Quotable Quotes:

" Famously described as indescribable, the mangosteen's allure long has been heightened by its mystique, because the U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibited import of the fresh fruit because of pest concerns. Then last summer, irradiation technology enabled the government of Thailand to ship them fresh. They're now in Cub food stores, and should remain available through August."

Star Tribune News Article, May 28, 2008

"Irradiation of food is a proven safe method of preserving food. It is the most intensively researched method of food preservation in modern history."

C.T. Carley, Professor Emeritus, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS

"The reason pasteurization is widely used today is because the public health officials demanded it. It wasn't the dairy organizations that wanted it, or the equipment manufacturers, or even the consumers. It was the public health officials, and that's something we haven't yet had with irradiation.î

Dennis Olson, PhD, Professor of Food Science, Iowa State University

In This Update:

Indescribable & Mysterious Mangosteen Now Available From Thailand

More Hawaiian Exotic Fruits Could Soon Appear in Mainland Retail Stores and Restaurant Menus

US Military Recalls Beef Potentially Contaminated by E. coli O157:H7

Illinois Firm Recalls Beef products Due to Possible E. coli 0157:H7 Contamination

Unwarranted Fears Drive Food Shortage

Public Health Officials are Key to Reviving Irradiation Technology

Warning Goes Out for Salmonella Tainted Tomatoes

Important Food Safety Links:

Kansas State University

Marler Blog

Food Irradiation Processing Alliance (FIPA)

It's funny how our brain works when we bite into something unfamiliar. Immediately, we start trying to place this new sensation on the flavor continuum, determinedly seeking to complete the sentence, "Hmm, this tastes like ... " A mangosteen can put a brain into overdrive.

Famously described as indescribable, the mangosteen's allure long has been heightened by its mystique, because the U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibited import of the fresh fruit because of pest concerns. Then last summer, irradiation technology enabled the government of Thailand to ship them fresh. They're now in Cub food stores, and should remain available through August.

The dark purple orbs are about the size of a billiard ball, and almost as hard.

If mangosteens catch on, cutting them open might replace "bagel hand" on the list of five most common hand injuries. And while they are here, they're also dear, priced on sale for $1.88 each. Each mangosteen holds about a half-dozen clementine-sized sections of pale white, meltingly sweet fruit -- or around 30 cents a bite. Which leads to the question: Do they live up to the hype?

In 1878, one South Seas explorer wrote that a mangosteen has "a taste which nobody can describe any more than he can tell how a canary sings or a violet smells.'' Variously likened to strawberries, kiwis and plums, the fruit is all of these and none of them.

LeeAnn Jorgenson, a spokeswoman for Cub, said initial customer reaction has been good, with several buyers noting the fruit's health benefits.

Mangosteen juice purÈed from the entire fruit, rind and all, has been marketed as a liquid dietary supplement. Along with other newcomers such as goji and aÁai, mangosteens have been touted as "superfruits." And while they do have high levels of sought-after antioxidants, other health claims are more controversial. For more than you ever imagined could be written about mangosteens, go to www.mangosteen.com.

Those simply seeking a new flavor sensation may not care about myths or medicinal claims. Frieda's Fresh Produce, which supplies Cub, said that mangosteen is best eaten alone fresh from the shell. There's a recipe on the Internet for mangosteen clafouti, but it's difficult to imagine the delicate flavor standing up well under heat. A better bet for those who must use the fruit may be the suggestion to make sorbet.

Actually, the most show-stopping way to use the fruit may be simply to include it on a plate of assorted fruits. Whatever its flavor, halved and opened, it's a stunning sight, the plump, ivory-colored sections contrasting against the deep violet of the rind.

So, how do you open a mangosteen? Hold the fruit with the stem-end down and cut around the fruit's middle or "equator" with a sharp, preferably serrated, knife. Careful; the rind can be a quarter-inch thick. Then gently twist each half to open the shell. The flesh then can be lifted out with a fork. For additional information go to: http://www.friedas.com/ or http://www.melissas.com/

Trenton, NJ -- U.S. military officials were cited as saying beef sold at some bases around the country -- including the submarine base in Connecticut -- may have be contaminated with E. coli.

The Defense Department issued a voluntary recall Thursday on all 85 percent lean ground beef sold at the affected bases. The military suggests that anyone who bought the meat this month should throw it away or return it for a full refund.
The department issued the recall after conducting lab tests on beef from one supplier.

The recall affects the military's stores in Fort Monmouth, N.J., Lakehurst Navy Base, N.J., Great Lakes, Ill.; Fort McCoy, Wis.; Bolling Air Force Base, D.C.; Carlisle Barracks, Pa.; Naval Submarine Base Groton, Conn.; Tobyhanna Army Depot, Pa.; Fort Carson, Colo.; and Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

Read More at: http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj badmilitarybeef0516may16,0,6965383.story

Unwarranted Fears Drive Food Shortage; Hattiesburg (Mississippi) American (June 1, 2008):

Recent news would have us to believe that world famine is a possibility. I have the conviction that widespread use of irradiation of foodstuffs would eliminate wasteful spoilage and increase food availability.

The increased use of corn and other food grains for the production of ethanol and other engine fuels, like biodiesel, has led to predictions of world famine by some alarmists. Whether or not a shortage of food is imminent, it still makes sense nonetheless to reduce the large amount of food wasted due to spoilage or dumped because the expiration date has passed.

Only last month my wife went through our pantry and discarded a black garbage bag full of cans and bottles for which the expiration date had passed. What a waste! The shelf life of most of our foodstuffs is around one year or less. What if that time could be increased to more than 40 years?

It can. Irradiation of food is a proven safe method of preserving food. It is the most intensively researched method of food preservation in modern history.

Cobalt 60 is typically used as a radiation source. It produces gamma rays that are ionizing rays just like X-rays. Neither foodstuffs nor cancer patients treated with radiation from Cobalt 60 become radioactive.

A small amount of irradiated food is permitted in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Denmark, Russia, Japan and China.

However, due to irrational fear of consumer reactions, many food suppliers choose not to use this technique of food preservation. There's no room for irrational alarmism over food irradiation. Nor is there any room for food suppliers who succumb to unfounded fears.

If food suppliers were to increase the variety and amount of irradiated food, perhaps it could help stave off a possible world famine. Mississippi producers of beef, pork, chicken and fruits and vegetables would benefit along with every consumer.

C.T. Carley, Professor Emeritus, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi

It was eight years ago on May 16 that irradiated ground beef first became commercially available in the U.S. That was the day that frozen ground beef patties in two-lb. boxes from Huisken's Meats of Chandler, MN went on sale in 84 grocery stores in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area.

By the end of 2003, 15 million lbs. of fresh and frozen irradiated product were available by mail order and in more than 10,000 retail outlets and 2,000 restaurants in 48 states.

The fervor was driven predominantly by an alliance of industry, producers and human-health professionals in Minnesota. Their aim was to remove the deadly E. coli O157:H7 threat in ground beef, the industry's number-one convenience product.

The technology driving the impressive growth was that of San Diego-based SureBeam Corp. Its electronic pasteurization technology used commercial electricity to provide a 99.999% kill of bacterial pathogens, without affecting the product's taste and nutrient profile.

SureBeam sold no products ó it only provided the service. Its sales efforts were dedicated to pulling product through the system by convincing consumers of its safety, and retailers to carry irradiated product. Those retailers would then place orders with their meat suppliers, who would ship finished packaged product to SureBeam facilities for irradiation treatment. The treatment costs were about 10¢/lb.

SureBeam hurts the movement

But in 2003, SureBeam ran into financial problems after embarking on an overly ambitious building program that placed irradiation facilities near meat-processing centers in Chicago and Sioux City, IA. Unable to meet its obligations, SureBeam closed its doors for good in January 2004.

SureBeam's closure was a big blow to proponents of food irradiation, particularly for ground beef, which was picking up momentum. Food Technology Service Inc. of Mulberry, FL, which uses gamma radiation rather than electron treatment to kill organisms (a third treatment method is by X-rays), picked up some of the slack. And eventually SureBeam's Sioux City facilities were purchased by Sadex Corp.

But the irradiation movement has struggled to regain its footing ever since, with less than 10 million lbs. of irradiated ground beef being sold today. A boost came in 2004 when USDA began offering irradiated beef in national school lunch and other federal food programs, but adoption has been stymied by activist pressure against school boards.

Another dissuading factor was that beef recalls had dropped dramatically, says Dennis Olson, an Iowa State University meats scientist and irradiation expert who served as vice president of food technology for SureBeam. Only five beef recalls were conducted in 2005, and eight in 2006, and both had minimal illness associated with them.

But the sensational contaminated spinach incident of September 2006 that resulted in three deaths sparked renewed interest in pathogen reduction, he says. Two months later, the nation was rocked with news of 100 reported illnesses caused by bacterial contamination of lettuce. Then in 2007, more than 30 million lbs. of ground beef in a total of more than 20 recalls, brought the issue back to the fore on the beef side.

Leafy greens attract attention

The ìleafy greensî issues put irradiation front and center. Legislators demanded to know why the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hadn't taken action on a petition filed eight years before to permit irradiation for pathogen reduction on fruits and vegetables and other ready-to-eat foods. Stephen Sundlof, director of FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, appeared before a House subcommittee hearing in March and said a determination was expected by October.

Such approval would be a big boon to acceptance of the technology, Olson says. ìI think companies would start to take a serious look at whether they should adopt it,î he adds.

While Olson allows that processors, trade groups and producers haven't done enough to promote the acceptance of irradiation among consumers, those groups aren't the key to widespread acceptance and adoption of the technology.

ìA hundred years ago, we were locked in a similar debate about milk pasteurization. We debated whether it was safe to heat milk, and for young kids to drink it. Was the pasteurization process changing the chemicals in the milk?

ìThe reason pasteurization is widely used today is because the public health officials demanded it. It wasn't the dairy organizations that wanted it, or the equipment manufacturers, or even the consumers. It was the public health officials, and that's something we haven't yet had with irradiation,î he says.

Health officials are issuing a warning about tainted tomatoes after more than 30 people from around New Mexico were infected with salmonella. Health officials say seven New Mexico counties are affected by the outbreak, including Dona Ana, Socorro, Curry, McKinley, San Juan, Bernalillo and Sandoval.

State experts say uncooked tomatoes tainted with the strain of Salmonella St. Paul are making people sick with what is called salmonellosis. They say most people affected by the illness develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The New Mexico Department of Health is warning physicians and patients to be aware of the symptoms, which could be a cause for hospitalization for infants and the elderly.

Dr. Mike Landen, deputy state epidemiologist with the Department of Health, was quoted as saying, "We have alerted physicians and hospitals around the state to be on the lookout for people presenting with fever and diarrhea and to test those people for salmonella. We are asking the public to take general precautions to avoid being exposed to salmonella and to seek health care if they develop a severe illness with fever and diarrhea."
 

The department says some of the infected tomatoes were bought from a Wal-Mart in Las Cruces or Farmington, a Lowe's in Las Cruces or Bashas' in Crownpoint. But they say other stores are probably selling the tomatoes too.

Health officials are still trying to pinpoint which tomatoes are carrying the bacteria.
A table of tomato-related North American outbreaks is available at
http://www.foodsafety.ksu.edu/en/article-details.php?a=3&c=32&sc=419&id=953
Tomatoes are one type of fresh produce where it appears pathogens like Salmonella can be internalized, which means washing is of little use. The problems need to be prevented on the farm. Regulators and the industry in the past have have released food safety guidelines for tomatoes, but there is a lack of verification; it is unclear if all growers are actually following the guidelines.

Guidelines are a first step, but we need more creative ways to compel everyone, from the person harvesting to the person distributing, to take food safety seriously, even in the absence of an outbreak.

Luedtke, A., Chapman, B. and Powell, D.A. 2003. Implementation and analysis of an on-farm food safety program for the production of greenhouse vegetables. Journal of Food Protection. 66:485-489.
Powell, D.A., Bobadilla-Ruiz, M., Whitfield, A. Griffiths, M.G.. and Luedtke, A. 2002. Development, implementation and analysis of an on-farm food safety program for the production of greenhouse vegetables in Ontario, Canada. Journal of Food Protection. 65: 918- 923.
 

We also published a book chapter entitled Implementing On-Farm Food Safety Programs in Fruit and Vegetable Cultivation, in the recently published, Improving the Safety of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables.

http://kob.com/article/stories/S462279.shtml?cat=500
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/2008/06/articles/salmonella/fresh-tomatoes-sicken-30-with-salmonella-in-new-mexico/index.html