More Than 1,000 Ill in Dutch Salmonella Outbreak

By Phyllis Entis | October 29, 2012 The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM) reported today that 1,026 people are now confirmed to have been infected with Salmonella Thompson, in an outbreak of salmonellosis that has been linked to contaminated smoked salmon. This represents an increase of 76 cases last week. RIVM notes that the number of new patients is significantly lower than the week before, suggesting that this major outbreak is finally waning. According to a report in the Oct. 25 issue of Eurosurveillance, Dutch authorities first became aware of the outbreak on August 2nd, when RIVM staff noticed an increase in the number of Salmonella Thompson cases. This particular Salmonella normally causes only four illnesses annually in the Netherlands. The index patient developed symptoms of salmonellosis on June 20th. A few more scattered illnesses occurred over the next several weeks; however, the number of illnesses spiked noticeably only in early August. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of the confirmed outbreak victims were female, and 36% were hospitalized. The median age of case-patients was 44 years (range of 0 – 95 years). While the official case total stands at 1,076, the true number of cases is undoubtedly far higher. RIVM advises that Salmonella is NOT a notifiable disease in the Netherlands. There is no requirement that doctors, hospitals or laboratories report Salmonella infections to  the authorities. The outbreak was first linked to consumption of smoked salmon as a result of questionnaires administered to patients and to a cohort of healthy individuals (matched to the victims by age, gender and municipality), either by telephone or in person. The results of the questionnaires pointed to consumption of smoked fish – especially smoked salmon. Victims also were more likely to have consumed raw salads and also identified several supermarkets more often than did the healthy control individuals. Traceback investigations carried out by the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (nVWA), which focussed on smoked salmon and on the highlighted supermarkets, determined that all of the identified supermarkets purchased at least some of their smoked salmon from the same producer -Foppen Paling en Zalm. Lab tests confirmed the presence of the outbreak strain in four of nine batches of smoked salmon from this producer. A recall of smoked salmon was announced on the nVWA website on September 28th, and expanded a few days later to include a number of additional items – such as salads – that contained the recalled smoked salmon. The implicated salmon originated in Norway, according to the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF), and was shipped to a Foppen production plant in Greece for processing before traveling in a northwesterly direction to the Netherlands. The smoked salmon was distributed in Belgium, Canada, Curacao, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the USA. Nevertheless, the Netherlands remains the only EU country to have noted an increased incidence of Salmonella Thompson infections. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been investigating a spike in salmonellosis due to this outbreak strain but, as of a few days ago, has not been able to establish a link between the illnesses and the consumption of smoked salmon – or of any other specific food item. This particular strain of Salmonella Thompson is not uncommon in the United States, making determination of a single outbreak source problematic. For a complete list of recalled smoked salmon products, please consult my earlier post, "Smoked Salmon and Salmonella Thompson – Update #3." This contributed article was originally published at eFoodAlert. © Food Safety News More Headlines from Foodborne Illness Investigations » Tags: Foppen, Salmonella Thompson, smoked salmon

Food Safety Endangered Worldwide by Increased Food Counterfeiting

By Dan Flynn | October 29, 2012 Were it not for all the insects that other tenants of a private warehouse were pretty sure were coming from a neighboring space, phony "Heinz" ketchup might now be on its way to unsuspecting consumers. Fraudulent "Heinz" ketchup, probably intended for the world market, is but one example of "counterfeit food." Around the world, there are plenty of people who are willing to substitute some high value brand or product with something inferior. In the Czech Republic recently, methanol put in alcohol resulted in 30 deaths Some fear higher world food prices are making food counterfeiting the next big global trend. Counterfeit food is a way to steal millions and put food safety at extreme risk. Obviously, anyone willing to rip off valued brands or products to manufacture counterfeit food outside of any the regulation of any country does not give a rip about food safety. Interpol Police have recently turned up candy bards, fish, cheese, and tomato sauce—all phony—foods that could have ended up in the U.S. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has its own police force for tackling fraudulent foods and drugs. Counterfeit drugs get most of the attention. The World Bank says consumers pay $30 billion annually for fake drugs with Africa being the hardest. Estimates for how much consumers pay for fake food are a little more fluid. At last month's 9th Annual Anti-Counterfeiting and Brand Protection Summit held in Midtown West, NY, a fact sheet from DuPont said counterfeiting cost U.S. businesses $200 billion to $250 billion annually, affecting 92 percent of Fortune 500 companies. Food and beverages are only a slice of that, of course, but consider that Russia has documented $3.3 billion in annual losses due just to counterfeit vodka, the total for food and beverage products would probably be staggering. Michigan State University's Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection Program has developed a national data base for tracking counterfeit food by looking for such characteristics as: -Diluted oil, 16 percent of counterfeit food cases involve olive oil. -Diluted milk, 14 percent of counterfeit food involved watered down milk. -Adulterated honey, 7 percent of counterfeit food involved were adulterated sugar and corn. MSU's Anti-Counterfeiting program even has a top ten list for food most likely to be phony. Making the list are: vanilla extract, maple syrup, grape wine, apple juice, coffee, orange juice, saffron, honey, milk, and olive oil. Worldwide, it seems that the substitution of expensive Italian olive oil with cheaper Greek olive oil is epidemic. Heinz, like most major American food companies, is doing all it can to help officials prosecute whoever was going into the phony ketchup business in that 7,000 square foot warehouse space. But when the neighbors start complaining about the flies at the fake food factory, it is probably too late. Greg Thomas, a former senior director of procurement solutions at PepsiCo who now manages strategic sourcing strategies for BravoSolution told Food Safety News that food companies must practice what he calls "deep visibility." "You must know your supplier's supplier," Thomas explained. From his perspective, both at PepsiCo and BravoSolution, Thomas has some fairly chilling words. "Anybody can fake anything," he says. Thomas says food companies must know their entire supply chain, both where their products come from and where they are going. The reality is that they are at risk of counterfeiting at any stage along the road. Only then, he says, can a food company really know its "risk profile." Thomas says he hears about foods like olive oil or fish being more common that others, but he thinks it's more important to know your own supply chain and keep the focus on vulnerabilities. The 12-year old company he works for provides supply management software to more than 50,000 procurement professionals and supply management services to 400 companies in 35 countries. Thomas says protecting a company's brands or products does not come cheap, but allowing yourself to be the victims of counterfeiting is much more expensive. © Food Safety News More Headlines from World » Tags: counterfeit, Heinz, honey, MSU, olive oil

U.S. Lost Confidence in Food Safety Since Last Year

By James Andrews | October 29, 2012 U.S. citizens are slightly less confident in the safety of the food supply compared to recent years, according to annual polling conducted by the Center for Food Integrity. As part of the CFI's annual study tracking attitudes toward the food supply over time, the organization asked respondents a series of questions about food prices, animal welfare, sustainability, world food stocks, and U.S. food safety. Responses to statements were given on a scale of 0 to 10, ranging from "Strongly Disagree" to "Strongly Agree." To the statement, "I am confident in the safety of the food I eat," respondents answered with a mean of 5.99, down from 6.32 last year. That response, however, is still higher than the 5.64 reported in 2007, the first year the CFI began its annual study. Twice as many people responded with "Strongly Agree" than "Strongly Disagree" to that statement–28 percent to 14 percent. The remaining 58 percent felt moderately confident. The organization surveyed 2,001 Americans as part of the study, CEO Charlie Arnot told Food Safety News. The survey pool was split evenly between men and women, as well as primary and non-primary grocery shoppers of households. When asked if government agencies were doing a good job ensuring Americans ate safe food, average responses fell to 5.40, down from last year's 5.63 — though still higher than the 4.68 reported in 2008. To that question, those who strongly agreed and strongly disagreed came in neck-and-neck at 21 and 20 percent. "We know statistically that food is safer than it's ever been, but consumers don't perceive that as the case," Arnot said. Arnot said he felt part of that disparity in perception came from the intricacy of today's food system. "Before, if someone had a food safety incident, it would be localized," he said. "Today, food is transported across the country overnight. If incidents happen, they're broader and the coverage is greater, and public awareness of those incidents is much greater now than it was before." Ninety-two percent of respondents still either moderately or strongly agreed that food produced in the U.S. was more trustworthy than imports, compared to 93 percent last year. The strength with which respondents feel that, however, has waned from a mean of 7.27 in 2008 to 6.90 in 2012. Americans appear to be less concerned today with the origin of their food than they were six years ago. In 2007, respondents answered with a mean of 4.36 to the statement "I don't care where my food comes from as long as it is affordable, safe and wholesome." In 2012, that mean sits at 5.43. Arnot added that consumers might feel a boost to their confidence in the food system once measures in the Food Safety Modernization Act — signed into law in January 2011 — are finally enacted. "We know that consumers are looking for reassurance that food is safe," he said. "We don't lobby, but we know that there is a great amount of frustration around the nation that [the Food Safety Modernization Act] is not being implemented." © Food Safety News More Headlines from Food Politics » Tags: Center for Food Integrity, Food Safety Modernization Act, poll, survey

Another Illness in North Carolina E. coli Outbreak; 101 Cases Linked to Fair

By News Desk | October 28, 2012 Another E. coli O157:H7 case has been added to the outbreak connected with the Cleveland County fair in North Carolina, bringing the total number of known cases to 101, according to the the North Carolina Department of Health. "Preliminary findings suggest animal exposure may be the source of this outbreak," said health officials in a news release. "62 children and 39 adults are known to be/have been affected by this outbreak. Thirteen individuals have been or are currently hospitalized." The numbers include the death of a 2-year-old boy in Gaston County, where 14 total cases have been reported. For the other counties involved in the outbreak, the case count is as follows: Cleveland County – 59 Lincoln County – 14 Catawba County – 2 Union County – 2 Rutherford – 6 York County, South Carolina – 2 Cherokee County, South Carolina – 2 The health department said it would post updates daily as necessary here: http://epi.publichealth.nc.gov/cd/diseases/ecoli.html © Food Safety News More Headlines from Foodborne Illness Outbreaks » Tags: E. coli O157:H7, Fair, North Carolina

Letter From The Editor: George Stanley McGovern, 1922-2012

By Dan Flynn | October 28, 2012 Opinion George McGovern, 1972 Democratic Party presidential nominee and former U.S. Congressman and Senator from South Dakota died Oct. 21 at age 90. He was a World War II pilot of a B-24 Liberator bomber, flying 35 missions over Nazi occupied Europe, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and other air metals. Between his service in the U.S. House and Senate, McGovern was President Kennedy's director of Food for Peace.  As chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Hunger, McGovern, often in collaboration with Sen. Bob Dole (R-KS), would set modern day policies on nutrition and hunger. Since his death, many have shared antidotes about their experiences with Sen. McGovern, here's one of mine…. _ _ _ In 1974, I was doing voter registration in western South Dakota for the Democratic Party. It was a year after the take-over of Wounded Knee and a year before two FBI agents would lose their lives in a gunfight in Indian Country. It was not a good time in Indian Country. I cannot remember whether it was the Tribal Council or the American Indian Movement (AIM), but the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation was supposedly "closed" to non-Indians. That made registering voters tough. Then came word that Senator McGovern, who the Sioux Nation called "Great White Eagle" was invited to Pine Ridge for a celebration that I remember as sort of a "Sun Dance" lite. The invitation came with the stipulation that McGovern could only take in two other non-Indians with him, and somebody came up with the idea of sending another and me from my voter registration team instead of the Senator's usual campaign or senate staff handlers. While I'd worked as a volunteer in the field in five states for his national campaign for President in 1972, this was the only time I was responsible for actually staffing the Senator. Still he remembered me as he always did and inquired about people we both knew that I was close to, but then he got quiet and worked on files he brought with him. Food preparation is the quickest way to gather people on the Pine Ridge. Free food was also the surest way to get people to hang around, which proved to be an excellent opportunity for registering voters. George McGovern was so popular among the Sioux that after we arrived, tribal leaders just took charge of him and as he moved all those assembled would just open whatever space he needed like prairie grass moving the wind. Because he seemed safe and secure, our two-person registration team worked on the job we came for until late afternoon, at which point I noticed lines were forming for the feast. I hadn't paid much attention to it, but I then noticed most of what was being served was being cooked in several "burning barrels." I decided to go in for a closer look. I knew all the lore that existed about McGovern's past campaigns, including the fact that he was sickened with hepatitis in the 1960 campaign. I knew nothing then about foodborne illnesses, but something just told me I could not let Senator McGovern eat what was being prepared in those barrels. So as tribal leaders were about the move him to the head of the line, I pulled George McGovern aside and said something like: "Senator, you cannot eat whatever that is." I was a little surprised because he offered no resistance and we worked out a way for him to say his good-byes so we could return to Rapid City. (The hour was getting late and everyone agreed driving after dark on the Pine Ridge was not advisable.) My reaction at the time was total gut instinct. I was not going to let Senator McGovern get food poisoning on my watch. Looking back, he was probably never in danger. Whatever they were cooking was "kill step" hot, and Senator McGovern dined many times with the Sioux who've been doing this for ages. Senator McGovern was re-elected in 1974 to his third term, but voter turnout on the Pine Ridge was down to about one-third of what it was during his campaign for President. "Great White Eagle" always won South Dakota's reservation vote, but 1974 was not a good year for turn-out. The last time I saw Senator McGovern was at a reception in his honor held in Denver in 2008 by the South Dakota delegation to the Democratic National Convention. When I told him I was the one who almost got him poisoned on the Pine Ridge in 1974, he just laughed, but I really don't think he had the slightest idea what I was talking about. Postscript Bob Dole said it. George McGovern never gave up. From the time President Kennedy named him to run Food for Peace to when he stepped down from the United Nations, McGovern's work on hunger and nutrition spans almost 50 years. His not giving up is best illustrated by what he accomplished after age 75. A few examples, not counting the books he wrote and lectures he gave include: 1998- Appointed by President Clinton as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture, Rome. 2000- The George McGovern-Robert Dole International Food for Education and Nutrition Program providing school lunches to more than 22 million children in 41 countries over next eight years. 2000- awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. 2001- Appointed UN Global Ambassador on World Hunger by the World Food Program. 2006- opens the George and Eleanor McGovern Library and Center for Leadership and Public Service at Dakota Wesleyan University. He introduced his recorded narration for Aaron Copland's "Lincoln Portrait" for the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra in his last public appearance on Oct. 6, 2012. © Food Safety News More Headlines from Nutrition & Public Health » Tags: Child Nutrition Act, hunger, McGovern, Pine Ridge, Reservations, Sioux

Publisher’s Platform – The Lowly Norovirus

By Bill Marler | October 27, 2012 Opinion I saved the last of our "About-Bug" updates for Norovirus – and you will see why. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that noroviruses cause nearly 21 million cases of acute gastroenteritis annually, making noroviruses the leading cause of gastroenteritis in adults in the United States.  According to a relatively recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine: The Norwalk agent was the first virus that was identified as causing gastroenteritis in humans, but recognition of its importance as a pathogen has been limited because of the lack of available, sensitive, and routine diagnostic methods. Recent advances in understanding the molecular biology of the noroviruses, coupled with applications of novel diagnostic techniques, have radically altered our appreciation of their impact. Noroviruses are now recognized as being the leading cause of epidemics of gastroenteritis and an important cause of sporadic gastroenteritis in both children and adults. Of the viruses, only the common cold is reported more often than a norovirus infection—also referred to as viral gastroenteritis. Nature has created an ingenious bug in norovirus.  The round blue ball structure of norovirus is actually a protein surrounding the virus's genetic material.  The virus attaches to the outside of cells lining the intestine, and then transfers its genetic material into those cells.  Once the genetic material has been transferred, norovirus reproduces, finally killing the human cells and releasing new copies of itself that attach to more cells of the intestine's lining. Norovirus (previously called "Norwalk-like virus" or NLV) is a member of the family Caliciviridae.  The name derives from the Latin for chalice—calyx—meaning cup-like, and refers to the indentations of the virus surface.  The family of Caliciviridae consists of several distinct groups of viruses that were first named after the places where outbreaks occurred.  The first of these outbreaks occurred in 1968 among schoolchildren in Norwalk, Ohio.  The prototype strain was identified four years later, in 1972, and was the first virus identified that specifically caused gastroenteritis in humans.  Other discoveries followed, with each strain name based on the location of its discovery—e.g., Montgomery County, Snow Mountain, Mexico, Hawaii, Parmatta, Taunton, and Toronto viruses.  A study published in 1977 found that the Toronto virus was the second most common cause of gastroenteritis in children.  Eventually this confusing nomenclature was resolved, first in favor of calling each of the strains a Norwalk-like virus, and then simply, a norovirus – the term used today. More about Norovirus An Introduction to Norovirus Transmission of Norovirus Symptoms and Risks of Norovirus Infection Diagnosis of Norovirus Infection Treatment for Norovirus Infection Preventing Norovirus Transmission Norovirus Outbreaks Consumer Resources for Norovirus References Again, all comments and suggestions on all of our about-sites are welcome. © Food Safety News More Headlines from Opinion & Contributed Articles » Tags: Bill Marler, foodborne illness, norovirus

CDC: 22 Illnesses and 4 Deaths Now Linked to Listeria Cheese

By News Desk | October 27, 2012 Two more cases have been added to the multistate outbreak of listeriosis linked to imported Frescolina Marte brand ricotta salata cheese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of Friday, CDC said a total of 22 persons infected with the outbreak-associated strain of Listeria monocytogenes have been reported from 13 states and the District of Columbia. Of the known cases, 20 people were hospitalized. Four deaths have been reported. Listeriosis contributed to at least 2 of these deaths, according to the CDC's update. The agency also said that one fetal loss has been reported. Health officials investigating at the local, state, and federal level have found that imported ricotta salata cheese is the likely source of the outbreak. CDC is reminding consumers to be on the look out for the products: "Cheese retailers should not sell or serve recalled Frescolina Marte brand ricotta salata cheese distributed by Forever Cheese, Inc., regardless of any expiration coding." The recalled cheese should be off store shelves now — the recall began on Sept. 10 and was expanded on Sept. 14., but CDC said that more ill persons may be reported because up to 2 months can elapse between eating contaminated food and developing listeriosis. © Food Safety News More Headlines from Foodborne Illness Investigations »