Quotable Quotes:

ìIn July and August, to determine if [the spike] was random, we doubled our E. coli samples from 1,000 a month to 2,000 a month,"

Kenneth Petersen, FSIS assistant administrator to the Office of Field Operations

"The message here is, if you get a random positive, you need to take a critical look at your processes, as I will surely be right behind you, and you might as well fix your problems before I tell you to."

Kenneth Petersen, FSIS assistant administrator to the Office of Field Operations

In This Update:

Possible E. coli contamination prompts ground beef recall

Salmonella In Pet Food Linked To Human Illness and More Product Recalls

Viet Nam Nuclear Scientists Target Tubers

Finding of No Significant Impact, Pa'ina Irradiator Final Environmental Assessment

Piggly Wiggly stores in Wisconsin, Illinois recall ground beef

FSIS Expands Inspection Efforts Following E. Coli Spike

Federal agency issues license for irradiator

Woman's death linked to eating raw oysters at Georgia Restaurant

Marler Blog

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

Possible E. coli contamination prompts ground beef recall; From Meatingplace.com; By Ann Bagel Storck (Sept. 26, 2007):

Topps Meat Co. LLC in Elizabeth, N.J., voluntarily recalled approximately 331,582 pounds of frozen ground beef products on September 26th because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced.

The products were produced on June 22, July 12 or July 23 and were distributed to foodservice institutions in the New York metropolitan area and to retail establishments nationwide.

A joint investigation into a cluster of illnesses in the Northeast region by the New York State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention led to a positive product sample collected by the New York Department of Health.

An investigation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has strengthened the evidence of a link between recently recalled dog food products and human Salmonella infections, US health officials reported August 28, 2007. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the same strain of Salmonella Schwarzengrund infected sixty-six people in 18 states, and reports of new cases are continuing. Fortunately none of the ten patients hospitalized have died. The agency said investigators are still trying to find out why human cases have been associated with dry pet food made by Mars Petcare US, Inc.

"Jerky treats from China could be causing illness in pets" posted September 17, 2007 on the American Veterinary Medicals Association (AVMA) website. The AVMA has been in communication with veterinarians who believe certain brands of jerky treats from China could be causing illness in pets. Signs of illness have included vomiting, lethargy, and anorexia. Walmart, Petsmart and other retailers are voluntarily removing potentially contaminated products from their store shelves. The FDA is aware of the consumer complaints and the agency is actively investigating the situation.

On September 18, 2007 Bravo! announced a voluntary recall of select tubes of three of its poultry products for cats and dogs. This company recalled two of the products because of potential contamination with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes, while the other product only may have Listeria monocytogenes. Pet owners are asked to return unopened frozen tubes of food to the store where purchased for a full refund. The company has received no reports of illness in either people or animals associated with any of the three products.

More recalls, difficult and costly investigations keeping happening -- with indescribable animal and human suffering. Although the United States permits the irradiation of animal feeds, the technology is definitely underutilized and maybe even declining. Why? It is beyond comprehension.

Ha Noi ó Researchers at the Da Lat Nuclear Research Institute have shown that gamma irradiation of micro tubers or artificial seeds can produce higher-yield potatoes.

A team from the Instituteís Biotechnology Department led by Dr Nguyen Tien Thinh pioneered research into the impact of gamma irradiation on the growth of plants, using the humble potato for their study.

"It was only a small study," Dr Thinh explained. "We finished it to prove that potatoes can be grown from artificial seeds for higher yields." The seed tubers normally used by farmers had an average diameter of 2 to 3cm and weighed 7 to 14 grams, Dr Thinh said. "We wanted to use gamma rays to boost growth, but the normal seed tubers were neither applicable nor effective."

The researchers used low doses of gamma rays on the tubers and used an irradiation chamber that could hold no more than five to six normal-sized tubers. But they were able to use biotechnology to produce either micro tubers or artificial seeds for the irradiation chamber to quicken the process.

The artificial seeds were made by dipping potato buds in alginate ñ a seaweed extract ñ and then mixed with the chemical dichloro calcium. The artificial seeds - about the size of a small bean - were then irradiated with the gamma rays to boost their growth. Both the micro tubers and artificial seeds grew normally and produced mini tubers that provided higher-yield and stronger seed potatoes, Dr Thinh said.

But the artificial seed was more dynamic because unlike the micro tubers, they did not go dormant and could be grown year round. Farmers could grow the tubers in water, in sandy soil or normal conditions. The seed potatoes had a sturdier skin that protects them from damage in transport and they last longer. But it was necessary to store the market potatoes in temperatures from 4 to 6 degrees Celsius for about a week and in about 38 degrees Celsius for two days before planting them.

Productive potatoes

Viet Nam grows more than 10 million seed potatoes every year. About half are grown in Da Lat, in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, where the climate and soil are favourable. But productivity was generally low and the ratio of diseased seed tubers was high, said Dr Thinh, explaining the rationale for the research.

Irradiation had been used in Japan, Taiwan, and the United States, but mostly on maize, wheat, and cabbage seed. Dr Thinh said that he had wanted to experiment with potatoes because the tubers were larger than maize, wheat or cabbage. Dr Thinh was very modest about his successful research. It had been done to show farmers had an option to grow better-quality potato from artificial seeds, he said.

Traditional farmers found it difficult to believe that an artificial seed about the size of a green bean could provide a higher yield. Farmer Vo Khuong from Da Latís Ward 8 was no exception. The yield of his experimental crop was one to two times higher than normal seed potato. "The new seed potato yields plants with potatoes that weight 1.3kg with some up top 1.5 to 2kg," Khuong said. ó VNS http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=01AGR080907

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) published the "Notice of Availability of Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for Proposed Pa'ina Hawaii, LLC Irradiator in Honolulu, HI", on Friday August 17, 2007 in the Federal Register/ Vol. 72. No. 159 pages 46249- 46251.

Typically the licensing of panoramic or underwater irradiators does not require an environmental assessment (EA). However in this case EarthJustice, vis-¦-vis the Concerned Citizens of Honolulu filed a petition citing safety concerns and the need for an environmental assessment or impact statement for this irradiator. Through a convoluted process involving the judiciary the NRC entered into a settlement agreement, which resulted in public meetings and the generation of the EA impacts report.

The NRC staff considered impacts to such areas as public and occupational health, transportation of the sources, socioeconomics, ecology, water quality and the effects of aviation accidents and natural phenomena. In an added section on consideration of terrorist activities, they stated "NRC safety and security requirements, imposed through regulations and orders, and implemented by the licensee, in combination with the design requirements for panoramic and underwater irradiators provide adequate protection against successful terrorist attacks on irradiator facilities."

The compact underwater irradiator produced by GRAY*STAR will be primarily used for phytosanitary treatment of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Pa'ina expects to be operational this fall.

E. coli infections in two people may have been associated with ground beef purchased at two Piggly Wiggly stores in Wisconsin, Fresh Brands Distributing is recalling certain ground beef products sold by the retailer.

The voluntary recall includes products labeled "ground chuck" and "certified angus beef ground round 85% lean," with sell-by dates from July 15 through Aug. 5, 2007. Fresh Brands officials said the beef came from suppliers and was not related to store operations.

Sheboygan, Wis.-based Fresh Brands operates Piggly Wiggly stores throughout Wisconsin and in several locations in northern Illinois

FSIS Expands Inspection Efforts Following E. Coli Spike; From Meatingplace.com; By Janie Gabbett (Sept. 5, 2007):

http://www.meatingplace.com/MembersOnly/webNews/details.aspx?item=18790
WASHINGTON D.C.: USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service is increasing follow-up sampling and food safety assessments at ground beef production plants after a spike in E. coli O157:H7 recalls during June and July, according to Kenneth Petersen, FSIS assistant administrator to the Office of Field Operations.
 

"In July and August, to determine if [the spike] was random, we doubled our E. coli samples from 1,000 a month to 2,000 a month," Petersen told Meatingplace.com in an interview. He said that data is now being reviewed and analyzed.
Routine inspections have turned up 16 positives, as of July 31, for E. coli compared to 20 positives during all of 2006.
 

Boosting follow-up testing
The agency will also be increasing its follow-up efforts when a plant tests positive for E. coli. For plants that grind more than 1,000 pounds of beef per day, a positive sample will trigger 16 follow-up samples (one to two per week), plus a food-safety assessment of the facility's entire food-safety system. Eight follow-up samples will be taken at plants that grind less than 1,000 pounds per day.
"In the past, we haven't done that routinely. Now we will. If you get a positive, you can expect I'll be scheduling a food-safety assessment and intensified testing," Petersen said.
 

The agency is also starting to take a closer look at blade or mechanically tenderized steaks and roasts that are needle-tenderized. "Our main interest is in needle-injected tenderizing, as it can introduce E. coli," he said, adding the agency is in the process of considering how to best verify these processes.
 

Looking for listeria
FSIS is also increasing its random testing for listeria monocytogenes at plants that make ready-to-eat meat products.
Petersen said from about 14,000 total samples taken last year, about 0.5 percent tested positive for listeria monocytogenes. However, additional intensified testing at plants that tested positive has shown that population of plants has a much higher rate of 4.0 percent positives.
 

"The message here is, if you get a random positive, you need to take a critical look at your processes, as I will surely be right behind you, and you might as well fix your problems before I tell you to," he said. FSIS is also doubling its random "not for cause" testing for listeria monocytogenes in product and the environment..

HONOLULU (AP) - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a license to a Hawaii company that plans to irradiate fresh fruit and vegetables to kill bacteria and to sterilize fruit flies or other pests before shipment to the mainland.

Pa'ina Hawaii LLC stated in its application that the commercial underwater pool-type irradiator will be set up adjacent to Honolulu International Airport. The facility will also be used to irradiate cosmetic and pharmaceutical products, and for research and development projects, the company said.

Materials to be irradiated will be loaded into a stainless steel chamber, then lowered into a water-filled pool where they would be exposed to radiation.

Following complaints from the group Concerned Citizens of Honolulu, the regulatory commission said it took the unusual step of having its staff prepare an environmental assessment.

It considered potential effects from transporting the radioactive material and concerns over socioeconomics, ecology, water quality and potential effects of aviation accidents from the airport and natural phenomena, the agency said.

The staff issued a final environmental assessment that included a finding of no significant impact, it said.

The commission said it will inspect key aspects of the construction of the facility to ensure compliance with the terms of the license before the irradiator begins operation.

Hawaii's only other irradiator has been in operation on the Big Island since 2000.

Fulton County health officials are warning against eating raw shellfish because it could be contaminated with Vibrio vulnificus, a bacteria linked to the death of a woman who ate raw oysters at Spondivits Seafood & Steaks in early August.

The 52-year-old woman died Aug. 10, soon after arriving at a hospital. She ate uncooked oysters several days before her death, Fulton health officials said. The health department did not identify the woman, who died Aug. 10, or the restaurant. But a corporate chef with Spondivits confirmed that Fulton health officials were investigating the popular restaurant on Virginia Avenue near the airport.

Oysters and other shellfish harvested from the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico in summer months may be contaminated with the bacteria by the time they arrive at restaurants. In this instance, it's unclear whether the restaurant's seafood handling may have worsened the oysters condition. Fulton County health officials say they still are investigating the case.

Spondivits was closed for a day and asked to throw out all of their oysters. The restaurant will not serve them again until cooler weather, said Glenn Gagne, corporate chef for Spondivits.

The 52-year-old woman died soon after arriving at a hospital. She ate uncooked oysters several days before her death, Fulton health officials said. James Howgate, director of Fulton's division of population health, said the health department has prohibited the restaurant from serving any type of shellfish, raw or cooked.

The county closed the restaurant for 24 hours after inspectors found critical violations of safe food handling practices there while investigating the woman's death, Howgate said. Gagne said the restaurant closed voluntarily, at the county's request.

The Vibrio vulnificus bacteria can cause death or serious illness in people with a variety of medical conditions, including diabetes and liver disease.

Gagne said Spondivits sold 125 orders of oysters on the day the woman ate there, with no other reports of illness.

"Realize the bacteria is a Gulf bacteria," Gagne said. "It's not a kitchen-borne bacteria."

Later, Gagne said that the high heat of August had caused problems with restaurant coolers keeping food properly chilled. "When you start hitting temperatures over 100, it's very hard to hold your temps," Gagne said. "Oysters are very hazardous. That's why we have the warning posted in the restaurant and on the menu."

Howgate said it is county policy not to release the name of the restaurant. "Our perspective here is to help the business be safe," Howgate said. "We're not interested in hurting their business. We do the best we can and work with the restaurant community to help them stay in business."

The woman's death and a possible link to oysters has been under investigation for several weeks. Fulton health officials confirmed the link Monday after repeated requests from a reporter over a 10-day period. Epidemiologists were trying to confirm that the woman only ate raw oysters at one place before finalizing their report, said April Majors, a spokeswoman for the health department.

Georgia permits the sale of raw oysters in restaurants, and requires restaurants to advise patrons that eating raw or undercooked shellfish can cause illness or death. When the state's new food service code takes effect Dec. 1, that menu advisory will drop the mention of death, instead listing only serious illness as a potential risk.

Infections from the Vibrio vulnificus bacteria increased 78 percent in the past decade, according to the CDC. Georgia reported four deaths from the bacteria last year, including two women who had eaten raw oysters from the Gulf Coast. In those cases, the state Department of Agriculture department issued a public health alert within two weeks of the women's deaths, urging hospitals to be on the lookout for patients with the rare bacterial infection.

The bacteria can cause serious illness in people with weakened immune systems or such conditions as alcoholism, cancer, HIV/AIDS and stomach disorders. About half of those infections are fatal, according to the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Commission, an industry and government group.