FSnet Feb. 2/06
2 sources of
hepatitis A named
Russians
found dead rat in snack
Viral
outbreak on campus
Study
identifies campylobacter in poultry as risk factor for gastroenteritis in humans
Improved
assessment of microbiological risk
Stay cool
– Check the label
Preparation
pays off
Microbes
strengthen inside animals' protozoa
Church
potlucks can and do continue
Bottled
water is rigorously regulated
Irradiated
food supplements enforcement exercise published
Mexico
opens market to U.S. bone-in beef
Mad cow
experts in city
how to subscribe
2
sources of hepatitis A named
February 2, 2006
LA Times
Rong-Gong Lin II
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-hepatitis2feb02,0,4480669.story?coll=la-home-local
Los Angeles County public health officials were cited as confirming Wednesday
that hepatitis A outbreaks last fall hit a popular Mexican restaurant in
downtown Los Angeles and a North Hollywood catering company favored by big movie
studios.
Elizabeth Bancroft, a county medical epidemiologist, was cited as saying that at
La Golondrina on Olvera Street, 15 patrons fell ill after eating there Sept. 14
or 15.
On Oct. 3, Silver Grill Catering served what the county suspects was
contaminated baby green lettuce, leaving 19 ill.
Public health officials had for weeks resisted naming the likely sources of some
outbreaks, saying it was not necessary because the window for prevention was
"long over" by the time the county had traced the illnesses to their
point of origin.
However, the story notes that the agency has been under pressure from some news
organizations to disclose more details about the autumn outbreaks, which
collectively sickened more than 300 people at various locations in Los Angeles
County.
Dr. Jonathan Fielding, county public health director, was quoted as saying,
"If we have a few cases and we think it's traceable to a restaurant, but
[the infections occurred] six weeks ago and … there's no evidence of
continuing problems, what's the benefit" of identifying the restaurant?
"It may simply be they got a bad head of lettuce."
The county said its inspection of La Golondrina showed that no employees were
ill with hepatitis A during the time of infection, and the restaurant's food
preparation practices met federal guidelines. Only patrons in the two-day period
in September were affected, and by the time the county uncovered the connection
in November, it was too late to give anyone a preventive shot of immune
globulin, or antibodies to prevent infection.
By contrast, county officials did identify the restaurant when five workers at
Café Pinot fell ill with hepatitis A in December because the outbreak was
traced in time to give the shots to patrons.
But some patrons of La Golondrina were cited as saying that they would have
preferred to have been notified of the outbreak.
Michael J. Partos, a downtown lawyer, was quoted as saying, "I would like
to have known. I wouldn't have eaten there if I knew that they were under a
hepatitis investigation."
Marie Tervalon, a customer service representative for the MTA, was quoted as
saying, "That was wrong, that was really wrong. I guide people all over the
place, and this is one of the places I recommend."
Tervalon's husband, Kenneth, was cited as saying he saw no problem with the
county's approach, adding, "Why let anyone know now, if they had cleaned up
the problem? What do you want them to say? 'We had an outbreak of hepatitis A
three weeks ago, but it's OK now?' "
La Golondrina's manager, Almy Leon, was cited as saying officials had found no
fault in the way employees handled food, and although no employees were found to
have been ill in September, all were recently sent to a clinic to get tested for
hepatitis A as a precaution. None tested positive. The inspectors checked
everything, Leon said, and "we still have a letter A" health rating
from the county. "They didn't find anything wrong with us. Otherwise, we'd
be closed right now."
Antoine Mascaro, owner of Silver Grill Catering, said he changed produce
suppliers after the county identified contaminated baby green lettuce as the
likely source of infection in his company's case. The company also has begun
washing bagged lettuce that is labeled pre-washed. Public health officials in
December recommended using cool, running water.
Mascaro declined to name the company that had supplied the lettuce.
***'Dog sh*t' ham***
January 31, 2006
Ananova
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1704736.html?menu=
A Wakefield, UK, man lost his appetite when he found "dog sh*t" listed
among the ingredients on a packet of ham.
Mick Woods, 34, examined another of the 300g containers and saw the same
'additive' listed on the label, admitting, "Obviously I haven't eaten it.
It sort of puts you off."
His partner Tracey, 28, bought the 99p packs of cooked, sliced ham from a store
near their home.
The dad-of-three added: "We spent 40 minutes laughing. But we haven't put
any in the kids' sandwiches and we had something else for our tea."
Manufacturer H R Hargreaves & Son said it axed an employee over the labeling
prank and was trying to recall the ham.
A spokesman for the Manchester firm was quoted as saying, "We can't have
people fooling about with food products. A number of packs are affected. We're
trying to find out what shops they're in."
Russians
found dead rat in snack
February 2, 2006
Ananova
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1708039.html?menu=news.quirkies
Three Moscow men are demanding nearly £1m compensation after they found a dead
rat in a pack of spicy croutons.
The men bought the pack of croutons, a popular beer snack in Russia, in a shop
in the capital, reports the Moscovsky Komsomolets daily.
When they opened the packet they found that the croutons had a revolting smell
and a strange taste.
On closer inspection, they were shocked to find a dead rat among the pieces of
dried bread.
The rat had been heat processed along with the croutons, a Moscow Sanitary
Expertise Centre stated after examining the evidence.
It had been seasoned with the same spices as the croutons, and had several
croutons stuck to its legs and abdomen.
The three men are now suing the company that produced the snack.
Viral
outbreak on campus
February 1, 2006
University of Guelph Media Release
http://www.uoguelph.ca/mediarel/2006/02/viral_outbreak.html
U of G is working with the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health to contain a
viral outbreak in student housing, notably South Residence. Symptoms of the
gastrointestinal illness include severe nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and
diarrhea.
The illness usually lasts from 24 to 48 hours. People who have been ill are
being asked not to go out in public until they are symptom-free for 48 hours.
Academic consideration will be given to students who are ill.
Individuals with symptoms are advised to rest, avoid solid foods and drink small
amounts of clear liquids such as water, tea, ginger ale and broth. More
information is available on the Student Health website,
http://www.studenthealth.uoguelph.ca.
Good personal hygiene is important in any disease prevention, and people are
urged to wash their hands regularly with soap and water or to use a hand
sanitizer to help stop the spread of germs.
Staff in Student Housing and Student Health Services are working to support
people who are ill, including making water and other fluids available. Visits to
residence buildings are now being restricted to residents.
Community members who believe they are in need of medical attention should
contact Student Health Services or their family physician.
Study
identifies campylobacter in poultry as risk factor for gastroenteritis in humans
February 2, 2006
safefood Press Release
Recent research, funded by safefood, has indicated a high occurrence of the
food poisoning bacterium, Campylobacter in raw poultry, particularly
chicken, with 49.9% of retail samples of raw chicken testing positive for
the bacterium.
Speaking about the project, Dr Paul Whyte from UCD, lead Researcher, said
'The study was carried out to provide all island public health data on
Campylobacter. Our research showed that a high proportion of human
Campylobacter cases are linked with the handling and consumption of
contaminated foodstuffs of animal origin, particularly poultry.
Campylobacter is a common cause of bacterial foodborne infection in many
countries including the island of Ireland. Scientists have detected the
pathogen in raw poultry produced worldwide'.
Dr Thomas Quigley, Director of Food Science, safefood said, 'The poultry
industry has been working closely in partnership with the authorities on
the island of Ireland to reduce the levels of Campylobacter. This study
shows that the prevalence of the bacterium on raw poultry remains high. We
know that during the handling and preparation of foods in the domestic
kitchen Campylobacter is easily spread, readily contaminating other foods
and surfaces.
Traditionally it has been common practice to wash raw poultry under the
tap, prior to cooking. But this has been identified as a major risk factor
because it increases the potential for the spread of Campylobacter and
other bacteria throughout the kitchen, as they are easily transferred
through splashes and drips'.
'These research findings further support the advice not to wash poultry
before cooking. The presence of Campylobacter is a compelling reason why
consumers should place raw chicken straight into the oven and ensure that
the meat is cooked thoroughly, until it is piping hot all the way through,
the juices run clear and there is no pink meat left. By correctly following
this simple advice to ensure proper cooking, consumers can be reassured
that the process will destroy any harmful bacteria present, leaving the
meat perfectly safe to eat', he continued.
Campylobacter is recognised to be the most common cause of bacterial
foodborne illness in humans in many countries, including the island of
Ireland. There were over 2,600 cases notified on the island of Ireland in
2004, which was over 3 times the number of Salmonella cases. However, many
of those affected do not report it to medical practitioners and as a
result, it is widely accepted that significant underreporting occurs. The
symptoms of campylobacteriosis, which generally last 2-5 days, include
diarrhoea, abdominal cramps and sometimes fever and vomiting.
European scientific experts will meet on the 8th February at a conference
in Dublin, organised by Teagasc and funded by the European Commission to
discuss the issue of Campylobacter in the food and water chain.
Editor’s Notes:
The study using genetic fingerprinting investigated the role of foods and
companion animals in the epidemiology of Campylobacter infection in humans
on the island of Ireland.
A full copy of *A Comparative Study of Thermophilic Campylobacter Isolates
of Clinical, Food and Pet Origin using Genotypic and Antimicrobial
Characterisation Techniques can be found at
www.safefoodonline.com/safefood/uploads/campylobacterreport.pdf
The research was an all island study conducted by: the Centre for Food
Safety and the Department of Large Animal Clinical Studies, Faculty of
Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin; Queen's University
Belfast; Department of Microbiology, National University of Ireland;
Public Health Laboratory, Cherry Orchard Hospital; Public Health
Laboratory, Belfast City Hospital and the Department of Bacteriology,
University College Hospital, Galway
Improved
assessment of microbiological risk
November 16, 2005
Food Innovation at Interfaces Newsletter #1 (Sweden)
http://www.innovationigransland.com
Salmonella, campylobacter, listeria and now EHEC – food is clearly dangerous
stuff! Together with our increase in knowledge and improved product control, we
have seen the introduction of large-scale, centralised production, greater
transport distances and increasingly more remote sell-by dates. The price we pay
for this is more serious consequences when something goes wrong. “Imagine if
we could develop a means of simulating the microbiological risks throughout the
whole chain, from raw material until the final product reaches the consumer,”
says Mats Johnson, Professor in logistics at LTH, and project manager for the
pilot study in the Logisafe project.
A NEW MODEL
This was exactly the result of the pilot study. The model was presented at a
workshop earlier this year, attended by representatives of several food
manufacturing companies. “We developed a model using Microsoft ExcelTM, where
we utilized simulation to calculate the probable bacterial content of the
product along the whole production chain. The model takes into account the
presence, growth and death of microorganisms, as well as contamination in all
the processes making up the production chain. “During the workshop we
established that the model could be used in training to demonstrate the
susceptibility of a product along the whole production and distribution chain.
However, the model takes into account too many factors for practical use and,
moreover, it was found that current knowledge of how bacteria grow on different
kinds of food products is inadequate. It was therefore decided to limit the
model to the refrigeration chain of chicken fillets, from the packaged product
leaving the plant to the supermarket, and that bacterial growth models should be
improved so that they describe what actually happens in a real food product.
REAL BACTERIAL GROWTH
As it became evident that the project would be more concerned with microbiology
than transport, Alexander Milanov from SIK in Lund took over as project manager.
“The project consists of four parts,” says Alexander. “First, we will
develop a growth model for the bacteria that can cause spoiling of chicken. We
will also refine the computational tool and add the new bacterial growth
model.” “We will also study the actual transport chain for chicken fillets
using temperature loggers and labels that provide a measure of the temperatures
to which the product has been exposed. Finally, the model will be tested in a
comparison with food samples. The development of more realistic growth models
for bacteria is thus one of the project’s most important goals. “The models
available in the literature today are based on data for the growth of single
bacteria in bouillon,” says Alexander. “They are not applicable, for
example, to the spoiling of chicken fillets.” Furthermore, the programs
available today do not take into account the variation in data, but require
specific values. They thus produce single values, and not a probability
distribution.” “This is not the case at all in reality, as there is always a
variation in the amount of bacteria in a product, and we therefore need a
prediction that gives a range or probability of various bacterial contents.”
RISK MANAGEMENT
By employing knowledge on risk management from other areas, for example, fire
safety engineering, it is hoped that the project will lead to more useful
predictions. Modern gambling theory uses so-called Monte Carlo modelling, in
which weighted data are selected from a distribution, allowing the probability
of a certain result to be calculated. This project can help the food industry by
improving the refrigeration chain and extending the sell-by date, but it may
also lead to improved safety by showing when a raw material or product has
reached its limit regarding safety. “During the course of the project so far,
we have worked closely with industry and have involved many disciplines. I
believe this is the best way to work, despite the fact that we sometimes speak
different languages, and it takes time before we all understand what we have to
do, and how,” says Mats Johnsson.
Stay
cool – Check the label
November 16, 2005
Food Innovation at Interfaces Newsletter #1
http://www.innovationigransland.com
How reliable is the refrigeration chain? Opinions differ, and this leads to
unnecessary costs due to shorter shelf-life of food products and unnecessary
returns.
“To get a good idea of how well the refrigeration chain works, we need to be
able to measure the actual temperature load on a product, from the factory to
the consumer,” says Charlotte Alklint, who is in charge of the project
Optimization of the Refrigeration Chain.
Several kinds of time-temperature indicators (TTIs) have been developed
recently. The Lund-based company Bioett has, for example, developed a sensor
based on enzyme activity, which affects the conductivity of a radio-frequency
circuit in a way that depends on time and temperature. The result can be read
out electronically with fixed equipment, or with a hand scanner.
“TTIs are usually based on some kind of colour change, which leaves room for
subjective interpretation. This is not the case with Bioett’s system,”
explains Charlotte. “That’s why we decided to use their labels in our
investigation of the refrigeration chain for black pudding , from the producer
to the caterer.” Read-out equipment was installed at one of Sardus’
production plants, and measurements were made at several places along the
refrigeration chain, from production, via transport, storage and the wholesaler,
to the catering facility. “As each label has a bar code, it is easy to trace a
specific package. As yet we don’t have enough data to be able to draw any
definite conclusions, but the trend shows that the refrigeration chain works
well, with an average temperature of +4°C.”
“We have created interest among the people handling the product, and this has
had positive effects. Bioett has also improved its system to include internal
control. In the long run, better supervision of the refrigeration chain will
lead to safer food, reduced wastage and environmental effects, better use of
resources and improved competitiveness,” concludes Charlotte. Th e project is
part of Better Food on a Large Scale, and is financed by Food Innovation at
Interfaces, Sardus and Bioett.
Preparation
pays off
November 16, 2005
Food Innovation at Interfaces Newsletter #1
http://www.innovationigransland.com
Hopefully, you won’t have noticed anything, but a revolution is taking place
in the restaurant sector. Restaurants are starting to use pre-prepared products,
such as washed and chopped vegetables, which will hopefully lead to better
profit margins as well as better service.
Most of us who enjoy good food like to think of a restaurant as a place where a
cordon bleu chef creates culinary delights from the best and freshest products;
but even demigods have to make a profit.
Fredrik Strömblad, chief executive for the trade association
“Djupfrysningsbyrån”, started a pilot project in 2004, aimed at reducing
the workload in restaurants by 40% through the introduction of pre-prepared
products – without the customer noticing any difference.
PRODUCT COSTS VS. LABOUR COSTS
“Many restaurants and chains regard labour cost as a fixed cost, but we had an
idea about how we could improve profitability by reducing the workload by using
pre-prepared food components,” says Fredrik. “Amica gave us access to one of
their restaurants in Stockholm which serves 500 lunches a day.
“We carried out a survey to investigate their customers’ opinions of the
food before starting the project. Then we replaced some of the products with
pre-prepared food products such as washed and chopped vegetables, and
pre-prepared meat and fish components, etc. The increase in the price of these
products was weighed against the saving in labour costs and the attitude of the
customers after the changeover.
“We found no change in the customers’ views on the food served, although the
cost of the products increased, and labour costs decreased, as expected.”
However, restaurants must be able to choose which products they want, and to
what degree they are prepared and more knowledge was required and that a
theoretical model should be developed. Fredrik got in touch with Food Innovation
at Interfaces, and Hans Knutsson from the Department of Business Administration
at Lund University started as project manager for the project More Profitable
Restaurants, within theme area Better Food on a Large Scale. HARDCORE MODEL
“A hardcore economic model based on data was necessary,” says Hans, who has
previously worked on profit and loss analysis in the paper industry. “We
decided to stud three restaurants, and had the privilege of studying restaurants
in the Eurest, Sodexho and Amica chains.”
Hans measured the amount of incoming goods and wastage, and the time spent on
preparation, supervision, serving, etc. Based on the results of these
measurements he then constructed a model taking into account all the above
factors. The cost of preparing the food products at the restaurant was compared
with the cost of buying them already pre-prepared, and the results were
presented in the form of an index, where 100 represents the same cost, a higher
value means that it would be more profitable to buy the product already
pre-prepared, and a lower value means that it was cheaper to prepare the product
at the restaurant. An index was calculated for 40 products.
GETTING YOUR PRIORITIES RIGHT
“In the short-term, many restaurant owners believe that they can only
influence the cost of purchasing products, but in the long run labour costs are
also variable,” says Hans. “Tasks must also be given the right priority; for
example, should you be grating carrots and chopping lettuce while the queues are
growing at the counter?”
Hans intends to develop his model by identifying what he calls “standard
activities”, for example, the time taken to fill a tray with meat patties or
hash browns. These will then be added to the calculations to make the model more
general.
“The aim is that restaurants will be able to use the results of this project
in practice, and most restaurants are looking for ways of improving their
profitability,” says Hans.
Microbes
strengthen inside animals' protozoa
February 2, 2006
ARS News Service
In an animal research "first," disease-causing bacteria have been
found to gain strength from interaction with single-celled organisms called
protozoa that are naturally present inside animals. This finding suggests that
the protozoa in animals' digestive tracts may be a place where dangerous
bacteria can lurk and develop.
In studies at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) National Animal Disease
Center (NADC) in Ames, Iowa, veterinary medical officer Steven Carlson and
microbiologist Mark Rasmussen discovered that an antibiotic-resistant strain of
Salmonella becomes especially virulent when tucked inside protozoa in the rumen,
or first stomach, of cattle.
Until now, protozoa had never been thought of as reservoirs of disease in
animals, according to Rasmussen.
The researchers set out to study the relationship between rumen protozoa and
Salmonella's virulence and resistance to antibiotics. They focused on an S.
enterica strain named DT104 that's a foodborne pathogen believed to be more
virulent than its antibiotic-sensitive counterparts.
In animals, salmonellosis is usually a diarrheal disease that the animals
recover from without requiring antimicrobial therapy. But antibiotics are needed
when severe diarrhea or systemic infections occur. Unfortunately, many
Salmonella strains have become resistant to many antibiotics, according to
Carlson.
The strengthening of disease-causing bacteria as they occupy protozoa is a
process that's been seen with free-living protozoa in places such as
water-cooling towers and ponds, according to Rasmussen. This strengthening
process was discovered when it was linked to an infamous and deadly 1976
outbreak of Legionnaires' disease. But the recent study marks the first time the
process has been seen inside an animal, Rasmussen added.
Carlson and Rasmussen also found a way to combat DT104 by using a cleansing
process, called "defaunation," which rids the rumen of protozoa.
Postdoctoral molecular biologist Zoe McCuddin and microbiologist Sharon Franklin
assisted with this study. All of the researchers in this study work in NADC's
Pre-Harvest Food Safety and Enteric Diseases Research Unit.
Read more about this research in the February 2006 issue of Agricultural
Research magazine:
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/feb06/animal0206.htm
Church
potlucks can and do continue
February 2, 2006
Colborne Chronicle
Dianne Algera, Hospitality Committee, Grace Church, Cobourg, Ontario, writes to
say she attended a very informative session at Port Hope United Church, December
1, 2005 organized by Julie Thompson, Chair of the United Church Hope Township
Pastoral Charge. It addressed the concerns of churches re: church suppers,
bazaars and bake sales.
Ms. Anne Alexander, Director of the Environmental Health Department of the
Health Unit and Mr. Lou Rinaldi, MPP for Northumberland, presented relevant
information and answered questions from the audience.
You will be very relieved to learn that congregations are exempt from health
regulations for (1) potlucks (2) weddings (3) funerals and (4) bake sales for
whole fruit pies, cakes, cookies and bread (this does not include pies requiring
refrigeration).
The initiative to cancel the turkey dinner at Garden Hill United Church occurred
because members of the church approached the Health Unit inquiring about
applicable health regulations. As tickets were being sold to raise funds, they
were informed that health regulations would indeed apply and food must be
prepared on approved premises.
The Health Unit is not trying to shut down church dinners. Rather, it is
encouraging churches to begin updating their facilities and make changes for
provision of food so that members of the congregation and public remain healthy.
This is a necessary and good thing. I appreciate their efforts to work with (not
against) churches to educate and provide invaluable advice.
In these hectic days when pre-packaged foods are purchased and fast-food outlets
and restaurants are frequented, many people are losing good, sound knowledge of
food preparation. Consider the statistics stating that 97 per cent of all food
contamination occurs in the home. Therefore, if most food for church dinners is
prepared in private home kitchens, there is higher risk for food illnesses to
occur.
It is time, dear people, for people in churches who are responsible for
organizing functions in which food is served to begin to update and move forward
to meet modern standards.
I thank the Health Unit for their concern for our health and welcome their
assistance in making our churches safe places for eating.
P.S. Incidentally, three to four persons from our church took advantage of the
Health Unit's course on safe food handling Jan. 9 and 10. It was offered to
churches at half price, $10 for the day.
Bottled
water is rigorously regulated
February 1, 2006
Guelph Mercury
Elizabeth Griswold, Executive Director, Canadian Bottled Water Association,
writes regarding, Trudeau cold on bottled water' (Guelph Mercury, Jan. 30) to
say we are concerned that your readers have been misinformed about many issues
related to bottled water after reading this article. The Canadian Bottled Water
Association, together with its members, has proudly supported the worthwhile
efforts of WaterCan for four years. This organization is dedicated to providing
clean drinking water to the world's poorest people and we fully support their
activities.
Your readers can be assured that bottled water is rigorously regulated as a
packaged food product by Health Canada. That means upholding regulatory
standards for everything from bottled water quality to labelling to production
and even the bottles themselves. Equally important to note, is that water
bottles, like all beverage containers, are recyclable. It's easy to do and
Canadians recycle about 70 per cent of PET bottles after they drink the
contents. People drink bottled water not only for its good-taste, portability
and dependable quality, but also as a calorie-free alternative to higher calorie
beverages. Anyone seeking further information on bottled water or the industry
can contact the Canadian Bottled Water Association at 905-886-6928 or by e-mail
at griswold@cbwa.ca.
Irradiated
food supplements enforcement exercise published
February 1, 2006
Food Standards Agency
http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2006/feb/irradexercise
In a food supplement enforcement exercise carried out by the Agency with local
authorities, half the supplements looked at were either irradiated or had an
irradiated ingredient.
The enforcement exercise, which looked at 48 products from a variety of outlets,
followed up an Agency survey of 2002, which found evidence of irradiation in
food supplements. In the enforcement exercise, carried out in 2003, 11
supplements were completely irradiated and 13 had an irradiated ingredient.
Publication of the results was deferred pending enforcement action by local
authorities.
Food irradiation is a processing technique that exposes food to electron beams,
X-rays or gamma rays, and produces a similar effect to pasteurisation, cooking,
or other forms of heat treatment, but with less effect on look and texture.
These findings don’t give rise to health concerns but food supplements are not
generally allowed to be irradiated. Under UK and EU law, only licensed or
approved irradiation facilities may treat specific food products, for a specific
purpose and within defined dose limits. They must then be labelled to indicate
that they have been irradiated.
It is not known why or where these food supplements were irradiated or what dose
was used. None of the supplements were labelled as being treated with ionising
radiation.
Local authority enforcement officers visited the companies whose products were
irradiated to check what systems they have in place to prevent irradiated
products reaching the market. Two companies were given formal cautions.
Irradiated food supplements enforcement exercise pdf (58.2 kb) available at
http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/ifsenforcementexercise.pdf
Mexico
opens market to U.S. bone-in beef
February 1, 2006
USDA News Release
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=2006/02/0033.xml
WASHINGTON, - Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns today announced that Mexico
has resumed trade in U.S. bone-in beef from animals under 30 months of age.
"Mexico's decision to further open its market to U.S. beef is a testament
to the safety of U.S. beef and a clear expression of confidence in the U.S.
safeguards to prevent BSE," said Johanns. "As a NAFTA partner and our
second largest export market, the normalization of beef trade with Mexico is
great news for our farmers and ranchers. This action demonstrates Mexico's
commitment to trade based on internationally accepted scientific standards for
human and animal health."
In March 2004, Mexico opened its market to boneless U.S. beef from animals under
30 months of age, which had closed following the December 2003 find of BSE in
Washington state. In April 2005, to help normalize trade in ruminants and
ruminant products within North America, Mexico, the United States and Canada
agreed to harmonize their BSE risk mitigation measures to more effectively
address any BSE risk in the region.
U.S. beef exporters sold more than $874 million worth of beef products to Mexico
in 2003, with bone-in beef products accounting for $40 million of that total.
Mad
cow experts in city
February 2, 2006
Calgary Sun
Bill Laye
Calgary is, according to this story, hosting some of the world's foremost
experts on mad cow disease and its variants at a one-day symposium today.
The session, and a gala dinner yesterday, both held at the Fairmont Palliser,
marked the official launch of the Alberta Prion Research Institute (APRI) -- a
network aimed at sharing information on the disease between scientists from the
province's post-secondary facilities, said institute spokeswoman Keri Scobie,
adding, "We've got some good researchers in this area and we've got a good
program, but we're also working with people from around the world for solutions
for everybody."
Today's symposium will conclude with an eight-member panel discussion on
Alberta's role in battling the disease.
Fsnet is produced by the Food Safety Network at
the University of Guelph, and is supported by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada,
Health Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, AGCare, the
Agricultural Adaptation Council (CanAdapt Program), Public Health Division of
the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Infectious Diseases Branch, National
Pork Board, National Restaurant Association, ConAgra Foods, Inc., Public Health
Agency of Canada , Dairy Farmers of Canada, Ontario Cattlemen's Association,
McCain Foods (Canada), Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Food
Safety Division, Food Safety & Security at Kansas State University,
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food, Canadian Animal Health Institute, Council for
Biotechnology Information, Keystone Foods LLC, JIFSAN, New Zealand Food Safety
Authority, Pfizer Animal Health, National Food Processor's Association,
Cattlemen's Beef Board and National Cattlemen's Beef Association, Advance
Brands, LLC, National Turkey Federation, McDonald's USA, American Air Liquide,
Dunkin' Brands, Inc., Ag-West Bio Inc., Eli Lilly Canada, Inc., Traincan, Inc.,
Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association, Canadian Institute of Public
Health, Inspectors Ontario Branch Inc., E.I. DuPont Canada Company, Ontario
Agri-Food Technologies, Feedlot Health Management Services, Institute of
Environmental Science and Research, ABC Research, Tyson, International
Association for Food Protection, Bioniche Life Sciences, Inc., Regional
Municipality of Peel, Chemical Metrology Group of the National Research Council,
International Food Focus Ltd, 3M Canada, Nestle Canada Inc., International
Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Food, Blue Water Seafoods,
Canadian Livestock Genetics Association, Compass Group Canada, Canadian Pork
Council, New Science Management, Inc., Tactix Government Consulting, Inc.,
University of Oklahoma Foundation, Inc., Manitoba Chicken Producers, Developex,
City of Vernon, CA, ATD Waste Systems, Inc., Global Public Affairs, Pitkin
County, Colorado and GAP Consulting.
The Food Safety Network's national toll-free line for obtaining food safety
information: 1-866-50-FSNET (1-866-503-7638).
The Food Safety Network presents a unique opportunity to bring together all
those associated with agriculture and food, to enhance the safety of the food
supply. To provide financial support to the Food Safety Network, please visit
http://www.foodsafety.ksu.edu/en/donations.php. For information on
collaboration or fee-for-service opportunities, please contact Dr. Doug Powell:
dpowell@uoguelph.ca
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For more information about the FSnet research program, please contact:
Dr. Douglas Powell
dept. of plant agriculture
University of Guelph
Guelph, Ont.
N1G 2W1
tel: 519-824-4120 x54280
cell: 519-835-3015
fax: 519-763-8933
dpowell@uoguelph.ca
http://www.foodsafety.ksu.edu
archived at: http://archives.foodsafety.ksu.edu/fsnet-archives.htm