FSnet Aug. 1/08 -- II

13 Scouts get E. coli while at VIRGINIA camp

CANADA: Quebec to allow raw-milk cheeses

CANADA: Contempt case for Ont. farmer who provided raw milk demands trial: judge

WISCONSIN: Meatpacker Excel must pay Sizzler $7.1 million for E. coli outbreak

US: An appetite for science: For Food Network host Alton Brown, science plays more than a cameo role

US: Not-so-live blogging House Food Safety Hearing No. Two

Produce industry faults FDA response to salmonella outbreak for losses

EDITORIAL: Food poisoning

UK: Fears over restaurant hygiene standards

CANADA links 12th case of mad cow to infected feed

Effects of sanitation, freezing and frozen storage on enteric viruses in berries and herbs

Risk profiles of pork and poultry meat and risk ratings of various pathogen/product combinations

Food additive may inhibit C. perfringens in poultry

Photoactivated chlorophyllin-based gelatin films and coatings to prevent microbial contamination of food products

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13 Scouts get E. coli while at VIRGINIA camp
01.aug.08
Washington Post
Jonathan Mummolo
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/01/AR2008080102855.html
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/2008/08/articles/e-coli/e-coli-at-camp-13-scouts-sickened/index.html
Health officials have confirmed that at least 13 boys, all but one from Northern Virginia, contracted E. coli bacterial infections while attending a popular Scout camp in Goshen, Va., last week, officials said yesterday.
The Virginia Department of Health began receiving reports of sick children on Sunday, when boys from about 70 troops returned home after a week at the Goshen Scout Reservation near Lexington, Va., about three hours from Washington. Two of the boys were hospitalized, officials said.
The source of the outbreak was still under investigation, said Christopher Novak, a Health Department medical epidemiologist who is looking into the incident. Symptoms of the infection include bloody diarrhea, fever, chills, nausea and vomiting, Novak said.
"This one is challenging in that it has multiple states involved, and the individuals there are fairly dispersed," he said. "We are trying to . . . as quickly as possible get a sense of how widespread the outbreak may be, how many people are ill."
Health officials in Maryland have confirmed one of the 13 cases, said Karen Black, spokeswoman for the state's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. A call to the District's Health Department was not immediately returned.
Since the outbreak, Scout officials have taken steps to reduce the risk of further contamination by temporarily removing ground beef -- a common source of E. coli -- from camp menus; distributing hand sanitizers; and encouraging hand-washing and proper hygiene, Lambert said. There is also increased supervision for children who prepare their own food, to ensure proper cooking temperatures.
Novak said health officials are trying to determine whether infected Scouts ate the same tainted food or ingested contaminated fluid, such as lake water while swimming.



 

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CANADA: Quebec to allow raw-milk cheeses
31.jul.08
Globe and Mail
Ingrid Peritz
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080731.wcheese01/BNStory/National/home
National Post
Graeme Hamilton
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/posted/archive/2008/07/31/quebec-s-smelly-revolution-cheese-makers-free-to-use-raw-milk.aspx
Montreal -- Quebec will allow its cheese makers to produce the kind of stinky, oozing, unpasteurized bries and camemberts that are illegal in the rest of North America.
The government has modified regulations to allow the production and sale of raw-milk cheeses that have been aged for less than 60 days.
Elsewhere, such young cheeses are verboten due to health concerns. But producers in Quebec, which leads the country in raw-milk cheese consumption, have been lobbying the province for years to change the rules.
They believe such raw-milk cheese is not only healthy, but pasteurization destroys microbes that give their product a deep, palette-pleasing flavour.
"We are very pleased by what is being put on the table. It will bring about a new wave of soft cheeses and raise them to a completely new gustatory level," said Nancy Portelance, who represents 17 artisan cheese makers in the province.
Cheese lovers maintain that certain soft cheeses like camembert reach their peak ripening point at 21 to 30 days. "At that point, the cheese is creamy, a lot more flavourful and more complex at the level of aroma," said Ian Picard, master cheese ripener at La Fromagerie Hamel in Montreal.
Cheese ripening has proven a sticky matter between Quebec and the federal government, and an Ottawa attempt in 1996 to ban the sale of raw-milk cheese raised a political stink in the province. Gastronomes pointed out that Europeans have been consuming such products with no ill effects. (there's lots of ill effects – dp)
Until now, regulations required cheese makers using raw milk to ripen the product at least 60 days on evidence it eliminated harmful bacteria in the milk.
Mansel Griffiths, a dairy microbiologist at the University of Guelph, says the 60-day limit has become arbitrary, since it is no longer a guarantee of destroying pathogens. Still, he believes raw-milk cheese continues to pose health-safety issues over potential pathogens.
"This is a true revolution," Agriculture Minister Laurent Lessard said in a statement. "Our artisans will be in a position to put their renowned savoir-faire to use to create a new generation of raw-milk cheeses responding to consumers tastes."



 

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CANADA: Contempt case for Ont. farmer who provided raw milk demands trial: judge
31.jul.08
MedBroadcast.com
Colin Perkel, The Canadian Press
http://www.medbroadcast.com/channel_health_news_details.asp?news_id=15884&rss=67&rid=999999&channel_id=1039&rot=3
National Post
Jenny Wagler
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2008/07/31/big-victory-for-raw-milk-activist-schmidt.aspx
Newmarket, Ontario -- A contempt of court case against an Ontario farmer accused of selling raw milk is too serious to deal with without a trial, a judge ruled Thursday.
Instead, Superior Court Justice Michael Brown rejected a request from the municipality of York Region to find Michael Schmidt in contempt and put the case over for a three-day trial in September, when the court can hear from witnesses.
"One of the sanctions you are seeking is that this man be jailed," Brown told Dan Kuzmyk, the lawyer for the municipality.
"I would be hard-pressed under these circumstances to prevent him from calling evidence."
The region maintains that Schmidt, of Durham, Ont., is in contempt because he has refused to obey a court order that he comply with a May 2007 directive from public health authorities to refrain from selling unpasteurized milk.
Schmidt still faces a trial in January related to an armed raid on his farm in November 2006 when health officials seized his milking equipment.
With about 50 of his supporters in the courtroom - many wearing "freedom of choice" buttons - Schmidt, of Durham, Ont., told the judge he was "appalled" the regional municipality was pressing the contempt case now.
Kuzmyk attempted to persuade the judge to move on the contempt matter, saying no trial was needed.
"We have incontrovertible evidence," Kuzmyk insisted. "We have photographs."
Brown refused to bite, saying Schmidt should have the right to challenge the evidence at trial.
Outside court, Kuzmyk said the farmer was "thumbing his nose" at health-unit and court orders - behaviour that constituted a threat to the "very fabric" of a democratic society.



 

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WISCONSIN: Meatpacker Excel must pay Sizzler $7.1 million for E. coli outbreak
31.jul.08
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Marie Rohde
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=778277
A jury Wednesday found that meatpacker Excel Corp. will have to pay Sizzler USA, a national restaurant chain, more than $7.1 million for lost revenue resulting from publicity surrounding the outbreak of a food-borne illness that killed a child and sickened scores of others at restaurants here eight years ago.
The jury award brings the cost to Excel to $18.5 million plus lawyer fees.
Ron Pezze, a lawyer representing the local restaurant franchise and its insurance company, said the jury verdict also means that Excel will have to reimburse 80% of the $3.5 million that his clients paid to victims of the outbreak years ago. The local franchise, E&B Management of Waukesha, was seeking reimbursement for all the money paid out, but the jury found the franchise to be 20% responsible for the outbreak.
Excel already had paid $8.5 million in June to the family of the child who died, according to lawyers involved in the case.
A spokesman for Excel, a subsidiary of food giant Cargill Inc., said in a written statement that the company was disappointed in the decision and was considering its options.



 

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US: An appetite for science: For Food Network host Alton Brown, science plays more than a cameo role
28.jul.08
Chemical and Engineering News: Science & Technology Vol. 86, No. 30
Corrine A. Marasco
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/science/86/8630sci8.html
Alton Brown readily admits that he was an undistinguished science student. "I took physics, chemistry, and biology in college, and they were all boring beyond words," he says. "None of it mattered. None of it applied. It was taught mostly by people who wanted to get tenure and write grants. It was only when I decided that the answer to most of my problems was science that I became interested."
Irony: it's what's for dinner. His quest for answers to kitchen-related questions led Brown to create one of the best cooking with science shows on television. "Good Eats" educates viewers about the science of food and cooking using historical references, pop culture, costumes, and props. The science enhances the step-by-step cooking tutorial, yet the information is still highly relevant to the home chef.
For example, episodes titled "Churn Baby Churn" and "I Pie" explain, respectively, how sugar crystallization affects the texture of ice cream and what happens to a pie crust in the oven as it bakes. These are the sort of processes that chemists and materials scientists address everyday. The show also features experts such as Shirley O. Corriher, food scientist and author of "CookWise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Cooking" (William Morrow, 1997), and Deborah Duchon, a nutritional anthropologist. In addition, fictional experts make appearances, such as "W," a kitchen equipment specialist whose resemblance to James Bond's "Q" is no coincidence.
If the components that comprise a "Good Eats" episode are the spokes on a wheel, then Brown is the creative hub. His presentation style, a combination of Julia Child, British comedy troupe Monty Python, and Mr. Wizard, has earned him a dedicated following among viewers of all ages, male and female.
Although he relies on analogies and metaphors to explain concepts, he doesn't condescend to his audience. His talent for invention assures viewers that they don't need expensive single-purpose appliances, which he calls "uni-taskers." As demonstrated in the episode "Good Milk Gone Bad," one doesn't need an expensive yogurt maker if a couple of containers and a heating pad are available at home. Yogurt contains beneficial bacteria, such as Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, that love lactose, the sugar found in milk. Adding a starter culture of plain, store-bought yogurt to milk at 110 °F, Brown shows that the bacteria will convert the lactose into lactic acid. The heating pad helps to maintain a steady temperature to allow the bacteria to incubate. If the temperature of the milk is too low, the bacteria won't grow to make yogurt. If the temperature is too high, the bacteria will die.



 

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US: Not-so-live blogging House Food Safety Hearing No. Two
31.jul.08
Washington Post
Annys Shin
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thecheckout/2008/07/notsolive_blogging_house_food.html?nav=rss_blog
Apologies for the delayed post. My air card died just as the produce industry was piling on the FDA and CDC.
If you want to listen along, you can go to the House Energy and Commerce Committee Web site.
The theme of today's hearing is "Lessons Learned" from the salmonella outbreak. So in that vein, I thought I'd write up my top five lessons learned.
1. Outbreaks don't respect state borders.
I wrote Wednesday about a Colorado woman, Cheryl Grubbs, whose husband was an outbreak victim. She had trouble getting the attention of her local health officials partly because Colorado hasn't had many cases, less than 20 so far. However, Grubbs lives in the Four Corners area where Utah, New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado meet. The Arizona and New Mexico side of Four Corners has been the "heartland" of the outbreak, as CDC's Robert Tauxe put it. But with the response she got, you would have thought she lived in Hawaii.
Her attorney, Bill Marler, said her experience is not uncommon:
"We have see the same thing in several outbreaks. In the Dole spinach outbreak, we or clients had to hire private labs to link two deaths to the outbreak when local, state and national health officials could not be bothered.Whether it is a lack of funding or sheer laziness, ignoring the public and the publics' health puts all of us in danger. When, not if, a bioterrorism event occurs, ill people like the Grubbs will be our 'early warning system' and we [darn] will better be paying attention."
2. Everyone's state stinks except for yours and mine.
The different capacity of states to detect and investigate outbreaks came up frequently. But lawmakers took pains not to slam specific states, especially if they had a rep in the room. The only person who strayed from this unspoken etiquette was Dr. Michael Osterholm, the former state epidemiologist for Minnesota and widely recognized as one of the top disease detectives in the country. He dinged Texas for taking as long as 15 days to confirm a salmonella case, DNA fingerprint it and send the info to epidemiologists--a process that in Minnesota takes three days.
3. Minnesota rocks.
Osterholm can get away with saying that because he helped build the foodborne detection and investigation system in Minnesota, which is considered among the best there is. Minn's state epidemiologist Kirk Smith is testifying right now about how his state was able to identify a distributor in Texas that supplied tainted jalapenos eaten by a cluster of sick restaurant patrons in the Twin Cities area in less than 10 days of confirming its first cases. That tip led FDA to Texas and to the farm in Mexico where they found the contaminated irrigation water.
4. It takes a village to find bacteria.
One thing that hasn't come out in the hearing is how many people it takes to do these multi state investigations. CDC was kind enough to let me talk to two Epidemic Intelligence Officers (EIS) involved in the salmonella probe. (EIS is sort of like FBI agents for infectious disease. One EIS officer named Julie was sent to North Carolina where she spent about two weeks in a county health department office with a stack of questionnaires. She called something like 70 people who ate at a restaurant linked to the outbreak. Another EIS officer named Ryan was sent to rural Missouri where he spent about 10 days meeting face-to-face with locals who ate at another restaurant linked to the outbreak. Working along side them were state and local health workers. Multiply this effort a dozen times and you get some inkling of how sprawling these investigations are.
5. Eliza Doolittle had it right.
Yesterday, I was surprised that industry, lawmakers and even the most strident FDA critics made a point of saying Dr. David Acheson, the FDA's top food safety official, was not the problem. Part of the reason is Acheson stays cool under pressure. And it doesn't hurt to have a pleasing Britishy accent. The Produce Marketing Association deployed their own BBC-inflected spokesman, Bryan Silverman. I think British accents should be mandatory from all committee witnesses.



 

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Produce industry faults FDA response to salmonella outbreak for losses
01.aug.08
McClatchy Newspapers, Star-Telegram
Michael Doyle
http://www.foodsafety.ksu.edu/admin/edit.php?table=newsstories
WASHINGTON -- Turf struggles, bad communication and weak leadership undermined the federal response to a recent salmonella outbreak that cost the tomato industry a bundle, witnesses told a House subcommittee Thursday.
Lawmakers joined farmers in a wholesale attack on the Food and Drug Administration's performance, potentially laying the political foundation for a regulatory overhaul and multimillion-dollar compensation package.
"We have been the primary injured party," Reginald Brown, the executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange, told the House panel. "And we look forward to Congress addressing that in the future."
Farmers say that the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention erred in indicating that the salmonella outbreak was associated with tomatoes. State regulators testified that the FDA shared information reluctantly, while produce industry representatives complained that no one seemed to be in charge.
"We've noticed tensions [and] rivalries" among federal food-safety agencies, United Fresh Produce Association President Thomas E. Stenzel told the House Energy and Commerce Committee's oversight and investigations panel.
Federal food-safety officials still won't exonerate tomatoes, although they say that fresh tomatoes currently on the market are safe. FDA Assistant Commissioner David Acheson stressed Thursday that the initial reported illnesses were "statistically linked to consumption of raw tomatoes," although no tainted tomatoes were found.



 

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EDITORIAL: Food poisoning
31.jul.08
Beaver County Times & Allegheny Times
http://www.timesonline.com/articles/2008/07/31/opinion/editorials/doc48909f0df1940634732179.txt
We need only one word to demonstrate how appalling it is that lobbyists were able to derail federal regulations designed to create a quick tracking system for food-borne illness in the United States: Chi-Chi's.
Anyone living through the 2003 hepatitis A epidemic in Beaver County knows how imported green onions served at a Chi-Chi's restaurant wrought havoc and tragedy. The toll: 660 sickened, five dead and numerous people hospitalized by the ravaging virus.
Yet the White House in 2004 and 2005 killed regulations that would have permitted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration a quicker and easier method of tracking down sources of such outbreaks.
The Associated Press reported this week that lobbyists were behind the travesty.
The report outlined how the food industry pressured the Bush administration to limit paperwork that companies have to maintain in order for federal health inspectors to trace tainted produce.
It also quashed a plan requiring the food industry to maintain an electronic tracking system that would have allowed investigators to quickly trace an outbreak's source.
The Associated Press found that business groups met at least 10 times with administration officials between 2004 and 2005 while the FDA regulations were being debated.
Food industry marketing groups spent more than $4 million on lobbying during those years.
Their argument: The regulations were too costly, too burdensome and so unnecessary.



 

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UK: Fears over restaurant hygiene standards
31.jul.08
Norwich Evening News 24
Dan Grimmer
http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=
News&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED31%20Jul%202008%2011%3A51%3A53%3A397
Hygiene standards in restaurants and food outlets around Norwich could suffer if Government plans are introduced which would force the city council to scrap its pioneering five-star food safety scheme.
At the moment, places which serve food in the city are rated according to five categories, and council officers believe Norwich City Council's pioneering system helps keeps standards high.
But proposals made by the Food Standards Agency under a national scheme would see Norwich's five-star system, which has been introduced by more than 150 local authorities, come to an abrupt end.
Food safety officers at City Hall fear proposals to introduce a national standard, which could see a simple pass or fail scheme or grades from zero to three stars, would mean restaurateurs would not have the same motivation to constantly strive for better standards.
Jaan Stanton, Norwich City Council's food safety team leader, said: "There are two proposals being put forward - one is a pass or fail system which we are opposed to and a zero to three-star scheme which we do not think is as good as our five-star system.
"It is a great honour that we have been visited by the Food Standards Agency to be part of the consultation and I hope we have shown how the five-star system is working.
"We know the five-star scheme works and has brought benefits. The proposed three-star system is quite broad and means we cannot reward relatively minor improvements by giving an extra star and taking it away if it slips a little. We prefer our system because it means the proprietors keep standards high."
As part of the consultation over the proposed changes, Dame Deirdre Hutton, chair of the Food Standards Agency yesterday visited Norwich City Council to learn more about its five-star food safety scheme.
She spent the day with the council's food safety officers, chief executive Laura McGillivray and leader Steve Morphew, who showed Dame Deirdre how effective their scheme has been at improving food safety.
Restaurateurs talked to Dame Deirdre about how much they value having their efforts to improve food safety recognised by the council.
The five-star food safety award was introduced by Norwich City Council in spring 2005 as a way of improving food safety in the city by making restaurant inspection reports available to the public.
The restaurants are given certificates with the star rating, which can be displayed, and the ratings and full inspection reports are posted on the Norwich City Council website.
Steve Morphew, Norwich City Council leader, said: "Norwich City Council is at the forefront of promoting food safety standards. We welcomed Dame Deirdre's visit and saw it as an opportunity to showcase the scores on doors five star scheme which as an organisation we are extremely proud of."
The visit by Dame Deirdre also coincided with the re-vamp of the council's Safer Food Award webpage making it even easier for the public to access food safety information about where they eat in Norwich.
The current reports can be visited at www.norwich.gov.uk/intranet_docs/A-Z/Environmental%20Health/2005/Food_Awards/Safer_Food_Master_List.pdf



 

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CANADA links 12th case of mad cow to infected feed
31.jul.08
Reuters
http://ca.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idCAN3147939620080731
Ottawa -- An official probe into Canada's 12th case of mad cow disease since 2003 said on Thursday that infected feed was most likely to blame -- the same reason given in many previous cases.
The animal, a six-year-old dairy cow from Alberta, was identified in February 2008. Since then an additional case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) has been discovered in Canada.
"It is reasonable to presume that this animal was exposed to feed containing a low level of infectivity during its first year of life," the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said in a statement.



 

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Effects of sanitation, freezing and frozen storage on enteric viruses in berries and herbs
31.jul.08
International Journal of Food Microbiolgy (Volume 126, Issues 1-2, Pages 1-262)
S. Butota, T. Putallaza and G. Sánchez
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T7K-4SFXK30-2&_user=10&_coverDate=08%2F15%2F2008&_rdoc=5&_fmt=high&_orig=browse&_srch=doc-info(%23toc%235061%232008%23998739998%23695025%23FLA%23display%23Volume)&_cdi=5061&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_ct
Norovirus (NV) and hepatitis A virus (HAV) are foodborne enteric viruses associated with outbreaks of disease following consumption of fresh or frozen produce. Model experiments were performed to determine the effectiveness of certain commercial processes for the removal of enteric viruses that might be present in berries and herbs. The survival and persistence of HAV, NV, rotavirus (RV) and feline calicivirus (FCV), a surrogate for NV, in frozen produce over time were determined. Survival and inactivation of HAV, RV and FCV were assessed by viral culture and quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR), whereas NV persistence was determined by quantitative RT-PCR only. Freezing did not significantly reduce the viability of any of the viruses except the infectivity of FCV in strawberries. Frozen storage for 3 months had limited effects on HAV and RV survival in all tested food products, whereas in frozen raspberries and strawberries FCV infectivity showed the highest decay rate due to acid pH. To simulate postharvesting conditions, fresh berries and herbs were rinsed with tap, warm or chlorinated water or with a chlorine dioxide (ClO2) solution. Available chlorine at a concentration of 200 ppm and ClO2 at 10 ppm reduced measurable enteric viruses in raspberry and parsley samples by less than 2 log10 units.



 

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Risk profiles of pork and poultry meat and risk ratings of various pathogen/product combinations
15.aug.08
International Journal of Food Microbiolgy (Volume 126, Issues 1-2, Pages 1-262)
M. Mataragasa, P.N. Skandamisa and E.H. Drosinos
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T7K-4SJP77R-2&_user=10&_coverDate=08%2F15%2F2008&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=browse&_srch=doc-info(%23toc%235061%232008%23998739998%23695025%23FLA%23display%23Volume)&_cdi=5061&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_ct
Risk profiles of pork and poultry meat were carried out using an Excel-based software program, Risk Ranger. It is a semi-quantitative risk estimator answering various questions relating to the probability of exposure to a hazard, susceptibility of the population of interest, severity of the illness caused by the hazard if present and probability of food containing an infectious dose. Therefore, qualitative and quantitative inputs were used to estimate and rank the risk of various hazards/food combinations. Risk scores provided by the tool were characterized as low, medium and high. Also, health risk was estimated separately, where needed, for low and high risk populations. Low risk scores were obtained for Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes and enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) for low risk population. High risk scores were obtained for hepatitis E virus (HEV) in raw pork products (both low and high risk populations). Moderate risk scores for Salmonella spp. and L. monocytogenes in processed pork or poultry-meat products (ready-to-eat or to be reheated) and partially cooked pork products were also obtained (low risk population). Scores for Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens and Bacillus cereus and various product types were mostly in the "medium" risk category, except for S. aureus/ready-to-eat pork products able to support growth of the organism, which fell into the high risk category. Campylobacter spp. gave moderate risk scores with one exception (raw poultry products), whereas Y. enterocolitica showed combinations of low risk and few of medium risk. High risk pathogen/product combinations identified were: 1) temperature abused, ready-to-eat pork and/or poultry-meat products with extended shelf life and cross-contaminated by L. monocytogenes (high risk population), EHEC (high risk population) or S. aureus (all population), 2) partially cooked or processed intended to be reheated pork products cross-contaminated by L. monocytogenes, served undercooked and receiving improper cooling or reheating (high risk population), and 3) all people consuming undercooked meals cross-contaminated with Campylobacter spp. (e.g. from raw poultry and raw poultry-meat products) and HEV (e.g. from raw pork and raw pork-meat products). Salmonellae gave high risk scores in all food categories (except preserved meat products) for high risk population. Preserved meats (mainly pork) such as dry fermented sausages gave low risk scores. Only Salmonella spp., L. monocytogenes and E. coli EHEC gave moderate risk ratings in case of ingredients likely to be contaminated at an early stage of processing (e.g. animal at slaughter) and inadequate fermentation process. These results may constitute a source of information for hazard assessment during application of a Food Safety Management System.



 

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Food additive may inhibit C. perfringens in poultry
31.jul.08
Journal of Food Microbiology
http://www.worldpoultry.net/news/id2205-53709/food_additive_may_inhibit_c_perfringens_in_poultry.html
A new US study claims that inorganic polyphosphates (polyP) can be effective as antimicrobial agents against Clostridium perfringens in meat and poultry products.
Inorganic polyphosphates are used as food additives in the meat and poultry industry to protect flavour, maintain "juiciness", and inhibit rancidity and colour deterioration.
C. perfringens
C. perfringens are found in low numbers in many foods, particularly in meat and poultry products, but food poisoning linked to C. perfringens is the 3rd most commonly reported foodborne illness in the US. Unlike many other types of bacteria that cause food borne disease, C. perfringens are not completely destroyed by ordinary cooking as it has been found to produce heat-resistant spores.
Now, researchers from Oregon State University claim a first-time a study has been done on the antimicrobial properties of polyphosphates against C. perfringens. They found a significant reduction of survival in C. perfringens was observed when meat samples contaminated with a cocktail of the bacteria's spores were treated with one per cent of the polyphosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP).
As STPP increases water retention capacity in meat products, the researchers used the polyP to determine its antimicrobial effectiveness against C. perfringens in meat. It was discovered that sub-lethal concentrations of polyP significantly inhibited sporulation of C. perfringens by reducing heat-resistant cells. While the spores were able to germinate in the presence of 1% STPP, their outgrowth was significantly inhibited.
"The inhibitory effect of polyP on C. perfringens shown in this work constitutes a major contribution that can help the development of safer meat products," said the researchers.



 

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Photoactivated chlorophyllin-based gelatin films and coatings to prevent microbial contamination of food products
15.aug.08
International Journal of Food Microbiolgy (Volume 126, Issues 1-2, Pages 1-262)
G. López-Carballoa, P. Hernández-Muñoza, R. Gavaraa and M.J. Ocio
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T7K-4SGKB8V-1&_user=10&_coverDate=08%2F15%2F2008&_rdoc=10&_fmt=high&_orig=browse&_srch=doc-info(%23toc%235061%232008%23998739998%23695025%23FLA%23display%23Volume)&_cdi=5061&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_c
The aim of this work was to develop antimicrobial photosensitizer-containing edible films and coatings based on gelatin as the polymer matrix, incorporating sodium magnesium chlorophyllin (E-140) and sodium copper chlorophyllin (E-141). Chlorophyllins were incorporated into the gelatin film-forming solution and the inhibiting effect of the cast films was tested against Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes. The results demonstrated that water soluble sodium magnesium chlorophyllin and water soluble sodium copper chlorophyllin reduced the growth of S. aureus and L. monocytogenes by 5 log and 4 log respectively.
Subsequently, the activity of self-standing films and coatings containing E-140 was assessed on cooked frankfurters inoculated with S. aureus and L. monocytogenes. These tests showed that it was possible to reduce microorganism growth in cooked frankfurters inoculated with S. aureus and L. monocytogenes by covering them with sodium magnesium chlorophyllin-gelatin films and coatings.
 

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FSnet is produced by the International Food Safety Network at Kansas State University, and is supported at the Gold Fork level by: Marler Clark.

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