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