Quotable Quotes:

"Irradiation is neededÖnow ."

Bryan Salvage, Meat & Poultry Magazine Editorial

"Something has changed, and it has not changed for the better."

Bill Marler, Attorney, MarlerClark

"What is different is that weíve got more recalls this year. What that says to me is that something has changed. Are we discovering more illness? Is the organism changing? We donít have the answers yet. I think most people are frankly scratching their heads."

James Hodge, American Meat Institute Foundation

In This Update:

Itís Time to Reconsider Irradiation

The Sad Ending of Topps Meatñ A Rebirth for Irradiation?

Whereís the Irradiated Beef?

Topps Meat Will Go Out of Business Following Second-Largest Beef Recall in U.S.

ConAgra Faces Class Action On Pot Pies

A Minnesota Family Suing ConAgra Over Pot Pies

US: Meat Recalls Point to Possibility Threat is Growing

Senator Schumer Calls for 'Immediate Action' to Improve Meat Safety

E-Coli Outbreak Hurts Local Farmers

Marler Blog

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

Back in 2003, meat-irradiation proponents were ecstatic because that technology finally appeared to be catching on with ground beef processors and retailersÖand fast! During that time, at least one new supermarket chain announced the launch of irradiated ground beef almost on a weekly basis. The meat irradiation movement was on fire and spreading rapidly from the East Coast westward. Even several of the countryís leading ground beef packers were even testing irradiation systems in-plant.

Proponents also were anxiously awaiting Food and Drug Administration approval for a petition that was filed in 1999 to allow the irradiation of value-added meat products, which many were hopeful would come at any timeÖ(that has yet to be approved by FDA.)

But then in January 2004, things changed almost overnight. San Diego based SureBeam Corp., which was the leading driver, provider and cheerleader of meat irradiation in the United States at that time, filed for bankruptcy liquidation. Thus, the accelerating meat irradiation revolution in the United States came to a grinding halt.

Fortunately, other food irradiation technology providers remain active in the U.S., and some progressive meat companies continue to offer irradiated ground beef including Omaha Steaks, which irradiates 100 percent of its raw, frozen ground beef, and Schwanís, which also offers irradiated ground beef. And some progressive retailers still recognize the importance of offering their customers a choice. Wegmanís, one of the earliest retailer pioneers to offer irradiated ground beef, is one, as is Publix among others.

For those unfamiliar with the formats of food irradiation, there are three: gamma ray, electron beam and x-ray. And all three systems work just fine, and each technology has certain advantages depending on the applications, points out Ronald F. Eustice, executive director of the Minnesota Beef Council and long-time proponent of this technology.

Irradiation is neededÖnow

In recent months, industry has been jarred by a spike in E. coli-related ground beef recalls. As of August 2007, the U.S. meat industry has issued more recalls involving E. coli O157:H7 potentially tainted ground beef this year than it issued in all of 2006, Eustice says. ìThus far in 2007, more than 7,000,000 pounds of ground beef have been recalled [on E. coli O157:H7 fears]. The incidence of positive E. coli O157:H7 samples has held steady at 0.17 percent for the past three years,î Eustice adds. Editors note: With recent recalls since this was written, the volume of recalled ground beef has reached 30 million pounds and the incidence now stands at 0.19 percent.

Recent E. coli outbreaks traced to beef products have underscored the importance of continued efforts to protect the public from E. coli in meat, he continues. Some experts feel that it is time to look at other effective technologies to continue the progress.

ìHopefully, as it becomes evident that progress toward reduction of pathogenic bacteria in meats and poultry has slowed, more will realize that irradiation ― used in combination with other technologies ― can move us toward our ultimate goal of a safer food supply,î Eustice says.

Why should ground beef processors and retailers reconsider offering irradiated ground beef? Irradiation has been scientifically proven to be both safe and highly effective  ― particularly as a ground beef post-packaging pasteurization step. In the past, some processors said they were reluctant to utilize irradiation because of consumer resistance. Consumer education can erode this resistance ― has been proven in the past. Others say the technologyís name should be changed. I agree, but a name change would literally require an act of Congress.

Some fear the technology could alter product color and taste, but experts counter that working closely with irradiation providers will allay these fears And still others point out that food irradiation would add costs to their process. Yes, thatís true. But wouldnít it be better to tack on a few pennies more per pound to produce a safer, more wholesome product than to risk spending millions of dollars defending your business against E.coli-related lawsuits?

Eustice is currently working with a highly-respected retail chain on incorporating irradiation to make their ground beef safer. Incidentally, that retailer is currently involved in five lawsuits over an E. coli/ground beef outbreak that occurred earlier this year.   

The sad news about Topps Meat Co., Elizabeth, NJ, the largest hamburger processing company in the USA, closing its door because of the largest recall of ground beef in a decade due to E. coli contamination, hit the meat processing industry hard.  The end of Topps  after 67 years of successful operation, cost almost 100 jobs, millions of related costs of the recall. At least two lawsuits have been filed against the company.

It was exactly a decade ago that Hudson Foods, Inc. made the largest recall of E. coli contaminated ground beef in the history of the USA amounting to some 25 million pounds.  The company subsequently went bankrupt.  While the incidences of E. coli outbreaks from ground beef appear to have gone down in the past decade, the curse of E. coli O157:H7 never did go away from the meat (and food) industry.  In fact, record from CDC in the last 3 years shows the incidences in ground beef has actually increased. 

Topps Meat started the initial recalls of over 300,000 lbs of ground beef on 25 Sept. 2007.  When the incidences of E. coli were reported in 8 states, the company was forced to recall over 21 million lbs of its hamburgers, representing one year of its production.  By that time, the CDC had reported that some 30 people in 8 states fell ill due to links to E. coli strain that was found in Topps Meat hamburgers.  In less than two weeks after the initial recalls, Topps Meat decided to close down its business on 5 Oct. 2007.

After the bankruptcy of Hudson Foods, Inc. in 1997 and the media frenzy about E. coli contamination in ground beef and other foods, some radiation processing companies decided to mobilize their actions on food irradiation.  However, they had to wait for the final approvals of the FDA and USDA which did not come until 2000 prior to start processing ground beef with irradiation.  Among these companies, SureBeam, Inc. based in San Diego, CA, began using electron irradiation to treat ground beef starting in mid-2002.  SureBeam became successful due to its effective and aggressive marketing campaign resulting in its collaboration with dozens of meat processing companies and large supermarket chains.  Small amounts of irradiated ground beef entered the market in mid-2002 and were appreciated by the food industry and consumers alike.  The volume of ground beef irradiated by SureBeam alone increased rapidly to over 20 million lbs and was marketed widely. In fact, as many as 10,000 supermarkets in most states offered irradiated ground beef and other irradiated foods by mid-2003.

Unfortunately, SureBeam, Inc. went bankrupt in early 2004.  The closing down of SureBeam was a major setback to radiation processing industry as no other companies had similar capacity and marketing effectiveness as SureBeam.  As a result, many food and meat processing companies decided to suspend irradiation of their meat products.  Currently, an estimated 15 million lbs of ground beef and poultry meat are processed by irradiation and the volume is not growing.

Regrettably, ground beef is not the only product that has been implicated by E. coli contamination that has caused havoc to the food industry.  A year ago, leafy vegetables especially spinach caused widespread illnesses and several deaths due to E. coli contamination.  Millions of dollars were lost through recalls, medical cost and marketability of spinach.  Yet no clear indication as to the mode of contamination of E. coli in such a product.  Irradiation, the only effective killing step for any food products to be consumed raw was proposed to ensure microbiological safety of leafy vegetables including spinach but was ignored by the industry (http://www.acsh.org/factsfears/newsID.865/news_detail.asp). The industry instead decided to sponsor research to find a solution to E. coli contamination without considering the use of irradiation.

The onus to irradiate food belongs not only to the food industry but the radiation processing companies as well.  It is clear that these companies did not make enough efforts to convince the food industry that irradiation provides unique killing step under HACCP for raw or frozen as well as for any food to be consumed raw such as leafy vegetables.  No doubt, any food to be irradiated must be produced through good agricultural practices and handled according to the prevailing good manufacturing practices including HACCP.  Irradiation is not a solution to un-sanitized growing and handling practices.

Whereís the Irradiated Beef? International Irradiation Association (iiA) Newsletter (October 2007)

ELIZABETH, N.J.- Oct 5,- Topps Meat Co. LLC, the meat company responsible for the second-largest beef recall in U.S. history, said October 5th it will close its plant in Elizabeth, N.J., and go out of business, effective immediately.

Topps on Sept. 25 began a recall of its frozen hamburger meat that was expanded to comprise 21.7 million pounds of the meat, which may be contaminated with E. coli after federal inspectors discovered inadequate safety measures at its plant.

Investigators think 30 people may have been sickened in Indiana and seven other states. In a statement, Chief Operating Officer Anthony D'Urso said called the events "tragic."

"In one week we have gone from the largest U.S. manufacturer of frozen hamburgers to a company that cannot overcome the economic reality of a recall this large," he said.

A "small number" of the 87 plant employees will remain at the plant to assist the U.S. Department of Agriculture with its investigation into the meat recall and handle administrative matters.

Topps Meat was founded in 1940.

ConAgra Foods Inc. (CAG) faces a purported class action suit filed on behalf of all people who purchased or ate the company's pot pies subject to Thursday's recall as well as all people who ate the pies and suffered physical injuries, two law firms said Friday.

Schiffrin Barroway Topaz & Kessler LLP and Janet, Jenner & Suggs LLC filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, saying the Omaha, Neb., packaged foods company "betrayed the trust of consumers" by selling contaminated products.

ConAgra suspended pot-pie production at its Marshall, Mo., plants Tuesday after cases of Salmonella were linked to its products. The company then issued an advisory to consumers regarding its Banquet Turkey and Chicken Pot Pies, as well as generic store brand not-ready-to-eat pies bearing "P-9" on the package.

ConAgra officially recalled all pot-pie products Thursday. ConAgra said it plans to address consumer concerns "fairly and expeditiously" and takes consumer safety "very seriously." According to the law firms, the Salmonella outbreak has been linked to 165 injuries in 31 states.

A Minnesota family on Thursday filed a lawsuit against ConAgra Foods Inc. alleging that the company's pot pies sickened their baby daughter.

Seattle-based law firm Marler Clark, which has represented plaintiffs in many similar claims, is representing Amy and Joshua Reinert of Sauk Rapids, Minn., whose daughter Isabelle became ill in August, according to a statement released by Marler Clark.

Isabelle Reinert's salmonella strain matched the one linked to the broader salmonellosis outbreak, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said has resulted in 152 cases in 31 states.

ConAgra officials did not immediately respond to a request for comments.

According to Marler Clark, the then 19-month-old child suffered from severe diarrhea and suffered a febrile seizure.

ConAgra has asked retailers to stop selling its Banquet and generic brand chicken and turkey ready-to-cook pot pies, and the Omaha-based food company also has asked consumers who may have them in their freezers to refrain from consuming the product.

USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a public health alert regarding the pot pies on Tuesday and is investigating the Marshall, Mo., plant that manufactured the product.

ConAgra on Tuesday ceased its pot-pie production line at that facility pending the outcome of USDA's investigation but has not issued a recall.

The recent recall of 21.7 million pounds of frozen hamburger because of potential E. coli contamination is bound to fuel concern that E. coli outbreaks may be on the rise in the USA's meat industry for the first time this decade.

The ground beef recall by Topps Meat is second in size only to Hudson Foods' 1997 recall of 25 million pounds of ground beef. And it comes just three months after a recall of 5.7 million pounds of ground beef tied to E. coli. The Topps recall has been linked to 27 reported illnesses, three confirmed, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says.

The story says that the beef industry suffered its E. coli crisis in the early 1990s. But it tightened food-safety standards and reduced outbreaks so successfully that even critics held it up as a model of what industry could do. But the American Meat Institute (AMI) says it noticed a slight rise in positive E. coli tests by the government this summer and so met with industry leaders. Randy Huffman, vice president of the AMI Foundation, was quoted as saying, "It's caused us to pause. We've redoubled our efforts and focused on the things that work."

The USDA sample-tests about 8,000 products a year for the deadly E. coli O157:H7 strain identified in the Topps recall. The rate of positive tests has shrunk about 73% since 2000 but trended up in 2007 compared with the past three years. Huffman says the rise could simply be a "random event." But Bill Marler, the nation's leading E. coli plaintiff's attorney, was quoted as saying, "Something has changed, and it has not changed for the better."

The Topps recall is likely to focus attention on industry practices. Topps recalled 332,000 pounds of ground beef. The recall expanded to a full year of production ó an unusually long time frame ó after USDA inspectors found that the plant lacked appropriate controls regarding beef carried over from one day's production to the next, says USDA spokeswoman Laura Reiser. Meat can be carried over from one day's production to the next if separated into its own production lot for tracking, says Janet Riley of the AMI. That helps companies trace when contamination may start and stop.

Topps spokeswoman Michele Williams was cited as saying Topps had no information on the USDA's inspection, begun last week. The USDA routinely had inspectors in the 80-employee Elizabeth, N.J., plant, as is common in the meat industry.
Most of the product has likely been consumed, but consumers should check freezers, officials say.

A recall list is at www.toppsmeat.com.

Calling USDA a "toothless tiger" when it comes to food safety, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) demanded "immediate action" to improve federal oversight of meat and poultry products.

Speaking at a Manhattan news conference, Schumer pledged to reintroduce legislation that would give USDA authority to temporarily shutter meat processing plants that repeatedly fail E. coli inspections. It also would expand USDA's power to trace and recall food and call for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to work with other agencies to identify and respond to biological threats to the food supply.

"We need to be more vigilant than ever, and that applies to everything from airline security to food safety," Schumer said.

Something Has Changed: By Steve Bjerklie for Meat&Poultry.com (October 12, 2007):

This year's E. coli surge has alarmed and disheartened the industry, says the AMIF's Jim Hodges

The causes behind this yearís sudden spike in E. coli detections, which has already produced one record-level, company-ruining recall, are still a mystery, according to the head of the American Meat Institute Foundation, a non-profit research, education and information organization founded by and associated with the American Meat Institute.

"The prevalence of E. coli in the product itself is not appreciably different this year than last," Jim Hodges, AMIFís president, tells MEAT&POULTRY, pointing to USDA figures that put the incidence of positive E. coli tests in ground beef at 0.19 percent so far this year, compared to 0.17 percent in 2006. "What is different is that weíve got more recalls this year. What that says to me is that something has changed. Are we discovering more illness? Is the organism changing? We donít have the answers yet. I think most people are frankly scratching their heads."

Hodges says one noticeable fact is eight of the 14 E. coli recalls so far this year are tied to illness investigations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta. Last year, none of eight recalls were connected to outbreaks of human illness associated with E. coli. He says itís unclear whether improved illness-detection methods and/or more thorough investigating and reporting by the CDC have anything to do with this yearís increased incidence of the pathogen in the beef supply.

"Obviously, we are extremely concerned. That goes without saying," he tells M&P.

Another fact of interest is USDAís Food Service and Inspection Service investigation of Septemberís 21.7 million-pound Topps Meat Co. recall, which is the second-largest meat recall in U.S. history and which has forced Topps, a New Jersey processor, out of business, revealed three distinct DNA patterns in the E. coli recovered from people who consumed the Topps product ñ and neither FSIS nor CDC had any of these patterns in their databases.

The use of a technique called Pulse Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) allows scientists and investigators to ascertain the relatedness of the DNA of different E. coli strains found in samples taken from patients, and each of the three PFGE patterns associated with the Topps meat were distinctive and unusual. "This brings up the question: Is the organism changing?" asked Hodges. "We donít know, but it gives us a clue where to start looking." He added: "FSIS is now looking at everything that goes into ground beef, not just the trim."

He points out that industryís attention "was keenly focused on this before the 21 million-pound recall." He and Randy Huffman, AMIFís vice president of scientific affairs, visited CDC in Atlanta, last August, in an effort to gather more information. "Weíre still in a process of fact-finding at this point," he says.

Hodges says E. coliís roaring comeback in 2007 has not only alarmed the industry, it has been disheartening as well. "We had climbed a pretty good mountain. Incidence rates had dropped significantly. We had a good story to tell," he commented. "But weíre going to redouble our efforts to make sure our best-practices and interventions are truly effective, and weíre developing better baseline data. The status quo is unacceptable.

A 20-year-old Minnesota woman remains in a coma at the Mayo Clinic tonight, with a severe E-Coli infection.

Stephanie Smith is in critical condition in a drug-induced coma. Doctors believe she ate contaminated hamburger during a family dinner on September 23rd.  Her mother also became ill but has since recovered.

On the other side of this recall are the cattle farmers. Those in our area are already feeling the effects of the recalls on ground beef. Alden beef farmer Bob Nelson says if he sold his cattle right now, he would have lost $100 an animal and when you have 700 steers that is a lot of money.

Nelson is thankful that his cattle aren't yet ready for market.

Though he might be forced to sell soon, he hasn't sold any of his livestock since late September when the ground beef recalls were announced.

To this date, 20 million pounds of E-Coli tainted ground beef have been recalled nationwide and at least 30 people have gotten sick. The Minnesota department of health says four children got sick in our area after eating ground beef patties purchased in the Twin Cities area.

"It still makes people sit back and wonder about their food safety," said Nelson.

E-Coli can be cooked off at 160 degrees F. Farmers say they'll work to get that word out...so their hard work raising cattle pays off.

"How much it effects depends on how good of a job we do as an industry explaining how it happened, why it happened, and can it happen again," said Nelson.

http://KAALtv.com/article/stories/S227165.shtml?cat=10219