FSnet Aug. 3/08

UK: Deadly salmonella outbreak investigation by health officials

HEALTH HAZARD ALERT - Santa Maria queijo de cabra (fresh goat cheese) may contain listeria monocytogenes

E. coli outbreak

Public health investigating E. coli outbreak

VIRGINIA: More cases of E. coli linked to Va. camp: Beef meals pulled from scout menu

GEORGIA: Restaurant reopens after e-coli scare

TAIWAN: Taipei soy products fail to meet safety standards: Self-Preservation: The head of the Food and Drug Division of the health department urged people to rinse tofu for at least 20 minutes prior to eating it

PENNSYLVANIA: Raw-milk advocates hold seminar in Lebanon County

COLORADO: Man sues Wal-Mart over tainted peppers

FLORIDA: Farmers concerned over food safety and fair competition

WASHINGTON pea-lentil, asparagus boards to receive federal grants

A big bowl of wrong

BLOG: Food safety system plays 'outbreak roulette' -- one spin and you're bankrupt

UK: Warning over second wave of CJD cases: Scientists say that threat of brain illness returning will persist for decades

Salt in bacon is keeping you healthy, say meat firms

FDA advises against consumption of Tomalley from American Lobster (also known as "Maine Lobster")

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UK: Deadly salmonella outbreak investigation by health officials
02.aug.08
Telegraph
Rebecca Smith
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2485173/Deadly-salmonella-outbreak-investigation-by-health-officials.html
So far there have been 114 confirmed cases across the country and affecting all ages from an eight-month-old baby to a 94-year-old.
The strain has been identified as the one which is most commonly associated with eating undercooked chicken and eggs.
Only cases where people have gone to their GP and samples have been sent for analysis have been recorded and it is thought around three times that number could have fallen ill but not sought medical attention.
Experts would normally expect around 106 cases across the whole year and around 43 by this point in the year.
Cases have increased sharply over the last six weeks and the Health Protection Agency has now launched an investigation
It is not yet known what the source of the outbreak is and people who have fallen ill are being questioned about what they have eaten recently in order to try and find a pattern.
A rise in salmonella cases is expected in the summer as more people barbecue their food which increases the likelihood of undercooking meat and cross contamination between cooked and uncooked foods.
But this pattern of cases is above the seasonal average.
Because there have been cases across the whole of England and in Wales the source could be linked to a national chain of restaurants or a supplier of restaurants, a spokeswoman for the HPA said.
The highest number of cases have been reported in Yorkshire and Humberside where there has been 22 confirmed cases and in the South East with 21 people falling ill.
But the South West and the North East have largely escaped with only three cases each.
The suspected outbreak has been caused by the enteritidis type 12 strain of the bug and most people responded well to standard antibiotics.



 
HEALTH HAZARD ALERT - Santa Maria queijo de cabra (fresh goat cheese) may contain listeria monocytogenes
02.aug.08
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/causee.shtml
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Portuguese Cheese Co. are warning the public not to consume Santa Maria brand Queijo de Cabra (fresh goat cheese) because it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
The affected product is sold in 350 g packages bearing a Best Before Date of 08AU02, lot no. 628 and UPC 0 68168 00073 7.
This product has been distributed in Ontario and Quebec.
There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.
Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled. Consumption of food contaminated with this bacteria may cause listeriosis, a foodborne illness. Listeriosis can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. Pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk. Infected pregnant women may experience only a mild, flu-like illness, however, infections during pregnancy can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth.
The manufacturer, Portuguese Cheese Co., Toronto, ON, is voluntarily recalling the affected product from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.
For more information, consumers and industry can call one of the following numbers:
The Portuguese Cheese Co. Inc. at (416) 259- 4349 (9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday.
CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).
For information on Listeria monocytogenes, visit the Food Facts web page
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/causee.shtml.
For information on receiving recalls by e-mail, or for other food safety facts, visit our web site at www.inspection.gc.ca.



 
E. coli outbreak
02.aug.08
University of Guelph
http://www.wdghu.org/page.cfm?id=1523&newsID=118&a=1
We are investigating an E. coli outbreak connected with the University of Guelph foodservice operation. We would like to talk to anyone who:
· ate any food prepared at the University of Guelph from July 21, 2008 to now
AND
· has had or currently has diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea or vomiting.
Please call Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health at 1-877-884-8653.
If you or a family member have any of the symptoms, it is important to wash your hands often. Good handwashing after going to the bathroom and before preparing food will help prevent the spread of the bacteria.
For more information about E. coli go to www.wdghu.org.
-30-
Contact:
Cameron Clark
Program Manager
Health Protection Division
519-820-2596
cameron.clark@wdghu.org



 
Public health investigating E. coli outbreak
02.aug.08
University of Guelph
http://www.uoguelph.ca/news/2008/08/public_health_i.html
In the interests of the health of our community, the University is posting this bulletin. Representatives of Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health are investigating a possible E. coli outbreak.
Symptoms of E. coli include diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea and/or vomiting.
If you or a family member recently had, or currently has any of those symptoms, please call Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health at 1-877-844-8653.
For more information about E. coli go to www.wdghu.org



 
VIRGINIA: More cases of E. coli linked to Va. camp: Beef meals pulled from scout menu
02.aug.08
Washington Post
Jonathan Mummolo
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/01/AR2008080101866.html?hpid=sec-health
Health officials said yesterday that they had not identified what made people sick at a Scout camp in Goshen, Va., last week, but that the number of people who contracted the E. coli infection has grown to at least 18, with two boys in the most serious condition.
The Virginia Department of Health began receiving reports of sick children Sunday, when boys from about 70 troops and some adults returned home after a week at the Goshen Scout Reservation near Lexington, Va. Almost all of the confirmed cases were in Northern Virginia, but as many as 60 people who attended the camp also have exhibited symptoms, officials said.
Christopher Novak, a Health Department epidemiologist, said about 30 employees were investigating the outbreak, interviewing Scout troops and taking stool samples from those with symptoms.
Novak said a possible source was food in foil-packaged meals that included ground beef and vegetables. The camp staple, typically cooked over a fire by Scouts, is not problematic if cooked long enough and at the right temperature, Novak said.
In a written statement, Alan Lambert, Scout executive with the Boy Scouts of America's National Capital Area Council, said Scout leaders have been contacting potentially affected troops and encouraging them to seek medical attention if showing symptoms.
"Our goal is to reach out personally to every family affected by this incident and to assist as necessary while the boys recover," Lambert wrote. Goshen comprises six Scout camps and serves 6,000 children each summer.



 
GEORGIA: Restaurant reopens after e-coli scare
02.aug.08
WALB.com
Wainwright Jeffers
http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=8779283&nav=5kZQ
Albany, GA -- A Colquitt County restaurant that closed it's doors a month ago because of an e-coli contamination is now back open for business.
The Barbecue Pit in Moultrie voluntarily closed after health officials pinpointed the restaurant as the source of an e-coli outbreak.
It's the first day of business for the Barbeque Pit in four weeks, and all day Saturday they've seen a steady pace of customers.
"When I found out what day they were open I called eleven or twelve people, just to make sure they saw it even if they didn't get the news paper," said Ernie Feille, customer.
After several people were sickened because of e-coli Health Officials found a common link, they all ate at The Barbecue Pit.
"The health department when they did come, we decided to voluntarily shut down because we are concerned about our customers safety and we didn't want any body else to get sick," said Nina Hall, The Barbeque Pit.
Owners say the restaurant will no longer grind their own meat, at risk associated with possibly receiving bad meat.




 
TAIWAN: Taipei soy products fail to meet safety standards: Self-Preservation: The head of the Food and Drug Division of the health department urged people to rinse tofu for at least 20 minutes prior to eating it
03.aug.08
Taipei Times
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2008/08/03/2003419312
In a test of 61 soybean-based products in Taipei City, nearly 20 percent did not meet food safety standards, the Taipei Department of Health said yesterday.
Food and Drug Division head Chiang Yu-mei (姜郁美) said that of 61 samples taken from locations around the city in June, 12 were substandard.
Six of the samples contained excessive levels of the food preservative benzoic acid and another six contained hydrogen peroxide, which is banned from use in foods, she said.
Five of the subpar samples came from Huan-nan Market in Wanhua District (萬華). Many soy products sold at Taipei markets are processed at factories in Dasi Township (大溪), Taoyuan County.
Hydrogen peroxide, which is chiefly used to kill bacteria and as a bleaching agent, is harmful if ingested in large amounts. Some of the symptoms of ingesting the chemical include headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and ulcers, Chiang said.



 
PENNSYLVANIA: Raw-milk advocates hold seminar in Lebanon County
02.aug.08
The Patriot-News
Monica Von Dobeneck
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2008/08/rawmilk_advocates_hold_seminar.html
The raw-milk advocates who gathered at Cedar Crest High School Saturday say it's healthy. The state Department of Health says it's not. And state Sen. Mike Folmer, R-Lebanon County, says the government has no business telling people what to eat or drink. When Folmer scheduled the full-day session on raw milk, he called it the "Freedom and Liberty Seminar."
About 300 people attended Saturday's seminar, hearing from people who spoke about health, the state constitution and the legal avenues for fighting government regulation. About half the attendees were farmers, including many Amish and Mennonite.
The Centers for Disease Control has documented 68 outbreaks of illness related to raw milk between 1993 and 2006. Pennsylvania had an outbreak in 2007 resulting in 29 illnesses and another in 2008 resulting in 70 illnesses, according to a health department spokeswoman.
Sally Morell, keynote speaker at Saturday's seminar, said those figures are nonsense. She said the government never proved the connection between illnesses and raw milk in those cases.
She said raw milk has more nutrients and vitamins than pasteurized, contains no artificial hormones, and comes from cows kept on pastures instead of factory farms.
Government inspections don't ensure safety, she said. "Other foods cause 2,000 times more illness than raw milk," she said.



 
COLORADO: Man sues Wal-Mart over tainted peppers
02.aug.08
Washington Post
Ylan Q. Mui
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/01/AR2008080103454.html?hpid=sec-health
A Colorado man is suing Wal-Mart and an unnamed supplier, saying that he fell ill after eating jalapeño peppers bought from the company tainted with the same strain of salmonella that has infected more than 1,300 people over the past three months.
Brian Grubbs' wife purchased the peppers at a Wal-Mart store in Cortez, Colo., on June 26, according to the lawsuit. Grubbs eats them raw on sandwiches and said in the suit that within a few days he began experiencing diarrhea, vomiting and nausea, among other symptoms. He also claimed that he was severely dehydrated and could not walk without assistance.
Tests of his stool and the peppers were positive for Salmonella saintpaul, according to the lawsuit. Federal health officials on Wednesday identified jalapeño and serrano peppers from a Mexican farm as the source of the outbreak, which initially was linked to tomatoes.
The suit, filed yesterday in U.S. District Court in Colorado, alleges that Wal-Mart and its supplier were negligent in distributing and selling tainted peppers and liable for the quality of its merchandise, among other claims.
"Hopefully, this lawsuit will send Wal-Mart a bit of a message that they are just as responsible as the farmer in Mexico for providing healthful food," attorney William Marler said.
Wal-Mart spokeswoman Daphne Davis Moore said the retailer had not yet reviewed the suit and would not comment on Grubbs' claims. She said the company destroyed all Mexico-grown jalapeños following a U.S. Food and Drug Administration warning on July 25.
"Obviously, food safety is very important to us. It's a matter we take very seriously," she said. "We'll take a very close look at it."



 
FLORIDA: Farmers concerned over food safety and fair competition
03.aug.08
Newssun.com
Christopher Tuffley
http://www.newssun.com/0803-ct-tomatoes
Sebring -- A small group of concerned tomato growers traveled from as far as Hillsborough, Lee and Manatee counties for an opportunity to talk with Congressman Tim Mahoney (D-Stuart) at the Highlands Agri-Civic Center Saturday morning. Mahoney is the only Florida representative on the House Agriculture Committee, and the growers wanted him to know just how difficult and expensive it is to get their product raised and brought to market. This has been the most expensive year putting crops in, he was told.
With fuel costs still high many small, independent growers, and even larger farms, are having trouble maintaining a healthy profit margin.
The recent tomato scare, brought about during an outbreak of salmonella poisoning -- which for a time was blamed on tomatoes -- cost the industry nationally, $300 to $400 million the growers said. Florida was especially hard hit because the outbreak timed with the harvest. It was the kind of hit, the growers made clear, that could put a struggling business under.
While there is a possibilty the Congress might compensate growers for their losses, Mahoney made it clear it was not a sure thing -- the issue in question being whether taxpayers should bail out private growers.
What has the growers most upset, however, is that most American farms have put safety measures into place, including sophisticated tracking systems should problems develop, but that those systems were not used by the regulatory agencies to discover the culprit in the salmonella case. Instead, a blanket warning was issued affecting every tomato grower in the country, and the tomato market is still 30 percent off, even after Mexican peppers were found to be at fault.
"I don't know of many farmers that can't track each box of tomatoes," Gene McAvoy said. McAvoy is the regional vegetable extension agent, working out of Hendry County.
Yet, he said the investigators looking into the outbreak used what he characterized as the old-fashioned method of investigation -- starting at the patient and tracing back to the restaurant, the supplier and finally the farm.
Charles Stump, a tomato grower from Ruskin, said, "We don't get anything from safety (and the money we invest in it). From day one of the outbreak in New Mexico, tomato production was shut down in Florida."
Stump wanted to know what the point of a tracking system was, if it isn't used.
He also pointed out, with the other growers quickly agreeing, that American regulations were costly enough to make it difficult to compete.



 
WASHINGTON pea-lentil, asparagus boards to receive federal grants
02.aug.08
Tri-City Herald
Mary Hopkin
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/915/story/260757.html
Two Washington agriculture commissions will receive marketing grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The Washington Asparagus Commission and the Washington Dry Pea and Lentil Commission were among more than two dozen recipients of the grants announced Friday by Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer.
"Farmers are the first important part of the chain of food production and these USDA matching grants support new and practical links from farm to market,'' Schafer said in a statement.
The Washington Asparagus Commission and the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board will receive $55,740 to educate growers and handlers about food safety issues, create a comprehensive food safety manual, and help growers prepare for food safety certification.
"Food safety requirements are rapidly changing because of public concerns," said Alan Schreiber, executive director of the Washington Asparagus Commission.
Schreiber said although the U.S. asparagus industry hasn't experienced any food safety issues, industry leaders want to make sure their product continues to stay safe.
"We are going to bring in food safety experts and have a conference for the asparagus industry and pay experts to help growers and handlers adopt safe agriculture and handling practices," he said.
The Washington Asparagus Commission is taking the lead in the project, but is working with growers in Michigan to create guidelines that will be used throughout the industry.



 
A big bowl of wrong
02.aug.08
Fresh Talk
http://freshtalk.blogspot.com/2008/08/big-bowl-of-wrong.html
As the salmonella saintpaul investigation dragged the tomato industry kicking & screaming into its third month, we entered the theatre of the bizarre in our nation's capital.
The Thursday hearings by the House Agriculture Committee were enlightening, poisoning, mis-informative & important all at the same time. Admittedly, it was insufferingly boring & pedantic at times, but there was no question we were viewing high drama when Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI), tomato in hand, lasered in on Dr. David Acheson of the FDA with these words:
"Why can't you clear tomatoes at this time?"
A pregnant pause ensued, then Acheson went into his patented doublespeak, blaming the CDC, the methodology, the geographical logistics, everything except Greenwich Mean Time for not coming up with the jalapeno/serrano pepper connection sooner.
In fact, in the same way that the FDA's planet-aligning breaking news regarding the peppers had come mere hours before Acheson's testimony Wednesday, I was half-expecting a messenger on horseback to break through the doors of the Rayburn building with up-to-the-minute findings to bail out his tail again.
For awhile during Friday's hearing, Acheson was under the gun to the extent that I almost started to feel sorry for him. Almost. His forehead was full of these horizontal lines, and he looked like he was in the throes of Excedrin headache #459. But my temporary insanity & sympathy ended once and for all when Acheson spoke to reporters after the hearings.
(From AOL News) "I don't think we can say that (tomatoes) were needlessly dumped," Acheson told reporters after the hearing. "The early part of the investigation clearly implicated tomatoes."
'Don't think that they were needlessly dumped'. Think about that one for a minute. That singular statement means that, according to this guy, there was a need to destroy millions of dollars of pristine merchandise just because some flawed statistical analysis by some bureaucrat thousands of miles away thought it the right thing to do, for 'the public good'.
See, that's their out, Acheson's FDA & the CDC & any other government agency lacking the moral DNA to ever admit a mistake. That's always their out, in the same way that Richard Nixon condoned the Watergate coverup under the guise of national security. Without even a scent of responsibility-taking, they threw the industry under the bus as naturally as they breathe.
What these hearings needed was a real live wire, someone not familiar with Robert's Rules of Order, a pure produce guy who went through these weeks of hell on earth, who didn't sleep at night wondering how all this got out of his control. You know, someone possessing the kind of rabid passion that comes from not knowing if he'll have a job when the sun rises the next morning.
Then maybe Dr. Acheson wouldn't have been able to skate so freely after the hearings as he did.
Later,
Jay



 
BLOG: Food safety system plays 'outbreak roulette' -- one spin and you're bankrupt
02.aug.08
FresnoBee.com
Gail Marshall
http://www.fresnobeehive.com/opinion/2008/08/food_safety_system_plays_outbr.htmlhttp://www.fresnobeehive.com/opinion/2008/08/food_safety_system_plays_outbr.html
Today's Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down editorial thumps the Food and Drug Administration for botching the salmonella investigation. Rep. Dennis Cardoza was very direct about the mess at a hearing on Thursday:
Remember spinach? So did he.
"Frankly, I would just like to hear what in the heck went wrong? We all sat here, a little more than a year ago and had nearly the same conversation about spinach. Was nothing learned from that experience? Were we any better prepared this time?", said Cardoza. "You could describe our current food safety system as 'outbreak roulette'. One spin of the outbreak wheel and your industry may be bankrupt, your loved ones sickened. This is unacceptable, and we need to take steps to improve the response of government and industry to foodborne illness outbreaks."
Amen to that one.
Here is a full copy of Cardoza's opening statement. And you can get a full copy of testimony provided by the witnesses on the committee Web site here.
We are holding this hearing in the midst of one of the most costly and disruptive food illness outbreaks in recent memory.
Since April, almost 1,300 Americans in 42 states and the District of Columbia have been infected with Salmonella Saintpaul.
This outbreak was first identified May 21 by the New Mexico Department of Health. As the number of cases mounted, state officials alerted the CDC of the outbreak. Meanwhile, but unbeknownst to New Mexico officials, authorities in Texas also alerted the CDC that similar cases had emerged in their State.
The investigation faltered almost from the beginning as health officials in both states began asking patients what they ate before they became ill. They used standard questionnaires which list the major--but NOT all--food items that patients may have consumed.
The questionnaire listed peppers, but not specifically jalapeno peppers--a food commonly consumed in the Southwest. But a number of those affected remembered eating tomatoes. So with little else to go on, FDA issued a nationwide warning linking consumption of certain raw red tomatoes to the outbreak of salmonella Saintpaul.
Hundreds of miles away, however, a different conclusion was being reached in Minnesota. A cluster of salmonella Saintpaul cases emerged in connection with a local Mexican restaurant. Among the customers and employees sickened, jalapenos were the common thread.
So over TWO MONTHS after the first outbreak began, over a thousand illnesses reported and hundreds of millions in losses to tomato farmers later, jalapeno peppers were implicated by FDA as the source of the current outbreak.
This missed connection between jalapenos as the ultimate source of the outbreak is extremely troubling.
Clearly serious flaws continue to exist in the methodology used by some States to collect primary epidemiological data. Furthermore, the process used by the CDC to verify and refine the collected data calls into serious question the effectiveness of communications between the States, CDC and FDA.
I want to note for the record that both the Texas and New Mexico Department of Health were invited to serve as hearing witnesses, but unfortunately both declined due to scheduling conflicts.
Given the FDA's reversal on the source of the outbreak, I am extremely interested to hear from FDA and CDC regarding the performance of the survey instruments, the methodology employed in interviewing the patients and the sampling protocols.
Frankly, I would just like to hear what in the heck went wrong??
We all sat here, a little more than a year ago and had nearly the SAME conversation about spinach. Was nothing learned from that experience? Were we any better prepared this time?
What was particularly troubling to me as I watched salmonella investigation drag on and on and the illnesses and losses mount, is the federal government's continued inability to effectively and accurately trace products from the retail level back through the supply chain to its origin.
Some food safety experts that we will hear from today assert that these trace-back efforts have been hampered by a lack of uniform recordkeeping or product descriptions. Or that trace back requirements within the 2002 Bioterrorism Act has been both poorly implemented and poorly enforced by FDA.
But Industry officials on the other hand claim trace-back efforts in this current outbreak have worked well and as expected.
As expected, there is disagreement and hopefully today we can stop the rhetoric that has been circulating around this investigation and start working on solution. Because there is no disagreement that the status quo cannot and must not continue.
The poor handling of this outbreak has confused consumers and damaged producers. You could describe our current food safety system as "outbreak roulette". One spin of the outbreak wheel and your industry may be bankrupt, your loved ones sickened. This is unacceptable, and we need to take steps to improve the response of government and industry to foodborne illness outbreaks.
We must stop being reactive and waste precious time pointing fingers as soon as an outbreak occurs. The House-passed version of the Farm Bill tried to take a step in this direction by allowing marketing orders to include food safety protocols. I strongly supported this provision, with the hope that growers could fill the void of food safety while Congress debated the merits of overhauling our current tracking systems. Because tracking only solves the mystery after a health problem has broken out. That's helpful, but the marketing order approach helps improve grower and shipper practices before consumption and before a possible outbreak.
Unfortunately, that provision lost out in the strange dance we called "Conference". And, as such, the status quo for food safety remains in place.
But marketing orders and cultural practices are only part of the story. Today we are here to take a closer look at the legal and technological capacity for traceability in fresh produce, we have four very distinguished panels to hear from today. This hearing is purposely structured to include members of Congress, agencies, industry, scientists and consumer interests.
We all have a role to play in re-examining and reshaping this country's food safety system.



 
UK: Warning over second wave of CJD cases: Scientists say that threat of brain illness returning will persist for decades
03.aug.08
The Observer
Robin McKie
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/aug/03/bse.medicalresearch
Doctors and scientists have warned that a second wave of CJD cases could sweep Britain over the next two to three decades. The initial outbreak of the fatal brain illness peaked several years ago but could break out again, they argue.
The prediction comes as officials consider ending some of the research projects that were set up to improve understanding of CJD - Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease - and the closely related illness in cows, BSE.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs confirmed last week that some experiments aimed at providing detailed data on ways in which cattle could be struck by infectious particles, or prions, would soon be wound up. 'Where cattle are approaching 10 years old, we will probably need to end the experiments in the next year or so,' said a spokesman.
It is estimated that cases of BSE - bovine spongiform encephalopathy - have cost the European Union €80bn (£65bn). However, the condition has since been eliminated in UK cattle and numbers of human cases have declined dramatically. Health officials are now examining expenditure on the screening of blood, beef and surgical instruments.
Neurobiologist Professor Colin Blakemore of Oxford University, former head of the Medical Research Council (MRC), said: 'We have to ask just how much effort and money we should be putting into dealing with BSE and its human counterpart, variant CJD. Either the epidemic is all over and we have nothing to worry about, or we may be facing a second wave among humans. We are going to have to work out the risks very carefully.'



 
Salt in bacon is keeping you healthy, say meat firms
02.aug.08
Times Online
Valerie Elliott
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/real_food/article4446165.ece
Moves to cut salt levels in bacon and ham risk increasing potentially fatal cases of the paralysing food bug botulism, the Food Standards Agency has been warned.
Ham processors are particularly concerned at moves to reduce salt content to 2.13g per 100g by 2010 and to 1.75g by 2012. They said their concern was not because of a resistance to change, but was related to the health risks.
Other food sectors are also unhappy about the revised salt reduction targets from the watchdog, which they insist are putting consumers off sandwiches and ready meals.
The issue threatens to create a rift between the food industry and the agency. But health campaigners are urging the FSA to stand firm and to resist what they say is scaremongering from an industry reluctant to change its manufacturing practices.



 
FDA advises against consumption of Tomalley from American Lobster (also known as "Maine Lobster")
01.aug.08
FDA
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01866.html
Regulators find dangerous levels of toxins that cause Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning in tomalley of American Lobsters. This advisory applies only to tomalley and not to lobster meat.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today warned consumers to avoid eating tomalley from American Lobster, regardless of where the lobster was harvested, because of potential contamination with dangerous levels of the toxins that cause Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP).
American lobster are harvested from the waters of the Atlantic Ocean from Northeastern Canada to South Carolina, inclusive.
The FDA advisory applies only to tomalley, the soft, green substance found in the body cavity of the lobster that functions as the liver and pancreas. Cooking does not eliminate the PSP toxins. However, studies have shown that, even when high levels of PSP toxins are present in lobster tomalley, lobster meat itself is typically unaffected. There is no indication that consumers need to be concerned about PSP toxicity in lobster meat.
Symptoms of PSP include tingling and/or numbness of the mouth, face or neck; muscle weakness; headache; and nausea. In extreme cases, when large amounts of the toxin are consumed, these symptoms can lead to respiratory failure and death. Symptoms usually occur within two hours of exposure to the toxin. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should seek medical attention.
PSP toxins normally occur from time to time in clams and other shellfish and are carefully monitored by state regulatory authorities. The FDA learned of this problem after routine sampling conducted by regulatory authorities in Maine and New Hampshire found dangerous levels of the toxins in lobster tomalley. Some shellfish beds have been closed in recent months due to elevated levels of PSP toxins.
Lobster tomalley normally does not contain dangerous levels of PSP toxins. The current high levels of PSP toxins likely are associated with an ongoing red tide episode in northern New England and eastern Canada. Canadian authorities recommend limited consumption of lobster tomalley. However, authorities in Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire have issued advisories cautioning against eating any tomalley.
For more on seafood safety, please refer to http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/seafood1.html.
 


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archived at http://archives.foodsafety.ksu.edu/fsnet-archives.htm