Food Safety Newsletter

11/01
2006
ISSUE:234

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Salmonella Outbreak
Sickens 172 in 18 States

Source of Article: http://news.yahoo.com/
TUESDAY, Oct. 31 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. health
officials are investigating a nationwide outbreak of
salmonella, possibly linked to produce, that has sickened
at least 172 people in 18 states and left 11 people
hospitalized.
The bacteria may have spread through some form of
produce, possibly tomatoes, the officials said. But the
outbreak has yet to be linked to any specific food
product, food-distribution chain, restaurants or
supermarkets, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.
"We're very early in the investigation," Dave Daigle, a
CDC spokesman, told the Associated Press.
There are no reported fatalities in the outbreak, officials
said. Last month, an outbreak of E. coli contamination in
fresh, packaged spinach killed three people and sickened
more than 200 people in 26 states and one Canadian
province.
Health officials have traced the spinach outbreak to a
ranch in California's Salinas Valley, where it is believed
that wild boar may have carried the bacteria from cattle
feces to nearby spinach fields.
In the new outbreak, announced Monday night, CDC
officials said they first noticed a problem two weeks ago
through a national computer lab system that looks for
patterns and matches in reports of food-borne illness. The
U.S. Food and Drug Administration has joined the
investigation and will try to help trace the outbreak to its
origin, the AP reported.
The states involved are Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia,
Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan,
Minnesota, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia,
Vermont and Wisconsin.
Most of the cases are in adults, and more than 60 percent
are women, Dr. Chris Braden, a CDC epidemiologist
investigating the outbreak, told the AP.
Salmonella is a germ that causes a bacterial disease called
salmonellosis. The typical symptoms included diarrhea,
fever and stomach pain, which start up to three days after
people become infected. The symptoms usually go away
after one week. But some people have to see a doctor or
be hospitalized because the diarrhea is severe or the
infection has affected other organs, according to the CDC.
There are about 2,500 types of salmonella. The type in
the new outbreak -- salmonella typhimurium -- is one of
the most common, Braden said.
According to the CDC, people can get salmonellosis by
eating contaminated food, such as chicken, eggs or
produce. However, animals can carry salmonella and pass
it in their feces. Therefore, people can also get
salmonellosis if they don't wash their hands after touching
the feces of animals. Reptiles (such as lizards, snakes, and
turtles), baby chicks, and ducklings are especially likely to
pass salmonellosis to people. Dogs, cats, birds (including
pet birds), horses, and farm animals can also pass
salmonella in their feces.

CDC investigating
salmonella outbreak

Oct. 30/06
AP
ATLANTA — Health officials were cited as
saying Monday that a salmonella outbreak
potentially linked to produce has sickened at
least 172 people in 18 states.
Health officials think the bacteria may have
spread through some form of produce — the list
of suspects includes tomatoes. But the illnesses
have not been tied to any specific product,
chain, restaurants or supermarkets.
No one has died in the outbreak, which stems
from a common form of salmonella bacteria.
Eleven people have been hospitalized, health
officials said.
Dave Daigle, a spokesman for the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, was quoted
as saying, "We're very early in the investigation."
The story says that the CDC first detected the
outbreak two weeks ago through a national
computer lab system that looks for patterns and
matches in reports of food-borne illness. The U.
S. Food and Drug Administration has joined the
investigation and will try to help trace the
outbreak to its origin.
Dr. Chris Braden, a CDC epidemiologist
investigating the outbreak, was cited as saying
that most of the cases are in adults, and more
than 60 percent are women.
The story says that the states involved are
Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana,
Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan,
Minnesota, North Carolina, New Hampshire,
Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee,
Virginia, Vermont and Wisconsin.
The salmonella in this outbreak — Salmonella
typhimurium — is one of the most common,
Braden said.
People can catch the infection from many
different sources, including water, soil, insects,
factory surfaces, kitchen surfaces, animal feces,
and raw meats, poultry and seafoods.

DHEC tries to pinpoint
salmonella source
31.oct.06
Spartanburg Herald-Journal (SC)
Emily Dagostino
http://www.goupstate.com/
State health officials said Monday they
continue to investigate an outbreak of
salmonella poisoning that has infected at least a
dozen residents from Spartanburg, Pickens
and Greenville counties." more information

Salmonella Cases Confirmed In Mass.
Officials Advise Public To Wash Produce
October 31, 2006
Source of Article: http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/10197877/detail.html?rss=bos&psp=news
BOSTON -- More than 50 cases of salmonella poisoning have been confirmed in Massachusetts,
according to state health officials, with more than 170 other cases reported in 18 states across the country.
Eleven people have been hospitalized nationally, health officials said.
NewsCenter 5's Gail Huff reported that most of the confirmed cases in Massachusetts were in the eastern
part of the state and were detected in September. Officials said the salmonella bacteria were probably
spread through produce, such as lettuce and tomatoes.
The symptoms can cause serious illness in some cases.
"Salmonella is a bacterial illness and it affects the gastrointestinal system. Symptoms often tend to be
cramping, diarrhea, vomiting, fever and often dehydration, which is often what sends people to the hospital,"
said Greg Moore of the New Hampshire Department of Health.
Outbreaks of foodborne illness have repeatedly made headlines this year. Recently, some packaged
spinach was found to be tainted with E.coli bacteria which killed three people and sickened more than 300
others. Officials say there are some basic steps the public can take to protect itself.
"Wash your foods. Wash your fruits and vegetables in particular. Eggs and meats, make sure that they're
cooked and clean any surfaces where you might have prepared foods," Moore said.
There are 2,500 different types of salmonella and the one causing the current outbreak -- Salmonella
typhimurium -- is one of the more common types of the bacteria.
Most of the recent salmonella cases are in adults, and more than 60 percent are women, said Dr. Chris
Braden, a CDC epidemiologist investigating the outbreak.
About 1,300 cases of salmonella poisoning are reported in Massachusetts every year, health officials said.
They estimate that more than 1.4 million cases of salmonellosis occur in the U.S. each year. About 1.3
million of those cases come from food,

Lettuce Safety Association Letter
Lettuce Safety Association
TO:
Produce Marketing Association, United Fresh Produce Association, Western Growers
Association
FROM:
Greg Reinauer, Amerifresh, Inc.
Frank Padilla, Costco Wholesale
Reggie Griffin, Kroger Company
Tim York, Markon Cooperative
Ron Anderson, Safeway, Inc.
Gary Gionnette, SUPERVALU INC.
Mike Hansen, Sysco Corporation
David Corsi, Wegman’s Food Markets
Denny's Corp
Schnuck's Market (St. Louis)
Meijer (Grand Rapids)

In response to multiple food-borne illnesses associated with fresh produce, the above-listed companies recognize
an opportunity to come together as never before to voice our needs and expectations. We expect fresh produce
industry associations to respond—collaboratively and expeditiously—to protect public health and work toward
restoring consumer and buyer confidence in fresh produce. Specifically, we are asking the associations to
develop a supply pipeline food safety program for lettuce and leafy greens as follows:
The program will be founded on standardized food safety recommendations and requirements (GAPs, GMPs and
HACCP as appropriate, that reflect best practices and are specific, measurable, and verifiable.
The requirements will be developed with input from and approval by industry research scientists, as well as input
from academia and regulatory agencies (whose direction may differ from that of association members).
We recognize the process of developing requirements has and will continue to illuminate areas that require further
scientific research; we understand that the initial requirements will be based on current knowledge, but subject to
change as science evolves; we expect the associations to have in place a process to keep the requirements up to
date based on sound science.
The standardized requirements will be translated into standardized audit criteria and such audits could be
performed by private and/or federal/state auditors. A certification program shall be in place to assure private
auditors are calibrated and perform inspections/reviews in accordance to the established standards.
Together, the requirements and audits will amount to a voluntary, formal food safety certification program that is
open to all qualifying suppliers. The associations will develop a website or other mechanism whereby buyers can
verify whether grower/suppliers have received certification.
The associations will fund and lead robust industry and consumer outreach about the certification program.
The context of this communications effort will emphasize that industry’s intervention steps and highlight the
intention is to minimize risk to the extent possible, because there is no “kill step” for fresh produce.
On behalf of the above-listed buyers and any others who wish to join us, a small working group will monitor the
associations’ progress and report on it at least every other week; we expect the associations to update the
working group at least every week via e-mail, and further suggest that associations continue to communicate
proactively with all stakeholders in North America, including NRA, FMI, CPMA, and regional grower/shipper
associations.
We expect that the associations will continue to communicate proactively with the trade and national media.
Due to the urgency of this matter—its current and potential impact on public health—we expect that the major
components of this process can and will be accomplished by December 15, 2006. If this is not the case, our
options include fast-tracking our own working group to establish a meaningful certification program with
objective criteria.
Finally, while we recognize that lettuce and leafy greens are the most immediate priority due to the most recent E.
coli outbreak, we expect that the associations share our urgency to have standardized food safety requirements
and commensurate auditing criteria for additional crops in accordance with their actual and/or perceived risk,
including: melons, tomatoes, and green onions. We expect that the process described above will be initiated for
one or more additional crops by February 15, 2007.

Growers respond to E. coli
outbreak with mandatory
guidelines
Associated Press Lisa Leff
SAN FRANCISCO - An agricultural trade group is
proposing mandatory food safety guidelines for
California lettuce and spinach producers, in hopes
that such a system will help restore public
confidence following a deadly E. coli outbreak this
summer.
Under the new proposal, the California
Department of Food and Agriculture would
enforce the guidelines and give compliant growers
a clean bill of health. The state also would have
the authority to sanction growers who don't
follow food safety procedures by enjoining them
from shipping or selling their crops, assessing
fines or seeking criminal penalties, .
The state agriculture department is working with
the industry group to refine the details and could
sign off on the new rules by early next year, said
department spokeswoman Nancy Lungren.
"Agreements such as these show that the industry
is taking seriously the need to have a detailed
process that involves inspections, process
verification, food safety research, handling and
enforcement for non-compliance," she said.
Farmers, processors and retailers would be
assessed a fee to pay for the inspections, Nassif
and Lungren said.
The effort first would apply only to California's
lettuce and spinach industry, according to Nassif.
But the group, which currently also is working
with federal officials on a similar set of food
safety standards, wants the state proposal to
eventually cover farmers and processors in other
states "to have a uniform standard" nationwide, he
said.
State Sen. Dean Florez, a Central Valley
Democrat, was cited as saying Monday that he
was encouraged by the group's proposal but said
lawmakers needed to do more to make sure
vegetables grown and packaged in the state would
not continue to pose a danger to public health,
adding, "I applaud the industry's public
recognition of the need for mandatory regulations
to ensure food safety. Still, we can't discount
what happened, and the failure of the state's
responsibility on these issues over the course of
nine outbreaks."
Western Growers made its announcement on the
same day that the federal Centers for Disease
Control identified a salmonella outbreak potentially
linked to produce - possibly tomatoes or lettuce -
that has sickened at least 172 people in 18 states
during the last two weeks.
Doug Powell, scientific director of the Food
Safety Network based at Kansas State University,
expressed skepticism with the Western Growers
plan, saying government regulation would not
necessarily improve public safety more than
vigorous self-policing, transparency and
innovation.
"Government represents a minimum sort of line.
The companies that are really going to capture the
marketplace are the ones that are go beyond that
and capture the public's imagination," Powell said.
"I think we have a pretty hungry market right now
in terms of microbial food safety."

Food-borne bacteria evolving,
becoming more dangerous

Source from: USA Today
Elizabeth Weise
http://www.usatoday.com/
The first rule of public health is one most of us learn in
kindergarten: Don't eat poop. But that's what the people
were eating who were struck down with E. coli in the late
summer outbreak tied to bagged spinach, California
health officials now say.
There was deadly E. coli O157:H7 in water samples
taken on the Salinas Valley ranch where the spinach was
grown, in wild pigs that rampaged through the fields, in
cattle and calves that grazed nearby, and on cow manure
in adjacent pastures, says Kevin Reilly, deputy director of
prevention services for the California Department of
Health Services.
"It's not unusual or unexpected that we'd find O157:H7 in
the environment where those species exist," Reilly says.
Three people died and more than 200 others were
sickened in the outbreak that spread to 26 states.
Because E. coli lives in the gut of warm-blooded animals
(though it likes cattle and deer best), it gets transferred
between them via what the squeamish call "fecal contact."
People have been experiencing such contact for as long
as there's been farming. Before the advent of modern
agriculture, all fields were fertilized with manure, and wild
animals were abundant.
But today the pathogenic reality of agriculture is different
— and deadly. "The microbial world has changed, but
people haven't quite caught up with it," says Douglas
Powell, a professor of pathobiology at Kansas State
University in Manhattan.
It's certainly caught up with us. There have been 20
reported outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 in lettuce or leafy
greens since 1995. And Monday, the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention said it is tracking a
salmonella outbreak, possibly linked to produce, which
has sickened at least 172 people in 18 states.

PUBLIC MEETING ON FOOD
SAFETY
Source of Article: http://www.meatnews.com/
UNITED STATES: Several U.S. government agencies
announce a public meeting to discuss food-safety issues
ahead of a four-day conference in Japan.
The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, and the Food and Drug
Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services have announced a public meeting on
food safety. The meeting will be held Tuesday, Nov. 14,
in the Jamie Whitten Building in Washington, D.C.
Attendees can pose questions and offer comments ahead
of the Sixth Session of the Codex ad hoc
Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from
Biotechnology (FBT), which will be held in Chiba, Japan,
from November 27 through December 1, 2006.
Members of the public can access documents pertaining
to the Sixth Session of the FBT at
www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp.

ON-Line SLIDE
Spinach Outbreak as Part of Broader Concerns about
Producer Safety - A FDA Perspective

by Dr. Robert Buchanan (FDA-CFSAN)
Slide source from www.foodprotection.org
Click here to see the slides

Farmers urged to be vigilant following Salmonella outbreak
30.oct.06
Yahoo! Finance
ABC Finance News
http://au.biz.yahoo.com/061030/31/yaro.html
The Queensland fruit and vegetable growers group, Growcom, is urging the industry to take extra care
following a Salmonella outbreak.
North Queensland rockmelons have been linked to an outbreak of food poisoning in New South Wales and
Queensland. About 100 people have fallen ill in the past month.
Queensland Health is investigating several north Queensland farms, and says it should know the cause of the
outbreak by the end of the week.
Growcom's chief executive Jan Davis doubts the fruit is the cause, but says growers should be vigilant.
"Growers, as I say, in Australia have very high standards of food quality and food safety inspection," she
said. "We've reminded our growers to ensure that they go through their systems and make sure everything's
working according to plan and just be extra careful while there is any question of risk."

E-beam eliminates E. coli in ground beef, researchers say
By George Reynolds
Source of Article: http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/news/ng.asp?n=71715-e-coli-irradiation-pathogens

31/10/2006 - Low levels of irradiation can reduce pathogen levels, including the potentially deadly E. coli, in
carcasses used for ground beef, claim researchers.
A low dose, low penetration electron beam (E-beam) irradiation penetrating 15 millimetres below the
surface of a carcass can effectively reduce pathogens, found Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists
at the Roman L Hruska Meat Animal Research Centre in the US.
Pathogens are most prevalent on the surface of a carcass, but the risk of sub-surface contamination is high in
ground beef because it is mixed so thoroughly.
Penetrating meat with E-beams instead of current methods of washing the surface of carcasses could
therefore be more effective in reducing pathogens.
The ARS scientists found a low dose could effectively penetrate the meat without affecting the odour or
flavour when it was used to make stir fry or ground beef. High doses penetrated further, killing more
bacteria, but the taste and smell was impaired.
Work on E-beam follows other extensive research by the same centre on preventing pathogen contamination
within the beef industry.
The highly publicised E coli outbreak in 1993 increased national awareness of foodborne pathogens,
prompting the industry and government to develop new ways of combatting them.
E. coli harms humans by destroying kidney cells and damaging other cells in the body. Around to E. coli
strain 0157:H7 was responsible for 73,000 illnesses and 60 deaths in the 1993 outbreak in the US,
according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The US beef industry has spent more than $750m over the last decade to improve the safety of beef
products.
Cattle can host E. coli without harm and ARS research shows that pathogens tend to gather on cowhides,
which causes problems if the meat is contaminated during hide removal. ARS researchers also discovered
that killing pathogens in hides before removal is a very effective way of reducing the risk of carcass
contamination.
The adoption of chemical washing processes are thought to have cut E. Coli cases in ground beef by more
than 40 per cent, but scientists now believe E-beam could be more cost effective and efficient.
Irradiation exposes food to a low level of ionizing radiation to kill bacteria, molds, yeasts, parasites, and
other microorganisms that can lead to food spoilage and illness if untreated.
Over the last 25 years, studies have shown that eating irradiated foods poses no increased health risks for
consumers. The ARS studies have enabled federal regulatory agencies to establish standards to ensure
safety and quality of irradiated products like fruit, vegetables, juice, meat, and meat substitutes.