FSnet Aug

FSnet Aug. 2/08

ONTARIO: Mass food poisoning blamed on lobster

U.S. Senator Barack Obama introduced the Improving Food-borne Illness Surveillance and Response Act of 2008

VIRGINIA: Updated: Health officials investigating E.coli outbreak at Boy Scout reservation in Goshen

CALIFORNIA: Settlement will reduce carcinogens in potato chips

Health Hazard Alert/CFIA: Various sliced mushroom products may contain listeria monocytogenes

ARIZONA: Jalapeños at Valley Bashas' test positive for salmonella

Crypto parasite making swimmers sick in TEXAS

MISSOURI: August 1-Leger's restaurant report card

Shelf life evaluation for ready-to-eat sliced uncured turkey breast and cured ham under probable storage conditions based on Listeria monocytogenes and psychrotroph growth

An explanation for the effect of inoculum size on MIC and the growth/no growth interface

Growth of L. monocytogenes strain F2365 on ready-to-eat turkey meat does not enhance gastrointestinal listeriosis in intragastrically inoculated A/J mice

Prediction of an organism's inactivation patterns from three single survival ratios determined at the end of three non-isothermal heat treatments

Behavior of inactivation kinetics of Escherichia coli by dense phase carbon dioxide

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ONTARIO: Mass food poisoning blamed on lobster
02.aug.08
The Hamilton Spectator
Laura Mueller
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/413220
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/2008/08/articles/food-safety-communication/lobster-on-the-lam-sicken-55-in-ontario-declared-gross-by-fda/index.html
The culprit in one of the city's largest food poisoning outbreaks is a bacteria Hamilton public health officials have never encountered before.
Fifty-five people fell ill after attending a staff barbecue July 18 at ArcelorMittal Dofasco or eating leftovers. A public health investigation determined the source of the outbreak was Vibrio parahaemolyticus bacteria from inadequately pre-cooked lobster tails.
The caterer was the Village Green Bistro in Westdale.
The common bacteria occurs naturally in oceans and can be present in undercooked seafood.
Dr. Chris Mackie, associate medical officer of health for the city, said Hamilton usually experiences a couple of food-borne illness outbreaks each year. But this is the first time this bacteria has been reported in the city.
"This is a large outbreak for Hamilton," Mackie said.
The outbreak is still under investigation. If charged and convicted, the caterer faces fines of up to $25,000. Investigators must make their decisions by Aug. 17.
Last year public health laid 47 charges ranging from $60 to $460.
The worst food poisoning outbreak in Hamilton in recent memory occurred at a 2005 Mother's Day brunch, when 155 people were infected with salmonella.

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U.S. Senator Barack Obama introduced the Improving Food-borne Illness Surveillance and Response Act of 2008
02.aug.08
7th Space
Michael Ortiz
http://7thspace.com/headlines/288737/us_senator_barack_obama_introduced_the_improving_food_borne_illness_surveillance_and_response_act_of_2008.html
Washington, DC -- U.S. Senator Barack Obama introduced the Improving Food-borne Illness Surveillance and Response Act of 2008, which would improve information sharing and collaboration between public and private agencies and other organizations to effectively address food safety challenges. This summer, millions of Americans were exposed to Salmonella and many became ill, while state and federal agencies struggled to identify the contaminated food source and develop a comprehensive and timely response.
The Obama food safety legislation would strengthen and expand food-borne illness surveillance in order to better inform and evaluate efforts to prevent these illnesses. This bill would also enhance the identification and investigation of food-borne illness outbreaks, which would assist officials to respond appropriately. In anticipation of future challenges, this bill would require a survey of state health departments to determine critical needs as well as the development of strategic plans.
"We must do everything we can to ensure that our families don't get sick from the foods they eat," said Senator Obama. "This summer, when so many Americans were exposed to Salmonella, we learned that state and federal agencies lacked the sufficient capacity to quickly and effectively respond to this crisis. This legislation will improve our government's monitoring of food, strengthen information sharing between government agencies, and increase collaboration between public and private partners."
Today, a number of problems have been identified by federal and state agency officials and advocacy groups that challenge our ability to respond to food-borne illness outbreaks. These challenges include the need for increased coordination and full participation in existing surveillance systems; collection of data that identifies not just the pathogen but also the food source; easier and more rapid tests and improved technology to identify pathogens; better information sharing across public health and regulatory agencies; and efforts to recruit and retain a multidisciplinary workforce.
The Obama bill would:
Enhance food-borne illness surveillance systems to improve the collection, analysis, reporting, and usefulness of data on food-borne illnesses.
Establish a diverse working group of food safety experts and stakeholders to develop an annual public report and strategic plan to address deficiencies in food-borne illness surveillance.
Enhance the food safety capacity and roles of state and local agencies, and integrate their efforts as fully as possible into national food safety initiatives.
Make grants to state and local agencies to expand food safety capacity and programs.

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VIRGINIA: Updated: Health officials investigating E.coli outbreak at Boy Scout reservation in Goshen
02.aug.08
WDBJ7.com
Associated Press
http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?S=8772513&nav=S6aKaz5J
Dozens of scouts and adults who attended a camp in Rockbridge County have been sickened. The Virginia Department of Health says it has confirmed 15 cases of E. coli at the Goshen Scout Reservation. Another 50 to 60 attendees have shown symptoms of the illness.
Of the 15 confirmed cases, 14 are children between the ages of 10 and 13. Nine of those children are hospitalized.

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CALIFORNIA: Settlement will reduce carcinogens in potato chips
01.aug.08
New York Times
Associated Press
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Potato-Chip-Lawsuit.html
Los Angeles -- Four food manufacturers have agreed to reduce levels of a cancer-causing chemical in their potato chips and french fries in a settlement with the state of California.
The California attorney general's office announced the deals Friday with Heinz, Frito-Lay, Kettle Foods and Lance Inc.
The lawsuits were filed under a state law that requires companies to post warnings about carcinogens in their products.
The attorney general's office sued the manufacturers and several fast food companies in 2005 because their products contained high levels of acrylamide.
The office says the companies agreed to lower the levels and pay a combined $3 million in fines.

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ARIZONA: Jalapeños at Valley Bashas' test positive for salmonella
02.aug.08
ABC15
Katrina Wessman
http://www.abc15.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=015bb363-66ce-4a75-ac47-9fdf0a568b5f
A Valley grocery store has restocked and sanitized their shelves and is offering refunds to customers who purchased jalapeños from them on or before August 1st after salmonella warning.
According to the Director of Communications and Public Affairs Kristy Nied, Bashas' has removed all jalapeños from their shelves after discovering one of their local distributors tested positive for salmonella.
The infected jalapeños were grown in Mexico.
As a precaution Bashas' removed all jalapeños from all their stores, sanitized their shelves, and restocked their shelves with jalapeños grown in the United States.
Nied also said that customers who purchased any jalapeños from Bashas' can return them for a full refund.

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Crypto parasite making swimmers sick in TEXAS
01.aug.08
Dallas Morning News
Linda Stewart Ball
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D929OQC81.html
A waterborne illness in pools, lakes and water parks has sickened at least 100 North Texas swimmers and may have killed one, a dramatic increase when compared to summers past.
Experts say they don't know exactly why there's been a spike in the outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis, a diarrhea disease. But they point to a variety of possible factors, including a true increase in cryptosporidiosis, availability of a prescription drug to treat it and greater public awareness of the illness, commonly known as crypto.
"People, when they have diarrhea are not necessarily thinking, 'Where did I eat last night?' They're thinking, 'Where have I been swimming?'" said Michele Hlavsa, an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, which has noted a national increase in crypto cases in the past few years. "That's sort of a new development."
In Texas, the number of cases has increased from 79 in 2003 to 237 in 2007, state figures show.

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MISSOURI: August 1-Leger's restaurant report card
01.aug.08
KFDM News
Bill Leger
http://www.kfdm.com/articles/inspection_27207___article.html/newton_restaurant.html
This week we've got restaurant inspection scores from Jasper and Newton Counties.
Robert Wall is the restaurant inspector for the Jasper Newton Health Department.
We asked Robert for inspection reports from the past three months. He sent us 32 reports. The majority of those restaurants received perfect scores. 18 of 32 received 100's. The lowest inspection score over the past three months in Jasper and Newton Counties was a 90 and we'll begin there.
#1 HAMBURGER DEPOT 283 S. WHEELER JASPER/GRADE=90
Inspector Wall checked out the Hamburger Depot on South Wheeler and marked off points for used grease on the ground and fivegallon buckets were open with water and grease. He also said the portable fans needed to be cleaned. Hamburger Depot received a 90.
#2 MUGG SHOTZ PRIVATE CLUB 4080 U.S. HIGHWAY 96 SOUTH/GRADE=94
Next is Mugg Shotz Private Club on Highway 96 South. Inspector Wall said lights in the kitchen must have a cover over the bulbs. Those were his only comments. Mugg Shotz Private Club received a score of 94.
#3 SONIC 34910 U.S. HWY 96 SOUTH BUNA/GRADE=93
Now to Sonic on U.S. Highway 96 South in Buna. Inspector Wall said used grease needed to be cleaned off of a container outside. Sonic on Highway 96 South in Buna received a 93.
#4 LONE STAR BUFFET 500 S. WHEELER/GRADE=97
And finally to Lone Star Buffet on Wheeler. Inspector Wall found no paper towels in the employee rest room and waitress station. Lone Star Buffet received a 97.
DAVE'S JAVA CAFE
1904 S. MARGARET
KIRBYVILLE
GRADE=97
SONIC
909 S. MARGARET
KIRBYVILLE
GRADE=96
MAMA'S KOUNTRY KITCHEN
363 AND 87
BLEAKWOOD
GRADE=100
CITY CAFE
107 COURT ST.
NEWTON
GRADE=100
TAQUERIA TACOS
100 FM 363
KIRBYVILLE
GRADE=100
BUNA JUNIOR HIGH FOOD BAR
GRADE=96
BUNA ELEMENTARY CAFETERIA
GRADE=96
JASPER ISD ROWE CAFETERIA
GRADE=97
JASPER ISD CENTRAL KITCHEN
GRADE=97
JASPER JUNIOR HIGH CAFETERIA
GRADE=97
NEWTON JIFFY MARKET
200 HWY 87 N
NEWTON
GRADE=97
JASPER CENTER HEAD START
105 COLLIER
JASPER
GRADE=97
BUNA JUNIOR HIGH CAFETERIA
GRADE=100
BUNA HIGH SCHOOL
CAFETERIA
GRADE=100
DEWEYVILLE HIGH SCHOOL CAFETERIA
GRADE=100
DEWEYVILLE JUNIOR HIGH
GRADE=100
FROG'S SNOW CONES
MAIN AND 190
NEWTON
GRADE=100
DEWEYVILLE ELEMENTARY CAFETERIA
GRADE=100
JASPER HIGH SCHOOL
GRADE=100
JASPER ISD PARNELL CAFETERIA
GRADE=100
KIRBYVILLE ISD JUNIOR HIGH CAFETERIA
GRADE=100
JASPER ISD FEW CAFETERIA
GRADE=100
EAGLE'S NEST DAY CARE
190 EAST
NEWTON
GRADE=100
NEW BEGINNINGS CHRISTIAN DAY CARE
KIRBYVILLE
GRADE=100
LUPITA'S
726 COLLEGE
GRADE=100
KIRBYVILLE HIGH SCHOOL CAFETERIA
GRADE=100
KIRBYVILLE ELEMENTARY CAFETERIA
GRADE=100

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Shelf life evaluation for ready-to-eat sliced uncured turkey breast and cured ham under probable storage conditions based on Listeria monocytogenes and psychrotroph growth
15.aug.08
nternational Journal of Food Microbiolgy (Volume 126, Issues 1-2, Pages 1-262)
Amit Pala, Theodore P. Labuzaa and Francisco Diez-Gonzalez
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T7K-4SFG4HP-2&_user=10&_coverDate=08%2F15%2F2008&_rdoc=8&_fmt=high&_orig=browse&_srch=doc-info(%23toc%235061%232008%23998739998%23695025%23FLA%23display%23Volume)&_cdi=5061&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_ct
The growth variability of three Listeria monocytogenes ribotypes in ready-to-eat (RTE) sliced uncured turkey breast and cured ham was studied under storage conditions that RTE foods are likely to encounter. Three product treatments studied were: (1) a control; (2) a formulation subjected to high pressure processing to reduce initial microbial load (HPP); (3) a formulation containing 2.0% potassium lactate and 0.2% sodium diacetate (PL/SD). After separate inoculation with individual L. monocytogenes ribotypes and packaging each treatment under air and vacuum, the packages were stored at 4, 8, or 12 °C and the counts of L. monocytogenes and psychrotrophic bacteria (PPC) were determined for several weeks. The Baranyi model was used to estimate lag times and growth rates. Significant effect of strain difference was noted in both sliced products (P < 0.05). In the absence of antimicrobials (HPP and control), the growth rate (GR) of L. monocytogenes strains increment from 4 to 8 °C and from 8 to 12 °C was approximately 10 and 2 fold, respectively. The addition of PL/SD was effective in restricting the growth of L. monocytogenes and PPC at 4 °C, but at 8 and 12 °C significant growth was observed (more than 100-fold increase) (P < 0.05). In PL/SD samples, vacuum packaging slowed down the onset and the rate of growth of L. monocytogenes at 12 °C in sliced ham and at 8 and 12 °C in sliced turkey breast. Generally, the time to increase by 2-logs was greater in control samples than as observed in HPP-treated samples. When antimicrobials were present, the current results showed that L. monocytogenes was able to grow more than 100-fold within the typical quality-based shelf life of 60 to 90 days at 8 and 12 °C. The findings of this study should be useful in setting the duration of a safety-based shelf life for RTE sliced meat and poultry foods.

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An explanation for the effect of inoculum size on MIC and the growth/no growth interface
15.aug.08
Journal of Food Microbiolgy (Volume 126, Issues 1-2, Pages 1-262)
Eva Bidlasa, Tingting Dua and Ronald J.W. Lambert
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T7K-4SKB37X-1&_user=10&_coverDate=08%2F15%2F2008&_rdoc=22&_fmt=high&_orig=browse&_srch=doc-info(%23toc%235061%232008%23998739998%23695025%23FLA%23display%23Volume)&_cdi=5061&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_c
The inoculum effect (IE) is the phenomenon observed where changes in the inoculum size used in an experiment alters the outcome with respect to, for example, the minimum inhibitory concentration of an antimicrobial or the growth/no growth boundary for a given set of environmental conditions. Various hypotheses exist as to the cause of the IE such as population heterogeneity and quorum sensing, as well as the null hypothesis — that it is artefactual. Time to detection experiments (TTD) were carried out on different initial inoculum sizes of several bacterial species (Aeromonas hydrophila, Enterobacter sakazakii, Salmonella Poona, Escherichia coli and Listeria innocua) when challenged with different pH and with combined pH and sodium acetate. Data were modelled using a modification to a Gamma model (Lambert and Bidlas 2007, Int. J. Food Microbiology 115, 204–213), taking into account the inoculum size dependency on the TTD obtained under ideal conditions. The model suggests that changes in minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) or in the growth–no growth boundary with respect to inoculum size are due to using a smaller or larger inoculum (i.e. is directly related to microbial number) and is not due to other, suggested, phenomena. The model used further suggests that the effect of a changing inoculum size can be modelled independently of any other factor, which implies that a simple 1 to 2-day experiment measuring the TTD of various initial inocula can be used as an adjunct to currently available models.

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Growth of L. monocytogenes strain F2365 on ready-to-eat turkey meat does not enhance gastrointestinal listeriosis in intragastrically inoculated A/J mice
15.aug.08
Journal of Food Microbiolgy (Volume 126, Issues 1-2, Pages 1-262)
Luke D. Petersona, Nancy G. Faitha and Charles J. Czuprynski
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T7K-4SHMC9V-2&_user=10&_coverDate=08%2F15%2F2008&_rdoc=17&_fmt=high&_orig=browse&_srch=doc-info(%23toc%235061%232008%23998739998%23695025%23FLA%23display%23Volume)&_cdi=5061&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_c
There have been significant outbreaks of listeriosis associated with consumption of contaminated ready-to-eat (RTE) turkey meat products. In this study, we investigated whether growth on RTE deli turkey meat sends environmental signals to listerial cells that makes them more virulent in the gastrointestinal tract of mice. L. Listeria monocytogenes strain F2365 grew from a starting inoculum of 103 CFU/mL to final numbers of 108–109 CFU/mL (within 12 days at 10 °C) when inoculated onto sliced processed, or whole muscle, turkey breast, or into emulsified whole turkey breast. We did not observe any difference in the numbers of CFU recovered from the spleens and livers of A/J mice inoculated intragastrically with L. monocytogenes grown on sliced turkey meat, in emulsified turkey meat, or in brain heart infusion broth. These results suggest that growth on RTE sliced deli turkey, or in RTE emulsified deli turkey, does not enhance the ability of L. monocytogenes F2365 to cause gastrointestinal listeriosis in intragastrically challenged A/J mice.

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Prediction of an organism's inactivation patterns from three single survival ratios determined at the end of three non-isothermal heat treatments
15.aug.08
Journal of Food Microbiolgy (Volume 126, Issues 1-2, Pages 1-262)
Maria G. Corradini, Mark D. Normanda and Micha Peleg
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T7K-4SHF4B3-3&_user=10&_coverDate=08%2F15%2F2008&_rdoc=16&_fmt=high&_orig=browse&_srch=doc-info(%23toc%235061%232008%23998739998%23695025%23FLA%23display%23Volume)&_cdi=5061&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_c
Traditionally, an organism's heat resistance parameters have been determined from a set of experimental isothermal survival data. Sometimes, however, even approximating an isothermal profile, and/or obtaining counts at sufficiently short time intervals, is extremely difficult for technical and logistic reasons. The problem would be avoided if the survival parameters could be calculated from the final survival ratios determined at the end of non-isothermal heat treatments with known temperature profiles. Theoretically, if the heat resistance were characterized by three unknown survival parameters, they could be extracted by solving three simultaneous dynamic survival curves' equations. In practice, because of the three equation's complexity – they are themselves the numerical solutions of three differential rate equations – and because the experimental final survival ratios might have a scatter, realistic estimates of the survival parameters require short cut and averaging methods for their calculation. Such a method has been tried with published dynamic inactivation data on Salmonella enteritidis and Escherichia coli. The concept was validated by the ability of the Weibullian–Log logistic model, whose three survival parameters had been obtained directly from final experimental survival ratios only, to predict entire non-isothermal survival curves that had not been used in the model's formulation. The methodology need not be restricted to Weibullian and simpler survival patterns but its practicality might be lost if there are more than three survival parameters. In principle, the same procedure can be extended to biochemical processes that occur during heat preservation, especially at very high temperatures. Estimating inactivation kinetic parameters without isothermal data could also facilitate the quantification of microbial survival under realistic processing conditions and in the actual food rather than in a surrogate medium.

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Behavior of inactivation kinetics of Escherichia coli by dense phase carbon dioxide
15.aug.08
Journal of Food Microbiolgy (Volume 126, Issues 1-2, Pages 1-262)
Hongmei Liaoa, Yan Zhanga, Xiaosong Hua, Xiaojun Liao, Jihong Wu
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T7K-4SHF4B3-4&_user=10&_coverDate=08%2F15%2F2008&_rdoc=15&_fmt=high&_orig=browse&_srch=doc-info(%23toc%235061%232008%23998739998%23695025%23FLA%23display%23Volume)&_cdi=5061&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_c
Inactivation of Escherichia coli in cloudy apple juice by dense phase carbon dioxide (DPCD) was investigated. The pressures were 10, 20 and 30 MPa, the temperatures were 32, 37 and 42 °C. The inactivation kinetic behavior of E. coli conformed to a sigmoid curve with a shoulder and a tail, which was closely related with temperature or pressure. With the increase of temperature or pressure, the shoulder became unclear or even disappeared. The experimental data were well fitted to a model proposed by Xiong et al. [Xiong, R., Xie, G., Edmondson, A.E., Sheard, M.A., 1999. A mathematical model for bacterial inactivation. International Journal of Food Microbiology 46, 45–55], the kinetic parameters of tlag (the lag time length), f (the initial proportion of less resistant population), k1 (the inactivation rate constant of less resistant fraction) and k2 (the inactivation rate constant of resistant fraction), and t4 - D (the time required for an 4-log-cycle reduction of bacteria under a given condition) were obtained from this model. The tlag declined from 4.032 to 0.890 min and t4 - D from 54.955 to 18.840 min, k1 was 1.74–4.4 times of k2. Moreover, the model was validated by more experimental data, the accuracy factor (Af), bias factor (Bf), root mean square error (RMSE), sum of squares (SS), and correlation coefficient (R2) were used to evaluate this model performance, indicating that the model could provide a good fitting to the experimental data.

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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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