In honor of Thanksgiving here at Food Safety News we’re hosting our fourth virtual potluck (we’ve also held virtual picnics on Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day).

We’ll be having turkey, of course, and for tips on how to cook a turkey, you can’t beat the Food and Drug Administration’s Keep Food Safe Blog.  For instance, did you procrastinators know it’s safe to cook a frozen turkey?  It will just take 50 percent longer than a fully thawed turkey.   Check out the FDA’s helpful Turkey Roasting Chart and reminders that no matter what method you use — roasting, brining, deep frying or smoking — the bird isn’t safe until it reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees (and that goes for the stuffing). 

In addition to the turkey, we’ve got two soups–Dan’s lentil and Marijke’s curry kale. Claire has contributed corn pudding, Gretchen made Brussels sprouts, and Helena suggests roasted squash and veggies.  Alexa has shared Parmesan-rosemary potatoes and cranberry Waldorf salad.  For dessert there’s Michelle’s “that blueberry thing,” a variation on a crisp, and Suzanne is bringing an unusual-but-delicious concoction involving butternut squash and pretzels.

We’re sharing the recipes here, so you can join in our virtual potluck or use them at your next one.

Have a happy and food-safe Thanksgiving Day.

The Food Safety News team

Michelle’s “That Blueberry Thing”

My grandparents in RI had a blueberry patch so they would pick gallons and gallons of blueberries in the summer months, then freeze them.  Though blueberries are somewhat unconventional, I jump at any chance to add them to the dessert line-up for any holiday … plus, we used to need to make room in the freezer for leftovers, so here is a recipe we’ve used a bunch of times. Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy!

Ingredients

— 1/2 cup chilled, unsalted butter (cut into pieces and save some for the baking dish)

— 8 cups blueberries, thawed, washed & drained

— 1 cup flour

— 1/2 cup sugar (granulated NOT powdered)

— 3/4 cup brown sugar (the darker the better)

— lemon juice

— vanilla bean ice cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter a 2″-deep Pyrex or other glass baking dish.

Mix blueberries, 1/2 cup of the flour and the sugar and lemon juice in a medium-sized mixing bowl.

Spread the mixture evenly in the glass baking dish and pat down gently.

Mix brown sugar & other 1/2 cup flower in a small  bowl, add the butter.

Mix the butter into the dry ingredients in the small bowl with clean hands, it should look crumbly.

Spread the crummy mixture over the blueberries and bake for 10 min.

Reduce oven temp. to 325 degrees and bake for about an hour, or until crumbs have browned and the blueberries and juices seem to have thickened.

Serve with vanilla bean ice cream or whipped cream.

FMI says the intent of the center is to bring together food safety experts and professionals from government relations, asset protection, food defense, supply chain management, health and wellness, sustainability and industry relations to address food safety.

The center will be used to develop prevention programs and enhanced public/private partnerships.  FMI also plans to establish strengthened collaborations between those in the industry, form better crisis management tools and create stronger response and recovery plans.  

Additional resources related to food and agriculture infrastructure, such as intentional adverse events, animal welfare issues, and emergency preparation and response plans will also be available.

“The Center will serve as a resource to consolidate our knowledge of food safety and strengthen our commitment to ensuring that the food we sell is as safe as possible,” said FMI president and CEO Leslie Sarasin in a news release.

FMI’s board of directors created the center in hopes of establishing a central clearing-house for food safety and protection information, initiatives and programs.  Though much of the center’s research and resources will be available for the food and consumer products industry as well as consumers, some information will be for FMI members only.

FMI plans to have a website for the center up and running for consumers and industry members sometime in the first quarter of 2011.  The center will be based at FMI’s offices in Arlington, VA.  

Dr. Jill Hollingsworth, DVM, formerly FMI’s group vice president of food safety programs, will lead the center.  Hollingsworth worked at the U.S. Department of Agriculture for 15 years where she was responsible fore a wide variety of scientific endeavors, including outbreak investigations, recalls and public health policy.  She has also served as captain in the U.S. Air Force Reserves as part of the Biomedical Service Corps, specializing in biological warfare and food defense.

The lawsuit was filed on Fickel’s behalf in Carroll County Circuit court by the Seattle food safety law firm Marler Clark.

Baugher’s Orchard and Farm recalled its unpasteurized apple products after they were identified by Maryland public health authorities as the source of an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that sickened at least 7 people.

Fickel visited Baugher’s Orchard and Farm on Oct. 17.  He sampled the farm’s unpasteurized apple cider products and purchased cider to take home. On Oct. 21, he fell ill with painful stomach cramping and gastrointestinal problems.

Fickel sought medical treatment and doctors later confirmed that a stool specimen submitted for laboratory testing was positive for E. coli O157:H7 and identical to the strain isolated from the six other Maryland residents who had also consumed Baugher’s cider.

In a news release, attorney Colin Caywood, who represents Fickel, said, “Apple cider is not an inherently dangerous product that consumers expect to be contaminated with pathogens like E. coli.  It’s up to producers to ensure they are selling safe products.”

Some previous E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks involving unpasteurized cider or apple juice have been traced to “down” or “windfall” apples that were harvested from the ground, where they had become contaminated with animal feces.  Sometimes even brushing and washing apples before processing does not remove the bacteria.

At an event held last week in Beijing, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Partnership Training Institute Network (PTIN) for Food Safety and the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) focused on topics such as supplier selection, managing the supply change  preventative practices, risk analysis and export certification.

GMA president and CEO Pamela Bailey said in a press release that the training events are an important way to provide growers, manufacturers and regulators with education and training consistent with international best practices.

Most of APEC’s member nations were expected to participate, including a large number from the developing world.  Industrialized agricultural heavy hitters Cargill, General Mills, Coca Cola, Kraft, and Waters Inc. were event sponsors.

This was the fourth event held by the APEC Partnership Training Institute Network for Food Safety.  APEC leaders launched the first one in November 2008.

In a proactive move, the Indian River Citrus League, the Florida Citrus Packers Inc., and Lakeland-based fresh packers trade association teamed up to write the so-called GAP document in anticipation of new food-safety guidelines.  The group wanted to help ensure that any new recommendations are specific to citrus and not generalized for other kinds of produce.

The document covers all the state’s growers and packinghouses as well as citrus grown for fresh and processed markets, the league’s executive president Doug Bournique explained to The Packer.

Bournique said the project compiled all of the safety practices growers follow, from planting citrus trees to shipping fruit to domestic and overseas receivers, to ensure that products are uncontaminated.  He told The Packer that 90 percent of the practices are already in place, but have not been detailed in one, all-encompassing document.

Similar guidelines were written in the 1990s for water and production best management practices.

A sampling of mussels confirmed that shellfish-borne paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins, as well as domoic acid, remained at safe or undetectable levels — with the exception of the northern Channel Islands region (which includes Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa and San Miguel islands).

Though the ban was lifted in most areas, CDPH said the quarantine on sport-harvesting of mussels, other shellfish, fish and the viscera of crustaceans will remain in effect for the Channel Islands area.

According to the CDPH website, the annual mussels quarantine is issued each year for the California coastline typically from May through October.  Commercially harvested shellfish are excluded from the quarantine because additional steps are taken to assure shellfish entering the marketplace are free of toxins and safe for consumers.  

Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) is a poisoning that affects the nervous system.  Mussels and other bivalve shellfish feed on certain marine plankton that can have naturally occurring concentrated levels of PSP toxins.

Other types of bivalve shellfish poisoning, like Domoic Acid Poisoning (DAP), sometimes referred to as Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP), have been linked to natural food sources for filter-feeding animals.  

According to the CDPH, no known cases of human DAP poisoning have been reported in California this season, but DAP has been linked to several poisonings of marine mammals along the Pacific Coast and may have caused several mild cases of human poisoning in Washington state.

CDPH issues warnings or quarantines for shellfish after the animals test positive for PSP or DAP.  Local health departments, various state and federal agencies, and others manage the monitoring program.  The CDPH also provides a Shellfish Information Line (800-553-4133) that consumers can call in order to receive updated information about shellfish poisoning.

“By following safe handling and processing protocols for wild game, venison processors can help minimize the risk of foodborne illness and exposure to animal health issues like bovine Tuberculosis,” said Don Koivisto, MDA director, in the joint statement.  “By taking a few simple precautions, you can help assure a safe and successful hunting season,” he said.

The MDA has also compiled a venison-processing booklet to aid hunters and processors in minimizing the risk of food contamination.  The guide also details how to avoid zoonotic diseases such as bovine Tuberculosis.  

The guide is available online at the MDA website.  

“Providing venison and wild game for our families to enjoy is part of Michigan’s hunting heritage,” said Rebecca Humphries, DNRE director. “I encourage all hunters to follow these guidelines and to seek out processors who are licensed and inspected by MDA so that food handling and processing is done in a safe manner,” she said.

According to the MDA, custom venison processing provisions for MDA-licensed and inspected facilities include, but are not limited to the following:

General Storage and Processing

• Processors must inspect all carcasses prior to accepting them. Carcasses must be identified with appropriate tags, and be free of signs of illness and visible decomposition or contamination.
• Venison products must be clearly marked and identified with the name of the owner, stamped “Not for Sale,” and segregated from commercial meat and foods.
• Carcasses should be stored at or below 41° F and processed using a “first in, first out” rotation.
• Rubber or disposable gloves, in good condition, must be worn.  Gloves should be replaced or cleaned and sanitized after each carcass is processed.
• Processing of hunter-owned deer must take place after all commercial food handling has ceased, to eliminate the potential for cross-contamination of other food.
• All processing and handling equipment, food contact surfaces, floors, and garments must be washed and sanitized immediately after processing. Processing of commercial foods cannot take place until these activities are done.

Feral Swine (Wild Pigs)

• Gloves should be worn when field-dressing feral swine, especially in the Northeastern Lower Michigan bovine Tuberculosis area.
• If the lungs, ribcage or internal organs from feral swine look abnormal (multiple tan or yellow lumps), the meat should NOT be eaten. Take the carcass to a DNRE field office for proper disposal to prevent disease transmission to other animals.
• All meats, including that of feral swine, should be thoroughly cooked to an internal temperature of 170° F.

  Other

• Individuals who are not required to be licensed or inspected by the state, but are processing and preparing venison at private sites, should follow safe food handling practices:
• Wash hands, utensils, and food contact surfaces often, with hot, soapy water, especially before and after handling meat.
• Hold meat at or below 40° F at all times. If meat will not be consumed or processed within three to five days, it should be frozen. Meat should be thawed in the refrigerator and never thawed at room temperature.
• Use a food thermometer when cooking meat to ensure the food has reached a temperature sufficient to destroy any harmful organisms that may cause foodborne illness. Ground and fresh venison should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165° F.

For more information on field dressing deer, see the Michigan Department of Natural Resources website.

For more information on venison food safety tips, see the Michigan State University extension office or the MDA’s website.

The US Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline (1-800-535-4555) or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Information Line (1-888-SAFE-FOOD) are also good resources.

The Science Scholarship will be offered to Rock Island High School students who are interested in pursuing a college degree and then a career in a science field.  Seattle-based food safety law firm Marler Clark made the donation to the foundation.

“Foodborne illness outbreaks can affect a great many people,” said the firm’s managing partner William Marler.  “With this donation, we want to encourage young minds to consider science, in the hopes that the next generation can improve food safety for all of us.”

Marler Clark is nationally known for working on behalf of victims of foodborne illness.  The law firm and the community of Rock Island-Milan maintain a positive professional relationship after Marler Clark represented many residents in the 2009 outbreak of Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) that was traced to a McDonald’s restaurant in Milan.

Robert Mason, Principal of Rock Island High School, expressed thoughts that the scholarship will provide a positive incentive for college-bound students.  “It is our sincere desire for students at Rock Island High School who are interested in pursuing a college degree in the science field to take advantage of this generous opportunity.”

The Rock Island-Milan Education Foundation manages 11 separate scholarships for graduating Rock Island High seniors.  For more information on the foundation or its scholarships, please see their website.

This is not the first time Marler Clark has made donations to communities affected by foodborne illness.  

Earlier this year, Marler Clark donated $25,000 to client Stephanie Smith’s alma mater Rocori High School in Cold Springs, Minnesota.  Smith nearly died in 2007 after consuming a Cargill hamburger contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.  Her case was finally settled in May of 2010 with Cargill agreeing to provide a semi-paralyzed Smith with medical care throughout her life.

“When communities have been hit by a foodborne illness outbreak, it’s not unusual for us to donate something to one of the local high schools,” said Marler.

Marler Clark has set up similar scholarships in the past.  Most recently the firm donated to  Heritage High School in Lynchburg, VA after the community was affected by the PCA peanut butter Salmonella outbreak case.  The Peanut Corp. of America, based in Lunchburg, VA was responsible for one of the largest nationwide peanut product recalls and was blamed in nine Salmonella deaths.

The firm has also donated to other causes in honor of clients. The firm donated to7-year old Abby Fenstermaker‘s former elementary school.  Fenstermaker passed away after suffering complications from consuming a hamburger contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.
 

San Francisco area Green Valley High School also received a donation from the firm  after high school staff member Linda Rivera had to be hospitalized after becoming infected with E. coli O157:H7.

At issue is a 2009 notice from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding the effect of natural disasters on food safety.  Because flooding can cause crops to be contaminated by “sewage, chemicals, heavy metals, pathogenic microorganisms or other contaminants,”  the FDA deems exposed crops “adulterated” and not fit for animal or human consumption.  It says they should be destroyed.

Some South Dakota growers think this may to taking caution too far and that the risks of contamination are minimal.

According to an article published this week in the Argus Leader, only a couple of dozen farmers and a few thousand acres are potentially affected by floodwaters. 

So the director of the South Dakota Soybean Association has urged farmers to segregate possibly contaminated beans rather than destroy them.  Any suspect soybeans can then be tested for, among other things, such human pathogens as Salmonella, E. coli and fecal coliform, the group suggests.

Some farmers who said their soybeans were flooded weeks ago learned about the FDA advisory last week, the newspaper said.  If the crops can’t be sold for food, the story said, about the only option available would be to sell them for fuel.

With produce traveling further than ever before from its origin to grocers’ shelves, how can anyone track where each head of lettuce comes from?

Some producers are beginning to do that by affixing new radio frequency identification (RFID) chips to each produce container.  The chips can be used to trace a specific batch from the fields to its final destination on supermarket shelves.  The technology,  widely regarded as an effective step toward better food safety, is precise enough to track produce back to within a few feet of where it was grown.

Once the system achieves what the industry calls “whole-chain traceability,” the use of RFID-type technology should benefit food safety and and improve recall systems,  explained Dan Vache, vice president of Supply Chain Management with the United Fresh Produce Association.  

Vache said RFID tags enable each step of the entire growth, harvest, processing and distribution chain to be traced efficiently.  In the event of a foodborne-illness outbreak or some other issue, “whole chain traceability will limit the scope of a recall, speed up the identification process all the way back to the grower,” minimizing the impact to consumers, Vache said.

Vache has years of supply chain management experience having been involved in multiple industries providing cold chain analytics with services to track and trace products throughout the cold chain from harvest to the backend of retail stores and restaurants.

With RFID tags, he explained, each so-called touch point in the supply chain should capture a minimum of basic data including the date, time and location and ultimately environmental conditions as a product is handled and passed along, from harvest to merchandising.

Eventually, the technology will become so sophisticated that “smart tags” will indicate a product’s shelf life, whether it is beyond its use date or whether it may have been exposed to temperatures that could be damaging, Vache told FSN in an email. 

Producers like the Dole Food Company have led the pack in using RFID in the fields that is controlled by handheld, GPS-enabled readers to encode chips with the coordinates of the produce being harvested for a particular bin.  Dole uses the RFID program throughout its farms in the Salinas Valley.

Other producers are also using the technology, although it’s not yet widespread.  

Vache told FSN that “what we do see is some use of RFID in tracking assets such as pallets” or containers that are eventually reused; in that case the RFID tags are recommissioned for multiple uses. 

Once there is sufficient infrastructure for data collection at more perishable food distribution centers, “the use of RFID tags will gain traction” and more producers will be able to handle the volume of data.  At that point,  the cost per tag should also go down dramatically, Vache said.   

RFID chips and tracking systems can be used to track or trace any type of products, not just produce.  The chips help industry “gain insight into the total supply chain and enhance supply chain efficiencies,” Vache said.   Already,  RFID is in play with many products, especially items such as high-end electronics and other hardware items.

As for the future of produce tracking systems?  “When RFID reaches critical mass, there will be a tremendous amount of data that when analyzed will take the industry to the next level in process improvements and increased consumer confidence,” Vache predicted.

In announcing the move, United Fresh president and CEO Tom Stenzel said, “Dr. Eisenberg’s 25-year food safety career provides him a wealth of knowledge and expertise that will be highly valued in this new position designed to increase our direct support and assistance to United member companies.”

Eisenberg will develop education programs, training and individualized support to help companies with food safety planning, operations and compliance with best practices and regulatory standards.  His work will complement that of United’s senior vice president of food safety and technology, David Gombas.  The two will help shape United’s overall government and industry food safety policies and best practices.

Stenzel said the two will work together to “make sure that science-based rules prevail, whether in government policy or private sector audits.”

Eisenberg’s most recent job was with River Ranch Fresh Foods, where he was head of technical services.

His new position was created in response to the United Fresh executive committee’s decision to increase food safety support for member companies.

It became apparent during the past year that association members “look to our staff expertise for help in understanding and adopting best food safety practices,” explained United Fresh board chair Steffanie Smith, CEO of River Point Farms. 

She said large and small companies, from local farms to global producers and marketers, are facing numerous food safety challenges and looking for help.  Eisenberg will enhance the trade association’s strength not only in shaping food safety policy but for support in understanding and complying with food safety requirements, according to Smith.

Eisenberg earned a Ph.D. in horticulture post-harvest physiology from the Ohio State University and has worked at the Campbell Soup Co. and Chiquita Brands.  He  has served as head of the Environmental Horticultural Sciences Department at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo and has worked for Apio, Inc. and Growers Express.  

A past member of the United Fresh board of directors,  he has also served as chairman of the  association’s Food Safety and Technology Council.  Most recently, he chaired the Grower Shipper Association of Central California’s Food Safety Council, was a member of the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement Technical Committee and served on the scientific research review committees for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Center for Produce Safety.

He will be based in the association’s western regional office in Salinas, CA.

The institute is a non-profit organization that provides standards-based food protection training to state and local food safety officials.  The institute’s training is meant to assure state and local food protection professionals are competent and consistent in meeting established U.S. federal food safety standards.

Gerald Wojtala, IFPTI’s executive director, said the institute hopes to double its impact and train 2,000 to 3,000 food protection regulatory and public health officials in 2011, depending on the availability of funding in the federal budget.

Of the 2010 trainees, 75 percent hold federal, state, local, tribal and territorial government regulator posts.  Within the group, 47 of 50 states were represented and members of academia, industry and other international representatives were also present.

The training included scheduled courses as well as what the Institute calls emergency “just-in-time” training for regulatory agencies and industries affected by the BP oil spill in the Gulf.

Working with FDA, IFPTI is building the training infrastructure for the national integrated food safety system.  Specifically, the organization is focused on achieving four strategic objectives:

-Developing a training network to provide technical, management, and leadership training to regulatory and public health officials.

-Serving as the hub for the administration of that network.

-Developing and delivering standards-based training programs not currently offered.

-Building an instructor cadre to ensure the availability of highly trained instructors within regulatory and public health agencies across all jurisdictions. 

The institute is a member of the Global Food Protection Institute.

Its training facilities are located in Battle Creek, Michigan at the Kendall Center on the Western Michigan University’s campus.  Initial funding for IFPTI was provided by a grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.

The CDC Foundation honored Jacobson for his, “instrumental role in improving public health by championing science-based nutrition and food safety initiatives, empowering consumers to make healthful choices and encouraging scientists to engage in public interest activities.”

Jacobson’s organization is a nonprofit health advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. that focuses on nutrition and food safety.  CSPI is a leader in the movement to prevent diet-related chronic diseases and food-borne illnesses in America.  The organization educates both consumers and encourages the government and corporations to take steps in order to protect the public’s health.

Jacobson earned the Foundation Hero Award for his work using education, legislation and litigation to win important reforms, including laws requiring nutrition information on most food labels and warning notices on alcoholic beverage labels.

“As our nation’s health care costs continue to rise due in significant part to the growth of preventable, diet-related problems in our population, Dr. Jacobson’s seminal work will continue to play a critical role in our nation’s public health for many years to come,” said New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who nominated Jacobson to receive the CDC honor.

CSPI made international headlines after its studies on nutritional quality of restaurant meals influenced many major chains to add more healthful items to their menus.  

Jacobson and CSPI also address junk-food marketing aimed at kids, the nutritional quality of school meals, microbial contamination of foods, and the safety of food additives.

“Obesity is an epidemic in this country,” says Charles Stokes, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation. “CDC and other public health scientists conduct research to identify the causes of obesity and to determine the best strategies to fight obesity at the community and national levels.  Dr. Jacobson and CSPI have mobilized thousands of individuals, organizations and policymakers to help put that science into action.”

First presented in 2005, the CDC Foundation Hero Award recognizes an individual who has made a significant contribution to improving the public’s health through exemplary work in advancing CDC’s mission of promoting health and quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury and disability.  Previous recipients include:

– Dr. William Foege,  senior fellow of The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and former CDC director

– Dr. Paul Farmer, founding director of Partners In Health

-Sir Michael Marmot, director of the University College London International Institute for Society and Health and MRC Research Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health

-Raymond J. Baxter, senior vice president for community benefit for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals

-Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani

The initiative is a collaborative venture between DAR and representatives from the produce, dairy, forestry, aquaculture and lobster commodities of the Commonwealth.

A licensed “Seal of Commonwealth Quality” will distinguish Massachusetts products that meet requirements of the comprehensive program as well as federal, state, and local regulatory regulations.  The seal will appear only on certified Massachusetts produce, dairy, seafood and lumber products sold at farmers’ markets and retail locations across the state.

“For consumers, the Commonwealth Quality seal will allow them to recognize products from local growers who maintain practices that are safe and environmentally friendly,” said DAR Commissioner Scott Soares.  “For Massachusetts growers, Commonwealth Quality provides a marketing opportunity to increase their ability to meet growing consumer demand for local products.  It is the ultimate win-win.”

Also present at the program launch event were leaders from the cities and towns of Amherst, Concord, Dennis, Dracut, Methuen, and Orange.

The Commonwealth Quality initiative differs from most state agriculture label programs, which typically do not require a product or business to meet specific standards to qualify for  a promotional logo.  In order to gain the Commonwealth Quality seal, however, products must meet a clearly defined set of standards.

According to DAR, the highly structured program and the collaboration behind it represent a significant advance over traditional state label programs.  Officials hope that as a result, consumers will be able to easily identify and enjoy certified products, knowing they are grown, harvested and processed in Massachusetts using safe and eco-friendly practices.

“The Seal of Commonwealth Quality provides an assurance to our customers that food safety and environmental stewardship are practiced every day on local farms,” said Dr. Rich Bonanno, president of the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation.

Fred Heyes, Commonwealth Quality contributor and owner of Heyes Forest Products, said that, “Fulfilling local needs with local products is essential to our long-term sustainability…Commonwealth Quality will help clearly convey this message… ”

The seal program is set to begin at farm stands, farmers’ markets, retail and wholesale locations by January 2011.  For more information about the Commonwealth Quality program, visit DAR’s website.

The one-day workshop is designed to help local growers explore the challenges of implementing a company food safety plan, meet the requirements of restaurant and retail outlets, and above all, protect their business and bottom line.  The workshop will include hands-on demonstrations as well as discussions with experts in order to provide growers with necessary tools to build customized food safety programs for their businesses.

“Our customers want local food and our responsibility is to source local food that’s been grown under safe, strict growing and harvesting conditions,” said Rich Dachman, Sysco’s vice president of produce. 

“Partnering with PMA allows us to take our shared commitment to sustainability and offer an effective means to give local growers access to some tremendous resources, right in their backyard,” Dachman said.

The workshop will kick off with a discussion about the changing food safety environment, where PMA food safety experts will provide attendees with a brief history of food safety and discuss the importance of establishing a food safety culture.  A Sysco representative will follow with a discussion on the importance of food safety to companies while summarizing the objectives of Sysco’s local grower program.  A chef and restaurateur will be on hand to discuss their perspectives on food safety and local sourcing.

Later sessions at the workshop will be led by Primus and will cover how to build a customized food safety program, as well as the basics of third party audits.  Lastly, PMA food safety experts will conclude the workshop by outlining next steps for implementing customized food safety plans, and where growers can find help.  Q&A and hands-on demonstrations will also take place throughout the day in order to ensure local growers can apply learning to their businesses.

“The unique value of each workshop is its specific relevance for the local grower,” said Johnna Hepner, PMA’s director of food safety and technology. “To have PMA, Sysco and Primus food safety experts in your neighborhood and speaking directly to your needs is an unprecedented opportunity for local growers. This workshop absolutely will give them the tools they need to develop a food safety program so they can compete in today’s new reality.”

For more information on the workshop, please see PMA’s website or the event flyer.

Slaughter, who has called for limits on dispensing antibiotics to food animals, testified before the House Armed Services Committee hearing “Fighting Superbugs: DOD’s Response to Multidrug-Resistant Infections in Military Treatment Facilities.”

The hearing was called amid growing concerns about the rise in the number of antibiotic resistant pathogens and evidence that the practice of using antibiotics to promote livestock growth is contributing to the problem.

Resistant pathogens, she said, are particularly concerning to wounded U.S. military members as they are more susceptible to infections while recovering from their wounds.

“To effectively respond to the rise of multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumanii infections in the military, we need to develop a coordinated, comprehensive strategy to fight Acenitobacter and other antibiotic resistant pathogens in the military and in the general population,” Slaughter said in her testimony.

According to Slaughter, soldiers with combat injuries face deadly threats of multi-drug resistant (MDR) infections after they are wounded.  Between 2004 and 2009, at least 3,300 members of the military were treated for Acinetobacter infections, according to Department of Defense (DOD) statistics.  

The Congresswoman said the gram-negative bacteria is particularly dangerous because it tends to occur in strains that are resistant to almost all available antibiotics.  Many times the only line of defense against the bacteria is colistin, an antibiotic that was phased out in the 1970s due to its toxicity.

In 2009, the U.S. Army established a surveillance system to respond to the threat posed by Acinetobacter.  The program, called the Multi-resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network, works in tandem with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Healthcare Safety Network reporting system.  

Slaughter commended the military and the Department of Defense for their efforts in trying to prevent the spread of MDRs but made several  recommendations for further preventative steps.  Her recommendations for the Department of Defense include:

1. Requiring additional training at all military facilities on hygiene and other treatment and control techniques to reduce the spread of antibiotic resistant infections. Peer-reviewed infection reduction techniques — such as those pioneered by Peter Pronovost — have been shown to produce a 66 percent reduction in infections 18 months after adoption.

2. Expanding a comprehensive surveillance system, such as the Multi-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network, to all branches of the military.

3. Fully implementing the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network reporting system in military facilities.

4.  Establishing a coordinated, comprehensive DOD research program on the causes of antibiotic resistance in all sectors, including agricultural usage and human usage.  

Slaughter also cited figures about the general public and antibiotic resistance.  “Every year, almost two million Americans acquire bacterial infections during their hospital stay, and 90,000 will die from them.  70 percent of hospital-acquired infections are resistant to at least one antibiotic.”   She estimated the cost of antibiotic resistance to society at over $35 billion nationwide.

In her statement, Slaughter encouraged medical personnel, public health officials and farmers to collaborate on a comprehensive, evidence-based strategy to strengthen the public health response to MDR bacteria by:

1.  Establishing a high-level Interagency Working Group to enhance the national strategy to prevent antibiotic resistant infections;

2.  Increasing monitoring and surveillance of  Acinetobacter baumannii at the local, state, and national level;

3.  Encouraging new initiatives established by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to prioritize MDR pathogens, such as Section 3508’s program to incorporate patient safety training into health professional education; and

4.  Supporting H.R. 1549, the Preservation of Antibiotics in Medical Treatment Act she has sponsored that will phase out the non-therapeutic use of antibiotics in livestock farming.

In 2009, Slaughter introduced the legislation, which would limit the use of antibiotics in farm animals in order to ensure that antibiotics remain effective for the treatment of human diseases.

“Butter is mostly made of the fat that raises your bad cholesterol levels–saturated fat at around 50 percent and trans fat at more than 4 percent,”  said Susan Anderson, the Heart Foundation’s National Director Healthy Weight.  Compare those figures to Australian margarine spreads, which are about 14 percent saturated fat and 0.2 percent trans fat, and margarine is clearly the healthier choice, she said.

Trans fat, whether manufactured or occurring naturally, is bad for the heart, the foundation points out.

The foundation began challenging Australian manufacturers to remove trans fats in margarines many years ago, and now says the  trans fat levels in almost all margarines in Australia are amongst the lowest in the world.  They “cannot be compared to those available in other countries, especially not the U.S.,” according to the Heart Foundation.

The Heart Foundation said there is a common misconception that butter, which is known as “natural” is better than margarine, which many write off as  “highly processed.”

That margarine is now a healthier option than butter in Australia “‘will come as a big surprise to many people who choose butter believing that it’s ‘natural’ and therefore healthier – but it simply isn’t the case,” Anderson said.

Being natural isn’t a reliable indicator of healthiness on its own, the foundation notes.  Many so-called natural foods–such as lard, sea salt or coconut oil–are not healthy and butter, in addition to containing more unhealthy fat, also contains twice as much salt as margarine.

Butter sales in Australia have increased dramatically, up 9.3 percent in 2009 alone, a rise the Heart Foundation attributes to popular TV cooking shows, chefs and food magazines all using butter in their recipes.

“The Heart Foundation is calling on cooks and chefs to switch from butter to margarine and healthy oils for the sake of Australians’ health.  They both perform similar functions, so butter can be easily substituted for margarine when baking, and oils such as canola can be used in sautéing and in mashed potatoes,” said Anderson.

Other research indicates that Australian women have higher LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol levels than men, and  the Heart Foundation urged women to evaluate their lifestyles and change any habits that exacerbate the risk of heart disease.  According to the foundation, switching from butter to margarine is a good way to start.

For more information or to see the official media release, go to The Heart Foundation’s website.  The foundation provides a Frequently Asked Questions about Butter vs. Margarine page on its website.

Many E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks have been associated with contaminated meat products and cross contamination of produce crops.  Because the bacteria do not cause cattle to show clinical symptoms of illness, and due to other unknown variables, they can be hard to detect within the cattle as well as the environment.

Researchers at the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and animal scientist Thomas S. Edrington reported on how the E. coli bacteria are aware of a key chemical that plays a critical role in allowing the bacteria to colonize in cattle’s gastrointestinal (GI) tracts.  

Edrington and the ARS Food and Feed Safety Research Unit, based out of College Station, Texas, published the study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. The study was conducted at the University of Idaho campus in Moscow, Idaho. Working with the ARS scientists were several researchers from other universities.  Prof. Vanessa Sperandio of the Dallas-based University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center headed the project.

In order to grow, E. coli express genes differently based on their current environment, such as having a cattle host, inside the cattle rumen, or even at the end of the cattle GI tract.  Researchers aimed to gain a better understanding of when, why and how these bacteria colonize, which could lead to practical applications in the future, Edrington explained.

Researchers showed that the “quorum sensing” chemicals produced by other bacteria, called acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs), are present within the bovine rumen but absent in other areas of the cattle GI tract.  AHLs are important because E. coli harbor a regulator, called SdiA, which senses these AHLs and then prompts the E. coli to attach and colonize.

According to the USDA, limiting the production of the SdiA chemical, or blocking bacterial reception of AHLs, may eventually lead to new strategies for keeping E. coli from attaching inside the animal host.

The ARS office is one of the USDA’s principal intramural scientific research agencies.  This research project was done in accordance with USDA’s goal of ensuring food safety.

In its summary, the Institute concluded, “For decades it seemed as if modern medicine had conquered many of the infectious diseases that once threatened human and animal health. But years of using, misusing, and overusing antibiotics and other antimicrobial drugs have led to the emergence of multidrug-resistant ‘superbugs.’  Some strains of bacteria and viruses are now resistant to all but a single drug, while others have no effective treatments at all.”

The workshop summaries are from IOM’s Forum on Microbial Threats, held in April 2010.  The forum’s goal was to discuss the nature and sources of drug-resistant bacteria and viruses as well as their implications for global health.

During the forum, speakers and participants explored the evolutionary, genetic, and ecological origins of antimicrobial drug resistance as well as its effects on human and animal health worldwide.

In addition, forum participants also discussed the causes of drug resistance; strategies for extending the life of antimicrobial drugs; alternative approaches for treating infections; incentives and disincentives for prudent antimicrobial drug use; and prospects for the next generation of antimicrobial treatments.

An online copy of the publication can be found on The National Academies Press website.

The Cornucopia Institute, a public interest group that promotes family scale farming, first reported in May 2009 that Dean Foods had switched its soybean sources from American farms to cheaper organic beans from China.

Its report, titled “Behind the Bean: The Heroes and Charlatans of the Natural and Organic Soy Foods Industry,” claimed that Dean Foods, the maker of Silk soymilk drink, had largely abandoned using organic soybeans altogether.  The Cornucopia Institute said that in making the drink, Dean Foods had switched from organic soybeans to less expensive, conventionally grown soybeans that the company was calling “natural.”

“Dean Foods has been roundly criticized for taking the organic out of Silk, and now the marketplace and consumers are passing their judgment,” said Mark Kastel, Cornucopia’s senior farm policy analyst.

“They took what once was a pioneering 100 percent organic brand, before they acquired the company in 2003, and cheapened the product at the expense of American farmers and consumers. Now they are paying a price for their naked profiteering,” Kastel added.

Following publication of the report, the natural/organic foods retailer Whole Foods Market switched its organic soymilk source from Dean Foods to Earth Balance.  In August, the national retailer told the Denver Post it wanted Earth Balance’s soymilk products to contain only domestically grown soybeans carrying the organic label.

When Dean initially purchased the Silk label, some American farmers were excited about the possibility of partnering with the company to further grow the Silk brand and keep the demand for domestic soybeans high.  Instead, some critics said, the company seemed to turn on American farmers, demanding they compete on pricing with Chinese imported beans.

“White Wave (the operating division of Dean Foods that markets Silk and Horizon organic milk) had the opportunity to push organic and sustainable agriculture to incredible heights of production by working with North American farmers and traders to get more land in organic production, but what they did was pit cheap foreign soybeans against the U.S. organic farmer, taking away any attraction for conventional farmers to make the move into sustainable agriculture,” said Merle Kramer, a marketer for the Midwestern Organic Farmers Cooperative.

In the Denver Post article, a Dean spokesperson explained that staying with domestic organic soybeans would have resulted in price increases. According to The Cornucopia Institute, this statement stands at odds with the reality of falling farmgate prices for organic soybeans in recent years.

After Dean’s failure to change the labeling and packaging of the Silk product to reflect that it was being made with “natural” soybeans rather than organic, Cornucopia filed a formal complaint with the United States Department of Agriculture‘s National Organic Program.

“Consumers and retailers repeatedly reported to us that they were deceived and ended up unknowingly buying Silk products with conventional soybeans,” said Cornucopia’s Kastel. “We know of numerous retailers that ultimately pulled Silk products from their store shelves over the gross misrepresentation of the soymilk product,” Kastel added.

In addition to Earth Balance, other soymilk companies such as 8th Continent, Eden Foods and Organic Valley are looking for a piece of the organic market.  All of the companies are competing for Silk’s customer base.

For more information on soy foods, The Cornucopia Institute maintains a soy foods scorecard on its website, which provides information and ratings of soymilk and various soy foods by rating what it says is the integrity of the product’s production.  The scorecard also indicates whether brands buy products from American family farmers or from China.

A local publication spotted a suspect “inspection grade” card in the restaurant and easily proved it to be false by searching for the restaurant in the New York City Department of Health’s Restaurant Inspection Information Website.

Officials from the NYC Department of Health inspected the restaurant back in January of this year and found serious health code violations including evidence of mice, roaches, and flying insects.

In addition to pest violations, the inspectors also discovered that equipment meant to store hot food was poorly maintained and that food was stored at too low a temperature to be safe. Hand washing facilities were not provided in or near the food preparation areas or in the bathrooms, among other violations.

According to the Health Department’s new grading system launched in July, an inspection score of 0-13 is an A, 14-27 points is a B, and 28 or more points is a C.

Ming’s has had seven inspections since November of 2008.  The restaurant’s scores have ranged from 23 points to 86 points.  Upon the most recent inspection, September 2, 2010, Ming’s scored an 86.  

For more information on the NYC Health Department’s rating system, please see the agency’s Website or fact sheet.

The firm filed an expedited “Rule 34” petition, or request for “Entry Upon Land for Inspection and Protective Order.”  The petition, if accepted by the court, would allow the firm to go inside the Wright County Egg Farm facility to inspect, document, and conduct microbiological testing.

“According to the FDA inspection, the condition and operation of this egg facility is at the source of the contamination that led to thousands of illnesses nationwide,” said attorney Bill Marler. “As with the PCA peanut butter outbreak, the facility itself was an important part of the evidence, and it was critical to see it ourselves.”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first inspected the Wright County farm after Salmonella infections were traced to eggs from Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms.  Together, the two producers had to recall 550 million eggs.

Federal inspectors found numerous food safety violations, including unbaited, unsealed holes appearing to be rodent burrows in egg-laying houses, and sanitary lapses, including pits of chicken manure approximately 4 to 8 feet high.  

In addition, environmental tests at the Wright County factory and of its feed were positive genetic matches to 1,469 Salmonella enteritidis illnesses nationwide.

Uncaged birds, live and dead flies and other bugs, as well as failure to wash and disinfect equipment are among the other FDA food safety violations cited in Marler Clark’s petition.

The recalled eggs, one of the largest food recalls in U.S. history, had been distributed to food wholesalers, distribution centers and food service companies.  Illnesses have been confirmed in California, Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin.

“Signs will tell customers exactly how meat animals were raised,” said Mackey.  “We’re rolling out initiatives to help shoppers (and staff) make healthier, more educated choices about food.”

The proposal includes signs in stores that will detail how animals were raised.  The rating system goes along with Whole Foods transparency goals.  The grocery chain recently became the first retailer to have signs telling consumers where and how each species of seafood sold within its stores was raised.

Considered one of the nation’s organic and natural food grocery trendsetters, Whole Foods marks its 30th anniversary on Sept. 20.

“In human biology, 30 is your peak…we’re still youthful and idealistic, but more mature and wiser now,” Mackey said.

In addition to the animal welfare rating system, the company also plans to introduce a private-label line of vegan foods that are low in sugar and salt.  The new line will contain no animal fat, canola oil, or safflower oils.

This Labor Day we’re pleased to introduce our new managing editor, Mary Rothschild, who is bringing one main course–crab cakes.  We’re thrilled to have Mary join us.

In addition to Mary’s crab cakes, Suzanne is bringing another main course–pork chops. For sides, Michelle is bringing a roasted beet and goat cheese salad and Denis is bringing deviled eggs.  Helena is bringing a fruit crumble for dessert.  Dan is bringing the beverage, or in his words, “The best whiskey on Earth.”

We’re sharing our recipes here, so you can join in our virtual potluck or use them at your next one. 

Have a Safe Labor Day Weekend!

The Food Safety News team.

Michelle’s Roasted Beet & Goat Cheese Salad

I’m finishing up a cross-country road trip this weekend, and wanted to throw together something that’s easy but tasty for the Food Safety News virtual picnic.  This is a great salad for the end of summer.  Most of the ingredients are readily available at farmers markets but are just as easily found at the store.

Ingredients:

– red beets
– log of good goat cheese
– arugula
– lime
– ground black pepper
– tangerines or clementines

Directions:

– roast beets in oven until soft (broiling works best, time depends on size of beets)
– peel and slice beets into thin circles or dice into small pieces
– peel clementines or tangerines and separate pieces
– wash and dry arugula
– put arugula down on plates as the base of the salad
– place beet pieces on top of bed of arugula
– crumble 1 to 2 tablespoons of goat cheese over the arugula and beets
– squeeze lime juice over salad
– crack pepper over salad to taste

Serve and enjoy!

A joint report released by the IFT and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended guidelines that would establish a comprehensive product tracing system to track the movement of food products effectively from farm to point of sale or service.

“Product tracing is a critical part of the food safety legislation that is currently under review because it serves to protect and improve the food supply, not only here in the United States but the throughout the global food system,” said IFT Vice President Will Fisher.

Included in the recommendations from IFT and the FDA are:

* Creation of a standard list of key data or information to be collected,
* Standardization of formats for expressing the information,
* Identification of the points along the supply chain, internally and between partners, where information needs to be captured,
* Comprehensive record keeping that allows the linking of information both internally and with partners,
* Use of electronic systems for data transfer,
* Inclusion of traceability as a requirement within audits,
* Required training and education on what compliance entails.

According to the study’s authors, “the safety of the food supply requires a comprehensive and coordinated effort among all stakeholders throughout the system from farm to fork including growers, farm workers, packers, shippers, transporters, importers, wholesalers, retailers, government agencies, as well as consumers.”

The recommendations concluded that setting clear objectives for those in the food supply chain is the most appropriate approach to effective product tracing.  IFT proposes that the system be simple and user friendly as well as globally accepted.  In addition, the system should have the ability to leverage existing industry systems.

The study on traceability in the food system was commissioned to IFT by the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.  Study authors, which included experts from academia, industry, and government, collected information from 58 different food companies involved in produce, packaged consumer goods, processed ingredients, distribution, food service, retail, and animal feed.

The analysis was a review of diverse product tracing methods, practices in non-food industries, and standards and regulations pertaining to traceability worldwide.  IFT experts also suggested changes for systems and practices currently in place in order to help track the movement of food products from farm to table to ultimately protect public health.

IFT maintains that through a concerted effort, product tracing can help protect the public health, boost consumer confidence, and manage costs faced by affected industries in the supply chain following a food safety incident.

The Food Hygiene Rating System helps consumers choose which eateries to go to and which grocery stores to shop at by providing information about the hygiene standards in restaurants, pubs, cafes, takeaways, hotels, supermarkets, and other food establishments.

“It’s a really exciting time for the scheme as things are moving on pace. We are really impressed with the enthusiasm of the “early adopters” for getting the scheme up and running and we share their commitment to making it a success. We are very pleased with the look and feel that the new branding gives to the scheme as it makes it easy for consumers to see at a glance what the hygiene rating is,” said Catriona Stewart, Head of the Food Hygiene Ratings Team.

Local launches of the Food Hygiene Rating System are to be available in the fall, while all 22 local authorities in Wales plan to have a system in place by October 1.  English authorities plan to launch ‘early adopter’ schemes in the South West, as well as the East and South East regions.

Ratings will be shown on a simple numeric scale and called the “Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.”  The numeric branding is supposed to make it easy for consumers to understand and use the food hygiene ratings to better ensure what they are eating is safe.

The Food Standards Agency also announced that an online consumer search facility and local authority data upload system is in a testing phase.  The search facility will allow consumers to search for hygiene ratings for businesses in areas where the scheme is run.  The online system, which is currently being tested by consumers and local authorities, is expected to go public in mid-September.

The full letter released by the Food Standards Agency to local authorities about the system is available on the agency’s Website.

Working groups are open to industry members from across the fresh produce supply chain, and interested parties are invited to volunteer their time and expertise to one or more of the new working groups.

In addition to the working groups, GS1 US has joined the Canadian Produce Marketing Association, Produce Marketing Association, and United Fresh Produce Association (United Fresh) as a Produce Traceability Initiative-administering organization.

According to an Initiative press release, the consortium is looking for volunteers in four key areas in order to drive its work forward.  The four groups looking for volunteers include:

1. Implementation Working Group: will guide and promote industry-wide adoption of GS1 standards at the foundation of the Produce Traceability Initiative, including developing best practices, identifying solutions to implementation issues, and tracking industry implementation.

2. Master Data Working Group: will address issues regarding identifying product attributes and communicating that data between trading partners.

3. Industry Communications Working Group: will ensure two-way communication between the initiative and industry.

4. Technology Working Group: will provide a forum for technology providers to collaborate to support the initiative.

Volunteers are also being sought to participate in Produce Traceability Initiative-designed pilot projects as well as to work with the initiative in order to develop case studies of pilot projects their companies have already completed.

For more information about volunteering for new working groups, the Produce Traceability Initiative, the initiative’s Leadership Council or other general questions, please see the initiative’s Website.

The exposure may have occurred between July 26 and August 9 because of an infected deli employee.

“Ongoing risk to the public is low,” Archbald said in a statement. “The employee is no longer infectious and is not at work. The Health Department learned today where the infected individual worked and has already begun making arrangements to provide post exposure treatment to household contacts and coworkers. Infectious disease and environmental health staff will continue to monitor the situation and the New York State Department of Health has been notified,” she said.

According to Commissioner Archbald, deli patrons who consumed uncooked food or sandwiches, including foods through the deli’s catering service on August 7 through August 9 could still benefit from post Hepatitis A exposure treatment.

A Westchester County press release explained that post-exposure vaccination helps avoid illness and must generally occur within fourteen days of exposure.  That means anyone who possibly consumed contaminated foods between July 26 and August 6 may have been exposed, but would not benefit from the post-exposure vaccination.  Those who consumed foods from the deli after August 9 have no potential for exposure.

The Commissioner’s statement explained that most cases of Hepatitis A are mild and resolve without any treatment.  Those who suffer from symptoms such as extreme fatigue, fever, sore muscles, headache, pain on the right side of the abdomen, nausea, loss of appetite/weight loss, and yellowing of the skin or white part of the eyes should contact their health care provider.

Those potentially exposed could experience symptoms as early as August 10 and as late as September 10.

The commissioner reminded patrons that for those exposed on August 7, treatment must occur by Wednesday.  Those exposed on August 8 and 9, treatment must occur by Monday at the latest.

Anyone who has had a Hepatitis A infection or Hepatitis A vaccine is protected from the virus.  Persons who already have the vaccination should have a second dose of the vaccine in six months.  According to the Westchester County Department of Health, guidance for medical providers will be posted on the Professional’s Corner section of the Health Department’s Website. Pregnant women who may have been exposed should contact their prenatal care provider about treatment.

Participants in the Webinars will have the opportunity to ask live USDA experts for information about produce issues.  All members of the produce supply chain are welcome to participate, including growers, processors, packers and distributors of all sized operations.

The following Webinars will be offered:

“PACA–Your Partner in Produce” – Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010, at 2 p.m. ET.

The Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) is a federal law that facilitates fair trading practices in the marketing of fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables in interstate and foreign commerce.

Karla Whalen, chief of the PACA Branch of the Agricultural Marketing Service’s Fruit and Vegetable Programs, will lead the @ebinar, during which she will introduce the PACA Branch and detail how PACA protects the industry and your business.

“USDA Fresh Products Market Inspection Basics” – Thursday, Sept. 16 at 2 p.m. ET.

What is the value of having your fresh produce inspected? Hear a practical description of the USDA produce inspection process delivered by a USDA expert. Learn how to request an inspection, interpret the certificate, and even appeal an inspection result. Also gain insight into some of the ways the inspection service anticipates industry changes.

Harry Fisher, senior staff member of the Fresh Products Branch of the Agricultural Marketing Service’s Fruit and Vegetable Programs, will lead the Webinar.

The forms required for registration are available on the USDA Webpage.