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teewong 8:57 pm on December 4, 2015 Permalink | Reply
Tags: antibiotic-resistant ( 3 ), North America, raw meat, Superbugs

“MEAT” Superbugs
Antibiotics controversies

In North America, about 23,000 deaths are reported every year due to superbug infections (antibiotic resistant infections). Antibiotics are given as drugs to treat bacterial infections. When the bacteria become resistant to three or more types of antibiotics, they lead to the rise of superbugs (Consumer Reports, 2015). Many factors can contribute to the cause of these antibiotic resistant superbug infections, one of which is the abuse of antibiotics in animal farm practices. Consumer Reports did a 3-year investigation on raw meat products revealing superbugs present in four major types of raw meat: turkey, chicken, beef, and shrimp. Samples taken in for testing showed superbugs present in: 84% of turkey samples, 57% of chicken samples, and 14% for both beef and shrimp samples (Consumer Reports, 2015). There may be a big gap between certain meat types, but this study was done over three years, and the sample size ranged from 168 to 304. As it is shown above, the presence of superbugs in raw products indirectly proves the overuse of antibiotics in animal farm, which leads to the death of superbug infected patients.

On the other hand, according to the Consumer Reports, the meat and poultry industries claim that drugs (antibiotics) were not widely overused and the use of drugs are important to ensure animal’s health, welfare and food safety to a certain extent. However, the science behind it suggests otherwise.

How does antibiotic resistant occur?

DNA mutations often occur naturally in bacteria, but when a gene that is responsible for the bacterium’s survival is mutated, antibiotic resistance may appear. Antibiotic resistance happens when a pathogen manages to escape from being killed by antibiotics and therefore, is able replicate in numbers. However, it does not need a daily routine of antibiotic applications to encourage superbugs to flourish as there is also another mechanism in promoting the multiplication. Gene transfer is a common mechanism that happens as a DNA of an organism is passed onto another organism that is nearby; consequently, infecting neighboring organisms.

image: http://www.bbc.com/news/health-34857015

Will it cause extreme harm?

No, as long as you cook the meat to the appropriate temperature, harmful pathogens should not be able to survive and infect us. However, if we do get superbug infections from eating meat that were not cooked properly, it would become a life-threatening situation since superbugs are resistant to all known antibiotics. If there are people who are very concerned with superbugs in the meat, switching to meat products that are labeled “Organic” or “No Antibiotics” will minimize the chances of superbug exposures.

References:

Main article for this blog: British Columbia,. (2015). Superbugs found in a lot of meat, chicken and fish. Retrieved 5 December 2015, from http://bc.ctvnews.ca/superbugs-found-in-a-lot-of-meat-chicken-and-fish-1.2663299

Consumerreports.org,. (2015). Making The World Safe From Superbugs – Consumer Reports. Retrieved 5 December 2015, from http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/health/making-the-world-safe-from-superbugs/index.htm?utm_source=hootsuite

mustafa akhtar, WinnieLiao, Susanna Ko, and 2 others are discussing. Toggle Comments
- Michelle Ebtia 9:55 pm on December 5, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  I was not surprised to learn that the use of antibiotics in animal farming contributes to the prevalence of antibiotic resistance. To avoid contracting infections cause by such pathogens I always choose to buy meat from organically raised animals. However, I did a quick research in the present literature and surprisingly came across several articles that report the presence of antibiotic resistant pathogens in organic meat, with levels similar to those of conventionally raised animals (LeJeune & Christie 2004; Luangtongkum et al. 2006; Millman et al. 2013). This could be due to cross-contamination post-slaughter or due to the fact that “organic chicks can receive antibiotics via in ovo injections and during the first day of life” (Millman et al. 2013)!!
  
  Works Cited:
  LeJeune, J. T., & Christie, N. P. (2004). Microbiological Quality of Ground Beef from Conventionally-Reared Cattle and”Raised without Antibiotics”Label Claims. Journal of Food Protection®, 67(7), 1433-1437.
  
  Luangtongkum, T., Morishita, T. Y., Ison, A. J., Huang, S., McDermott, P. F., & Zhang, Q. (2006). Effect of conventional and organic production practices on the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter spp. in poultry. Applied and environmental microbiology, 72(5), 3600-3607.
  
  Millman, J. M., Waits, K., Grande, H., Marks, A. R., Marks, J. C., Price, L. B., & Hungate, B. A. (2013). Prevalence of antibiotic-resistant E. coli in retail chicken: comparing conventional, organic, kosher, and raised without antibiotics. F1000Research, 2.
- shinnie 4:15 pm on December 10, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hello! I have actually read an article on New York Times that a lot of newborns in India have been dying as a result of superbugs infections. This is largely due to an uncontrolled usage of antibiotics that lead to the massive growth of multi-drug resistance bacteria. The lack of sanitation and hygiene forced health agencies to look into increased use of antibiotics. As we have learned in class, babies/young children are the most susceptible to diseases because they have not yet acquired a strong immune systems or micro-flora that helps them combat other pathogenic bacteria. It is even more frightening to note that the routes of transmission… are everywhere! This includes the water, sewage, animals, soil and even humans may b e carriers of these superbugs.
- Susanna Ko 4:58 pm on December 13, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  I guess since antibiotic residue testing is not part of regulations in India, or is not highly regulated, that this is able to happen. It’s dangerous to have antibiotic residue because the effects of the metabolism/degradation of these residues in human bodies is also unknown. As we’ve learned in class, it could lead to health issues as well as the development of antimicrobial-resistant strains of microorganisms. Why do they suggest that cooking will help? Is it because cooking will denature these antibiotic compounds? What if they become carcinogenic or mutagenic from heating?
  - Susanna Ko 5:05 pm on December 13, 2015 Permalink | Reply
    
    Sorry India is in response to Shinnie’s post. And I mean that the antibiotic residue testing may not be part of the routine testing in North America.
- WinnieLiao 8:11 pm on December 14, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Wow! Thanks Shinnie and Susanna for the discussion! In my opinion sanitary and hygiene controls are especially important for us as consumers when handling food. Public education on prevention of superbugs may be helpful in reducing the infected population; in fact, knowing about this may assist mothers to become more aware of the disease. Additionally, how animals are raised and in what environment they are raised in may also contribute to the safety of our daily diets. I had a couple of questions in mind after reading the article: I wonder why turkey would be on the top of the list? How does shrimp acquire the superbugs? Can fish be potentially contaminated as well?
- mustafa akhtar 12:09 am on December 19, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  As a vegetarian, I am once again appalled by this. I find this especially concerning as such meat products could potentially harness growth of stronger and potentially much more dangerous pathogens in the farm environment. It seems like as of now, the only regulations in North America for drug resistance genes are visual quality checks that only scrape the surface, and there is room for more research in this area.
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Mandy Tam 6:29 pm on December 1, 2015 Permalink | Reply
Tags: Deli Meats ( 3 ), food safety ( 19 ), Meat safety ( 3 ), North America, pets
(Meat) Pet Food Safety is As Important As Human Food Safety

Surprise! Human is not the only species on earth that consume meat. Cats and dogs we have at home consume meats as well. As raising pets in the family become more and more popular, pet food becomes a high demand in the market. Industrialization comes along and a lot of companies try to lower their price by using many different methods.

Chemical Structure of Melamine Cyanurate

One of the method was to lowering the protein content by substituting meat with wheat gluten. Wheat gluten itself does not cause any harm to animals, however, the additional of melamine and cyanuric acid does. Melamine contains 66% nitrogen and it is used for plastic production (Suchy et al., 2009). Cyanuric acid is a bleaching agent and it contains non-protein nitrogen like melamine (Suchy et al., 2009). The combination of melamine and cyanuric acid forms melamine cyanurate and it is an insoluble compound that can block renal function (Suchy et al., 2009). Eventually, it causes renal failure in animals and eventually death (Suchy et al., 2009).

At late 2006 and early 2007, gluten suppliers in China decided to add melamine and cyanuric acid into the wheat gluten to higher the nitrogen value (FDA, 2009). Most protein analyses were based on amount of nitrogen in sample so a higher nitrogen value could trick buyers by claiming a high protein value for their product (FDA, 2009). Buyers would not know that they were buying wheat gluten with non-protein nitrogen chemicals like melamine and cyanuric if the chemicals were not listed out. Pet food companies purchased the wheat gluten and added into their pet food products without knowing the danger of it (FDA, 2009).

“cut and gravy” style pet food

In many affected brands, Menu Foods Limited had the highest impact. Menu Foods Limited was a company based in Canada and it sold pet foods across Canada and United State (Smith, 2007). The company “cut and gravy” style pet food was first reported to cause renal failure and death (FDA, 2009). It was also the first company began to recall and had the largest recall in comparison with other companies (Smith, 2007).
Although there were 8500 animal deaths reported to FDA in related to this incident, there were no specific number of affected animals according to FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) because of lack of surveillance network (FDA, 2009; Heavey, 2007).

After the incident, FDA developed a network called Pet Event Tracking Network (PETNet) to improve surveillance (Dangin et al., 2015). The database allows FDA and state agencies to share information about potential outbreaks and pet-food related incidents instantaneously (Dangin et al., 2015). The system was finally finalized at 2011 (Dangin et al., 2015). You might think surveillance would improve after this tragedy, however, nothing has really changed.

Jerky Dog Treat That Required to Be Recall at 2015

In September 2015, a jerky dog treat has reportedly contaminated with amantadine and required to be recall (FDA, 2015a) . Amantadine is an antiviral drug to treat Parkinson’s disease (FDA, 2015b). Certain farms and plants used it to treat avian flu (FDA, 2015b). Although it is allowed to use as a medication for animal in certain countries, it is not approve to be in pet food in the U.S. (FDA, 2015b). This is not the first time that happen in human history. In 2014, there were more than 4800 complaints in regarded of jerky pet treats (Desk, 2014; FDA, 2015b). More than 1000 dogs were reportedly dead because of jerky pet treats from China (Desk, 2014; FDA, 2015b). Although there is no definite correlation with amantadine and the 2014 incident, it is one of the potential cause (Desk, 2014). In term of the source of illness, it is still unknown according to a report given out by FDA in February 2015 (FDA, 2015b). Moreover, complaints in regard of jerky pet treat is still continuing in 2015 (FDA, 2015b).

Dogs and cats cannot choose what they eat. Human have a great responsibility on what they provide to their pets. In 2015, nothing has really improved in term of pet food safety. In the future, we should really make sure that no more poor animals are dead because of our greediness; therefore, we should continue to improve our regulations and surveillance program to protect them.
1. View on the incidents
2. Do you think people are simply over reacting or should there be more regulation?
3. Is globalization good for the food industry or not?
Here is a news report summarizing what happen at 2007:

Here is a news report about jerky pet treat:

Reference:
Dangin, A., Murphy, J., & Melluso, C. (2015, October 5). PETNet: An Information Exchange for Pet Food Related Incidents. Retrieved November 30, 2015, from http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/Products/AnimalFoodFeeds/PetFood/ucm278278.htm

Desk, N. (2014, May 20). FDA Update: 1000+ Dog Deaths Potentially Linked to Chinese Jerky Treats. Food Safety News.
FDA. (2009, October 7). Melamine Pet Food Recall – Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved December 2, 2015, from http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/RecallsWithdrawals/ucm129932.htm

FDA. (2015a, September 23). Enforcement Report – Week of September 23, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2015, from http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/enforcement/enforce_rpt-Product-Tabs.cfm?action=select&recall_number=V-261-2015&w=09232015&lang=eng

FDA. (2015b, February 19). FDA Issues Update on Jerky Pet Treat Investigation. Retrieved December 2, 2015, from http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/CVMUpdates/ucm434865.htm
Heavey, S. (2007, May 4). U.S. petfood recall widens on cross-contamination. Thomson Reuters.
Smith, J. (2007, March 16). Huge pet food recall launched. Toronto Star.
Suchý P, Straková E, Herzig I, Staňa J, Kalusová R, Pospíchalová M. Toxicological risk of melamine and cyanuric acid in food and feed.Interdisciplinary Toxicology. 2009;2(2):55-59. doi:10.2478/v10102-009-0010-6
MichelleLui, Ya Gao, DeniseZhang, and 9 others are discussing. Toggle Comments
- Winston Liang 7:56 pm on December 1, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  I remember a couple years ago, the government is taking my initiatives on ensuring consumers are more aware on whats coming into the country – including proper labeling. Do you think enough is being done? What opinions do you have to the government or consumers to ensure more transparency of what is going into our pets mouths?
- Jasmine Lee 11:14 pm on December 1, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  It is terrible to hear that a few pet food manufacturers are only concerned about lowering costs and maximizing profits. They are not considering any repercussions that may result from substitution with ingredients of lower value, even if the product is intended for pet consumption. Additionally, this matter may be worrisome for some members of the human community. I have read that a few individuals consume pet food as part of their diet for the purpose of losing weight or to gain nutrition due to the unaffordability of what is generally accepted as “human food”. These vulnerable individuals will be unknowingly exposed to these harmful substances as they are solely relying on the package labels. I agree that there is an urgent need for better regulations and surveillance programs of pet food quality.
- elaine chan 1:03 am on December 2, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  A nice take on this food blog by talking about animals as victims from consuming food products! I agree with Jasmine’s comment above, it’s certainly disheartening to hear that there are companies out there, that are willing trading their soul for some extra money. The purchasers of this gluten product, and the customers of the pet food products are definitely innocent victims. More specifically, the purchasers ordered this product thinking that it will supply the stated about of nitrogen, so it can meet the consumers’ requirements and produce a nutritious product. And on the customer’s end, they purchased the pet food hoping that it would provide the nutritional value required by their pets. In a situation like this, it’s definitely hard for customers to determine what’s best for their pets because they can only know so much about a product by reading the label. However, on the purchaser’s end, hopefully they can implement more strict raw material testing procedures to help ensure that their final products are safe for consumption by pets.
- Jenny T 9:36 am on December 2, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Very informative piece Mandy! This topic on pet food and safety is rarely talked about but is equally important for pet owners to know. This reminded me of the baby formula incident a while back, but pet versoon. Both the pet owners and pets are the victims here because as much as we all want to choose the best product, we place our trust in the FDA and the manufacturers to do their jobs right and ethically. What is worse is that pets won’t be able to tell us what is wrong until it might be too late and they are so reliant on us. I hope the PETNet proves to be effective and FDA does more thorough testing in preventing further incidents like this. Thanks for making us more aware of this issue with this post!
- ColleenChong 12:51 pm on December 2, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Thank you for sharing this information. I also remember the incident in china where melamine was added in to baby milk formulas, which caused many health problems to infants. Similar to this incident the compound was added in to the formula to increase the protein content to add value to the product. I agree with Jenny how pet food safety is not considered as important in public. Before reading this blog post I was no aware that this also happens in the pet food industry. I think government regulatory organizations needs to be more proactive in pet food inspection to prevent any alternation of foods that is deemed unsafe to the consumers.
- dgozali 6:29 pm on December 2, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Its so sad to hear that pet food safety is not a topic that has been widely discussed or treated as seriously as human food safety. As i have pets myself, I can really identify with this issue as I would try to look up the nutritional content on pet food packages to make sure that the food is healthy for my own pets. I definitely think that it is worth it to create more regulations in order to prevent pet food manufacturers from adding dangerous ingredients. Especially since there are so many pet owners out there and lots of people who support animal welfare causes, they would greatly support the implementation of more regulations to ensure pet/animal safety.
- Silvia Low 4:07 pm on December 3, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  I had a close encounter with contaminated pet food products before! My sister had purchased a bag of treats for our dog in the past (which he loved) and when he finished it, she asked me to go buy another bag of it. So i went to the store and looked all over for it but couldn’t find it. I asked the sales associate and they said they didn’t sell the brand but that was strange because my sister had bought it from the same store. What i did next is what everyone does… i googled it. And i found out that there was a massive recall on the product just a couple months back because the product was contaminated in the factories they originated from in China. So my dog may have consumed the same contaminated products without us even knowing! But he turned out okay so I’m happy. 🙂
- cheryl lau 3:12 pm on December 4, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Great article! As a cat owner, the content of this article is very disconcerting. I agree that it is up to us pet owners to determine if the food is safe for our pets to consume. However, I also think it is important for pet food producers to do their own testing on their raw materials as well. After this incident, I assume that the pet food company has reassessed their procedures on approving suppliers. Although it is quite common in the food industry to choose cheaper raw materials and sacrifice the quality, the consequences can sometimes be very severe, as shown in this article. The protein supplier may have wanted to lower the costs as profit margins are quite low for raw material suppliers, but there are other less harmful ways to do so.
- AngeliMalimban 9:28 pm on December 14, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  This definitely hits close to home since I have my little dog at home, who just loves to eat everything and anything. I think a lot of companies and people do not realize that what is bad for us is [most likely] bad for dogs, and that there are so many things that we consume that are not good for them either! There definitely should be more regulation for pet food… it really does surprise me that they are only doing something about it now and it was only recently finalized. It sickens me that the companies would add more nitrogen to trick the people into getting more protein… just because it has a higher nitrogen content does not mean the proteins are complete or good for the dog (or even just protein in general). I hope pet owners are smarter than that to believe those tricks. I definitely should check out the ingredients on the label, especially since my dog is becoming old.
- DeniseZhang 7:08 pm on December 15, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  I was quite surprised by these contaminated pet foods cases. I haven’t heard of any related cases before. I do believe we need to pay the same amount of attention on these pets foods, as we live with our pets and there might be a chance that these contaminated pet foods can affect human beings as well. After reading above comments, as an animal lover, I can’t believe this issue was that close to us. I hope officials can work on improving surveillance on pet foods and even farm animal feeds in the future.
- Ya Gao 11:19 pm on December 15, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  This is a tragedy to see. I personally have two dogs accompanying me. When I tried to buy treats for them from Amazon, I saw those comments about avoiding dog foods from China at all cost. I didn’t look into specific details until now I know. It is such a pain to see people putting someone else’s pets on danger for money. Because for us, as pet owners, they are part of the family. What I saw in the article above is not just number, I saw heart broken families who lost their beloved family members. This is not one of food borne outbreaks that are sometimes unpredictable. This is an intentional crime!!! The company that added chemicals to pet foods that are known to cause harm on animals should pay for this.
- MichelleLui 10:35 pm on December 17, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  I agree there are much improvement needed in regulating the pet food. Many pet owners now read the nutrition label for wholesome ingredients or choose reputable brand. Some even cook for their pets. Consumers will have to voice out their concern when it comes to the food safety of pet food. Pet food industry will need to work on controlling the quality and food safety of the ingredients. They need to come from an approved source (e.g. federally registered meat establishment) with certificate of analysis (e.g. heavy metals, pathogens).
Jasmine Lee 1:00 am on November 25, 2015 Permalink | Reply
Tags: Canada ( 3 ), food safety ( 19 ), North America, produce ( 7 ), Recalls ( 3 )

Product Recall due to Undeclared Allergens
Mustard, sesame, soy and wheat not declared on label. (CFIA, 2015)

Early this year on January 19^th, the Canadian Federal Inspection Agency (CFIA) issued a notice to recall Mann’s Mediterranean Style snap peas due to not declaring the presence of allergens, specifically mustard, sesame, soy and wheat in the toppings and dressing. The allergens were first identified by the manufacturer and they had immediately halted distribution to their exclusive Walmart and Sobeys retailers across Canada. Fortunately, there had not been any reported hospitalizations or deaths, but individuals with hypersensitivities were advised to dispose or return the product to the retailer. Given that the best before date was January 25^th, remaining products should have reached the end of its shelf life by the end of the week.

Mechanism and Characteristics of Food Allergies

Food allergy is a health concern that should not be overlooked. According to Soller et al.’s cross-sectional study (2012), adverse reactions to one or more allergens were self-reported by 6.67% of Canadians. Unfortunately, these numbers are expected to increase (Hengel, 2007).

Courtesy of Mona Dave (2015) from http://childrensgimd.com/digestive-disorders-in-children/food-allergies-in-children/

Food allergies are classified as a category of hypersensitivity where the immune response recognizes and abnormally believes the offending food or component to be harmful. The mechanism of an allergic response commences when the ingested allergen, which is typically a protein, crosses the intestinal barrier to the bloodstream and is recognized by circulating lymphocytes or white blood cells. These immune cells trigger the release of IgE antibodies that bind to mast cells. Through antibody-receptor interactions, inflammatory mediators, i.e. histamine, will be secreted to the surrounding tissues and result in adverse symptoms involving the skin, gastrointestinal, respiratory and/or cardiovascular systems. Initial exposure to the allergen is usually asymptomatic, but subsequent exposures may result in a quicker and more severe response. This is because some IgE-coated mast cells are already present and bind immediately to the same antigens to release histamine. Allergic symptoms may appear immediately after a few minutes or can be delayed up to 24 hours. They can be mild and localized to one or more body systems, such as nausea and vomiting from the gastrointestinal system. Alternatively, symptoms may progress in severity to affect all body systems, resulting in anaphylaxis or death. (Taylor, 2006)

Fact or Myth: Consuming processed foods reduce the risk of developing allergenic reactions.

Adding to the complexity of allergies, food processing will interfere with the allergenic capacity. IgE antibodies tend to bind well to a particular region on antigens, known as epitopes. These may be linear amino acid chains or 3D conformational structures. The binding affinity of IgE antibodies may be reduced during processing. For instance, high heat denatures the 3D conformation and fermentation cleaves the amino acid sequences. At the same time, allergenic capacity may be promoted as some epitopes are no longer hidden by the protein’s 3D conformation and can bind to IgE. Additional structures and IgE binding sites may be created from protein and peptide modifications during processing. Overall, further studies are necessary to develop a clearer answer for processed foods. (Hengel, 2007).

Prevention Strategies

Given the importance of allergens and potentially life-threatening consequences, CFIA is enforcing mandatory labelling for the top 10 allergens: wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, sulphites, eggs, seafood, mustard, milk and sesame. Food manufacturers also need to take precautionary measures to avoid cross-contamination at the plant and practice proper product labeling. Consumers should periodically review the list of product recalls on the CFIA’s webpage. While there are currently no approved treatments, individuals with severe allergies should follow a strict diet and carry an EpiPen in case of a sudden reaction. Overall, prevention and awareness are pertinent to reducing food allergies.

What are your thoughts on the prevalence of food allergies? Do you think processed foods may be associated with the upward trend of food allergies?

Check out the following references and video (particularly about unpasteurized milk from times 14:40-15:13 and parasitic worms on allergies from times 23:09-25:44).

https://youtu.be/q25mCI_WWKY

References

CFIA. (2015). Food Recall Warning (Allergen) – Mann’s brand Mediterranean Style Snap Pea Sensations recalled due to undeclared mustard, sesame, soy and wheat. Retrieved from http://www.inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/food-recall-warnings/complete-listing/2015-01-19/eng/1421730513089/1421730556698

Health Canada. (2012). Food Allergies and Intolerances. Retrieved from http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/allerg/index-eng.php

Hengel, A. J. (2007). Food allergen detection methods and the challenge to protect food-allergic consumers. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 389(1):111-118.

Soller, L., Ben-Shoshan, M., Harrington, D. W., Fragapane, J., Joseph, L., St. Pierre, Y., Godefroy, S. B., La Vieille, S., Elliott, S. J. & Clarke, A. E. (2012). Overall prevalence of self-reported food allergy in Canada. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 130(4):986:988.

Taylor, S. (2006). The nature of food allergy. In S. J. Koppelman & S. L. Hefle (Eds.), Detecting Allergens in Food (pp.3-20). Boca Raton, FL:Woodhead Publishing Limited, Boca Raton.

CandiceZheng, WinnieLiao, yichen25, and 8 others are discussing. Toggle Comments
- ColleenChong 12:03 pm on November 25, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hi Jasmine, I really like how you were able to incorporate the topic of allergens into to your blog. Allergens are a major source of recalls, specifically undeclared allergens. It is good to see how proactive CFIA is with recall and was done so before anyone in the public was affected. It seems like food allergy seems to be increasing but It might be the fact that there’s better technology to help detect the cause of allergy in individuals. The list of allergens seems to be slowly growing, which may also increase the number of individuals who may have allergens. I think processed foods is associated with an upward trend of food allergies because many companies that process allergens may also use the same equipment to process foods without allergens. The residual allergen may be transferred into the second process. To prevent this properly cleaning and sanitation is essential. But the best solution would be having one process line with allergen containing food and the other one without.
- TamaraRitchie 9:35 am on November 26, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  It is nice to see the CFIA being so quick to get this product off the shelves. I feel with a product such as snap peas, many people would not assume there would be any allergens in the product. As we learned in class and as you explained above allergic reactions can be very severe and lead to death. It is just as important for the CFIA to be on top of allergen recalls as it is for food borne illnesses. Both types of illness can be extremely harmful to the public. Overall I hope in the future we can have more research on what is causing the upswing of allergens. I am very curious as to what is causing it, it may be an increased in processed foods or it may be something we have not even thought of yet. I would not be surprised if the increase of processed foods were in some way contributing to the increase in allergens.
- catherine wong 3:32 am on November 27, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Since allergens can cause such severe illnesses or death as Jasmine mentioned above, it is kind of reassuring to know that CFIA is working hard and efficiently in taking products with undeclared allergens off of store shelves. I actually wonder how they found out about the undeclared allergens. Did the producer test their products for allergens or did they look over their production records for that day and found that they did not clean their equipment between switching from producing a product with allergen to a product without that allergen? I do agree with Colleen that during production, having one process line just for the allergen would be the best to reduce contamination. Even though a designated allergen line would cost money and not all processing plants can afford that which is why the cleaning process is so important for them. With all the undeclared allergen recalls that CFIA always has on their website, I feel that a designated allergen line in plants might be worth it because undeclared allergens is a very serious matter.
- Stephanie Chen 6:57 pm on December 1, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  As the incidence of food allergies seems to be on the rise, particularly in children, it is critical for allergen labelling to be strictly enforced. I feel that a designated allergen line could still have potential cross contamination within a plant. We often see products with labels such as “may contain [allergen]” or “processed in a plant that also uses [allergen].” It may be in the best interest of those with known allergies to avoid these foods altogether (though snap peas may come as a surprise). On another note, it is really interesting that you presented the fact of myth concerning the potential link between processed foods and allergy development. I also wonder what factors could be associated with the increase of allergens, whether genetically, environmentally, or even due to the changes in the foods we eat?
- EmilyLi 2:19 pm on December 2, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  In my opinion this is a very informative post. It is great to know that CFIA is so quick and efficient with the issuing the recall. Allergen in food had been a concern especially for parents with severe allergic children. I think that it’s great that the CFIA is strict on the labeling to ensure consumers health safety. However the factor we may need to bring to attention is the genetically modified foods. Genetically modified food consist of genetic material that wasn’t originally found in the food. This may alter the different protein that a certain food product can contain thus initiating a allergic reaction. I wonder how we could put a standard or have a regulations for this kind of foods.
- flyingsquirrel 3:59 pm on December 2, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Interesting how you brought up that processing the foods may render them less likely to cause allergic reactions through changing protein composition (through processes such as heat etc.). This would explain why some people are able to eat certain foods they are normally allergic to as long as it is deep fried. One hypothesis at the moment as for why there seems to be a higher number of people allergic to foods may be due to over protection. This idea comes from the increasing amount of mothers keeping their children from being exposed to said products at an early age (thus not allowing them to build better immunological systems that can tolerate the food proteins). Therefore popular foods associated with allergies in certain demographic areas (ex. peanuts in the west) will be avoided most often, this may end up bringing adverse effects and perpetuate the development of food allergy that one is trying to avoid. I don’t know how true this idea is, but it makes you re-think what to give children to eat.
- KristinaRichmond 8:17 pm on December 4, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Great article! I also found it interesting how processing can change the allergenic potential of food. I think this would be a good area for further research since food allergies can be so severe and life-threatening, and it’s easy to get accidentally exposed if you’re not the cook or really diligent about reading labels. I think one problem with processed foods is that they can be quite complex and contain many different (and sometimes unusual) ingredients, so I think it’s good that the CFIA enforces labelling for the top 10 allergens.
- RainShen 9:03 pm on December 10, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  As we learned in this course, food allergy would be fetal sometimes, so it is very critical to state all the allergens in the food product, especially for those highly processed foods. Sometimes the ingredients in the dressing or sauce, or even contacting with other foods in the same production environment will cause food allergy for the consumers. Comparing to food safety, food allergy does not have very strict rules for the manufacturers to state every allergen that might be possible contained in the products so sometimes it might be a big concern for costumers, especially for children and infants. Since food allergy is not dose related, even a very small amount of the allergen may cause very severe results. However, according to your post, CFIA recalled the suspected products before any hospitalizations or deaths happen. In my opinion the food inspection of CFIA is very sufficient in this way.
- yichen25 1:47 am on December 11, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Food allergy is very prevalent to those who are not able to develop a clinical tolerance towards the food protein that has been ingested. Failure to develop a clinical tolerance will lead to a series of hypersensitivity reactions which can be be potentially life-threatening if not treated immediately. Besides, the application of food processing as mentioned above has the ability to interfere with the binding of the antibodies to the antigens. However, more research should be done to further confirm the effect of food processing in the allergenic capacity. As for now, I personally think that both labeling of the food allergens and listing out the ingredients in the food product are very effective to inform consumers on the presence of allergenic compounds in the food product.
- WinnieLiao 7:45 pm on December 14, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  As learnt in other courses as well as in this course, allergens indeed can induce many severe or fatal issues and contamination of these foods with allergens would definitely require a recall. Thankfully in Canada CFIA is quick to react and is helpful in facilitating recall of these food items. The consequences of food allergic reactions can range from mild to severe; I’ve seen red spots and rashes developing on people’s skin after ingesting these foods with allergens. Also it’ interesting to know that food processing steps can expose the epitopes promoting the binding with IgE. However, the processing can also decrease the IgE binding affinity with antigens. Besides the food processing procedures, I wonder if there are other factors that can potentially bring in allergens from other food sources and how these outbreaks associated with allergens can be traced.
- CandiceZheng 3:01 pm on December 15, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  First of all, it is great to know that CFIA and the manufacture realized the problem very quickly and issued the recall so efficiently that there were no reported hospitalizations or deaths. This is a very informative post that introduced a lot of information related to food allergen, and I really like the subtitles that makes the post very clear and organized. In addition, I like the discussion about how food processing would alter the allergenic potential of food in various perspectives.
BarbaraCorreiaFaustino 3:48 pm on November 20, 2015 Permalink | Reply
Tags: Cheese, Dairy, Eastern North America ( 2 ), food safety ( 19 ), Listeria ( 6 ), Listeria monocytogenes ( 7 ), Listeriosis ( 5 ), North America

Another multistate Listeria outbreak: this time from contaminated soft cheese

Recalled soft cheese products. Source: CDC

An outbreak regarding soft cheese contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes finally arrived to a conclusion after five years of investigation. Starting in June 2010, thirty cases of listeriosis caused by the consumption of a specific type of cheese happened throughout the United States. Most of the cases were reported in California, but there was also a great number of cases happening specially in the eastern portion of the country, occurring in nine other states. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, aside from California, there were also cases in Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Tennessee and Washington, and overall the outbreak resulted in 28 hospitalizations and 3 deaths, two in California and one in Ohio. Five illnesses were pregnancy-related, and one resulted in miscarriage.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention was able to link all those cases together using whole genome sequencing, which is a molecular subtyping method that is recently becoming more used by publich health authorities to identify foodborne pathogens. This method relies on sequencing the nucleic acid of the target microorganism and detecting the differences in that nucleic acid sequence.

People infected with the outbreak strains of Listeria monocytogenes by contaminated soft cheese. Source: CDC

Whole genome sequencing, as its name suggests, is a method that provides a nearly complete sequencing of bacterial nucleic acids, and that is what makes it a very accurate method, since it becomes much easier to compare and differentiate between serotypes of a specific bacteria. The first generation was not very user-friendly for the detection of foodborne illnesses outbreaks, as it was a very time-consuming, labor-intensive and expensive method. However, nowadays the development and improvement of next-generation sequencing methods have made these tools more available and affordable for laboratories, making it easier to use them routinely and ensuring not only precise, but also fast results, and at a reasonable cost. These methods are rapidly becoming more accepted by public health and regulatory agencies, and in the next few years they will probably replace the most commonly used method currently, which is pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Compared to the latter, whole genome sequencing methods have a higher discriminatory power for outbreak detection and allow for the sequencing of different pathogens in the same batch.

The whole genome sequencing methods provide better discrimination between the subtypes, and therefore it can distinguish isolates that have a similar or equal PFGE profile, therefore improving the detection of a possible outbreak. This is what happened in this case, as the public health agencies could not properly connect all the cases that happened throughout the country with only one pathogen for over five years, and the whole genome sequencing showed that five rare DNA fingerprints of Listeria monocytogenes were related, connecting serotypes identified in this last August with serotypes found in the cases from around five years ago.

The types of cheese involved in this outbreak were soft cheese, including Middle Eastern, Eastern European, Mediterranean and Mexican-style cheeses. The contaminated products likely responsible for the outbreak were from the brands Karoun, Arz, Gopi, Queso Del Valle, Central Valley Creamery, and Yanni, all of which were manufactured by Karoun Dairies, Inc. This company announced a voluntary recall of the products from those brands and stopped the production of other cheese products that might be contaminated with Listeria on September 16, 2015.

Even though the incident was not very recent, a lot of restaurants and people may still have cheese products from those brands as the recall happened this year, and they are advised not to serve or consume these products as they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. It is very important that people don’t consume them, as listeriosis is a very severe disease, specially for children, the elderly and immunosuppressed population.

References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). Multistate Outbreak of Listeriosis Linked to Soft Cheeses Distributed by Karoun Dairies, Inc. (Final Update). Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/soft-cheeses-09-15/index.html

Zuraw, L. (2015). Final Update: 3 Deaths, 30 Illnesses in Outbreak Linked to Soft Cheese. Retrieved from: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2015/10/1-death-24-illnesses-in-listeria-outbreak-linked-to-soft-cheese/

Wiedmann, M. (2015). Use of Whole-Genome Sequencing in Food Safety. Retrieved from: http://www.foodsafetymagazine.com/magazine-archive1/junejuly-2015/use-of-whole-genome-sequencing-in-food-safety/

mustafa akhtar, MichelleLui, Carissa Li, and 1 other are discussing. Toggle Comments
- cvalencia 10:47 pm on December 3, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  I don’t really consume a lot of soft cheeses, but it is interesting to know that there is a risk associated with it. Listeriosis is a very serious problem, especially for high-risk individuals (immunocompromised people and pregnant women). I heard of a case where a mom-to-be had a miscarriage because of eating soft cheese contaminated with Listeria, while on vacation.. Sad how these things can happen, so everyone should be aware of such risks.
- Carissa Li 2:58 am on December 13, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  It is pretty cool how we can still investigate the same pathogen DNA from 5 years ago to identify its type using whole genome sequencing. As we all know, soft cheese is under category 1 according to the regulation from Health Canada, so it can grow throughout the stated shelf life. Listeria is known to be tolerant at low temperature, that’s why it is not surprising that it can grow on soft cheese. This case happened around 5 years ago so I think the risk of having Listeria contaminated soft cheese from this industry is not that high now if no new cases occur after that. But of course being caution is priority to not having any chance of getting sick!
- MichelleLui 9:05 pm on December 18, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Good summary of recalled soft cheese and how it relates to the techniques learned in class. Soft cheese belongs to Category 1 RTE foods. Consumers should be educated on the risk of consuming food listed under Category 1 RTE foods. Especially the high risk groups, such as children, elderly, pregnant women and people with weakened immune system.
- mustafa akhtar 12:25 am on December 19, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  I am happy that the surveillance methods available in the industry are growing and developing. However, coupled with this, it is very important that we educate the public as well. It is not uncommon to hear of miscarriages happening because of consumption of soft cheese. As they say, prevention is better than cure.
WinnieLiao 8:00 pm on November 19, 2015 Permalink | Reply
Tags: food safety ( 19 ), North America, Salmonella ( 6 ), Salmonella outbreak ( 6 ), Salmonellosis, seafood ( 4 ), Tuna
Salmonella: in Frozen Raw Tuna?

Q: What’s the big problem here with Salmonella?

A: A Salmonella seafood outbreak that hit United States has caused 62 sick across 11 states as of July 20, 2015. US CDC reported that there were 11 cases of hospitalization and no case of deaths. 97% of the infected population recalled the consumption of sushi with raw tuna a week before becoming ill. Results from laboratory and epidemiological investigations indicated that these people were likely infected with Salmonella Paratyphi B variant L(+) tartrate(+). Raw tuna processed in Indonesia by Osamu Corporation were confirmed responsible for 18 cases in California and some cases of infections in Minnesota.

As a result, on July 21, 2015 Osamu Corporation called for a voluntary recall of two categories of items, frozen tuna and yellowfin tuna, processed in their Indonesian plant.

Q: Isn’t Salmonella usually found in eggs and poultry?

A: As known to the general population, Salmonella is often associated with foodborne illness due to its growth in poultry and egg products, as well as produce and complex foods. An interesting fact is that Salmonella is also a common pathogen found in seafood. Together with Shigella, these two pathogens constitute up to 10% of the reported foodborne illnesses in United States. Fish, shrimp, oysters and clam are food vehicles most often associated with seafood outbreaks.

Want to know more? Here is a relevant video about Salmonella in seafood (published 3 years ago):

Q: “Who” is Salmonella? Where is it from? How is it identified?

A: Salmonella is a gram negative, rod shape, facultative anaerobic, non lactose fermenting bacillus with as much as 2500 serotypes identified. Transmission routes can include food-borne and water-borne, person to person and contact with animals. According to US FDA, Salmonella can be found in seafood that is intended for minimal processing and cooking.

The source of this contamination can be traced back to the acquisition of the bacteria in polluted waters. Therefore to prevent outbreaks, current measures are carried out in harvesting waters before the final harvest. Another route of contamination can be traced to the processing and storage of the seafood.

Laboratory test of stool samples from infected patients are used for diagnosis of salmonellosis. Further tests are required to discover the subtype of Salmonella responsible for the illness.

Q: Yikes! What are the symptoms of salmonellosis?

A: Salmonellosis, an infection caused by Salmonella, can cause acute gastroenteritis, accompanied by symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps from 6 to 72 hours. Headaches, nausea and vomiting in individuals may also be visible. However these symptoms usually disappear in 4 to 7 days, when many people recover. During this period, large volume of liquid is required to replace lost fluid from diarrhea. Severe manifestations include enteric fever, urinary tract infections, bacteremia and severe focal infections. Up to 10% of patients with typhoid fever can develop serious complications.

In the circumstance of bacteremia, Salmonella can spread from intestines to blood eventually causing severe illnesses leading to death. Antibiotics may be applied to cure the disease, however antibiotic resistance is a perplex issue. Chronic pain in joints, urination pain and irritation of eyes can be some long term complications. In severe cases, chronic arthritis is observed in these patients.

Q: Who is more likely to be infected? Are there any patterns that can be observed?

A: Within the infected population, pregnant women, immuno-compromised individuals, young children (<5) and seniors (>65) are most likely at risk for developing severe disease. Consequently these individuals are advised to avoid consumption of raw finfish and shellfish. Patterns have been recorded regarding age and season: infants and elderly are on top of the list for being most vulnerable to salmonellosis; those infected individuals who consume contaminated food during the summer and early fall seasons are likely to contribute to the infection numbers.

Q: What about… specifically Salmonella Paratyphi B variant L(+) tartrate(+)?

A: Salmonella Paratyphi B variant L(+) tartrate(+) (formerly Salmonella Java) belongs to the subspecies of Salmonella enterica and is known to cause non-typhoid salmonellosis. In contrast, Salmonella Paratyphi B variant L(+) tartrate(-) causes paratyphoid fever.

Q: How should we “wrestle” with the pathogen especially in seafood?

A: Besides usual ways of avoiding foodborne illnesses, effective methods of preventing foodborne illness in specifically seafood, as suggested by US FDA, include:
1. Washing hands, utensils and cooking surfaces
2. Cooking seafood for 15 seconds at minimum of 145^oF
3. Avoid cross contamination by separating raw and cooked seafood
4. Storing seafood below 40^oF in the refrigerator or below 0^oF in the freezer
And finally… Questions for you!
1. What is a possible reason for Salmonella to be able to grow in frozen raw tuna?
2. What are some possibilities that the infection cases can occur over 11 states (possible routes)?
Salmonella in raw tuna articles:

http://www.foodpoisonjournal.com/foodborne-illness-outbreaks/salmonella-sushi-outbreak-update-62-sick-in-11-states/#.VkooIK6rSfV

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2015/04/25-salmonella-cases-possibly-linked-to-raw-tuna-consumed-in-southern-california/#.VkoeCq6rSfU

http://bigmedicine.ca/wordpress/tag/salmonella-paratyphi-b-variant-l-tartrate/#sthash.VN7LcdMj.dpbs

FYI… Check it out! (References:)

Epidemiology of Seafood-associated infections in United States:

http://cmr.asm.org/content/23/2/399.full

Facts on Seafood safety:

http://seafoodhealthfacts.org/seafood_safety/practitioners/microbes.php

Salmonella Q&A:

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/foodborne-illness-and-disease/salmonella-questions-and-answers/

WHO document on Typhoid Fever:

http://www.who.int/rpc/TFGuideWHO.pdf

WHO document on Non-typhoid fever:

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs139/en/

Government of Canada guidelines:

http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/eating-nutrition/risks-recalls-rappels-risques/poisoning-intoxication/poisoning-intoxication/salmonella-salmonelle-eng.php

Paratyphoid fever:

http://www.health.alberta.ca/documents/Guidelines-Paratyphoid-Fever-2014.pdf

Youtube video on this case:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZf7mk7bibY
CandiceZheng, JorgeMadrigalPons, CindyDai, and 11 others are discussing. Toggle Comments
- csontani 4:37 pm on November 21, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  First of all, I really like how you format your blog! It’s definitely easy to read since the questions really help the readers to stay focused on the topic. Anyways, I think that most people just assumed that they can only be infected by Salmonella from eating raw eggs and poultry (in this case, there should be another way to inform people that it’s not limited to those sources). I remember getting infected with Salmonella couple of years ago from eating raw salmon, which I thought isn’t possible. But then I’m from Indonesia and I’m definitely not surprised that many people were infected by pathogenic bacteria from food. But I think that possible ways that the seafood is contaminated with Salmonella would be during the thawing process. And since they determined that all of the cases lead back to one source, I think that the main problem started from Indonesia where the tuna was imported from.
  - dgozali 1:42 am on November 23, 2015 Permalink | Reply
    
    Very interesting blog post and really great organisation of information! I think this really highlights the point that Salmonella can be associated with other types of food besides poultry and eggs. This personally scares me a little as I really love eating sushi and raw seafood. One of the reasons that Salmonella could have survived in frozen fish perhaps could be due to cross protection. If the pathogen was exposed to sublethal treatments it could develop resistance to subsequent steps in processing.
- TamaraRitchie 9:54 am on November 23, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Very nice layout. This was really easy to read and reminded the reader of key points. I think it may be possible for Salmonella to grow in the frozen tuna because freezing the sample will not kill Salmonella, it will just inhibit the growth, therefore when the tuna comes to room temperature when being served at restaurants it could cause illness and the bacteria could start to multiply. I think it is possible that the cases were so wildly spread because this company possibly distributed this product to varying states.
- angel519 1:37 pm on November 24, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  As mentioned in the blog, improper handling practices during processing and store can contaminate the raw seafood with Salmonella; I think for seafood especially sashimi grade seafood, it is very crucial to have proper handling practices and clean production area to avoid contamination. Because Salmonella can survive the freezing storage temperature, once the seafood is defrosted, the pathogen will be able to start replicating and grow.
- RainShen 11:23 pm on November 24, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  It is interesting that the frozen tuna was processed in Indonesia, which is such a far place in Asia. I’m not sure how the company transported the tuna to US, by ship or by air. If the frozen tuna transported by sea then it was possible the products underwent temperature abuse during the long distance transportation. Even if the tuna transported by air, the products may thaw a little during the transferring between different vehicles, e.g. truck and airplane. If Salmonella was in the tuna in the first place then it’s very difficult to eliminate the pathogens after, since Salmonella can survive under very low temperature. I agree that improper handling can be one of the main causes of the contamination as well. Foods like sashimi is very hard to cook for 15 seconds at minimum of 145F, which may loss the texture and raw taste.
- KristinaRichmond 8:59 pm on November 27, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Nice article! I agree that there are many points at which the fish could have become contaminated- poor storage temperature, thawing, or cross contamination all could have played a role in this outbreak. I always assumed that sushi fish would be sourced locally and a lot fresher. This goes to show that you really need to be a conscious consumer, and take the time to think about where the products you’re eating are coming from. However, I think sushi is a higher risk food and all this could have happened with local fish too, so it’s probably important for vulnerable individuals to avoid eating it.
- Stephanie Chen 6:13 pm on December 1, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Great organization of points! Importing the processed tuna from an overseas plant creates many more opportunities for contamination to occur. As the product is being transferred from place to place, and then furthered processed for consumption, multiple points could have allowed thawing and growth of Salmonella. According to the FDA Food Code (http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/GuidanceRegulation/RetailFoodProtection/FoodCode/UCM374510.pdf), certain temperatures and times for freezing are designated to kill parasitic worms. But this of course does not guarantee that raw fish products can become pathogen free. I agree that freezing only slows or inhibits the growth of Salmonella. However, it is truly a challenge for heat treatment of these foods that are intended to be eaten raw. Therefore, sanitary handling practices are crucial in decreasing risk of contamination.
- cheryl lau 3:14 pm on December 4, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  This is an interesting article as Salmonella outbreaks are not typically associated with seafood. As stated in the article, the contaminated tuna was processed in Indonesia. Perhaps the cold temperatures that the products were subjected too were not cold enough to kill the bacteria and actually activated the stress proteins that made them survive other subsequent sub-lethal stresses. If the company was distributing the fish to the 11 states, perhaps their storage facilities or the mode of transport was contaminated and it could have affected all the shipments. Personally, I feel like there is always a risk when eating raw or partially cooked foods, but it would be a shame to give them up because of a fear of contamination. As long as restaurants or processors follow the proper handling procedures, consumers can feel safe enjoying these delicacies.
- meggyli 11:48 pm on December 4, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  This is a really interesting layout for a blog with the Q&A. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone else do their blog this way! The Q&A definitely makes the blog easier to follow and highlights the important points. Again, it’s an article on a foodborne illness in which the pathogen involved is not commonly associated with the food. This article highlights the risks and dangers of operating a plant for raw and spoil-prone food, and in this case, tuna. Getting them overseas may be the cheaper option, but I feel that the risks associated with the long-distance travel and storage are not worth the money saved. Personally I would prefer eating locally farmed or wild seafood.
- yichen25 1:02 am on December 11, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  I really enjoyed reading your blog post as the flow is well thought over. As for the questions you mentioned, I personally think that there is a possibility of the activation of stress response which enabled Salmonella to survive in extreme conditions, as learnt in FNH 413. Also, the stress response activated in Salmonella can also be applied in the survival in the host’s environment which further enhance their virulence. Therefore, it is vital to only consume raw seafood if it is certified to be safe for consumption or always cook the seafood to ensure the elimination of the seafood. I personally am a Sashimi lover and I guess one of the ways to avoid consuming contaminated seafood will be to only eat in a restaurant which is well reputable for the preparation of raw seafood.
- Carissa Li 1:56 am on December 14, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Your article is among all the simplest to read since they all start with a question and your answers are very detailed! It is very shocking to know that even frozen tuna can be contaminated by salmonella. Firstly is because it is rare to see samonella appear in seafood and secondly, we never learned that salmonella is tolerant to low temperature so this article really opened my mind! Eating raw food always has an increased risk of getting foodborne illnesses so getting the regulation straight and letting people know how to properly handle and prepare raw food is an important step to prevent any foodborne illness outbreak.
- CindyDai 12:07 am on December 15, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  I really like your Q & A formatting. It really makes the blog more interesting and attractive to the general public. Public education on food safety practices is the most efficient way to prevent cross-contamination at the household level. It is also very interesting to know that Salmonella can survive cold treatment, such as freezing and refrigeration, and be present on raw seafood products. This indicates the importance of controlling initial contamination at the primary food production site. If we want to keep enjoying sashimi, microbiological quality control tests at the farm level are definitely necessary.
- JorgeMadrigalPons 11:45 am on December 15, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Salmonella is a very flexible organism and it can be a problem in many food products. When talking about seafood, preventing contamination may be difficult. Since seafood is often eaten raw, killing salmonella by cooking or high temperatures is not possible. Washing the tuna before preparing the dish might be a good preventive method.
- CandiceZheng 2:47 pm on December 15, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Salmonella again?!! It is such a nasty microorganism that would exist EVERYWHERE in our food system. I really appreciate the organization of your post: not only did you use the Q&A format, which makes the blog post very clear and simple to use, but the logic flow is clear and easy to follow. Besides, I like the practical advise you gave at the end. They are very helpful and easy to follow, and also based on scientific evidence that we learnt in class.
CindyDai 3:07 am on November 13, 2015 Permalink | Reply
Tags: Cyclospora, Cyclosporiasis, North America, other microorganisms ( 4 ), parasite ( 2 ), produce ( 7 )

Cyclospora Outbreaks are Hitting North America
Public health officials are warning about a series of Cyclospora outbreaks in US and Canada.

Source: http://www.foodpoisonjournal.com/foodborne-illness-outbreaks/fda-on-29-state-cyclospora-outbreak-tied-to-mexican-cilantro/#.VkWSAPlViko

From May to August 2015, 546 peoples from 31 states in US became sick due to Cyclospora infection. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) indicated that this outbreak has been linked to imported fresh produce, including cilantro from the Puebla region of Mexico.

Around the same time, a total of 97 Cyclosporiasis cases were reported in Canada, mainly in Ontario. Two cases were hospitalized, and no deaths were reported. The source of this outbreak was not identified.

On October 17, CFIA announced that Costco Wholesale Canada is voluntarily recalling Alpine Fresh brand snap peas in Ontario due to possible Cyclospora contamination. At least 22 illnesses have been linked to the recalled snap peas.

What is cyclospora?

Cyclospora, a microscopic parasite, causes an intestinal infection known as cyclosporiasis. The parasite is typically found in imported fresh vegetables and fruits such as basil, cilantro, pre-packaged salad mix, mesclun lettuce, snow peas, and raspberries. People usually become infected with Cyclospora by ingesting food or water that has been contaminated with feces, and this parasite is most commonly found in tropical and subtropical countries. Cyclospora cannot be passed directly from one person to another.

The life cyle of cyclosporiasis:

Source: http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/cyclosporiasis/biology.html

Why I haven’t heard of it before?

The public may not be as familiar with Cyclospora as some other foodborne pathogens because Cyclospora only came to medical attention about 40 years ago. This parasite was once primarily a concern for developing countries, but since the 1990s there have been more and more Cyclospora outbreaks in North America linked to contaminated imported fresh greens.

How serious is the illness?

Cyclospora is generally considered as a low-risk foodborne pathogen. Infected people usually experience watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, fatigue, weight loss, and abdominal bloating, while some people do not get sick at all. The illness may last from a few days to a month. People who have previously been infected can become infected again. The combination of 2 antibiotics, trimethoprim (TMP) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX), is used to treat Cyclospora infection.

How can it be prevented?

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), avoiding food or water that might have been contaminated with stool is the most efficient way to prevent cyclosporiasis. Contaminated food may not look or smell spoiled. Both washing fresh produce and treating it with chlorine or iodine are not sufficient enough to eliminate the parasite. Microbial food safety hazards for fresh fruits and vegetables, including Cyclospora, must be controlled by addressing good agricultural practices (GAPs) and good manufacturing practices (GMPs).

Here is an educational video about Cyclospora:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=dVFRgmZpTfQ%3Frel%3D0%26autoplay%3D1

For more information, please check out (References):

CDC, 2015. Parasites – Cyclosporiasis (Cyclospora Infection). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/cyclosporiasis/

CFIA, 2015. Food Recall Warning – Alpine Fresh brand Snap Peas recalled due to Cyclospora. Retrieved from http://www.inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/food-recall-warnings/complete-listing/2015-10-17/eng/1445121740221/1445121744219

Cinnaminson N.J., 2015. Cyclospora Contamination and Infection Risks. Retrieved from http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=200735

Food Safety News, 2015. CDC: Cyclospora Outbreak Linked to Mexican Cilantro Sickened 546 People. Retrieved from http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2015/09/cdc-recent-cyclospora-outbreak-linked-to-mexican-cilantro-is-over/#.VkWGv_lViko

Mulholland A., 2015. Cyclospora outbreak: What you need to know about the parasite, illness. Retrieved from http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/cyclospora-outbreak-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-parasite-illness-1.2509552

YaoWang, CandiceZheng, teewong, and 4 others are discussing. Toggle Comments
- WinnieLiao 11:11 am on November 18, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  I really like how you organize the blog into Q and A! It makes the article so much easier to follow. Besides bacterial contamination in our food leading to foodborne illnesses, we probably often forget about other organisms such as parasites! Cyclospora is definitely one that is quite uncommonly known. I find the section on how serious the illness is and the prevention methods to be useful and informative! Regarding the ways of prevention, is there anything we can do as public to avoid the contamination? Would cooking for a certain amount of time be helpful in eliminating the parasite in our foods?
- Stephanie Chen 5:39 pm on November 19, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Very interesting and informative article! The video is helpful as well. I agree with Winnie that many people may overlook contamination in food other than the commonly heard-of bacteria. It is scary to think that these fresh vegetables and fruits that we may consume often in our diet, such as basil, cilantro, and pre-packaged salad mixes may be a source of parasites like Cyclospora. We need to remember that contaminated food does not always show visible signs of spoilage. Safe handling of fresh produce still needs to be practiced to decrease the likelihood of getting an infection!
- KristinaRichmond 6:15 pm on November 20, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  I’d never heard of Cyclospora before, so thanks for the info! I think it’s interesting that the number of outbreaks has been increasing, and I wonder if it’s due to more contaminated food or just better testing and identification in recent years. It’s alarming that it’s found on fresh greens and isn’t killed by treated washing. I think this really ties into Justin’s lecture, and like you said addressing good agricultural practices.
- flyingsquirrel 4:58 pm on December 2, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  This is quite alarming because as eating fruits and vegetables becomes more important in public health, the demand for production of these popular foods (salad mixes, peas etc.) also goes up. Many of these foods are produced south of the border and even to Mexico! I read in an article a couple months back on the recall for cilantro because there had been some sort of contamination. The article reported that upon inspection of the farm in which the produce was grown, they found used toilet papers and human fecal remains. It just brings shivers down my spine to find that something that this could have been prevented. However this also brings to light the conditions of workers on the farm in which they do not have a proper toilet.
- teewong 2:59 pm on December 11, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  I feel that more people should be aware of how easily fresh produce could be contaminated with bacteria, viruses and parasites! Especially when it comes to vegetables that don’t require or are not meant to be cooked, it is really frightening to know that there’s very little that we could do as consumers to ensure our own food safety. Since chlorine wash technique is not a common method used in household, it means that there is even a higher chance for us to be affected by fresh produce than by consuming meat. I feel that prevention starting from the farm side is definitely a key in protecting the consumers. They should check their water irrigation system on a daily basis.
- CandiceZheng 3:41 pm on December 14, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Thanks for the informative blog! We’ve been discussing foodborne pathogens for the whole term and I have never heard about this pathogen before. I really appreciate your explanation about Cyclospora, which is very clear, informative, and well organized into Q&A format. It is quite shocking that there are many illnesses associated to the recalled snap peas, which is one of my favorite snack in my spare time. I’ve always considered it healthy and nutritious, but I never thought about the potential pathogen contamination associated with it.
- YaoWang 12:25 am on December 15, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Just as what other people have mentioned above, the blog is really informative as I’ve never heard about the microorganism before. And the format of the blog is really easy for us to follow. Thank you Cindy. By the way, I think at this time, people should really be careful when handling fresh vegetables as they are vulnerable to many food-borne pathogens.
AngeliMalimban 7:06 pm on October 30, 2015 Permalink | Reply
Tags: Deli Meats ( 3 ), Eastern North America ( 2 ), Listeria ( 6 ), Listeria monocytogenes ( 7 ), Listeriosis ( 5 ), North America

Listeria Monocytogenes in Adolf’s Deli Meats and Whole Foods Curry Chicken

American Thanksgiving is coming up, which is a prime time for meat producers as they will be selling a lot of turkey, ham, chicken, and many other meats that most families traditionally consume on Thanksgiving. If families are tight for time to prepare food, or have a lot of people to prepare food for, some will resort to getting Ready-to-Eat meats from the deli, such as ordering deli turkey breasts or deli ham.
With the purchase of ready-to-eat (RTE) meats comes the risk of Listeriosis, as RTE meats are one of the favourite breeding grounds for L. monocytogenes.

On October 29th, 2015, and still currently, American consumers have been warned about meat that could be potentially contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. This particular outbreak was attributed to smoked kielbasa, hams, Canadian Bacon, bone-in pork loins, and liverwurst that were produced on October 20th, 2015 that was produced by Adolf’s Meat Products in Connecticut. About 224 pounds of meat have been recalled.

In another incident, a Whole Foods supplier in Massachusetts is recalling curry chicken products, such as their salad, salad wraps, and salad roll-ups that could also possibly have been infected with L. monocytogenes. Customers who have purchased these items are told not to consume them and to return the products straight to the store.
This problem was confirmed during FSIS sample testing, although there have not been any cases or adverse reactions reported due to consumption of these meat products.

L. monocytogenes favours growth in refrigerated to room temperature (4 to 37 degrees C), which is the reason why they are so prevalent in these meats that are eaten on their own without cooking. It is also present in many raw foods such as milk, ice cream, and produce. Despite this, most of the big outbreaks in Central/Eastern North America have been attributed to RTE meats. To put statistics into the prevalence of L. monocytogenes in the USA, 1600 illnesses and 260 deaths happen annually due to the contamination of food. Per 100,000 people, 0.26 cases are estimated. Despite these statistics, listeriosis has declined by 42% in 2013 compared to 1996-1998. An example of a major outbreak was the big Listeria outbreak at a Maple Leaf foods branch in Toronto in 2008, which resulted in 57 cases of illness and 23 deaths. This outbreak cost the company $20 million dollars, and 23 of their products were recalled. L. monocytogenes proved to be a forced to be reckoned with as the company had lost not only the money, but their image as well.

In North America, Listeria is considered to be an increasing threat to human health due to antimicrobial resistance, its ability to grow in refrigerated temperatures, and its large prevalence in the environment. Listeriosis can be fatal in those who are elderly and those that are still young children. Luckily this was found before the outbreak actually had caused illness in a consumer, however, it is still early to tell as the outbreak was very recent.

It is important that consumers understand that they must be vigilant when consuming RTE meats. Although hot dogs, luncheon meat (SPAM), and deli meats are convenient because they are already pre-cooked, the risk of contracting listeriosis is very real.
Hopefully this thanksgiving, those who choose to purchase RTE meats to serve at dinner cook it very thoroughly past 40 degrees C. It is advised that they use thermometers and put it into the deepest part of the meat to ensure that this temperature is meat. If there are any leftovers (which is definitely bound to happen) they should divide them into shallow containers to promote rapid cooling.

What do you think about this outbreak? Do you think that the government and companies generally do a good job in recalling products and preventing illnesses? How do you consume your RTE meats?

SOURCES:

http://www.foodpoisonjournal.com/food-recall/whole-foods-recalls-listeria-curry-chicken-salad/#.VjQY5mSrR68

http://www.globalmeatnews.com/Industry-Markets/Listeria-recalls-hit-US

http://www.foodsafetywatch.org/factsheets/listeria/

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2015/recall-132-2015-release

http://www.foodpoisonjournal.com/food-poisoning-resources/everything-you-never-wanted-to-know-about-listeria-but-need-to/#.VjQe2WSrR68

CandiceZheng, CindyDai, WinnieLiao, and 3 others are discussing. Toggle Comments
- ayra casuga 3:57 pm on November 5, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Interesting blog. I think because the meats are sold as “read-to-eat”, people usually do not think to apply more cooking preparations for it. I feel like thats what makes eating “ready-to-eat” foods so risky because we have to put a lot of trust to the food manufacturers that they’re consistently implementing stringent food safe procedures when preparing their ready-to-eat products. Especially because Listeria Monocytogenes is a very resistant bacteria.
- Silvia Low 6:38 pm on November 8, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Reading about listeria in RTE meats really scares me as i regularly purchase my lunches from places such as subway, deli stores, sandwich stores, etc. The employees working there seem to adequately clean up their stations but I dont think they understand why it is important that they clean it well or the repercussions that come from foodborne pathogens such as l.monocytogenes. Or maybe i’m wrong and theyve all been trained very thoroughly about common deli meat pathogens. Who knows.
- EmilyLi 6:19 pm on November 10, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  This is an engaging blog post. I like how this instance didn’t cause any major problem in the population. This could be due to the rapid detection and efficient recall procedure from both the company and government to prevent any death and illness. I think the role that government plays in recalling food is very important. This is because that companies may not have enough resources to spread the word rapid enough, and I think with the government helps the recall process is faster. Also that many people trust government officials with providing legitimate facts. After learning about that ready to eat food are not the safest to be consume, I had been cooking some of the ready to eat products, such as ham. However some ready to eat food products such as salad, wouldn’t taste the same and as good if I cook it, so recently I been staying away from those foods.
- WinnieLiao 10:45 am on November 18, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  I agree with Ayra about the fact that “ready-to-eat” “reminds” people that the meat is well prepared and that further cooking preparations are unnecessary. However this can probably contribute to why L.monocytogenes can be so prevalent in deli meats. Nowadays people are fond of sandwiches, since they are easy to make and “everything into one”. This gives rise to more opportunities for exposure. In terms of government, I think they have been doing quite a good job in quickly recalling the products and acting quick in the investigations. Even though there has been many outbreaks, I will continue to consume these products, and try my best to reduce the chances of getting foodborne illnesses by preventing the cross contamination of deli meats with other foods. Keep proper sanitation when handling the food and consuming it asap are also my goals!
- CindyDai 5:27 pm on December 1, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Outbreaks in RTE foods really caught my attention. Nowadays people are so used to the concept of “grab and go”. Consumers trust the safety of RTE foods and do not usually perform any more processing before consumption. Therefore, food vendors and government surveillance agents have huge responsibility to ensure food safety and establish an efficient problem-detecting system. As consumers, we should also try to prevent cross-contamination by separating RTE food from raw food. Any leftover RTE food products should be reprocessed or discarded.
- CandiceZheng 3:31 pm on December 14, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  It is not surprised that RTE meats are the most favorable breeding grounds for L. monocytogenes, as RTE meats do provide an environment for Listeria growth, while people simply eat RTE meats without any further processing. Since Listeria are able to grow under refrigeration temperature, keeping deli meats in the fridge does not prevent the growth of Listeria at all. However, nowadays consumers trust the fridge so well and believe that proper refrigeration temperature would solve everything. As a consequence it is very essential to raise people’s awareness about this issue and especially for the immune suppressed population like pregnant women, further thermal processing of deli meat might needed to ensure food safety. As listeriosis in pregnant women would be a very serious issue.
cvalencia 11:48 pm on October 29, 2015 Permalink | Reply
Tags: Listeria ( 6 ), Listeria monocytogenes ( 7 ), North America

Multistate Listeria Outbreak from Contaminated Caramel Apples

It’s that time of the year when children (and children at heart) go out in their best costumes, knocking on neighbors’ doors with baskets full of candy in hand. It’s that time of the year when candy shops are full of consumers wanting to get their hands on sweet treats. A well-known treat for the fall and Halloween season is the candy apple: whole apples (usually Granny Smith apples) in sticks smothered with chewy caramel and colorful toppings. Never did it occur in any of our minds that such treats would be a source of illness: until now.

In January 6, 2015, Bidart Bros., an apple producer from Bakersfield, California, recalled Granny Smith and Gala apples they produced from their facility. The firm did so after an inspection and testing of their facility showed contamination of Listeria monocytogenes. Three clients of Bidart Bros. who are caramel apple manufacturers (Happy Apples, California Snack Foods, & Merb’s Candies) also announced the recall of their products due to L. monocytogenes contamination. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention worked with the U.S. Food and Drug Association in the investigation of the outbreak. Listeria was isolated from infected individuals, and analysis was conducted through pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and whole genome sequencing. These laboratory methods confirmed the presence of the pathogenic L. monocytogenes in the infected individuals.

Source: CDC

The Listeria contamination caused a multistate outbreak, reaching 12 states across the United States. A total of 35 cases has been reported, with 34 cases causing hospitalization. Based on the report of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11 illnesses were pregnancy-related, while 3 cases involved meningitis in children (aged 5-15 years old) who consumed the contaminated caramel apples. A total of 7 deaths were reported, with Listeriosis contributing to 3 of those deaths.

So how did L. monocytogenes survive and grow in caramel apples, a food in which the pathogen is not expected to grow? At the outset of the Listeria outbreak, many assumed that the cause of growth was the caramel coating on the apples, or the coating process itself. Although testing of the Bidart Bros. apple packing facility revealed the presence of L. monocytogenes on surfaces that directly contacted the apples, further investigation by experts was conducted to understand the mechanisms through which Listeria was able to grow on the caramel apples.

Dr. Kathleen Glass, Associate Director of the Food Research Institute in the University of Wisconsin, conducted a study to replicate the process and conditions undergone by the caramel apples during production.Dr. Glass hypothesized that inserting sticks into the apples released juice on the otherwise dry surface of the fruit, and subsequent coating with caramel trapped the pathogenic bacteria inside the finished product. This, in turn, created a favorable environment for L. monocytogenes to grow in the caramel apples. In the experiment, apple samples were inoculated with L. monocytogenes before dipping in caramel. One group contained sticks inserted into the apples while the other group did not have sticks inserted. Experimental results revealed that both groups of stick-punctured caramel apples (refrigerated and non-refrigerated) showed significantly greater L. monocytogenes growth than non-punctured caramel apples. This study indicates that extra precautions need to be taken in processing of such foods, since the interface between different components of the product may provide favorable conditions for growth of pathogenic bacteria. Even though foods are considered to be unfavorable for pathogen survival and growth, food safety measures still need to be taken to prevent future outbreaks.

Listeria monocytogenes has an infectious dose of 10⁵ to 10⁷ CFU in high risk individuals (eg. children, pregnant women, older populations, and immuno-compromised individuals). The pathogen is known to have adaptations to survive in the environment. L. monocytogenes is able to grow at refrigeration temperatures, and has the ability to form biofilms, thereby enhancing the pathogen’s survival in the environment. Listeriosis is the bacterial infection caused by the pathogen L. monocytogenes. Symptoms of the disease include diarrhea, fever, muscle aches, confusion, and loss of balance. Severe “invasive” cases of listeriosis may result in bacteremia, septicemia, and meningitis in high risk individuals.

How do you think this incident affects the apple industry in Canada? Should we now be extra careful in eating caramel apples? Comment below and share your thoughts!

Click on the “Cinnamon Caramel Apple Pumpkin” photo (from Darla of Bakingdom.com) to grab the recipe and have a great Halloween!

Interested in knowing how caramel apples are commercially made? Watch the video below:

Sources:

Andrews, J. (2015). IAFP 2015: Experts May Have Determined How Caramel Apples Caused That Listeria Outbreak.
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2015/07/experts-may-have-determined-how-caramel-apples-caused-listeria-outbreak/#.VjLwutKrS00

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). Multistate Outbreak of Listeriosis Linked to Commercially Produced, Prepackaged Caramel Apples Made from Bidart Bros. Apples.
http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/caramel-apples-12-14/

Glass, K.A., Golden, M.C., Wanless, B.J., Bedale, W., & Czuprynski, C. (2015). mBio: Growth of Listeria monocytogenes Within a Caramel-Coated Apple Microenvironment. American Society for Microbiology.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4620460/pdf/mBio.01232-15.pdf

Ryser, E.T. & Marth, E.H. (eds.). (2007). Listeria, Listeriosis, and Food Safety (3rd Edition). Boca Raton, Florida: Taylor & Francis. pp 85-110.

elaine chan, KristinaRichmond, BarbaraCorreiaFaustino, and 3 others are discussing. Toggle Comments
- ayra casuga 11:38 am on October 30, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  I like how you incorporated Halloween in your blog! This is a similar topic discussed in lecture on L. Monocytogenes. Especially the idea that a wooden stick puncturing the apples may have been the biggest determinant in Listeria growth. I find it interesting that having that stick punctured in the apple can enhance Listeria’s survival to a degree where it has caused such a negative impact on the population.
  - laurenrappaport 4:17 pm on October 31, 2015 Permalink | Reply
    
    Super interesting to learn a bit more in detail about something that was mentioned in class! Candy apples are not something people usually consider a risky food to eat so its a bit concerning how much harm this contamination has caused. Although a large chunk of people who were harmed by this contamination were either pregnant or immunocompromised, everyone still needs to be careful about the foods they are eating. I dont think however that the Canadian market will be affected by this outbreak. Most people’s food choices are not that heavily influenced unless an outbreak is occurring close to them or directly affects them in some way. Furthermore, if we became concerned with every food that has been linked to an outbreak or has the potential to be contaminated I think there would be very little food left for us thats safe to eat!
- TamaraRitchie 4:39 pm on October 31, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  It is interesting how one small step in the Candy apple production could cause a food safety issue. Its important as students in the food science field to understand how every person, thing and process in a food plant could be a chance for bacterial contamination. I found it very interesting that the small amount of juice that is expelled during the process when the sticks are pushed into the apples was enough to allow for growth of Listeria on the Candy apples.
  
  I do not think this will have much effect on the Candy apple industry in Canada. I do not think a lot of people hear about food recalls outside their country. I think if we tried to avoid all foods that have had outbreaks in the past their would be very little we would eat. I think it is important for the general population to be aware of food safety risks, and the fact that any prepared foods may carry a food safety risk, although in countries like Canada these risks are monitored and should be small.
- BarbaraCorreiaFaustino 11:10 am on November 2, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  I really liked how you related your post to Halloween! Even though it’s surprising that 35 cases were reported, with most of them resulting in hospitalizations, I also believe that this outbreak won’t have a big effect on the Canadian apple industry, especially since the outbreak didn’t happen in Canada. I believe that the Canadian apple producers and authorities should be worried about how the wooden stick puncturing process can enable L. monocytogenes survival and growth, but I don’t think the general public will be very concerned about this topic.
- KristinaRichmond 5:25 pm on November 6, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Great article! I think this case is a good example of how well L. monocytogenes can adapt and survive in unexpected places. Hopefully people in the food industry can learn from this outbreak and consider how important food safety practices are even in supposedly low-risk foods. I think this is especially important regarding listeria since it can have such devastating effects in vulnerable populations. In this case it’s disturbing since caramel apples would be particularly attractive to children.
- elaine chan 2:04 pm on November 14, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Very interesting article! It’s unfortunate that a sweet treat like this, adored by children and adults, can result in an outbreak nightmare like this. I could be wrong, but what I am curious about is how a treat that’s been considered safe for consumption throughout all the years that it’s been available for consumption, is now causing problems in terms of food safety. Could this be an indicator of an increased survivability of the Listeria species? Another point that I’m curious about is the time of consumption and storage in relation to pathogen survival and growth. Since inserting sticks into apples introduces a favourable environment for pathogen growth, and the pathogen requires time to replicate and grow to infectious dose, would consuming the apple product right after production decrease the possibility of infection? And so I wonder, would it be safer for consumers to purchase freshly made caramel apples as opposed to pre-made ones? Overall, I don’t think that this outbreak would negatively influence Canada’s apple industry since this outbreak is specific to the production process of caramel apples. However, I do think that the individuals with higher risk of infection, such as children and pregnant women, should be cautious when consuming such products.
FeliciaYuwono 11:49 pm on October 25, 2015 Permalink | Reply
Tags: Blue Bell, Ice Cream, Listeria ( 6 ), Listeria monocytogenes ( 7 ), Listeriosis ( 5 ), North America, Outbreak ( 4 )

Listeria Outbreak Associated with Blue Bell Ice Cream
Blue Bell Creameries recently did product recall for the first time in their 108 years of company’s history caused by an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes. There were in total 10 cases in 4 states & 3 deaths affected by the outbreak. They have 3 production facilities and all of them were contaminated with Lm: one in Texas (which is the headquarters), and two auxiliary production lines in Oklahoma and Alabama. In this post, I’m focusing on what happened in the Oklahoma facility.

The first 5 Listeriosis cases that were reported in Kansas early March 2015. They were all hospital inpatients and immunocompromised, and 3 of them actually died, which made up the total deaths for this outbreak. In late March 2015, using PFGE and Whole Genome Sequencing, Kansas Department of Health and Environment found out that the same strains of Lm found in the patients were traced back to unopened Blue Bell Creameries’ 3 oz. Institutional/Food Service Chocolate Ice Cream cups served in the hospital, which were manufactured in the Oklahoma production facility. Interestingly, this product was distributed to 23 states and only sold in schools, nursing homes, and hospitals, which mainly accomodate individuals at risk. This suggests that there were probably unreported cases of listeriosis linked to the Blue Bell Creameries’ products.

In May 7, 2015, the FDA released findings from Blue Bell Creameries’ production facility in Oklahoma. In this report, there are 12 observations being made but I’m only going to outline several points.

This report mentions that the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry established a requirement of 20 CFU/mL of Lm or less in finished products of frozen dairy desserts. In March 2015, 275 CFU/mL Lm was found in the finished product half-gallon Dutch Chocolate Ice Cream, more than thirteen times the recommended levels. Now, if we assume that there is 275 CFU/mL of Lm in a 3 oz. (88mL) Institutional/Food Service Chocolate Ice Cream cup, then there is in total 24,200 CFU of Lm in one cup. However, several hospital patients fell ill after consuming the particular product, which means that the amount of Lm in that product is at least at an infectious dose of 0.1 to 10 million CFU for at risk individuals. Based on these assumptions, Lm might continue to grow under freezing temperatures, but more research needs to be done on this subject. Another possibility is that some finished products of the chocolate ice cream already had enough Lm in it to infect at risk individuals, therefore any more Lm growth would not make any impact.

This report also mentions that the plant’s production line is not designed to prevent cross-contamination from drippings and condensate from pipes and tank lids. The lids on top of the tanks containing post-pasteurized Dutch Chocolate Ice Cream were not closed tightly, hence condensate from another product line installed horizontally right above it drips into the tanks, which makes a potential source of Lm contamination. Additionally, a worker was observed spraying the top of the lids and switching lids between other post-pasteurized Dutch Chocolate Ice Cream tanks, which may contribute to Lm cross-contamination in the tanks. The rest of the report states that lack of employee hygiene and inadequate facilities for cleaning and sanitizing equipments might be some contributing factors to the growth of Lm in their products.

Now, if you were to be part of Blue Bell Creameries’ quality control team at the Oklahoma production facility, what would you do? What recommendations would you offer to make the production line safer?

cheryl lau, Mandy Tam, meggyli, and 6 others are discussing. Toggle Comments
- wen liao 9:19 am on October 26, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  It is definitely amazing how Listeria can survive and still being infectious in made ice-creams, considering it is an environment low in temperature and water activity. As we have discussed in class before, ice-cream is considered as one of the products where there should be no growth of Listeria what’s so ever. Thus the problem here definitely are due to the ingredients. Since ice cream production are considered as low Listeria risk, people work here might pay less attention on sampling and checking on listeria load, which might be the cause of the problem. Therefore, it is important that people working in food industry pay extreme attention on what they are doing to ensure food safety.
- YaoWang 1:39 pm on October 27, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  We all know that Listeria is a main concern in ready to eat meat products, but it’s amazing to know that it can be a problem even in ice cream. Normally, since ice cream provides low temperature and low water activity, we assume there shouldn’t be Listeria present. I’m very curious about how listeria can survive and may even grow under such environment. But this recall reminds us that even though the food is of less possibility of certain microbial contamination, the manufacture must still follow proper handling techniques to avoid potential cross contamination.
- amreenj 7:18 pm on October 28, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Wow! As we have previously learned, ice cream is considered a Category 2B food, which is a ready to eat foods in which Listeria monocytogenes cannot grow. So the occurrence of Lm. in ice cream is surprising. Im interested to see if they can actually trace the source of the Lm. and report back their findings. The worse part is that it was given to individuals whose immunity is low (ie. high risk groups- longer term care facilities, hospitals) and thus the impact could have been so much worse. Having preparing sanitation and handling protocols is imperative to recurring the risk of food borne illnesses. As we can we that failing to do so can lead to contamination in even the most unlikely of places/foods!
- mustafa akhtar 10:18 am on October 29, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  I am so surprised that they ONLY distributed this product to schools, nursing homes, and such. I wonder if any research was put into developing the product at all. If not, then atleast the product shouldn’t have been sent to places where immunocompromised people reside.
- Susanna Ko 4:55 pm on October 29, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  I think it shows that people must be diligent when deciding on the food menu for certain populations such as elderly or immunocompromised. Also, it’s surprising that the company survived so far without failing an inspection. Was it because it was categorized as a low-risk food, meaning that it is inspected less frequently? Also, how many spontaneous abortions occurred from pregnant women consuming this product because they wanted to enjoy a special treat? It’s really unfortunate.
- Stephanie Chen 6:00 pm on November 19, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  It is really quite sad that even a delicious treat such as ice cream can harbor foodborne pathogens, and with a company that must have had good reputation for so many decades. Bluebell also explained that the reason they did not test their ice cream after positive tests of Listeria in their plant in previous years was because Listeria was found on non-food surfaces that did not come in contact with ice cream products. It was also not required at the time to report Listeria findings to the FDA. This shows that practices in the industry need to be routinely evaluated and food safety regulations should be strictly enforced.
- meggyli 10:11 pm on November 27, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Another interesting class-related blog! We learned in class that ice cream belongs in a category 2B food where the chances of Listeria growth/contamination is really rare. Similar to the above caramel apple blog, this just goes to show that we can never be too careful. It always causes the most damage to our health and economy when it’s the most unexpected food that contracts a pathogen. Who would have thought that something like ice cream which inhibits most microbial growth due to its cold storage temperature could cause something as severe as stillbirths & spontaneous abortions.
- Mandy Tam 9:02 pm on December 1, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  I think a lot of time when people think of outbreak in related to Listeria Monocytogenes are related to ready to eat meat or deli product. I think this article provides a great example that Listeria growth could happen in other foods as well.
  North America very emphasis in HACCP and GMP in food plants but there are still many problems. I think what will help food plant to improve food safety in the future is to have a database approved by government agency where companies can share and excess information in regard of good plant design and HACCP program information in all food type. Therefore, it avoids problems caused by bad equipment design or inexperience HACCP team.
  Anyhow, great article and it provides a lot of insight in term of Listeria Monocutogenes!
- cheryl lau 3:19 pm on December 4, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Very interesting article! I am also surprised that this is the first time that the company has recalled their products due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination from the conditions mentioned in the FDA report. Condensed water from pipes in food manufacturing is often a problem if not dealt with. These problems usually present over time, I am surprised that the plant allowed production to continue. Perhaps the quality control personnel should ensure that the workers realize the risk involved from contamination due to irregular working conditions. The workers could then report to the supervisor when the equipment is not functioning at the optimum level to prevent these outbreaks from happening.
NorrisHuang 11:08 pm on October 12, 2015 Permalink | Reply
Tags: Alberta, antibiotic-resistant ( 3 ), Canada ( 3 ), contamination, Escherichia coli ( 2 ), food safety ( 19 ), North America, produce ( 7 ), Vancouver, vegetable ( 2 )
Escherichia coli on fresh produce
Escherichia coli (E. coli) are gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria that cause a great number of food-borne illnesses annually. For example, according to PHAC, there were 470 reported cases of E. coli O157:H7 infections in Canada in 2013, which was the third highest among all pathogenic bacteria. Although E. coli infection is often referred to as “hamburger disease”, these bacteria also contaminates fresh produce. Earlier this year (between March 13 and 31), there were several E. coli infections cases identified in Canada, majority (9 out of 12 cases) of which were reported in Alberta. More investigations by CFIA are underway, however, leafy greens are considered to be the most possible cause of infections. Depending on strains, consequences of E. coli infections vary. Most people suffer from stomach discomfort, diarrhea and vomiting. Those who are infected with pathogenic strains such as O157:H7 may develop more severe symptoms, such as kidney failure.

In addition to bacterial contamination, a research done by a group of UBC researchers shows a concerning fact that 97% of E. coli isolated from leafy greens samples purchased from several farmers market in Vancouver were antibiotic-resistant. To be more specific, antimicrobial resistance of E. coli on fresh green, red, and romaine lettuce samples were evaluated. 58% of samples were resistant to amikacin, 48% were resistant to trimethoprim and 45% were trimethoprim-sufamethoxazole-resistant. Resistance to nalidixic acid, kanamycin, ampicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, cefoxitin, gentamicin and tetracycline were also found. Luckily, only 13% of samples were found to be contaminated with trace amount of E. coli and the microbiological quality of produce was acceptable according to Health Canada guidelines.

You can read more about the 12 E. coli cases in Canada here: http://globalnews.ca/news/1942601/health-officials-suspect-e-coli-illnesses-linked-to-leafy-greens/

The use of antimicrobial agent on food animal (e.g. chicken) is one possible cause of antibiotic-resistance in E. coli on fresh produce. Antimicrobial agent is used to promote growth of food animal. Nonetheless, only 10% of the drug would be absorbed by animals and the rest will be excreted. As the wastes are applied as fertilizers. Antibiotics are also introduced to the environment (e.g. soil, water) and vegetables. Antibiotics selects for drug-resistant bacteria on leafy produce, which leads to predominant of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Additionally, contaminated irrigation water, poor personal hygiene and inadequate food processing also adversely affect microbiological safety of greens.

To protect ourselves from E. coli contaminations on vegetables, the following precautions can be taken:
- Wash produce thoroughly before consumption
- Clean and sanitize food-contact surfaces properly, including cutting boards, knifes, etc.
- Wash hands for at least 20 seconds with warm water and soap regularly during food handling
- Keep raw meat and vegetables separated to avoid cross-contamination
- Store food at refrigerating temperature (< 4 ͦC) to inhibit bacterial growth
For more information about E. coli, see: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/fs-sa/fs-fi/ecoli-eng.php
AngeliMalimban, ya gao, CindyDai, and 4 others are discussing. Toggle Comments
- Duncan 1:37 pm on October 13, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  This is a test of the blog’s comment system
- Duncan 1:39 pm on October 13, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  This is a test of the blog’s comment system, take 2.
- wen liao 2:51 pm on October 16, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  Haha this is like a very classical example about the effect of antimicrobial misuse as we have talked in class. I have also read similar articles talking about how the bacteria isolated from vegetables are resistant to one or multiple antimicrobials, which sounds quite scary to me, to be honest. However, although the issue with antimicrobial misuse has been prevalent for years and scientists have been addressing this problem at different scenarios, not very many people have taken it seriously. I have a friend who recently got flu, and his doctor prescribed him with antibiotics LOL….In addition although the stuff turkey season is almost gone, I till recall this news I read about how you should not wash store packaged turkey before you baked it in the oven. While wash the turkey with running water cannot remove the bacteria on the surface of the turkey skin, this action might spread the cells all over on the turkey causing more contamination. I don’t know if it would be the same case for your e. coli suggestions haha.
- dgozali 9:07 pm on October 18, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  I think your article brought up a very important issue of growing antimicrobial resistance. Its quite alarming that a large proportion of E. coli found on leafy greens are resistant as most people consume these vegetables raw and some might not even bother washing them as they’re often labelled as a “ready to eat” food. Hence this makes it much easier for people to get sick from consuming these products. This reminds me of the recent outbreak at UBC’s centenniel celebration where many people got sick from eating the produce from the UBC farm. Perhaps the microbes were resistant strains as well. Either way, this is an increasingly prominent issue that should be taken more seriously!
- CindyDai 10:42 am on October 23, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  The increasing antimicrobial resistance of E. coli indicates the increasing difficulty of controlling E. coli in food industry. To protect our families, handling food safely is crucial to eliminate any E. coli survived the factory processing in leafy greens. In the original news, there are a few more useful tips from PHAC on safe food handling. I learned that we should always reheat leftovers until steaming hot before eating. Especially for leafy greens, we should always keep them refrigerated and only take them out of fridge right before consumption. When there are E. coli outbreaks, cooking vegetables is a better choice. Food safety is in our hands!
- ya gao 9:00 pm on October 23, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  After reading this post, I think it is important for government agencies like CFIA to realize the presence of antimicrobial resistant strains of E. coli on leafy green products. Although only 13% of samples were found to be contaminated with trace amount of E. coli and the microbiological quality of produce was acceptable according to Health Canada guidelines, it is a serious problem once breaks out. Leafy green products are usually considered as ready to eat foods and people consume them without heat processing step. With the increasing problem of antimicrobial resistant strains of E. coli on ready to eat foods, food safety may be threaten. CFIA should find a way to resolve this problem by controlling the use of fertilizer from animal waste, as well as doing sample testing on leafy green products more frequently.
- AngeliMalimban 6:11 pm on December 12, 2015 Permalink | Reply
  
  I think it is interesting how people have a common misconception about how E. coli can only be found in raw beef. I remember my friend freaking out about my other friend preparing raw beef burgers, while she ate the salad that was from fresh produce. Could she have washed it well enough? Even then, it probably would still contain E. coli since it does not come out unless it is cooked.
  Salads are such a big fad in our society due to its nutritional value, but people should not be surprised if they get sick eating this. It’s also hard to cook vegetables because its nutritional value is best when raw, as most of the vitamins and minerals could dissolve in the water (if boiled) and let’s be real… it’s just SO much easier to eat vegetables raw so we do not have to go through the labour of cooking it!

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