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Internet Journal of Food
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9/18
2007
ISSUE:272
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Internet Journal of Food Saety
2nd
International Conference for Food Safety and Quality (Nov.
6-7, 2007), South San Francisco Convention Center
Key Speakers
Daniel
Y.C. Fung - Kansas State University
- Presentation for Detection of Foodborne pathogens
Michael Doyle - University
of Georgia
- Presentation for Major issues for food safety
Stan Bailey - Microbiologist, USDA
(2008 IAFP President)
- Presentation for Industrial Actions for Food Safety
Peter
Bodnaruk - Ecolab Inc.
- Presentation for Pathogens Control Systems for Food Safety
Robin Forgey - Costco
- Presentation for Contemporary issues in microbiological Sampling/Testing
Paul Hall - IAFP President (2004), VP ConAgra Foods Inc.
- Action of Food Industries for Food Safety and Quality
William D. Marler, Esq. -MarlerClark attorneys at Law
- Presentation for Current Outbreaks and Legal Actions
Indaue Mello-Hall, PepsiCo.
- Presentation for Formulating with safety and stability in mind
Dong-Hyun Kang- Washington State University
- Presentation for Detection of Enterobacter sakazakii
Robert E. Koeritzer -President of AOAC International (2005-2006),
3M
- AOAC for testing
Jenny Scott
- IAFP President (2000-2001), VP- FPA
- Presentation for Major issues for food safety
Click
here for more information
Family sues
restaurant over oyster death
By ELIZABETH LEE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Source of Article: http://www.ajc.com/
Published on: 09/12/07
The daughters of a woman whose death has been linked to eating raw oysters
have sued Spondivits Seafood & Steaks. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday
in Fulton County State Court by Stephanie Barnes and Erica Coston, contends
that Spondivits was negligent in handling the oysters. It asks for unspecified
damages.
Spondivits did not return phone calls Wednesday seeking comment.
Delphine Barnes, 52, had stopped in at the South Atlanta restaurant with
a friend on Aug. 6, and shared a plate of raw oysters, according to the
lawsuit. She died four days later of an illness triggered by Vibrio vulnificus,
a bacteria found in the Gulf of Mexico in warm months that can concentrate
in oysters and cause an often-fatal illness in people with damaged immune
systems.
Barnes had anemia and some other health issues, but had eaten raw oysters
many times without problems, said Craig Jones of Atlanta law firm Edmond
& Jones, the daughters' attorney.
She had recently retired from the Fulton County Sheriff's Department,
where she was a deputy. Her daughters also work for the sheriff's office.
Barnes experienced stomach pains, headaches and fatigue in the days after
eating the oysters. On Aug. 10, she was too weak to get out of bed. An
ambulance took her to South Fulton Medical Center and she died early that
evening, a few hours after arriving at the hospital. "This lady wasn't
in perfect health. She had problems that were perfectly manageable and
she was 52 years old," Jones said.
She's a responsible person who lived by the rules, and this happens."
New Spanish Language
ISO 22000 Food Safety Procedures Manual Addresses Growing Demand for a
Safer Food Supply
September 17, 2007
Source of Article: http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2007/9/emw553866.htm
Download this press release as an Adobe PDF document.: http://pdfserver.emediawire.com/pdfdownload/553866/pr.pdf
Food Manufacturers, Suppliers,
Producers, Handlers and Auditors in Spanish speaking countries/environments
can use prewritten food safety policies and procedures to control and
protect the food supply and address the requirements of ISO 22000:2005
and HACCP.
St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) September 17, 2007 -- Bizmanualz, Inc. (http://www.bizmanualz.com),
a business publishing, education, and consulting company located in Clayton,
Missouri, today announced the release of a Spanish language version of
its ISO 22000:2005 Food Safety Management Manual. The original English
version was released in January 2006. The Spanish version is titled Bizmanualz
ISO 22000 Seguridad En Los Alimento Politicas, Procedimientos, and Formas.
The manual is designed to assist all participants along the food chain--Food
Safety/Quality Managers, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP)
inspectors, Food Safety Enforcement Agency Personnel, Auditors, and Procurement
personnel, as well as owners and managers of food production, supply,
transportation, and import companies. The manual includes easily editable
procedures to meet food safety, quality, and HACCP requirements. (http://store.bizmanualz.com/customer/ISO_22000_Seguridad_en_los_Alimentos-127-35.html)
International product safety,
especially food safety, is an increasing concern. The food industry worldwide
is faced with a growing need to demonstrate its ability to control food
safety hazards and contamination. While local, state, and national governments
have implemented various regulations and laws, the ISO 22000:2005 Food
Safety Management System (FSMS) is becoming the accepted compliance standard
for safe consumer food production worldwide.
Mr. Christopher Anderson, the Managing Director of Bizmanualz explains
that, "The Bizmanualz ISO 22000 Food Safety Management System Manual
provides a framework to demonstrate compliance with applicable statutory
and regulatory food safety requirements. By complying with this standard,
a company demonstrates that their system meets the requirements established
by suppliers, customers, and other parties in the food chain, and it can
assist in placing guards against contamination that may enter the food
chain from multiple points."
Mr. Anderson adds, "This manual allows any company to incorporate
best practices and optimal standards in establishing formal FSMS policies
and procedures, regardless of their size or location. This publication
is the only one of its kind in the way it provides the guidance and the
tools required to accurately and efficiently determine and meet the food
safety requirements of the organization."
"There are more than 20 specific policies addressed, including Food
Safety Records, Supplier Evaluation, Training, Hazard Analysis, HACCP
Plan Management, Internal Audit, and Prerequisite Programs," adds
Mr. Stephen Flick, Bizmanualz Product Manager and the editor of the manual.
"You get all this content in a published manual, and it includes
a CD containing all procedures and forms in an easily editable MS-Word
format, allowing any company to customize the manual to create its own
policies and corresponding procedures."
The Spanish versions of the ISO 22000 Food Safety Procedures Manual comes
with over 480 pages of practical documentation in proper ISO format. It
includes prewritten food safety policies, food safety procedures, and
accompanying forms. Plus, there is a detailed explanation of ISO 22000
including helpful information and guidance for producing your own Food
Safety Management Manual.
Bizmanualz also offers policy and procedure manuals that cover many key
business segments such as Accounting, Computer & IT, Human Resources,
Sales and Marketing, ISO 9001 Quality Management System, Disaster Recovery,
and Security Planning. All Bizmanualz Policies and Procedures manuals
combine a printed manual with easily editable MS-Word documents on CD-ROM.
ISO 22000 Seguridad en los Alimentos Politicas, Procedimientos y Formas:
Como crear rapidamente un sistema general de ISO 22000 para la Seguridad
en los Alimentos con una facil y entendible traduccion de Politicas y
Procedimientos en cuanto a la Seguridad en los Alimentos, Calidad y HACCP
(480 pages/trade binder/ ISBN 1-931591-32-4/ $595.00) is a Knowledge Management
title from Bizmanualz, Inc. All Bizmanualz products are available by calling
the publisher at 800-466-9953 (international customers call 314-863-5079),
or visiting www.bizmanualz.com
Leading Food
Safety Expert Dr. Mike Doyle Calls Modified Atmosphere Packaging Technology
¡®Revolutionary¡¯ Doyle Tells Canadian Meat Council His Research Demonstrates
Food Safety Benefits
September 13, 2007
Source of Article: http://www.meatami.com/
"MAP with CO packaging of fresh beef is a major technological achievement
in providing extended shelf life and reduced microbiological hazards to
fresh beef,¡± Dr. Michael Doyle, director of the Center for Food Safety
at the University of Georgia said today.
Doyle delivered his remarks in a keynote address to the Canadian Meat
Council symposium on Advances in Antimicrobial Interventions for Quality
Control of Meat and Poultry Products held in Toronto, Canada. The symposium
was attended by more than 110 microbiologists, industry, academic and
government scientists from across Canada and the U.S. Dr. Doyle¡¯s keynote
address was entitled ¡°Advances in Antimicrobial Interventions: A Key to
Meat Quality and Safety."
During his talk covering a variety of cutting-edge food safety technologies,
Doyle described a study that he and his colleague, Dr. Li Ma, conducted
at the University of Georgia, which demonstrated that low-oxygen modified
atmosphere packaging with minute levels of carbon monoxide in the gas
mix in addition to nitrogen and carbon dioxide ¡°retarded the growth of
E. coli O157:H7 in ground beef under temperature abusive storage conditions."
He said his study also found
that this packaging system extended shelf life based on appearance --
color, odor and texture of ground beef -- even under abusive temperature
conditions.
He also mentioned information from the peer-reviewed scientific literature
that agrees with the University of Georgia results. He noted 2006 research
conducted at Texas Tech University reached similar conclusions.
"MAP CO-treated meat is a revolutionary technology providing greater
protection against foodborne pathogens and extended shelf life to fresh
beef,¡± Doyle said.
Doyle also described the food safety and quality benefits of case ready
packaging generally including its production under controlled processing
conditions.
Doyle has served on the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological
Criteria for Foods and is considered one of the world¡¯s leading experts
in food microbiology and food safety. He joins numerous other scientists
in supporting the quality and safety benefits of this packaging system.
4th E. Coli
Case NOT Linked to Yonkers Store Beef
Saturday, 15 September 2007
YONKERS (1010 WINS) -- State health authorities say a fourth case of food
poisoning didn't come from ground beef that sickened three other people
and led to a recall by a Yonkers store.
The three people - all members of one family - fell ill from E. coli after
eating Stew Leonard's 96 percent lean ground round.
Officials explored whether a fourth E. coli case might be linked to the
same product, but determined it wasn't.
Stew Leonard's has said health officials don't believe the store was the
source of the bacteria. But the store has announced a voluntary recall
of all packages of 96 percent lean ground round sold between June 30th
and August 1st.
E. coli can cause intestinal sickness and other problems.
E.coli Scare
at Logan County Schools
Posted: 5:48 PM Sep 13, 2007
Last Updated: 7:10 PM Sep 13, 2007
Reporter: Ryan Dearbone
Source of Article: http://www.wbko.com/news/headlines/9768942.html
A possible E.coli scare has many Logan County parents concerned for their
children's health. Logan County School's Superintendent Marshall Kemp
has told WBKO that there has been two cases of E.coli found at Auburn
Elementary School this week. He says that since then, the school has been
cleaning and scrubbing the school in order to get rid what may be causing
the illness. Kemp says school will remain open despite the illness.
Officials at the Barren River Health Dept. say parents shouldn't be alarmed,
but should keep an eye on their children. "The key thing is to monitor
for any of the symptoms, like fever, abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea,
nausea or vomiting. If they have any of these symptoms, we ask them to
follow-up with their health care provider," said Dr. Srihari Sashadri,
with the Barren River Health Dept. The health department also stresses
the importance for parents to make sure their kids wash their hands to
help avoid these symptoms.
Intensive
meat production a danger to food supply, warns FAO
By Ahmed ElAmin
Source of Article: http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/
17/09/2007 - A report, issued
today by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) about the increased
risk of pathogen contamination in industrial meat production, serves as
an advance warning to processors of a growing problem.
"Global animal food production is undergoing a major transformation
that could lead to a higher risk of disease transmission from animals
to humans," the FAO stated in a new report. The warning is particularly
apt, as regulators around the world have been implementing laws requiring
processors to develop traceability systems to determine the origin of
their supplies all the way back to the farm.
Such far-reaching traceability is important in tracing contamination incidents
back to source to determine the extent of a problem. Fears over the meat
supply chain have been hightened due to the spread of diseases such as
bird flu and BSE.
The risk of disease transmission from animals to humans will increase
in the future due to human and livestock population growth, dynamic changes
in livestock production, the emergence of worldwide agro-food networks
and a significant increase in the mobility of people and goods, the FAO
stated in the policy brief.
As countries have become more affluent and the world's population continues
to rise, demand for meat and other livestock products has grown substantially,
the FAO stated.
To satisfy this higher demand for meat products, livestock production
and densities have significantly increased, often close to urban centres.
Industrial animal production has become more concentrated, using fewer
but more productive livestock breeds.
"There is no doubt that the world has to depend upon some of the
technologies of intensive animal food production systems," said FAO
livestock policy expert Joachim Otte. "But excessive concentration
of animals in large scale industrial production units should be avoided
and adequate investments should be made in heightened biosecurity and
improved disease monitoring to safeguard public health." The FAO
identified pig and poultry production as the are the fastest growing and
industrializing livestock sub-sectors, with annual production growth rates
of 2.6 and 3.7 per cent over the past decade.
As a consequence, in the industrialized countries, the vast majority of
chickens and turkeys are now produced in houses with 15,000 to 50,000
birds.
The trend towards industrialisation of livestock production is occurring
rapidly in developing countries, where traditional systems are being replaced
by intensive units, most notably in Asia, South America and parts of Africa.
Industrial pig and poultry production relies on a significant movement
of live animals. In 2005, for example, nearly 25 million pigs, more than
two million pigs per month, were traded internationally. The movement
of animals and the concentration of thousands of confined animals increase
the likelihood of transfer of pathogens, the FAO stated.
Confined animal houses also produce large amounts of waste, which may
contain substantial quantities of pathogens. Much of this waste is disposed
of on land without any treatment, posing an infection risk for wild mammals
and birds.
While the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus is currently of major global concern,
the circulation of influenza A viruses (IAVs) in poultry and swine should
also be closely monitored internationally, the FAO recommended.
A number of IAVs are now fairly widespread in commercial poultry, and
to a lesser extent in pigs, and could also lead to emergence of a human
influenza pandemic.
The FAO called upon meat producers to apply basic biosecurity measures.
Production sites should not be built close to human settlements or wild
bird populations, farms should be regularly cleaned and disinfected, the
movements of staff and vehicles should be controlled and employees should
be trained in biosecurity, the FAO stated.
USDA Announces
Publication of Minimal Risk Rule for Cattle and Beef
September 14, 2007 Source of Article: http://www.meatami.com/
USDA¡¯s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today announced
that it will make final a proposed rule to expand the list of allowable
beef and cattle imports from countries recognized as presenting a minimal
risk of introducing bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) into the United
States.
APHIS Administrator Dr. John Clifford told reporters today that the peer reviewers ¡°believe that the assumptions in the risk assessment represent the worst case scenarios and that the overall findings are reasonable.¡±
The rule would allow the importation of:
- live cattle and other bovines
for any use born on or after March 1, 1999;
- all beef and beef products;
- blood and blood products derived from bovines, collected under certain
conditions; and,
- casings and part of the small intestine derived from bovines.
Clifford told the media affirmatively
that, ¡°The risk of BSE being established in the U.S. as a result of these
regulations is negligible.¡± The proposed rule brings the U.S. into close
alignment with internationally recognized World Organization of Animal
Health (OIE) guidelines.
According to Agriculture Department officials, the proposed listing of
additional items for importation is based upon a thorough risk assessment
completed by APHIS, which found that the risk associated with these commodities
is minimal.
¡°The announcement of the rule today is based upon careful and thoughtful
review of the science,¡± said AMI President J. Patrick Boyle ¡°Full restoration
of cattle and beef trade with Canada is scientifically justified and appropriate
under international animal health guidelines.¡±
Once finalized, the rule would expand upon the January 2005 rule that
allowed the importation of certain live ruminants and ruminant products,
including cattle less than 30 months of age for delivery to a slaughterhouse
or feedlot, from countries recognized as minimal risk.
The agency said the rule will appear in the September 18 Federal Register
and will take effect November 19. For additional information, visit the
APHIS Web site, http://www.aphis.usda.gov .
Food
Safety and Quality Job Information
Food
Safety and Quality Job Information
Dropping
Drug May Pump Up Price Of Milk
(Miami Herald)
BY MONICA HATCHER
Food-safety advocates and scientists
disagree on whether milk containing hormones is bad for humans and cows,
but this much is clear: You won't see much of it anymore in Florida grocery
stores.
Publix Super Markets, Florida's largest grocery chain, announced in May
it would no longer buy milk from cows treated with the synthetic hormone
rBST. As of this month, nearly all of the state's dairy farmers stopped
using the substance.
''I think it's a great idea,'' said Miriam Graydon, a mother perusing
the dairy case this week at a Coral Gables Publix. Her son can't swallow
an Oreo without a tall, cold glass of milk, and she would rather that
milk be hormone-free.
Since growth hormone helps farmers squeeze an extra gallon of milk from
the average dairy cow, moving herds off rBST means a dip in production
-- and profits -- for some dairies. For Southeast Milk, a cooperative
of 300 dairy farms -- 160 in Florida -- there wasn't much choice: Publix
is its largest customer.
The sweeping, and rather sudden, transformation of Florida's dairy industry
illustrates the large-scale changes some suppliers are being forced to
make to survive amid growing demand for more naturally produced foods
and beverages.
''I got to sell my milk, and the marketplace in Florida says it needs
to be from cows not treated with rBST,'' said Joe Wright, Southeast Milk's
president, who owns a 1,400-head dairy farm in Avon Park.
The cooperative, mainly family farms, produces more than 80 percent of
the milk consumed in Florida, sold under the Publix, McArthur Dairy, Costco
and Winn Dixie brands, among other labels.
The cooperative required all members to cease using the hormone Sept.
1.
Wright said Publix agreed to pay the cooperative more for its milk, though
not enough to cover losses for the decline in production.
Approved by the FDA in 1994,
rBST, or recombinant bovine somatotropin, is a lab-created copy of bovine
somatotropin, a hormone naturally produced in cows that speeds their ability
to convert feed into milk.
The hormone is controversial. The European Union and Canada have never
approved its use. Some activists blame it for contributing to high cancer
rates, early puberty and other ailments.
Animal-rights proponents also point to studies showing an increased risk
of udder infections among rBST cows, requiring them to take antibiotics,
which in turn increases the likelihood of those medications leaching into
milk.
Farmers are skeptical. They say strict screening protocols and economic
penalties keep infected cows off the production line. They also say the
udder infection, called mastitis, is common among untreated cows, as well.
The synthetic hormone is not traceable in milk, and 90 percent of the
naturally produced BST is burned away during pasteurization, according
to several studies.
What's more, critics of antihormone moves say retailers' demand for rBST-free
herds is cutting into the national milk supply, pushing already record-high
milk prices up. Between January and August, the average gallon of 2 percent
milk has risen in South Florida by 25 percent to $4.29, the most recent
data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows.
High demand, coupled with rising farm costs, have contributed to the spike.
No direct correlation has been shown between higher prices and the increased
number of dairy farmers eschewing rBST.
Still, Henry Miller, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution who headed
the Food and Drug Administration Office of Biotechnology from 1989 to
1993, described Publix's decision as anticonsumer.
''It especially disadvantages the poor because it raises the price of
milk unnecessarily,'' Miller said, ``and with a product of milk where
demand is elastic, people consume less of the product as the price goes
up. It's a detriment to health.''
He also said it would be impossible for Publix to ferret out cheaters
because rBST is undetectable in milk.
A Publix spokeswoman said the company had taken no side in the debate,
rather, it was responding to inquiries about rBST from some customers
and requests from others to sell milk from untreated herds.
''We're in the business of catering to our customers and responding to
what our customers are looking for at the grocery store,'' said Publix
spokeswoman Maria Brous.
But Miller says he knows of no surveys in which consumers have identified
rBST herds as an issue.
''If you have products that are side by side, and the gene-spliced product
is cheaper, people will buy the cheaper product,'' Miller said, ``In surveys,
almost no one mentions gene-splicing or rBST as a concern.''
Three of four customers who were buying milk earlier this week at Publix
told The Miami Herald they had never heard of rBST. After its contested
health effects were explained, the three still said price would dictate
which brand they bought.
''I buy Publix brand because it's cheaper,'' said Jeannie Perez, 35. ``I
don't think the regular consumer knows about that stuff. Unfortunately,
all we care about is price.''
But Graydon, 52, said she chose
milk from untreated cows as a compromise. ``I can't buy organic because
it's real expensive, but this is kind of like organic -- a little bit.''
Chris Galen, a spokesman for the National Milk Producers Federation, said
the push to eliminate the growth hormone from some dairy herds began as
a marketing strategy about 18 months ago amid a shortage of organic milk.
Milk from cows not treated with artificial growth hormone was touted as
the next best thing to organic, even though nontreated cows meet none
of the requirements for organic certification. Nonetheless, rBST-free
milk is sometimes sold at premium prices.
''It's a mid-price, mid-range product in the dairy case that appeals to
those people who don't want to shell out $8 for organic but have some
vague unease with what is claimed to be wrong with rBST,'' he said.
Publix's Brous said the store had pledged not to raise the price of its
milk based on rBST-free herds.
Resigned to the transition, dairy farmer Wright questioned the need to
eliminate rBST, but said he understood Publix's move. ''My own wife doesn't
want to drink rBST milk,'' Wright said. (9/13/07)
Marijuana
Ingredient May Prevent Mad Cow Disease
Sunday, September 16 2007
Edited by: Michael Hess
Source of Article: http://bbsnews.net/article.php/20070916110536662
Cannabidiol May be Effective in Preventing Bovine Spongiforme Enzephalopathy
(Mad Cow Disease)
BBSNews 2007-09-16 -- (IACM) According to basic research of scientists
of the National Centre for Scientific Research in Valbonne, France, cannabidiol
(CBD) may prevent the development of prion diseases, the most known being
BSE (bovine spongiforme enzephalopathy), which is often called mad cow
disease. It is believed that the BSE may be transmitted to human beings.
In humans, it is known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
The infectious agent in prion diseases is believed to be a specific type
of misfolded protein called prion. Misfolded prion proteins carry the
disease between individuals and cause deterioration of the brain. The
French researchers reported that the non- psychoactive cannabis constituent
CBD inhibited the accumulation of prion proteins in both mouse and sheep
prion- infected cells, whereas other cannabinoids were either weak or
not effective. Moreover, after infection with mouse scrapie, a prion disease,
CBD limited accumulation of the prion protein in the brain and significantly
increased the survival time of infected mice. CBD inhibited the nerve
damaging effects of prions in a concentration-dependent manner. Researchers
noted that CBD may be a promising agent for the treatment of prion diseases.
(Source: Dirikoc S, Priola SA, Marella M, Zsuerger N, Chabry J. Nonpsychoactive cannabidiol prevents prion accumulation and protects neurons against prion toxicity. J Neurosci 2007;27(36):9537-44.)
Salmonella
enterica Serovar Typhimurium Exploits Inflammation to Compete with the
Intestinal Microbiota
September 17, 2007
Source of Article: http://www.scientistlive.com/
ABSTRACT
Most mucosal surfaces of the mammalian body are colonized by microbial
communities (¡°microbiota¡±). A high density of commensal microbiota inhabits
the intestine and shields from infection (¡°colonization resistance¡±).
The virulence strategies allowing enteropathogenic bacteria to successfully
compete with the microbiota and overcome colonization resistance are poorly
understood.
Here, we investigated manipulation of the intestinal microbiota by the
enteropathogenic bacterium Salmonella enterica subspecies 1 serovar Typhimurium
(S. Tm) in a mouse colitis model: we found that inflammatory host responses
induced by S. Tm changed microbiota composition and suppressed its growth.
In contrast to wild-type S. Tm, an avirulent invGsseD mutant failing to
trigger colitis was outcompeted by the microbiota. This competitive defect
was reverted if inflammation was provided concomitantly by mixed infection
with wild-type S. Tm or in mice (IL10?/?, VILLIN-HACL4-CD8) with inflammatory
bowel disease. Thus, inflammation is necessary and sufficient for overcoming
colonization resistance.
This reveals a new concept in infectious disease: in contrast to current
thinking, inflammation is not always detrimental for the pathogen. Triggering
the host's immune defence can shift the balance between the protective
microbiota and the pathogen in favour of the pathogen.
Authors: Barbel Stecher, Riccardo Robbiani, Alan W. Walker, Astrid M.
Westendorf, Manja Barthel, Marcus Kremer, Samuel Chaffron, Andrew J. Macpherson,
Jan Buer, Julian Parkhill, Gordon Dougan, Christian von Mering, Wolf-Dietrich
Hardt
(This journal article was originally published in PLoS. Open Access.)
A guide to
genetically engineered foods
By Carol Ness | San Francisco Chronicle
September 17, 2007
Source of Article: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
I could hear my mother's voice in my head as I leafed through Andrew Kimbrell's
new quick-guide to genetically engineered foods. "Oh, the government
says they're OK. And if they were such a big problem, we'd all be falling
down dead by now. They're no different than regular hybrids," she'd
say, handing me a pot to wash with a dismissive snort.
Polls have shown that a majority of Americans disagree with her. But many
people also have a tough time explaining why, beyond their instinctive
or ideological mistrust of this new technology.
I'll admit I've never found the few quick sentences that might open my
mother's mind to another view, because the subject is so complicated,
involves heavy science and, I suspect, because people aren't falling down
dead by the dozen from eating tortilla chips made with GE corn or drinking
corn-syrup-laced soda.
That we know of. Yet.
But genetic engineering isn't E. coli, and opponents of GE food, also
known as genetically modified organisms (GMO), say problems suggested
in some health studies could take years to show up. Meanwhile, we're eating
lots of GE foods anyway, whether we know it or not especially in processed
foods, because corn, soy and canola are the Big 3 GE food crops.
For people like my mother, this may not be a problem. But for many people
who know they don't want to eat GE foods, or for whom the jury is still
out, it may be.
"Since our government has refused to label these foods, how do we
avoid buying and eating these foods?" asks Kimbrell, an attorney
who heads the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Food Safety, a vocal opponent
of GE foods.
His new book, Your Right to Know: Genetic Engineering and the Secret Changes
in Your Food (Earth Aware Editions, 2007), answers that question. And,
remarkably, it accomplishes that in a user-friendly, factoidal, fun-with-graphics
way.
Guide to GE foods
For conscious eaters, the heart of the book is a 14-page guide to your
local supermarket. It tells you which foods are the most likely to contain
GE ingredients (chips, snacks and baby formula), which aren't (fruits,
vegetables, wheat), and how to read labels for "hidden ingredients"
derived from corn, soy or canola (hint: look for high fructose corn syrup,
soy lecithin and canola oil).
A passport-size version of the guide, small enough to slide into most
pockets or purses, comes along with the book.
"I wanted to give people a usable tool to avoid these foods so they
don't feel so helpless," says Kimbrell.
The book isn't intended to present the pros and cons of GE foods. Kimbrell
is 100 percent against the technology and spends a lot of time in court
fighting companies like Monsanto, to keep GE crops from spreading. The
Center for Food Safety also opposes irradiation and food animal cloning,
and has labored to keep industry from weakening federal organic standards.
In fact, Kimbrell is the man who calls the administration's efforts to
ensure food safety "Katrina on a plate."
But anyone who has questions about genetically engineered foods, or is
confused about the issue, might want to take a look at this book. Kimbrell
and his staff lay out the complexities of the case against GE foods in
bite-size pieces that manage to be thoroughly researched (220 footnotes!)
and easily digestible.
Concerns about human health issues like allergens, toxins and dangerous
proteins potentially created as side effects of genetic engineering are
aired, as well as the environmental threats.
There are profiles of key players, lists of major food manufacturers and
their friendliness to GE foods, and a two-page chart worthy of "The
L Word" that draws the many links between top U.S. food regulators
and Monsanto and other GE food developers.
As Kimbrell tells me, nobody, not the Food and Drug Administration, which
regulates food, nor the GE food companies, has ever declared GE foods
to be safe.
"They say they're not proven to be unsafe, and as an attorney I appreciate
that turn of phrase," Kimbrell says.
While more than half of all the corn, cotton, soy and canola grown in
the United States is now genetically modified, most of it so that it can
be sprayed with herbicides, Kimbrell says much of the food supply is GE-free.
"You can get through most of your shopping without buying GE foods
and this could be at a supermarket," he says. "It's much better
news than you think."
Push for labeling
And he added, a lot of the food that does contain GE ingredients is junk
food, or full of high fructose corn syrup.
"You should be avoiding these foods anyway," he says.
The Center for Food Safety continues to push for the labeling of GE foods,
both to help onsumers who want to avoid them and also for another reason.
A lack of labels makes it difficult to track an increase in allergic reactions
or some other pattern of health problems to a genetically engineered ingredient
or food, Kimbrell says.
"If you don't have a government agency looking for patterns,"
he asks, how will the safety of GE foods ever be determined?
Other countries do require labels and are conducting these kinds of studies.
In the meantime, conscious consumers now have a guide.
NEW RESULTS
SHOW ALCOHOL-FREE ANTIBACTERIAL LOTION KNOCKS OUT STAPH, MRSA, SHIGELLA,
C.DIFICILE AND MORE
Friday, September 14, 2007
Source of Article: http://healthcare.dbusinessnews.com/
Houston -
Invisible Armor released summary
results of new studies of its alcohol-free skin sanitizer and protector
conducted by Dr. James Oliver, microbiologist at the University of North
Carolina Charlotte. The independent test results indicate that The Invisible
Armor formulation is effective against /Staphylococcus aureus
/(Staph), /S. aureus /MRSA, /Clostridium difficile/ and /Shigella flexneri,
/among numerous other harmful germs and bacteria.
¡°This represents a tremendous
breakthrough in reducing cross-contamination and helping to prevent the
spread of dangerous infections caused by Staph, MRSA, C. Dificile, Shigella
and more,¡± says company founder and President Tammy Powell. ¡°The statistics
speak for
themselves?each of these poses a serious threat to public health. The
World Health Organization says that Shigellosis is endemic throughout
the world infecting millions each year. We see it cropping up mostly in
day care settings in the U.S. but more than 1 million people worldwide
die annually as a result of Shigella infections. And almost every day
I
read about outbreaks of Staph or MRSA infections in hospitals, schools,
correctional facilities, gyms and more. The Invisible Armor is not only
effective against these and other germs and bacteria, but unlike other
products, it protects against recontamination for up to (4) hours, even
with repeated hand washings. While alcohol-based products kill germs and
bacteria?when the alcohol evaporates in 15-30 seconds, the protection
is gone and once the skin encounters another germ-covered surface it¡¯s
contaminated again. In contrast, upon application The Invisible Armor
forms an invisible, non-sticky, non-greasy layer on the skin that
continues to kill germs and bacteria for up to (4) hours, making it extremely
effective in terms of infection control and reducing cross-contamination,¡±
she adds.
The Invisible Armor Inc. is
privately-held and manufactures a full line of innovative healthcare products.
Its alcohol-free antibacterial formulation contains 0.5% Triclosan combined
with 1.5% EDTA. The company¡¯s products are sold through commercial distributors
and retail
stores nationwide. Visit the company¡¯s website at http://www.theinvisiblearmor.net
.
Oxoid Show
New Products for the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory at IBMS 2007
source from : rapidmicrobiology.com
Oxoid will be showing its new product range for the accurate determination
of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values at the Institute of Biomedical
Science (IBMS) Congress (24-26 September 2007, Birmingham, UK). Oxoid
M.I.C.Evaluators¢â (M.I.C.E.) combine the simplicity and ease of use of
the diffusion method with the accuracy of an MIC test, to provide important
information for the treatment of patients.
Oxoid M.I.C.E.¢â provide a gradient of stabilised antimicrobial, covering
15 doubling dilutions, in a convenient polymer strip format. When applied
to a pre-inoculated agar plate, the antimicrobial is released from the
M.I.C.E. strip, forming a defined concentration gradient in the surrounding
agar. After incubation, the MIC value is easily read as the value within
the box where the growth of the organism touches the M.I.C.E. strip.
As the winter season approaches, rapid tests for Influenza and Norovirus will also be on display. The IDEIA¢â Norovirus test allows Norovirus to be detected in stool samples within just 2 hours, allowing outbreaks to be identified quickly. The Remel Xpect¢ç Flu A & B rapid lateral flow test provides results in only 15 minutes and is useful in rapidly identifying infection in those who are particularly vulnerable, such as the elderly and the immuno-compromised.
The Oxoid Brilliance Range of chromogenic media and the Xpect and ProSpecT¢ç tests for Clostridium difficile will also be on show.
For further information about any of these products please contact your local Oxoid representative or visit the Oxoid website, link is at the top of this page.
New BAX
System Assay for Detection of Staphylococcus aureus
source from : rapidmicrobiology.com
Oxoid, marketing partner for the DuPont Qualicon BAX¢ç System Q7 automated
food pathogen detection system, has launched the BAX System real-time
PCR assay for the detection of Staphylococcus aureus in raw minced (ground)
beef and powdered infant formula.
S. aureus are often found on
human skin, in nasal passages and in the environment. Some strains of
S. aureus produce toxins that can cause illness when ingested through
contaminated food, such as meat and dairy products. Whilst certain levels
of the bacterium can be tolerated in some foods, most infant formulations
including those of dairy origin should not contain any S. aureus.
Traditional methods to test for S. aureus in food require 2 - 6 days for
cultural growth and manual enumeration. The BAX System real-time PCR assay
for the detection of Staphylococcus aureus dramatically reduces testing
times, providing food companies with next-day presence/absence results.
The BAX System Q7 allows molecular technology to be incorporated easily into routine testing of food, both raw ingredients and finished products. The system¡¯s tabletted PCR reagents, automated PCR thermo-cycling process and easy-to-use software all provide increased confidence for laboratory staff and ultimately for food companies and consumers. In addition to the new S. aureus assay, the BAX System can test for Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Listeria spp., E. coli O157:H7, Enterobacter sakazakii, Campylobacter species, and Yeasts and Moulds.
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