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7/10
2007
ISSUE:263
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Internet Journal of Food Saety
Listeria bacteriophage
approved for food use
// 05 Jul 2007 Source of Article: http://www.worldpoultry.net/
A natural tool that uses bacteriophages to fight listeria has been approved
for use in the US.
EBI Food Safety's Listex P100, the Netherlands, was approved as generally
recognised as safe (GRAS) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and
the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Processors are constantly looking
for quicker and cheaper ways of preventing bacterial contamination of
their products. A natural cleaning wash made of live bacteria could help
poultry processors get rid of pathogens from their products, avoiding
the use of chemicals. Approval was granted based on extensive safety and
efficacy data and organoleptics tests confirming that Listex is safe and
has no impact on taste, smell, colour, and other physical properties of
treated products, the company claims.
EBI's CEO, Mark Offerhaus, said food safety now tops the agenda of US
food processing companies and consumers, who are insisting on "green"
solutions, rather than chemicals.
"Natural bacteriophages prove to be a unique solution, where increased
safety does not come at the expense of product characteristics. US food
processors can now benefit from Listex, like their European counterparts,"
he said.
FDA Extends
GRAS Approval LISTEX(TM) to all Food Products
Source of Article: http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=202204
WAGENINGEN, The Netherlands, July 3 /PRNewswire/ --
- The FDA and USDA Announced Today They Have Approved LISTEX(TM) P100,
the Natural Bacteriophage Product Against Listeria, as GRAS (Generally
Recognised as Safe), for all Food Products
In the fight against Listeria, one of the most dangerous food pathogens,
US food processing companies can now apply a novel yet natural tool: LISTEX(TM)
bacteriophages. The FDA and USDA have approved this product from The Netherlands
as GRAS, based on extensive safety and efficacy data and organoleptics
tests confirming that LISTEX(TM) is safe and has no impact on taste, smell,
colour, and other physical properties of treated products.
Bacteriophages ('phage') are the most abundant micro-organisms on earth.
Fresh water and seawater can contain as many as 1 billion phages per ml,
while in fresh and processed meat and meat products, more than 100 million
viable phages per gram are often present. Phages are harmless to humans,
animals and plants, and target only bacterial cells. They are extremely
specific in regard to the bacteria they recognize. The LISTEX(TM) bacteriophages
target only Listeria bacteria (leaving desirable bacteria in place), and
are easy to apply in production processes.
In October 2006 the FDA had already proclaimed GRAS for LISTEX(TM) against
Listeria in cheese. The extension to all products susceptible to Listeria,
opens the door for the meat and fish industry to apply LISTEX(TM). Earlier
this month, the Dutch designated inspection office SKAL confirmed the
'organic' status of LISTEX(TM) under EU law, as a result of which it can
be used in the EU in regular and organic products.
EBI Food Safety's CEO, Mark Offerhaus: "Food Safety now tops the
agenda of US food processing companies and consumers, who are insisting
on 'green' solutions, rather than chemicals. Natural bacteriophages prove
to be a unique solution, where increased safety does not come at the expense
of product characteristics. US food processors can now benefit from LISTEX(TM),
like their European counterparts."
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Listeriosis, the disease
caused by Listeria monocytogenes, is one of the most severe food borne
infections, with a mortality rate of 30%. It can take weeks after exposure
before an infection becomes apparent. The US Food Safety and Inspection
Service maintains a zero tolerance policy for the bacterium, which grows
at refrigeration temperature and is omnipresent. Risk groups include the
Young, Old, Immunocompromised and Pregnant.
About EBI Food Safety
EBI Food Safety (www.ebifoodsafety.com), located in Wageningen ("Food
Valley"), The Netherlands, develops and markets natural bacteriophage
products against dangerous food pathogens and is viewed as product leader
in this field. In 2006 the company was honored with the Technology Innovation
Award by Frost & Sullivan. In 2007 the company was elected as one
of Holland's 25 most promising young enterprises by FEM Business Magazine.
The company's scientific network includes collaborations with universities
and research centers around the world.
Distributed by PR Newswire on behalf of EBI Food Safety
Codex adopts
standards, sets risk analysis principles
By Ahmed ElAmin
Source of Article: http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/
10/07/2007 - The adoption of 44 new and amended food safety standards
by the Codex Alimentarius Commission signals the coming changes that member
countries will make to their legislation over the next year.
At a six-day meeting that ended last Friday in Rome, the international
food safety body also established a comprehensive set of risk analysis
principles to help governments establish their own standards, especially
for food items that are not covered by Codex.
Codex food safety standards are developed using scientific advice from
the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Health Organisation.
The standards are recognised as international benchmarks by one of the
multilateral agreements of the UN World Trade Organisation (WTO) and aim
to eliminate many of what the UN calls "unjustified technical barriers"
to food imports set up by some countries.
Kazuaki Miyagishima, secretary of the Codex Alimentarius said the new
risk analysis principles would help governments to target areas not currently
covered by the standards.
"Because governments often adopt Codex Standards into their national
legislation and sometimes even see the need for additional measures in
areas not covered by Codex guidance, it is important that the extra safety
measures are taken using the same rigorous and internationally recognised
principles, not only to protect consumers, but to ensure they are consistent
with multilateral trade rules," he said in a statement issued by
the FAO yesterday.
The FAO and WHO also said the move of the Codex Commission to look for
methods to prevent antimicrobial resistance in bacteria in food would
also advance consumer safety.
The FAO and WHO also made a commitment to support Codex in areas such
as the use of nanotechnology and a risk-benefit assessment of fish consumption.
To raise the necessary funding to conduct the new work the two organisations
launched a project to encourage potential donors to support such international
scientific investigations.
At the Codex meeting last week, member state representatives decided to
develop additional guidelines to lower the frequency of Salmonella and
Campylobacter in chicken.
"Together these two bacteria cause a significant proportion of food-borne
diseases all over the world," the FAO stated. "Finding efficient
ways of dealing with this problem from farm to table could result in the
prevention of hundreds of thousands of foodborne disease cases every year."
The members also adopted acode that would prevent or reduce Ochratoxin
A contamination in wines across the production chain. Ochratoxin A is
a mycotoxin known to be toxic to the kidneys.
They also adopted a revised standard for infant formulae and formulas
for special medical purposes.
A revised code of hygienic practice for eggs and egg products aims to
protect consumers from disease-causing bacteria such as Salmonella Enteritidis
and make international trade in eggs and egg products safer, the FAO stated.
This year's Codex gathering was attended by 133 countries, the highest
number ever to attend an annual Commission meeting.
"Hopefully this example will lead several more major emerging economies
to follow suit enabling a more efficient global food safety system,"
said Jorgen Schlundt, a WHO spokesperson.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission will convene next year on 30 June in
Geneva, Switzerland.
Food
Safety and Quality Job Information
Food Safety and Quality Job Information
26 more E.
coli victims of DOLE spinach outbreak settle suits
Posted on July 9, 2007 by E. coli Attorney
Source of Article: http://www.marlerblog.com/
Since resolving the tragic cases of three wrongful deaths related to the
Dole Spinach outbreak of 2006 in late March 2007, we have settled an additional
twenty-six cases involving non-HUS victims over the last few weeks. Lawyers
and insurance carriers for Dole, Natural Selection Foods and Mission Organic
have participated in a series of meetings with me where we successfully
resolved the claims. Special thanks to Dole and Natural Selection Foods
for sending corporate representatives.
We still have much work to do. The most recent tally from the FDA included
204 illnesses due to E. coli O157:H7 reported the CDC. This number includes
31 cases of HUS and 102 hospitalizations.
Five hospitalized
in Huntsville Alabama E. coli outbreak
Posted on July 9, 2007 by E. coli Attorney
Source of Article: http://www.marlerblog.com/
The Huntsville Times reported on the expanding outbreak linked to Little
Rosie's Taqueria.
Eight more people have tested positive for the potentially deadly foodborne
illness, bringing the total to 15. Most of the victims are children or
young adults. Five people remain hospitalized: two each at Huntsville
Hospital and Crestwood Medical Center; and one at Vanderbilt University
Medical Center in Nashville. Five-year-old Samuel Coggin of Meridianville
was taken to Vanderbilt by ambulance Sunday and may have to undergo dialysis,
said his grandfather, James Cole. Kidney failure is one of the most serious
symptoms of E. coli infection. Although the health department says the
cause of the outbreak remains a mystery, many of the victims ate at Little
Rosie's Taqueria on Whitesburg Drive in late June.
The fact that the Health Department can not seem to find the cause, reminded
me of the following quotes from the Scripps Howard writer, Tom Hargrove:
Food safety can depend on the
state you live in
The rate at which state health departments are able to detect and diagnose
outbreaks of food illness varies alarmingly in the United States.
Ten other states reported food-sickness outbreaks at a rate of only half
the national average or even less. They are: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona,
Delaware, Indiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oklahoma and West
Virginia.
But 24 states failed to identify the cause in at least half of their food-sickness
outbreaks. States with worse-than-average diagnosis rates are Alabama,
Florida, Montana, New Jersey, Washington state, Michigan, California,
Maryland, Illinois, Mississippi, Delaware and Missouri.
Alabama epidemiologists found the cause in only nine of their 180 outbreaks
that sickened at least 718 people. That is a 5 percent rate of diagnoses.
"We just lurch from day to day. It's a real struggle," said
Alabama State Epidemiologist John Lofgren. "We've never identified
a virus at the state level. We've always had to send viral specimens to
the CDC for testing."
Pamphlets
target acrylamide reduction in bakery and snack sector
By Ahmed ElAmin
Source of Article: http://www.bakeryandsnacks.com/
10/07/2007 - New pamphlets aim to help EU bakery and snacks processors
reduce acrylamide levels in their products.
Separate pamphlets deal with reducing levels of the potential carcenogen
in biscuits, crackers and crispbreads, breads, breakfast cereals and fried
potato products such as crisps and french fries.
The acrylamide pamphlets are targeted at the EU's small and medium sized
companies, which may not have the necessary resources to adequately research
methods developed by their larger competitors.
The pamphlets outline successfully tested methods as well as a step-by-step
approach on how to implement them. The methods were collected by the Confederation
of the Food and Drink Industries of the European Union (CIAA) and national
regulators.
The CIAA is at the forefront of helping members reduce acrylamide. The
organisation formed an expert group in 2003 to share research and disseminate
information. The group first created the "Acrylamide Toolbox",
a document that provides operators with various information needed to
reduce acrylamide in foods.
The document is updated on a continuous basis as science progresses.
The new acrylamide pamphlets are part of the effort to make such tools
easily implementable by SMEs throughout Europe, the CIAA stated. The pamphlets
are available in 20 languages on the European Commission website.
"Individual operators can use the tools outlined in the pamphlets
to adapt their unique production systems," the CIAA stated.
This year the European Commission called on member states to check annually
whether acrylamide levels are falling, serving to put additional pressure
on processors to reduce the chemical in their products.
In an official notice the Commission noted that industry had already taken
extensive voluntary efforts since 2002 to reduce the levels of the potential
carconigen in processed foods.
Tthe Commission wants to collect reliable data on acrylamide levels in
food over at least a three-year time span across the bloc in order to
get a clear picture of the levels in foodstuffs.
The data will be collected on foods known to contain high acrylamide levels
and that contribute significantly to the dietary intake of the whole population
and of specific
vulnerable groups, such as infants and young children.
The Commission is asking member states to perform the surveys annually
in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
In 2005, EFSA endorsed a the risk assessment on acrylamide in food, which
was carried out by the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World
Health Organisation.
In that assessment the UN organisations concluded that the margins of
exposure for average and high consumers were low for a compound that is
genotoxic and carcinogenic and that this factor may indicate a human health
concern.
"Therefore, appropriate efforts to reduce acrylamide concentrations
in foodstuffs should continue," the Commission stated.
The chemical is a carcinogen that is created when starchy foods are baked,
roasted, fried or toasted.
It first hit the headlines in 2002, when scientists at the Swedish Food
Administration first reported unexpectedly high levels of acrylamide in
carbohydrate-rich foods. Previous studies have linked the chemical with
cancer in laboratory rats.
Since the Swedish discovery a global effort has been underway to amass
data about the chemical. More than 200 research projects have been initiated
around the world, and their findings coordinated by national governments,
the EU and the United Nations.
FSIS Announces
Increased Raw Ground Beef Sampling in July
July 06, 2007
Source of Article: http://www.meatami.com/
FSIS Notice 41-07 announces that the agency is increasing the number of
scheduled raw ground beef product samples for FSIS E. coli O157:H7 testing
that it will collect in July. This action was taken following an increased
number of positive Agency E. coli O157:H7 results that occurred within
a short period of time in June 2007. The additional sampling should help
clarify whether there have been any significant changes in the prevalence
of this pathogen in raw ground beef. Therefore, FSIS has sent out an increased
number of MT03 sample request forms this month.
Because of this increased sampling, inspection program personnel may receive
two or more MT03 sample request forms with July 2007 dates. Should inspection
program personnel receive these sample request forms, they are to collect
the raw ground beef product samples according to the instructions in Directives
10,210.1 and 10,010.1.
Any questions can be directed to the Technical Service Center at 1-800-233-3935.
FDA Advice: What You Need to Know About Food Allergies
Source of Article: http://www.prnewswire.com/
COLLEGE PARK, Md., July 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- An estimated 2
percent of adults and about 5 percent of infants and young children in
the
U.S. suffer from food allergies. Allergic reactions to food vary in
severity, but approximately 30,000 people require emergency room treatment
and 150 die each year as a result of them. The only means of preventing
allergic reactions is to avoid the foods that cause them. FDA's allergen
labeling rule helps them to do so.
To help people avoid the risks food allergens pose, the Food and Drug
Administration requires that the labels of all foods FDA regulates (all
foods except meat, poultry, and certain egg products) must clearly identify
the source of all ingredients that are -- or are derived from -- the eight
most common food allergens. This requirement became effective January
1,
2006, so there may still be some product labels in stores or people's
homes
without this information.
While more than 160 foods can cause reactions in people with food
allergies, the eight most common allergenic foods account for 90 percent
of
food allergic reactions, and are the sources from which many other
ingredients are derived. The eight foods are:
1. Milk
2. Eggs
3. Fish (e.g., bass, flounder, cod)
4. Crustacean shellfish (e.g., crab, lobster, shrimp)
5. Tree nuts (e.g., almonds, walnuts, pecans)
6. Peanuts
7. Wheat
8. Soybeans
Unless they are part of the ingredient's common or usual name (or are
already clearly identified in the ingredient list), these eight food
allergens may appear on food labels either:
-- In parentheses following the name of the ingredient, e.g., lecithin
(soy); flour (wheat); and whey (milk); or,
-- Immediately after or next to the list of ingredients in a "contains"
statement, e.g., Contains Wheat, Milk, and Soy.
Symptoms of food allergies typically appear from within a few minutes
to two hours after a person has eaten the food to which he or she is
allergic. Symptoms can include:
-- Hives
-- Flushed skin or rash
-- Tingling or itchy sensation in the mouth
-- Face, tongue, or lip swelling
-- Vomiting and/or diarrhea
-- Abdominal cramps
-- Coughing or wheezing
-- Dizziness and/or lightheadedness
-- Swelling of the throat and vocal cords
-- Difficulty breathing
-- Loss of consciousness
For more information on food allergies and allergen labeling, go to
FDA's webpage at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/alrgqa.html or call FDA
at:
1-888-SAFEFOOD. SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration
U.S. Congress
to question GRAS process
June 27, 2007
Source of Article: http://members.ift.org/IFT/Pubs/Newsletters/weekly/nl_062707.htm
According to a Dow Jones news wire report, two members of the U.S. Congress
said they will investigate the U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationĄŻs GRAS
approval process. U.S. House of Representatives, John Dingell (D-MI),
chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Bart Stupak (D-MI),
chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, announced
on Tuesday that they will launch an enquiry of the food ingredient approval
process known as GRAS or "generally recognized as safe".
Earlier this year, both members have questioned how Ą°case readyĄ± meats
are produced. Case-ready meats use modified atmosphere packaging with
carbon monoxide gas to extend shelf life of already cut fresh meats. Case-ready
meats allow meat processors to sell already cut fresh meats to retail
stores and bypass the use of butchers in grocery stores.
The members also sent letters to grocery-market retailer Safeway Inc.,
meat producers Tyson Foods Inc., Hormel Foods Corp., and Cargill Inc.,
as well as meat packer Pactiv Corp. with questions about how the companies
handle the process.
Tyson Foods (GRAS Notice No. GRN 000167); Precept Foods, LLC. (GRAS Notice
No. GRN 000143); and Pactiv Corporation (GRAS Notice No. GRN 000083).
In November 2005, Kalsec Foods in Kalamazoo, Mich., a supplier of spice,
herb, hop, and vegetable extracts for use in food and beverage industries,
petitioned the FDA to ban the practice. Their rosemary extracts can be
used to inhibit lipid oxidation in fresh meats. A variety of corporations,
trade organizations, and academics responded to the petition.
The petition is still pending
at FDA.
GRAS is covered under sections 201(s) and 409 of the Federal Food, Drug,
and Cosmetic Act. Any substance that is intentionally added to food is
a food additive subject to premarket review and approval by FDA unless
the substance is generally recognized, among qualified experts, as having
been adequately shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended
use, or unless the use of the substance is otherwise excluded from the
definition of a food additive.
For more on GRAS, see www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/grasguid.html .
Illegal Chinese
pork sales rise
Source of Article: http://www.meatnews.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Article&artNum=15385
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHINA: China moves to combat selling of diseased pork and unlicensed slaughter.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meat suppliers have been selling pigs injected with water and diseased
pork in order to take advantage of the current high price of pork in China,
according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. The ministry has also discovered
an increase in the number of cases of unlicensed slaughter of pigs, prompting
it to call for a tightening of quality control standards for the production
of pork. The retail price of pork in Guangzhou reached 20 yuan per kilogram
on Tuesday, far higher than the peak of 17.4 yuan per kilo in late May
after outbreaks of blue ear disease that led to mass culling of pigs.
In Beijing, the retail price of pork surged to 19 yuan per kilo, the highest
level in six months and also the highest in 10 years.
Some retailers in Beijing blamed the shortage of live pigs for recent
price hikes, saying the price would continue to rise without a greater
supply.
China has been subsidising pig breeders to maintain a supply of pigs in
a bid to curb pork prices. Earlier reports said the Chinese government
would spend 6.5 billion yuan ($855.3 million) this year.
Bio-RadĄŻs RAPIDĄŻE. coli O157:H7 Agar Granted Performance Tested Method Status by AOAC Research Institute
RAPIDĄŻE. coli O157:H7 agar, manufactured by Bio-Rad Laboratories, was granted Performance Tested Method status by the AOAC Research Institute (certificate # 060701). RAPIDĄŻE. coli O157:H7 is a chromogenic medium for isolation and identification of E. coli O157:H7 in ground beef and fresh spinach. It is a rapid method producing accurate and easy-to-read results.
RAPIDĄŻE. coli O157:H7 is a selective chromogenic plating medium for the rapid isolation and presumptive identification of E. coli O157:H7. Characteristic E. coli O157:H7 colonies appear as dark blue with a black precipitate around the edge after 24 hours incubation at 37ĄÆC. This chromogenic medium differentiates E. coli O157:H7, including atypical „â-glucuronidase positive or sorbitol positive E. coli O157:H7 isolates, from other E. coli strains. The cultural properties of the medium are based on a balance of careful selected growth-promoting nutrients and classical selective ingredients. Potassium tellurite and novobiocin are used in addition to enhance the selectivity of the medium by inhibiting interfering flora. The presumptive identification system relies on differential characteristics driven by proprietary chromogenic substrates coupled with both carbohydrate fermentation and pH modification. Background flora, if not inhibited, give rise to red, green or colorless colonies
RAPIDĄŻE. coli O157:H7 is available in two sizes, dehydrated media 100g (Item # 356-4748) or dehydrated media 500g (Item # 356-4747). For more information, please visit www.foodscience.bio-rad.com or call (800) 4BIORAD.
New CCFRA
Guide on Setting and Using Microbiological Criteria for Foods
A new guide from CCFRA will help food and drinks companies understand
the difference between microbiological standards, guidelines and specifications,
enabling them to set meaningful microbiological criteria.
Establishment and use of microbiological criteria (standards, specifications and guidelines) for food (Guideline No. 52) sets out the current thinking with respect to microbiological criteria (microbiological specifications, microbiological guidelines and microbiological standards).
The guideline discusses how microbiological specifications and guidelines can be developed and suggests best use of the resource and resulting data when testing food for the presence of microorganisms. It aims to provide guidance to all those involved in producing and using microbiological criteria in the food and catering industries. The document has been written by professional food microbiologists with experience in the food manufacturing, retailing and testing sectors, such that their experiences and expertise can be passed on to the reader.
NanoSensors Provides Update on its Biosensor to Detect E.coli and Salmonella in Food and Water
July 02, 2007: 06:00 AM EST
Source of Article: http://money.cnn.com/
SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- NanoSensors, Inc. , a nanotechnology development company that is developing a biosensor device to detect e.coli and salmonella announced today an update regarding its product development timeline for its biosensor. The Company stated that although it had received multiple prototypes of its e.coli biosensor for field testing from its contract manufacturer, due to its limited personnel and financial resources, it has not yet been able to commence field testing the prototype of its biosensor product as it had previously expected.
Although the Company continues to review multiple alternatives in order to strengthen its internal resources, the Company has determined to also explore entering into strategic relationships with a third party in order to facilitate the testing and commercialization of its biosensor product. In order to maximize its ability to pursue bringing a biosensor device to market, the Company will evaluate potential relationships with a range of third parties, including public and private corporations, non-profit organizations, academic institutions and government entities. In this regard, the Company stated that it is focused on partnering with an entity that has experience manufacturing, marketing and selling systems for testing in the clinical molecular diagnostics, industrial and bio-threat markets.
"We have decided to explore these alternatives due to our limited personnel and financial resources," stated Dr. Ted Wong, the Company's Chief Executive Officer. "While we will continue to explore means of furthering the development of our biosensor internally, we cannot foreclose the potential benefits that allying our company with a third party could bring. By working with another entity with greater financial and other resources than we have, we believe that we can significantly reduce the amount of time until we can commercialize our proposed biosensor and begin to generate revenues from our biosensor product. This will also allow us to conserve our resources and minimize our overhead expenses," continued Dr. Ted Wong.
"We continue to feel that the need for a product to detect for e.coli and salmonella in food and water is real and growing as has been evidenced by the three major e.coli outbreaks in 2006 and 2007: one involving tainted produce served at Taco Bell restaurants, the second involving washed-and-bagged spinach from Natural Selection Foods, (collectively these two incidents caused deaths and hundreds of illnesses across 19 states). The third and most recent outbreak involved the United Food Group recalling 5.7 million pounds (2,850 tons) of ground beef that sickened 14 people," Dr. Wong added.
The Center for Disease Control estimates that there are 76 million cases of food poisoning a year resulting in 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths. Food poisoning is caused by food-borne pathogens such as bacillus cereus, campylobacter jejuni, e.coli and streptococcus. The Company' research indicates that there is not a product out on the market that is easy to use and provides timely results. The current process to detect for e.coli is through a bio-chemical method and colony counts to determine the level of contamination and takes up to four days. No assurances can be given that the Company will be able to locate a third party with which to pursue the commercialization of its biosensor, that any negotiations with a third party will result in the consummation of a strategic transaction or that the anticipated benefits of a strategic transaction will ultimately be realized.
About NanoSensors, Inc.
NanoSensors, Inc. was incorporated in December, 2003 and is a nanotechnology development company based in Santa Clara, California. The Company's principal business is the development, manufacturing and marketing of sensors and instruments to detect biological, chemical and explosive agents, principally a sensor device to detect e.coli and salmonella in food and water.
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are subject to the safe harbors created thereby. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other facts that could cause the actual future results of the Company to be materially different from such forward looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and we disclaim any obligation to update or revise the information contained in any such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Toothpaste
tainted with E. coli, antifreeze poison, Health Canada warns
Becky Rynor, CanWest News Service
Published: Saturday, June 30, 2007
Source of Article: http://www.canada.com/
OTTAWA - Packages of toothpaste tainted with E. coli and falsely labelled
as "Colgate" are being sold in Canada, health officials warned
Friday.
"If you swallow it, you could have a fever, gastrointestinal symptoms
such as vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain," said Health Canada
spokesman Paul Duchesne. "Infants and small children are more sensitive
to these effects. Sever vomiting and diarrhea could lead to potentially
life-threatening dehydration."
"Of course toothpaste isn't meant to be swallowed, but is often swallowed
by young children," he said.
Mr. Duchesne said the fake toothpaste is sold at Everything for a Dollar
Stores, and is easy to spot. "There was some wrong spelling on the
packages, which said the toothpaste was manufactured in South Afrila',
instead of Africa. It also referred to the South African Dental Assoxiation'
instead of Association." Nor do the bogus packages feature bilingual
labelling, or drug identification numbers. "In Canada, packaging
should always have bilingual labelling. And fluoride-containing toothpaste
approved for sale in Canada will contain either an eight-digit Drug Identification
Number (DIN), or an eight-digit Natural Product Number (NPN), one or the
other," he said. Mr. Duchesne said the RCMP are assisting in the
investigation "because it is a counterfeit product; it is a criminal
investigation being conducted by the RCMP." The agency also warned
consumers not to use any toothpaste made in China after an investigation
into a previous scare found almost half of the samples of toothpaste it
tested from China contained a poisonous chemical found in antifreeze.
Health Canada issued the warning not to use Chinese-made toothpaste because
a number have been found to contain unacceptable levels of diethylene
glycol, which is commonly found in solvents and antifreeze. "We had
over 60 samples of toothpaste from China. Of 52 that have been analyzed,
21 have been found to contain diethylene glycol," Mr. Duchesne said.
"It is a poisonous chemical found in antifreeze," Mr. Duchesne
said. "It can cause nausea, abdominal pain, dizziness, urinary problems
and kidney failure, convulsions and death," among other side effects.
He added that the Chinese-made toothpaste is "widely sold at Canadian
retail stores."
GROUND BEEF
AND GROUND BEEF PATTIES SOLD AT SAFEWAY AND INDEPENDENT GROCERY STORES
MAY CONTAIN E. coli O157:H7 BACTERIA
Related Alerts: 2007-07-10 | 2007-07-06
OTTAWA, July 6, 2007 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Canada Safeway are warning the public not to consume the fresh and frozen ground beef products listed below because the products may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 bacteria.
The following products are affected by this alert:
Fresh ground beef (lean, regular, extra lean and market trim)
The fresh ground beef products were sold at Safeway and some independent grocery stores in British Columbia and Alberta between May 24 and June 5, 2007 and bear Best Before dates from May 25 to June 6 inclusively.
Consumers who have purchased fresh ground beef products from independent stores during the time periods described above, and are unsure that it is affected product, should contact the retail store to determine if the product purchased is affected.
ButcherĄŻs Cut frozen ground beef patties 1.13 kg
The affected patties, bearing UPC 58200 21604 and a Julian code date of 143, were sold on and after May 24, 2007, at Safeway stores in Western Canada and in Ontario, west of Thunder Bay.
Sunny Dawn frozen ground beef patties
The affected patties, bearing Julian date 143-07, were sold on or after May 24, 2007 at some independent grocery stores in Western Canada, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and in Ontario west of Thunder Bay.
Consumers who have purchased the products described above, and have them in their freezers, are advised not to consume these products.
There have been five reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.
Food contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 may not look or smell spoiled. Consumption of food contaminated with this bacteria may cause serious and potentially life-threatening illnesses. Symptoms include severe abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. Some people may have seizures or strokes and some may need blood transfusions and kidney dialysis. Others may live with permanent kidney damage. In severe cases of illness, people may die.
Canada Safeway, Calgary, Alberta is voluntarily recalling the affected products from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.
For more information, consumers
and industry can call one of the following numbers:
Canada Safeway at 1-800-SAFEWAY;
The CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Eastern time, Monday to Friday).
For information on E. coli O157:H7, visit the Food Facts web page at http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/cause/ecolie.shtml
For information on receiving recalls by e-mail, or for other food safety facts, visit our web site at www.inspection.gc.ca.
2nd
International Conference for Food Safety and Quality (Nov.
6-7, 2007), South San Francisco Convention Center
1st International Conference for Food Safety and Quality
(Nov. 7-8, 2006)
Major Topic: Current Detection Methods for Microbiological/Chemical Hazards
for Food Safety/Quality
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