식품안전 위생 교육센터
Newsletter #6
7/21/2009

-18도 냉동실 … 세균은 기다리죠, 우리의 방심을
source : http://healthcare.joins.com
작성자 : 박태균 기자
작성일 : 2009.07.20 17:12 .
장마에 이어 무더위가 예고돼 있다. 더위(고온)와 비(다습)는 식중독균이 ‘만세 삼창’을 외치는
환상의 조건. 그만큼 식중독 위험은 높아진다. 믿을 것은 냉장고 뿐이다. 식중독균은 냉장·냉동
온도에선 거의 증식하지 못하기 때문이다. 그러나 냉장고라고 해서 무조건 안심해선 안 된다. 냉장고에 보관한 포도 주스에서 썩은 냄새가 나고, 냉동실에 넣어둔 냉동 만두에 곰팡이가 피었다는 등 냉장고를 과신해 낭패를 본 경험담은 주변에 널려 있다.

한달 한번 청소, 냉장실 온도 5도 이하로
우리 국민이 식품 안전에 민감하다는 것은 잘 알려진 사실. 그러나 정작 자신의 집에선 대체로 무
신경하다. 식품의약품안전청과 소비자시민모임이 최근 전국의 주부 2000명을 대상으로 냉장고 사용 실태 조사를 했다. 여기서 ‘냉장고에 보관하면 식품이 안전할 것’이라고 답한 비율이 65%에
달했지만 한 달에 한 번 이상 냉장고 청소를 하는 주부는 절반에도 못 미쳤다.
분당차병원 가정의학과 박경채 교수는 “매달 한 번씩 냉장고를 청소하고 냉장실 온도를 5도 이하
로 유지해야 한다”며 “조리하지 않은 식품은 냉장실 아래쪽에, 조리식품은 위쪽에 보관하면 냉장
고 안에서 식품끼리의 오염을 막을 수 있다”고 조언했다.
냉장고 청소는 ①떼어낼 수 있는 선반 등은 전부 분리한 뒤 세제를 사용해 깨끗이 씻는다 ②냉장
고 내부의 얼룩을 행주로 닦는다 ③세제를 묻힌 행주로 닦아낸 후 젖은 행주로 세제를 잘 닦는다
④마른 걸레질을 한다.

음식 70도로 3분 이상 익힌 뒤 먹어야

식중독균·부패균(세균·바이러스 등)은 열에 약하다. 섭씨 70도로 3∼4분만 가열해도 대부분 죽는
다. 내열성이 강한 황색포도상구균의 독소 정도만 온전하다. 냉장고의 낮은 온도에서 식중독균은
겨우 ‘숨’만 붙어 있는 상태다. 증식 속도가 매우 느려진다.
신구대 식품영양과 서현창 교수는 “열(熱)은 식중독균을 사멸시키지만 냉(冷)은 죽이지는 못한
다”며 “냉장고에 보관한 우유가 며칠 지나면 시큼해지는 것(부패균의 증식으로)은 냉의 한계를
보여준다”고 설명했다. 따라서 냉장고에 보관한 식품이라도 가능한 한 빨리 섭취해야 한다. 또 70
도의 열로 3분 이상 재가열한 뒤 섭취한다.
심지어는 -18도의 냉동실 안에서도 세균은 거뜬히 살아남는다. 냉동실에 둔 식품을 꺼내 먹을 때
는 냉장실이나 전자레인지에서 해동해야 한다. 흐르는 물이나 상온에서 녹이면 도중에 세균이 증식할 수 있다.

캔 제품은 개봉 즉시 다른 용기에 보관을

시리얼은 개봉 상태로 시간이 지나면 화랑곡나방 등 벌레가 침투할 수 있다. 쌀에서 쌀벌레가 생기는 것과 같은 이치다.
안산1대학 식품영양과 정진은 교수는 “시리얼을 개봉한 뒤엔 밀봉해 보관하거나 별도의 플라스틱 용기에 넣어 서늘하고 건조한 곳에 보관해야 한다”고 말했다.

단백질 식품인 햄·소시지는 세균에도 훌륭한 먹이다. 요리하고 남은 햄·소시지는 잘라낸 자리에
식초(살균 효과)를 묻힌 뒤 랩으로 싸서 냉장고에 보관한다. 자른 곳에 버터를 발라두면 말라붙지
않는다. 버터는 산패(지방의 산화)를 막으려면 랩 등에 싸서 냉장고에 보관한다. 냉동실에 넣어두
면 두 달은 보관이 가능하다. 참치캔 등 캔제품은 개봉 즉시 다른 용기에 옮긴다. 공기에 노출되자마자 캔의 부식이 시작되기 때문이다.
캔에 그대로 두면 음식에서 쇳가루 냄새가 난다. 골뱅이·옥수수·콩 통조림은 즙을 따라 내고 건
더기만 찬물에 헹궈 보관한다. 과일 통조림은 즙과 함께 보관해도 괜찮다.
먹다 남은 과자는 병·진공 팩에 넣은 뒤 각설탕 한 개를 추가한다. 각설탕이 습기를 빨아들여 과
자가 눅눅해지지 않는다. 큰 페트병에 담긴 탄산 음료가 남으면 뚜껑을 꼭 닫은 뒤 거꾸로 세워둔
다. 그러면 ‘김’이 빠지지 않는다. 위로 올라가려는 탄산가스의 성질을 역이용하는 것이다.

서울시 "아이스크림 주의"…24.3%서 세균
source : http://www.yonhapnews.co.kr
작성자 : 이지헌기자
작성일 : 2009/07/20 11:55
서울시는 시내 패스트푸드 체인 등 휴게음식점 98곳을 대상으로 위생점검을 한 결과, 아이스크림
과 팥빙수 등 검사 대상의 24.3%에서 식중독을 일으킬 수 있는 세균이 검출됐다고 20일 밝혔다. 이번 위생점검 대상은 커피전문점, 패스트푸드 체인, 아이스크림 전문점, 제과점 등에서 판매하
는 아이스크림, 팥빙수, 식용얼음 등 98개 제품이다.
검사 결과, 27개 매장에서 파는 32개 제품에서 식중독균인 황색포도상구균과 세균, 대장균군 등
이 기준치를 초과하거나 과다 검출됐다.
아이스크림의 경우 강남구 G아이스크림 전문점에서 세균이 기준치의 2.8배인 28만cfu/1㎖(1㎖
당 세포나 균주 수), 대장균군은 22배인 220cfu/1㎖가 각각 검출되는 등 30곳 중 4곳의 제품에서
세균과 대장균군이 기준치를 초과하거나 부적합 판정을 받았다.
아이스커피 등에 사용되는 식용얼음은 커피전문점과 패스트푸트 체인 44곳 중 14곳에서 식중독
균인 황색포도상구균과 세균ㆍ대장균군이 기준치를 초과하거나 부적합한 것으로 조사됐다.
팥빙수는 성동구의 P아이스크림 전문점에서 대장균군이 2만6천cfu/1㎖, 강동구의 P유명제과점에서 세균 85만cfu/1㎖와 대장균 1천50cfu/㎖가 검출되는 등 제과점과 패스트푸드 체인 24곳 중 9곳에서 세균과 대장균이 과다 검출됐다.

황색포도상구균은 구토, 메스꺼움, 복부경련, 두통 등의 증상을 보이는 식중독을 유발할 수 있
으며, 대장균군 속에 속하는 일부 병원성균도 식중독을 일으킨다고 시는 설명했다.시는 이들 위반업소에 영업정지 등 행정처분을 하고, 현재 별도 검사기준이 없는 팥빙수에 대해
서는 시정토록 한 뒤 위생교육을 강화할 계획이다.

맥도날드, 농협고려인삼 등 식품위생 위반
source : http://www.asiae.co.kr/news
작성자 : 조강욱 기자jomarok@asiae.co.kr
작성일 : 2009.07.16 14:34 0 0
제품에 유통기한이 경과된 원료를 사용하거나 식중독균이 검출되는 등 식품위생법을 위반한 식품업체들이 무더기로 적발됐다. 식품의약품안전청은 지난달 음료류ㆍ냉면류 등 여름철 성수식품 제조ㆍ판매업체와 쇠고기 원산지 표시 관련 음식점 등 총 1569개소, 1646개 품목에 대해 일제 단속을 실시한 결과, 식품위생법을 위반한 154개소의 176건과 16개 부적합 품목 등 총 192건을 적발했다고 16일 밝혔다.

이번에 적발된 192건의 주요 내용을 살펴보면 제조업체의 경우 위생적 취급과 영업자 준수사항을
위반한 경우는 각각 24건으로 가장 많았으며 다음으로 품질검사를 하지 않은 경우는 23건, 시설기준 위반 15건, 표시기준 위반 12건 등의 순으로 나타났다. 유통기한을 경과한 원료를 사용하거나(9건) 허위로 표시한 경우(5건)도 적발됐다.식당 등 접객업체의 경우에는 원산지를 허위 혹은 미표시하거나 증명서를 보관하지 않은 경우(17건)가 가장 많았다. 특히 유명 패스트푸드 체인점인 맥도날드 1곳과 인삼 브랜드 한삼인 제품을 제조하는 ㈜농협고려인삼도 일부 종업원의 건강검진을 누락해 이번 단속에서 적발됐다.

이와 함께 김밥ㆍ도시락 등 12건에서는 구토, 복통, 설사를 일으키는 황색포도상구균 식중독균(2
건)과 대장균(10건)이 검출됐고 음료류 등 3건에서 기준을 초과한 세균이, 소스류 1건에서는 보존
료가 기준규격을 초과 검출되는 등 총 16건이 부적합 판정을 받았다. 이번 적발된 업체의 위반사항은 대부분 영업자가 지켜야할 준수사항을 위반하거나 식품등을 비위생적으로 취급하는 등 기본적인 위생관리가 미흡해 영업자의 의지만 있으면 쉽게 개선될 수 있는 내용인 것으로 분석됐다.

식약청 관계자는 "해당 시ㆍ도에 행정처분 등 조치를 내리도록 통보했다"며 "영업자의 의식수준을 높이기 위해서 지속적으로 단속을 강화할 것"이라고 말했다.한편 식약청은 합동점검 기간 중 일반음식점에서 손님들에게 한우로 제공하는 쇠고기 335건을 수거해 DNA 검사를 현재 진행하고 있으며, 곧 검사결과를 국민들에게 공개할 예정이다.

대형마트 케이크먹고… 20대 3명 식중독걸려
source : http://www.kyeongin.com
작성자 : 갈태웅tukal@kyeongin.com
작성일 : 2009년 07월 17일 (금)
수원시내 한 대형마트에서 판매한 케이크를 먹은 20대 3명이 한꺼번에 식중독에 걸려 말썽을 빚고 있다.
16일 수원 D병원과 피해자들에 따르면 이모(22)씨 등 3명은 지난 15일 오전 4시께 수원시 팔달구
인계동 이씨집에서 14일 오후 8시께 인근 H 대형마트에서 1만9천원에 구입한 생일 축하용 모카초코케이크를 먹은 후 설사와 복통 증세가 계속돼 D병원에서 검사를 받은 결과, 3명 모두 급성대장염 및 식중독 판정을 받았다.

이씨는 "구입한 지 12시간도 지나지 않은 제품에서 이상한 맛과 냄새가 났지만 대형마트 제품에서 설마 상한 것을 팔았겠나 하는 생각에 케이크를 모두 먹었다"고 말했다.이에 대해 H마트 측은 "해당 베이커리는 임대 매장으로, 정확한 변질과정을 파악하고 있다"며 "음식물 손해배상보험 등을 통해 병원비와 소정의 위로금을 지급할 예정"이라고 밝혔다.

해외 식품안전 위생 정보

Food-Safety Bill Spurs Backlash
(Wall Street Journal, DC)
By JANE ZHANG

Legislation to overhaul the nation's food-safety system has spurred a backlash from livestock and grain farmers who don't want the Food and Drug Administration inspecting farms.
The legislation, approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee last month, aims to give the FDA more money and authority to police food safety, and technically doesn't apply to foods the agency doesn't regulate: meat, poultry and some egg products, which are regulated by the Department of Agriculture.
But livestock and grain farmers say the legislation isn't written clearly enough, and they gave lawmakers and regulators an earful Thursday at a House Agriculture Committee hearing.
"Live animals are not 'food' until the point of processing, which is why this bill needs to clarify that the FDA does not have regulatory authority on our farms, ranches and feedlots," said Sam Ives, a veterinarian who spoke for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.
The bill appears to have touched off a dispute, as well, between two powerful lawmakers: Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D., Minn.) and Rep. John Dingell (D., Mich.), a main sponsor of the FDA food-safety bill. While Mr. Peterson said that he has been assured by Mr. Dingell that the bill doesn't seek to include livestock and other farms, Mr. Peterson said he will meet again with Mr. Dingell and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D., Calif.) to press for further clarification. If he's not satisfied, Mr. Peterson said, he threatened to stop the legislation.

"We are a little skeptical of FDA," Mr. Peterson said outside the hearing room Thursday. "We are very concerned about them getting involved in grain farms, livestock farms."
Dingell spokesman Adam Benson said that "Mr. Dingell has had numerous conversations with Chairmen Waxman and Peterson in an effort to identify and address any concerns Chairman Peterson and the members of the Agriculture Committee may have with the legislation" and that staff members have also met "on a number of occasions." Mr. Benson said Mr. Dingell wants to see passage of the food-safety legislation in coming weeks.
The dispute over legislation to address gaps in the nation's food-safety system shows farmers' apprehension about new regulatory requirements and the FDA. The agency has been under fire for a string of foodborne-illnesses involving products such as spinach, peanut butter and hot peppers.

The USDA, however, hasn't come under as much criticism, even though it has been involved in several recent beef recalls. The agency, which inspects meat and poultry, operates under a different law and is better funded than FDA. Its inspection rules are generally considered more stringent than the FDA's.
At Thursday's hearing, both FDA and USDA officials tried to ease farmers' concerns, saying the legislation won't change their jurisdictions. Mike Taylor, the FDA's new senior adviser on food safety, said the agency already goes to farms as part of its responsibility to oversee the safety of animal feed, vegetables, eggs and other products. The two agencies also cooperated on the investigations of mad-cow disease and others emergencies, he said. If lawmakers exclude grain and livestock farmers from the legislation, they should be careful not to take away current FDA authority.

Mr. Jerold Mande, deputy undersecretary for food safety at the USDA, said both agencies have seen "unprecedented cooperation" through the White House's cabinet-level panel on food safety.

Some farmers mostly those producing fresh fruits and vegetables, which have been hit with several large-scale outbreaks -- support the legislation. 7-16-09

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124776539938752667.html
Safety Zone
By: James Marsden
Send James a Tip
On the road in Vista, CA: The fight against E. coli
Source of Article: www.meatingplace.com
(The views and opinions expressed in this blog are strictly those of the author.)

About ten years ago, I attended a NAMP meeting in Chicago and heard the President of Jensen Meat Company, http://www.jensenmeat.com/ Bob Jensen make a statement that made a lasting impression on me. He said that he was “one undercooked patty away from being driven out of business”.
His company produces raw ground beef and he was speaking on USDA’s policy which at the time declared E. coli O157:H7 an adulterant in raw ground beef, but did not address contamination on beef carcasses or trimmings. Bob said in his presentation that he was not going to wait for USDA or the beef industry to solve the problem, but that he would take the initiative himself.

Recently, I visited Jensen Meat Co. in Vista, CA and saw firsthand what Bob has done over the past ten years to establish food safety systems for controlling E. coli O157:H7 and to protect his customers and his business from regulatory actions and recalls. Of course, he has also made his products safer for consumers.

In the late 1990’s, Bob chaired a NAMP task force on E. coli that encouraged USDA to approve anti-microbial interventions that could be applied to beef trimmings. As soon as such an intervention became available, Jensen was the first company in the US to implement it. The intervention was Acidified Sodium Chlorite (ASC) which reduces E. coli O157:H7 contamination on beef trimmings by over 99%. Bob’s plant acted as the first test site for ASC and it required a great deal of time and effort to perfect the application process. Eventually, the process was implemented, approved by USDA and it became an integral part of the food safety system at Jensen (and many other ground beef manufacturers across the United States).

Today at Jensen Meat Co., trimmings that pose a risk for E. coli O157:H7 are all treated using ASC and microbiological testing is used to document the effectiveness of the treatment. Jensen also requires suppliers of trimmings to test for E. coli O157:H7 using n-60 testing protocols and they conduct their own microbiological testing to verify supplier process control.

It was inspiring to see how a small family-owned company addressed what seemed at the time to be an insolvable problem. There is still some risk of E. coli O157:H7 contamination because Jensen does not control the entire process. However, their risk is certainly much lower because of Bob Jensen's food safety vision.
Have you heard about anyone doing something interesting in the fight against E. coli? I would like to know more about it.
7/17/2009 11:11 AM

More questions than answers in salmonella scare
Source of Article: http://www.themonitor.com/articles/answers-28707-mcallen-questions.html
July 20, 2009 - 8:33 PM
Sean Gaffney
The Monitor
McALLEN A local produce company continued recalling fresh cilantro Monday as investigators tried to figure out who bought the potentially salmonella-tainted salsa staple.
Just where the 104 15-pound crates of cilantro ended up remains unclear. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Monday that it could not provide a list of what restaurants or retailers might have bought the leafy green because most of the purchases at Sweet Superior Fruit LTD. were made with cash. It also did not say how much of the produce had been sold.
“A list of customers is not available,” Stephanie Kwisnek, a spokeswoman for the agency, wrote in an e-mail.
On Sunday, the agency disclosed that a routine test of imported produce uncovered that cilantro sold from July 13 to 16 in the 15-pound black plastic crates at the Sweet Superior Fruits’ facility at the McAllen Produce Terminal Market could be contaminated with salmonella, a food-borne bacteria that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections.
Company officials did not return calls seeking comment Monday. And a phone number for the company that the FDA urged consumers with questions to call went unanswered most of the day.
The facility at 2501 W. Military Highway was closed Monday afternoon. A woman, who answered the phone at the company late Monday, said no one would be available for comment until today.
While the source of the cilantro has not been disclosed, the produce was most likely grown in Mexico. A sign above the company‘s facility advertises Mexican-grown products.
No one has been sickened because of the cilantro, according to the FDA.
The local produce industry is watching the case closely, but so far does not fear a repeat of last summer when a salmonella outbreak and scare hurt sales, said John McClung, president of the Texas Produce Association in Mission.
In 2008, jalapenos grown in Mexico and packed in McAllen sickened more than a thousand people. During a nearly two-month investigation, health officials at times recalled a host of other vegetables as it tried to determine what produce actually caused the outbreak.
Farmers and the produce industry were critical of the FDA at the time for not quickly determining the source and for issuing recalls and warnings for products that weren’t tainted.
“When there are problems, you have to have a very quick and effective trace back system so you can ferret out (what is contaminated and where it was grown),” McClung said. “This individual incident does not appear at this point to be one that is going to get a great deal of attention.”Tuesday, July 21, 2009, 11:05

TCD researchers find salmonella gene
Source of Article: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0721/breaking26.htm
GENEVIEVE CARBERRY
Scientists at Trinity College Dublin have made a discovery which could help to develop new ways to kill the salmonella bacteria.
Salmonella causes food poisoning and kills around one million people around the world every year.
This discovery of the salmonella control gene could eventually reduce disease levels which are caused by salmonella.
The bug can survive very harsh conditions in the body which kill most germs. It does this by switching genes on and off quickly and adding outer membrane proteins to cope with the new environment. The outer membrane proteins allows salmonella to survive in salty environments and to kill people.
The research has uncovered a new mechanism used by salmonella to control outer membrane protein.
“We hope that in the future scientists will be able to use the findings to develop new ways to kill salmonella. It is an exciting step on the path of reducing the levels of salmonella and reducing human disease worldwide,” said Professor Jay Hinton, Stokes Professor of Microbial Pathogenesis, Trinity College Dublin.
The research by scientists from Trinity College Dublin, the Institute of Food Research in the UK and the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology has just been published in the journal Nature Structural and Molecular Biology.

Marler Clark Files Class Action Hepatitis Lawsuit Against McDonald’s
Source of Article: http://www.marlerblog.com/
Ten Thousand People May Have Been Exposed to Hepatitis A at Milan Restaurant
A class action lawsuit was filed today in the Circuit Court of the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit of Rock Island County against McDonald’s Inc., and Kevin Murphy, the owner of the McDonald’s restaurant at 400 West First Street in Milan, Illinois. Marler Clark, the Seattle-based foodborne illness law firm, and the Illinois firm of Foote, Meyers, Mielke & Flowers LLC, filed the lawsuit on behalf of the named plaintiff, Cody Patterson, and all others who were forced to receive Immune globulin (IG) shots after being exposed to the hepatitis A virus (HAV) at the Milan McDonald’s.
An estimated 10,000 people were exposed to Hepatitis A at the Milan McDonald’s. If a person exposed to HAV can get a shot of IG within 14 days of exposure, they can avoid getting sick.
“This lawsuit is on behalf of the thousands of people who have to get IG shots because of exposure to Hepatitis A at McDonald's,” said William Marler, attorney on behalf of the plaintiffs. “These consumers chose McDonald’s in part because of the convenience, and now they have to wait hours in line or pay for a shot, and very likely miss work in order to do either one. Filing a class action suit on their behalf is a way to compensate them for the time, wage loss, and expense.”
“Our experience in handling large Hepatitis A exposures has allowed us to develop a system for helping as many people as possible recover for injuries sustained without the process being too taxing on individuals or the legal system,” continued Marler. “We filed a class action on behalf of the exposed who are able to avoid infection, and then help individuals who fall ill on a case by case basis.”
In 2007, Marler Clark represented members of a class action arising out of a hepatitis A outbreak at a Houlihan’s in Southern Illinois, where 3000 people received IG shots. Marler Clark represented 9000 people who received shots after a 2003 outbreak at a Pennsylvania Chi-Chi’s along with nearly 100 who became ill with HAV. The case of one individual resolved for $6,250,000. The firm also represented the state of Pennsylvania in recovering the cost of the investigation of the outbreak.
Marler Clark represented customers of Boston-area Quizno’s and Friendly’s Restaurant, both of which had HAV outbreaks in 2004. Additional HAV class action suits handled by Marler Clark include over 1,500 people who received shots after an HAV outbreak at D’Angeleo’s Deli in Massachusetts (2001) and 1,400 people after exposure at a Carl’s Jr. in Spokane, Washington (2000). Marler Clark has represented many victims who were unable to avoid infection and fell ill with HAV including suits against McDonald's, Subway and Taco Bell. The most recent group of cases involved those sickened at a San Diego-area Chipotle Grill in 2008.
Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver. The hepatitis A virus is commonly spread through the fecal-oral route, and symptoms include nausea, abdominal cramping, fatigue, and fever. In young children these symptoms can appear flu-like, but in some cases do not appear at all. Symptoms most often begin two to six weeks after exposure and can last several weeks. Preventative treatment (the IG shot) is only effective when administered within 14 days of exposure to the virus, after 14 days there is no treatment.
ABOUT MARLER CLARK: William Marler has been a major force in food safety policy in the United States and abroad. His food safety blog, Marler Blog, is read by over 1,000,000 people around the world every year. He and his partners at Marler Clark have represented thousands of individuals in claims against food companies whose contaminated products have caused serious injury and death. His advocacy for better food regulation has led to invitations to address local, national, and international gatherings on food safety, including recent testimony to US Congress Committee on Energy and Commerce. In 1998, Mr. Marler formed the not for profit, Outbreak Inc. He spends much of the year speaking on how to prevent foodborne illnesses.
Posted on July 21, 2009 by Hepatitis A Attorney

Basic Food Safety - Part 4: Inadequate Cooking and Contamination

US scientific panel refuses to list bisphenol A as hazardous
Source of Article: http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/On-your-radar
By Rory Harrington, 16-Jul-2009
The ongoing battle over bisphenol A (BPA) took another twist yesterday when a scientific regulatory board in California rejected calls to put the packing chemical on a list of harmful substances.
The panel of seven physicians on the Developmental and Reproductive Toxicant Identification Committee voted unanimously against placing BPA on Proposition 65 - a list of chemicals believed to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. The list, first published in 1987, currently numbers 775 substances.
No clear evidence
While the board members voiced concerns over the growing body of scientific research linking BPA to fetal health abnormalities in animals, they declared none of the evaluated studies offered clear evidence the chemical would damage human health.
BPA is widely used to harden plastic food containers such as baby bottles or used in the lining of metal cans.
Board member Dr Carl Keen said the panel’s finding was not the final ruling on BPA for the state and suggested that it could be reviewed if more rigorous evidence was available in future. He explained that the group had previously rejected calls to list secondhand smoke because at the time it thought the science was unclear. However, a study released weeks later provided the committee with the solid evidence it felt was required to list secondhand smoke under Proposition 65.
Regulatory consensus
The move has been welcomed by Steven G. Hentges of the American Chemistry Council who said he was “pleased that a panel of independent scientific experts convened by the State of California concluded today that bisphenol A is not a reproductive or developmental toxicant”.
“The Proposition 65 conclusion today that bisphenol A is not a reproductive or developmental toxicant is consistent with the consensus view of regulatory bodies around the world on the safety of bisphenol A,” added Dr Hentges. “From the US and Canada, to Europe, Japan and Australia-New Zealand, at least eleven national regulatory bodies have recently reviewed the science and concluded that bisphenol A is safe for use in consumer products.”
However, last month’s decision by the California Senate to ban BPA in baby bottles, toddler sippy cups and food containers means the issue is still very much a live one in the state - although the measure is expected to face fierce opposition when it goes before the Assembly later in the year. If approved, California would become the third state after Minnesota and Connecticut, to ban the chemical. The city authorities in Chicago have already banned BPA in baby bottles, with Wisconsin also considering the same. Last year, Canada became the first country to outlaw its use in infant food and drink containers.

19 Hepatitis A cases linked to a Milan, IL McDonalds - 13 are in Rock Island County, and 6 more are being reported in Henry, Mercer, Warren and Woodford Counties
Source of Article: http://www.marlerblog.com/
As of Thursday afternoon, there are 19 confirmed Hepatitis A cases. 13 are in Rock Island County, and six more are being reported in Henry, Mercer, Warren and Woodford Counties.
John David at WQAD has reported: that “Lunch customers coming to the Milan McDonalds on Thursday found the doors locked. Drive-up customers were being turned away. According to investigators, an outbreak of Hepatitis-A may be linked to employees or someone who ate there.”
I guess lightening does strike at least twice. In March of 1998, the Skagit County Health Department (SCHD ) in Washington State received a number of reports that residents had been diagnosed with hepatitis A and began an investigation into what appeared to be a hepatitis A outbreak. During its investigation into the outbreak’s source, SCHD determined that the outbreak had occurred among patrons of the McDonald’s restaurant located on Riverside Drive in Mt. Vernon, Washington, who had eaten at the restaurant in mid-February, 1998. Through its investigation, SCHD learned that an assistant manager at the McDonald’s had worked while infected with hepatitis A and had contaminated food.
Hepatitis A is one of five human hepatitis viruses (hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E) that primarily infect the liver and cause illness. An estimated 80,000 cases occur each year in the U.S., although much higher estimates have been proposed based on mathematical modeling of the past incidence of infection. Each year, an estimated 100 persons die as a result of acute liver failure in the U.S. due to hepatitis A, but the rate of infection has dramatically decreased since the hepatitis A vaccine was licensed and became available in the U.S. in 1995.
Hepatitis A is a communicable (or contagious) disease that spreads from person-to-person. It is spread almost exclusively through fecal-oral contact, generally from person-to-person, or via contaminated food or water. Food contaminated with the virus is the most common vehicle transmitting hepatitis A. The food preparer or cook is the individual most often contaminating the food, although he or she is generally not ill at the time of food preparation. The peak time of infectivity, when the most viruses are present in the stool of an infectious individual, is during the two weeks before illness begins. Although only a small percentage of hepatitis A infections are associated with foodborne transmission, foodborne outbreaks have been increasingly implicated as a significant source of hepatitis A infection.
In the last ten years we have been involved in a dozen Hepatitis A cases around the country. Most, if not all could have been prevented if restaurant or field workers had received a Hepatitis A shot BEFORE serving the customer.
Carl’s Jr. Hepatitis A Outbreak - Washington
Chi-Chi’s Hepatitis A Outbreak - Pennsylvania
Chipotle Grill Hepatitis A - San Diego, California
D’Angelo’s Deli Hepatitis A Outbreak - Massachusetts
Friendly’s Hepatitis A Exposure - Massachusetts
Houlihan’s Hepatitis A Exposure - Illinois
Maple Lawn Dairy Hepatitis A Outbreak - New York
McDonald’s Hepatitis A Outbreak - Washington
Quizno’s Hepatitis A Exposure - Massachusetts
Soleil Produce Hepatitis A Outbreak - California
Subway Hepatitis A Outbreak - Washington
Taco Bell Hepatitis A Outbreak ? Florida
Hepatitis A can be severe. In one case, in late October 2003, Beaver County ER doctors reported an alarming number of Hepatitis A cases. Investigators from the Pennsylvania Department of Health initiated an investigation immediately and discovered that many, if not all, cases had eaten at Chi Chi’s restaurant in Monaca, Pennsylvania’s Beaver Valley Mall. Along with the health department, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted further studies of the outbreak. Preliminary analysis of a case-control study suggested that green onions were the probable source of the outbreak. The onions had been shipped to the restaurant in boxes and were stored and refrigerated in buckets of ice. They were eventually chopped up and served in various dishes at the restaurant, often uncooked, as in the preparation of mild salsa. “Preliminary trace-back information indicated that the green onions supplied to Chi Chi’s had been grown in Mexico.” Ultimately, over 650 people were sickened in the outbreak. The victims included at least thirteen Chi Chi’s employees and numerous residents of six other states. Four people died from their injuries, and more than 9,000 people obtained immune globulin shots as protection against the virus. This is the story of one of those cases.
Posted on July 16, 2009 by Hepatitis A Attorney

At least 10,000 should receive IG shots to prevent Hepatitis A from Milan McDonalds ? At least 20 confirmed ill thus far
Source of Article: http://www.marlerblog.com/
Thousands of people are lining up in southern Illinois to receive Immunoglobulin (IG or Immune Globulin or Gamma Globulin) shots. IG is pooled/plasma-containing antibodies against a number of diseases like measles, rubella, varicella, and Hepatitis A. For protection against Hepatitis A after exposure, it must be given within two weeks of exposure and should be given concurrently with Hepatitis A to develop active immunity. A second dose of Hepatitis A is required six months later.
Side effects after receiving IG may include: muscle stiffness, redness, warmth, pain and tenderness at injection site. Fever, chills, headache, weakness and nausea may occur. If these symptoms continue beyond 48 hours or become bothersome, contact your physician. If skin rash, swelling of hands/feet or face, or trouble breathing develop, contact your doctor immediately. IG may interfere with the immune response to live vaccines, so discuss this with your physician before taking it. If you take IG, you will not be able to donate blood for several months.
In the last several years, the need to get IG shots because of infected restaurant employees or food has happened at a far too frequent rate. Here are some examples of cases we have been involved in where we filed Class Actions on behalf of those that were required to get IG shots:
Carl’s Jr. Hepatitis A Outbreak ? Washington ? 1,300 IG shots given
Chi-Chi’s Hepatitis A Outbreak ? Pennsylvania ? 9,000 IG shots given (we also represented the state of Pennsylvania in securing reimbursement for the cost of giving free shots)
D’Angelo’s Deli Hepatitis A Outbreak ? Massachusetts ? 1,600 IG shots given
Friendly’s Hepatitis A Exposure ? Massachusetts ? 3,800 IG shots given
Houlihan’s Hepatitis A Exposure ? Illinois ? 3,000 IG shots given
Quizno’s Hepatitis A Exposure ? Massachusetts ? 850 IG shots given
Posted on July 20, 2009 by Hepatitis A Lawyer

If it was not for Thomas Geyer of Quad-City Times and an unnamed reporter at KWQC, the customers of a Milan, Illinois McDonalds might never know where they got Hepatitis A
Source of Article: http://www.marlerblog.com/
Thank goodness for what is left of a free press. If not for the Quad-City Times and KWQC, the folks of Rock Island County would not know the following:
From KWQC - Hepatitis A Outbreak Latest
Rock Island County now has 14 with Hepatitis A. That brings the total number to 20 cases, with 11 people being hospitalized.
Two workers at the Milan McDonald's tested positive for Hepatitis A but those tests came back a month ago.

Even though the first case was confirmed back in mid-June, the Rock Island County Health Department didn't close the McDonald's until this past Wednesday.
The health department now says it didn't respond back then because it didn't know back then. The health department says it didn't find out about the case on June 9th until July 10th, a month later because the provider who diagnosed a Milan McDonald's employee with Hepatitis A back on June 9th did not report that case as required. As a result, another month went by before steps could be taken.
The Health Department says in addition to the two confirmed cases at the Milan McDonalds, there are also confirmed Hepatitis A cases involving other local businesses.
From the Quad-City Times - Rock Island County to set up hepatitis A vaccination clinic Monday, Tuesday

The Rock Island County Health Department will offer vaccination clinics Monday and Tuesday at Rock Island High School for those people who dined at a Milan, Ill., McDonald's restaurant connected to a recent hepatitis A outbreak. The clinics will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Hepatitis A vaccine will be given to people ages 1-40, while immune globulin will be administered to people under 1 year of age or over 40 years of age. Eligible recipients of the vaccines are those who consumed food or beverages at the Milan McDonald's from July 6-10 and July 13-14.
If a person receives the vaccine or immune globulin more than 14 days after they have eaten at the Milan McDonald's, it might not provide protection.
The county has procured enough Hepatitis A vaccine and immune globulin to vaccinate between 5,000 and 10,000 people who may have dined at the restaurant during the specified time periods.
So, there has been Hepatitis A at McDonalds since at least late May (ill worker diagnosed July 9 would have been infectious weeks earlier). And, that worker likely infected the other worker and customers over weeks.
One wonders why the physician who diagnosed the worker in June did not alert authorities?
One wonders if management at the Milan McDonalds knew the worker to be sick?
One wonders why it took Rock Island County Health Department so long to get IG shot prepared?
Posted on July 18, 2009 by Hepatitis A Attorney

Customer claims she heard McDonalds worker reveal Hepatitis A diagnosis
Source of Article: http://www.wqad.com/news/wqadcustomer-hepatitis-a-witness-mcdonalds-072109,0,7244865.story
Chris Minor Staff Writer

July 21, 2009
MILAN, Illinois - A Milan woman says she was a customer inside the McDonalds when she heard a worker trying to tell a manager she had tested positive for Hepatitis A.
The woman says she was waiting in line to order at the McDonalds in Milan on June 25th, when she heard employee Cheryl Schram approach a manager behind the counter.
''She came out and she said Michelle, I was diagnosed with Hepatitis A'', said the woman who doesn't want her name used. ''I was in there and I heard her say that''.
The woman said she didn't think alot about it until after she saw an interview with Cheryl Schram on News 8 Monday night.
''I didn't put 2 and 2 together until I saw Miss Schram on T.V. last night. I told my dad that was the lady in McDonalds talking to the manager about Hepaitits A''.
Schram tested positive at the McDonalds back on June 16th, and spent four days in Trinity West Hospital.
She insists she told McDonalds she was infected on June 25th. The company says it didn't know anything until July 13th, when it was notified by the Rock Island County Health Department.
The customer says she knows what she heard that day. ''I swear on my mothers grave''.
The lapse in reporting and who dropped the ball is under investigation.

Charm Sciences Receives 5-Year USDA Contract for Antibiotic Test
Lawrence, MA, July 16, 2009
Charm Sciences, Inc. is pleased to announce a 5-year renewable contract award by the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to provide Charm KIS™ (Kidney Inhibition Swab) tests to USDA inspectors at slaughter facilities to screen for sulfonamides and antibiotic drugs under the National Residue Program.

FSIS will begin implementing the Charm KIS Test in phases starting with cattle (FSIS notice 50-09), and eventually implement it for all livestock.

Fusing simplicity, speed, and sensitivity, the Charm KIS test rapidly screens broad spectrum antimicrobial drugs in both fresh and thawed tissue. The KIS test detects close to kidney tolerances for sulfonamides, beta-lactams, tetracyclines, aminoglycosides, macrolides, and lincosamides. The KIS test has been successfully applied to beef and pork kidney, poultry serum, water, feed extracts, and live animal urine samples.

“The USDA contract provides an important diagnostic and prevention program for the quality of US beef and pork, and affirms Charm Sciences’ resolute commitment to a safe food supply,” said Dr. Stanley Charm, President of Charm Sciences.

KIS reagents are self-contained, solvent-free, and pre-measured in a single-use, disposable swab. Testing can be performed in a farm, slaughter house or laboratory setting. The KIS test requires no sample preparation or extraction and is performed in four easy steps:

(1) Cut tissue with KIS housing
(2) Absorb sample on the KIS swab
(3) Re-insert swab into housing and twist to activate test
(4) Incubate for 3 hours and observe color change.
KIS incubators are available for low, medium, and high sample throughput.

New Biosensor Detects Extremely Low Bacteria Concentrations Quickly, Easily And Reliably
Source of Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090720134517.htm
ScienceDaily (July 21, 2009) ? Bacterial diseases are usually detected by first enriching samples, then separating, identifying, and counting the bacteria. This type of procedure usually takes at least two days after arrival of the sample in the laboratory. Tests that work faster, in the field, and without complex sample preparation, whilst being precise and error-free, are thus high on the wish list. A Spanish research team headed by Jordi Riu and F. Xavier Rius at the University Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona has now developed a new technique to make this wish come true.
With a novel biosensor, they have been able to detect extremely low concentrations of the typhus-inducing Salmonella typhi. As reported in the journal Angewandte Chemie, their new method is based on electrochemical measurements by means of carbon nanotubes equipped with aptamers as bacteria-specific binding sites. If bacteria bind to the aptamers, the researchers detect a change in electrical voltage.
Aptamers are synthetic, short DNA or RNA strands that can be designed and made to bind a specific target molecule. An aptamer that specifically binds to salmonella has recently been developed. The Spanish researchers chose to use this aptamer for their biosensor. By means of additional functional groups, they securely anchored the aptamers to carbon nanotubes, which were deposited onto an electrode in an ultrathin layer.
In the absence of salmonella, the aptamers fit closely against the walls of the carbon nanotubes. If the biosensor is put into a salmonella-containing sample, the microbes stick to the aptamers like flies to flypaper. This influences the interaction between the aptamers and the nanotubes, which makes a change in the electrode voltage noticeable within seconds.
Using this biosensor, the researchers were able to detect a bacterial concentration equivalent to one salmonella bacterium in 5 mL of medium. Quantitative measurements were possible down to a concentration of about 1000 salmonella per milliliter. This biosensor is specific: it does not react to bacteria other than Salmonella typhi. "Our new technique makes the detection of micro-organisms as fast and simple as the measurement of pH value," say Riu and Rius.
This graphic shows an aptamer attached to an electrode coated with single-walled carbon nanotubes interacts selectively with bacteria. The resulting electrochemical response is highly accurate and reproducible and starts at ultra-low bacteria concentrations, providing a simple, selective method for pathogen detection. (Credit: Copyright Wiley-VCH 2009)
Journal reference:
Zelada-Guillen et al. Immediate Detection of Living Bacteria at Ultralow Concentrations Using a Carbon Nanotube Based Potentiometric Aptasensor. Angewandte Chemie, 2009; NA DOI: 10.1002/ange.200902090
Adapted from materials provided by Wiley-Blackwell, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.