several years ago. The book, by the way, ended up with a very much reduced section on genetic modification for a variety of reasons.

What I discovered when I rechecked the science now was that our knowledge has not advanced that much since I wrote the book. We still aren't sure whether eating such food on a regular basis will harm our health. If it does, it is likely to be very long term - at least 20 years or more, of regular exposure to GMOs in our diet. In the meantime, the number of GMOs on our store shelves is expanding and increasing our chances of heavier exposure.

For several reasons, the GMO issue has now once again come to the attention of the U.S. public. And, some progress has been made to keep the eating public safer. Connecticut passed the first GMO food labeling law in the U.S. a few days ago. This law requires that food containing genetically modified ingredients be labeled as such. But it has an odd requirement - that four other states must pass similar legislation. So in other words, it ended up being a kind of compromise, and may never be implemented. Last minute heavy industry lobbying seems to have come into play.

If we are concerned about eating such foods, what do we do in the meantime, while we are waiting for better labeling or other action by the FDA? Well, if it is really true, as the U.S. Grocery Manufacturing Association claims, that perhaps 70% of the foods sold in America contain GMOs, then we have a problem. In fact, even organic items may well contain traces.

At least we can avoid some of the most obvious genetically modified produce by reading the PLU (small stuck-on labels)on our fruit and vegetables. A 5 digit number beginning with 8 means that the produce has been genetically modified. There is more on this in the book in the chapter on Fruits and Vegetables (section on Labeling).

And, we can avoid processed foods as much as possible, since they often contain dozens of ingredients, with at least one or two that have been genetically modified. Shopping at certain stores - often more expensive, such as Whole Foods Market, can also help. This chain carries hundreds of items that are verified by Non-GMO project, which is a process-based standard intended to help suppliers keep GMO ingredients to a minimum.

You can also give priority to foods which voluntarily carry a label saying "non-GMO" in other stores. Or, you may be able to source your food directly from a farm which is using GMO avoidance practices. Or, grow your own - if you can.

But the chances are that avoiding GMOs in our food may take more time, energy or money than many of us can afford. If that is the case, don't stress out about it. Eating the occasional genetically engineered food item is not going to kill you. Simply do the best you can, giving priority to your young children, and taking special precautions if you are pregnant, or, planning to become pregnant in the near future.

To your good health,

TSF

IS IMPORTED FOOD THREATENING OUR HEALTH?

Well, so much for COSTCO making berries safer (see previous post). This past week it had a rather unpleasant recall of a supposedly very healthy frozen berry mix, sourced from Townsend Farms of Fairview, Oregon. At least 30 serious hepatitis A illnesses in Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and California have been linked to this Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend. Yes...Here we go with another recall of an organic food.

But let's look closely at this product. It is a true example of our global food supply. Not only did it contain those supposedly contaminated pomegranate seeds from Turkey. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that this berry mix also included products from Argentina and Chile.

Yes, it is indeed wonderful to be able to buy anything we want to eat. But on the downside, such global sourcing of food has also been know to introduce new, or new strains, of bacteria, parasites and viruses into the U.S. from other countries. In this case, the particular strain of hepatitis A is rarely seen in North America, but is found in the North Africa and Middle East regions. It could well be that some sick farm worker in Turkey handled the pomegranate seeds. And there we are.

By the way, The Safe Food Handbook: How to Make Smart Choices About Risky Food, has a section in the introduction which analyzes why our food is not becoming any safer, in spite of all the efforts made and the new technology available. One of the main reasons noted is that "more and more of our food is imported from overseas." Yes, the U.S. does have food safety standards and guidelines for overseas producers, distributors, and processors. But, as the book points out, they are often poorly enforced and easily circumvented, more so in some countries than others. So we pay a price.

As an informed consumer, it is up to you to decide if you want to take the risk.

To your good health,

TSF