Food Poison Journal - Food poisoning outbreaks and litigation: surveillance and analysis

Twenty (or more) years ago, when I was reading the UMass paper, the Collegian, on a daily basis, I wasn't looking for articles on Salmonella.  The paper, however, recently reported on Professor Lynne McLandsborough's investigation of how and why Salmonella tainted tomatoes might reach the marketplace.

The study follows an outbreak three years ago that was originally pinned on tomatoes, before health agencies fingered jalapeno peppers as the source.   The 2008 outbreak of Salmonella St. Paul infections sickened at least 1,400 people.   

McLandsborough explained that a key component of the study was trying to replicate the conditions between the farm and the table:

“I started thinking about it and, you know, produce, you can take a piece of lettuce and smash it down and it breaks, it becomes a very different environment. So we have come up with a system that’s going to be kind of non-invasive,” said McLandsborough.

The system, now a prototype, is a chute design, “like a slide,” said McLandsborough. The professor and her team of researchers plan to contaminate the surface of the slide with Salmonella and roll the tomatoes over it to see if the contraption helps tomatoes to resist contamination. They will also be testing different plastics, such as those used for harvest bins and gloves, to find out which surfaces Salmonella thrives on and which levels of abrasion make tomatoes most vulnerable to Salmonella.

Good to see a fellow Minuteman (Minutewoman?) working for food safety.

After an outbreak that sickened dozens with E. coli O157:H7 in 5 states (38 confirmed positives in AZ, CA, CO, NM, and NV), the FDA's findings during its investigation at Bravo Farms have caused the agency to seize Bravo Farms cheese.  According to PJ Huffstutter at the LA Times, "U.S. marshals and Food and Drug Administration agents arrived at Tulare County cheese maker Bravo Farms [yesterday] and seized the Gouda, along with piles of Edam and blocks of white cheddar. All told, investigators have locked up more than 80,000 pounds of cheese. Prosecutors say it is all headed for the garbage disposal."

The reasons why: 

1. 1. Plant buildings and structures are not of suitable size, construction, and design to facilitate maintenance and sanitary operations for food-manufacturing purposes. Employees must travel from the in-process area directly through the finished product areas without sufficient controls to prevent cross-contamination, and uncovered in-process materials are transported outside of the building, exposed to the open environment.
2. Adequate measures under the conditions of manufacturing and handling are not being taken to destroy or prevent the growth of undesirable microorganisms particularly those of public health significance, to prevent the food from being adulterated within the meaning of the Act. The firm lacks the controls necessary to assure that cheese manufactured from raw (unpasteurized) milk is aged for the minimum requirement of 60 days.
3. Equipment containers and utensils used to convey, hold, or store raw materials, work-in-progress, rework, or food, are not handled and maintained during manufacturing or storage in a manner that protects against contamination. The firm utilizes the same equipment for young (unaged) cheese and aged cheese, without assuring proper cleaning and sanitization to prevent cross contamination.
4. Effective measures are not being taken to exclude pests from the processing areas and to protect against the contamination of food on the premises by pests. At least fifty (50) flies were observed in the processing areas of the firm, a rabbit was seen leaving the room in which packaging material for finished is stored, and gaps were observed around doors leading into the processing area.
5. The facility is not constructed in such a manner that drip or condensate does not contaminate food, food-contact surfaces, or food-packaging materials. Condensate was observed directly over an uncovered vat of in-process cheese.
6. Employees are not washing hands thoroughly and sanitizing if necessary to protect against contamination with undesirable microorganisms in an adequate hand-washing facility before starting work, after each absence from the work station, and at any other time when the hands may have become soiled or contaminated. An employee was observed dipping his hands in the utensil sanitizing bath and the proceeding to mix in-process cheese with his bare hands, and an employee scratched his chin under his beard cover and then mixed the milled cheese with his bare hands without washing or sanitizing his hands.

Additionally, 15 of 24 cheese samples collected tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, a pathogenic organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in children and the elderly.  The samples came from four different types of Bravo Farms cheese, including Cheddar, Edam, Gouda, and Jack.  And one sample, a cheddar cheese, tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. 
As a result of the multiple positive samples for pathogenic bacteria representing approximately four (4) months of production, on November 22, 2010, CDFA imposed a quarantine on all types, varieties and flavors of cheese manufactured, handled, or packaged by Bravo Farms, LLC and ordered a recall of all cheese distributed by Bravo Farms, LLC.

Following similar measures in Wisconsin, Oregon, Texas, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, and recently considered but rejected by Wyoming and California, Minnesota may be the next state to consider either legalizing the sale of raw milk, or making it even easier than it already is to purchase the product under state law.  Three Republican state senators have proposed new legislation that would legalize direct farm-to consumer sales of raw milk.  Current laws prevent it everywhere in the state except on the farm where it was produced. 

CDC just spoke up about the risks associated with raw milk. 

For a couple of reasons, including good investigative work to detect outbreaks and enforce existing laws, Minnesota is at the eipicenter of the debate, even if unintentionally.  It is also the home state of Mik Hartmann, whose raw dairy products have been implicated in outbreaks that sickened at least 15 people in the state, and who has been at the heart of a major legal battle--one that he lost--ever since. 

I hope Minnesotans don't get too comfortable just because they live in one of the states where outbreaks go to die. 

The results of a new study are being reported today, showing an alarming rate of bacterial contamination on the outside of raw chicken packaging.   The study, performed on twenty packages of raw chicken in the UK, found that  "eight had food poisoning bacteria on their wrapping while seven chickens were contaminated inside the packet."

In the past raw chicken has been associated with he presence of Salmonella and Campylobacter. While this study encompassed only a small sample size, it drives home again the importance of proper food-handling technique, and the risk of cross-contamination.   

Quoted in the Telegraph (UK), an industry spokesperson, Andrew Opie of the British Retail Consortium, had a typically deflective response, "Chicken is perfectly safe if the common sense rules that apply to all raw meat are followed."   

Certainly no arguing with Mr. Opie that consumers (and food industry personnel) should use common sense in handling raw poultry.  Is it common knowledge though, that the exterior of packages of raw chicken are contaminated at such a high rate?  If in fact the results of this study are typical, what are those packaging raw poultry going to do to change it?  What are they going to do to educate the consumer?

Here's a warning I'll bet we won't see:  "The package you are holding in your hand right now is likely to be covered in food-poisoning causing bacteria."

Food Safety and Raw Milk.  The CDC broke down the website into easy to read and understand sections:

Raw Milk Questions and Answers

Trying to Decide about Raw Milk?

I thought the most powerful part was the videos of Real Stories of the Dangers of Raw Milk.

Mary McGonigle-Martin, from California, is the kind of mom who does her homework. Searching for a healthier way to provide dairy for her 7-year-old son, she considered raw milk. In this video, Mary describes what happened after her son drank contaminated raw milk.  (Organic Pastures E. coli Outbreak Report)

Kalee Prue is a health-conscious, single mom from Connecticut, who enjoyed being active. Kalee had trouble digesting lactose and read that drinking raw milk would help her digest dairy better. A few days after finishing the milk, Kalee began to get sick. In this video, Kalee tells her story.  (Whole Foods E. coli Outbreak Report)

Julie Riggs and her family live in a small town in Missouri. Her husband and daughter couldn’t tolerate cow’s milk, so the family decided to try raw goat’s milk from a local farmer. In this video, Julie describes what happened to her daughter and husband.  (Herb Depot E. coli Outbreak Report)

I am proud of each one of my clients.  Click on the links above to learn more about the clients and the specific about the outbreaks.  More information on Raw Milk can be found at Real Raw Milk Facts.