Food Poisoning Law Blog

Contrary to what most people would think, young (inner) lettuce greens may pose a greater risk of E. coli O157:H7 contamination than older (middle) leaves, according to a study conducted by researchers at Produce Safety and Microbiology Research Unity, Albany, California and the University of California, Berkeley. The study found that E. coli O157:H7 consistently colonized on young (inner) romaine lettuce leaves at a rate ten-times greater than on the middle leaves of the romaine lettuce. The reason may be nitrogen content. Young-leaf exudates used in the study were found to have about 2.9 times more nitrogen than the middle-leaf exudates. 

According to the researchers involved in this study, “Our results indicate that leaf age and nitrogen content contribute to shaping the bacterial communities of preharvest and post-harvest lettuce and that young lettuce leaves may be associated with a greater risk of contamination with E. coli O157:H7.”

Reference: M.T. Brandl, R. Amundson. 2008. Leaf age as a risk factor in contamination of lettuce with Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 74. 8: 2298-2306.

Alamosa County health officials have reported one death related to the Salmonella outbreak linked to the Alamosa water supply.  According to health officials, the genetic pattern of the person's Salmonella matched the pattern found in the city's water supply before it was disinfected.

This is the first death associated with the Alamosa Salmonella outbreak, which health officials uncovered in early March after several people were sickened after drinking water from Alamosa's city water supply.

Health officials have received at least 411 reports of Salmonella cases.  112 of those cases are laboratory-confirmed.

A cereal recall has been linked to Salmonella Agona cases in California, Colorado, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.  The cereal, puffed rice and puffed wheat, was recalled by Malt-O-Meal Company on April 5, 2008, and involved the following brands: Malt-O-Meal, Acme, America's Choice, Food Club, Giant, Hannaford, Jewel, Laura Lynn, Pathmark, Shaw’s, ShopRite, Tops and Weis Quality. Read more information about the Malt-O-Meal recall.

The CDC, FDA and state health departments are investigating the Salmonella Agona outbreak.  The investigation includes interviews of persons with Salmonella Agona infections and comparison of the DNA fingerprints suggests that cereal from Malt-O-Meal unsweetened Puffed Rice Cereals and unsweetened Puffed Wheat Cereals is likely related to these illnesses.

The FDA issued a news release today that stated that 23 people in 14 states have been diagnosed with salmonellosis that was caused by the same strain of Salmonella that was found in the recently recalled unsweetened Puffed Rice and unsweetened Puffed Wheat Cereals produced by Malt-O-Meal.

The recalled cereal products were distributed nationally under the Malt-O-Meal brand name as well as under private label brands including Acme, America's Choice, Food Club, Giant, Hannaford, Jewel, Laura Lynn, Pathmark, Shaw's, ShopRite, Tops and Weis Quality. The cereals have "Best If Used By" dates from April 8, 2008 (coded as "APR0808") through March 18, 2009 (coded as "MAR1809").

Yesterday's CDC information on the Salmonella Agona outbreak linked to the cereal recall stated:

Health departments from 13 states identified 21 ill persons infected with Salmonella Agona with the same genetic fingerprint. Ill persons with the outbreak strain have been reported from California (1), Colorado (1), Delaware (1), Maine (3), Massachusetts (2), Minnesota (1), North Dakota (1), New Hampshire (2), New Jersey (3), New York (3), Pennsylvania (1), Rhode Island (1), and Vermont (1). Illness onset dates, which are known for 9 patients, ranged from January 22 to March 2, 2008. Their ages range from 1 to 95 years; 62% are female. Three hospitalizations and no deaths have been reported.

Investigation of the Salmonella Agona Outbreak Linked to the Malt-O-Meal Cereal Recall

According to the CDC:

On April 5, 2008 Malt-O-Meal Company initiated a recall after the company's routine food testing detected the presence of Salmonella on March 24, 2008 in a Minnesota plant that produces and packages dry cereals. Malt-O-Meal issued a recall of unsweetened Puffed Rice Cereals and unsweetened Puffed Wheat Cereals produced during the past 12 months at the plant in Minnesota. The recall products have "Best If Used By" dates of April 8, 2008 to March 18, 2009.

On April 7, 2008, PulseNet, the molecular subtyping network for foodborne disease surveillance, notified CDC's OutbreakNet Team of a cluster of human Salmonella Agona isolates with an indistinguishable PFGE pattern (outbreak pattern) in multiple states. On April 10, 2008, CDC was informed by several state health departments that patients infected with Salmonella Agona with the outbreak pattern had eaten Malt-O-Meal cereal products. On April 11, the Minnesota State Public Health Department confirmed that the Salmonella isolate isolated from the Minnesota plant was Salmonella Agona and had the same indistinguishable PFGE pattern as the isolates from ill humans. CDC, multiple state health departments, and FDA are working collaboratively to identify additional cases and determine the source and factors that contribute to this outbreak.

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The nationwide outbreak of Salmonella Litchfield has sickened at least 50 people in 16 different states, leading to ban of imported cantaloupe from Honduras, the product implicated in the outbreak. The cantaloupe in this outbreak has been traced back to its producer in Honduras, Agropecuaria Montelibano.  Shippers and distributors of the product have recalled the cantaloupe, including Dole (Dole cantaloupe recall) and Chiquita (Chiquita cantaloupe recall). The same cantaloupe has led to an outbreak in Canada as well.

An outbreak of this scale is not new to cantaloupe. Multiple outbreaks in the past have linked various Salmonella contaminations to cantaloupe. In this decade alone, there were 47 cases in a 2000 outbreak, 50 cases in 2001, and 58 cases in 2002, all involving cantaloupe contaminated with Salmonella. These cases were linked to S. Poona, possibly through water contaminated by reptiles that carry the rare serotype.  All the melons involved were from Mexico, which spurred a banning of cantaloupe from the Mexican farm that produced the melons.

2006 saw an outbreak of S. Oranienburg in the Northeastern region of the United States and parts of Canada, affecting 41 individuals. From 1973-2003, 11 outbreaks of Salmonella in cantaloupe were reported to the CDC. There are many other documented outbreaks in cantaloupe, including the following:

• 2001 – Salmonella Poona, 46 cases (including 2 deaths) in 14 states
• 2000 - Salmonella Poona, 43 cases in 7 states
• 1998 - Salmonella Oranienburg, 22 cases in Ontario, Canada
• 1997 - Salmonella Saphra, 24 cases in California
• 1991 - Salmonella Poona, >400 cases in 23 states and Canada
• 1990 - Salmonella Chester, 245 cases in 30 states

Cantaloupe and Salmonella have a long history together in causing massive outbreaks in the United States in Canada.  The CDC and FDA are well aware of the dangers associated with cantaloupe, but history seems to repeat itself over and over again.  2005 research addressed the three outbreaks from 2000-2002 to discover why Salmonella seems so attracted to cantaloupe.  The research showed that the Salmonella bacteria form what is called a “biofilm” which are colonies of the bacteria that covered in polymers.  Most sanitizers are ineffective at getting rid of the biofilm from the cantaloupe surface, especially water-based sanitizers.

Even if Agropecuaria Montelibano had washed the cantaloupe, there is still a very good chance that biofilms of Salmonella were still present on the cantaloupe surface.  Even after purchase of the melons and washing them in water, cutting into the melon could easily have spread the bacteria into the fruit that was on the surface.

Honduran President Manuel Zelaya ate a cantaloupe on public television as a display of his confidence in the safety of his country’s fruit.  The urge for U.S. consumers not to eat Honduran fruit has led to the laying off of almost 2000 workers and criticism that the warning from the FDA is tied to President Zelaya’s close relationship with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.  These allegations have been denied.

No matter what the motivations for the recall are, it is important that consumers are informed of the risks associated with the product. This outbreak is just another on a long list of cantaloupe-related Salmonella outbreaks.  Perhaps this outbreak will lead to more research so that cantaloupe outbreaks can be prevented in the future.

Click here to learn more about the current Salmonella Litchfield outbreak.

All information in this article was compiled using the following links:

http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publications.htm?SEQ_NO_115=172325

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15083723

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5146a2.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/enterics/publications/439-Olson2007.pdf

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01808.html

Tropifresh, Inc. of Los Angeles, CA has recalled Agrolibano’s Produce Brand whole Cantaloupes because they may be contaminated with  Salmonella Litchfield.

Whole cantaloupe fruits subject to this recall carry a “Mike’s Melons” sticker or may be unlabeled because this sticker has fallen off. Whole cantaloupe subject to this recall were sold in approximately 1100 pound cardboard bin containers and were distributed to wholesalers in Southern California, Pennsylvania and Canada.

No illnesses have been reported to Tropifresh, Inc. to date.  However, the recalled Tropifresh cantaloupe was supplied by Agropecuaria Montelibano, a Honduran grower and packer, to Tropifresh. This recall was initiated when the FDA  issued an import alert regarding cantaloupe from Agropecuaria Montelibano, because, based on current information, fruit from this company appears to be associated with a Salmonella Litchfield outbreak in the United States and Canada.  There are 50 laboratory-confirmed Salmonella Litchfield cases in the United States.  According to the CDC  the following states have reported laboratory-confirmed cases of Salmonella Litchfield:

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).

We have been contacted by persons who were sickened in the Salmonella outbreak associated with Honduran cantaloupe grown and packed by Agropecuaria Montelibano.  For more information, please contact attorney Fred Pritzker toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or email Fred.

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According to the Washington State Department of Health,cantaloupe from Honduras grown by Agropecuaria Montelibano has been implicated in dozens of Salmonella Litchfield illnesses across 16 states, including nine cases of salmonellosis in Washington.

The outbreak of Salmonella Litchfield illnesses has affected families in King, Lewis, Thurston, Pierce, and Spokane counties. Five of the nine Washington cases were hospitalized. There have been no deaths reported associated with the outbreak.

The FDA issued an import alert on Saturday for Agropecuaria Montelibano brand cantaloupe.  Although FDA recommended retailers and others not to sell this Honduran brand of cantaloupe, consumers should be wary and ask if the cantaloupe is this Honduran brand.  If you have cantaloupe at home and are not sure if it is this brand that may be contaminated with Salmonella Litchfield, contact the store where you purchased it.

The Washington State Department of Health is recommending:

Anyone that has cantaloupe under that brand name should not eat it; if it’s not possible to identify the brand or determine if it came from Honduras, cantaloupe should be thrown away.

It is thought that most melon contamination is on the rind and is transferred to the inside when a knife cuts through it. The state Department of Health recommends scrubbing the rinds of melons before cutting them up to eat. Rinse the rind with cool water and scrub the outside. Melon that has been cut-up should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours. Cantaloupe and other melons can grow bacteria on cut surfaces, so the cut melon should always be refrigerated and kept cool.

Symptoms of Salmonella Litchfield illness (salmonelllosis) include severe diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, fever, chills, abdominal discomfort, and occasionally vomiting. The symptoms generally appear one to three days after exposure. Salmonellosis can be very serious for the young or elderly. Anyone with serious symptoms should consult a health care provider.

The 2008 International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases discussed the growing number of foodborne illnesses related to vegetables, mainly leafy greens. It has been thought that the increase of leafy greens in the average American’s diet has led to the increase in disease related to those foods; however, data analyzed at the conference suggests something entirely different.

Michael Lynch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said, according to EurekAlert!,

“During the 1986-1995 period U.S. leafy green consumption increased 17% from the previous decade. During the same period, the proportion of all foodborne disease outbreaks due to leafy greens increased 60%. Likewise during 1996-2005 leafy green consumption increased 9% and leafy green-associated outbreaks increased 39%,” says Lynch.

Outbreaks recently have been located in E. coli contaminated spinach and lettuce and other various greens. Only 9% of all outbreaks related to leafy were greens, however, were due to E. coli. Salmonella was responsible for 10% of outbreaks, but the major contributor, norovirus, accounted for 60% of leafy green outbreaks.

Although the data shows that the increase of foodborne outbreaks related to leafy greens is not caused solely by the increased consumption of that type of food, researchers and officials still cannot account for the increase.

“The proportion of outbreaks due to leafy greens has increased beyond what can be explained by increased consumption. Contamination can occur anywhere along the chain from the farm to the table. Efforts by local, state and federal agencies to control leafy green outbreaks should span from the point of harvest to the point of preparation,” says Lynch.

We contacted the Texas Department of State Health Services for any updates on the illnesses caused by a shiga toxin.  Six people, including three children, were sickened. One of the children died.

Doug McBride, spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services, told us that there have been no additional cases reported.  He also said that the department is waiting for test results to determine if the bacteria involved is E. coli or Shigella. 

The symptoms due to this toxin include severe or bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps, usually showing up one to nine days after exposure to the bacteria.  Anyone experiencing these symptoms should immediately seek medical attention.

The California Food Emergency Response Team (CalFERT) and the FDA have issued a final report of their investigation of the Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 outbreak associated with iceberg lettuce served at Taco John’s restaurants in Iowa and Minnesota. 

The final report suggests that the source of the outbreak may have been iceberg lettuce grown on Wegis Ranch in Buttonwillow, California. After initial traceback procedures led to Wegis Ranch, CalFERT began an environmental investigation of Wegis Ranch. 

CalFERT observed “2 dairy farms [Maya Dairy and West Star North Dairy] in close proximity to Wegis Ranch and its suspect lettuce growing fields” (page 12). The CalFERT team also “observed that the irrigation pipes from the Wegis Ranch equipment storage yard were stored approximately 50 feet from the cattle biosolids [composting manure] from West Star North Dairy” (page 15). Animal fecal material around the irrigation area was also observed.

In the course of the investigation, CalFERT learned that Wegis Ranch’s irrigation system was connected to both dairies and that Wegis Ranch sometimes irrigated with a blend of the dairies’ discharged wastewater and other water sources. Upon learning this, CalFert expanded its environmental investigation “to encompass a thorough assessment of the vicinity’s water distribution system and conveyances as a whole” (page 21).

When CalFERT assessed Wegis Ranch’s irrigation system, they made a “key observation”—“the farm irrigation system that utilized dairy runoff water did not have any backflow prevention devices to ensure manure-blended irrigation water did not contaminate the SWSD water system,” which was used to irrigate lettuce fields (page 23).

The following are details regarding the samples taken from the Buttonwillow area (Wegis Ranch, Maya Dairy and West Star North Dairy) from page 38 of the final report:

• Out of the 194 samples collected at the Buttonwillow location, 32 (16.5%) were positive for E. coli O157:H7.
• Of the 32 E. coli O157:H7 positive samples, ten (31%) were found to genetically match the Taco John’s outbreak strain.
• For of the ten specimens (that genetically matched the outbreak strain) were gathered at the two dairies, and the remaining six were collected at the Wegis Ranch.

We have recently filed a lawsuit on behalf of a victim of the Taco John’s E. coli outbreak that was the subject of the CalFERT investigation.  According to Elliot Olsen, lead attorney on the case, “These illnesses represent yet another breakdown in a system which seems incapable of protecting the public from contaminated food.  We believe there are other victims out there who have not yet come forward.”

To contact the firm, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm’s free case consultation form.  You may also contact Elliot Olsen via email.

To read the full report, please click here.

Eight cases of E. coli have been associated with a church supper at Eastern Shore First Baptist Church. 5 of the 8 were hospitalized. One boy is still hospitalized.

According to the Press-Register:  

Out of approximately 150 people interviewed by the health department as of Monday morning, 20 said they were ill, Porter said. Eight cultures have tested positive for E. coli O157:H7, a strain of the bacteria that can cause severe illness, [according to Theresa Porter, a Baldwin County surveillance nurse coordinator for the Alabama Department of Public Health Porter].

Three patients -- ages 15, 74 and 81 -- were admitted to Thomas Hospital in Fairhope between Thursday and Saturday, said Diana Brewer, a spokeswoman for Infirmary Health System, which operates Thomas. All were discharged by Sunday, she said.

Three others -- ages 10, 11 and 11 -- were treated for the bacteria with fluids and released, or referred to the hospital for lab work by a local physician.

Porter and Wilson [Ken Wilson, associate pastor of the Daphne church] said it may be difficult to identify the exact source of the bacteria because of the wide variety of food served at the event. Some of the food was prepared and brought to the dinner, while some people donated meat to be cooked for the event, Wilson said.

To read more about the Alabama E. coli outbreak linked to Eastern Shore First Baptist Church, click here.  

After months of being in an induced coma after contracting an E. coli infection that led to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), Stephanie Smith is out of the coma and recovering at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota.  To view a KARE 11 video entitled "Long road back for E. coli victim," click here.

It is a miracle Stephanie Smith is alive.  We wish her the best as she recovers.

This case is a reminder that many families and patients spend months living in Rochester due to the need for medical treatment.  If you would be interested in donating to charitable organizations that provide free or inexpensive lodging in Rochester, Minnesota to patients and their families, please see the following:

Baptist Hospitality House
Phone:  (507) 259-3837
Website:  http://ebcrochester.org/baptisthospitalityhouse/

Gift of Life Transplant House
Phone:  (507) 288-7470
Website:  (The website is not currently working)

Hope Lodge
Phone:  (507) 529-HOPE
Website:  http://www.cancer.org/...

House of Compassion
Phone:  (507) 289-6025
Website:   http://rochesterchurchofchrist.org/...

Mennonite Guest Home
Phone:  (507) 280-6252
Website:  None (If you know of a website, please leave a comment with the information)

Nazarene Well House
Phone: (507) 282-6702
Website: http://www.nazwellhouse.com/index.htm

Ronald McDonald House
Phone:  (507) 282-3955
Website:  http://www.ronhouserochmn.org/

If you know of any other charitable organizations providing free or inexpensive lodging in Rochester, Minnesota for patients and their families, please leave a comment.

Cases of Salmonella (salmonellosis) in Hawaii have prompted a recall of Yellowfin Tuna distributed by Choyce Products of Honolulu, Hawaii.  5452 pounds of the frozen tuna, distributed in Oahu, may be contaminated with Salmonella.   The FDA and the state of Hawaii are conducting a joint investigation of a variety of vendors due to the state receiving Salmonella illness reports between October 1, 2007 and December 31, 2007.

The recalled tuna was sold in bulk to Choyce customers.  FDA believes that most of the recalled product reached consumers in the form of a mixed, previously frozen, seafood product through Choyce customers.

Salmonella can serious and sometimes fatal infections in the young, elderly, and those with weak immune systems.  Other symptoms include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.  Rare infection of the bacteria can lead to arterial infections, endocarditis, and arthritis.

A woman from Jesup, Iowa is taking CMT Inc. to court after becoming ill after eating at a Taco John’s restaurant.  Her illness is connected to an E. coli contamination linked to California lettuce, according to the WCF Courier.

The woman became sick in November 2006, and is being represented by Pritzker | Ruohonen attorney Elliot Olsen.  According to Olsen, “These illnesses represent yet another breakdown in a system which seems incapable of protecting the public from contaminated food.  We believe there are other victims out there who have not yet come forward.”

The Listeria outbreak linked to pasteurized milk products from Whittier Farms has brought to light the dangers of pasteurized food.  Health officials believe that the contamination of the Whittier Farms milk happened during processing, after pasteurization.  Although pasteurization killed any pathogens in the milk, contamination still occurred during the bottling process. 

Even though post-pasteurization contamination can occur, pasteurized milk is still safer than raw milk.

The pasteurization process effectively kills many pathogens, including Listeria, in milk,  Food safety advocates are generally pro pasteurization and against the sale of raw milk.  The FDA has nothing good to say about raw milk:

Pasteurization, since its adoption in the early 1900s, has been credited with dramatically reducing illness and death caused by contaminated milk. But today, some people are passing up pasteurized milk for what they claim is tastier and healthier "raw milk."

Public health officials couldn't disagree more.

Drinking raw (untreated) milk or eating raw milk products is "like playing Russian roulette with your health," says John Sheehan, director of the Food and Drug Administration's Division of Dairy and Egg Safety. "We see a number of cases of foodborne illness every year related to the consumption of raw milk."

More than 300 people in the United States got sick from drinking raw milk or eating cheese made from raw milk in 2001, and nearly 200 became ill from these products in 2002, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Raw milk may harbor a host of disease-causing organisms (pathogens), such as the bacteria campylobacter, escherichia, listeria, salmonella, yersinia, and brucella. Common symptoms of foodborne illness from many of these types of bacteria include diarrhea, stomach cramps, fever, headache, vomiting, and exhaustion.

Proponents of raw milk believe pasteurized milk is unhealthy, as indicated by this passage found on the website BecomeNatural.com:

Pasteurization destroys enzymes, diminishes vitamin content, denatures fragile milk proteins, destroys vitamins C, B12 and B6, kills beneficial bacteria, promotes pathogens and is associated with allergies, increased tooth decay, colic in infants, growth problems in children, osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease and cancer.

The raw milk debate has been brought before federal courts. According to Marketwire,

The public health community has been united in stating that consumption of raw milk is not healthful, but, in fact, is harmful. This matter has been litigated and, in the matter of Public Citizen vs. Heckler in 1986, the Federal District Court concluded that the record presents "overwhelming evidence of the risks associated with the consumption of raw milk both certified and otherwise."

Currently, the United States bans any interstate commerce dealing with raw milk.  Some states have banned the sale of raw milk. We stand with the FDA, the courts and legislative bodies on this issue--the consumption of raw milk poses far too many dangers to not be regulated by state and federal food safety agencies.

According to an article in this week’s issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), a CDC investigation into a multistate Salmonella outbreak determined the source of the outbreak to be pet turtles. Due to past Salmonella outbreaks linked to pet turtles, the sale and distribution of small turtles (those with a shell less than 4 inches long) has been prohibited in the United States since 1975. Despite this, small turtles are still available.

The CDC was first notified of this Salmonella outbreak in October of 2007, when the North Carolina Division of Public Health (NCDPH) notified CDC of human infections caused by Salmonella serotype Paratyphi B L (+) tartrate (+) (Salmonella Paratyphi B var. Java) in several states.

The outbreak began in May of 2007, but two cases in August were pivotal in determining the source of the outbreak:

On August 31, 2007, a girl aged 13 years visited a South Carolina hospital emergency department, where she reported a 5-day history of bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fever, and vomiting. She was treated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and intravenous fluids but was not hospitalized. Her illness resolved in 7 days. A stool specimen yielded Salmonella Paratyphi B var. Java. Also on August 31, a girl aged 15 years was admitted to a North Carolina hospital with acute renal failure and a 4-day history of bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fever, and vomiting. She was hospitalized for 8 days and recovered fully.

A joint investigation by NCDPH and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control revealed that, on August 24, the two girls had swum in an unchlorinated, in-ground swimming pool belonging to the family of the older girl. Two pet turtles belonging to the family also were permitted to swim in the pool. The turtles, both of which had carapace lengths of less than 4 inches, had been purchased recently from a pet shop in South Carolina. A water sample collected from the turtle habitat yielded Salmonella Paratyphi B var. Java with an XbaI pattern indistinguishable by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) from the isolates of the younger girl. Stool specimens were not collected from the older girl.

On October 5, NCDPH informed PulseNet† that tests of isolates from three other persons revealed Salmonella Paratyphi B var. Java with an XbaI pattern indistinguishable from the isolates of the younger girl and the turtle habitat (defined as the outbreak strain). On October 5, in response to a request issued by NCDPH through PulseNet, several other state health departments reported human Salmonella Paratyphi B var. Java isolates with an XbaI pattern indistinguishable from the outbreak strain.

The Ohio Department of Health provided further evidence of a turtle associated outbreak by reporting that isolates indistinguishable from the outbreak strain had been obtained from a patient with exposure to a small turtle during the week before illness onset, from that patient’s pet turtle, and from water collected from the turtle’s habitat.

As of January 18, 2008, a total of 103 Salmonella (salmonellosis) cases with isolates indistinguishable from the outbreak strain had been reported to CDC from 33 states.

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Although the Listeria outbreak originating with Whittier Farms has questioned the safety of the nation’s dairy supply, new technology holds the promise of protecting fresh produce from the potentially lethal bacteria among other pathogens.  PureRay Lighting Technology from Global Warming Solutions replaces florescent lighting to dramatically increase the shelf life of produce, all while reducing energy costs.

According to PR-inside.com,

The PureRay Light system is a proprietary design comprised of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) assembled in arrays. Since the light itself is safe, PureRay could be deployed in production facilities, transportation and storage systems and display areas in stores.

PureRay either kills or suppresses pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes, as well as E. coli, blue mold and yeasts.  The technology reduces the spoiling rate of produce and stimulates its natural life processes which keep it fresh longer.  The light also protects deep inside the produce tissue, not just on the surface.

The company behind PureRay, Global Warming Solutions, maintains an emphasis on reducing the effects of global warming, and PureRay will save energy consumption in a variety of ways.

PureRay lighting systems could replace fluorescent tubes in refrigerated or non-refrigerated display cases and shelves. Besides prolonging the shelf life of fresh produce by up to 50%, PureRay offers 15% energy savings over traditional under-shelf lighting solutions. PureRay offers significant improvements in energy efficiency, life-time of the lighting fixture, customer safety, product illumination, scalability and design flexibility, helping grocers meet targets for reducing their carbon footprint.

PureRay could be the next step to increasing food safety of fresh produce.  Added measures to kill and suppress Listeria contamination can save lives, as the results of the Whittier outbreak has shown consumers.  There have been four deaths associated with the Whittier Farms Listeria outbreak--three elderly men and an unborn baby.  Read about Listeria miscarriage and Listeria wrongful death.

With the outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes in pasteurized milk products from Whittier Farms looming over the food safety world, a new study suggests safer and more effective ways of killing the bacteria during the pasteurization process.  A study conducted by L. Huang and J. Sites published in the Journal of Food Science showed the effective elimination of Listeria from hotdogs with a new infrared pasteurization process.

The study was directly aimed at ready-to-eat meats such as hotdogs in order to kill Listeria on the surface of the meats.  The process utilized an infrared emitter, a hotdog roller, an infrared sensor, and a temperature controller. The sensor monitored the surface temperature of the hotdogs while the emitter was the heating source.

According to the article:

The infrared surface pasteurization was evaluated using hotdogs that were surface-inoculated with a 4-strain L. monocytogenes cocktail to an average initial inoculum of 7.32 log (CFU/g). On the average 1.0, 2.1, 3.0, or 5.3 log-reduction in L. monocytogenes was observed after the surface temperature of hotdogs was increased to 70, 75, 80, or 85 °C, respectively. Holding the sample temperature led to additional bacterial inactivation. With a 3 min holding at 80 °C or 2 min at 85 °C, a total of 6.4 or 6.7 logs of L. monocytogenes were inactivated.

The infrared pasteurization was successful in killing the bacteria that contaminated the surface of the hotdogs. Since the Whittier outbreak has shaken consumer confidence in the pasteurization process, it is good to see that pasteurization procedures are being reevaluated to provide a safer food source.  (We are aware that the Listeria contamination at Whittier Farms most likely happened post pasteurization.  Even so, the outbreak suggests the need to review pasteurization procedures.)

The recent Listeria outbreak linked to Whittier Farms pasteurized milk is a reminder that no food is completely safe from foodborne pathogens. The outbreak has killed four people, 3 elderly men and an unborn baby. (Learn about Listeria miscarriage and Listeria wrongful death.)

Pasteurization is supposed to kill any foodborne pathogens present in the raw product. However, contamination can occur after the pasteurization process, which is undoubtedly what happened in this case. Listeria contamination occurs when a processing facility is not kept clean enough to kill any Listeria monocytogenes bacteria that may have found its way into the plant. Listeria can lurk in drains, registers, equipment and other areas.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health investigation into this outbreak used genetic fingerprinting tests to connect the deaths with Whittier Farms milk. The outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes (each outbreak has a unique strain) has been found in samples obtained from those sickened, milk found at a victims home, and milk found at the Whittier Farms processing plant. These results can be used as evidence in a Whittier Farms lawsuit.

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