Monthly Archives: April 2014

Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli distribution and characterization in a pasture-based cow-calf production system

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Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains are commonly found in cattle gastrointestinal tracts. In this study, prevalence and distribution of E. coli virulence genes (stx 1, stx 2, hlyA, and eaeA) were assessed in a cow-calf pasture-based production system. Angus cows (n = 90) and their calves (n = 90) were kept in three on-farm locations, and fecal samples were collected at three consecutive times (July, August, and September 2011). After enrichment of samples, stx 1, stx 2, eaeA, and hlyA were cow.calfamplified and detected with a multiplex PCR (mPCR) assay. Fecal samples positive for stx genes were obtained from 93.3% (84 of 90) of dams and 95.6% (86 of 90) of calves at one or more sampling times. Age class (dam or calf), spatial distribution of cattle (farm locations B, H, K), and sampling time influenced prevalence and distribution of virulence genes in the herd. From 293 stx-positive fecal samples, 744 E. coli colonies were isolated. Virulence patterns of isolates were determined through mPCR assay: stx 1 was present in 41.9% (312 of 744) of the isolates, stx 2 in 6.5% (48 of 744), eaeA in 4.2% (31 of 744), and hlyA in 2.4% (18 of 744). Prevalence of non-O157 STEC was high among the isolates: 33.8% (112 of 331) were STEC O121, 3.6% (12 of 331) were STEC O103, and 1.8% (6 of 331) were STEC O113. One isolate (0.3%) was identified as STEC O157. Repetitive element sequence–based PCR (rep-PCR) fingerprinting was used to study genetic diversity of stx-positive E. coli isolates. Overall, rep-PCR fingerprints were highly similar, supporting the hypothesis that strains are transmitted between animals but not necessarily from a dam to its calf. Highly similar STEC isolates were obtained at each sampling time, but isolates obtained from dams were more diverse than those from calves, suggesting that strain differences in transference may exist. Understanding the transfer of E. coli from environmental and animal sources to calves may aid in developing intervention strategies to reduce E. coli colonization of young cattle. Journal of Food Protection®, Number 5, May 2014, pp. 696-863 , pp. 722-731(10) Baltasar, Patrícia1; Milton, Stewart2; Swecker, Jr., William2; Elvinger, Franc ¸ Ois1; Ponder, Monica3

Internalization and fate of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in leafy green phyllosphere tissue using various spray conditions

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In the past decade, leafy greens have been implicated in several outbreaks of foodborne illness, and research has focused on contamination during preharvest operations. Concerns have been raised that internalization of pathogens into the edible tissue occurs where postharvest chemical interventions would be ineffective. This study was initiated to measure the lettucedegree and fate of Escherichia coli O157:H7 internalized in the phyllosphere tissue of leafy greens when spray conditions, inoculum level, and type of leafy green were varied. Two spraying treatments were applied: (i) spraying individual spinach or lettuce leaves on plants once with a high dose (7 to 8 log CFU/ml) of E. coli O157:H7 and (ii) spraying spinach, lettuce, or parsley plants repeatedly (once per minute) with a low dose (2.7 to 4.2 log CFU/ml) of E. coli O157:H7 over a 10- to 20-min period. With the high-dose spray protocol, no significant differences in the prevalence of internalization occurred between Shiga toxin–negative E. coli O157:H7 isolates and virulent isolates (P > 0.05), implying that the Shiga toxin virulence factors did not influence internalization or the subsequent fate of those populations under these test conditions. Significantly greater internalization of E. coli O157:H7 occurred in spinach leaves compared with lettuce leaves when leaves were sprayed once with the high-dose inoculum (P < 0.05), whereas internalization was not observed in lettuce leaves but continued to be observed in spinach and parsley leaves following repeated spraying of the low-dose inoculum. Based on these results, it is surmised that a moisture film was generated when spraying was repeated and this film assisted in the mobilization of pathogen cells to plant apertures, such as stomata. E. coli O157:H7 cells that were internalized into spinach tissue using a low-dose repeat-spray protocol were temporary residents because they were not detected 2 days later, suggesting that plant-microbe interactions may be responsible.

Journal of Food Protection®, Number 5, May 2014, pp. 696-863 , pp. 713-721(9)

Erickson, Marilyn C.1; Webb, Cathy C.2; Davey, Lindsey E.2; Payton, Alison S.2; Flitcroft, Ian D.3; Doyle, Michael P.2

Death Cap mushrooms not from Australian Woolworths

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ACT Health has been working closely with Woolworths and ACT Policing to investigate three cases of Death Cap mushroom poisoning that occurred in the ACT.

“We’d like to acknowledge the swift adeath.cap.mushroomction taken by Woolworths in response to the initial information about the source of the mushrooms,” ACT Chief Health Officer, Dr Paul Kelly said.

“Investigations by ACT Policing in the last 24 hours have found no evidence that the Death Cap mushrooms consumed by the patients were purchased from Woolworths in Dickson.

“Our investigations are still ongoing as to the source of the Death Cap mushrooms, however this remains an isolated incident and there have been no other recent reports of Death Cap mushroom poisoning in the ACT.

“Two of the patients remain in a stable condition in ACT hospitals and one patient is currently receiving care at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney. ACT Health is seeking co-operation in respecting the privacy of these patients during this time,” Dr Kelly concluded.

People are reminded not to pick and eat any wild mushrooms. It can be extremely difficult for even experienced collectors to distinguish Death Cap mushrooms from other edible mushrooms.

Further information on Death Cap mushrooms is available via: http://www.health.act.gov.au/publications/fact-sheets/death-cap-mushrooms

Harry Styles is reportedly using bird poop to treat his acne

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Anyone who takes nutrition, vaccination, and acne advice from a celebrity is as idiotic as those giving the advice.

Harry Styles, the 20-year-old One Direction front man is prone to pimples.

bird.poop.acneAccording to the MailOnline, Harry has turned to bird excrement in a desperate attempt to clear up his acne before the band’s world tour.

So far so good. Hank has apparently been break- out free since he started the feces facials.

It’s called the “Geisha facial,” because back in the day, Japanese Geishas used the waste to remove the thick white make-up they were expected to wear.

And now A-listers like Tom Cruise and Victoria Beckham are reportedly dropping over $200 a pop to have bird droppings smeared on to their faces.

Harry fears his acne prone skin will not be able to brave the heavy make-up and hot lights used on tour.

Tom Cruise, 51, has been a devotee for two years and 40 year-old Victoria Beckham began having the facials after a visit to Japan.

You may see an acne cure or a cute bird, I see a Salmonella factory.

Trader Joe’s named in E. coli lawsuits traced to prepared salads

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Food safety lawyer Bill Marler and I don’t always agree, but he’s right to go after retailers that source the cheapest product rather than the safest.

I’ve worked with enough retailers over the years to know they often don’t walk the talk.

lettuce-skullOf course food safety is the top priority – when there’s an outbreak.

Rest of the time, food safety can get lost behind quarterly earnings.

Lynne Terry of The Oregonian reports six people are suing Trader Joe’s over an E. coli outbreak that sent them to emergency rooms and caused one to suffer kidney failure.

The lawsuits seek unspecified damages in an outbreak last year traced to prepared salads by Glass Onion Catering in the San Francisco Bay area. That company is also named in the complaints, which are unusual because they list the retailer as a plaintiff.

“Retailers have been getting a free pass,” said Bill Marler. “They need to be held responsible. They’re the ones that have the most power over manufacturers to make sure they are doing the right thing.”

He’s right.

Real Housewives of New York dogs drink too

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In the latest episode of the Real Housewives of New York, Ramona is having a calendar shoot with her dog when Sonja shows up for a chat with her pup. The four are seated on an elegant couch when the guest doggy gets thirsty. Sonja, without missing a beat, offers her pooch her water glass and tells him kindly it is too early for champagne.

RHONY-dog RHONY-Ramona RHONY-Sonja

Ramona, polite but taken aback says, “I have water right in the kitchen. You know, I hope you’re not going to drink from that after.”

Sonja replies distracted, “I miss Milou so much but this dog is just…” and sighs.

And then Sonja takes a drink from the same glass.

Perhaps she learned her etiquette from Real Housewife of Beverly Hills, Lisa.

Australian group calls for regulation of user-generated restaurant reviews

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Now that anyone with an internet connection can share their opinions with a wide audience, user review websites such as TripAdvisor, Urbanspoon and Eatability are becoming the new word of mouth, and increasingly influential. But businesses are complaining about false, inaccurate and malicious reviews and say the system is open to abuse.

6262_eatability-logoSome have struggled to remove negative comments from sacked staff, critiques posted by rivals, ”revenge reviews” written by troublesome customers and scathing reviews by hotel ”guests” who never stayed.

Concerned by the rise in paid-for and fake online reviews, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has released guidelines for businesses and review platforms and made monitoring the sector a priority.

ACCC deputy chair Michael Schaper said three-quarters of Australians used review platforms when deciding where to eat out or stay on holiday and inauthentic reviews misled consumers.

”It’s time for the industry to bring its behaviour into line with ACCC expectations,” he said. ”We would like platforms to review what’s being posted up there, as well as trying to disclose as much as possible to consumers … [about] sponsored and paid links.”

Restaurant & Catering Australia chief executive John Hart said fake reviews were a huge problem for the association, estimating one in 10 reviews had ”some falsehood in it.”

Australian Woolworths investigates mushroom poisoning

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Canberra residents who may be feeling ill after consuming mushrooms bought from a Woolworths supermarket are being advised to seek immediate medical attention following a possible Death Cap mushroom poisoning.

death.cap.mushroomACT Health is investigating after three patients from the same household attended Canberra’s Calvary Hospital in the last 48 hours with poisoning symptoms.

They claim to have been affected by mushrooms purchased from a Woolworths in the suburb of Dickson on April 17.

“This appears to be an isolated incident and there have been no other recent reports of Death Cap mushroom poisoning in the ACT,” the territory’s chief health officer Dr Paul Kelly said.

Poultry as a reservoir for foodborne disease

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Frieda Jorgensen and Caroline Willis, writing for the UK Society for Applied Microbiology, say that poultry and poultry products are recognized as the most significant source of human Campylobacter and Salmonella infections in the developed world, including the UK. Outbreak investigations and chickencase-control studies investigating risk-factors and transmission routes have identified poultry meat and eggs as major sources of infection. However, non-foodborne routes such as animal contact, and occupational or recreational exposure, are also important.

Poultry meat, and chicken liver or duck liver products were implicated as the source in 62 of 103 Campylobacter outbreaks reported to the Health Protection Agency (HPA) between 2000 and 2012. Eggs and poultry meat were implicated in 52 and 43 Salmonella outbreaks (of 382 in total reported to the HPA), respectively, over the same time period. In the EU, eggs and egg products were one of the main food vehicles associated with foodborne outbreaks, while broiler meat was the fifth most frequent cause of foodborne Salmonella outbreaks in 2008 (EFSA, 2010a). Moreover, data from the European Commission’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (2008) indicated that reports of microbiological contamination in poultry chicken.thermmeat were more common than for any other food type. In an EU survey from 2008, raw chicken meat was frequently contaminated with campylobacters (approximately 80% of samples) but less so with salmonellas (approximately 16%) (EFSA, 2010b).

The extent to which different infection risk factors are associated with different sources can be inferred by combining case-control studies with source attribution studies (i.e., studies that determine the predisposition of specific genotypes to infect particular animals). Such studies have provided further evidence that poultry is the major source of campylobacteriosis.

Because some companies are better at food safety; Martori adopts new food-safety program for cantaloupes

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I can’t really assess whether these companies are actually better at food safety, but they’re willing to brag about it.

They get a balls-up from me.

cantaloupe.salmonellaTad Thompson of The Produce News writes that Martori Farms, headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, is fully activating a new type of food-safety program for packing cantaloupes.

The process, which employs a hot water shower to clean pathogens from the melons’ rough skin, looks to address critical food-safety issues that were ultimately related to the crevices in cantaloupe rinds

Stephen Martori Sr., president of the company, said his firm is one of two companies using this technology.

Martori built this hot water facility in its Aguila, AZ, packinghouse. Martori grows cantaloupes not only in Aguila but also in two other large farms, including one near Yuma, AZ. The firm is in the market seven months a year, shipping melons from May 1 through November.

The hot water shower was developed, beginning several years ago, through close cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Eastern Regional Agricultural Research Center in the Philadelphia suburb of Wyndmoor, PA. The research led to Martori’s system, which was commercially implemented in late April for the firm’s 2013 season launch.

The water shower lasts for approximately 20 seconds on each cantaloupe, which is rotated during the process. Targeting a water temperature of 162 degrees F, this brief hot water bath pasteurizes the skin, but is brief enough to avoid heating or injuring the cantaloupe’s flesh.

Martori Farms generally plans 1,000 in-house lab samples a season in its packinghouse. It has customers that want lab samples on the packingline of their specific orders.

In the peak of the coming Arizona cantaloupe season, Martori will pack more than 35,000 cantaloupes an hour, or approximately 400,000 melons a day.

“We are one of the largest melon grower-shippers in the country,” Martori said.

Cantaloupe accounts for 75 percent of the melon production at the firm, which produces more than 7,000 acres of melons, including 700 acres of watermelons.

Mini-watermelons and honeydew are also grown, packed and shipped by Martori. Among the honeydew offerings is its exclusive variety in North America, the Lemondrop.

In related news, Liberty Fruit Co. Inc. of Kansas City has earned the highest-possible food-safety rating, according to Scott Danner, the firm’s chief operating officer.

Danner said meeting the highest standards involves intensive training for all employees. He said all employees must pass individual tests for the correct food-safety protocols. Such questions may be as basic as, “What do you do if milk spills in the lunch room.” If someone in the organization doesn’t have the right answer, “We fail the audit,” said Danner.

Danner noted, “The hardest part of the process is to communicate with the rank-and-file. Without our loyal employees, we could not have done this. But they wanted to get involved.”