Rare chicken hooks UK food porn-types, the country that gave the world mushy peas and mad cow disease: It’s a Salmonella/Campy shit-storm waiting to happen

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Douglas Powell

Just when you thought you’d seen every possible bizarre foodie trend on Instagram, a truly stomach-churning craze comes along to surprise you.

Siofra Brennan of the Daily Mail writes people have been sharing images of their ‘juicy and tender’ meals of medium rare chicken, claiming it’s the best possible way to enjoy the meat, but their claims certainly haven’t gone down well with the masses.

People have described the craze as ‘salmonella waiting to happen’ with one stating that there’s a ‘special place reserved in hell’ for people who don’t cook their chicken properly.

However, fans are absolutely insistent that it’s the best way to eat the poultry with one declaring that if you’re not having your chicken medium rare, ‘you’re doing it wrong’.

People seem particularly keen to find out what firebrand chef Gordon Ramsay thinks of the debacle, frantically tweeting him images of the offending dishes to get his opinion.

His thoughts remain, as yet, unknown.

(Who gives a fuck?)

Earlier this year Australian Morgan Jane Gibbs found worldwide notoriety with a Facebook snap of a plateful of very pink pieces of chicken with the caption: ‘Just made chicken medium rare chicken strips.

‘They’re so good can’t believe I’ve never tried it like this before,’ she said.

‘Can’t wait to dig into this with my homemade salad and veges. #healthy #newyearsresolution #clean #cleaneating’

Unsurprisingly the post has gained notoriety online as people tried to figure out if Ms Gibbs is being serious with her nauseating dish.

While the post by Ms Gibbs was most likely a joke, the image itself was of a legitimate dish, origination from a blog promoting tourism in the Japanese region of Shizuoka and the recipe for chicken tataki; chicken seared over hot coals and served raw.

Chicken sashimi is another Japanese dish where the bird is served raw, chefs manage to avoid the issue of pesky food poisoning by serving the meat as fresh as possible and raising the chickens in a hygienic environment.

That’s some microbiological poultry manure (check your organic garden).

To avoid the risk of food poisoning, the NHS recommends that chicken must be cooked through so that the meat is ‘no longer pink, the juices run clear and it’s steaming hot throughout.’

No wonder the UK is messed up about chicken, the government-types can’t get advice right.

Use a thermometer and stick it in.

Health types say animals were likely source of E. coil outbreak that killed 2 kids in Utah

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Douglas Powell

The investigation into an outbreak of E. coli in the border towns of Hildale, Utah and Colorado City, Arizona are drawing to a close and it is believed that infected animals were the source of the disease.

Two young children died and at least 11 people were sickened due to the outbreak, which Fox 13 News first reported July 2.

Friday, The Southwest Utah Public Health Department issued an update and stated that “It has been determined that the likely source of the disease was infected animals, followed by person-to-person contact. Several livestock tested positive for the E. coli strain involved in this outbreak.”

The owners of affected livestock have been notified and given guidance about how to proceed. The health department says tests of water systems, nearby springs, ground beef, produce and dairy products in the area were all negative. There have been no new cases reported in connection with this outbreak since July 9.

The family of 6-year-old Gabriella Fullerton of Hildale confirmed their daughter died of kidney failure as a result of E. coli. Fullerton and another young boy who lives nearby died while several other people were sickened.

Food Safety Talk 131: Downward facing chicken

Posted on July 28, 2017 by Ben Chapman

In this first post-IAFP recording, Don and Ben talk freeze talk freeze-tolerant Trichinella, Blue Apron arrival temperatures, the Fonz and the challenge of a food bank recall. Chipotle (and the company’s employee paid sick leave policy) make an appearance.

Episode 131 can be found here and on iTunes.

Show notes so you can follow along at home:

Benefit for 7-year-old Texas girl with E. coli set for August

Posted on July 23, 2017 by Douglas Powell

Alexis Dominguez of KXII Fox News 12 reports a 7-year-old Tioga girl has spent the last month recovering in a Dallas hospital after getting E. coli.

Emorie Clayton, 7, from Tioga has been in the pediatric intensive care unit at Children’s Hospital in Dallas for nearly a month.

Austin Lewter, Emorie’s uncle says she is recovering after she was infected with E. coli, which attacked her intestines, her digestive system and her kidneys.

“She’s had several surgeries and procedures now but the biggest one actually removed 70% of her colon.”

Emorie’s family says doctors are unsure how she got E. coli and may never even know what caused it.

But during the family’s difficult time, friends and family have come together to help pay for their medical bills.

“There’s stories like this everywhere and when people want to do good, when people need to do good, when people need to come together, they do.”

Lewter says they are several events for the month of August being planned by community members.

“The 12th of August, here in Whitesboro, we’re planning an all-day benefit event. All the proceeds will go to her medical expenses.”

Looks like someone picked the wrong week to go to camp, again: 2 confirmed with E. coli in Ohio, others sick

Posted on July 22, 2017 by Douglas Powell

Gates are closed at Plast Camp in Geauga County, Ohio, as the health district begins their investigation to try to figure out why kids at the summer camp suddenly got sick.

Health District Commissioner Robert Weisdack said there are two confirmed E. coli cases, but a handful of other kids also said they didn’t feel well and more tests are being done to see if other kids have E. coli.

Camp workers handed out E. coli fact sheets to the parents who picked their kids up. Friday night, the health district said about 30 kids were still at the camp. They expect all kids to be out by Saturday so they can go in next week and investigate.

The health district said there is no risk to the community, so people outside the camp shouldn’t worry about getting E. coli.

No risk messages are risky, and so easy to pick apart.

A giant E. coli statue in New York City

Posted on July 20, 2017 by Douglas Powell

John Metcalfe of City Lab writes there is now a giant statue of an E. coli microbe in City Hall Park in Lower Manhattan.

“Earth Potential: E. coli” is based on a 10,000-times magnified electron-microscope image of the fecal bacterium that causes 265,000 infections in the U.S. yearly, with symptoms including cramps and diarrhea. Made from a digital print on cut-out aluminum, it rests in City Hall Park as part of the larger exhibition, “Earth Potential,” by the Estonian artist Katja Novitskova. The show intends to portray “organisms and bodies” that have “significant research value within the scientific community for their potential to advance our understanding of our species and world,” according to the non-profit Public Art Fund. Aside from E. coli, the other pieces in the show include a huge earthworm, a slippery nematode, and a human embryo magnified to resemble a clump of moldy peaches.

Only certain strains of E. coli cause gut-churning maladies; others are beneficial component s of the human intestines and boons to science. As the show’s primer explains: “E. coli has been at the center of groundbreaking research: Genetic engineers have used new synthetic biological techniques to recode the bacteria’s genome, potentially changing the organism’s functionality and radically increasing the prospect that humans will have the ability to rewrite the codes for life.”

E. coli O157 claims sister; brother remains critical in Minn.

Posted on July 19, 2017 by Douglas Powell

Two siblings, Kade and Kallan Maresh from Maple Lake, Minnesota, were stricken with E. coli O157, possibly after visiting a petting zoo.

The family’s Caring Bridge site broke the sad news on Sunday when it reported that Kallan lost her battle with the deadly strain.

Bill Hudson of CBS Minnesota reports she died one week after shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157 raced through her young body.

“It’s very serious, potentially fatal,” says George Canas, M.D., with Kidney Specialists of Minnesota.’

The state Health Department is investigating where the E. coli exposure was. Possibly, something as simple as a trip to a petting zoo and transferring the bacteria onto the child’s hands and their mouth. It’s also common to acquire an exposure by eating unsanitary meat, produce or dairy.

The severe case eventually claimed Kallan’s life just a week after she was rushed to Masonic Children’s Hospital. Fortunately, her older brother, Kade, continues his fight, although his situation remains extremely serious.

E. coli vegetables

Posted on July 14, 2017 by Douglas Powell

Our barfblog.com French correspondent, Albert Amgar, send along this excellent talk by Peteer Fng of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about Shiga-toxin producing E. coli in produce, including this, maybe real, photograph.

CDC updates backyard flock Salmonella outbreak numbers

Posted on July 14, 2017 by Ben Chapman

Wow. Salmonella in backyard flocks is no joke. CDC reports that hundreds of people have become ill this year in 10 outbreaks. Kissing chickens is a bad idea.

Since the last update on June 1, 2017, 418 more ill people have been reported. The most recent illness began on June 20, 2017.

This is a Salmonella factory

CDC, multiple states, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) are investigating 10 separate multistate outbreaks of Salmonella infections in people who had contact with live poultry in backyard flocks.

The outbreak strains of Salmonella have infected a reported 790 people in 48 states and the District of Columbia.Illnesses started on dates ranging from January 4, 2017 to June 20, 2017.

Of 580 people with available information, 174 ill people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

Shiga toxin producing E coli in raw milk products in Norway

Posted on July 13, 2017 by Douglas Powell

The Norwegian Food Safety Authority has detected Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC) in four unpasteurized milk products.

Mattilsynet said 82 unpasteurized milk products were examined and STEC was isolated from three products from Norwegian companies and a French cheese. Stx genes were also detected in 20 samples.

E. coli O-, stx2a was found in a Norwegian-produced soft red cheese of cow’s milk and rømme (a type of blue cheese) and E. coli O26, Stx1 and eae was in fresh cheese from goat milk. E. coli O113, stx2d was detected in French chèvre.

Joe Whitworth of Food Quality News reports Mattilsynet took 714 samples of pasteurized and unpasteurized dairy products – mainly cheeses – as part of a monitoring program from 2010 to 2016 – including 184 samples last year.

Samples in 2016 consisted of 102 produced from pasteurized milk and 82 of unpasteurized milk from stores, importers and manufacturers.

These products consisted of cow’s milk (139), goat (33), sheep (11) and a mixture of these (1).

The monitoring program was done to acquire knowledge on hygiene of dairy products on the Norwegian market.

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