Quotable Quotes:

" U.S. efforts to contain food-borne illness have made no dent in reducing the number of infections, which were flat last year after a period of decline. Researchers found no change in the rate of infections caused by Listeria, Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli O157, and several other nasty bugs in 2007 compared with the previous three years."

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report of April 17, 2008.

"Initially, we will start exporting Alphonso, Kesar and Banganpalli from April 1 or 2, 2008."

Santosh Patil, Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board deputy general manager

"Outbreak supports the rationale for expanding E. coli O157:H7 as an adulterant on all meats, including those formerly considered “intact.”

Bill Marler, Foodborne Illness Attorney

In This Update:

(To Read a Summary of Many Recent Irradiation Stories Click Here)

USDA scientists say irradiation could be the key to food safety

Irradiation may kill almost all disease-causing bacteria in food, study suggests.

Rate of food-borne illnesses remains constant in U.S., CDC data indicate

New York firm recalls meat and poultry products from possible listeria contamination

Sarpy County Nebraska E. coli Roast Beef Outbreak Sickens Fourteen

Food Irradiation: The Time is Ripe

Microbial quality of fresh-cut Iceberg lettuce washed in warm or cold water & irradiated in a modified atmosphere package

Washing produce doesn't always kill E. coli, other microbes, study finds

Available at Melissa's; Queen of Fruits: The (Irradiated) Mangosteen

Bouquets & brickbats for Indian mango; Fresh Plaza News

Elimination of bacterial isolates from Jollof rice meal by irradiation and chilled storage

DNA Identification Technology May Be Used to Trace Meat From Farm to Table

Marler Blog

Pritzker Blog

Food Irradiation Research and Technology text book now available from IFT & Blackwell Publishing

New research suggests that irradiation may be the only way to penetrate leafy greens and kill bacteria inside.  USDA scientists say the process destroys E. coli and other potentially deadly microbes that chlorine doesn't kill in fruits and vegetables.

Before bagged leafy greens wind up on your plate, they are washed, often three times, in a potent chlorine bath. But new research shows the steps that California companies rely on to protect consumers do not kill dangerous bacteria inside the leaves, whereas exposing them to irradiation wipes them out.

The debate over how to protect consumers from E. coli and other potentially deadly microbes has intensified since the fall of 2006, when at least 200 people across the nation became ill and three died after eating tainted spinach grown in San Benito County.
Read the rest of the story......

HealthDay (4/10, Reinberg) reported that "[w]ashing fresh fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of food poisoning, but only irradiation kills almost all disease-causing bacteria," according to a study presented at the American Chemical Society's annual meeting in New Orleans. To reach this conclusion, researchers treated vegetables containing bacteria "with a three-minute water bath, three minutes of chemical treatment, or irradiation." They found that "washing with plain water did not reduce bacteria levels in spinach or lettuce. Chemical treatment did not significantly reduce E. coli in spinach leaves, and was less than 90 percent effective when it came to removing E. coli from lettuce." But, irradiation "reduced the level of E. coli by 99.99 percent in lettuce, and by 99.9 percent in spinach." The researchers also noted that "salmonella died more easily when exposed to radiation, while E. coli was a little bit more resistant."

Reuters (4/11, Steenhuysen) reports that "U.S. efforts to contain food-borne illness have made no dent in reducing the number of infections, which were flat last year after a period of decline," according to findings published in the Apr. 11 issue of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. CDC "researchers found no change in the rate of infections caused by Listeria, Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli O157, and several other nasty bugs in 2007 compared with the previous three years."

Noting the positive . . . more

Sarpy County Nebraska E. coli Roast Beef Outbreak Sickens 14: Marler Blog (April 30, 2008):

Outbreak supports the rationale for expanding E. coli O157:H7 as an adulterant on all meats, including those formerly considered “intact.”

According to Nebraska State health officials, an E. coli outbreak in Sarpy County has sickened 14 people -- including a 7-year-old -- and sent four people to the hospital. The E. coli outbreak was caused by roast beef served at a reception hall in Sarpy County for a private gathering on March 26. The people affected ranged in age from 7 to 73.  It appears that the “mystery ingredient,” in addition to E. coli O157:H7 were cloves that broke the surface of the roast beef prior to cooking, probably inserting the E. coli bacterium into the meat where cooking was not sufficient to kill the bacteria.

Two weeks ago I attended an FSIS conference where FSIS officials explained the E. coli adulterant rationale on intact meat.  Currently, intact product distributed for consumption as intact product - designated primal and sub-primal cuts such as roasts and steaks - is not considered adulterated if it is contaminated with E. coli.

The USDA's proposal to consider E coli O157:H7 an adulterant in primal cuts of beef - those that are intact and thought to have a sterile interior - officials said they were concerned about cross-contamination during meat preparation. Daniel Engeljohn, deputy assistant in the FSIS Office of Policy and Program development, said some primal cuts are being made into ground beef, and some of them may not have received an antimicrobial treatment that is typically applied to boneless trim.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated in 1999 that 73,000 cases of E. coli O157:H7 occur each year in the United States. Approximately 2,000 people are hospitalized, and 60 people die as a direct result of E. coli O157:H7 infections and complications. The majority of infections are thought to be foodborne-related.

In the summer of 1961, a nondescript truck rolled through Canada and the United States making frequent stops to show off a new technology that would benefit potato farmers, meat packers and fruit and vegetable growers. More than 40 years later, this same technology stands poised to significantly improve the safety, quality and variety of both the domestic and international food supply.

The mobile irradiator of the 1960s, originally built for the purpose of sprout inhibition in potatoes, has been replaced by large-scale irradiation facilities designed primarily for the sterilization of single-use medical devices. Despite the lack of widespread adoption of irradiation within the food industry, some 175 million tons of spices and 15-18 million pounds of ground beef and poultry are irradiated annually in the U.S. alone. In 2007, for the first time in 20 years, shipments of mangos from India began to arrive in the U.S. These shipments were made possible through the use of irradiation, which is the only United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved treatment for the export of this fruit.

The time is now. . . more

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Fresh-cut lettuce, when washed in either cold or warm water, shows neither an appreciable removal of the microbial load nor a significant increase in the keeping quality when compared with unwashed fresh-cut controls. Placing the washed lettuce into modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) did not lessen the overall bacteriologic load, and after 12 days of storage at 4C, the microbial counts increased. However, gamma irradiation of the washed, MAP-stored lettuce to a dose of 2 kGy significantly reduces the overall microbe count, thereby increasing both the shelf life and the safety of the produce. A 2-kGy dose of gamma irradiation provides a pathogen-free, long shelf life, fresh-cut lettuce that is bacteriologically safer and sensorially indistinguishable from bagged, nonirradiated, fresh-cut lettuce.
*United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service
Eastern Regional Research Center
600 E. Mermaid Lane, Wyndmoor, PA 19038
1 TEL: 215-233-6440; FAX: 215-233-6406; EMAIL: krajkowski@errc.ars.usda.gov
*Mention of trade names or commercial products in this article is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the United States Department of Agriculture.http://www.blackwell synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1745-4565.2008.00118.x

TORONTO: Washing fresh fruits and vegetables -- even with chlorine disinfectants -- may not be enough to rid them of certain bacteria that cause food poisoning, say researchers, who found that irradiating the food is the most successful means of killing microbes.

E. coli, salmonella and listeria can all cause those dreaded bouts of vomiting and diarrhea, but destroying the bugs can be problematic, said microbiologist Brendan Niemira, lead investigator of a study looking at ways to make fresh produce safer for consumers.

That's particularly true if the bacteria have made their way inside the leaves of lettuce, spinach and other vegetables and fruit, where surface treatments cannot reach them, said Niemira, who presented his findings last week at the American Chemical Society annual meeting in New Orleans. Read the rest of the story.....

It is bouquets and brickbats for Indian mangoes. While the US is welcoming mangoes from India like Kesar and Alphonso, the Russian government has banned import of mangoes from India. In fact, the king of fruits have won the hearts of several nations like the US, Japan, Europe and West Asia. But, the Russian authorities have banned import of agriculture commodities from India after detecting the kharpa beetle pest in a consignment of sesame seeds that landed in Russia a couple of months ago.

Following this, mango growers in the country have lost a lot of business. However, the situation has been mitigated by the strong demand in the US and other countries. The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (India) (APEDA) has asked the Russian authorities to reconsider the decision. Buyers from Russia declined to purchase mangoes citing the ban and all the orders were cancelled.

The US assured to grant market access to India mangoes when president, George Bush, visited India in 2006. It was agreed that Indian mangoes should be irradiated....Read the rest of the story

Increase Testing for E. Coli, Raymond Urges; Meat & Poultry.com (April 15, 2008):

Dr. Richard Raymond, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s undersecretary for food safety, said at a food safety conference last week he’s determined to increase testing for E. coli contamination before leaving office in January 2008, according to the Des Moines Register. The U.S.D.A. announced plans last week to begin testing beef for six more strains of E. coli bacteria.

Meat industry officials, however, argue that more testing is not necessary because measures being taken now by packers to prevent contamination of one E. coli strain protects against the others as well. Beef is currently tested only for one E. coli strain, O157 ― which is the only strain the government classifies as an "adulterant" in food.

Mr. Raymond said results from some public health laboratories show illnesses from non-O157 strains of E. coli are "at least as prevalent" as O157 illnesses. Non-O157 strains are harder to detect, he added.

In 2007 the University of Iowa Hygienic Laboratory tested 1,285 people for suspected E. coli illnesses and uncovered 76 positive cases. Thirty-three were confirmed as O157, while 32 tested positive for non-O157 strains, the report said. The strains in the other 11 cases could not be identified.

Investigation of outbreak of infections caused by Salmonella Litchfield, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; http://www.cdc.gov/Salmonella/litchfield/

Centers for Disease Control is collaborating with public health officials in multiple states across the United States and with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Litchfield infections. An investigation that used interviews comparing foods eaten by ill and well persons is showing that cantaloupe from Honduras is the likely source of the illness. Between January 18 and March 5, 2008, state health departments identified 50 ill persons in 16 states infected with Salmonella Litchfield with the same genetic fingerprint. Ill persons with the outbreak strain have been reported from Arizona (1 person), California (10), Colorado (1), Georgia (2), Illinois (1), Missouri (1), New Jersey (2), New Mexico (1), New York (5), Ohio (1), Oklahoma (2), Oregon (5), Tennessee (1), Utah (5), Washington (9), and Wisconsin (3). In addition, 9 ill persons with the outbreak strain have been reported in Canada. Their ages range from <1 to 93 years; 58% are female. At least 14 persons have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
Investigation of the Outbreak . . . more

Elimination of bacterial isolates from Jollof rice meal by irradiation and chilled storage; May 1, 2008;

Journal of Food Safety Vol. 28, Issue 2; Abraham Adu-Gyamfi, Josephine Nketsia-Tabiri

ABSTRACT
The radiation sensitivity of three bacterial isolates (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella parathyphi B) on jollof rice meal (JRM) was determined. Based on the calculated D10 values, challenge testing of the isolates with irradiation (0, 2 and 3 kGy) was conducted on JRM followed by chilled (3–5C) storage (0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days). Calculated D10 values of E. coli, S. aureus and S. parathyphi B were 0.173, 0.260 and 0.285 kGy, respectively. Linear correlation coefficients of the regression lines were all >0.910 and highly significant (P < 0.01). A dose of 2 kGy reduced the population of E. coli by 6 log cycles and those of S. aureus and S. parathyphi B by 4 log cycles. A dose of 3 kGy eliminated all the isolates from the JRM during the 28-day storage period and is therefore adequate to eliminate pathogens from JRM to enhance microbiological quality.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Ready meals are easily available and convenient. However, they have the major limitations of easy contamination with foodborne pathogens and a relatively short shelf life. Additionally in the tropics, high temperatures and poor access to refrigeration facilities promote rapid microbial proliferation in such foods. The potential of low dose radiation to improve microbiological safety and extend shelf life of some cook-chill and other ready meals have been established and the technology is in use in most developed countries. However, in developing countries where the incidence of foodborne illness is relatively high, there is lack of awareness about the potential benefits of food irradiation. This study demonstrates the potential of irradiation to enhance microbiological safety and extend the shelf life of ready meals in developing countries, especially those which are popular and those of indigenous origin.
*Department of Food Science and Radiation Processing
Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute
Ghana Atomic Energy Commission
PO Box LG 80, Accra, Ghana
1 TEL: 00233208115399; FAX: 0023321402286;

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1745-4565.2008.00115.x

Current meat-tracking methods that identify batches rather than the individual animal can result in huge amounts of meat being recalled as part of a food-safety initiative. The utilisation of DNA identification technology could be used to trace meat from farm to shelf. 15 April 2008, http://www.genengnews.com/articles/chitem.aspx?aid=2439