Gulf Spill Altering Food Web

In an article dated July 14, 2010 Food Manufacturing reported that scientists are observing early signs that the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is altering the marine food web by killing or tainting some organisms and spurring the growth of others more suited to a polluted environment.

If such impacts continue, scientists warn of a severe reshuffling of sealife that could over time cascade through the ecosystem and imperil the region's multibillion-dollar fishing industry. Although federal wildlife officials say the impacts are not irreversible, and no tainted seafood has yet been found, Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., who chairs a House committee investigating the spill, warned that the problem is just unfolding and toxic oil could be entering seafood stocks as predators eat contaminated marine life.

The BP spill also is altering the food web by providing vast food for bacteria that consume oil and gas, allowing them to flourish while at the same time, the surface slick is blocking sunlight needed to sustain plant-like phytoplankton, which under normal circumstances would be at the base of the food web.

So far seafood safety tests are turning up negative for oil contamination, but the situation remains bleak.

Click here to read the entire news article

Reusable Grocery Bag Contamination Risk

According to a joint food safety research report issued by the University of Arizona and Loma Linda University, reusable grocery bags can be a breeding ground for dangerous foodborne bacteria and pose a serious risk to public health.

The research study that tested shoppers in Tucson, Los Angeles, and San Francisco found that consumers were unaware of the need to regularly wash their reusable shopping bags.

The report, "Assessment of the Potential for Cross Contamination of Food Products by Reusable Shopping Bags," offered the following policy recommendations for lawmakers, as well as tips for consumers who use reusable grocery bags:

• States should consider requiring printed instructions on reusable bags indicating they need to cleaned or bleached between uses.
• State and local governments should invest in a public education campaign to aler t the public about risk and prevention.
• When using reusable bags, consumers should be careful to separate raw foods from other food products.
• Consumers should not use reusable food bags for other purposes such as carrying books or gym clothes.
• Consumers should not store meat or produce in the trunks of their cars because the higher temperature promotes growth of bacteria, which can contaminate reusable bags.

Read the full article in UANews here.

Food Recall and FoodShield

With all the news generated by food recalls and foodborne illnesses in the last couple of years, it is a positive sign that serious action is being taken by government, organizations and corporations to improve food safety. Here are two recent articles from FoodBusinessNews.net demonstrating the serious steps being taken to protect the public and improve reporting and processes.


1) Food Recall:

A report intended to improve the recall process and provide recommendations for better recall execution was jointly released by the Grocery Manufacturers Association, Food Marketing Institute and GS1, a group working with the two trade associations to develop consistent standards.

The report, “Recall Execution Effectiveness: Collaborative Approaches to Improving Consumer Safety and Confidence,” is an effort to establish best practices for product recalls. The need to identify challenges associated with recalls and make recommendations on how best to meet them was inspired by many issues affecting the food industry, according to the report.

Read the full article here

2) FoodShield:

Officials with the Food and Drug Administration are developing a pilot program to coordinate food recalls. FoodSHIELD is an on-line platform for federal, state and local public health officials, state laboratory personnel and regulatory authorities to use during food safety emergencies and to collaborate on preparedness and response plans. The platform is sponsored by the National Center for Food Protection and Defense (N.C.F.P.D.), a part of the Department of Homeland Security.

F.D.A. officials put FoodSHIELD through its paces in May 2009 during a simulation of a recall audit check using the platform to coordinate the effort, said Jacqueline Little, team leader in the Office of Enforcement within the F.D.A. Office of Regulatory Affairs. Using data from a recent recall, officials from seven states uploaded audit check information into FoodSHIELD. Then, F.D.A. field officials reviewed the information and either approved it or asked for additional information. According to F.D.A., the pilot successfully demonstrated the use of FoodSHIELD as a data sharing and communications tool in food recalls.

Read the full article here

U.S. food safety annual report recommended

Last week two articles came out about the Produce Safety Project (PSP), an initiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts at Georgetown University, recommending an annual food safety report as well as looking at European food safety reforms to make the U.S. system more effective. Here are brief summaries and links to the articles:

FoodBusinessNews.net reported that the PSP has issued a report recommending the publication of an annual report that tracks foodborne pathogens in humans, animals and feed. The report would be a joint project between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and analyze surveillance data on human foodborne illness and pathogen contamination in domestic and imported animals, food and feed.

“Not only will an analysis give us a consolidated examination of the current state of affairs throughout the country, it will also require our food safety agencies to gather, organize and analyze data in a consistent and timely manner,” said Michael Batz, head of Food Safety Programs, Emerging Pathogens Institute at the University of Florida, Gainesville, and co-author of the report.

Read the full report here


US review gleans ideas from European food safety reforms

FoodProductionDaily.com reported that a US review has looked to some of the most effective European food safety systems for ideas on how to make the American system more effective. Researchers from the Emerging Pathogens Institute at the University of Florida, J. Glenn Morris, director of the institute, and Michael Batz, head of Food Safety Programs, examined changes in approaches to food safety in Denmark, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom over the past decade.

The report, released by the Produce Safety Project, concentrated on reforms in the three European countries that are well-respected for their food safety systems, and where reforms have been based on developing strong scientific analysis and risk assessment of food safety efforts. Researchers found that European reporting of food safety issues has become increasingly centralized and the European Union now releases annual reports detailing foodborne illness across the 27 member states, a system that could also be used effectively in the U.S.

Read more here

In the News: Beef Safety & E. coli

Walmart recently announced that it will implement additional beef safety measures designed to further protect their customers against foodborne illnesses. The new process controls standards and goals are additions to a food safety program that already requires ground beef suppliers to test for E.coli O157:H7 and achieve prevention-based certification against one of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) internationally recognized standards.

“In light of recent beef recalls, we determined it was prudent to require an additional layer of protection for our customers,” said Vice President for Food Safety Frank Yiannas.

Read more here

In other E. coli news, Food Safety News reported on May 3, 2010 that investigators were slow to name the E.coli strain source in the latest outbreak. The outbreak appears to have claimed victims in three states, New York, Ohio, and Michigan. Public health officials in those states say laboratory work has confirmed 15 cases with another 32 suspected.

Click here to read more

What are your thoughts... should more grocery stores take Walmart's lead and require food safety measures? Are authorities working quickly enough when outbreaks occur?

Latest in Food Tradeshows

Idaho Technology recently participated in two industry tradeshows: Food Safety Summit was held in Washington, DC April 12-14 and United Fresh was held in Las Vegas April 20-22. We were able to debut our new booth and new Idaho Technology logo and tagline.

United Fresh 2010 had a dedicated area focused exclusively on food safety solutions for growers to retailers and offered attendees a unique Food Safety Demo Center. The center displayed food safety products, innovations and solutions, and the latest in food safety regulatory activities. Idaho Technology was thrilled to be a part of this event and showcase our real-time PCR instrument the R.A.P.I.D.® LT Food Security System with kits for testing Salmonella, Listeria and E.coli O157:H7.

The 12th Annual Food Safety Summit featured a full program of intensive educational seminars, industry and government keynote speakers, workshops, networking events and a large trade show exhibition. This year the Summit addressed the challenges of the Global Food Community. Idaho Technology participated as an exhibitor and also presented our poster on:

	Development of High Volume Reagent Kits for Idaho Technology’s R.A.P.I.D.® LT Food Security System to Increase Sample Throughput

To see the poster and all Idaho Technology posters please click here

Meat Safety and Accountability Act introduced

On March 26, 2010 MeatPoultry.com published an article on Senator Jon Tester's efforts in introducing the Meat Safety and Accountability Act. This proposed legislation is designed to have the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service implement a program to trace contaminated meat back to the original source of contamination. In addition, the bill also seeks to improve testing at meat suppliers and individual meat processors in the case of an outbreak.

According to Senator Tester, “this bill puts more common sense and fairness into the equation as our food travels through the supply chain to the kitchen table. This bill will make our food safer to eat by ramping up accountability. And it will help small meat processors in rural America that too often get blamed for contamination that didn’t begin with them.”

The Meat Safety and Accountability Act will next go to the Senate Agriculture Committee. Read more at: http://tinyurl.com/yg9tqzk

F.S.I.S. seeks comments on enhancing food safety

Thought I'd pass along this article written by Eric Schroeder and posted 3/25/2010 in FoodBusinessNews.net:

WASHINGTON — The Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking comments until May 24 on proposed measures to enhance food safety.

“One year ago the president called on government to do more to ensure our food is safe, and we are working aggressively every day to improve the food safety system in the United States,” said Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. “The steps we are announcing today will help prevent foodborne illness as well as speed our response when illnesses occur — two goals of the Food Safety Working Group.”

The F.S.I.S. said the new proposed rule would require regulated establishments adhere to three things: 1) Promptly notify F.S.I.S. if any unsafe, unwholesome or misbranded meat or poultry product has entered commerce; 2) Prepare and maintain current procedures for the recall of meat and poultry products produced and shipped by the establishment; and 3) Document each reassessment of the establishment’s process control plans or Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans.

Comments regarding the adopted regulations must be received by May 24 through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov, or by mail to: Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Room 2-2127, George Washington Carver Center, 5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Mailstop 5474, Beltsville, MD 20705-5474. All submissions received through the Federal eRulemaking Portal or by mail must reference the Food Safety and Inspection Service and include the docket number “FSIS-2008-0025.”

http://tinyurl.com/yeap5aq

More or Less Food Safety Regulation?

A recent article in Food Safety News by Andy Weisbecker poses this question... More or less food safety regulation? We know the rumblings on outbreaks and food safety issues are growing. Over the past weeks, a few news stories have highlighted the distinctions between two different legislative approaches to address the issue of food safety. The impetus is accordingly growing across the country to get the pending FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, which would give the FDA more authority and money, finally passed and enacted into law.

The American public seems to be in favor of more legislation. The article states that not only is the number of Americans concerned about outbreaks of illness linked to contaminated food increasing, the concern is also growing about the capacity of our existing food safety system to ensure our well being. A September 2009 survey among likely voters across the nation found that about 9 in 10 support the federal government adopting additional food safety measures and overall, 58 percent of voters were worried about bacterial contamination of the food supply--with about a third saying they worry "a great deal." The survey showed that American voters overwhelmingly believed the federal government should be responsible for protecting the food supply, and that the voters supported new measures to ensure it has the authority and capacity to do so.

However, opponents argue that this proposed legislation favors an industrial agricultural system, and that local food systems provide significant food safety benefits. In both Wyoming and Florida, state legislatures are considering bills to lessen the regulation of local "cottage" foods, with their proponents arguing at least in part that this approach would increase food safety.

What do you think? Is more or less better?

To read the full story and understand both sides of the issue, click here.

Foodborne Illnesses in U.S. Cost $152B Annually

An article today in Business Week by Steven Reinberg states that foodborne illnesses cost the United States an estimated $152 billion each year in health-related expenses.

"These costs are significantly more than previous official estimates, and it demonstrates the serious burden that food-borne illness places on society," Sandra Eskin, director of the Food Safety Campaign at the Pew Charitable Trusts in Washington, D.C., said during a Tuesday press conference.

These health-related costs include physician services, hospital services, medicines and also quality-of-life losses, such as deaths, pain, suffering and disability.

According to federal statistics, it is estimated that each year 76 million Americans are sickened by contaminated food, with 5,000 of these illnesses becoming fatal.

Illnesses from well recognized pathogens play the largest role. For example, costs related to campylobacter exceed $18.8 billion annually; costs linked to salmonella are estimated at $14.6 billion; and costs related to listeria are $8.8 billion, according to the report.

And the majority of these foodborne illnesses are caused by produce, which are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Thirty-nine percent of E. coli outbreaks were due to produce regulated by the FDA.

It is hoped that the report will spur Congress to pass food safety legislation to strengthen the FDA's food safety efforts and give the agency more authority over the foods it regulates and more funding to make the food supply safer.

Please click here to read the full article.

Fed food safety budgets may increase, but not enough?

According to an article published in Food Engineering February 12, 2010 the upcoming increase in spending by the FDA will not be enough for food safety budgets. Here is the article:

While many federal agencies are facing a freeze in discretionary spending in the next budget, FDA is a notable exception. FDA's budget could actually grow by as much as 23 percent, with much of the new spending focused on food safety.

If Congress approves, it will be food manufacturers who pay for much of the increase in higher user fees. The fees, which would also be paid by generic drug makers, are a big part of the FDA's expanded food safety mandate. It entails more inspections and improved data collection. Under the FDA's proposed budget, the agency's staff could also grow by 10 percent.

Meanwhile, USDA's proposed budget allocation is $149 billion in the coming fiscal year, with discretionary spending down 18 percent over 2009 spending levels. Entitlement spending, however, is up 28 percent. More than 70 percent of USDA's entire budget would pay for nutrition assistance programs.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) praised the proposed increase for FDA but noted funding for USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service remains essentially frozen with what she termed a “miniscule” 1.9 percent increase.

“The FSIS is responsible for front-line inspections and recalls, and will be stretched beyond its capacity by the growing population of our country and the resulting increase in food consumption,” DeLauro said in a statement. “FSIS should be given the resources to perform the critical food safety activities that comprise USDA’s public health mission area.”

What are your thoughts? Is the increased spending and focus on food safety enough to combat recent outbreaks and promote food safety initiatives? How can the FSIS keep up on front-line inspections without a larger budget increase?

FDA requests more than $4 billion for safety

On February 1st, the FDA stated that it is requesting $4.03 billion to promote and protect public health as part of President Obama’s fiscal 2011 budget. The request represents a 23% increase over the current $3.28 billion budget and would include an increase of $318.3 million related to improving food safety.

“The FY 2011 resources will strengthen our ability to act as a strong and smart regulator, protecting Americans through every stage of life, many times each day,” said Margaret Hamburg, commissioner of the FDA “This budget supports the ability for patients and families to realize the benefits of science that are yielding revolutionary advances in the life and biomedical sciences.”

The FDA said this budget requests shows its “resolve to transform food safety practices, improve medical product safety, protect patients and modernize FDA regulatory science to advance public health.”

As part of the Transforming Food Safety initiative, the FDA said it plans to set standards for safety, expand laboratory capacity, pilot track and trace technology, strengthen its import safety program, improve data collection and risk analysis and begin to establish an integrated national food safety system with strengthened inspection and response capacity.

What do you think? Is the proposed budget too much or right on target?

Idaho Technology Launches High Volume Food Test Kits

We are pleased to announce that on January 26, 2010 we launched our new high volume kits for foodborne pathogen detection. The new high volume kits feature 160 reactions per kit, a simplified protocol, and a competitive price, making them ideal for food labs with large testing capacities. The assays all use real-time PCR technology to identify the presence of Salmonella, Listeria, or Escherichia coli O157:H7 in various food and environmental samples.

“Our goal with the high volume kits is to give high throughput labs a scientifically advanced food-testing product at the same price as less advanced technologies. This allows them to continue to be competitive in the marketplace during a time of slimming margins and increasing production costs,” states Rachel Jones, ITI vice president of Sales and Marketing. “We feel that our high volume kits not only accomplish this objective, but also result in more efficient operations.” These kits are now available for purchase and have been granted Performance Tested Methods Status by the AOAC Research Institute for use with the R.A.P.I.D.® LT Food Security System (FSS).

The validation of these high volume kits is an important development for all food manufacturers since foodborne pathogens are a major health problem. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates there are 76 million cases of foodborne illnesses each year, resulting in 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths. The use of screening tools that are both rapid and accurate will permit earlier release of products without fear of potential outbreaks or possible food recalls. These assays are intended for use by trained laboratory personnel.

Built upon LightCycler® technology, the R.A.P.I.D. LT FSS combines rapid air thermocycling and a real-time fluorimeter to reliably test food and environmental samples. For more information please visit http://www.idahotech.com.

Official Appointed to Oversee All FDA Food Safety Programs

On January 13, 2010 the Obama administration appointed Michael R. Taylor, a veteran food expert, as deputy commissioner for foods at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in an effort to address the nation’s fractured food safety system. This newly created position is the first to oversee all the agency’s many food and nutrition programs.

Although powerful legislators in Congress had proposed creating a new agency to combine the government’s diverse food programs, compromise legislation headed for passage by spring will instead invest more food authority and money in the FDA functions that Mr. Taylor will oversee. However, if Mr. Taylor proves unable to prevent or quickly resolve the growing number of food scares, the idea of a separate food agency is likely to be revisited.

Click here to read the full details in the New York Times article

And in the Washington Post, it further describes the role of the new deputy commissioner: “Congress is moving ahead with legislation to grant vast new authority to the FDA to ensure food safety -- the House passed a bill last year and the Senate is expected to take up its version soon -- and Taylor will be responsible for implementing new laws aimed at preventing outbreaks instead of merely reacting after they occur.”

Much of Taylor’s job will be bringing together the various programs, Food regulation is currently split among the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, where much of the scientific research takes place; the Center for Veterinary Medicine, which regulates the manufacture and sale of food additives and drugs for animals; and the Office of Regulatory Affairs, which handles inspections of domestic and imported products and works with state and local officials. Traditionally, the three sections were managed separately. With the appointment of Mr. Taylor the goal is for these departments to come together and work quickly together to ensure food safety.

Read the full article here

Editorial in the New York Times states that some have said Mr. Taylor, who once worked for Monsanto, is too close to big food companies while others are supportive… Dr. Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a frequent critic of the food industry and of lax government oversight, has said that Mr. Taylor is “extremely knowledgeable and public-health oriented.”

Read the full editorial here

And for background on Mr.Taylor’s experience please visit the FDA website

Latest in USA Beef Happenings

There has been a lot of press lately involving the beef industry. I want to use this week’s blog to touch on three different articles concerning meat safety that have been published in recent weeks.

First, in the Meat Trade News, an article published on January 5th states that in the food safety world it is “now open season for anyone to attack meat trade” and states that there is no letup in the calls from politicians, consumer advocates, food safety lawyers and major media outlets for USDA and the food industry to step up their game when it comes to food safety.

A recent incident that has sparked public debate is the National Steak and Poultry's Christmas Eve voluntary recall of 248,000 pounds of mechanically tenderized beef products on E. coli O157:H7 concerns. With 21 people sickened and 9 hospitalized, food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker issued a news release calling for the National Steak and Poultry to pay medical bills and lost wages for the victims of illness associated with the recall.

With this fallout, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) has also called for labels identifying mechanically tenderized beef and pork products, a move the American Meat Institute said is not necessary.

Read the full article by clicking here

The second article is from the Washington Post dated December 30, 2009 and goes into more detail on the beef recall and those sickened. The recall is considered a "class 1" or a "high health risk" by the USDA, which regulates the meat industry, since E. coli O157:H7 is one of the most lethal foodborne pathogens. Even for those who survive, there can be long-term health effects. The contamination appears to have begun with tainted beef used for chopped steak that was "co-mingled" with other products in the plant. Cases have been identified in six states -- Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, South Dakota and Washington

The outbreak is considered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to be relatively small, but it is significant because it is at least the fourth associated with mechanically tenderized beef since 2000.

To read more by clicking here

And finally in another blow to the beef industry, the AFP reported on December 29, 2009 that the United States expressed dismay over Taiwan's move to resume a ban on certain US beef imports amid concerns over mad cow disease. Taiwanese lawmakers agreed to amend a law on food health to ban imports of cow organs, minced beef and other high-risk items such as spines and eyes. "The proposed amendment’s provisions do not have a basis in science or fact and thus in no way serve to protect Taiwan’s food supply," said a joint statement by the United States Trade Representative office and the Department of Agriculture. "If passed, this amendment would represent a new barrier to US beef exports to Taiwan, and would constitute a unilateral abrogation of a bilateral agreement concluded in good faith by the United States with Taiwan just two months ago.”

To read the article in its entirety by clicking here