FSnet Aug. 9/08 -- II

UK: Sandwich chain supplier linked to outbreak of salmonella

CONNECTICUT: State: E. coli came from 1 cow at town farm dairy

SCOTLAND: Focus on nurses in war on bugs

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Compulsory hygiene course for food workers

KANSAS: Market business ripens

TEXAS: Whole Foods Market(R) voluntarily recalls fresh ground beef

TENNESSEE: Mars Petcare US issues voluntary recall of limited bags of PEDIGREE(R) Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites at Albertsons in southern California and Las Vegas due to possible Salmonella contamination

ONTARIO: Raw milk debate rages on

ONTARIO: Raw milk in cheeses doesn't pose same risk, prof says

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UK: Sandwich chain supplier linked to outbreak of salmonella
09.aug.08
The Independent
Martin Hickman
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/sandwich-chain-supplier-linked-to-outbreak-of-salmonella-889365.html
A fatal salmonella outbreak across the British Isles that has infected 90 people may be linked to sandwiches sold by Subway.
Laboratory tests have shown a link between cases of illness and one of the US sandwich chain's ingredient suppliers. Cooked beef, chicken and bacon have been impounded at Dawn Farm Foods in Co Kildare, Ireland.
As a precaution, Subway has removed batches of its Philly Style Steak and Chicken Fajita sandwiches from its 1,250 shops in the UK and Ireland. Other sandwich shops may also have bought the potentially contaminated meat.
The discovery could end the mystery of what had caused the outbreak of a new strain of Salmonella agona. The average age of victims has been 29 but a one-year-old baby has also fallen victim to the bug. Salmonella poisoning was a contributory factor in the death of a woman in her seventies at Royal Liverpool University Hospital.
It is thought the cooked food supplied to Subway would have been reheated in store. Alan Reilly, a spokesman for the FSAI, said: "This is a highly complicated outbreak investigation, focusing on products from one thermal processing line with a complex food distribution chain."



 
CONNECTICUT: State: E. coli came from 1 cow at town farm dairy
09.aug.08
Courant.com
Regine Labossiere
http://www.courant.com/news/local/fv/hc-simdairy0809.artaug09,0,2888400.story
SIMSBURY -- The state Department of Agriculture was cited as saying Friday that the E. coli outbreak that seriously sickened five people who drank raw milk from the Town Farm Dairy most likely came from one cow.
The agency conducted numerous tests of the farm's cows, property and equipment and found the infection in the fecal matter of one of the cows.
"We're not sure about how the bacteria got into the milk. No matter how clean you are on a farm, there's still some possibility that you're going to get bacteria into the milk," said Dr. Bruce Sherman, a veterinarian and the director of the bureau of regulation and inspection for the state agency.
Raw milk is not treated to kill potentially harmful bacteria, but its fans say it has better flavor and is more nutritious than pasteurized milk.
"We didn't find anything glaringly wrong that they were doing at Town Farm Dairy," Sherman said. "... It's just that retail raw milk for human consumption is always a risk."
The Farmington Valley residents who decided five years ago to take over the popular Town Farm Dairy and turned it into a thriving farm and creamery worry that all their work could be ruined by the one sick cow.
"Devastating, absolutely devastating, literally sick to my stomach," was Bruce Sullivan's reaction to news of the E. coli outbreak a few weeks ago, he said.



 
SCOTLAND: Focus on nurses in war on bugs
07.aug.08
Evening Times
John McCann
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/display.var.2419757.0.focus_on_nurses_in_war_on_bugs.php
CLEANING standards for nurses' uniforms are being reviewed over fears that a lack of hygiene could put Scots patients at risk.
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said she was concerned that nurses were taking their uniforms home to launder them, saying the practice damaged public confidence in measures to prevent the spread of hospital acquired infections such as MRSA and clostridium difficile.
And she said too many staff still fail to wash their hands between patients.
The minister was speaking at the annual review of NHS Lanarkshire.



 
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Compulsory hygiene course for food workers
09.aug.08
The National
Roland Hughes and Jen Gerson
http://www.thenational.ae/article/20080809/NATIONAL/645571758/-1/ART
ABU DHABI -- All food industry workers in the emirate must undergo compulsory training from today under measures introduced by the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority.
Courses for workers in kitchens, cafes, restaurants and many other locations will begin in the capital this morning, the government news agency WAM reported yesterday.
The certification programme, coupled with a number of other steps taken by the Food Control Authority in recent months, aims to ensure that food outlets and everyone involved in the industry observe the highest hygiene standards.
Companies that do not ensure their staff have the certificate risk being fined, although no sums were disclosed yesterday.
One of the men running the courses said the certification programme was an inevitable consequence of the way Abu Dhabi was developing as a global city.
The courses, which will last a minimum of six hours, will be followed by an exam held at Al Hosn University, either in Abu Dhabi or Al Ain.
Staff will be trained in how to handle food correctly, with the authority aiming for everyone working in the industry in the emirate to be trained by 2012.
The new courses, run by three Abu Dhabi companies and to be held throughout the emirate, will be conducted in a variety of languages, including English and Arabic.



 
KANSAS: Market business ripens
09.aug.08
Wichita Eagle
Jeannine Koranda and Beccy Tanner
http://www.kansas.com/living/home_garden/story/488530.html
Drawn by homegrown taste, health concerns and a desire to buy locally, people across the state are flocking to farmers markets today -- if they didn't visit one earlier in the week. "There is more quality control here," said Karen Monteith, who bought vegetables Wednesday at the Kansas Grown Farmers Market at 21st and Ridge Road. "There is pride in ownership. It's not the mass marketing. And you know the food is safe."
The number of markets statewide has tripled in the past 20 years to 79 this year. In Wichita, markets have expanded from their traditional Saturday to other days of the week.
Organizers don't count how many visit the markets, but observers say they are popular.
"The last three to four weeks we've had tremendous crowds," said John Ruebke, owner of Ruebke Landscaping in Hesston and head of the membership committee for the Kansas Grown market.
With the sagging economy and concerns over salmonella, more people have been coming to his stands, he said.
"The scares have helped farmers' needs. At least here, people know they are getting safe vegetables," he said.
Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Adrian Polansky touted the markets' benefits while visiting a mid-week market adjacent to the Statehouse in Topeka.
"It's a win for farmers and producers in the local community that have an opportunity to market direct to consumers," he said.
Polansky also thought people were drawn by concerns about food safety and the chance to meet the grower face to face.
"There are many people that are more comfortable with that locally grown fresh food, they can connect with the producer, they can ask how it was produced," he said.



 
TEXAS: Whole Foods Market(R) voluntarily recalls fresh ground beef
08.aug.08
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Shashikant Kulkarni
Austin, Texas -- Today, Whole Foods Market announced a voluntary multi state recall of the fresh ground beef it has sold between June 2 and August 6, 2008 because of a concern that it may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 bacteria. Whole Foods Market is informed that the beef in question apparently came from Coleman Natural Beef whose Nebraska Beef processing plant was previously subject to a nationwide recall for E. coli O157:H7 contamination.
At this time, although the illnesses allegedly linked to Whole Foods Market are in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, it is broadening the voluntary recall to the following states out of an abundance of caution: Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, Massachusetts, Florida, New Jersey, New York, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington D. C., Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Canada.
Whole Foods Market asks customers who may have ground beef purchased during these dates (including in the freezer) to dispose of the product and return to the store with the packaging or receipt for a full refund.
The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.
For information on E. coli O157:H7, visit the Food Facts web page at http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/cause/ecolie.shtml
For more information, consumers and industry can call the 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 receiving recalls by e-mail, or for other food safety facts, visit our website at www.inspection.gc.ca.



 
TENNESSEE: Mars Petcare US issues voluntary recall of limited bags of PEDIGREE(R) Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites at Albertsons in southern California and Las Vegas due to possible Salmonella contamination
08.aug.08
Mars Petcare US
PR Newswire
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/mars-petcare-us-issues-voluntary,499581.shtml
FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- Mars Petcare US today announced a voluntary recall of limited bags of PEDIGREE(R) Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites sold in Albertsons stores in Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. The pet food is being voluntarily recalled because of potential contamination with Salmonella. There have been no complaints or reports of injury resulting from consumption or handling of the recalled product.
The product should not be sold or fed to pets. Pet owners should dispose of product in a safe manner (example, a securely covered trash receptacle) and return the empty bag to the store where purchased for a full refund.
Salmonella can cause serious infections in dogs and cats, and, if there is cross contamination caused by handling of the pet food, in people as well, especially children, the aged, and people with compromised immune systems.
Healthy people potentially infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. On rare occasions, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.
Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Animals can be carriers with no visible symptoms and potentially infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.
Recalled Pet Food
Product: PEDIGREE(R) Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites
Size: 20-pound bags
UPC Code: 23100 14719
Lot Code: 830BFCAT02
Best Buy Date: 07/2009
Best Buy Date Location: Back of bag
Affected Stores: Albertsons locations in Southern California and Las
Vegas.
In an effort to prevent the transmission of Salmonella from pets to family members and care givers, the FDA recommends that everyone follow appropriate pet food handling guidelines when feeding their pets. A list of safe pet food handling tips can be found at:
www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/petfoodtips080307.html
Pet owners who have questions about the recall should call 1-877-568-4463 or visit www.petcare.mars.com.



 
ONTARIO: Raw milk debate rages on
09.aug.08
TheRecord.com
Luisa D'Amato
http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/395905
Deborah Jones pours her two-year-old daughter a big glass of illegal raw milk.
She watches approvingly as Ella gulps down the drink, which is considered so dangerous it's against the law to sell it.
Public health inspectors agree that raw milk can make you sick, even kill you. The unpasteurized milk can contain deadly bacteria like E. coli.
But Jones says it's a live, healthy product, far better for her family than the "dead, highly processed" pasteurized milk available in stores.
The Winterbourne mom can't even digest pasteurized milk.
Jones, her husband Oliver Gessner, and Ella together drink about 3.8 litres of raw milk a week that they get from Durham-area farmer Michael Schmidt.
They also get about a litre a week of soft, unripened cheese made from that same milk.
Art Hill, a University of Guelph food science professor, says most of the enzymes in raw milk, which some consumers say aid in digestion, would be killed once they reached the stomach.
Hill grew up on a farm and drank raw milk without any problems. People develop immunity over time to the bacteria in it, he says.
Hill isn't opposed to legalizing raw milk, as long as it's tested often and strictly monitored, and customers know the risks.
Those risks include serious stomach illness, sometimes kidney failure and death.
A farmer who's careful to keep the cows clean still can't guarantee complete safety, says Ken Diplock, public health inspector with Waterloo Region.



 
ONTARIO: Raw milk in cheeses doesn't pose same risk, prof says
09.aug.08
TheRecord.com
Luisa D'Amato
http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/395917
Popular cheeses such as Parmesan, Emmenthal and old cheddar are often made from unpasteurized milk, but they don't present the same health risks that fresh raw milk does, an expert at University of Guelph says.
Fully pasteurized milk is subjected to a temperature of 72 C for 16 seconds, which kills most of the harmful organisms in milk so that it's safe to drink.
But there's another process used for milk, called "heat-treating," in which the milk is held at a lower temperature: 55 to 65 C for 16 seconds. This doesn't pasteurize the milk; it kills dangerous bacteria but leaves a wider range of bacteria alive, says food sciences professor Art Hill.
And it's these other bacteria that give the cheeses their flavour.
Meanwhile, the cheesemaking process, which often involves "cooking" the cheese curds for hours at temperatures resembling a very hot bath, is a further guard against harmful bacteria.
So is the aging process.
Overall, the drier and harder that cheese made from unpasteurized milk is, the safer it is to eat. Parmesan cheese has no safety issues, Hill says. Raw-milk cheddar presents more risk, but it's still a very small risk.
Hill said he will eat raw-milk cheddar with no concerns. "But I wouldn't give it to my immune-compromised grandmother."
Cheeses made from raw milk are legal in Ontario, provided they've been aged for 60 days.
 


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