Repeat after me, “I will not eat beef, I will not eat beef, I will not eat beef”…
If millions and millions of pounds of contaminated ground beef and the threat of Ecoli isn’t enough to make you think twice before you grab just any burger, savor the thought of contracting variant CJV or mad cow disease.
Despite persistent fears that mad cow disease has been found and could still exist in Canadian beef, the Department of Agriculture has failed to properly track hundreds of Canadian cattle coming into the United States.
An audit, completed in March but only recently made public, said that some of the imported cattle did not have proper identification or health records despite federal regulations requiring them.
The audit did not say how many cattle were improperly brought into the U.S. and inspector general spokesman Paul Feeney said auditors are not sure of that number. The report said that a lack of records meant that “it cannot be determined” whether shipments other than those discovered “have bypassed inspection or whether this is a systemic problem.”
About 1 million cattle were imported into the U.S. from Canada in the fiscal year ending in September 2006, the period covered by the audit.
The audit mainly faulted Agriculture’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service for failing to properly check records as the cattle crossed the Canadian border.
“APHIS does not adequately track live animal imports and, if problems are detected, does not collectively analyze import violations,” the report said. “Additional controls are needed at northern ports-of-entry to obtain stronger assurance that all animal shipments are inspected.”
Mad cow, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, is a disease that attacks a cow’s nervous system. Medical researchers also believe that humans who eat meat infected with BSE can contract a variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), which is fatal. Read the rest of this entry »
Texas man tested for mad cow disease
July 23, 2008
The brain of a Corpus Corpus man who died earlier this month was tested for a human form of mad cow disease, health officials said.
Annette Rodriguez, interim director of the Corpus Christi-Nueces County Health District, said the district was notified in early July by officials from a Corpus Christi hospital that a patient may have had Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Results of a brain biopsy are expected in two months to confirm whether the man had the disease and if it is the variant linked to mad cow.
Rodriguez said it was not clear where the man, whose identity was not released, may have been exposed to the disease. She said the tests were being run out of state.
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/state&id=6272372
Update: Saintpaul Salmonella outbreak continues to grow
July 23, 2008
Reports from the FDA and CDC (late May to date) indicate:
- 167 228 552 613 756 869 922 1017 1090 1148 1167 1196 1220 1237 1256 confirmed cases of Salmonella Saintpaul poisoning from contaminated raw tomatoes, peppers, and/or cilantro.
- At least 23 25 48 53 69 95 107 111 203 210 220 228 231 hospitalizations have been reported.
- 2 deaths are believed to be associated with the outbreak.
- 17 23 28 30 34 36 40 41 42 43 states involved. Texas has the largest number of cases with 131 384 448 475 people affected while Ilinois had 34 100 104 115, followed by New Mexico at 70 98 102 103.
- Illnesses began between in April 2008.
- Patients range in age from 1 to 99 years; 50% are female
- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that for every salmonella case reported, 38 are not brought to the attention of physicians.
Only 6 persons infected with this strain of Salmonella Saintpaul were identified in the country during April through June of 2007. The previous rarity of this strain and the distribution of illnesses in all U.S. regions suggest that the implicated food is distributed throughout much of the country. Because many persons with Salmonella illness do not have a stool specimen tested, it is likely that many more illnesses have occurred than those reported.
The accumulated data from all investigations indicate that jalapeño peppers are likely to be a major cause of this outbreak. Fresh serrano peppers and fresh tomatoes remain under investigation.
Agricola Zaragoza, Inc. of McAllen, TX is recalling Jalapeno Peppers distributed since June 30th, 2008 because they have been found to be contaminated with Saintpaul Salmonella, the same strain responsible for the months long outbreak also reported in tomatoes. It is unknown at this time which, if any, of the more than 1,200 illnesses reported to date are related to this particular product or to the grower who supplied this product. Distribution of these products has been suspended while FDA, the Texas Department of State Health Services and the company continue their investigation as to the source of the problem.
The Jalapeno Peppers were distributed to customers in GA and TX.
The Jalapeno Peppers being recalled were shipped in 35lb. plastic crates and in 50lb. bags with no brand name or label.
Consumers and retailers who purchased Jalapeno Peppers should contact their supplier to determine if their products are involved in the recall. Commercial manufacturers that have used these recalled Jalapeno Peppers as an ingredient in other products (i.e. salsas, etc.) are encouraged to contact their local FDA office to determine if these products should be recalled. Additionally, restaurants, retail food stores, and similar retail institutions that have used these Jalapeno Peppers as a garnish or as an ingredient to prepare entrees, salsas or other products are asked to dispose of these products making sure that all such peppers are not inadvertently made available for purchase, salvage or donation and therefore preventing any possibility for human or animal consumption.. Consumers with questions may contact the company at (956)-631-6405.
Source: http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/agricola_zaragoza07_08.html
Grand Produce Company is recalling jalapeno peppers, serrano peppers and avacados after random samples taken by the Texas Department of Health Services were found to contain salmonella bacteria.
The peppers and avacados were distributed to the following states: TX, DE, NC, GA, OK, IA, MN, IL, FL, IN, MD, NY, MS, AR, KS, and KY. The avocados being recalled were shipped in boxes labeled “Frutas Finas de Tancitaro HASS Avocados, Produce of Mexico,” all sizes, with lot number HUE08160090889. The Jalapeno Peppers and Serrano peppers being recalled were shipped in 35lb. plastic crates with no brand name or label.
According to the Texas and North Carolina Departments of Health, the strain of Salmonella found in this company’s jalapeño and serrano peppers and in its avocado is not Salmonella Saintpaul, and is not believed to be related to the current Salmonella outbreak.
The recall is a result of sampling not by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) but by the Texas Department of State Health Services (Texas Health) and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (North Carolina Health ) which revealed that these products contained the bacteria.
The company has voluntarily initiated a recall of its already distributed products and has stopped future distribution while the FDA, Texas Health, North Carolina Health and the company continue to investigate to determine the source of the problem.”
Consumers who purchased Avocados, Jalapeno Peppers and Serrano Peppers should contact their supplier to determine if their products are involved in the recall. Consumers with questions may contact the company at (956) 843-8575.
Source: http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/grandeproduce07_08.html
Public health officials in Massachusetts are investigating whether a patient in a Cape Cod hospital has the human form of mad cow disease.
Dr. Alfred DeMaria, the state’s director of communicable disease control, confirmed Sunday to The Associated Press that tests are being done to see if the patient has Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and whether it’s the variant attributed to mad cow.
Mad cow disease — medically known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE — causes spongy holes in the brain. Eating meat products contaminated with mad cow disease is linked to variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare and fatal human malady. Read more about mad cow disease at emedicinehealth.com.
DeMaria says it will take a few more days before the test results are available. He said there are about a half-dozen cases reported every year in Massachusetts and about 300 nationwide. A spokesman for Cape Cod Hospital confirmed the facility had notified public health officials Thursday of a patient with test results that require reporting.
http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=8705253&nav=menu29_2_16
In an effort to combat obesity and help consumers make healthier food choices, New York City’s landmark calorie law came in to effect this week requiring large fast-food chains to clealy display how many calories are in their meals. Chains that don’t comply face a per store fine of $2,000.
On Friday, McDonald’s and Burger King unveiled new menu boards at scores of locations throughout the city, taking calorie information and putting it front-and-center above the cash register. Patrons can still choose that gut-busting 1,500-calorie meal, but they won’t be able to say they didn’t know what they were getting into. Dietary guidelines for adults recommend about 2,000 calories a day, depending on age, gender and activity.
American adults and children consume about one-third of their calories from restaurants and other food-service establishments, and studies link frequent eating out with obesity and higher caloric intakes. Without nutrition information, it is difficult for consumers to make informed choices. In requiring fast-food restaurants to disclose calorie information on their menus, New York City has taken the lead in addressing one of the largest contributors to the nation’s obesity epidemic. The U.S. Surgeon General and the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine have also recommended that chain restaurants provide more nutrition information. New York has taken the lead. Hopefully others will follow.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gs586eWvtjIJI4g7mh0yE-Xu_s9g, http://www.wzzm13.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=95683&catid=2
Thankful for garden tomatoes
July 20, 2008
and the dozens of them growing on these five tomato plants.
Synthetic organic poultry?
July 19, 2008
Here’s something to think about the next time you decide to include “organic” chicken in your meal. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) proposed a rule in the July 14 Federal Register to amend the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National List of Allowed & Prohibited Substances (National List) to extend the use of synthetic methionine in organic poultry production until Oct. 1, 2010. The National Organic Standards Board made the recommendation on May 22, 2008.
DL-methionine, DL-methionine-hydroxyl analog and DL-methionine-hydroxyl analog calcium were originally included on the National List in 2003, and was scheduled for expiration on Oct. 1, 2008. AMS said methionine was petitioned by organic livestock producers as a part of the NOSB’s 1995 initial review of synthetic amino acids considered for use in organic livestock production.
The petitioners asserted that methionine was a necessary dietary supplement for organic poultry, due to an inadequate supply of organic feeds containing sufficient concentrations of naturally occurring methionine (ie stuff chickens normally like to eat - organic whole wheat, organic whole oats, alfalfa meal, sunflower meal, fish meal and limestone). Petitioners suggested synthetic methionine would be fed as a dietary supplement to organic poultry at levels ranging from 0.3 to 0.5% of the animal’s total diet. The petitioners also asserted that a prohibition on the use of synthetic methionine would contribute to nutritional deficiencies in organic poultry thereby jeopardizing the animal’s health.
Read more at: There’s a synthetic in my organic chicken
The tomato/pepper/cilantro fiasco goes on. More people sick, harvests destroyed, farmers ruined, $100 million down the drain, and still no answers as to why over 1,220 people have contracted a food borne illness that up until now was extremely rare.
Late yesterday, in what could be the ultimate flip-flop, the FDA announced that tomatoes are ok to eat. Sort of. They say it doesn’t mean that tomatoes harvested in the spring are cleared (try guessing which ones those are). It just means that the tomatoes in fields and stores today are safe to eat, said Dr. David Acheson, the Food and Drug Administration’s food safety chief.
The source of the outbreak of salmonella still isn’t known. The latest suspect is jalapeno peppers. Also still on the suspect list is fresh cilantro.
Thursday’s move to attempt to create some perception that the problem has been resolved, comes as the tomato industry estimates its losses at more than $100 million,
Just coincidentally, the tomato industry held an unprecedented meeting with FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach and other officials on Monday. They (of course) have welcomed the new announcement.
Sources: http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/saintpaul/, http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/07/17/fda.salmonella/index.html
