THE SAFE FOOD HANDBOOK

PRINCESS CRUISE SHIPS SCORED 100 FOR SANITATION!

2012-02-13T21:28:00.000-08:00

Out of curiosity, I thought I would check out how a couple of the cruise ships with recent Norovirus outbreaks have done under the U.S. Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) inspections (see previous post for what this is). Well...surprise..both the Ruby Princess and the Crown Princess - scored 100 during their last inspections

The Ruby Princess has an average VSP inspection score of 99 over the years, with a range of 94 to 100. During the latest inspection - in November, 2011 - when the ship scored 100, the inspectors actually found 27 infractions of vessel sanitation according to the report. Here are four random examples (they are not necessarily the worst).

• A badly scored white cutting board was observed at the soiled side of the dishwash station in one of the galleys..

• A live fruit fly was seen flying inside the cold counter display container at the crew officer mess.

• There were serious delays in reporting gastrointestinal illness among crew which could result in spread of illness. For instance, a crew dishwasher experienced gastrointestinal illness symptom onset at 5 am and only reported to the medical center at 4:30 pm. A crew member in video experienced gastrointestinal illness symptom onset 7 am and only reported to the medical center at 8 am on the following day.

• There was no procedure in the written for notifying embarking passengers following an outbreak voyage.

The Crown Princess has an average inspection score of 97, with a range from 89 to 100 over the years. During the latest inspection, also in November, 2011, when it also scored 100, some 33 infractions of good sanitation practices were listed. Here are a few examples.

• There was no 'WASH HANDS AFTER USING TOILET' sign in the restroom used byfood workers.

• None of the staff in the food preparation areas were equipped with tip-sensitive food thermometers.

• The door tracks of both food transportation lifts were soiled with an accumulation of debris.

• The safety signs for the swimming pools did not include: 'do not use these facilities if experiencing diarrhea, vomiting or fever', 'shower before entering the facility', or the bather load number. The safety sign at the children's pool did not have the above information or 'take children on frequent bathroom breaks or take children on frequent toilet breaks'. The safety signs for the whirlpools did not include the information required for the swimming pools above or a caution against pregnant women, elderly persons, or exceeding 15 minutes of exposure.

Alright, I have to acknowledge that these were not huge issues - not at the level of the water on board not being potable or the food refrigeration not working (as was the case with a couple of other ships that failed inspection), but, the sanitation on board either ship wasn't great either. As events showed, they probably should not have scored 100.

To your good health,

TSF

ARE CRUISE SHIPS SANITATION INSPECTIONS WORKING?

2012-02-13T20:33:00.000-08:00

I have been advising readers of this blog to check out their cruise ship before booking for a cruising vacation. This could help them avoid being trapped at sea during an outbreak of illness on board, as has happened to hundreds of unhappy travellers recently.

One of the main sites I have suggested is the U.S. Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) operated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The purpose of the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) is to help "prevent and control the introduction, transmission, and spread of gastrointestinal (GI) illnesses on cruise ships." In most cases, we are talking about Norovirus-caused outbreaks on cruise ships - the kind that has been in the news lately.

The main activity of the VSP is inspection of cruise ships with more than 13 passengers and a foreign itinerary when these ships enter U.S. ports. Cruise ships are supposed to be inspected about twice each year.

When I took a closer look at the scores, reports and corrections of theses inspections over the years, I was not impressed. In fact, these ship inspections reminded me of common weaknesses in the inspection of U.S. food processing plants and restaurants.

True, the ship inspections really seem to be catching many failures in sanitation. But I noticed two weaknesses. First, the scores can be very high - even a 100 score - in spite of the ship being loaded with problems, almost any one of which could trigger or spread an outbreak of GI illness. In fact, very, very few cruise ships ever get a "not satisfactory" score of 85 or below (the Queen Mary II - pictured - was one of the few that has done so during the last 12 months).

Secondly, the followup of problem correction is weak. In fact, the VSP does not check if any correction has taken place at all until the next inspection of the ship. This could be months or a year away. In the meantime, cruises continue, and passengers may be exposed to risks of getting seriously ill while supposedly on a pleasant vacation.

To your good health,

TSF

MORE ADVICE ON AVOIDING SICKNESS ON A CRUISE

2012-02-11T16:03:00.000-08:00

So with all these recently publicized outbreaks of illness on cruise ships, what do you do if you want to take a trip anyway? On Feb. 25, 2011, I posted on "How to Avoid Getting Sick on a Cruise" which focused mainly on reducing your risk of getting the virus from cruise ship food. The below includes some additional recommendations to also reduce your chances of getting the virus from other people or surfaces.

• Check the record of the shipping line and your particular ship for large outbreaks in the past (see the earlier blog for more). Personally, I would not go on a ship that has had a recently recorded outbreak of Norovirus.
• While on the cruise, avoid the buffet, or else, be the first there (again, see my previous posts for reasons).
• Rev up your good sanitation practices while on board, and wash your hands well before you put anything to your mouth - even a pill, a cigarette, your lipstick, brushing your teeth, and of course, before eating. When going on shore, take along an ethanol alcohol-based (a minimum 62%) hand sanitizer, preferably in a gel form and some tissues.
• If you can, avoid eating catered meals on shore, or be very careful about what you eat (nothing raw or sitting out in the sun). Drink only bottled water or drinks and avoid the ice (including crushed ice) and citrus slices.
• If you see someone on board who looks ill or says they are not feeling well (unless they have seasickness) keep away from them.
• If there is an ongoing outbreak on board, avoid crowds and groups as much as possible (difficult on board), touching railings, public restrooms, the swimming pool, whirlpool and spas.
• Keep healthy, getting enough sleep and eating well.

To your good health,

TSF

WHY IS NOROVIRUS SUCH A RISK ON CRUISE SHIPS?

2012-02-11T15:25:00.000-08:00

The Safe Food Handbook has a box entitled "The Cruise Ship Virus" which highlights how frequent Norovirus illnesses are on cruise ships. Most outbreaks - like the recent ones we have had - affect both passengers and crew. So why is this nasty virus such a risk on cruises?

One of the most regular readers ran off a list of reasons to me yesterday. He even added a few that I hadn't thought of when I wrote the book. (Remember - you can get this virus from your food, water, surfaces, or, from contact with sick people). Here they are:

• The food is mass catered and therefore more subject to contamination.
• Buffets are a common feature, and these are known to be particularly risky.
• Passengers are in close physical contact with each other over a period of days or even weeks
• The ventilation systems could be adding to the problems.
• On some cruises, a large proportion of these passengers are senior citizens who tend to be less healthy and more vulnerable to such illness.
• On other "party" cruises, passengers tend to play hard and sleep little, resulting in them getting "worn down" which can also decrease their resistance.
• Passengers tend to keep going, even if feeling a bit ill, since they want to enjoy the cruise they have paid for. This may result in them passing the virus on to others.
• While any ships with outbreaks are very thoroughly cleaned when they dock, while at sea the cleaning of common facilities and cabins may be less than perfect, especially if a large number of crew are also ill and out of action.

To your good health,

TSF

A VALENTINE FOR MY DOG

2012-02-10T16:58:00.000-08:00

This is your first Valentine's Day with us, Gunesh - our latest "rescue" dog. We love having you as part of our family. And you have really made great strides in adjusting to living here. A big plus is that you are no longer eating the rugs, my prescription glasses, cellphone, my favorite clothes, your leash, the roasted chicken off the kitchen counter, and whatever else happened to be within reach.

But on my side, I feel I have let you down. Because you are such a young wildly energetic dog, with much of your earlier life spent scavenging on the street, and have survived eating some things that should have finished you off, I have rationalized that I didn't have to be so careful about what I fed you. Your predecessor was given healthy home-cooked food. But most of the time you've eaten commercial "store-bought" food out of bags and cans.

What you are getting is basically our human food leftovers or rejects plus a bunch of additives to make it taste better, look nicer (for us, not you) and last longer. A lot of this food is made up of grains - even in those more expensive brands that claim to be so healthy. And, as the last few months have shown, they carry safety as well as nutritional risks. One of the main ones is aflatoxin. This mycotoxin (occasionally produced by some molds) is particularly common in grains such as corn, especially in the lower quality corn products that go into making your food.

And yes, now commercial dog food has established limits for these toxins, as also exist in our food, though they are not as well enforced. Nevertheless, sometimes high levels are caught through testing. This happened at the end of last year, with several types and brands of dog food. Cargill Animal Health, Procter and Gamble, Advanced Animal Nutrition, O’Neal’s Feeders Supply and Petrus Feed and Seed Stores each recalled several lots of dry dog food during a six-day span. Others followed.

And that hasn't been the only time. The worst case I know of before that was in 2006 when at least a hundred dogs died and countless others became seriously ill over a period of months as a result of high levels of aflatoxin in 19 brands of Diamond Pet Foods. Even if there isn't enough aflatoxin in your food to be fatal - and it doesn't take much - it can leave you with serious liver problems along with unpleasant symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy and jaundice.

No, Gunesh, you are not getting a box of chocolates for Valentine's Day (chocolate is high on the "don't eat list" for dogs) but I do promise to give you safer and healthier food. In fact, I think I'll start by cooking you one of your favorites for Valentine's Day: a turkey burger, with a fried egg on top. We want you to stay healthy and happy and be around for many more years.

TSF

MORE SANDWICHES MADE WITH RECALLED EGGS

2012-02-08T12:11:00.000-08:00

The list goes on and on. It's amazing how many different kinds of U.S. salads and sandwiches contain eggs. And unfortunately, it turns out that many of them contain eggs from Michaels Foods which have been suspected of carrying Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.

Here is another sandwich recall in addition to those that I have already blogged.

Grand Strand Sandwich Company of Longs, SC, is recalling its 4.5oz and 5 oz Chicken Salad Sandwiches, with the following labels: Grand Strand Sandwich, Lunch Box Sandwiches, and Country Harvest Sandwiches. They just found out that their sandwich manufacturer, Bost Distributing bought some of the Hard Cooked Eggs that were produced by Michael Foods which has an ongoing recall on those eggs.

Notice...The eggs were laid by hens on farms, then sent (directly or indirectly) to Michael Foods, which sent them to Bost Distributing (among others), which then made chicken salad sandwiches containing those eggs, which sandwiches were then sold to Grand Strand Sandwich Company, which then sent them for sale to us consumers at convenience stores in the U.S. southeast. There they sit around for weeks in the cooler waiting for you to buy them as "fresh sandwiches."

Ugh.....I think I would rather starve. Or, just eat a banana.

And on top of all that, look at all those mysterious ingredients in that so-called healthy and fresh sandwich (the photo of the label may not be clear enough for you to read them, but examine the label yourself the next time you are tempted to buy a ready-made sandwich).

To your good health,

TSF

MORE NOROVIRUS ILLNESSES ON CRUISE SHIPS

2012-02-06T13:43:00.000-08:00

Well, we are off to a good start for cases of diarrhea, vomiting and stomach cramps on board cruise ships this year - and, it's only the beginning of February. In fact, there is a very good chance that we will easily pass the 2011 total number of illnesses (1971 reported cases).

By the last count I could find, we now have four cruise ships docking in the U.S. during the last few days with outbreaks of Norovirus on board: the two Princess Cruise Ships (Crown Princess and Ruby Princess) with a combined total of some 500 illnesses reported, a Carnival Corp. ship with about 100 reported so far, and an outbreak on Royal Caribbean Cruises “Voyager of the Seas” with maybe 200 illnesses on board (the numbers in this last case are still vague).

But let me tell you something else: the actual numbers are bound to be much larger. How much, I don't know. I would guess at least double or triple. Maybe even 10 times the above. After all, studies done on Norovirus have found that only about 10% of people affected by this virus seek medical care. And if they just decide to tough it out, and not see a doctor, they don't get counted.

Some passengers on a cruise ship don't go to see the medical staff because they discover that they have to pay extra for the consultation, or have to wait for a long time, when they are feeling awful and would rather be flat in bed (and, close to a bathroom). Others only become ill when they leave the ship (the incubation period for onset of symptoms can be as long as 72 hours), so they are unlikely to be included in the numbers reported to the CDC.

Of course, now with cruise travel reservations down, and less crowding on board, maybe even safer food, the incidence of Norovirus may start to decrease.....

To your good health,
TSF

SEVERAL OUTBREAKS OF NOROVIRUS ON PRINCESS CRUISES

2012-02-05T20:50:00.000-08:00

Cruise ships participating in the Vessel Sanitation Program are required to report the total number of gastrointestinal (GI) illness cases that have occurred on board before the ship arrives at a U.S. port when it has come from a foreign port, and is engaged in a voyage of 3-21 days. Only cruise ships carrying more than 100 passengers are required to report.

Statistics for 2011 show that Princess Cruises had more confirmed Norovirus outbreaks than any other cruise ship line during 2011:

Sea Princess (5/30-6/09). 144 sickened. Cause: Norovirus
Sea Princess (5/20-5/30). 128 sickened. Cause: Norovirus
Coral Princess (5/04-5/19). 64 sickened. Cause: Norovirus

In addition to Norovirus, there was also an outbreak of Enterotoxegenic E. coli on Coral Princess.

But Princess Cruises is not the only cruise line with GI illness outbreaks. Almost all cruise lines have had them on one trip or another, though not necessarily every cruise or every year. In all the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recorded 11 outbreaks of GI illness on cruise ships visiting U.S. ports in 2011. Six of these were due to Norovirus, two to E.coli and three had an unknown cause (which could have been Norovirus).

So, as I have advised in previous posts, check the record of your particular cruise line and the ship itself before you book. Take a look at the CDC site at: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/gilist.htm#2011.

Outbreaks can and do occur on both the cheapest and the most expensive of cruises, but you'll notice that some of the ships have a particularly bad record. Don't book on those.

To your good health,
TSF

LISTERIA SANDWICHES SOLD AT WALGREENS IN CALIFORNIA

2012-02-05T10:38:00.000-08:00

Our industrialized food certainly gets around. Now those potentially Listeria-contaminated boiled eggs from Nebraska are causing a prepared sandwich recall in California.

GH Foods CA, LLC of Sacramento has been notified by their supplier that the eggs supplied to them were from Michael Foods, Inc, and have been recalled because they could be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.

The sandwiches affected by the recall were reportedly only distributed to Walgreens retail stores in the state of California. They are packaged in a cellophane wrapper and sold under the Delish brand.

Product UPC Code Enjoy by Date
DeLish brand Egg Salad on HoneyWheat Sandwich 8.5 oz. 0.49022-51925.1 1/17/12 through 2/5/12
DeLish brand Tuna Salad on Multigrain Bread Sandwich 8.5 oz 0.49022-51928.2 1/22/12 through 2/5/12

If you have bought them, don't eat them!

To your good health,
TSF

HUNDREDS FALL ILL ON CRUISE SHIPS

2012-02-05T08:46:00.000-08:00

Are you really serious about taking that cruise? I wouldn't worry too much about the ship sinking, but you may want to keep food poisoning in mind.

The cruise ship industry has been hit with a lot of bad publicity lately. First, there was the Costa Concordia disaster off the coast of Italy. And now, two Princess Cruises ships, limping into port in Florida with hundreds of very miserable passengers and crew on board due to Norovirus outbreaks.

We don't know how the virus got on board both ships, but the chances are that it boarded with the food, most likely from a common source, and spread from there. This virus is very contagious, very common on cruise ships and probably the most common cause of food poisoning. It can spread not just through food itself, but also passenger to passenger, through surfaces where droplets of vomit have landed and many other ways.

The Crown Princess, has so far reported 140 people, or about 4 percent of passengers to be ill, plus 18 members of the crew. On the Ruby Princess, 81 passengers - 2 percent of the total- and nine crew members have been reported ill so far.

Two things you can be sure of: one, these numbers will increase, and secondly, the ships will be extremely difficult to clean up. In fact, history of such outbreaks shows that there will be increased risk of another Norovirus outbreak on subsequent cruises in spite of all the efforts made.

If you are thinking of going ahead with a planned cruise, or, have a family member or friend who will do so, check out the several earlier posts on this blog which will help you to be one of the people who stays healthy.

Is Cruise Ship Food Safe to Eat? - 2/25/11
Why are Cruise Ships Risky Places to Eat - 2/26/11
How to Avoid Getting Sick on a Cruise Ship - 2/25/11
Cruising May be No Carnival if You Get Food Poisoning - 1/10/12

To your good health,
TSF
UPDATE: 02/7/12 - Two more cruise ships have reported Norovirus outbreaks in the past few days and the number of illnesses on the Princess cruises has risen (see later posts).

UPDATE ON BOILED EGG SPINOFF RECALLS

2012-02-03T10:48:00.000-08:00

As I predicted, there are more spinoff recalls from the Michael Foods boiled egg recall. Boiled eggs are used in a number of ready-to-eat foods such as salads and sandwiches. And many small companies and retailers which prepare and sell such products seem to get them (cheaply, I assume) from large suppliers such as Michaels in big bags or buckets.

Unfortunately several of them are now in a certain amount of bother because they realize that their products may be contaminated with disease-causing and potentially deadly Listeria bacteria. Their items may not have come up in the original Michael's recall, but they did when this egg supplier issued a wider recall. As a result, many of the recalled items have probably been bought already - and eaten. So what else is new?

I am sure there will be more of these spinoff recalls. But here are two recent ones:

Allison’s Gourmet Kitchens of Moore, Oklahoma is recalling certain prepared salads that contain cooked eggs. These salads were sold to retail stores and to food service in Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Kansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Florida, Tennessee and Missouri. There is a long list on: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm290212.htm?source=govdelivery.

Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is recalling hard-cooked eggs, as well as prepared foods that contain hard-cooked eggs, such as cobb salad, spinach salad, chef salad, garden salad, Kosher macaroni salad and Kosher pickled salad. These were sold between January 23 and February 1, 2012 at Wegmans’ Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, Canandaigua, Newark, Geneva, Corning, Elmira, Geneseo, and Hornell stores.

And the latest - F&S Produce Company Inc., a Deerfield, N.J. establishment, is recalling approximately 389 pounds of Cobb and spinach salads. These products were sent to a warehouse in Pennsylvania for further distribution to retailers, and who knows where they went from there.

Making your own salads is a lot safer than buying them ready made, not matter how convenient. OK, it may take 10 minutes. But if you get Listeriosis, it could ruin your life.

To your good health,
TSF

FURTHER UPDATE 02/04/12 - GH Foods SW, of Texas is recalling approximately 515 pounds of Cobb salad products - "Fresh Garden Highway Cobb Salad" - distributed to retailers in Texas.

EXPANSION OF THE BOILED EGG RECALL

2012-02-02T08:21:00.000-08:00

Here we go again - paying the price for our industrialized food supply and our increasing dependence on convenience foods. That tiny bacterium, Listeria monocytogenes, is giving us more worry and misery. Pregnant women and vulnerable people watch out!

The boiled egg recall is now on a nationwide expansion path in the U.S. Michael Foods, Inc. is recalling hard-cooked eggs in brine sold in 10 and 25-pound pails for institutional use. From its Wakefield, Nebraska facility these eggs were sent to food distributors and manufacturers in at least 34 states (AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NV, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, WA, WI, WV).

And, as usual, and to confuse the issue further, a product from such a large food company is sold under various names - all of them sounding healthy - Columbia Valley Farms, GFS, Glenview Farms, Papetti’s, Silverbrook, Wholesome Farms. (I think I am going to steer clear of any product which has "Farm" or "Farms" in its name..There have been just too many "farm" recalls lately).

Avoid convenience foods - if you can.

To your good health,

TSF

AVOIDING GENETICALLY MODIFIED PRODUCE

2012-02-01T21:11:00.000-08:00

Genetically modified (GM) foods and the evils of the company most identified with them - Monsanto - are again inciting discussion. There is a petition to president Obama "Tell Obama to Cease FDA Ties to Monsanto" (see http://signon.org/sign/tell-obama-to-cease-fda.fb1?source=s.fb&r_by=2165405) which is currently big on the social media circuit. Leaving aside the evils of the food industries ties to, and influence at the U.S. political and policy levels (of which this is not the only case), just how bad is genetically modified food?

I don't know. I am not an expert on this a very specialized and complex subject. My review of the research and opinion on the topic leads me to conclude that it may not be quite as harmless as proponents argue, or, quite as evil as GM critics state. But I am not sure that anyone really knows what all the long term risks are.

Quoting from what I said on p. 82 of The Safe Food Handbook: " Perhaps the biggest concern among many experts is that we still do not know what all the risk of GMOs are, and by the time we find out, it may be too late to do much about them."

Alright, let's bring this to the personal level: if we would rather avoid GMOs what can we do? In the case of produce, it may be quite easy in the U.S. Next time you are shopping you may want to look at that little PLU code on that apple or squash or tomato and remember the below:

A five-digit number beginning with 8 means that the produce has been genetically modified.

To your good health,
TSF

MIXED MESSAGES ON EGG SAFETY

2012-01-29T17:59:00.000-08:00

The American Egg Board runs a website called "The Incredible Egg" (http://www.incredibleegg.org/). Generally speaking, it's a useful site for education of the public with basic facts and recipes using eggs. It also has a section on egg safety. But the egg safety message is contradictory.

Here's what the advice on the site says:

"Making Sure Your Eggs Are Safe to Eat
Eggs should be cooked until the whites and yolks are firm or, for dishes containing eggs, until an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit is reached because Salmonella is destroyed by the heat of cooking."

This advice agrees with the advice given by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration - the two key U.S. agencies involved in regulation of eggs.

Now look at some of the illustrations of eggs from the website (and these are just some of them). Are these eggs really "well-cooked?"

And if you look at some of the recipes, you'll see that these expressly suggest that you keep the yolks from becoming firm. That goes against USDA and FDA advice. Since research has shown that Salmonella bacteria (the most common ones in whole fresh eggs) can turn up in both the yolk and the white (albumin) of the egg, they suggest you be safe and make sure both are cooked until they are no longer runny. That is, as the Egg Board itself says: "until the whites and yolks are firm."

Alright - well-cooked eggs aren't as photogenic, but the American Egg Board needs to put out a consistent message to consumers on egg safety.

To your good health,

TSF

BOILED EGG AND SPINOFF RECALLS

2012-01-28T07:40:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that I used to be one of those people who believed that a boiled egg would spoil less quickly than a raw egg. Not true. It will actually spoil faster. The reason: once an egg is boiled, the protective coating on the egg is removed and bacteria can enter more quickly.

Then, if the boiled egg is also peeled, it can become contaminated even faster, including during the peeling process itself. In that case, the most likely bacteria to get in is not the usual egg-contaminant Salmonella, but Listeria monocytogenes, the one that is most common in ready-to-eat foods. And, the one that is so dangerous for pregnant women and anyone with a weak immune system.

So the ongoing boiled egg recall in the U.S. in the state of Michigan provides some useful lessons. Michael Foods Egg Products Co. - a large distributor of hard-boiled eggs has found Listeria monocytogenes in some of its products. This recall has a number of spinoffs, because the suspect eggs distributed by this company have been used in making a variety of deli products by its clients.

For instance, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Spartan Stores has had to recall eight deli products containing these hard-cooked eggs including egg spread, sandwich with egg spread, small and large chef container salads, seven layer and seven layer no-meat container chef salads, and small and large no-meat container chef salads. Sell-by dates are Jan. 20 through Feb. 1. In West Michigan, the recalled products were sold at D&W and Family Fare.

Another Michigan deli - 18th Street Deli Inc., is recalling some 118 pounds of julienne salad products with turkey, ham and hard-boiled eggs. According to local news reports, some salads containing the eggs were also sent to Michigan schools. And I bet there are more recalls to come.

By the way, notice that these "ready-to-eat" egg products have also been used to make pre-packaged sandwiches, which I have been writing about for the last two days...

And of course, this gets back to my mantra about how dangerous ready-to-eat "convenience" foods are...And that doesn't just apply to Michigan, or just to the U.S., but everywhere in the world. This Listeria monocytogenes bacterium is running amok.

Watch out!

To your good health,

TSF

WHY ARE PACKAGED SANDWICHES RISKY?

2012-01-27T16:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I warned pregnant women not to eat pre-packed sandwiches because of the Listeria monocytogenes contamination risks. By the way, the same goes for anyone else with immune system problems. Maybe I should explain a bit more why ready-to-eat sandwiches are so risky.

The dangerous L. monocytogenes bacterium is often present in the fillings used for such sandwiches - deli meats and poultry, cheeses, prepared salads, seafood products, and so on. And even if these bacteria are not in the ingredients used, they can enter at the sandwich-making facility in both contact and non-contact surfaces. L. monocytogenes is widely present in nature (soil, water, plants) and from there moves to drains, floors, machinery, packaging surfaces, cutting boards and even the air of the sandwich making facility. A high percentage of workers are also carriers (estimates vary).

Over the years, a number of sandwich-making facilities in the U.S. have had to gone out of business because of bad Listeria contamination. In some cases, the government, in the form of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has had to step in and actually get a court order to close the plant down. This happened just a month ago ( December, 2011) in the case of Triple A Services, Inc because inspections of the plant repeatedly turned up Listeria bacteria.

Then there's something else. When the sandwich is first put together, there may not be so many bacteria in it - just a few. In other words, not enough to make you sick. But some of these sandwiches have a shelf life (in the refrigerator, of course) of three weeks or so (and much longer in the freezer). Look at the dates on the packaging next time you are thinking of buying one at a convenience stores, Starbucks or anywhere else. Freshly made? Don't kid yourself!

Unfortunately, unlike most other dangerous bacteria, Listeria monocytogenes can multiply in low-oxygen environments and at refrigerator temperatures. Ten bacteria become a hundred, then a thousand, and then ten thousand. In other words, the longer that sandwich sits there, the more dangerous it can become.

As I said yesterday - pass on that pre-packaged sandwich. I have even started making my own to take on flights. Besides, it tastes better. And isn't loaded with preservatives.

To your good health,

TSF

PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD NOT EAT PRE-PACKAGED SANDWICHES

2012-01-26T17:09:00.000-08:00

One of the risks that pregnant women need to avoid most in their food is the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. They are more susceptible to getting Listeriosis, and if they do, this illness during pregnancy can cause miscarriages, stillbirths and health problems in the newborn.

Pre-packaged (ready-to-eat -RTE) sandwiches are one of the food most likely to carry this bacterium. If you don't believe RTE sandwiches should be on your "don't eat" list during pregnancy, think of some of the recalls during the last few months in the United States. Let's start with now.

M.E. Thompson, Inc. of FLorida has just recalled its Anytime Deli Turkey & Ham Sub Sandwich, UPC 0543200194, with an expiration date of January 19th and January 22nd because Listeria monocytogenes bacteria have turned up in them. (By the way, they were sent to convenience stores in Florida and South Georgia already on January 2nd and 3rd!).

Flying Food Group’s Lawrenceville, GA facility recalled at least seven kinds of sandwiches - plus other RTE foods in late November and December 2011 because of Listeria bacteria. They were sold at Race Trac and at Starbucks, as well as at Core-Mark stores. There have been many other similar recalls over the years, and several sandwich-makers have had to fold because of this bacterium (see next post).

And don't think it is just a U.S. problem. Pregnant women in all industrialized countries should beware. At the end of last October, Federal health officials in Canada warned the public to avoid eating Hygaard Mini Sub sandwiches because of possible Listeria contamination. They were widely sold in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nunavut and Yukon Territories.

The UK has had several alerts over the years on pre-packaged sandwiches because of Listeria bacteria. Some of these were sold to schools and hospitals. In 2011 a number of Listeriosis illnesses in London were found to have a common link in pre-packaged sandwiches served at hospitals. It is the same story in other countries.

If you want to eat sandwiches while pregnant, make your own. If using deli meat - heat it until it is "re-cooked" and then put it on your sandwich. Or how about a meat-ball sandwich or a cooked mushroom and spinach one? There are many alternatives that avoid deli meats and cheese. But whatever you do avoid those pre-packaged ones. Your child's life could depend on it.

To your good health,

TSF

SALMONELLA BACTERIA IN SALT?

2012-01-24T08:05:00.000-08:00

Alright, it's not "real" salt - it's what is called "mock" salt. That's the kind of salt you are supposed to use if you have high blood pressure or need to reduce your salt intake for other reasons.

Washington-Jones’ Seasoning Blends LLC is recalling Jones’ Mock Salt Original as well as Jones’ Mock Salt Spicy Southwest Blend. The reason: Salmonella contamination is suspected. It is not unusual for Salmonella bacteria to turn up in dry herbs and spices, as they survive very well for months in such environments. And, as you will see from the above photo of the label - the products are "organic." Yet another "organic" food item with bacteria...

So how did the bacteria get into the product? Well, this is one of those spinoff recalls. You may remember that over a month ago (note the long time-lapse) we had a recall of celery seed (see my 4 posts of Dec. 18 through Dec. 22, 2011) because of possible contamination by Salmonella bacteria. The same celery seeds are used as an ingredient in these mock salt products, which now have to be recalled too:

- Jones’ Mock Salt Original: Organic Salt Free Seasoning, 1.6 oz bottles (UPC 0 94922 16616 6), 12 oz bags (UPC 0 94922 07199 6) and 16 oz bags (0 94922 16616 6).

- Jones’ Mock Salt Spicy Southwest Blend: Organic Salt Free Seasoning, 1.6 oz bottles (UPC 0 94922 01560 0).

As there is no lot number on the bottles or bags, the company advises that to be safe you should destroy any products purchased from July 1, 2011 to December 14, 2011.

And yes, you could get enough Salmonella bacteria from a little sprinkle to make you ill if the bacteria are there in large numbers.

After reading the history of this small one-woman created company on the website, I feel very sorry for her - in fact, as sorry as I did for the owner of the sprouted seed plant as he wept over the phone to me as FDA inspectors were crawling over his plant. This is a story of admirable entrepreneurship. I do wish this hadn't happened to her, and I hope her business survives. She is the victim of a bad ingredient - one she trusted - and nothing she could have done would have avoided this.

My only criticism is the long delay - over a month, in recalling her products, which again, I do understand. No one wants a recall - especially a small company like this for which it can be a fatal blow, particularly during difficult economic times.

In fact, if you are buying these products, or thinking of doing so, and this company does not fold because of this unfortunate incident, I would suggest you don't hold this recall against them.

To your good health,

TSF

GRATEFUL FOR MY SAFE ORANGES

2012-01-23T21:01:00.000-08:00

Citrus fruit consumption and production has been steadily increasing over the last few decades. Now, at least 140 countries in the world produce citrus fruits. Oranges are the biggest crop. Main citrus growing countries are Brazil, the Mediterranean countries, the United States and China. Here in California, I grow my own.

Yesterday, with temperatures near freezing, we picked another thirty or so oranges from one of the orange trees I planted in the back yard some Fifteen years ago. We have been eating fresh oranges for weeks every morning, and sharing them with neighbors. My oldest and largest orange tree now seems to have reached peak production. The oranges are not large this year, but they taste incredible. As I ate those fresh oranges, I was thankful for a lot of things.

First, my citrus trees (yet) do not have "citrus greening" or "yellow dragon disease" which is hitting citrus crops in Asia, Brazil and in the U.S. in Texas and Florida. It's incurable..and the bacteria that cause this disease of citrus trees are spread by insects. My relatively mature orange trees are likely to be more resistant if the disease does come to this area.

Secondly, yes, my trees do get black spot almost every year, but I have found organic measures that deal with the fungus reasonably well, without having to resort to toxic fungicides such as carbendazim, which is heavily used by Brazilian orange growers - and was discovered in our U.S. orange juice.

Thirdly, although we have had some totally weird weather in California, with a cold spell following some unseasonably warm weeks, we managed to cover the citrus trees during the worst days, and it seems the blossoms survived on the trees that had them.

Fourthly, I am glad I know what is in those oranges. They not only taste "healthy," but they are healthy.

To your good health,
TSF

WINN-DIXIE ISSUES EXPANDED SPROUT RECALL

2012-01-22T15:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I blogged the recall of LEASA brand alfalfa sprouts by the company because Salmonella bacteria were found in the product. As sometimes happens, the retail stores that have received such potentially contaminated products, also issue their own recalls.

Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.,was one of the supermarket chains which sells LEASA sprout products in several states in the U.S. It has decided to take extra precautions. Not only is it recalling any alfalfa sprouts from LEASA, but other sprouted products as well - just in case. That is probably a sensible measure in case it turns out that contamination is found at the LEASA plant rather than just in alfalfa seeds.

The following LEASA-branded sprouts are being recalled and also being pulled from shelves in all stores, including Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana:

LEASA Living Alfalfa Sprouts UPC code 7546555912 6 oz
LEASA Broccoli Sprouts UPC code 7546555636 4 oz
LEASA Gourmet Sprouts UPC code 7546555633 6 oz
LEASA Spicy Sprouts UPC code 7546555635 6 oz
LEASA Onion Sprouts UPC code 7546555634 6 oz

It is quite possible that other retail stores which received LEASA products will follow Winn-Dixie's example in the next few days. The geographic area of the recall may also expand, as it often does. So, be prepared, and stop eating any LEASA sprouted seeds now, until we get more information. And - read my earlier blogs on the sprouts/sprouted seed issue.

To your good health,

TSF

ONE MORE ALFALFA RECALL

2012-01-21T20:36:00.000-08:00

I think we have to get over the idea that alfalfa and other sprouted seeds are "super healthy." In my opinion, the risks of getting dangerous bacteria from eating them outweigh such benefits.

Eat alfalfa and it can cure you of anything and everything. At least that is what the claims are - high cholesterol, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, cancer, asthma, problems of menopause, alcholism...and much more. I am not arguing against the nutritional benefits of sprouts, but certainly some of the healing claims are highly exaggerated, without scientific evidence to back them up.

And instead you have considerable risk of ingesting a dangerous bacteria like one of the Salmonella, the more deadly E.coli or Listeria monocytogenes and coming down with food poisoning.

So here's yet another recall of alfalfa sprouts. LEASA Industries Co., Inc. of Miami, FL is recalling 346 cases of LEASA Living Alfalfa Sprouts with use by date 2/1/12 (too late as usual) because of possible contamination by Salmonella bacteria. Clear plastic containers of these sprouts were distributed in the U.S. through FL, GA, AL, LA, and MS through retail stores and food service companies.

There are plenty of other healthy foods you can eat that are far less likely to be contaminated than raw alfalfa sprouts - and taste better.

To your good health,

TSF

THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF FOOD POISONING

2012-01-19T08:01:00.000-08:00

A friend recently told me that both she and her husband had become ill after attending a wedding. "A really bad case of the stomach flu," she said. "We are still on antibiotics."

That "stomach flu" was most likely food poisoning caused by a virus called "Norovirus" that was somewhere in the food served at the wedding reception. And no, those antibiotics are not going to help. Most basically healthy people will recover on their own in a few days.

Noroviruses are responsible for about half of all reported outbreaks of gastroenteritis (vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramping caused by inflammation of the stomach and intestines) in the U.S. Over 80% of these illnesses occur between November and April - right now.

The virus is often spread through food, but can also be caught from your drinking water, by touching things that have the virus on them, and directly from person to person. Almost half of all cases of food poisoning in the U.S. are believed to be caused by this virus (compared,for instance to about a quarter with bacterial causes).

In the U.S. and other industrialized countries, the most common settings for norovirus outbreaks are long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes, where outbreaks can last months and even be fatal as people are more vulnerable. The virus is also common in restaurant food and at parties and catered events of all kinds - such as weddings, on cruise ships and tours, and in schools and child-care facilies (see earlier blogs).

Be careful!

To your good health,

TSF

BACK TO FLORIDA ORANGES FOR TROPICANA ORANGE JUICE

2012-01-16T20:46:00.000-08:00

Both PepsiCo which makes Tropicana orange juice, and Coca Cola Co. which makes Minute Maid orange juice have found traces of that nasty fungicide, Carbendazim, in their juice. Bad news for the two companies (their stock price suffered) but good news for Florida orange growers.

As we know by now, Carbendazim is used in Brazil to combat black spot and blossom blight on orange trees, and the inclusion of orange juice from Brazil in Tropicana and Minute Maid products was the cause of last week's problems (see previous posts). The use of this fungicide has not been permitted on U.S. oranges in recent years. But reportedly trace amounts of it are allowed in some 31 other foods such as non-citrus fruits, nuts and grains.

The amounts of the fungicide found in the orange juices were not high - but high enough to upset the FDA, and to upset a lot of Americans who drink orange juice every day. And it's not just Americans. I have heard from people in other countries are also concerned. After all, these are global corporations.

The end result: a return to Florida oranges. PepsiCo Inc announced today that it is returning to using only Florida oranges in its Tropicana Pure Premium orange juices. (It had used 100% Florida oranges until 2007). The company claims it made this decision several months ago, even before low levels of this fungicide were found in oranges from Brazil - and, in its juice. The transition is already under way and will be completed by the end of the month.

I think I'll buy PepsiCo stock when the market opens tomorrow. Or, maybe I shouldn't - a California woman is already suing her Tropicana for not being pure enough!

To your good health,

TSF

IS PROCESSED FOOD GETTING LESS SAFE?

2012-01-16T09:41:00.000-08:00

This global recession has almost everyone cutting back on spending - including food companies all over the world. I am increasingly convinced that this is affecting the safety of our food, particularly of processed food.

Here's why. I have noticed what appear to be an increasing number of recalls in the U.S. for "foreign materials." This rather odd phrase refers to such things as pieces of plastic, glass, rubber and metal, most likely from processing equipment. Over the past couple of years or so, we have had them all. Here are a few recent ones in the way of illustration.

On January 14 2012, RSW Distributors, of North Carolina issued a recall for some 3,104 pounds of seasoned diced beef products destined for schools (see previous post) because of bits of conveyer belt in the meat.

On January 13, Price Chopper Supermarkets issued a recall on two sizes of its bakery’s Central Market Classics Tres Leches cakes: the manufacturer of the layers in the cake - Rich Foods - had informed them that they contained piece of plastic.

Just a month earlier, Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc., the large supermarket chain recalled - guess what - my favorite Sunrise Assorted Flavor Gummy Bears that were sold in the bulk in Winn-Dixie stores in Florida and Louisiana. They were afraid that bits of metal were in the gummy bears.

On October 1, Kraft Foods Global, Inc. recalled three varieties of Velveeta Shells & Cheese Single Serve Microwaveable Cups due to the possible presence of small, thin wire bristle pieces. This sounds like processing equipment again.

In September, two consumers found pieces of metal in their pureed pork, prompting a sizeable recall by K. Heeps, Inc., of Allentown, Penn. It was suspected that the pieces had broken off from the blending equipment during processing.

What I suspect is that some food processing plants, both in the U.S. and overseas, are cutting back on equipment maintenance and replacement during these hard times (see photo of mixer-agitator). As worn-out conveyer belts, blending, mixing, slicing, shredding, filleting and every other kind of food processing equipment continue to be used, the risk of contamination of processed food by those unpleasant "foreign materials" increases. Watch out and chew well before you swallow! (I had better pay more attention to that myself).

To your good health,

TSF

UPDATE: 1/22/12 - Still another recall of "foreign material" in food. Price Chopper Supermarkets is recalling its Coyote Joes Shredded Taco Cheese because of plastic fragments found inside the packaging.

BITS OF CONVEYER BELT IN SCHOOL LUNCH BEEF

2012-01-15T17:02:00.000-08:00

Institutional food is the riskiest kind of food to eat. That unfortunately, also applies to school lunches served under the U.S. National Food Program, although they are supposed to be safer than is nursing home food. On a typical school day, close to 12 million children in the U.S. eat lunch (and sometimes breakfast) under this program. Yes, they may be getting nutritionally better food than otherwise, but what else are they getting?

Over the years, there have been some pretty bad outbreaks. Usually, any contamination involves viruses or bacteria - and in one large U.S. case that I know of, probably mold toxins (There's a write-up of this case in The Safe Food Handbook).

And, occasionally school lunches also contain those nasty "foreign materials" like bits of metal, glass, plastic and so on (also see next post).

Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a recall of seasoned diced beef products by RSW Distributors, LLC, of Forest City, N.C. Apparently a conveyor belt broke during processing and bits of the belt ended up in the food. USDA/FSIS said they had to set aside the contaminated food (an inspector must have been on the premises, as required). But then, somehow or other, the food was shipped out after all to institutions for further distribution to schools in South Carolina, Tennessee and Washington as part of the USDA's National School Lunch Program.

Well, better bits of rubber than bits of glass or metal, but still..This is really sloppy. Nor is this the first time that this type of mistake with shipping has happened. I hope they caught all the food before it reached the school children. No injuries have been reported. Maybe the kids ate it and just thought the beef was tougher than usual!

To your good health,
TSF

UPDATE ON RADIATION IN U.S. FOOD IMPORTS FROM JAPAN

2012-01-14T04:54:00.000-08:00

Judging from the search phrases on my blog (which I always keep an eye on), I see that radiation in food as a result of the Fukushima nuclear accident remains a concern among consumers worldwide. That includes the U.S. Yes, the U.S. does import food products from Japan, but they account for less than 4 percent of all imported foods. The most common food products sourced from Japan to the U.S. include seafood, snack foods and processed fruits and vegetables.

To put your mind at rest - the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been keeping a close eye on these to make sure that radionuclide levels do not exceed safety standards. The FDA has been working with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB). The Government of Japan is of course also doing its part to make sure that exported food is safe.

The FDA’s import tracking system has been programmed to flag all shipments of FDA-regulated products from Japan - which cover a wide range - and the Agency maintains a registry of companies that prepare, pack, manufacture, or hold food for intended consumption in the U.S. Since the Fukushima incident, special attention has been given to shipments from producers and companies in the areas most affected by radiation. Samples of four categories of food are tested regularly for Iodine-131 (I-131), Cesium-134 (Cs-134) and Cesium-137 (Cs-137) as well as radionuclides such as Strontium-90, Ruthenium-103 (Ru-103) and Ruthenium-106 (Ru-106).

Yes, there was an import alert announced in the U.S. starting in March, 2011 regarding the importation of all milk and milk products and fresh vegetables and fruits which were either produced or manufactured in any of the four Japanese prefectures of Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi and Gunma. Progressively, this alert was revised during 2011 as these food products were found to be safe.

Overall, there have been no major warning flags on any of the Japanese food products that are being imported into the U.S. At least, according to the FDA.

The Canadian CFIA and nations elsewhere have taken action similar to the FDA to make sure that no food or animal feed with high radiation levels enters the country.

To your good health,

TSF

IS IMPORTED FOOD LESS SAFE?

2012-01-12T19:32:00.000-08:00

More and more of the food eaten in the United States comes from other countries - about 150 of them. The Food and Drug Administration alone - and it is not the only agency in charge of making sure the imported food is safe - was responsible for some 24 million food shipments in 2010. (I don't have the 2011 statistics yet). Out of these, only about 3,500 shipments were rejected because they were unsafe. So how safe is the rest of the imported food that passes through our more than 320 ports and reaches our stores and out tables?

The recent Brazilian orange juice scare (see previous 2 posts) has U.S. consumers worried. But it actually was just one of a number of recalls of imported food in the last few months due to contamination of one kind or another.

We had several problems with Canadian imports (such as cheeses, deli meats), with seafood from Asia, olives from Italy, celery seeds from Egypt, pinenuts (probably grown in Turkey, but possibly processed elsewhere), various processed foods - such as bean curd - that came from China, and as usual, vegetables and herbs from Mexico. And that's only the tip of the iceberg.

In theory, all U.S. imported food products have to meet the same safety standards as domestically produced food. But this is difficult for a number of reasons (discussed much more in The Safe Food Handbook).

In recent years, more and more of these imported products originate in developing nations and newly industrialized countries. The food growing environment is sometimes - though not always - highly contaminated. In addition, frequently such countries have more risky production, harvesting, transport, storage and processing practices (detailed more in the book). And it is not just practices - the road and power infrastructure is often weak, equipment is old and in poor repair , and farm and plant workers are not just poorly educated but often also carriers of various pathogenic bacteria and parasites.

Yes, food is inspected before it leaves, and even the overseas food plants themselves are supposed to be inspected by the FDA and USDA - but who has the money to do this frequently and properly? As for inspection when the food arrives - after travelling thousands of miles, during which organisms such as bacteria can multiply - well, we know the answer by now. Roughly about 1.5% of imported food is inspected by the FDA at this time. Imports are going up and the inspection rate is unfortunately going down. So don't be surprised if some nasty pesticides, bacteria and other things gets through.

To your good health,

TSF

BRAZIL'S ORANGES : WHAT ABOUT TOXIC PULP?

2012-01-12T10:28:00.000-08:00

People everywhere in the world love orange juice. And Brazil is the world's biggest exporter of the product. Think in terms of big tanker ships of the stuff, going everywhere. In fact, Brazil has been called " the Saudi Arabia of orange juice."

But what do you have when you squeeze out the juice? You have orange pulp. In fact, when oranges are processed for juice or sections, 45 to 60 percent of their weight remains in the form of peel, rag and seeds. A pity to waste it. So Brazil's orange growers have caught onto the idea that they can export that as well. Much of it is dried and processed into pellets to be made into animal feed. Since there is no major cattle growing business in Brazil, they are happy to send it to us.

Alright, but when you spray an orange tree with toxic chemicals, the orange peel gets the bulk of the residues. And even if washed well, not all of it can be removed. Now we have found that orange farmers in Brazil are using a lot of the toxic fungicide carbendazim (see previous post), with imported orange juice from Brazil carrying much more of it than say, orange juice made from U.S. oranges. So what about all that citrus pulp that goes into animal feed?

I guess that will hit the headlines soon. In the meantime, let me remind you that the chemicals that our food animals ingest can reach us too. The World Health Organization (WHO) for which I have worked, has put together a nice little list of human food contamination incidents originating in animal feed. And..yes...one of these cases - also quoted in The Safe Food Handbook - involves citrus pulp pellets.

Here's what happened. In March 1998, high levels of dioxins in milk sold in Germany were traced to citrus pulp pellets from - you guessed it - Brazil, that had been used as animal feed. The investigation resulted in a ban on all citrus pulp imports to the EU from Brazil.

So, are we going to find now that there are high levels of carbendazim in our milk or meat? I wouldn't be surprised.

To your good health,

TSF

IS OUR ORANGE JUICE TOXIC?

2012-01-11T19:18:00.000-08:00

I keep telling my husband that juice isn't nearly as healthy as he thinks it is. He keeps religiously drinking his 2 glasses of processed juice every day, and I eat fresh oranges instead (off the trees I have planted in the garden). Maybe now he will believe me.

And it's not just a nutritional issue. Orange juice has recently hit the food safety headlines. The focus is on a fungicide called carbendazim which is used to fight blossom blight and black spot, a type of mold that grows on orange trees - as well I know. I have problems with this mold every year - not just on my orange trees, but also the lemon, grapefruit and lime trees. Unfortunately, there is also some evidence to show that carbendazim may be linked to increased rates of cancers and infertility - like many pesticides. That is, if you are exposed to it in sufficiently large quantities over a long-enough period of time.

Carbendazim is widely used in Brazil - the world's top exporter of orange juice. In the past few years more of this fungicide is being used on Brazilian orange crops because black spot has become a major problem. Of course, traces of it end up in the juice. What do you expect? No washing of oranges is really good enough.

If you drink U.S. orange juice you are likely to be safe from it because this fungicide has been banned in the U.S. since 2008. In fact, most of U.S. orange juice is made from domestic oranges from Florida. However, brands such as Tropicana, from PepsiCo Inc, and Minute Maid, from Coca-Cola Co., may use a mix of juices sourced from Brazil (which is our top external supplier) and/or Mexico, and the United States. In fact, I found the news early this morning while researching Coca-Cola stock, wondering why it was down quite heavily. That explained it.

So how much of this pesticide in our juice is too much, given that many Americans drink a glass of orange juice every morning? Opinions vary and so do standards among different countries. Surprisingly, the EU allows quite high levels (up to 200 ppb). In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ramped up testing for carbendazim in imported juices and also quarantined any imported orange juice that's on its way here, until we find out more.(It seems that at least some juice from Canada has been cleared, since levels were found to be very low).

Meantime, the orange juice futures traders are keeping busy with the ups and downs in price (it's a small and volatile market).

To your good health,
TSF

CRUISING MAY BE NO CARNIVAL IF YOU GET FOOD POISONING

2012-01-10T20:09:00.000-08:00

I noticed that there have been a lot of views lately of my post of 25 February of last year, titled "Is Cruise Ship Food Safe to Eat?" People must be planning cruises this time of year. That is, if they still want to take the risk after the Carnival Cruises disaster in Italy a few days ago. But if you do - remember, running aground is not the only risk on the trip. There's also food poisoning.

In case you need convincing about the health risks on cruise ships, read the second comment on this post - much abbreviated here: "Just returned from my third cruise in about 3 years. Both my daughter and I got sick........ I feel like death warmed over. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy!..." It sounds like a bad case of Norovirus - the most common cause of food poisoning, which frequently crops up on cruise ships. It can really ruin your vacation.

There are actually three post on the topic of cruise ship food on this blog, and you should particularly read the second on the list if cruising is on your agenda:

"Why are Cruise Ships Risky Places to Eat" - 26 February 2011

"How to Avoid Getting Sick on a Cruise Ship" - 25 February 2011

"Is Cruise Ship Food Safe to Eat?" 25 February 2011

And choose your cruise ship carefully to make sure it has not had recent outbreaks by checking the CDC "green sheet" (information on the posts).

To your good health,

TSF
Updated on Jan. 16

HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT "BEST-BY" DATE ON FOOD?

2012-01-08T19:05:00.000-08:00

I would certainly not advise anyone reading this blog to do what I did today. Put it down to post holiday-season block. It always takes me at least a few days to recover, and this year seems to be worse than usual.

Coming in totally starving, after an exhausting few hours catching up with my garden, I grabbed the first thing that appeared in the meat section of the refrigerator - some leftover deli meat. I tend to avoid it usually, as it's pretty unhealthy. But my son, who was home for the holidays wanted some, and then, as usual, didn't eat it. So I did today - along with my four healthy helpings of steamed vegetables.

Only after I had swallowed the last bite, did it occur to me to look at the date on the package (I had considerable difficulty finding it). Oh...oh. The "best-by" date was December 23 - two weeks ago. (Yes, you are right, I haven't had the energy to clean out my refrigerator, which is still loaded with food). That was definitely not safe eating. The only thing to my credit is that I did cook the meat. I just hope I cooked it enough! By the way, my dog, Gunesh (pictured) got the rest (cooked - but you may notice that he still looks worried).

That mysterious "best-by" date on most of our food - when you can find it and read it - provides useful information. True, it is not a safety date. The date refers to the last day you should be eating the product if you want best quality. But, because freshness is often related to safety, you would be wise to use it as a guide, particularly if you are in a "high risk" group - and, particularly with foods such as deli meat, which are known to often carry Listeria monocytogenes bacteria, which can grow in the refrigerator.

But interpret the date sensibly. Yes, two weeks after the date is definitely too long. But a few days is usually OK. Remember that the situation can change if the product has been opened or if it hasn't been stored properly, or, if you left the food in a hot car too long when you bought it. There have been instances when I threw out a food before that date, because it looked or smelt as though it was no longer fresh. And, yes, there are days like today, when I completely forgot to look at the date......

To your good health,

TSF

WHAT FOOD POISONING IS - AND WHAT IT ISN'T

2012-01-07T19:04:00.000-08:00

I am becoming a little bored with blogging food recalls. So how about a topic that is more general - and basic, about which there is still a lot of confusion - "food poisoning". Most professionals prefer a label like "food borne illness" instead. But most consumers think in terms of "food poisoning". So what is it?

The terms if very loosely used. But here are a few thoughts. Not everyone will agree with my broad definition.

In its broader use, "food poisoning" refers to not only infectious microbes in food (bacteria, viruses, molds/fungi, parasites) and the illnesses they cause, but also to toxic substances in food and their effect on our health. In the case of the toxic agents, they can be naturally occurring, result from environmental contamination or agriculture practices employed, or even from terrorist activity.

Eating "poisoned" food - meaning "contaminated" food, can lead to very mild symptoms, or even just feeling "off" and tired, or, it can send you to the hospital and even kill you. And don't think that if you become ill after a meal, that the foods you ate then were the cause. Depending on what is involved (and how much of it, and who you are), you can come down with a case of "food poisoning" in less than an hour, or months after you ate the contaminated food.

The usual symptoms are diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and weakness. But there can be other very different symptoms as well, as in the case of certain bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes, Norovirus, natural toxins in seafood and mushrooms, and when toxic metals or toxic chemicals are involved.

And don't think "food poisoning" is just about those bacteria we hear about all the time like Salmonella, E.coli and Listeria. There are hundreds of infectious agents that can crop up in the food we eat and hundreds of toxic substances are well. The large majority of cases of food poisoning are never linked to a cause.

To your good health,

TSF

SEVERAL SHREDDED AND GRATED CHEESE RECALLS

2012-01-05T19:45:00.000-08:00

I am seriously thinking of adding all cheese to the list of "foods pregnant women should not eat" - the most popular blog on this site. That bacterium which is so dangerous for them - Listeria monocytogenes - is all over the place. And it is no longer just in unpasteurized raw cheeses either. In the last few years we have had quite a few in pasteurized cheeses as well.

And here are some more recalls. Mind you, these recalls are not just about cheese. The cheeses involved have all been grated or shredded, therefore adding to the risks. The contamination did not occur at the cheese producer level, but during the shredding or grating process.

Alpine Slicing and Cheese Conversion Company, located in Wisconsin, U.S.A., is recalling “HEB Queso Cotija (Grated)”, “El Viajero Queso Quesadilla (Shredded)”, “El Viajero Queso Cotija (Grated)”, and “BMF Queso Quesadilla (Shredded)” because testing has turned up Listeria monocytogenes in the "shred line" - presumably referring to the equipment used for shredding the cheese.

And here's another: Bekkum Family Farms LLC of Westby, WI, is recalling their shredded cheese with the odd name of "Grumpy Goat Shreds" which they sell under the Nordic Creamery brand name, in eight-ounce bags with a code date of 10-MAR-12. They got their cheese from Alpine Slicing (So much for the idea of it coming from their "farm") and sold it in stores in Wisconsin, Minnesota and California beginning Nov. 11.

And, some grated Kosher cheeses have been recalled too. The World Cheese Company, producer of Haolam and Miller's kosher cheese products, has issued a recall of some of their shredded cheeses that were also packaged (and shredded?) at the same Wisconsin plant (is that really Kosher?). The recalled cheeses are All 8-ounce and 16-ounce bags of Miller’s shredded cheese (pizza, mozzarella, cheddar, fancy, muenster), with an expiration of June 5, 2012 through Sept. 4, 2012; all 32-ounce bags of Miller’s shredded mozzarella with an expiration date of Feb. 6, 2012 through May 7, 2012; all 5-pound bags of Miller’s shredded mozzarella, cheddar, muenster and Monterey Jack with a package date of Sept. 8, 2011 through Dec. 7, 2011.

Shred or grate your own cheese. Frankly, I hate doing it, but unless you are a total slob, it is likely to be safer.

To your good health,
TSF

FIVE FOOD SAFETY LESSONS FROM 2011

2012-01-03T21:59:00.000-08:00

What have we learned from the food-related outbreaks and recalls of 2011? Here are five of my thoughts.

Our food is not getting any safer:
In fact, it might be getting less so. Improved legislation (such as the U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act, passed in late 2010) will have no positive impact unless there is also money and will to make improvements.

Food related outbreaks can be very large:
Food poisoning is no longer just a few people getting sick at the church picnic. Outbreaks can be huge. This was best illustrated by the enormous 2011 E.coli 0104 outbreak centered in Northern Germany, which made over 4,000 people seriously ill, and caused some 50 deaths. All this caused by some tiny sprouted fenugreek seeds that not many people eat.

The cause of an outbreak is quite difficult to trace and can take a long time:
As we saw in the above case, finding the culprit food is far from easy, particularly when political and economic factors interfere. It is not unusual for wrong foods to be initially suspected as occurred in Germany (The Safe Food Handbook also illustrates several such cases). Many food recalls also expand or have spinoffs, which is why I often warn readers to draw a large circle around a recalled product until the investigators have time to do their jobs.

Ready-to-eat foods and raw foods continue to be risky:
The Safe Food Handbook discusses the special risks in "raw, ready and remote" food. The food recalls of 2011 in the U.S. certainly confirm this. Look back on the recalls, and you'll see that a large proportion were foods that were ready to eat or "convenience" foods, many of them raw (such as bagged produce), and yes, we also had a lot of problems with imported products (I'll blog this separately).

Organic is no guarantee of safety:
Many of the contaminated foods of 2011 have unfortunately been organic - the organic celery seeds, organic grape tomatoes, organic bagged spinach, organic strawberries, organic milk and cheese, and more. True, organic foods are likely to have less pesticide, and some of them carry less hormones or antibiotic residues, but organic foods can be as likely, and perhaps even more likely, to carry bacteria and viruses.

To your good health,
TSF

SPROUTED SEEDS: MY NOMINATION FOR MOST DANGEROUS FOOD OF 2011

2012-01-01T20:45:00.000-08:00

All things considered, I think I will nominate sprouted seeds as the most dangerous food of 2011. Considering that only a small percentage of people - mainly women - eat sprouted seeds at all, they cause a lot of misery.

Remember this past summer's huge Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli 0104 outbreak that was centered in northern Germany? After many false turns, it was eventually traced to a shipment of fenugreek seeds from Egypt that had been sprouted in Germany. The final toll was around 50 people dead, and over 4,100 people infected, most of them in Europe, but also in other countries such as Britain and the U.S.

In the U.S. we have regular outbreaks every year from sprouted seeds - primarily alfalfa, which is most popular, but also others. The usual problem is not E.coli bacteria, but Salmonella. This year Salmonella bacteria were found in alfalfa sprouts in mid-December, and in July, and in clover sprouts in January.

Another recall in sprouted seeds was announced by the FDA today (the company issued the recall yesterday, so it classifies at 2011). The company involved is the same one that had a Salmonella problem in December. This time it is a bigger recall, involving a wider range of sprouted seeds, and the contaminant is Listeria monocytogenes which is usually more dangerous - particularly for pregnant women. Ironically, many of the products or Green Valley Food Corp. are branded “Let’s Grow Healthy Together”. Oh..oh...

Here's the list of recalled products - mainly of concern to people who live in Texas.

- Let's Grow Healthy Together!” Alfalfa Sprouts 5 oz. plastic 2 piece containers with the UPC number 714722228818
- Let"s Grow Healthy Together!” Spicy Sprouts 5 oz. plastic 2 piece containers with the UPC number 714722229914
- Alfalfa Sprouts 4oz. plastic security sealed clamshell UPC number 815098001088
- Green Valley Food Corp.” Onion Sprouts” 4oz. plastic security sealed clamshell UPC number 815098002054
- Let's Grow Healthy Together!” Sunflower Greens 5 oz. plastic 2 piece containers with the UPC number 714722206069
- Let's Grow Healthy Together!” Clover Sprouts 5 oz. plastic 2 piece containers with the UPC number 714722225510
- Let's Grow Healthy Together!” Onion Sprouts 2 oz. plastic 2 piece containers with the UPC number 714722227712
- Let's Grow Healthy Together!” Zesty Sprouts 5 oz. plastic 2 piece containers with the UPC number 714722221116
- Let's Grow Healthy Together!” Organic Wheat Grass 6oz. plastic 2 piece containers with the UPC number 714722608122
- Let's Grow Healthy Together!” Mung Bean Sprouts 8oz. red polypropylene bag with the UPC number 815098001071
- Let's Grow Healthy Together!” Mung Bean Sprouts 16 oz. clear polypropylene bag with a green label, the UPC number 714722208162
- Green Valley Food Corp. Spicy Sprouts 4 oz. plastic security sealed clamshell containers with the UPC number 815098002023
- Green Valley Food Corp.” Snow Pea Shoots 3 oz. plastic security sealed clamshell containers with the UPC number 714722106062
- Green Valley Food Corp.” Organic Wheatgrass 4 oz. plastic security sealed clamshell containers with UPC number 714722608122
- Green Valley Food Corp.” Daikon Sprouts 3 oz. plastic security sealed clamshell containers with UPC number 714722206076
- Broccosprouts” Sandwich Blend 4 oz. plastic security sealed clamshell containers with UPC number 815098000289
- Broccosprouts” Salad Blend 4 oz. plastic security sealed clamshell containers with UPC number 815098000265
- Broccosprouts” Deli Blend 4 oz. plastic security sealed clamshell containers with the UPC number 815098000272
- Broccosprouts” Broccoli Sprouts 4 oz. plastic security sealed clamshell containers with UPC number 815098000258

To your good health,
TSF

The Imported Canadian Cheese Recall Spreads in the U.S.

2011-12-30T20:09:00.000-08:00

Now we have an expanding cheese recall in Massachussetts, U.S.A. It is linked to the earlier Cedar Market (located in Norwood, MA)recall. This market imported Canadian cheese and on-sold it to Bahnan’s located in Worcester, MA. Since this cheese has turned out to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria, Bahnan's is also having to issue a recall. As a result a much wider range of cheese products with the brand name "Fromagerie Marie Kade” are being considered dangerous and should not be eaten. All have the establishment number 1874, but different "best by" dates.

Akawi Cheese Best Before 08 MAR 2012
Baladi Cheese Best Before 08 FEB 2012.
Shinglish Cheese Best Before 07 NOV 2012
Tresse Cheese Best Before 10 NOV 2012
Vachekaval Cheese Best Before 10 MAR 2012
Halloom Best Before 01 MAY 2012
Moujadale Best Before 04 MAY 2012

Our food certainly travels around these days. And so do the contaminants.

Stay tuned..

To your good health,

TSF

ANOTHER "CEDAR" CHEESE RECALL

2011-12-28T17:41:00.000-08:00

Green Cedar Dairy of Dearborn, Michigan, has now announced the recall of their All Natural Ackawi Cheese and All Natural Chives Cheese with a sell by date up to July 1, 2012. The reason: they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria and at least two illnesses have been linked to eating these cheeses.

The products were distributed to bakeries and retail stores in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties of Michigan. In other words, a relatively small geographic area.

What puzzles me is that both this cheese and the Canadian cheese recall I blogged yesterday (see previous post) do not only have Listeriosis risk in common - which is nothing unusual - but also something else. They both have "cedar" in the name and a green cedar tree on the label. The trees look somewhat different (the Canadian cheese package has a more artistic cedar tree) but there they are. What an odd coincidence.

Ah - the mysteries of our food supply.

To your good health,

TSF

Canadian Cheese Recalled in the U.S.

2011-12-27T15:50:00.000-08:00

Just a little over a year ago, my post of 12/22/10 was titled "Is Cheese our most Dangerous Food?" Compared to 2010, and particularly the last six months of that year, 2011 has not been such a bad one for cheese recalls in the U.S. But all the same, we have had quite a few. Most of them, as usual, were due to Listeria monocytogenes bacteria turning up in the cheese. And, as usual, raw cheeses proved to be the riskiest.

Over the holiday period we had another cheese recall. Kradjian Imp Co, Glendale, CA is recalling 231 Cases, 22Lb / Cs of Cedar brand Tresse Cheese, 16 oz and Cedar brand Shinglish cheese, 16 oz because of Listeria monocytogenes.

These two cheeses were imported by Kradjian from Canada from a supplier named Fromagerie Marie Kade of Quebec. The cheeses were made with pasteurized milk - not raw milk this time.

Check your cheeses especially if you live in Southern California and tend to shop at Mediterranean speciality markets. Both cheeses are vacuum packed and bear the picture of a green cedar tree (see illustration).

Again - a special caution for pregnant women and anyone else with a seriously weakened immune system. This bacteria has a high fatality rate.

To your good health,

TSF

update 1/22/12: This outbreak is still very much ongoing and expanding. The geographic area has also expanded to include: Southern California, Northern California, Washington State, Minnesota, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee,Arizona and Michigan.

UPDATE ON ENFAMIL BABY FORMULA

2011-12-27T07:36:00.000-08:00

Mead Johnson Nutrition Co., which manufactures Enfamil Premium Newborn infant formula, is publicly stressing that the company's laboratory testing has found no trace of Cronobacter sakazakii - the bacteria that caused the death of a baby in Missouri, USA, and tanked the company's stock price last week.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the Missouri Department of Health are doing their own testing of formula samples. Federal officials said that these test results won't be available until later this week. Either the government testing is more thorough than that of Mead Johnson (although the company says it has used the same methology), probably meaning they are giving the bacteria plenty of time to grow in artificial media, or, it could simply mean that staff went on holiday leave and simply weren't available to push this urgent testing through.

In the meantime, National retailers including Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Walgreen Co., Kroger Co. and Safeway Inc. have pulled the powdered infant formula from their shelves. Consumers would be wise to avoid this product until testing is complete. Newborns are too vulnerable to take any risks.

To your good health,

TSF

E.coli 0157 Found in Fresh Spinach

2011-12-25T20:43:00.000-08:00

Avon Heights Fresh is recalling certain packages of fresh packaged spinach. The brands include Krisp Pak 10oz bags, Better Brand 10oz.bags, and Avon Heights 4-2.51b bags. Yes, here we go with another bagged fresh produce recall.

What happened is that during routine sampling for the commonly occurring bacteria in food, one package of Better Brand 10oz spinach tested positive for E.coli 0157 - a very dangerous bacteria.

The company has decided to be careful and recall all the packages of spinach that were produced at their plant on that particular day. This privately owned company prides itself on the safety of its products, but unfortunately, such problems can happen in spite of safety measures. Here's a quote from their website (www.avonheightsfresh.com):

We pride ourselves on keeping our facilities clean and efficient - food safety is one of the foremost cornerstones of the Avon Heights Fresh brand, and we work hard to make sure that our customers are taking only the healthiest, safest product possible into their kitchens.

All the packages have codes DP 340 and T691 and a "best if used by" date of December 16 - that is, over a week ago. What this means is that most of it has been already eaten. Nothing new there. Unfortunately, food recalls often come too late to do us poor consumers much good.

Don't panic if you think you ate some of the recalled product. It is very unlikely that every package would be contaminated. But if you do get food poisoning symptoms (incubation period is 3-9 days), or, already have them, be sure to tell your doctor about eating this product.

To your good health,

TSF

MORE RECENT CASES OF SALMONELLA BACTERIA IN FOOD AND SUPPLEMENTS

2011-12-24T08:01:00.000-08:00

In the last few days, Salmonella bacteria seem to be making up for lost time. Or else, food testing has just got lucky and caught more cases. I won't have time to blog them all, but here are some U.S. instances from the past few days, and one from the U.K.

These cases show the variety of situations in which Salmonella can crop up. The first two - peppers and alfalfa sprouts are quite common, and have occurred previously many times. The last two - in spice and in dietary supplements - are rarer but not unheard of either, as this bacterium is very good at surviving under dry conditions, and can do so for months. There have been several large spice recalls in the U.S. over the last few years, and of course, the very recent one in celery seeds (see earlier posts).

In peppers: Cal Fresco, LLC (“Cal Fresco”) of California is recalling some 18,500 pounds of fresh Jalapeño and Serrano chili peppers (imported from Mexico, by the way) because of contamination with Salmonella. They were shipped in cases under both the Cal Fresco (10 and 25 pound cases) and Grower Alliance (40 pound case) labels. This lot was distributed to retail stores within California, Oregon, Washington, Texas and Canada between December 3 and December 5, 2011 (I bought some, but luckily cooked them well).

In alfalfa sprouts: Green Valley Food Corp. of is recalling 650 cases of “Let’s Grow Healthy Together!” Alfalfa Sprouts 5 oz. containers, because the results showed to be contaminated with Salmonella. If you read this blog regularly you'll know that I view sprouted seeds as one of the riskiest foods you can eat (see previous posts).

In dietary supplements: Eclectic Institute, Sandy, Oregon is recalling specific lots of its freeze-dried capsules containing Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica) and Bladderwrack (Fucus vesiculosus) capsules because of potential Salmonella contamination.

In dry spices: In the U.K. the Food Standards agency reports that Natco Foods Ltd. is recalling certain batches of its own ground cumin due to the presence of Salmonella bacteria.

To your good health,

TSF

Cargill is Back Producing Ground Turkey

2011-12-23T07:53:00.000-08:00

This post may interest those consumers who want to know more about what happens after a large food product recall in the U.S.

If the inspectors find contamination in the processing plant, and large amounts of product have to be recalled, it can mean the end of a small company. Larger ones can usually weather the storm - and the expense and negative publicity involved. Part of that expense is cleanup of the plant, as required by government regulators. Production of the recalled product, and sometimes of others as well, will have to be stopped until food safety is improved.

Cargill (Cargill Meat Solutions Corp.) provides an example. In August and September of this year (end of the summer, 2011) this huge company had a large ground turkey recall because of Salmonella contamination. The turkey had been processed at their Springdale, Arkansas facility. Several brands were affected: including Honeysuckle White, Shady Brook Farms, Riverside, Aldi Fit & Active, Giant Eagle, HEB, Kroger and Safeway.

After discovery of Salmonella at the plant, ground turkey production was suspended (another one in Virginia kept making it). Over the next few months, the company undertook a thorough cleanup and set up new and better quality and testing standards, including:

• Addition of more bacteria reduction steps, including before the turkey is ground.
• Improvement of the process control monitoring system
• Increase of the number and frequency of tests for Salmonella.
• Establishment of high pressure processing, to further reduce numbers of Salmonella.
• Training of workers in the new procedures.

Cargill now says that their new safety measures at the Springdale plant are the best in the industry. Cargill food safety specialists and USDA inspectors are also reportedly present for each and every shift at the plant.

So why didn't they have these measures before the outbreak which would have avoided a lot of misery to consumers - and, to the company? You know the answer: they cost money.

Cargill expects their turkey to be back in the stores soon. And, my guess is that at least part of the cost of increased safety will be passed on to the consumer in the form of higher prices.

To your good health,

TSF

Walmart Removes Enfamil Newborn Formula from Stores

2011-12-22T17:09:00.000-08:00

I am glad I did not buy Mead Johnson Nutrition Co. (MJN) shares. They fell like a rock today - down 10%. The reason: Walmart removed this company's Enfamil Newborn formula from all Walmart shelves after it was found that an infant who died was given that brand. Reportedly, about half of all Walmart stores carry the formula, and thousands of stores and many times more cans are involved.

Several infants have become ill. The formula has not yet been proved to be the cause, but is suspected to be the culprit. Another unidentified formula is suspected as well, which suggests that they may have a common contaminated ingredient.

The bacteria involved is Cronobacter sakazakii. Never heard of it? You are not alone. There are huge numbers of bacteria present in our environment that the public never hears of. Some are harmless, others harmful. For a newborn, bacteria like these can cause serious illness or even death. Fatality rate is estimated at 40-80 percent, which is very high.

Yes, of course the infant formula was tested by the company before being released into the marketplace, and this lot tested negative. But contaminants are frequently missed for a variety of reasons.

If the link is proven, this is likely to be the start of a national recall. And of course, a lot of lawsuits.

Mothers beware! If you recently bought this formula, don't give it to your newborn.

To your good health,

TSF

IS EGYPT THE SOURCE OF THE RECALLED CELERY SEEDS?

2011-12-22T16:40:00.000-08:00

I have been suspecting that the recalled celery seed (see previous 3 posts) is imported. But I guessed India. Now I have changed my mind. I think it all the recalled seeds had a common origin in Egypt.

Here's why: the latest recall is by Starwest Botanicals. Read the label:

If you check the company's website, you will also find that their celery seed in jars states that the source is Egypt (I didn't find a listing for the pouches). They are not likely to import this item from two different countries.

By the way, do you recall that this year's huge and deadly E.coli 0104:H4 outbreak was eventually - after many false turns - traced to fenugreek seeds imported from Egypt? Yes, Egypt is the source of a lot of imported herbs and spices all over the world, and clearly not all of them are sanitary.

To your good health,

TSF

UPDATE ON CELERY SEED RECALLS

2011-12-22T16:31:00.000-08:00

Well,as I expected, there is yet another recall of celery seed. This time it is by Starwest Botanicals. This California company is recalling Starwest Organic Celery Seed (Whole) packaged in Mylar 1lb and 2 oz pouches (it also sells it in jars, and I am wondering why these are not included in the recall).

The cause is the same as in the case of the other recalls: discovery of contaminated with Salmonella bacteria.
We are seeing once more how interlinked our food system is. We may think we are buying some wonderful unique product, and instead, it is part of a huge production lot, masquerading under various names.

I hope you took my earlier advice and stopped eating all celery seed when the first recall came out. Let's wait until the FDA investigators find out the cause, and hopefully, fix it. And that could take a while - weeks, maybe even months.

Remember, in a small percentage of cases, Salmonella can be veru dangerous.

To your good health,
TSF

SWANSON'S RECALL OF CELERY SEED

2011-12-18T21:03:00.000-08:00

My post of earlier today focused on the celery seed recall issued by Safeway stores. Another one has been announced as well. It is linked to the Safeway stores recall through a common supplier - B&M Inc.

Swanson Health Products is recalling Swanson Organic Celery Seed (Whole) which is packaged in plastic bottles with a net weight of 1.4 oz. (40 grams) because it may be contaminated with Salmonella. Reportedly the product was sold in several ways - on line, through mail order, through the Swanson Health Products retail store in North Dakota, or, held for pickup at the company's headquarters.

I don't know B&M's supplier for the celery seeds, but a quick research shows that among the countries from which the U.S. imports this product are India, France - and, China. Could this be yet another contaminated Chinese import?

The ironic thing is, of course, that celery seed is considered to be a "health product." It is not well known in Western herbal medicine, but has been used for thousands of years in India. Today, it is mainly used as a diuretic. But these small seeds have also been linked (including by a few research studies) to improving conditions such as high blood pressure, arthritis, gout, kidney stones, muscle cramps, pain, anxiety, and even to prevention of cancer. My grandmother, who was a traditional herbalist, believed celery seeds would cure all these problems and more.

If you don't feel like coming down with a case of Salmonellosis for the holidays, I would suggest you avoid all celery seeds until we find out the source of this problems. That is, unless you cook them very well which would kill the bacteria (pouring hot water on them to make tea is not enough).

To your good health,
TSF

TSF

SAFEWAY STORES INVOLVED IN ORGANIC SEED RECALL

2011-12-18T09:48:00.000-08:00

Seeds, as well as our food, can be contaminated with bacteria, even though they are dry. That also goes for organic seeds. Salmonella bacteria are the most common, in part because they can tolerate dry conditions very well.

So that is what we have turning up now in a Safeway recall. The product is organic celery seeds. The contaminant, Salmonella bacteria. Remember - although in most cases, getting a sufficient number of these bacteria in your food will only give you a few very miserable days of food poisoning, occasionally it can get into your bloodstream, and lead to more serious illness and long-term health problems.

Here are the basic facts: B&M, Inc. of Mount Vernon, Missouri is voluntarily recalling O Organics Organic Celery Seed sold at all Safeway-owned stores. That includes Safeway, Carrs, Dominick’s, Genuardi’s, Pak ‘N Save, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb and Vons. Presumably, this product was distributed nationwide in the U.S. as one or other of these stores is almost everywhere.

The seeds come in a 1.8oz (51g) glass bottle (see photo). It is marked with a UPC code of 0-7989341124-8 (if you have bought it, look for this code on the bottom of the bottle). The product was sold at stores from May 25, 2011, through December 16, 2011.

Be careful - "healthy" seeds are not healthy in this case.

To your good health,

TSF

AGAIN - E.COLI BACTERIA IN GROUND BEEF

2011-12-16T21:58:00.000-08:00

We have another very common type of food contamination in the U.S. - E.coli bacteria in ground beef. This is one of several similar recalls in 2011, but hopefully, will be the last (after all, we only have a couple of weeks left in the year). But don't bet on it. And the recall could also grow in size, as often is the case.

Today the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that Tyson Fresh Meats Inc., of Nebraska, is recalling some 40,948 pounds of fine-ground ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.

The beef is known to have been shipped in big 10lb "chubs" to institutions and distributors in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. If it is sold in stores, it will have been repackaged under who knows what label.

And it wasn't the company which discovered it: the bacteria was found in the meat by routine government testing. Lucky it caught this one.

Cook your meat well, and be very careful handling it. I have taken to wearing disposable gloves, and of course, am very careful not to let the meat, or the wrap it came in, or any juices drip onto anything.

To your good health,

TSF

A NEW SALMONELLA OUTBREAK IN CILANTRO

2011-12-11T09:31:00.000-08:00

Now we are back to the usual outbreaks in food. Salmonella bacteria in fresh cilantro herbs is quite common. In the U.S. we usually have at least one such outbreak a year, often with spinoffs to prepared fresh foods (such as salza, salads) that have used the contaminated cilantro.

This year we had a cilantro recall in April because of Salmonella. The recall was by Satur Farms of Long Island, which produces specialty salad greens, edible flowers, and herbs for greeenmarket shoppers and up-scale restaurants.

The current recall is by Pacific International Marketing (“Pacific”) of Salinas, California. The cilantro was distributed by Pacific International Marketing in cartons of 60 bunches, 30 bunches and 20- 3 bunched sleeves to retailers in California, Arizona, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Indiana, South Carolina, and Missouri. The product has “Pacific” printed on the twist tie and the UPC code, which is 33383 80104.

Consumers have been asked to return any cilantro they purchased between November 16th and December 10th. Well, let me tell you FDA, most of us consumers who bought fresh cilantro a few weeks ago have already eaten it - including me. Unfortunately, my dog ate the cilantro I am growing in the garden, so had to resort to commercial stuff. And, I fed the food I made with the fresh cilantro to a lot of other people...Ugh!

To your good health,
TSF

FORGET THE CONTAMINATED CHEESE GIFT BOX!

2011-12-08T21:07:00.000-08:00

I just finished ordering several gift boxes to be sent to people for the holidays. I did look at ones that had pears, cheese, crackers and foods like that, but in the end, decided to send chocolates to everyone. Just as well. I could have been sending a case of Listeriosis to my friends, my doctor and to my agent.

One of the latest instances of widespread food contamination in the United States involves a variety of cheeses. Fair Oaks Dairy Products, LLC, Fair Oaks, Indiana today issued a voluntary recall of quite a range of one half pound retail packaged cheeses and cheese gift boxes produced under the Fair Oaks Farms Fine Cheese label. The cheeses were sold at the Fair Oaks Dairy store in Northwest Indiana, to other stores directly, and through distributors primarily in Northern and Central Indiana and Northeast Illinois. Who knows where they went from there.

Here's the list of cheese types: Asiago, Butterkase, Gouda, Aged Gouda, Smoked Gouda, Havarti, Pepper Havarti, Habanero Havarti, Onion Havarti, Veggie Havarti, Havarti Dill, Sweet Swiss, Smoked Sweet Swiss, Emmentaler, Calico, Mozzarella, Farmers, Cheese Curds, Muenster, Provolone, Lacy Swiss, Cheddar, Cheddar Mild, 1 yr. Cheddar, 2 yr. Cheddar, 3 yr. Cheddar, 4 yr. Cheddar, and 5 yr. Cheddar. Each variety is identified on the label. There are no identifying dates or UPCs on the packages.

The photo shows the kind of packaging used, but remember, it varies with the type cheese. And check any gift boxes of food you receive.

If you go to Fair Oaks Dairy website to do an on-line order, you will find this sad message:

Due to issues beyond our control,
we will suspend all online sales
including gift boxes until after Jan. 1, 2012.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused to our valued customers.

To your good health,
TSF

AN UNUSUAL CASE OF LISTERIA IN BUTTER

2011-12-04T20:19:00.000-08:00

I was surprised today to find a recall of butter because of Listeria monocytogenes being found in it. Anyone who reads this blog, or has read The Safe Food Handbook, knows that these bacteria are quite common in processed foods, including in dairy products, and especially in cheeses. But offhand, I could not recall any instances of it being found in butter in the U.S.

Out of curiosity, I checked back on some of the recall data bases. As I suspected, there have been very few instances of butter being contaminated with anything in the U.S. I did find three instances in the last fifteen years - one in Illinois, one in California and one in Nevada. In two out of three of these instances it was the very common Norovirus which was involved. In one, it was Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (which usually gives you a much worse case of food poisoning than does Norovirus).

And in at least two of these instances, the contamination occurred in banquet or restaurant food, which would make you suspect food handlers or poor storage. In other words, they were localized outbreaks, probably not originating at the point where the butter was produced. However, I do know of a sizeable outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes bacteria in butter in the UK in 2003.

So, back to the recent unusual instance in the U.S. Golden Glen Creamery of Bow, WA has had to recall butter produced on November 2, 2011 because it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. And - here goes another recall for Whole Foods Market. It always seems to have at least one about this time of the year. But apparently, the 4 oz. packages of Herbes de Provence Butter were only sold at the Whole Foods Market in Redmond, WA. and 4 oz. packages of NW Mushroom Trio Butter were sold at Whole Foods Market in Redmond, WA, and at various Metropolitan Market locations in Washington. Products were distributed between 11/7/11 and 11/28/11.

So never say "never" in food safety. As soon as you do, it will happen. Beware pregnant women, and anyone else who has a poor immune system. This bacterium can be deadly.

To your good health,
TSF

2011 IS GRAPE TOMATO RECALL YEAR

2011-12-02T19:55:00.000-08:00

Maybe I haven't been paying enough attention to the issue, but I don't remember another year when there have been so many grape tomato recalls in the U.S. And all because of Salmonella bacteria. What is it about grape tomatoes, rather than plum tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, globe (beefsteak) tomatoes, roma tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes...or strawberry tomatoes (a new one I found at Berkeley Bowl a couple of days ago) that makes them more risky? I would never make a good lawyer, as I am asking a question to which I don't know the answer. But I do have some theories.

There was a recall in early May of this year of grape tomatoes that originated in Florida, but were distributed all over the place (including to Canada). I did about 5 posts on that one. Then in September, there was a recall of organic grape tomatoes that were grown in Mexico, but distributed in the U.S. by a California-based company (I covered that one too).

Now, we have another recall of grape tomatoes, although hopefully, just a small one. This time they apparently originated in Texas. Front Row Produce of St. Louis MO is recalling its 10oz pint and 10lb bulk grape tomatoes supplied by Rio Queen Citrus, Mission TX. The recalled 10oz pint and 10lb bulk grape tomatoes were distributed throughout Missouri and Illinois to foodservice distributors and retail stores.

There were no lot numbers on the clear plastic packages sold in the stores (oh..oh). Yes, they were on the cardboard case they came in, but that doesn't help us consumers. Anyway, from now on this company's grape tomatoes will have green stickers on the bottom of the plastic package with a seven-digit lot number. That should make future recalls easier. Better late than never.

That reminds me, I bought some grape tomatoes yesterday in clear plastic packages to serve (along with other things) to the 40 or more people coming over on Sunday. Thank goodness I don't live in Illinois or Missouri, or I could just have collaborated in an outbreak of Salmonellosis. But I am concerned anyway. Where will the next grape tomato outbreak occur? Maybe I should have bought the strawberry tomatoes instead....

To your good health,
TSF

WAS THE CHINESE CARCINOGENIC PORK EXPORTED?

2011-12-01T19:43:00.000-08:00

My previous post (the one before last) discussed the case of pigs in China being fed with a carconigenic chemical to make the meat leaner, so they could fetch a better price. According to news reports, the production and marketing of the chemical concerned - clenbuterol hydrochloride - had been ongoing for about 4 years (2007-2011) before this frightening practice was discovered.

At least 36 pork producers in eight provinces were caught using it and charged. But there are food safety professionals in China who suggest that there were many more - maybe even the majority of pig farmers who were using it.

And it wasn't government inspectors or officials who blew the whistle. According to China Central Television (CCTV) the clenbuterol was detected by a subsidiary company of Shuanghui Group, China's largest meat processor. This company paid a heavy price for the discovery - losses of about 100 million yuan a day after the reports surfaced. In some regions of China the group's products were taken off the shelves and elsewhere, customers stopped buying them for a while.

But this company also exports frozen food all over the world - various pork products, other meats, and frozen fruit and vegetables (check its website). Because of the huge scale of its operations, it most likely sources its pork from several suppliers, not all of which may do such good testing. Also, the practice of the company prior to this scandal (now changed) was to only require inspection of pigs at random - not every single pig it accepted for processing. This means that many got through without being caught.

What we don't know then, is whether some of this "carcinogenic pork" has been exported during the last four years, and may, in fact, have landed on our table if we bought Shuanghui frozen pork products, though through no fault of the company itself. There was no way we ourselves could have known by looking at or smelling the products.

To your good health,

TSF

SMOKED SALMON, CANNED PUMPKIN, CRANBERRIES AND OTHER FOOD SAFETY MYSTERIES

2011-11-28T19:26:00.000-08:00

There are so many other things I should be doing, but my mailbox keeps being overloaded with news about safety issues in the U.S. food supply. Some of them are quite straightforward such as the usual Listeria-contaminated ready-to-eat foods. Others are more unusual, and some are downright mysterious.

Some recent ones I haven't caught up on, while I have been looking at Chinese food production and processing (see the previous post and the next one) are problems with smoked salmon, dried cranberries and canned pumpkin. It sounds rather like the makings of a holiday dinner - which it well could be.
The smoked salmon one is Listeria monocytogenes bacteria found in 4 ounce Transocean Wild Alaska Sockeye Smoked Salmon. Lot numbers 1280W & 1293W are being recalled. Oh-oh, I just bought some, so I had better go and check it as soon as I finish this.

Ocean Spray is recalling certain lots of its Original Flavor Craisins Dried Cranberries product in 5-ounce, 10-ounce and 48-ounce packages as well as bulk sweetened dried cranberries in 10-pound packages. This time very small hair-like metal fragments have been discovered. Metal or bits of plastic in processed products is not that unusual either. In fact, I found bits of plastic in my peanut butter a few weeks ago, and they were also in my fresh Dungeness crab meat a couple of months earlier. These bits of machinery or whatever can cause injury.

The canned pumpkin is the real mystery. The day before Thanksgiving, Giant Eagle, Inc. (a chain of supermarkets) announced that it was withdrawing two brands of canned pumpkin, both from Topco Associates, LLC ( a 75-year old company). It advised customers not to eat or use any Valu Time canned pumpkin purchased on or after August 30, 2011 or any Food Club canned pumpkin purchased on or after October 28, 2011. No reason was given except that these products did not "meet quality standards" which is all very vague. Apparently the investigation is ongoing.

And look at the dates - no doubt a lot of this pumpkin went into Thanksgiving dinners before people heard of the recall. I have been waiting for more news on this one, but haven't found anything yet to explain what really is involved. But I have a nasty feeling that when the news does come out, it won't be good. Tainted pumpkin pie? I suddenly feel ill...

To your good health,
TSF

CHINA DEATH PENALTY FOR TAINTING PORK

2011-11-28T12:31:00.000-08:00

Researching and writing The Safe Food Handbook, changed the way I myself eat. One of the main changes: I stopped eating food imported from China. The more I delved into food production and processing in China - a country which is an increasingly important source of food to the U.S., Canada and other nations - the more I became concerned about whether it was safe to eat.

Overall, I became increasingly convinced that there just isn't enough value placed on the safety of consumers at all levels - food producers, processors, and even at the level of government officials such as safety inspectors. It's not only a matter of short-cuts being used in food production and processing, which result in contaminated food. There are also too many instances of conscious introduction of often life-threatening contaminants into food to make a quick profit. The Safe Food Handbook calls this practice "food terrorism." Both these reasons are why I now avoid Chinese imports when I shop.

However, intermittently a few of these food tainting scandals in China are exposed and publicized. When this happens, and those involved are brought to trial, the penalties are very stiff. Remember the melamine-tainted milk scandal in 2006-2007, which affected both human and pet food in the U.S. as well as other countries? The two men who were most responsible were sentenced to death. And Sanlu, the company involved, went bankrupt.

A more recent case concerns tainted pork - which did not become such an international issue. In March, it was discovered that a number of pig farmers in eight provinces in China were adding clenbuterol hydrochloride - also known as "lean meat chemical" to pig feed to produce leaner pork. This chemical is carcinogenic to humans.

It turned out that a business had been set up to produce the chemical in 2007 for just that purpose. The owners of the company were making huge profits. This means that dangerous pork had been on the market in China for quite some time before it was discovered. One of the reasons it took so long is reportedly because there was collusion of certain government animal health inspectors and food safety officials.

In the end, news reports say that 113 people were sentenced, with one of the producers of the chemical given the death penalty, the other a life sentence. I was surprised that the 36 pig farmers charged, got off so lightly, most just with probation or less than a year in jail. But I would guess that it was realized that they were just the tip of the iceberg: many more had probably used this chemical.

All these stiff sentences do not seem to deter others from trying similar get-rich quick schemes at the expense of the consumer. Checking of imported goods at the U.S. end by budget-strapped agencies is not enough to always catch tainted foods. I don't want to be one of those consumers paying the price.

To your good health,

TSF

SAFE THANKSGIVING TURKEY LEFTOVERS

2011-11-24T20:16:00.000-08:00

My whole neighborhood smelt like a roast turkey today. It seems that everyone who is cooking Thanksgiving lunch/dinner in this part of California, is cooking one of these huge birds. That will mean a lot of leftovers. What can you safely do with all this turkey and stuffing?

If you think you will be likely to want to eat the turkey in the next few days, separate the stuffing from the turkey, slice up the turkey and put it in sealed containers in the meat tray in your refrigerator.

But if you ate so much turkey that you feel you don't want to see it ever again, put it in the freezer. You may change your mind after a few weeks. And if you freeze it properly in freezer wrap or freezer bags or containers, it will keep for at least a month. By then you may feel like eating it again. The safest way to defrost it then is in the refrigerator.

Actually, I should confess at this point that this is all theory. Personally, I have never had turkey leftovers in my life. The size of that bird totally intimidates me. The few times I have tried to cook it, the meal has been a disaster. Leftovers? Who would want them? I cook duck or goose instead. Much easier. And there usually aren't any leftovers.

To your good health,
TSF

HAVE A SAFE "TURKEY DAY"

2011-11-23T19:37:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow - November 24, is officially Thanksgiving Day, sometimes known as "Turkey Day" in the U.S. I heard a TV commentator (on a business program) say today that this celebration dates back to 1942. Not quite true. That was the year that a joint resolution by both houses of the U.S. Congress in 1941 designated as the beginning of an annual Thanksgiving holiday to be held on the last Thursday of November. But the holiday itself dated back much further. And so does the turkey part of the celebration.

George Washington actually proclaimed the first Thanksgiving Day in 1789. After that, he and various subsequent Presidents renewed the tradition, although the date kept shifting a bit, and it wasn't celebrated every year. But the whole idea of such a day really dates back much earlier to the colonial settlers of the "New World."

Turkey seems to have usually been part of the feast. However, don't picture a big fat turkey such as we eat these days. What was eaten centuries ago was a scrawny wild turkey, like that bird that seems to always turn up in our neighborhood about this time of the year, and wander down the road. No one quite knows why it has never been run over - or, roasted.

So yes, these days we eat huge turkeys thanks to genetic improvements, better feed formulation and modern management practices. No, hormones are not allowed to be used in turkey production in the United States. We usually eat these turkeys between the ages of four and nine months (older ones are too tough).

Enough of the background: let's turn to the safety aspects. Raw turkeys quite often carry bacteria which can make you ill -and there are plenty of cases of "stomach flu" (really food poisoning) every year around this time, due to undercooked or poorly stored turkey. So remember some simple rules.

First, think of safety when basting, stuffing or otherwise handling the raw turkey. Wear disposable gloves, or thoroughly wash your hands afterwards, and don't let the raw turkey contaminate any surface (for instance, don't put it down on a counter - use a tray, foil sheet, or something that can be washed or discarded).

When roasting the turkey, you need to make sure that you roast it to an internal temperature of 165ºF or higher. Check by inserting a food thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh or the thickest part of the breast, and recheck in the other breast or thigh, in case it has cooked unevenly. It's quite OK to cook the turkey at a very low oven temperature (such as 325ºF) for a longer period of time, rather than at a higher temperature, as long as you do this internal temperature check.

And what if you start to carve, and when you get closer to the bone, you find that in spite of your focus on safe temperature, some of the meat is pink instead of white? Don't panic. It's safe, as long as you have cooked all parts of it to 165ºF and the juices run clear. What happens is that when you roast, smoke or grill very young turkeys, with immature and porous bones, the hemoglobin inside can leach out into the turkey meat, turning it pink.

Enjoy! And even though it has been a pretty rough year everywhere in the world, let's be thankful for what we have - including that turkey.

To your good health,
TSF

NOW IT'S SALMONELLA IN PEANUT BUTTER

2011-11-17T21:03:00.000-08:00

Remember those huge peanut product recalls in 2007 and 2008-2009 in the U.S.? The one in 2007 sickened at least 600 people in 47 states, with four deaths confirmed. The outbreak in 2008-9 made at least 714 people ill in 46 states with 9 deaths confirmed. Both were linked to different Salmonella bacteria.

After these very frightening and costly outbreaks the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued new guidance to the peanut industry on how to make sure there products were safe. But remember - nothing in food safety works 100%. Now we have another instance of Salmonella turning up in peanut butter, with Smucker's products involved this time. At present, the recall is quite limited, but as we have found out time and time again, these things tend to expand.

The product - Smucker’s® Natural Peanut Butter Chunky - was distributed in: Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. It comes in 16 oz. jars. Here are more details:

o UPC: 5150001701 (located on the side of the jar's label below the bar code)
o Production Codes: 1307004 and 1308004
o Best-If-Used-By dates: August 3, 2012 and August 4, 2012
o Chunky product only (not creamy)
o Impacted product would have been purchased between November 8 - 17, 20

Americans are reported to consume about six pounds of peanuts and three and a half pounds of peanut butter per person per year. The average American child will eat more than 1500 peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches before he or she graduates from high school. So do check any Smucker's products you have in your home. And remember, don't even give them to your dog. Several illness have been recorded among pets who were given contaminated peanut butter during previous outbreaks.

To your good health,

TSF

E.COLI TURNS UP AGAIN IN BAGGED SALADS

2011-11-17T12:50:00.000-08:00

It's bad news again for bagged salad eaters in the U.S. Ready Pac Foods, Inc. located in Irwindale, California, which prides itself on its safety record, has issued a recall for 5,379 cases of bagged salad products containing Romaine lettuce, because they may be contaminated with E. coli (E.coli O157.H7). This is the most common of the worst kind of E.coli bacteria.

The Use-by Date on these ready-to-eat salad products is November 18, 2011. The salads have been sold in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, Texas, and Washington. Here's the full list, so that you can check your refrigerator. No other Ready Pac Foods, Inc. products are included in the recall.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION UPC # BEST IF USED BY
10oz. Ready Pac Caesar Romaine 0-77745-00202-6 NOV 18
9.25oz Ready Pac Santa Fe Caesar Complete Salad 0-77745-21404-7 NOV 18
10oz. Ready Pac Classic Caesar Complete Salad 0-77745-20566-3 NOV 18
10oz. Ready Pac Bella Romaine 0-77745-21407-8 NOV 18
10oz. Dining In Classic Caesar Salad Kit 0-11225-02530-3 NOV 18
10oz. Raley’s Caesar Romaine 0-46567-71642-8 NOV 18
10oz. Trader Joe’s Romaine Salad 0013-2145 NOV 18
16oz. Trader Joe’s Very American Salad 0020-7225 NOV 18
10oz. Safeway Farms Caesar Romaine 0-21130-98350-6 NOV 18
9oz. Safeway Farms Hearts of Romaine 0-21130-98358-2 NOV 18
10oz. Safeway Farms Complete Caesar Supreme 0-21130-33677-7 NOV 18
10.25oz Safeway Farms Complete Southwestern Ranch 0-21130-33679-1 NOV 18

You will see from the above list that poor Safeway (as well as several other stores) has yet another recall (see earlier posts).

If you find any of these products in your home, throw it out or take it back to the store for a refund. You can also call Ready Pac Foods during office hours at at (800) 800-7822. They seem to be bending over backwards -a good thing - to track the products and help consumers. If you or anyone else in your family have eaten it, remember that not every package is contaminated, so don't panic. But do watch out for the usual symptoms of food poisoning.

To your good health,

TSF

CALIFORNIANS - BEWARE OF BEAN TORTILLAS!

2011-11-14T08:52:00.000-08:00

Yes, would you believe it: yet another processed food is being recalled in the U.S. because it could cause botulism, which can be deadly. This time it's tortillas sold at certain California stores.

United Natural Foods, Inc. is recalling selected types of Gentes Foods Gordita Black Bean Tortillas, because they could be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum bacteria. And, some - not all - Safeway and Pak N Save Stores ended up with this deadly production lot. As I keep saying, ready-to-eat foods may be dangerous.

The date code is on a white sticker applied to the packaging reads “12 7 11.” Here are the places these tortillas were sold. This date code sold at other retail outlets has not been affected.

--California Safeway stores in Salinas (on Main St.) and Watsonville (Freedom Blvd.).
--California Pak N Save Stores in Emeryville (on San Pablo) and S. San Francisco (on Gellert Blvd.)

I think I'll take a trip down to that Emeryville Pak N Save this morning, to see if they have pulled the products off their shelves. You would be surprised at how often stores are lax in doing it, even when informed by their head office.

And..I am also going to check further on where Gentes Foods got their beans. My guess is that there is are connections between some of the recent recalls (see my next post). So far, the food companies involved haven't responded. But I'll persist.

To your good health,
TSF

ANOTHER PINE NUTS RECALL

2011-11-10T20:04:00.000-08:00

No wonder our food is so expensive - and getting more so. Under an industrialized food system, food products often get re-distributed, re-packaged and re-labelled. Everyone has to take a cut. And, what's more, every step increases safety risks and makes food recalls slower and more complicated.

Take the case of pine nuts. Sunrise Commodities of Englewood Cliffs, N.J. imported some Salmonella bacteria-contaminated ones to the United States. All the news reports claim they were imported from Turkey, but I still suspect that, although they may have been grown in Turkey, they actually came from China, where they had been sent for processing (see my post of October 28).

Sunrise issued a recall several days ago. Now, it turns out that another food company, Badia Spices, Inc, located in Miami, Florida, is recalling almost 4,000 lbs. of Pinenuts which they apparently got from Sunrise and repackaged.

Baida Spices sold their pine nuts in retail stores in Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey - between June 2011 and October 2011. Hmm..In other words, probably all have been eaten. And they are just now issueing a recall - about two weeks after Sunrise issued theirs. In the meantime, we have been eating these delightful pine nuts and getting Salmonellosis.

Don't eat:

1 oz Pine nuts in small plastic bags Lot # 84666

2 oz Pine nuts in pet bottles Lot # 83184, 85442

Maybe we should skip the pine nuts altogether for a while..

To your good health,

TSF

MORE BOTULISM RISK: SAFEWAY SHOPPERS BEWARE!

2011-11-10T09:08:00.000-08:00

I don't know why we are suddenly having so many food products contaminated with Clostridium botulism bacteria in the U.S. This bacterium causes botulism, a potentially fatal kind of food poisoning. Of course, the reason is poor temperature control, but in theory, modern advances in food processing have made this very unlikely. Almost all cases of botulism in the U.S. and other similar industrialized countries are caused by home canning. Commercially canned foods are considered safe these days. So much for that idea.

Now United Natural Foods, Inc. is recalling selected types of FoodMatch, Inc. Divina Stuffed Olives and Tabatchnick Yankee Bean Soup, primarily sold at Safeway stores, because of botulism risk.

The suspect Tabatchnick Yankee Bean Soup was distributed to the Safeway store in Corte Madera, CA.( UPC 07126229491).

Recalled Divina Olives Stuffed with Feta Cheese (UPC UPC 63172352780) were distributed to Safeway stores in Spearfish, Colorado Springs, Bolder, Falcon, Lander, Conifer and Longmont in the states of South Dakota, Colorado and Wyoming.

Divina Olives Stuffed with Blue Cheese (UPC 63172352790) were distributed to not just Safeway, but also Carrs, Pavilion and Vons retail stores in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Nevada, South Dakota, Colorado and Wyoming.

Remember, the product may seem fine with no difference in the way it looks or smells. If in doubt throw it out! You definitely don't want this bacterium.

Usual symptoms of botulism: general weakness, dizziness, double-vision and trouble with speaking or swallowing. Also possible symptoms: difficulty in breathing, muscle weakness, abdominal distension and constipation.

To your good health,

TSF

UPDATE: Safeway's recall of Diva olives has now been expanded to include stores in South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Virgina, D.C., and Maryland.

MAYBE YOU SHOULD PASS ON THE CHICKEN LIVERS

2011-11-09T17:03:00.000-08:00

Personally, I never trust the so-called "ready-to-eat" products of all kinds that are so popular in the food supply of industrialized nations like the U.S. If I do buy them, which I don't very often, I end up cooking them anyway. It's safer. Sometimes, ready-to-eat is not ready-to-eat.

Take the present recall of ready-to-eat broiled chicken liver products. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA/FSIS) announced today that Schreiber Processing Corporation, of Maspeth, New York, is recalling an undetermined amount of broiled chicken liver products. Apparently they have been linked to a cluster of at least 169 Salmonellosis illnesses, mainly in New Jersey and New York. These livers were meant to be fully cooked. But, oops, they turned out not to be fully cooked after all. Salmonella Heidelburg - one of the worst Samonella bacteria - was found lurking in them.

The products were distributed to retail stores and institutional users in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania. They were distributed in large 10lb bags, and apparently had a Meal Mart label, but who knows what label they were finally sold under, or what institutional purchasers did with them. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at: www.fsis.usda.gov/FSIS_Recalls
/Open_Federal_Cases/index.asp.

By the way, my research suggests that this company also supplies airline meals. I looked at their airline menu, and it sounds a lot better than anything I eat on a plane these days. But I think I'll just pack a home-made sandwich for my next trip.

And maybe it's better just to pass on the chopped chicken livers or anything else to do with chicken livers for a while till they find and destroy all these products (that is, when they haven't already been eaten).

To your good health,

TSF

FROZEN OYSTERS WITH NOROVIRUS FROM KOREA

2011-11-07T11:29:00.000-08:00

Norovirus is believed to be the most common cause of food poisoning, although we can also get it from other sources. It's rarely in the news - except when there is a large outbreak on a cruise ship or plane (see posts for Feb. 25 and 26).

Symptoms of Norovirus illness (diarrhea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and occasionally other flu symptoms) are usually over quickly (1-2 days). We often refer to it as "stomach flu" and don't even consider that it might have come from something we ate. Unfortunately, though, this virus is very contagious.

Now the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned consumers not to eat certain ASSI Brand frozen oysters (shucked, not in shells). There's been an outbreak of norovirus-caused illness in Washington state and they've traced it to these oysters. The oysters were imported from Korea, and processed there - yes, another problem with processed imported food.

By the way, the oysters come in 3-lb bags . Each bag identifies Central Fisheries Co. Ltd., as the packer and Korean Farms of Santa Fe Springs, Calif., as the distributor. Korean Farms distributes a variety of Asian food products. "Assi" is their flagship brand. Incidentally, the word Assi comes from the traditional Korean title for an upper class, young, married woman. Ooops..We used to have a dog called that.

The “Better if Used By” date on the bags of oysters is “2013.02.232.” Although the recall notice does not specifically state it, most likely the oysters went to restaurants, since few of us buy 3lbs of shucked oysters at a time. Certainly, the illnesses that triggered this recall were the result of three people eating the oysters at a Washington State restaurant.

This product was shipped to the states of Washington, California, Texas, Colorado, Arizona, Idaho, and Utah. If you live in one of those seven states, you may want to pass on the oyster dish on the restaurant menu, or, any dish containing oysters, in case they have been undercooked. Thorough cooking does kill this virus.

To your good health,
TSF

CONTAMINATED SMOKED FISH FROM THE PHILIPPINES

2011-11-05T21:59:00.000-07:00

I don't know what has caused the sudden increase in that dangerous Clostridium botulinum in imported foods in the United States. I just blogged the Italian almond-stuffed olive recall. Now there's another one: smoked seafood products.

Foremost Foods, International, Inc. of Pomona, CA, has been forced to issue a recall of certain Pangasinan brand smoked seafood products: PANGASINAN Roundscad Smoked Galunggong and PANGASINAN Mackerel Smoked Hasa Hasa, both sold in 6 0z. packages.

These products were imported into the U.S. by Foremost Foods from the Philippines where they were manufactured by FITRITE Incorporated. They may also have been imported by other countries, but probably sold under a different brand name.

In the U.S. they were distributed in the states of California, Nevada, and Washington through Seafood City and Manila Seafood retail stores, and sold between the dates of March, 2010 and October, 2011. Probably most,if not all of these products have already been eaten. So much for the recall! Late, as usual.

To your good health,
TSF

DEADLY ITALIAN OLIVES

2011-11-02T17:02:00.000-07:00

Globalization of our food supply certainly changes things, including its safety. For one thing, everything becomes more complicated. A couple of days ago, I blogged the Turkish pine nut recall, arguing that they probably were imported from China, not Turkey, having been sent there for processing. Now we have another example of how globalization affects safety issues.

This time we have a recall of jars and cans (all sizes) of Bio Gaudiano Organic (yes, organic again) Olives Stuffed with Almonds. The U.S. importer and distributor is Pure Italian, LLC, located in Watertown, MA. But the olives come from Bio Gaudiano, which is a manufacturer and packer located in Italy. The reason for the recall is the very deadly Clostridium botulinum bacterium.

Just to round out the global picture, the U.S. alert about this problem was triggered by two people being diagnosed with botulism after eating these olives. No, not in the U.S. In Finland.

Botulism bacteria can cause life-threatening illness or death. It used to be a common threat in canned or jarred foods years ago before the process was improved and better controls were established.

Symptoms of botulism are: general weakness, dizziness, double-vision and trouble with speaking or swallowing. Other symptoms can be difficulty in breathing, weakness of other muscles, abdominal swelling and constipation. In other words, it is not like a typical case of food poisoning.

If you have bought these olives (as I have in the past), be sure to check. The Lot no. is H2510X and the expiration 09/2012.

To your good health,
TSF

DON'T EAT THESE RITE AID CONTAMINATED COOKIES!

2011-10-31T11:11:00.000-07:00

We don't get many cookie recalls because of bacterial contamination. Nor do we hear about that many incidents of Bacillus cereus. But we do have a case now in the U.S.

It's Rich Fields brand butter cookies, sold by Rite Aid. (Rite Aid has 47,000 stores in 31 states in the U.S.) The recalled cookies come in beautiful holiday tins with Christmas design, which hopefully means that if you bought them, you haven't eaten them yet. Don't. They can give you a nasty case of food poisoning, though not as dangerous as some other bacteria such as E.coli 0157 or Listeria monocytogenes. And whatever you do, don't let your children anywhere near them.

Here's the rest of the data I have about them: the tins are 12 ounce size. The UPC codes 01249596519 and 88411804619 are located directly beneath the bar code on the bottom of each tin.

Rite Aid is very busy calling its card-customers who bought them and trying to track 85,000 tins of these cookies.

To your good health,
TSF

CONTAMINATED TURKISH PINE NUTS MAY HAVE COME FROM CHINA

2011-10-28T21:55:00.000-07:00

I just blogged the ongoing recall of Turkish Pine Nuts in the U.S. by Wegman's (a large chain of grocery stores). They got them from the importer - Sunrise Commodities.

Many of the news sites are naturally saying the nuts were imported from Turkey. In fact, I was on the point of saying the same thing myself when I decided to check the importer's website - www.sunrisenuts.com
Here's what I saw (cut and paste):

Pine Nuts
Product Category:
Imported Nuts
Origin:Chinese, Spanish

From what I have been able to find out, it seems that most pine nuts come from either the Chinese-Russian border or from Turkey. However, two other factors are important: the borders in this area can be very porous, and, even more significant, these days pine-nuts are often processed in China. Chinese processing of food tends to be cheaper and even much of the fish that is wild-caught in U.S. waters is sent to China for processing for that reason.

So where did the contaminants get in? Possibly, the nuts were grown in Turkey, but it is quite likely that the Salmonella entered during their processing in China, not in Turkey. It is well known that food processing in China is not as sanitary as we would like, and the attitude towards, and practice of food safety is not the same as in many other countries.

So - bottom line - I would bet that these nuts were probably imported from China, not Turkey (as on the importer's website). That's globalization for you.

By the way, I have also found out that several major store chains in the U.S. have stopped selling pine nuts imported from China because of the poor quality and safety concerns. Wegman's - you may want to consider this!

To your good health,

TSF

SALMONELLA IN NUTS AND SPICES

2011-10-28T21:22:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true: bacteria, like most living organisms, prefer to grow where's there some moisture. But some, like the well-known Salmonella, manages to survive for months in very dry situations, including in dry foods. That's why it crops up fairly often in unexpected places such as nuts and spices.

For instance, presently in the U.S. there is a recall of 5,000 pounds of imported Turkish Pine Nuts because Salmonella Enteritidis bacteria have been found in them. Sad news for us pine nut lovers. Nor is this the first time that Salmonella has turned up in pine nuts, as well as in other nuts.

The recall is being made by Wegmans Food Markets. They were sold in the Bulk Foods department of most of Wegmans 79 stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, and Maryland between July 1 and October 18, 2011. So far there have been at least 42 confirmed illnesses due to eating these nuts. Most of the cases have been in New York State.

Wegman's got their nuts from Sunrise Commodities of Englewood Cliffs, N.J., which imported them. One would assume they came from Turkey, but I am going to check this further as their web site only lists China and Spain as sources for their pine nuts (Chinese Turkish pine nuts? ).

Unfortunately, this is a particularly vicious strain of Salmonella . Symptoms usually occur 12-72 hours after eating a heavily contaminated food. Most people would just get the usual diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal cramps. But in the case of an unlucky few, the bacteria can end up in the bloodstream and lead to more serious and long-lasting illnesses such as arthritis, arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms) and endocarditis.

Avoid it! You may also want to avoid prepared foods that contain pine nuts for a while. Wegman's also used the nuts in some of theirs (e.g. Caprese salads), and the supplier may also have sold them to others.

To your good health,
TSF

A BAD WEEKS FOR EGGS

2011-10-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I blogged the organic egg recall. Now, believe it or not, there's a recall of frozen egg product. This is much more unusual, since egg product is pasteurized, which is likely to kill bacteria. But there can be slipups - even in pasteurization.

What managed to get through was our old enemy, Salmonella. American Egg Products of Blackshear, Georgia, is recalling cartons of frozen egg product, Lot #272-1, because they may be contaminated with this bacteria.

This is not a recall that the consumer needs to worry about since this egg product went in large, five pound cartons to Georgia and Florida and sold to three distributors and/or further food manufacturersfood producers. So, we don't have any way of avoiding it.

Let's save our worrying for all the other contaminated foods that are currently out there in the American food supply.

To your good health,
TSF

THIRD BAGGED SPINACH RECALL OF 2011

2011-10-25T10:02:00.000-07:00

Unless I have missed some, we now have the third bagged spinach recall this year in the United States, due to the usual problem - bacteria which can give you food poisoning, and even be deadly. That makes two for Salmonella, and one for Listeria monocytogenes - the latest. (See posts for October 21 and April 7 for the other two Salmonella ones.)

Once again we see that "fresh and easy" is often also risky, as stressed in The Safe Food Handbook (the book, and also, in this blog). Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market Inc., is voluntarily recalling fresh bagged Washed Spinach 12oz, with the Enjoy by date of OCT 16 sold under the f&e™ label.

By the way, Fresh & Easy is a British grocery chain that just recently entered Northern California's Bay Area, and has been in Southern California for some time (it prides itself on its wholesome food).

The recall was announced October 21, but the FDA didn't pass it on until today. And, as you can see by the "Enjoy by" date, it would be very unlikely that it hadn't all been eaten by now. Not unusual. But every day's delay is risky, particularly when bacteria such as L.monocytogenes is involved, and particularly for pregnant women and anyone with a weakened immune system.

And, of course, this makes another hit for Listeria monocytogenes, which seems to be winning in the food terrorist sweepstakes this summer. I will do a count one of these days when I get a chance.

To your good health,
TSF

NATIONWIDE RECALL OF LISTERIA-LACED NIKE SANDWICHES-EXPANDED

2011-10-24T09:34:00.000-07:00

It's rather unpleasant to think that the sandwiches sold in our stores could have come from the other end of the United States. No wonder ready-to-eat foods are so dangerous, and best avoided in general. Listeria monocytogenes bacteria are more likely to hide in these than elsewhere in our food supply.

So here we have the latest: you may have thought the Nike brand was all about shoes, but it turns out that it is also a brand name for something we eat: Nike All-American sandwiches. They are made by Landshire of St. Louis, MO, but are distributed nationwide at retail supermarkets.

And, as you might expect, that "All-American" sandwich is made with unhealthy white bread. What else it has in it, apart from Listeria-bacteria(not on the ingredient list!) I don't know - but am trying to find out. The lot number of 11 237 6 is printed in black ink. Some 1,751 cases of them are being recalled (the ones that haven't been eaten yet). And, the recall could expand.

Make your own sandwiches. It's easy. Look at it as a creative endeavour and let your imagination run wild. And, its cheaper as well as healthier.

To your good health,
TSF

UPDATE: Landshire is now having to expand the recall of the Nike Sandwiches to include the addition of the Nike Super Poor Boy Sandwich as well as increasing production dates of the Nike All-American Sandwich because of Listeria Monocytogenes.

SALMONELLA IN ORGANIC EGGS AGAIN

2011-10-24T08:51:00.000-07:00

No, Salmonella has not disappeared from our eggs yet, much as everyone is trying and hoping (see all those posts I wrote during that huge Wright Farms egg recall in August, 2010).

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture are investigating Larry Schulz Organic Farm of Owatonna and the eggs it produces. It seems that the eggs were only distributed to restaurants, grocery stores, food wholesalers and foodservice companies in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan - not elsewhere.

Oh yes, the eggs are organic. I hope my very nice doctor at UCSF Medical Center is reading this (certified organic egg production keeps hens in free-range conditions: we had a related discussion last week when I saw her).

What we know so far is that the illness of at least six people (both children and adults) in Minnesota seem to be connected to eating this farm's eggs, and, that lab tests have turned up Salmonella Enteritidis in samples taken from the farm's environment with the same genetic footprint. Sounds suspicious.

And of course, as usual, and just to add to the confusion, our industrialized food supply means that they have been sold under several brand names: Lunds & Byerly’s Organic, Kowalski’s Organic, and Larry Schultz Organic Farm. The eggs are packed in bulk and varying sizes of cartons (6-egg cartons, dozen egg cartons, 18-egg cartons). If you want a full product descriptions and a list of stores where the suspect eggs were sold, go to www.mda.state.mn.us.

Well, that brings us to an important point again that I keep repeating: forget about sunny-side up eggs or other forms of undercooked eggs or foods that contain them (see The Safe Food Handbook for a long list - there is a whole chapter on Salmonella in eggs). Yes, they may taste great. But think of it this way: you'll taste them for say, 5 minutes, but if you get sick from Salmonella, you'll feel totally miserable for days.

To your good health,
TSF

STILL ANOTHER BAGGED SPINACH RECALL

2011-10-21T11:07:00.000-07:00

All these incidents of bacteria in the U.S. food supply are wearing me out, trying to keep up. You may notice that most of them are in produce - which we tend to eat raw. That is, no cooking "kill step" for bacteria. And yes, today we have another one.

At least it's a change from Listeria. Church Brothers, of Salinas, California is recalling 560 bags of clipped spinach after one bag tested positive for Salmonella bacteria during a random USDA testing. The recalled product was processed on October 6, 2011 and shipped in 2.5 pound bags to Super King Markets in Los Angeles, California. The “best if used by” date is 10/23/11, but it's been for sale for a couple of weeks.

By the way, this is the second bagged spinach recall this year due to Salmonella - check my post for April 7. It was Fresh Express that time.

And wait...That name "Church Brothers" rang a bell with me. Ah yes, they were involved in the bagged lettuce recall(Listeria that time) just a couple of weeks ago. Church Bros. is part owner of True Leaf Farms by the way, which name may be more familiar to you in connection with that lettuce recall (see earlier posts). It seems that True Leaf Farms is their processing arm (I thought it was the other way around). And, in spite of sending food out with two different kinds of bacteria in the last few weeks, they pride themselves on their safety precautions.

Here's a quote from their website:
"Church Brothers and True Leaf Farms pride themselves with having the highest integrity when it comes to Food Safety Standards and we adhere to the Leafy Green Marketing Agreement standards."

Maybe they should double check. Obviously something is wrong.And I would bet we are going to hear more about Church Brothers' plant and their bagged greens.

To your good health,
TSF

NOW IT'S LISTERIA IN BLUE CHEESE!

2011-10-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

Those deadly Listeria monocytogenes bacteria seem to be taking over the U.S. food supply. I can't say I am really surprised, given how many food service workers carry it and this bug's survival abilities. But it is really annoying. I am seriously thinking of going on a chocolate diet.

The latest is blue cheese. Fair Oaks Dairy Products, based in Northwest Indiana, today issued a recall of all its blue cheese produced under the Fair Oaks Royal Blue Cheese label. The recall applies to any cheese purchased on or after September 25, 2011. Thank goodness, the actual quantity of the cheese is only 20 pounds (but, maybe could expand). The cheese was distributed to retailers in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.

This time it is the company itself which turned up the bacteria, or rather, an independent laboratory it hired did so during testing of the cheese (often it is the FDA's laboratories which find the contaminant). But why it took so long, I don't know. This is almost a month later, and there is a good chance much of the cheese has been eaten. But overall, the company seems to have acted responsibly, immediately contacting the FDA once it got the bad news.

If you live in these areas, and ate this cheese (it's in royal blue foil) watch for any symptoms. , Remember that symptoms of Listeriosis,which are a bit like the flu, can take anywhere from 3 days to 70 days, or occasionally, even 90 days to appear. Usually it's around 12 days to 3 weeks.

Oh, and by the way, Listeria monocytogenes in cheese - particularly unpasteurized cheese, is not at all uncommon.

To your good health,
TSF

THE CAUSE OF THE CANTALOUPE OUTBREAK?

2011-10-20T15:18:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems that a tentative cause has been found for the Listeria bacteria contamination of cantaloupes all over the U.S.. This really bad outbreak has now killed around 25 people, made at least 123 people ill, and probably affected many, who didn't become ill, but may become carriers of the bacteria.

Investigators have zeroed in on the packing shed at Jensen Farms in Ohio. The Listeria monocytogenes bacteria has been isolated in samples taken from the cantaloupe conveyor belts, a melon drying area, and a floor drain. Now the question is: how did it get there? A packing shed on a farm is like a transit area, with a whole lot going on. So there are many possibilities.

It could have been in the soil covering the cantaloupes when they came there . Or, it could have been in the washing water (it wouldn't be the first time that washing water actually made produce less safe, rather than more safe). Or, it could have been that recently purchased equipment from another farm which had previously been used to wash potatoes. Or, possibly, it could have come from workers in the sheds who were carriers (a lot of people are). Or, even from a truck, parked too close to the packing shed, which could have brought Listeria from another farm or road or field. We may never find out.

The farm didn't do too well during recent government inspection in terms of other conditions as well. Among the things that government inspectors noticed were pools of water on the floor (which could be recent, after the farm closed operations), cloths used to cover the melons, inadequate cooling of cantaloupes, and rather worn out and hard-to-clean equipment.
And guess what, this farm had passed a recent inspection by a privates safety contractor with flying colors (the packing plant scored 96 out of 100).

So what else is new. This has happened before many times (for example, with that huge peanut outbreak that originated in Georgia). Why? The procedure is for the farm or plant to hire and pay the company that inspects. So, hum ha, you might say they were a little biased towards giving a good report. These procedures have to be changed, and inspectors everywhere have to be trained better (I go on about this in the book).

Of course, the Jensen brothers have gone out of business and are battling numerous law suits. I feel sorry for them. This can happen so easily.

To your good health,
TSF

ANOTHER TUNA FISH RECALL: AVOID THE TUNA SUSHI

2011-10-19T18:40:00.000-07:00

Tuna can be a delicious fish, but also a dangerous one. I just came from the fish store. Tuna was on sale, but I decided to pass on it. It just didn't look perfectly fresh.

And that's the point: it's not just mercury. It's histamine. When tuna becomes spoiled - usually as a result of poor storage or handling - it can produce high levels of histamine protein which can lead to scromboid poisoning in people who are sensitive. (It can also happen with some other fish - see post of February 5 - "Tuna Steak Recall" for more details on these fish and on symptoms).

We currently have yet another recall of tuna for this reason. This time it is frozen ground tuna. Osamu Corporation of Gardena, California has recalled up to 1,800 cases, of frozen ground tuna because the FDA found decomposition in several samples of this fish. It also found high histamine levels in samples of the product taken from one retail location. I am assuming this fish was imported, as much of U.S. fish is these days, probably from Japan, but I have not been able to confirm this.

Apparently most of this product was distributed to companies that make sushi, especially for grocery markets, one of them mainly in California, the other with franchises in nearly every state in the U.S. Oh..Oh..

Watch out. One good thing - you don't need to worry for weeks wondering if you ate bad tuna and will get sick. You'll know pretty quickly - in under two hours, when the symptoms start (again - see the Feb. 5 post). The other good news is that usually it's not deadly, although it is very frightening. And people with liver problems, beware.

If you buy tuna, always make sure it is fresh, and don't let it spoil, or let the package defrost improperly if it is frozen. And if you are in a high risk group, and live in the U.S., avoid tuna sushi for a while, just in case contaminated products are still out there.

To your good health,
TSF

CONTAMINATED LETTUCE RECALL EXPANDS

2011-10-15T14:05:00.000-07:00

This had not been a good couple of weeks for lettuce lovers in the U.S. And that just about covers everyone except me (I prefer arugula). What is more, the lettuce safety issue is becoming downright confusing. And, I am sure we haven't seen the end of it yet.

On October 1, I blogged the finding of Listeria monocytogenes in chopped romaine lettuce, produced by True Leaf Farms of Salinas, California, which issued a recall of its suspect products. Now there is another ready-to-use lettuce recall announced by Giant Eagle Farmer's Market, which is the largest supermarket in Western Pennsylvania. Giant Eagle is recalling eight ounce packages of Shredded Iceberg Lettuce as well as a number of deli products which used lettuce from the same lot, all with a use by date of October 14,2011.

Of course, they didn't grow the lettuce themselves. It came from a Salinas, California processor called River Ranch Fresh Foods, which, by the way, prides itself on its safety. The reason is the same as in the earlier (True Leaf Farms) recall - Listeria monocytogenes bacteria in the lettuce. But it's a different kind of lettuce. This company has not issued a recall of its lettuce, although it says it is co-operating with investigators.*

Now let's get to the broader issue. It seems that the problem is centered on lettuce from the Salinas area of California, with different kinds of lettuce involved. The question is: was the lettuce contaminated on the farm, or, at the processor's? It could be either. If Listeria got in at the farm level, that means it is probably in the growing environment, and could also affect other farms nearby. If it got in during washing, shredding or cutting at River Ranch, it could mean that this company has a contamination problem, and this could also affect lettuce from other farms that it is processing with the same contaminated equipment.

Either way, it is a bad situation. Listeria monocytogenes bacteria which can be deadly, especially to vulnerable people (such as pregnant women, newborns, those with weakened immune systems). And, remember that it can take as long as two months, and occasionally, even longer, for symptoms to appear.

So what are we to do? On my part, I have decided to avoid all California-grown leafy greens for a while until we find out more about where the contamination occured. And that applies to both ready-to-eat and whole (most would come from the Salinas area). I'll give up arugula too for good measure. Listeriosis is not something I want.

To your good health,
TSF

UPDATE: River Ranch has finally had to issue a recall of its Farmers Market and Hy-Vee brand iceberg, romaine and blended lettuce products. These salad products were distributed in Iowa, Ohio, and Pennsylvania and sold in retail supermarkets.

CAN'T WE EVEN PASTEURIZE MILK?

2011-10-12T08:34:00.000-07:00

Our milk has been a lot safer from dangerous bacteria since we started to pasteurize it. Tests have shown that 2-25% of raw milk carries bugs like Campylobacter, Listeria monocytogenes, E.coli, Salmonella, Yersinia, Brucella, Mycobacterium bovis and Coxiella burnetti.

Some studies argue that these bacteria have become even more numerous in recent years as many dairy farmers in countries such as the U.S. give their cattle hormones to increase their milk production. This practice tends to result in more mastitis (inflammation of the udders). This is not just unpleasant for the poor cow, but results in more bacteria in their milk.

Thank goodness we have pasteurization. Sorry, for these reasons, I am not a fan of raw dairy, although I have known several people who are. (I also knew one person who died from eating raw dairy - cheese in her case). Pasteurization is a good aspect of our modern food supply. It is relatively easy to do, with heat treatment using one of several standarized methods (e.g. holding the milk at a temperature of 162 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 seconds).

So how could things possibly go wrong? Apparently they can. Farmers All Natural Creamery in Wellman, Iowa, in the United States, has recalled nearly 1,000 gallons of whole milk because tests suggest that it hadn't been properly pasteurized.

The milk was sold to four distributors — UNFI in Aurora, Colo. and Lancaster, Texas, Calma Optimal in Franklin Park, Ill. and Natural Brands in Wood Dale, Ill. Who knows where it went from there.

To your good health,

TSF

CALIFORNIA GROUND BEEF RECALLED

2011-10-11T21:19:00.000-07:00

Let's hope you haven't been eating undercooked hamburgers or chili or meat tacos at a California or Nevada restaurant lately. The restaurant just may have received some E. coli O157:H7-contaminated ground beef products from Commercial Meat Company of Los Angeles, California.

The USDA/FSIS announced today that their testing had turned up this dangerous bacteria in the eat. Nearly 400,000 of ground beef products are being recalled by the company. They were supposed to hold the beef until the test results came in, and now they are paying the price for rushing. Just about all of it went in bulk cases to California and Nevada restaurants - as far as we know, that is.

By the way, the recalled burger meat, taco filling and chili products subject were produced between Sept. 7, 2011 and Oct. 6, 2011, which means..yes, that probably most of it has already been eaten. Notifications are being sent out anyway.

If the meat was cooked to 160° F that should have killed any of the harmful bacteria. But I really wonder how many restaurants use food thermometers to measure the internal temperature of your burger or taco filling.

Eating home is safer.

To your good health,
TSF

IS ORGANIC FOOD MORE DANGEROUS?

2011-10-11T17:00:00.000-07:00

I am always surprised by the number of people who believe that if a food item is "organic" it will not carry any bad bacteria. Yes, organic fruits or vegetables are likely to have lower levels of pesticides. But that does not protect them from those dangerous bacteria that we hear so much about these days - ones such as E.coli 0157, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes and others. In fact, much of the research done suggests that they are even more likely to be contaminated than are conventionally grown foods.

The Rocky Ford cantaloupes that are causing the current outbreak of Listeriosis (from Listeria monocytogenes bacteria) were "pesticide free." (They have now caused at least 22 deaths and over 100 illnesses). The recently recalled grape tomatoes were organic.

Over the past few years we have had recalls of a huge range of organic foods because they were contaminated - including organic alfalfa sprouts, many organic fruits and vegetables, organic beef, organic turkey, organic peanut butter, organic eggs, organic cheese and even of organic chocolate and tea. (What have I missed?)

In fact, sad though it be, several recent studies, including one published this past May in the Journal of Food Protection, have concluded that organic food is more likely to have fecal contamination which is where these bacteria usually come from. The higher incidences of fecal contamination in organic foods is linked to the heavy reliance of composted animal manure for fertilizer. The book discusses this issue in more detail.

To your good health,
TSF

A SOY FLOUR RECALL STARTS: RISKS FOR HUMANS AND PETS

2011-10-06T08:22:00.000-07:00

Just announced by the FDA - a Salmonella contamination of soy flour in the U.S. Thumb Oilseed Producer’s Cooperative in Mich., is recalling 2623, 40-lb. bags and 360, 1,500-lb. totes of soybean flour; in addition to 924 .08-ton loads of bulk soy meal. That is an awful lot of flour. It was sent to wholesalers, who would have sent it on to food producer and possibly retail clients in smaller quantities.

I bet this recall is really going to expand with many of these food companies that used this flour having to recall whatever they made with it. That's another downside risk resulting from the interconnectedness of our industrialized food supply. And it is going to affect both human and animal food, since both commonly use soy flour as an ingredient.

An expansion always happens when a commonly used food ingredient is found to be contaminated. It happened with peanut products and again with dry milk in mid 2009 - both with Salmonella bacteria the cause (which survives very well in dry conditions). It will happen with soy flour this time. And it will not only have health costs, but also financial ones, with some small food producers going under because of lost production and costs of the recall. Of course, if the food production process cooks the food to a high enough temperature it should kill the bacteria.

Phew..This has been a really bad month in the U.S. in many ways, including in terms of food risks. I have enough trouble keeping up with all the ups and downs in the stock market, let alone the ones in our food. I am wondering whether the attempts at cost-cutting by some producers and food companies has resulted in dangerous shortcuts and slipups. And I am not even mentioning all those "foreign matter" recalls (like tiny bits of metal in Kraft Velveeta shells) and numerous allergens.

To your good health,
TSF

HOW TO MAKE YOUR CANTALOUPE SAFER

2011-10-05T15:54:00.000-07:00

This ongoing outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes bacteria in whole cantaloupes has Americans scared. Food poisoning is one thing, but once people start dying it's another. There have now been at least 100 confirmed illnesses and 18 deaths. Nor is this the end, because of the long lead time before symptoms develop. The detailed personal stories on line in some of the lawyers' blogs are enough to make one give up eating cantaloupes for life.

But many of us really like cantaloupes. We don't want to stop eating them. So how can we eat them more safely? Cooking cantaloupes is out, so we have to think of other ways to avoid - not kill - most of any existing bacteria. Here are some ideas.

• Eat whole cantaloupe rather than cut-up ready-to-eat packaged ones. Yes, I know this outbreak started in whole cantaloupes, but usually bacteria, and especially Listeria monocytogenes, are more likely to turn up in the sliced-up "convenience" type, coming from workers who are carriers or contaminated equipment or even packaging that is used.
• Always wash thoroughly your whole cantaloupe before cutting it, using cold running water. True, some have already been washed and look perfectly clean, but may not be, and others are clearly soiled. Use a soft brush if the cantaloupe has a rough skin, to get into all the crevices. Never use hot and then cold water, because this can draw any bacteria on the skin inside the cantaloupe.
• Wash your hands first and then peel the whole cantaloupe with a clean knife and then rinse it again under running cold water. This is a little tricky to do as it's pretty slippery. In that case, you may want to cut the cantaloupe in half, running it briefly under cold water where cut and then peel it. Rinse the now peeled item, the knife and your hads quickly again, before slicing up the cantaloupe.
• If a cantaloupe has a soft bruised area, cut off this part, with at least an inch margin (depending how bad the bruising is). Use an even wider margin if part of it is moldy.
• For the time being, avoid the Jensen Farm pesticide-free Rocky Ford ones if you happen to come across any, although not every cantaloupe will be heavily contaminated. As far as we know right now, the problem is limited to this farm's produce, and to any processors that used them for salads or convenience products. The cause of the contamination has not yet been identified, and if it is the irrigation water, contaminated soil or processing water, it will take a while to resolve. If that cantaloupe in your frig has no label, discard it anyway, just to be safe.

To your good health,
TSF

ANOTHER BEEF RECALL BECAUSE OF E.COLI BACTERIA

2011-10-01T21:12:00.000-07:00

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

SPINOFF FROM THE GRAPE TOMATO RECALL

2011-10-01T20:35:00.000-07:00

It was bound to happen. Greencore USA, Inc., of Cincinnati, Ohio, is recalling approximately 57 pounds of salad products containing meat and poultry. And it's not because this meat or poultry was contaminated. It's because the salads also contain those beautiful grape tomatoes that have recently been recalled because of Salmonella (see earlier post - 9/29).

This is like the presently ongoing whole cantaloupe recall, like the May grape tomato recall, and so many others. First the whole fresh produce is recalled, and then there are recalls of ready-to-eat products that have included them.

Let's see what more comes up. In the meantime, you would be wise to pick those grape tomatoes out of your salad just in case they're next on the list.

To your good health,
TSF

AN EXPANDING BAGGED LETTUCE RECALL IN U.S. AND TO CANADA

2011-10-01T10:57:00.000-07:00

I feel as though I am repeating myself. Last night I blogged the expanding cantaloupe recall. Now I am blogging the expanding bagged, chopped, ready-to-eat Romaine lettuce one. Both involve the potentially-deadly Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.

But I will say that at least the recall expansion in the lettuce case didn't come weeks after the first alert and recall - only a day. Much better. Also, it came at the FDA's urging - not because of bad record keeping.

Down to the facts. Here is what is happening. On September 29, True Leaf Farms issued a recall for 90 cartons of chopped romaine because Listeria monocytogenes turned up during testing of it. The recalled product was shipped between September 12 and 13, with a use-by date of September 29 - the date of the recall. Notice again how FDA testing results come far too late, especially for fresh produce, which tends to be eaten quickly. But I will add, that the company acted as soon as it got the results of the FDA testing.

The lettuce went to an institutional food service distributor (Church Brothers) in Oregon who further distributed it to at least two additional states, Washington and Idaho.

The next day's update expanded the recall to cover 2498 cartons of lettuce, to include additional product shipped to wholesale food service distributors in 19 more states - and to Alberta, Canada. The U.S. states include Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Vermont.

Three notes:
- Listeria monocytogenes turns up quite often in lettuce and leafy greens, especially ready-to-eat kind, and the FDA is trying to find out why. So this is a fairly typical recall.
- This recall has nothing to do with the ongoing cantaloupe one.
- The recall notice says that no illnesses have been connected to it - yet. (See my earlier post on this issue).

To your good health,
TSF

MORE CONTAMINATED CANTALOUPES

2011-09-30T20:05:00.000-07:00

Latest statistics: at least 84 confirmed illnesses in 19 states and 15 deaths. This is the deadliest outbreak in the U.S. food supply since 1998.

In an industrialized food supply - such as that of the United States - food recalls commonly get bigger as time goes by. Other producers become involved, other distributors, other food companies who have used the contaminated products - or, it will be found that the food has reached additional markets in other areas of the country or even additional countries. That's what's happened with the ongoing Listeria-contaminated Rocky Ford cantaloupe recall in the U.S.

When I first blogged these contaminated whole cantaloupes (September 13) it was believed that they had been been shipped to only Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas. When the company's recall came out the next day, it said they had gone to 17 U.S. states (IL, WY, TN, UT, TX, CO, MN, KS, NM, NC, MO, NE, OK, AZ, NJ, NY, PA). Then, more than two weeks later, Jensen Farms of Holly, Colorado has admitted that ...ooops...a further check of its records show that it somehow didn't include all the states in its Sept. 14 recall. These contaminated whole cantaloupes also went to Indiana, Louisiana and Wisconsin.

This is really inexcusable. Stores in Indiana, Louisiana and Wisconsin didn't pull these cantaloupes off their shelves, food producers may have been using them, and people have been eating them for these two weeks - and some of them have been getting seriously ill.

Either this grower's records are the world's biggest mess, or, someone hid something.

To your good health,
TSF

ANOTHER RECALL OF ORGANIC GRAPE TOMATOES

2011-09-29T21:29:00.000-07:00

If you remember, there was a recall of grape tomatoes in May of this year (I have several posts on this earlier outbreak). The reason was Salmonella-bacteria contamination. Now there's another one, though it's a different producer. And, the tomatoes are organic. As I keep saying - organic produce is no safer from bacteria than conventionally grown produce.

San Diego-based Andrew Williamson Fresh Produce, a grower and shipper of fresh fruits and vegetables, is recalling one lot of organic grape tomatoes. The tomatoes were sold under the Limited Edition® and Fresh & Easy labels and packaged in clam-shell containers. Unlike the grape tomatoes recalled in May, which were grown in Florida, these ones originated in Mexico. That nasty Salmonella family of bacteria knows no borders.

Just because we are talking about "one lot" does not mean that we are talking about a few tomatoes. Actually, these potentially Salmonella-contaminated tomatoes were distributed 18 U.S. states (Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah) and two Canadian Provinces (British Columbia, Ontario).

I guess a lot of us will be going back to cherry tomatoes again for a while.

To your good health.

TSF

LISTERIA IN CUT-UP CANTALOUPES: A DOUBLE RISK FOR PREGNANT WOMEN

2011-09-26T08:51:00.000-07:00

Now there is a recall of cut-up fresh cantaloupe and fruit medley containing cut-up cantaloupe. Carol’s Cuts LLC, a Kansas food processor, had the bad luck to order its cantaloupes from Jensen Farms in Holly, Colorado . This is where the Rocky Ford whole cantaloupes originated that were found to carry the dangerous Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. So far, at least 55 illnesses and eight deaths have been conclusively linked to eating this "healthy" fruit (but remember the long delays in symptoms appearing and in reporting of cases).

The American eating public first began to hear about the suspect Rocky Ford cantaloupes at least two weeks ago. The FDA issued a kind of early alert, even before they were 100% sure, and even before the company's recall (see earlier post). However, the recall of the cut-up items is only coming now - much later. And, it is coming well after the "best-if-used-by" dates - September 3 and September 19, meaning they have most likely been eaten.

Delays create a double risk for people at high risk for Listeriosis, such as pregnant women (because of dangers to the fetus). Two weeks can mean over 40 meals in which you might have eaten cut-up cantaloupe, because you didn't know it was dangerous.

This is yet another reason not to eat cut-up fresh produce if you are pregnant.

I would suggest that Americans avoid all cut-up cantaloupe, and fresh ready-made fruit salads containing cantaloupe, until we find out if more companies will confess to having used the contaminated Rocky Ford ones.

To your good health,
TSF

WHY WE DON'T WANT E.COLI IN SCHOOL LUNCHES

2011-09-25T08:45:00.000-07:00

This week's recall of E.coli 0157-contaminated beef, meant for school lunches in Georgia (see previous post), reminds me again that institutional food tends to be more deadly. We don't want this dangerous E.coli anywhere in our food. But having it in the meat destined for the school cafeterias is even worse. Here are three reasons why.

First, food stored and produced in large quantities is more likely to not get as cold as it needs to throughout, or reach the no-risk temperature it should reach to kill such bacteria. This applies to all institutional food, not just to that served in schools.

Secondly, because of budgetary constraints, many schools, particularly in some districts, have inadequate or poorly functioning equipment, such as refrigerators and cooking equipment. This increases the preceding risks.

Thirdly, studies have shown that school children who become ill with food poisoning at school frequently pass it on to their siblings, and especially younger siblings, at home. This bacteria can be particularly dangerous for such younger children.

For these three - and other reasons - it is especially important to make sure that any food served to school children is not just healthy, but safe for them to eat.

To your good health,

TSF

E.COLI O157:H7 CONTAMINATED BEEF MEANT FOR SCHOOL LUNCHES

2011-09-23T22:08:00.000-07:00

This has been a fairly typical week in terms of food safety in the U.S. In addition to all kinds of allergens in a variety of foods, we have had announcements of Listeria monocytogenes bacteria in fresh cheese produced by Del Bueno of Grandview, WA, undercooked (and therefore dangerous) breaded chicken breasts sold at Roundy’s Supermarkets Inc., uneviscerated (and potentially contaminated) Smoked Spilt Herring originating at World Wide Fish Products, Inc. of the Bronx, NY and bits of thin wire in Naturals Sesame Sticks, made for Pepperidge Farm.

Just to round out the week, we now have another recall of contaminated beef. Palo Duro Meat, an Amarillo, Texas, firm, is recalling 40,000 pounds of frozen fine ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. It wasn't sold by retailers (as far as we know). Just sent to warehouses in Georgia for distribution to institutions.

And the worst part of it was that these institutions include six school districts in Georgia, with the meat intended for children's lunches as part of the National School Lunch Program.

The only good news is that the USDA believes that most of the product has not left the warehouses (they don't say how much has gone out). And so far USDA/ FSIS is not aware of the contaminated meat having actually been served as part of school lunches in these Georgia districts.

So much for healthy school lunch!

To your good health,
TSF

AVOIDING RADIATION IN FOOD IN JAPAN

2011-09-20T21:54:00.000-07:00

It is now more than 6 months since the tragic earthquake, tsunami and massive damage to the Daiichi nuclear power plant in Fukushima, Japan. Although it is largely out of the international news these days, the difficulties in Japan continue. A major concern for many people is safety of their own and their family's food. How can they make sure it doesn't carry too much radiation, and endanger their health?

Unfortunately - as I predicted in early March (see earlier posts) - radionuclides are indeed turning up in Japan's food at high levels - often many times the safety standards established. Dangerous levels of radiation have now been found in such foods as beef, plums, spinach, bamboo shoots, rice, tea, milk, seaweed and fish. Some of this radiation-contaminated food has come from as far away as 360 kilometers from the nuclear plant.
Yes, authorities in Fukushima and neighboring prefectures are conducting spot checks on a growing number of food products. But clearly, as in any such activity, some is caught and some is missed. It is impossible to check every food item. Effective controls also depend on cooperation of farmers, and farmers are understandably concerned about how positive findings would affect their livelihoods.

Many consumers are convinced that the government is just not doing enough to keep them safe. Rightly so, mothers of young children, pregnant and lactating women, are particularly concerned. Some strategies people are using themselves to try to avoid the more contaminated food products include:

• Avoiding foods from certain prefectures. But this is not as easy to do as one might assume.
• Joining cooperatives which re-test products the food they sell. But there is a mark-up, which excludes people who are not as well off.
• Buying canned or frozen or dried products which were packaged prior to March, 2011.
• Diversification: for instance, rotating the brand of milk they buy so that their risks are reduced from any single one.
• Avoiding certain fresh food items altogether which they feel might be more likely to be contaminated, such as leafy greens, fresh milk.

A few meals of food with high radiation levels are unlikely to hurt most people. But eating such food regularly over a period of time, has been shown to increase certain cancer risks as well as lead to other health problems. Yes, it is a good idea to be careful.

To your good health,
TSF

WHY IS THERE SO MUCH LISTERIA IN OUR FOOD?

2011-09-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

This has not been a good few weeks for Americans at high risk for Listeriosis - that potentially life-threatening disease caused by Listeria bacteria, usually in food. Such people include pregnant women (because of risks to the fetus), and older or sicker adults. Death occurs in some 16-20% of serious cases. This makes Listeriosis one of the most deadly foodborne illnesses we know.

Incidence of Listeriosis goes up and down, but generally seems to be on the increase. That is the case in several European countries, England, Wales, and, in the US. In the United States, there is also seasonal variation - worse during summer months.

L. monocytogenes can be present in soil and water, and can crop up in whole raw vegetables (such as the recent incidence in whole cantaloupes from Colorado). It can also turn up in raw dairy foods and meat products. But more frequently, this bacteria is found in processed or lightly-processed foods, such as ready-to-eat washed and cut up produce, deli meats, prepared salads, cheeses, and so on. One example is the recently recalled frozen avaocado pulp, imported from Peru. This bacteria withstands freezing very well.

What happens is that the bacteria usually get in during the preparation process, often from the workers handling the food. Why? Because a high percentage of them are carriers, although they may not be ill. How high a percentage? Estimates vary - probably somewhere between 5% and 30%, which is a very broad range. Unfortunately, the evidence suggests that such numbers are increasing - and so is Listeria contamination in our food.

Of course, the fact that we are eating more and more of those time-saving ready-to eat convenience foods, adds to our increasing risk. Avoid them as much as you can!

To your good health,
TSF

LISTERIOSIS OUTBREAK: IS IT CANTALOUPES?

2011-09-13T21:17:00.000-07:00

Today's media attention has been on widening of controls for E.coli bacteria in U.S. meat. The food safety advocates have finally got the government to agree to checking for six other deadly strains in addition to the common E.coli 0157:H7. But, like it or not, there is evidence that these bacteria - and many others - are more likely to be present in our "healthy" fruit and vegetables. Besides, we cook the meat - or, at least we are supposed to cook it - whereas we often eat fruit and vegetables raw. Raw is more risky, because there is no "kill" step.

Take that wonderful cataloupe (which I currently have in my refrigerator). When it is good, it is totally delicious (I always test them in the store by pushing the ends and smelling). And you can do so many things with it - raw, of course. And today, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) together with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a scary announcement about cantaloupes.

There is an ongoing outbreak of Listeriosis (caused byListeria monocytogenes bacteria) in Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas. This is probably a partial list, as research continues. Reportedly, 3 people in New Mexico have died, and at least 15 are seriously ill.

And the culprit food may be whole cantaloupes, most likely marketed from the Rocky Ford growing region of Colorado. This is fairly unusual, since this bacteria is usually associated with ready-to-eat food - for instance, cantaloupe that has been peeled and sliced up as well as a myriad of other popular convenience foods. But, it is occasionally found in soil, which probably happened in this case.

So beware - especially if you are pregnant or have a compromised immune system, cancer, or are an older adult. Listeria monocytogenes can be fatal. I have talked about this bacteria often in the past, but in case you haven't read those posts, here are the basics. Listeriosis symptoms can be easily confused with the flu - muscle aches and fever. Onset of symptoms after eating Listeria-contaminated food can vary tremendously from a few hours (which is rare) to as long as 70 or 90 days. Usually it is about 12 days.

If you are in a high risk group - skip the cantaloupe for now. I am on my way down to the refrigerator to toss it out.

To your good health,
TSF

UPDATE: An alert and a recall have now been announced.

REPLAY: CARGILL TURKEY CONTAMINATED AGAIN

2011-09-12T18:46:00.000-07:00

A particularly vicious strain of Salmonella bacteria was found in Arkansas-based Cargill Meat Solutions' ground turkey products about a month ago. This resulted in a large recall of a range of turkey products (see earlier posts). Now there is another outbreak at the same meat processing facility. It looks as though it is the same bacteria. There's also another recall of 185,000 pounds of ground turkey products by the company. Again, the turkey meat was distributed nationwide in the U.S.

The products involved include several fresh ground turkey chubs, fresh ground turkey trays, and fresh ground turkey patties, all produced at the end of August. The retail distribution list(s) will be posted on FSIS' website at www.fsis.usda.gov/FSIS_Recalls/
Open_Federal_Cases/index.asp. If you think you may have bought some, consult it.

So why is there another outbreak in meat from the same company so soon after the last one? The simple reason - the source of the contamination has not yet been identified. Yes, of course the US Department of Agriculture has done all kinds of testing, and the company has tried to clean up the facility. The usual. But obviously, they haven't succeeded. This sort of situation is not uncommon at all. It's not easy to find the culprit piece of equipment, ventilator duct, plant worker, or whatever.

If you want to be really safe, I suggest that you avoid all ground turkey products from this company for a month or two - even those that are not presently being recalled. Let's get a good "all clear" from the USDA before we go back to eating them.

To your good health,
TSF

TEACHING YOUNG CHILDREN ABOUT FOOD SAFETY

2011-09-07T21:10:00.000-07:00

I find that interviewers for TV or radio shows never ask me what I think they will or should ask me. Often interviewers usually pose very general questions - difficult to answer in a 10 seconds or less on air.

As I see it, the topic of food safety can be applied to so many different situations, and I am perfectly willing to do so. Last Saturday I was being interviewed for the "Mr. Dad" radio show. This is a good show, which provides a lot of useful information, as do the related column and books. What I expected to be asked were questions that tied food safety to positive parenting, and maybe even to male parenting.

How and what should parents teach their children about safety issues in their food? Of course, it should be age-specific. But you can start quite early. The teaching should involve both teaching by example, and by instruction.

Situations such as shopping for food or preparing a meal provide wonderful opportunities to explain why you do one thing or another if your child is with you. Why are you buying this apple instead of that one? What are you reading on the package? Why are you washing the fruit or vegetables before eating? Why are you cooking the meat?

Before age 5, the simple concept of "clean food is good food" is enough. In thinking about the issue, and given the nature of the typical North American household, which usually includes pets, I would try to instill the following ideas before age 5 - even before age 3 in some cases:

• If food is going to make you grow big and strong it has to be "clean."
• Food becomes cleaner if you wash it or cook it.
• If you touch food with your hands, they have to be clean too.
• If you drop your food, you can't just go ahead and eat it: it has to either be washed or thrown out.
• Your pet's food is not as clean as yours, so if you touch its food (especially dog treats) you have to wash your hands before you eat. Or, if your pet takes a bite of your sandwich or your ice cream, you can't eat it any more.

Pretty simple stuff, right? Yes, but it can provide a solid foundation for more sophisticated learning in later years.

To your good health,
TSF

AVOID BIRD FLU THROUGH SAFE FOOD HANDLING

2011-08-30T20:17:00.000-07:00

In the previous post I mentioned the renewed concern about Avian Flu -
"bird flu" - particularly in certain parts of the world. This is one of those frightening microbes that has crossed the species barrier. It is not only deadly for chickens, ducks and other domestic and wild birds. We humans can get it too - and so can our cats, by the way.

A large number of confirmed human cases are believed to have acquired their infection during the slaughtering, defeathering, cleaning or preparation of diseased or dead birds prior to cooking. So if you happen to live in one of those countries currently experiencing outbreaks of H5N1 in poultry, how do you avoid getting ill?

Here are a few facts which you may want to keep in mind:

• Only healthy-looking birds should be used for consumption. However, some poultry that carry the virus do not appear to be sick. You cannot assume that vaccinated poultry is safe from it.
• The H5N1 avian influenza virus can spread to all parts of an infected bird, including the blood, meat and bones.
• Keep raw meat away from any ready-to-eat foods or items that are eaten raw.
• Always avoid contaminating any surface with raw poultry or its juices: this virus can survive for weeks on a kitchen cutting board or counter.
• Wash your hands and any utensils used on raw poultry very well.
• Remember - refrigeration will not inactivate this virus.
• Cooking poultry at normal temperatures (70 °C) will inactivate H5N1.

To your good health,
TSF

IS BIRD FLU A FOOD SAFETY CONCERN?

2011-08-29T11:56:00.000-07:00

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), for which I have worked, has just put out a new alert on "bird flu" - correct name "Avian Influenza" . Remember how scared we were of it years ago? And then, we forgot all about it. Now apparently it is on the rise again, especially in Asia.

When I was writing The Safe Food Handbook, I debated whether to include bird flu in the discussion of risks in meat and poultry. In the end I did - because I became convinced that there could indeed be a resurgence of it and the virus could mutate. But the final section on it is very abbreviated because it is not currently considered a food risk in North America.

True, the most common way you can catch this potentially deadly kind of flu (which has about a 60% mortality rate) is not through eating undercooked chicken or other poultry or eggs. Rather, it is through handling diseased birds (including wild ones) or touching their saliva or droppings. And, even through breathing in contaminated dust. Many of the children who have caught it did so when cleaning out poultry cages - a chore I well remember having to do as a child.

But can you ever get it from food? I became very involved in researching this issue, spending weeks on it, reviewing all the global case studies and research I could find. Yes, there have been a limited number of cases recorded where people did catch it from undercooked poultry or dishes made with poultry blood. However, many more have caught it from preparing the raw poultry.

So, how worried should you be if you don't work on a poultry farm - just eat poultry? In general, I would say "not much" especially if you don't live in countries where it is presently most prevalent - Egypt, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Cambodia or Vietnam. But with bird migration and the globalization of our food supply, this could change. Occasional cases have indeed occurred elsewhere.

To my knowledge, there has been just one small - and quickly caught - outbreak of this H5N1 virus in the US - on an Idaho pheasant farm (in September 2008).

To your good health,
TSF

EATING PARASITES IN FISH

2011-08-26T19:42:00.000-07:00

We almost never read news about parasites being found in fish. But don't let that fool you. They are there, much more often than you think. Hundreds of different kinds. In fact, I have just walked back indoors after chatting with one of my gourmand neighbors. The conversation started with the most recent burglary on our street, and ended on parasites in fish (a symbolic connection?). He told me about an experience he had a few days ago.

What happened was this: he had bought a whole halibut fish from Whole Foods Market for a dinner party. As he was in the kitchen with one of the guests, about to put the fish in the oven, the guest noticed a pinkish worm in the fish. What to do? The other guests were waiting. Should they just go ahead, cook and serve the fish and keep quiet about the worms, or go out for pizza? In the end, the guest who spied the parasite made a good suggestion. They called Whole Foods, which was still open and rushed down to exchange the fish for wild salmon. The manager believed their story, and said, yes, it does happen from time to time. Not that unusual at all.

What they found was probably a Cod worm ( the most recent scientific name is Phocanema decipiens) - a common "round worm" in fish. It is found in several kinds of fish such as halibut, haddock, flounder, sole and even red snapper. The larger fish are more likely to carry it. This parasite may sometimes look pinkish, creamy white or brown, and is about 4cm long.

But isn't fish inspected, especially those sold at upper-end ("healthy") stores such as Whole Foods? Yes, it is, and a process called "candling" is also used which is supposed to help the inspectors see any worm-type parasites. But no inspection is ever 100% effective. Candling is also less likely to work well with whole fish where filets are thick and the skin is on - as in the case of my neighbor's halibut.

If you happen to come across such parasites in your fresh fish, you have several options. One, you can cook the fish well, and eat it, parasites and all. They will be killed and harmless. Most of us would not have the stomach for this approach, or want to serve it to guests. The next option is to put on a pair of disposable gloves, take a sharp knife or tweezers, grit your teeth and carefully remove and discard any wormy creatures in the fish. You can then cook the fish and eat it. The third option is the garbage - hopefully getting a replacement fish from the store. Most stores would willingly comply, as Whole Foods did in this case.

The Safe Food Handbook discusses parasites in fish in more detail, and gives you the specifics on how to be safe.

To your good health,
TSF