Food Irradiation Update is published by the Minnesota Beef Council

Quotable Quotes:
"There is something fascinating about science.  One gets such wholesale returns of conjecture out of such a trifling investment of fact." 
-- Mark Twain

" Human illnesses potentially related to frozen reptile feed have been reported in 17 states. The recalled product should not be fed to animals, even after heating in a microwave oven, since the heating may not be adequate to kill salmonella. The recall is based upon sampling by the FDA of frozen mice. The company continues its investigation, according to the FDA. Products shipped after July 24 are being irradiated in a similar manner as raw food for human consumption in order to address the salmonella issue, according to the FDA."
Northeast Georgia Top Stories.

"An excellent piece authored by Dennis G. Maki, MD. discussing food safety and seeking lessons learned in recent national Salmonella outbreaks was recently brought to my attention.  Dr. Maki's piece from the March 2009 New England Journal of Medicine looked back over two outbreaks in particular, the 2008 Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak linked to peppers, and the 2009 Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak in PCA peanut butter products. Dr. Maki pointed to an important lesson from the Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak- the importance to both consumers and industry alike of good traceability: Read more here.....

In This Update:
US awaits arrival of irradiated mangoes from Pakistan
Should we allow irradiated meat in schools?
Irradiation technology increases Chinese crop yields
Taco Bell linked to nationwide Salmonella outbreak
Taco Bell Salmonella lawsuit to be filed
Calfornia firm recalls ground beef due to possible E. Coli contamination
Reptile food products recalled for Salmonella contamination
Manipulating Mankind
Emerging E. coli strain causes many antimicrobial-resistant infections in US

Important Food Safety Links:

Kansas State University

Marler Blog

Food Irradiation Processing Alliance (FIPA)

TORONTO, July 28 (UPI) -- U.S. mango enthusiasts said they are closely watching the progress of the government's announced plans to bring coveted Pakistani mangoes to the country.

Mangoes from Pakistan, most prominently the lauded chaunsa and anwar ratol varieties, have long been banned in the United States because of U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations regarding pest management at the orchard and postharvest level, but Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said last week during a visit to Islamabad, Pakistan, that the country's mangoes could hit U.S. retailers by the winter. Read more here....

Should we allow irradiated meat in schools? By Whit Gibbons, Columnist:
AIKEN, SC: As the academic year begins anew, the topic of whether school cafeterias should serve irradiated foods will once again be debated in various circles.

Like the perennial discussion of whether the scientific facts of evolution should be taught in schools and whether sports programs should get more funding than the arts, the debate about irradiated foods is a recurring one. The question is twofold: is irradiated meat safe to eat and should it be served in schools? The answer is simple: yes. Read more here.....

BEIJING: China is conducting experiments to apply nuclear technology to improve the yield of agricultural produce encouraging farmers to cultivate various varieties of irradiated seeds, which involves exposing them to low doses of gamma rays. Some of the Chinese farmers have sown the seeds irradiated by Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences (HAAS) and are monitoring the growth of the crop. Read more here....

Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, and Wisconsin Lead the Illness Count:
SEATTLE: An Ohio victim of the Salmonella outbreaks linked to Taco Bell will file a food poisoning lawsuit in the Court of Common Pleas of Scioto County, Ohio today. The lawsuit will be filed against the food chain parent company Yum! Brands on behalf of a Scioto county resident by the food safety law firm Marler Clark and by Fred Wendel of the Columbus firm Stewart & DeChant. Read more here....

WASHINGTON: Valley Meat Company, a Modesto, Calif. establishment, is recalling approximately one million pounds of frozen ground beef patties and bulk ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced August 6.

FSIS became aware of the problem on July 15 when the agency was notified by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) of a small E. coli O157:H7 cluster of illnesses with a rare strain as determined by PFGE subtyping. A total of six patients with illness onset dates between April 8 and June 18, 2010 were reported at that time. After further review, CDPH added another patient from February to the case count, bringing the count to seven. FSIS is continuing to work with the CDPH and the company on the investigation. Read more here....

Reptile food products recalled for Salmonella; Northeast Georgian.com; (August 17, 2010):

CORNELIA, GEORGIA, USA: A salmonella contamination outbreak has affected a Cleveland-based company. Mice Direct, formerly of Habersham County, is recalling frozen reptile feed, which includes mice, rats and chicks, because of potential salmonella contamination, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The recall was announced July 26.

"Salmonella can affect animals and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products," the press release states. "People handling contaminated pet food can become infected with salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the product or any surfaces exposed to these products."

Human illnesses potentially related to the frozen reptile feed have been reported in 17 states. The recalled product should not be fed to animals, even after heating in a microwave oven, since the heating may not be adequate to kill salmonella. The recall is based upon sampling by the FDA of frozen mice. The company continues its investigation, according to the FDA.

Products shipped after July 24 are being irradiated in a similar manner as raw food for human consumption in order to address the salmonella issue, according to the FDA Read more here.......
More on contaminated reptile food...
Salmonella outbreak blamed on reptile food

Manipulating Mankind; Food Safety News; By John Munsell (August 10, 2010):

"There is something fascinating about science.  One gets such wholesale returns of conjecture out of such a trifling investment of fact."  -- Mark Twain

If only Mark Twain were alive today, he would have a field day commenting on what the U.S. Department of Agriculture considers to be "scientific".

Subsequent to the Jack In The Box E. coli outbreak in 1993, USDA desperately and hurriedly implemented the current Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) protocol of deregulated meat inspection. HACCP was originally invented by Pillsbury, focused on the production of consistently safe food for NASA and the Army. Pillsbury's HACCP required "Kill Steps" during food production, meaning that the food had to be subjected to a kill step such as fully cooking or irradiation, effectively killing all pathogens. Pillsbury's HACCP system was truly based in science, and creates safe food.

USDA intentionally changed the Pillsbury protocol, but of course, retained the right to classify its HACCP imposter as allegedly being "science-based". USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) demands that all federally inspected plants implement USDA-style HACCP. Thus, FSIS requires that HACCP be used for all raw meat and poultry, which by definition does not utilize kill steps, but still qualifies for USDA-style HACCP. Read more here......
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2010/08/manipulating-mankind/

Emerging E. coli strain causes many antimicrobial-resistant infections in US; Infectious Diseases Society of America; John Heys:

WASHINGTON: The new strain, ST131, was a major cause of serious antimicrobial-resistant E. coli infections in the United States in 2007, researchers found. This strain has been reported in multiple countries and encountered all over the United States. In the study, researchers analyzed resistant E. coli isolates collected during 2007 from hospitalized patients across the country. They identified 54 ST131 isolates, which accounted for 67 percent to 69 percent of E. coli isolates exhibiting fluoroquinolone or extended-spectrum cephalosporin resistance.
"If we could discover the sources of this strain, the transmission pathways that allow it to spread so effectively, and the factors that have led to its rapid emergence, we could find ways to intervene and possibly slow or halt this strain's emergence," said study author James Johnson, MD, of the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis.

In the past, highly virulent E. coli strains usually have been susceptible to antibiotics, while highly resistant strains have been fairly weak in terms of their ability to cause disease. The susceptible strains were easily treated even though they caused serious infections, while the resistant ones tended mostly to affect only weakened or vulnerable individuals. Now, the study's findings suggest, the ST131 strain has appeared with a high level of virulence and antimicrobial resistance.
"If this strain gains one additional resistance gene," Dr. Johnson added, "it will become almost untreatable and will be a true superbug, which is a very concerning scenario."
Read more here....
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-07/idso-eec073010.php