June 2008

  • Raw milk risk

    Posted: June 12th, 2008 - 1:46pm by Doug Powell

    The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report in the current issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections in children associated with raw milk and raw colostrum from cows -- California, 2006. Some highlights below:

    On September 18, 2006, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) was notified of two children hospitalized with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). One of the patients had culture-confirmed Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection, and both patients had consumed raw (unpasteurized) cow milk in the week before illness onset. Four additional cases of E. coli O157:H7 infection in children who had consumed raw cow milk or raw cow colostrum produced by the same dairy were identified during the following 3 weeks. In California, intrastate sale of raw milk and raw colostrum is legal and regulated. This report summarizes the investigation of these cases by CDPH, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), and four local health departments and subsequent actions to prevent illnesses. As a result of this and other outbreaks, California enacted legislation (AB 1735), which took effect January 1, 2008, setting a limit of 10 coliforms/mL for raw milk sold to consumers. Raw milk in several forms, including colostrum, remains a vehicle of serious enteric infections, even if the sale of raw milk is regulated.

    Six cases were identified; four persons had culture-confirmed infections, one had a culture-confirmed infection and HUS, and one had HUS only. The median age of patients was 8 years (range: 6--18 years), and four of the patients (67%) were boys. The six cases identified during this investigation were geographically dispersed throughout California. All six patients reported bloody diarrhea; three (50%) were hospitalized. Illness onset occurred during September 6--24, 2006. Isolates from the five patients with culture-confirmed infections had indistinguishable pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns. The PFGE pattern was new to the PulseNet (the National Molecular Subtyping Network for Foodborne Disease) database and differed markedly from the pattern of the E. coli O157:H7 strain associated with a concurrent multistate outbreak linked to spinach consumption (1). Four of the five E. coli O157:H7 isolates were subtyped by multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) according to a protocol used by CDPH laboratory and were found to have closely related MLVA patterns (2).

    Five of six patients reported they had consumed brand A raw dairy products in the week before their illness onset; the sixth patient denied drinking brand A raw milk, although his family routinely purchased it. Among the five patients who consumed brand A dairy products, two consumed raw whole milk, two consumed raw skim milk, and one consumed raw chocolate-flavored colostrum. Four of the five patients routinely drank raw milk from dairy A. One patient was exposed to brand A dairy product only once; he was served raw chocolate colostrum as a snack when visiting a friend. No other food item was commonly consumed by all six patients. No other illness was reported among household members who consumed brand A dairy products.

    Using purchase information supplied by the patients' families, investigators determined that the patients consumed raw milk from lots produced at dairy A during September 3--13, 2006. Milk samples from these production dates were not available for testing. Fifty-six product samples from several lots with code dates of September 17, 2006, or later were retrieved from retails stores and dairy A and were tested for aerobic microflora, total coliform, fecal coliform, and E. coli O157:H7. The outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 was not found in any product samples. However, standard aerobic plate counts and coliform counts of collected samples with code dates of September 17 through October 9, 2006, were indicative of contamination. Colostrum samples had high standard plate counts and total coliform counts, and fecal coliform counts of 210--46,000 MPN/g. California standards limit standard plate counts for raw and pasteurized milk to 15,000 CFU/mL and total coliform counts for pasteurized milk to 10 coliform bacteria/mL. At the time of this outbreak, California did not have a coliform standard for milk sold raw to consumers. California also classifies colostrum as a dietary supplement, for which it has no microbiologic standards, rather than a milk product.

    Raw milk from dairy A was the likely vehicle of transmission, but the exact mode of milk contamination in this outbreak was not determined.

    Asymptomatic cows can harbor pathogens and cause human illness by shedding pathogens in untreated milk or milk products. These findings suggest that if raw milk had been subject to the same coliform standard as pasteurized milk in California, milk from dairy A might have been excluded from sale and this outbreak might have been averted.

    From 1998 to May 2005, raw milk or raw milk products have been implicated in 45 foodborne illness outbreaks in the United States, accounting for more than 1,000 cases of illness (CDC, unpublished data, 2007). Because illnesses associated with raw milk continue to occur, additional efforts are needed to educate consumers and dairy farmers about illnesses associated with raw milk and raw colostrum. To reduce the risk for E. coli O157 and other infections, consumers should not drink raw milk or raw milk products.
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  • Canada's surveillance system still sucks

    Posted: June 12th, 2008 - 1:35pm by Doug Powell

    During the 728 or so interviews I've done on tomatoes and Salmonella in the past week, a radio reporter in Calgary asked me, as did several other Canadian outlets,

    "What is the Canadian Food Inspection Agency doing?"

    "Nothing."

    CFIA can speak for itself.

    When asked if Canadians were safe from this outbreak, I said, maybe, depends on first figuring out where the contaminated tomatoes were grown, then depends on what was coming into Canada at that point in time.

    That uncertainty would help explain why Canadian fast-food outlets pulled fresh tomatoes from their offerings -- at least until the source could be verified.

    But, I added, even if someone did get sick, it would be difficult to notice because Canadian health surveillance sucks.

    Apparently the Canadian Medical Association agrees, calling the system,

    "a national embarrassment."

    Dr. Kumanan Wilson writes in the Canadian Medical Association Journal that the Auditor General of Canada has warned 3 times, most recently in May, 2008, that Canada's failure to develop surveillance systems puts Canadians at risk.

    In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Amir Attaran  of the University of Ottawa, writing on behalf of CMAJ's editorial team, calls upon the federal government to "legislate a way past the jurisdictional schisms" and make information regarding health epidemics readily available. Currently, "12 of 13 provinces are under no obligation to share information with the federal government or the rest of Canada during an outbreak," writes Dr. Attaran. "We at CMAJ believe this is a national embarrassment."
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  • Tornado hits Manhattan (Kansas)

    Posted: June 12th, 2008 - 8:06am by Doug Powell

    I love Manhattan (Kansas).

    People are always asking me, with a bemused, smug look, Kansas? Why would you move to Kansas?

    I explain to them how Manhattan is huddled in the Flint Hills, beautiful spot, and most of the bad weather goes around Manhattan.

    Not last night.

    The townhouse Amy used to live in probably doesn't exist anymore. That was one of two areas of town that got hammered by a tornado about 11 pm Central time.

    ABC affiliate KTKA in Topeka captured the tornado on video as it entered Manhattan, at least until the camera on the weather tower got taken out (see below).

    Cheryl May, Kansas State University's (awesome) director of media relations extraordinaire, told CNN the storm destroyed a wind erosion lab, damaged several engineering and science buildings and tore the roof off a fraternity house at the school (right, Weber Hall, home of much of Animal Science).

    "Our campus is kind of a mess."

    There were no immediate reports of injuries, she said.

    In an update released at 8 a.m. (CST), Tom Rawson, vice president for administration and finance, estimated storm damage at Kansas State University to exceed $20 million.

    "The damage on campus is extensive. Roofs have been damaged or torn off, windows have been blown out in many buildings. Weber Hall is severely damaged. The Wind Erosion Lab is gone. There is significant damage to the engineering complex, and to Waters, Call, Cardwell and Ward Hall."

    And since my students don't seem to know, but of course read barfblog, classes are cancelled for today.

    Local radio station KMAN has a complete list of known damage. People are being asked to stay away from damaged areas -- and there are various unsubstantiated reports of looting.

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture has the following food safety advice after a weather emergency:

    Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature.

    Discard refrigerated perishable food such as meat, poultry, fish, soft cheeses, milk, eggs, leftovers and deli items after 4 hours without power.

    Never taste a food to determine its safety

    Drink only bottled water if flooding has occurred

    Undamaged, commercially prepared foods in all-metal cans and retort pouches (for example, flexible, shelf-stable juice or seafood pouches) can be saved.

    When in Doubt, Throw it Out

    If you have any firsthand reports, pictures or video, send it along. Amy and I are going to start working our way home from Quebec City.


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  • Are tomatoes safer at the farmers market?

    Posted: June 11th, 2008 - 8:50pm by Doug Powell

    Rebekah Denn of Seattlepi.com, a barfblog.com fan (see below), writes,

    With a tomato-related salmonella outbreak in 16 states, the Neighborhood Farmers Market Association got this interesting question:

    "Are tomatoes from the University District farmer's market safe to eat, given the FDA's recent warning about tomatoes & salmonella?"

    The F.D.A. has linked the nasty illness to raw red plum, red Roma and round red tomatoes. The feds say it's OK to eat those varieties if they're sourced from regions that are not associated with the outbreak, clearing tomatoes from places like California and Canada. Washington did not make the all-clear-as-far-as-we-know list.

    The market association is checking in with its greenhouse growers on the topic, and sent out this reply to the query:

    "Yes, our local farm tomatoes are definitely safe. The outbreak is likely due to the wide use of some kind of composting medium on big factory farms that was contaminated - but none of our market farmers are connected in any way to those kinds of operations. In fact, the tomatoes at the markets right now are all hothouse tomatoes, which makes them even safer, as they are grown in wood bark. Also, our farmers are mostly growing heirloom varieties, both in their hothouses and in their fields.

    The FDA Web site also notes that homegrown tomatoes are safe. Our market farmers are essentially growing homegrown tomatoes: they are not huge operations but rather smaller family farms, using safe, healthy and sustainable growing methods. These farmers live on their farms, pick the harvest themselves and eat the food they grow as well as selling it to local markets."

    I checked in with Doug Powell, associate professor and scientific director of the International Food Safety Network at Kansas State University -- but to me better known for "BarfBlog," an acerbic and opinionated and evidence-based blog on food safety.

    His take on the farmer's market go-ahead? Not so fast. He wrote:

    "Whether your produce comes from around the corner or around the globe, contamination must be prevented beginning on the farm. Ask your tomato supplier:

    -- What do you do for food safety?
    -- Do you or your suppliers test wash water for bacteria? Irrigation
    water?
    -- What soil amendments are being used?
    -- Do you or your suppliers train your staff on handwashing?"

    But wait! Aren't the farmer's markets at least safe from the current salmonella outbreak, I asked, if the farmers are truly growing different varieties than the ones identified with the problem?

    Powell said yes, although there's no basis (yet, I say) for the speculation that big factory farms caused the problem. In general, though, when it comes to food safety, "there is no evidence that sustainable and local is safer."

    But wouldn't outbreaks from small local farms at least be easier to contain and easier to track?

    Maybe, Powell wrote, but it's a tough comparison to make. "We have no sense how often they happen because they are small and don't get picked up."

    So, talk to the people who grow your produce. Ask them questions. The advantage of the farmer's markets is, at least at the markets you actually get that chance.

    Barfblog: the acerbic and opinionated and evidence-based blog on food safety. I like that.




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  • Scene and heard Salmonella, YouTube edition

    Posted: June 11th, 2008 - 4:39pm by Ben Chapman

    I just ran a quick search of YouTube for any videos uploaded about the current outbreak, and was provided with 48 results.  Most are news stories focusing on a local angle, but a few are more entertaining.

    Here are my favs:

    "The misunderstood tomato"












    "Does a tomato have intestines?"











    "Dirty Salmonella is back to getcha"







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  • Jimmy Kimmel talks tomatoes

    Posted: June 11th, 2008 - 1:25pm by Doug Powell

    "For lunch today I was forced to order a BLB sandwich, which is bacon, lettuce, and more bacon. I'm thinking of ditching the lettuce too, just to be safe."

    Bada-bing.

    Check out the clip below.

    During last night's monologue on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Jimmy talks tomatoes, with an awesome public service announcement from the Broccoli Council at the end.

    I'm all for marketing microbial food safety at retail.


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  • F.D.A. reports progress in tracing Salmonella in tomatoes; some Florida counties cleared

    Posted: June 11th, 2008 - 11:28am by Doug Powell

    Julie Zawisza, a spokeswoman for the Food and Drug Administration, told The New York Times late Tuesday,

    "We are getting closer to identifying the source or sources."

    Dr. Patricia Griffin, the chief of the disease centers’ enteric disease epidemiology branch, was cited as saying no one knows whether food has gotten more dangerous or whether the growing number of outbreaks results from better surveillance, and that both may be true.

    The disease control agency has confirmed 167 salmonella cases in the current outbreak. But Dr. Griffin said the agency estimated that only 1 in 38 cases were ever reported to the authorities, so the problem was likely to be greater.

    Keith Warriner of the University of Guelph told New Scientist.com that pathogens like Salmonella have probably evolved to cope with life outside our intestines. Escherichia coli O157:H7 strain thrives on leafy greens such as spinach and lettuce, while Salmonella tends to do best on fleshier fruits and vegetables.

    The bacteria probably come from groundwater contaminated with animal faeces, he says. Once Salmonella gets on and into a tomato, the fruit acts like an incubator. Bacteria divide even in the cool temperatures of packing houses. "If you get a few samples into the internal tissue, then they will grow for sure," Warriner adds.

    Meanwhile, I've been to Toronto and back to Quebec City, with a flurry of media activity along the way. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's The National caught up with me in Toronto and aired the story on the national news last night (upper, right). Unfortunately, my Kansas State hockey T-shirt logo was not included in the camera shot.

    Last night, from 1-2 a.m. EST, I was the guest on Coast to Coast with George Noory which is broadcast on some 500 AM radio stations across the U.S.. Besides the government and alien conspiracy explanations of how Salmonela gets in tomatoes, it was a lot of fun, and we covered a lot of the issues. If anyone out there heard the show, please pass on your constructive comments.

    This morning it was off to the CBC studios in Quebec City for an appearance on Newsworld. I proudly wore my barfblog T-shirt.









    And if you're a French professor or graduate student from Kansas and you're in Quebec, you have to  partake of the local food culture; that means poutine.



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  • Source, not criticism, top priority in outbreak

    Posted: June 10th, 2008 - 1:33pm by Doug Powell

    I just wrapped up a food safety talk at the World Congress for Processing Tomatoes. Delegates from 34 countries have converged in Toronto for meetings, mirth and merriment. The Salmonella in fresh tomatoes outbreak was up for discussion, but these are the processing folks -- it's all cooked.

    This picture (right) was taken by in Cincinnati, Ohio, and posted on The Consumerist. Just weird.

    And The Packer says today in an editorial that the source, not criticism, should be the top priority in outbreak.

    Too vague. Too slow. Too aggressive.

    All of the above criticisms may apply to the handling of the recent linkage of Salmonella Saintpaul to tomatoes by the Food and Drug Administration and various federal and state agencies.

    Unfortunately, the criticisms are easy to level, but not so easy to apply in reality.
    The FDA was too specific in warning consumers in Texas and New Mexico to avoid round red and roma tomatoes. Shouldn’t consumers in other states receive the warning? On the other hand, the warning was too vague. Many cocktail-style tomatoes are round and red. Many greenhouse tomatoes are round and red yet not sold on the vine, but the FDA was saying it was OK for consumers to eat tomatoes on the vine from greenhouses.

    The New Mexico Department of Health was perhaps too aggressive June 4 in naming Mexico as the likely source of the product. At that time, the FDA stated it was impossible to say whether the tomatoes were domestic or imported.

    And because the foodborne illnesses occurred over so long a stretch, the tomatoes very likely did not come from one single grower. There is a possibility they were contaminated somewhere along the supply chain.

    Yet, despite the rush to a conclusion, there is legitimate criticism that parties have acted too slowly. This situation affects the entire tomato category. By extension, it affects products that are used with tomatoes, such as fresh basil and some salad items. A lot of people will lose a lot of money over this.
    In outbreaks that decimate a category, it’s absolutely imperative to say the right thing at the right time.

    There needs to be better coordination between state and national organizations. The overseeing parties must work closely with both the growing community and retailers to ensure that public comments do not unintentionally mislead consumers or create false perceptions.

    The utmost importance is finding the source. Until then, all handlers are presumed guilty and suffer the consequences of lower sales.
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  • CDC: Salmonella in tomato toll now at 167 in 17 states

    Posted: June 10th, 2008 - 11:04am by Doug Powell

    Since mid-April, 167 persons infected with Salmonella Saintpaul with the same genetic fingerprint have been identified in 17 states: Arizona (12 persons), California (2), Colorado (1), Connecticut (1), Idaho (2), Illinois (27), Indiana (7), Kansas (5), Michigan (2), New Mexico (39), Oklahoma (3), Oregon (3), Texas (56), Utah (1), Virginia (2), Washington (1), and Wisconsin (3). These were identified because clinical laboratories in all states send Salmonella strains from ill persons to their State public health laboratory for characterization. Among the 73 persons who have been interviewed, illnesses began between April 16 and May 27, 2008. Patients range in age from 1 to 82 years; 49% are female. At least 23 persons were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

    At this time, FDA is advising U.S. consumers to limit their tomato consumption to those that are not the likely source of this outbreak. These include cherry tomatoes; grape tomatoes; tomatoes sold with the vine still attached; tomatoes grown at home; and raw red Roma, red plum, and round red tomatoes from specific sources listed at: http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/tomatoes.html. Consumers should be aware that raw tomatoes are often used in the preparation of fresh salsa, guacamole, and pico de gallo, are part of fillings for tortillas, and are used in many other dishes.

    FDA recommends that U.S. retail outlets, restaurants, and food service operators offer only fresh and fresh cut red Roma, red plum, and round red tomatoes and food products made from these tomatoes from specific sources listed at: http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/tomatoes.html#retailers. Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached from any source may be offered.
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  • Tomatoes continue to disappear from retail ...

    Posted: June 9th, 2008 - 4:20pm by Doug Powell

    The Los Angeles Times reports that fast-food chains Taco Bell Corp. and Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. have, in addition to McDonald's and others, stopped serving certain tomatoes. Same with supermarket chains Ralphs, Vons and Albertsons, which stopped selling red plum, red Roma or round red tomatoes cited by the FDA.

    Elizabeth Weise of USA Today reported this morning that simply washing tomatoes can help, but it won't necessarily remove the salmonella bacteria, because when tomatoes are picked on very hot days and put into cold water to chill, salmonella on their surface can be drawn up into the fruit.

    David Acheson, director of the FDA's Food Safety and Security Staff, said that doesn't mean the public should stop washing produce, adding, "If there is surface contamination, washing is going to help remove it."

    Below is a  photo from the Tampa Tribune of a Burger King at Kennedy and West Shore boulevards, indicateing it's not serving tomatoes.
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  • McDonald's, U.S. retailers pull some tomatoes

    Posted: June 9th, 2008 - 3:24pm by Doug Powell

    McDonald' s Corp. said Monday it has temporarily pulled tomatoes from its sandwiches in the United States, a precautionary move in the wake of a salmonella outbreak that has sicken at least 145 in 16 states.

    McDonald's spokesman Bill Whitman was cited as saying the company has not detected salmonella bacteria in any of its tomato supplies, "but with an abundance of caution, we want to make sure our food items containing tomatoes are absolutely safe." McDonald's said it will continue to serve grape tomatoes in its premium salads.

    Winn Dixie in Florida announced they have pulled tomatoes off the shelves, will destroy the tomatoes in stock, and are asking their customers to not eat them. Giant Eagle Supermarkets of Pennsylvania has also pulled a variety of green, yellow, Roma and organic tomatoes off the shelf as a precaution.

    The Tampa Tribune reports that trucks of Florida-grown tomatoes were being turned away by retailers Monday. Florida is not on the list of safe tomato-producing states – those not linked to the outbreak – nonetheless, state agriculture officials say Florida-grown tomatoes are safe to eat and are awaiting clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

    Liz Compton, spokeswoman for the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, said,

    "We know Florida's tomatoes are OK. The problem is, they haven't officially cleared us yet, and we are having trucks turned away. … What we know is that the tomatoes that we're shipping now were not being harvested at the time in question."

    Tampa-based Sweetbay Supermarkets and Lakeland-based Publix Super Markets have pulled all of the suspect tomatoes from their shelves.
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  • Tomatoes and Salmonella

    Posted: June 9th, 2008 - 10:52am by Ben Chapman

    Doug and I are attending TrainCan's Food Safety Forum in Toronto today.  The topic of the conference is all around food safety culture and changing behaviour -- which fits really well with the iFSN infosheets.

    In a response to an outbreak of Salmonella linked to certain types of raw tomatoes in the U.S., food service and grocery firms across North America have withdrawn tomatoes from their sites and meals.  The outbreak provided us with the focus of this week's infosheet, which can be found here.

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  • McDonald's Canada pulls tomatoes from menu

    Posted: June 8th, 2008 - 6:07pm by Doug Powell

    McDonald's fast-food outlets in Canada have temporarily removed tomatoes from their menu options, after news south of the border that salmonella food poisoning first linked to uncooked tomatoes has spread to 16 U.S. states.

    McDonald's said in a letter to consumers that it has not experienced any problems to date but consider the move a “precautionary measure."

    Below is a news clip from a New Mexico television station about what local restaurants are doing in the wake of 145 sick people in 16 states, and a national advisory from the Food and Drug Administration not to eat certain types of fresh tomatoes.


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  • Salmonella in tomatoes toll reaches 145 in 16 states; FDA issues national advisory

    Posted: June 7th, 2008 - 6:26pm by Doug Powell

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expanding its warning to consumers nationwide that a salmonellosis outbreak has been linked to consumption of certain raw red plum, red Roma, and red round tomatoes, and products containing these raw, red tomatoes.

    FDA recommends that consumers not eat raw red Roma, raw red plum, raw red round tomatoes, or products that contain these types of raw red tomatoes unless the tomatoes are from the sources listed below.

    If unsure of where tomatoes are grown or harvested, consumers are encouraged to contact the store where the tomato purchase was made. Consumers should continue to eat cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached, or tomatoes grown at home.

    On June 5, using traceback and other distribution pattern information, FDA published a list of states, territories, and countries where tomatoes are grown and harvested which have not been associated with this outbreak. This updated list includes: Arkansas, California, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Belgium, Canada, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Israel, Netherlands, and Puerto Rico. The list is available at www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/tomatoes.html#retailers. This list will be updated as more information becomes available.

    FDA recommends that retailers, restaurateurs, and food service operators not offer for sale and service raw red Roma, raw red plum, and raw red round tomatoes unless they are from the sources listed above. Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached, may continue to be offered from any source.

    Since mid April, there have been 145 reported cases of salmonellosis caused by Salmonella Saintpaul nationwide, including at least 23 hospitalizations. States reporting illnesses linked to the outbreak include: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. Salmonella Saintpaul is an uncommon type of Salmonella.

    As I've said, food safety for fresh produce begins on the farm and goes right through to the fork.

    Fresh fruits and vegetables are the most significant sources of
    foodborne illness today in the United States, and because fresh produce is
    not cooked, anything that comes into contact is a possible source of contamination.

    Wash water, irrigation water, manure in soil, even contact with animals or humans, can introduce dangerous microorganisms onto fresh produce. There is evidence that bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli can enter fruit like tomatoes and cantaloupes, and leafy greens such as spinach and lettuce, making removal extremely difficult.

    The farm is the first line of defense.  Whether your produce comes from around the corner or around the globe, contamination must be prevented on the farm.

    A brief review of pathogens in produce is available at:
    http://tinyurl.com/6ypdad

    A table of tomato-related North American outbreaks is available at:
    http://tinyurl.com/6oqv67

    A table of known outbreaks of verotoxigenic E. coli -- including but not
    limited to E. coli O157:H7 -- associated with fresh spinach and lettuce
    is available at: http://tinyurl.com/586azl

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  • Salmonella Symptoms

    Posted: June 7th, 2008 - 7:48am by Amy Hubbell

    Someone came to the blog this morning searching “Salmonella Saintpaul flatulence” inspiring this post. As of last night 138 people in 11 states were sick from Salmonella in tomatoes.

    According to http://www.about-salmonella.com/salmonella_symptoms_risks, Salmonella can cause gastroenteritis, typhoid fever, and bacteremia. The following are symptoms of Salmonella gastroenteritis:
    • diarrhea
    • abdominal cramps
    • fever, generally 100°F to 102°F (38°C to 39°C)
    • nausea, and/or
    • vomiting
    In mild cases diarrhea may be non-bloody, occur several times per day, and not be very voluminous; in severe cases it may be frequent, bloody and/or mucoid, and of high volume. Vomiting is less common than diarrhea.

    Other frequently reported symptoms are
    • headaches
    • muscle pain, and
    • joint pain
    Whereas the diarrhea typically lasts 24 to 72 hours, patients often report fatigue and other nonspecific symptoms lasting 7 days or longer.

    The FDA has a thorough analysis of Salmonella in their Bad Bug Book.

    If you are concerned that you have food poisoning, you should contact your local health unit or Seattle law firm Marler-Clark that specializes in foodborne illness litigation.
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  • Salmonella in tomato toll rises to 138; E. coli in lettuce outbreak appears over

    Posted: June 6th, 2008 - 3:48pm by Doug Powell

    The Dallas Morning News reports that Texas and New Mexico now claim 104 of the 138 cases of Salmonella Saintpaul related to tomatoes in 11 U.S. States. At least 19 people from the two states have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said that tomatoes grown in Texas, California, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina appear to be blameless. Those imported from Belgium, Canada, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Israel, the Netherlands and Puerto Rico also did not appear to be the source.

    The FDA said preliminary investigations suggest that raw red plum, red Roma or round red tomatoes are the source of the problem.

    Meanwhile, the Washington Health Department said an E. coli outbreak that sickened at least nine people in Pierce and Thurston counties is apparently over and that there have been no new cases since May 29.

    A spokesman, Donn Moyer, said the infection apparently came from romaine lettuce that was served at schools or restaurants. Moyer says health officials haven't been able to identify the source for sure, although the Food and Drug Administration is still investigating.
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  • Can TV cooks become food safety celebrities? or Have you spotted Doug Powell ranting?

    Posted: June 6th, 2008 - 8:55am by Doug Powell

    "If you read Doug Powell’s FSnet e-mail news, you have probably spotted some of his rants against unsafe techniques demonstrated on television cooking shows."

    So says Gary Acuff, president of the International Association for Food Protection in his June 2008 column about the poor food safety practices of celebrity chefs.

    My rants are based on research, reviewed and published in Food Protection Trends, a monthly journal of … the International Association for Food Protection.

    In 2004, my laboratory reported that, based on 60 hours of detailed viewing of television cooking shows, an unsafe food handling practice occurred about every four minutes, and that for every safe food handling practice observed, we observed 13 unsafe practices. The most common errors were inadequate hand washing and cross-contamination between raw and ready-to-eat foods. The abstract is below and available at http://www.foodsafety.ksu.edu/en/article-details.php?a=3&c=14&sc=102&id=842.

    To answer Gary's question, is there something that can be done? After completing the initial research in 2002, I began writing about the topic, with snappy headlines like, Can TV cooks become food safety celebrities? One of my students at the time, Christian Battista, put together four, 3-minute greatest hits videos, depicting various practices we observed like cross-contamination and lack of handwashing. The videos were a hit.

    Once the paper was published, it made headlines around the globe. Some folks at the Food Network in Canada gave me a call, and said they wanted to work with me and my lab, to enhance food safety on their shows.

    I said sure.

    I also kept showing the videos at my various public appearances.

    And then the Food Network called again.

    This time the folks at the other end were on a speakerphone -- and there was a lot of them. Lawyers, I suspect.

    The Food Network people said if I ever showed the videos again they would sue my ass.

    But YouTube didn't exist back then. And I'm in the U.S. now. Hmmm ….







    Mathiasen, L.A., Chapman, B.J., Lacroix, B.J. and Powell, D.A. 2004. Spot the mistake: Television cooking shows as a source of food safety information, Food Protection Trends 24(5): 328-334.

    Consumers receive information on food preparation from a variety of sources. Numerous studies conducted over the past six years demonstrate that television is one of the primary sources for North Americans. This research reports on an examination and categorization of messages that television food and cooking programs provide to viewers about preparing food safely. During June 2002 and 2003, television food and cooking programs were recorded and reviewed, using a defined list of food safety practices based on criteria established by Food Safety Network researchers. Most surveyed programs were shown on Food Network Canada, a specialty cable channel. On average, 30 percent of the programs viewed were produced in Canada, with the remainder produced in the United States or United Kingdom. Sixty hours of content analysis revealed that the programs contained a total of 916 poor food-handling incidents. When negative food handling behaviors were compared to positive food handling behaviors, it was found that for each positive food handling behavior observed, 13 negative behaviors were observed. Common food safety errors included a lack of hand washing, cross-contamination and time-temperature violations. While television food and cooking programs are an entertainment source, there is an opportunity to improve their content so as to promote safe food handling.
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  • Scene and heard: salmonella in tomatoes

    Posted: June 6th, 2008 - 8:04am by Doug Powell

    A total of 11 states, which now include Wisconsin, Virginia and Kansas, have confirmed 112 cases of Salmonella Saintpaul and of those cases, 83 were reported in Texas and New Mexico.

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said preliminary investigations suggest that raw red plum, red Roma or round red tomatoes are to blame.

    The agency advised residents of Texas and New Mexico to only eat tomatoes that haven’t been connected to the outbreak, including homegrown, cherry and grape tomatoes as well as those sold attached to the vine.

    They also reminded consumers that fresh salsa, guacamole, pico de gallo and other products may contain raw tomatoes.

    Albertsons has joined Kroger and Central Market in pulling tomatoes from its shelves.

    New Mexico Environment Secretary Ron Curry said Thursday in a statement,

    "The department's food program bureau is contacting distributors of tomatoes to ensure they notify food establishments to stop serving tomatoes suspected in making people sick."

    KRIS 6 News in Corpus Christi, Texas, conducted a random phone survey Wednesday afternoon, and found tomatoes are temporarily not on the menu at Subway, La Playa, Olive Garden, Water Street Restaurants, and Schlotzky's.

    However, tomatoes are still being served at TGI Friday's, Fuddrucker's, Katz 21, Nolan's Poorboys, McDonald's, Mimi's by the Sea, Whataburger, and Wallbangers.

    Reuters reported that even pork bellies are feeling the pressure, as prices fell $4 to $15 per hundredweight in the cash markets on Thursday. The bacon for BLT sandwiches is sliced from pork bellies.

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  • E. coli O157:H7, possibly in romaine lettuce, sickens 9 in Washington State

    Posted: June 5th, 2008 - 6:45pm by Doug Powell

    Seriously, I'm getting tired of using this picture. But I'm not running out of opportunities.

    The Washington State Department of Health said today that  nine confirmed cases of E. coli infection found in Thurston and Pierce counties have been traced to romaine lettuce and a tenth case may be linked but was not tested.

    Health Department spokesman Tim Church says five of the victims were hospitalized, but all have been released.

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is tracing the source of the contaminated lettuce.



    A table of known outbreaks of verotoxigenic E. coli -- including but not limited to E. coli O157:H7 -- associated with fresh spinach and lettuce is available at http://foodsafety.ksu.edu/en/article-details.php?a=3&c=32&sc=419&id=903.


    UPDATE: The Department of Health says nine confirmed cases of E.coli infection found in north Thurston and south Pierce counties have been traced to bagged, commercial romaine lettuce.

    Health officials say it's not the same type of lettuce you would buy in a grocery store.

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  • Camembert Wars: if this is progress, I'll take mine pasteurized

    Posted: June 5th, 2008 - 5:49pm by Amy Hubbell

    The AFP is reporting today that “real” camembert makers can rejoice. In addition to reducing the geographic boundaries of the camembert region, now the only camembert makers that will be recognized with the prestigious AOC (appellation d’origine contrôlée) label will:
    -    use only raw milk;
    -    have at least half of the cows providing the milk from Normandy origin; and,
    -    ensure that their cows graze on Normandy pastures for at least 6 months of the year and fed hay the remainder of the time.
    The grazing restrictions are new to the AOC conditions. I find them particularly surprising as research has shown that grass-fed or not, all cows can carry E. coli O157:H7.

    The “real camembert” supporters apparently found the decision to be “undeniable progress.” Lactalis and Isigny-Sainte-Mère, two large companies that previously produced more than 80% of AOC Camembert, decided last year to begin heat-treating their milk as a safety measure.

    Francophiles, can read today's original story for themselves. The French clearly articulate that the raw milk camembert has a velvety taste compared to the pasteurized version, but that the traditional methods are more onerous because they require various testing measures to avoid pathogens such as listeria. According to my favorite food safety advisor, you cannot test your way to safe food. The new and improved camembert will have enhanced risks.


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