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.

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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.