For Safety's Sake • Food Safety Newsletter • July 2007
Information and Tips for Keeping it Fresh!
Volume 1 • Issue 5
Welcome to For Safety's Sake - an informational newsletter dedicated to food safety. We hope you enjoy this issue and share it with others who are concerned about food safety. Sign up to receive this newsletter by email >
Focus on Food Safety
Salmonella: More Than Just Peanut Butter and Pet Food
The Most Common Sources for Salmonella
When you hear the word "salmonella" you may naturally think of the most recent public outbreaks of snack foods, peanut butter, pet food, unpasteurized cheeses and unpasteurized milks. However, over the last 30 years, Salmonella has been a culprit in other major outbreaks:
- 2001 - Salmonella resulted from unpasteurized orange juice from Sun Orchard in Arizona when the juice was transported from Mexico and mixed with contaminated ice. This caused more than 400 people to become sick and one elderly man to die.
- 2000 - Salmonella was found in bean sprouts from Pacific Coast Sprout Farms. This caused at least 67 people to became ill and 17 were hospitalized.
- 1994 - Salmonella found in ice cream from Schwan's Foods sickened more than 3,000 people in 41 states because unpasteurized eggs were hauled in a truck that later hauled pasteurized ice cream.
- 1985 - Salmonella found in milk may have caused possibly as many as 200,000 cases of food poisoning and possibly 14 deaths in six states.
- 1974 - Salmonella found in unpasteurized apple cider caused approximately 200 people to become ill.
While these cases have garnered the most media attention, there are approximately 1.4 million cases of Salmonella-related food borne illness each year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Many of these cases are on a smaller scale and often times go overlooked and unreported. In fact, the CDC approximates only 2 percent of all cases of Salmonella-related illness are ever reported. It is important that within the food industry, we continue educating each other on those areas where the risks are the highest so that best practices become common place.
The most common causes of Salmonella can be traced to food sources such as:
- Undercooked meat and poultry.
- Raw (unpasteurized) milk, soft cheeses and eggs.
- Prepared salads like egg, tuna, chicken, potato and macaroni.
- Cream sauces and cream filled pastries and pies.
- Raw oysters or undercooked mussels, clams and whole scallops.
- Fresh or minimally processed produce.
It is important to note that the foods listed above are not the problem. They are all delicious and we do not wish to give them up. Unfortunately, Salmonella also enjoys them. How we handle and how we cook these foods are vital to ensuring a safe kitchen and safe meals.
Greg West
President of National Pasteurized Eggs, Inc.
Food Safety in the News
Made in China: World's Largest Exporter Faces Confidence Crisis
China is facing a global crisis of consumer confidence as its food safety watchdog group acknowledged that almost a fifth of the domestic products it inspects in China fail to reach minimum standards. Following a number of contamination scandals in the U.S., the world's biggest exporter is struggling to prove that it can match quality with quantity. In the beginning of 2007, 19.1 percent of all products made for domestic consumption were below standards.
Source: Guardian Unlimited: posted July 5, 2007
http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/story/0,,2118920,00.html
Sweetener Safe Says Food Watchdog
Aspartame is a common sweetener in soft drinks, medicines and sugar-free sweets. The sweetener once caused concern, but now is said to be safe by the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA).
It was blamed last month for health problems suffered by a woman who thought she was dying after a four-pack-a-day chewing gum habit led to crippling muscle cramps, tingling in her hands and feet, heart palpitations and anxiety attacks.
According to Sandra Daly, NZFSA's deputy chief executive, "Aspartame is probably one of the most studied products on sale today, and there is an extensive body of evidence that tells us it is a safe product that offers consumers a sweet low-calorie option in their diet. Eating too much of any one thing is not good for you - even those we consume every day, such as coffee, carrots and cake."
Source: The New Zealand Herald: posted July 6, 2007
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/
Suspicious Toothpaste is Ordered off Shelves
Inspectors from Boston and 11 other Massachusetts cities and towns have confiscated about 160 tubes of toothpaste that may contain a chemical used in antifreeze. State and federal authorities said there is no proof anyone has been poisoned by the contaminated toothpaste. Still, state authorities said they ordered local health agencies to scour store shelves for potentially tainted toothpaste, knowing that long-term exposure to diethylene glycol may cause kidney and liver problems.
Source: The Boston Globe: posted July 6, 2007
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/200707/06/suspicioustoothpasteisorderedoffsshelves/
FDA Warns Consumers Not to Eat Veggie Booty Snack Food
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to eat Veggie Booty flavor of snack food, due to possible contamination with Salmonella Wandsworth, bacteria that cause gastrointestinal illness. No other flavors have been associated with the snack food. This warning is based on 52 reports of illness across 17 states, beginning in March 2007. FDA's comprehensive investigation has begun at the manufacturing facility, focused on identifying the source of the contamination. Product samples have been collected and will be analyzed in FDA laboratories.
Source: FDA News: posted June 28, 2007
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01661.html
Food Safety Q & A
If you have a question you would like us to address in a future e-newsletter, please contact us at 4safetyssake@gmail.com.
Q: How many cases of food borne disease are there in the United States?
A: An estimated 76 million cases of food borne disease occur each year in the United States. The great majority of these cases are mild and cause symptoms for only a day or two. Some cases are more serious, and CDC estimates that there are 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths related to food borne diseases each year. The most severe cases tend to occur in the very old, the very young, those who have an illness already that reduces their immune system function, and in healthy people exposed to a very high dose of an organism.
Source: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/foodborneinfections_g.htm#howmanycases
From the Food Safety Expert
What in the World is Melamine?
In the last few months, there has been a series of national recalls associated with pet food products that contain a substance known as "melamine." In mid-March, pet food recalls started with Menu Foods and other recalls followed with Nestlé Purina PetCare, Hill's Pet Nutrition, and Del Monte Pet Products. In the course of the recall trace-back investigations, it was discovered that the pet food was contaminated by wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate that contained melamine and melamine-like compounds. These recalls have generated many questions relative as to how the ingredients were contaminated and if melamine could present a risk to humans if consumed.
Melamine is an organic compound that can be produced synthetically and it can also be formed when certain pesticides break down. The compound has a number of industrial applications including use as an industrial binding agent, use as a flame retardant, and as part of a polymer in the manufacture of cooking utensils and plates. Melamine is also used to make melamine resin, a polymer similar to plastic and used to coat countertops or cabinets because it is hard and largely heat resistant. It has also been used as a fertilizer in some parts of the world; however, it is not registered for legal use as a fertilizer in the United States.
There has been a great interest surrounding the toxicity of melamine and many federal agencies are beginning to collect data for risk assessments.
To learn more about melamine and what it means to food safety please read Richard H. Linton, Ph.D.'s entire article. Dr. Linton's article on melamine.
About Richard H. Linton, Ph.D:
Richard H. Linton, Ph.D., currently serves as the Professor of Food Safety at Purdue University. In this position, he also divides his time into research, teaching, outreach, international programs, and agriculture administration. Dr. Linton's research interests include the study of growth and inactivation of food borne pathogens in different food systems. Dr. Linton currently interacts with 300 students per year and advises three graduate students. At Purdue University, he has developed training programs for food safety education and retail food establishments. Dr. Linton's most known program attracts more than 5000 food retailers and is called "Food Safety Day".
Dr. Linton serves on the Executive Board of the Conference for Food Protection and the National Alliance for Food Safety and Security. During his 13 years at Purdue University, he has published more than 40 referred journal articles, nine textbooks, and more than 30 Extension publications. Dr. Linton has also given more than 175 presentations and raised more than $2.5 million in industry research. He can be reached via email at linton@purdue.edu.
Source: https://www.am-fe.ift.org/pdfs/pmac/Rich%20Linton%20Bio.pdf
Did You Know?
When cleaning your counter tops, bleach and commercial kitchen, cleaning agents are the best sanitizers--provided they're diluted according to product directions. They're the most effective at getting rid of bacteria. Hot water and soap does a good job, too, but may not kill all strains of bacteria. Water may get rid of visible dirt, but not bacteria. Also, be sure to keep dishcloths and sponges clean because, when wet, these materials harbor bacteria and may promote their growth.
Source: http://msucares.com/health/food_safety/foodfaq13.html
Back to archive For Safety's Sake • Food Safety Newsletter