This is the official story from the Canadian Press.

Seven people in Alberta have developed a form of immune system suppression after consuming cocaine laced with a chemical compound, public health officials said Friday.

The individuals developed agranulocytosis, a condition that makes the immune system incapable of fighting off infections.

It makes common infections become serious, even fatal, quite quickly.

"We are advising anyone who develops a fever or other signs of infection and has used cocaine to seek medical attention quickly," Dr. Gerry Predy, Alberta's Acting Chief Medical Officer of Health, said in a news release.

"Any skin abscess or lung infection that develops rapidly should also be treated immediately."

Officials have linked the cases to cocaine laced with levamisole, a chemical compound developed to treat intestinal worms in humans and animals.

The cases were reported in Edmonton, Red Deer, and in undisclosed locations in southern and northern Alberta.

Doctors in Alberta have been advised they should test and treat patients for this condition if they complain of a fever or other signs of infection after using cocaine.

Food Safety during Pregnancy, what is safe?

Food Safety During Pregnancy

Food Safety for Pregnant Women

by J. Dean and P. Kendall¹

Quick Facts…

• During pregnancy, changes in hormones cause a woman’s immune system to become suppressed, so that it is harder to fight off infections.
• The 6.5 million women who are pregnant each year in the U.S. are at increased risk for some types of food-borne illness.
• Some food-borne illnesses can cause a woman to have a miscarriage, stillbirth or serious health problems for the baby after birth.
• Pathogens are organisms (bacteria, virus, parasite) that can cause illness in humans.


Pregnancy is an exciting, yet critical time in a woman’s life. Because a mother’s health behaviors have direct effects on the health of her baby, expectant mothers receive a lot of health information. Along with nutrition concerns, a growing topic of importance is food safety during pregnancy. Pregnant women are at increased risk for getting some food-borne infections because of the hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy. While such changes are necessary for survival of the fetus, they also suppress the mother’s immune system, thereby increasing the chance of infection from certain food-borne pathogens. Examples of pathogens of special concern to pregnant women are Listeria monocytogenes, Toxoplasma gondii, Brucella species, Salmonella species and Campylobacter jejuni. Certain organisms can cross the placenta and increase the fetus’s risk of becoming infected. Infection can result in miscarriage, stillbirth, premature labor or severe complications for the baby. Certain organisms, including Listeria monocytogenes, Toxoplasma gondii, Salmonella typhi and Campylobacter jejuni, can have adverse consequences for the fetus if they cross the placenta.

Listeriosis

Listeriosis is a form of infection that may result when foods containing the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes are consumed. L. monocytogenes is widely distributed in nature and is found in soil, ground water, plants and animals. L. monocytogenes is often carried by humans and animals, and has the ability to survive unfavorable conditions, including refrigeration temperatures, food preservatives (salt), and conditions with little or no oxygen. It is, however, easily destroyed by cooking.
Infection from L. monocytogenes typically occurs in individuals with a weakened immune system, including pregnant women. There is an estimated 14-fold increase in the incidence of listeriosis among pregnant women compared to non-pregnant adults. Pregnant women make up 27 percent of all cases of listeriosis. Once in the bloodstream, Listeria bacteria can travel to any site, but seem to prefer the central nervous system and the placenta. The fetus is unusually prone to infection from L. monocytogenes, which can lead to a miscarriage, stillbirth, or infection of the neonate and health problems following birth. Gastrointestinal symptoms may appear within 2 to 3 days of exposure. If the body does not clear itself of the pathogen and the infection becomes invasive, symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, muscle aches and back aches may develop in 11 to 70 days after exposure. A blood test can determine if symptoms are caused by Listeria infection and if confirmed, the patient can then be treated with antibiotics. Foods typically associated with listeriosis have a long shelf life and are eaten without further cooking. Outbreaks have involved foods such as coleslaw, Mexican-style soft cheeses, milk, pâté, pork tongue, hot dogs, processed meats and deli salads. Examples of foods that may harbor this pathogen include unpasteurized milk, raw milk products, raw and smoked seafood, and any ready-to-eat processed foods, such as hot dogs, luncheon meats or deli meats, that have not been heated to proper temperatures before serving. To avoid infection from L. monocytogenes, pregnant women are advised to practice safe food handling procedures, such as storing all perishable foods at or below 40 degrees F and using perishable or ready-to-eat foods as soon as possible. If a potentially hazardous perishable food cannot be eaten within four days, it is best to freeze or discard it. Kitchen surfaces, cutting boards and utensils should be washed before and after food preparation (especially after contact with raw meat or poultry). Pregnant women are advised to avoid eating soft cheeses made from raw milk (e.g., Feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined cheeses, queso fresco, queso blanco and Panela), unpasteurized milk and foods made from raw milk, raw or undercooked seafood, refrigerated smoked or precooked seafood, deli seafood salads, and hot dogs, luncheon meats, deli meats and pâté unless reheated to steaming hot before serving or reformulated to prevent Listeria. Leftover foods should be reheated to 165 degrees F before eating.

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis, the infection caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, can be passed to humans by water, dust, soil, or through eating contaminated foods. Cats are the main host for T. gondii, and the only host where the parasite can complete its life cycle. T. gondii may be carried in the fur or feces of cats and then passed to other animals and people. If an animal becomes infected and its meat is then eaten raw or undercooked, the parasite is passed to the human or animal that consumes the meat. It is estimated that 1.5 million people in the U.S. become infected with T. gondii each year. Most individuals do not experience recognizable symptoms, and will develop a protective resistance to the parasite. However, if a woman not previously exposed to T. gondii first acquires the parasite a few months before or during pregnancy, she may pass the organism to the fetus. This could result in stillbirth, early prenatal death, or serious health problems for the baby after birth such as eye or brain damage. Symptoms in the baby may not be visible at birth, but can appear months or even years later.
If symptoms of infection with T. gondii do appear in the pregnant woman, they usually appear about 10 days after exposure to the parasite and include a low grade fever with rash, muscle aches, headache and possibly swelling of the lymph nodes. Infection may be confirmed by a blood test and treated with antibiotics. Prompt treatment of the mother with antibiotics reduces the risk of passing the parasite to the fetus, but cannot change the course of the disease once the fetus has been exposed. Toxoplasmosis most often results from eating raw or undercooked meat, eating unwashed fruits and vegetables, cleaning a cat litter box or handling contaminated soil. To avoid infection from T. gondii it is important that pregnant women practice safe food handling procedures such as washing all surfaces, cutting boards and utensils with hot, soapy water, especially those that come in contact with raw meat. Pregnant women should wash hands often, especially after handling animals or working in the garden, avoid eating raw or undercooked meat (particularly mince meat, mutton and pork), and if they own or take care of a cat, make sure the litter box is changed every day, preferably by a friend or family member.

Salmonellosis

Salmonellosis is a common form of food infection that may result when foods containing Salmonella bacteria are eaten. The bacteria are spread through direct or indirect contact with the intestinal contents or waste of animals, including humans. It is estimated that 2 million cases of salmonellosis occur each year in the United States. Salmonella bacteria do not grow at refrigerator or freezer temperatures and are easily destroyed by heating foods to 165 degrees F. Symptoms of salmonellosis include headache, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, chills, fever and vomiting; these usually appear within 12 to 36 hours after eating the contaminated food. Foods most often involved include raw (unpasteurized) milk and raw milk products, raw or undercooked meat and poultry, raw or undercooked eggs, raw sprouts (alfalfa, clover, radish, broccoli), salads (including chicken, tuna, potato), and cream desserts and fillings. To avoid infection from Salmonella bacteria, pregnant women should follow general safe food handling practices, including washing hands often with hot, soapy water, especially after using the bathroom and before and after handling food. Hands and working surfaces should be thoroughly washed after contact with raw meat, fish, poultry, and foods that will not undergo further cooking. Fresh fruits and vegetables should be rinsed well before eating, and food such as raw milk and raw milk products, raw or undercooked eggs, raw sprouts, raw or undercooked meat and poultry, and unpasteurized fruit juices should be avoided. Pregnant women are not at an increased risk for getting salmonellosis; however, one type of Salmonella bacteria, called Salmonella typhi may be passed to the fetus. S. Typhi is rare in the United States, but if transmitted to the fetus, can cause abortion, stillbirth or premature labor.

Campylobacteriosis

Consuming food or water that contains the bacteria Campylobacter jejuni causes an infection called campylobacteriosis. C. jejuni is found in the intestinal tracts of animals (especially chickens) and in untreated water. It’s a very common cause of diarrhea accompanied by fever in the United States. This organism thrives in a reduced oxygen environment and is inhibited by acid, salt and drying. C. jejuni also is easily destroyed by heat (120 degrees F). Although pregnant women are not at an increased risk of campylobacteriosis, infection from this bacteria can result in transmission to the placenta. Consequences of fetal infection include abortion, stillbirth or preterm delivery. Symptoms usually appear within 2 to 5 days after eating the contaminated food and include fever, stomach cramps, muscle pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. Infection from C. jejuni may be treated with antibiotics. C. jejuni is most often found in raw (unpasteurized) milk and raw milk products, raw or undercooked meat and poultry, and raw shellfish. To avoid campylobacteriosis, pregnant women are advised to consume only pasteurized milk and milk products and to thoroughly cook meat, poultry and shellfish. Hands, surfaces, cutting boards and utensils that come in contact with raw meat, poultry or fish should be washed well with hot, soapy water.

Preventing Food-borne Illness During Pregnancy

Preventing food-borne illness is always important, but is especially so during pregnancy when the consequences can adversely affect the mother and the unborn child. Listed below are key behaviors important in ensuring the safety of the food you eat.


Practice Personal Hygiene

• Always wash hands well with soap and warm running water before handling food, after using the toilet, after changing a baby’s diaper, and after touching animals.

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Cook Foods Safely

Figure 1. Safe endpoint cooking temperatures. To test the temperature of food, insert thermometer in the middle of the thickest part of the food you’re cooking and allow a few seconds for the thermometer to register. When testing the temperature of a hamburger, lift it out of the pan on a spatula and insert the thermometer from the side.

• Use a food thermometer to make sure meat, poultry (including ground meats) and eggs are cooked to safe endpoint temperatures. See Figure 1.
• Use a thermometer to make sure leftovers are reheated to 165 degrees F.
• Always heat hot dogs to steaming hot before eating. Follow the instructions on the package or simmer for at least 5 minutes.
• Heat lunch meats and deli meats to steaming hot before eating. This includes packaged lunch meats and those purchased at the deli. You can use a microwave, oven or grill. If you prefer lunch meats cold, they can be heated and then cooled before eating.
• Cook shellfish until the shell opens and the flesh is fully cooked; cook fish until flesh is firm and flakes easily with a fork or to 145 degrees F.

Avoid Cross-Contamination

• Wash knives, cutting boards and food preparation areas with hot, soapy water after touching raw poultry, meat and seafood.
• Wash hands with soap and warm running water after handling raw foods.
• Thoroughly rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water before eating.
• Keep cooked and ready-to-eat foods separate from raw meat, poultry, seafood and their juices.

Keep Foods at Safe Temperatures

• Store all perishable foods at or below 40 degrees F. Use a refrigerator thermometer to make sure your refrigerator is between 35 to 40 degrees F.
• Store eggs and other perishable foods in the refrigerator.
• Use perishable foods that are precooked or ready-to-eat as soon as possible. If the food cannot be eaten within 4 days, it is best to freeze or discard it.

Avoid Foods from Unsafe Sources

Because pregnant women are at high risk for infection from the pathogens discussed above, they are advised to avoid foods that may be contaminated with these harmful pathogens. See Table 1.

References

• FAO/WHO (Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization). 2002. Draft Risk Assessment of Listeria monoctyogenes in Ready-to-Eat Foods.
• FSIS-USDA. 2001. “Listeriosis and Pregnancy: What is Your Risk?: Safe Food Handling for a Healthy Pregnancy,” www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/pubs.lm_tearsheet.htm.
• Lorber B. 1997. Listeriosis. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 24:1-11.
• Silver, H. M. 1998. Listeriosis during Pregnancy. Obstetrical and Gynecological Survey. 53:737-740.
• Smith J. L. 1999. Food-borne Infections during Pregnancy. J. Food Protection. 62: 818-829.
• Smith J. L. 1997. Long-Term Consequences of Food-borne Toxoplasmosis: Effects on the Unborn, the Immunocompromised, the Elderly, and the Immunocompetent. J. Food Protection. 60:1595-1611.

¹ J. Dean, former graduate student, department of food science and human nutrition; P. Kendall, Colorado State University Extension food safety specialist and professor, department of food science and human nutrition. 5/04. Revised 12/06.

Colorado State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Colorado counties cooperating. Extension programs are available to all without discrimination. No endorsement of products mentioned is intended nor is criticism implied of products not mentioned.

Salmonella in Banquet Pot Pies Sickened 401 people

A salmonella outbreak linked to ConAgra’s Banquet Pot Pies sickened 401 people last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). According to a new report on the ConAgra salmonella pot pie outbreak, confusing microwave cooking instructions contributed to many of the illnesses.

In October 2007, ConAgra’s Banquet and store brand pot pies were linked to dozens of cases of Salmonella poisoning. At that time, ConAgra issued a health alert about the salmonella pot pie outbreak, warning consumers not to eat any of its 7-ounce store brand or Banquet Pot Pies with the codes “P-9” or “Est 1059” on the package. Despite the health alert, ConAgra did not recall the tainted pot pies. On October 11, ConAgra finally did issue a pot pie recall.

Following the ConAgra recall, it was learned that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) had found deficiencies at the Missouri plant that manufactured the pies. Reportedly, these deficiencies included problems with record keeping and with ConAgra’s Hazard Analysis Critical Control plan that spells out what the company does to ensure product safety. The USDA did not elaborate on the nature of those problems, however, the factory was subjected to a 90-day verification by federal inspectors to insure that problems were corrected.

According to an article published in this week’s issue of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the ConAgra pot pies ultimately sickened 401 people in 41 states. Of those, 32 percent were hospitalized.

According to the CDC, roughly 77 percent of those sickened had eaten ConAgra pot pies that had been cooked in the microwave. Because microwaves can heat foods unevenly, the CDC said manufacturers need to provide clearer labeling and cooking instructions on not-ready-to-eat foods. Other frozen, not-ready-to-eat foods, such as pre-browned chicken nuggets and chicken breasts, have been implicated in similar food poisoning outbreaks, the CDC said.

In December 2007, ConAgra admitted the cooking directions on its pot pies were confusing, and announced it would be revamping the instructions before the pot pies were returned to the market. ConAgra also said it would be updating cooking instructions on hundreds of other frozen foods, including the company’s popular Healthy Choice and Kid Cuisine lines.



The ConAgra pot pie recall was the second time that one of the company’s products was implicated in a salmonella outbreak in 2007. In February of that year, the company recalled its Peter Pan and Great Value Peanut Butter after the products were implicated in a salmonella outbreak that sickened more than 600 people in 47 states. The salmonella contamination was blamed on a leaky roof and malfunctioning sprinkler system at ConAgra’s manufacturing facility in Sylvester, Georgia.

Tags: banquet pot pie recall, ConAgra pot pie recall, Great Value Peanut Butter, Peter Pan Peanut Butter, pot pies salmonella, Salmonella, sprinkler system contamination

Foods you cannot ship from overseas. Bureau of Customs and Border Patrol List

November 27, 2008 by admin · 1 Comment
Filed under: banned foods to ship, Safe Shipping Overseas, Tips on Food Safety 

U.S. personnel overseas can help American farmers in a big way. Just don’t put fresh fruit, vegetables, red meats, sausage or plants into the mail or a personal property shipment. One piece of fruit or sausage can cause such a major outbreak of disease that the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection fines people who mail or take prohibited foods to the States at least $300. When you return from abroad, you will be given a Customs Declaration form on which to declare your agricultural products and will also be asked whether you have visited a farm or ranch outside the United States. Officers inspect passenger baggage for undeclared agricultural products. Failure to declare any items may result in delays and fines of up to $1,000.



“We’re having a big problem with canned meats being mailed at the moment,” said William Manning, USDA adviser to the European Command. He explained that the canned meats come mainly from Germany and threaten U.S. agriculture because they are often not cooked long enough to kill Foot and Mouth Disease germs. USDA therefore fines people who mail canned or dried meat, pâté, salamis or sausages to the States because the disease has been eradicated in the USA.
“European food is generally no different from U.S. produce but it can carry agricultural pests and diseases which we don’t have in the States,” Manning added. “These pests cost the American taxpayer $22 billion a year.” Examples of imported pests are the infamous Mediterranean fruit fly and citrus-canker which took 40 years and $13 million to eradicate when it hit the States. Some foods such as bread, cookies and cured cheeses are not banned from import. Candies, cakes, tea, dried or canned fruits, mushrooms and canned or processed vegetables are also good to go.

Prohibited items		Click on the following options for more information on: Fish and Wildlife Food Products (Prepared) Fruits and Vegetables Meats, Livestock, and Poultry Plants and Seeds Soil
Bringing Agricultural Products Into the United States		Customs and Border Protection tips on taking food, plants and animal products into the USA.
Know Before You Go		This PDF pamphlet from Customs and Border Protection also contains information on taking and sending Food, plants and agricultural products to the USA
Shipping plants home		All plants in soil are banned from the USA. Aquaculture is the answer. But make sure you have the necessary permits. This U.S. Department of Agriculture page also has details on bulbs, seeds etc.
Endangered		Information from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Threatened and Endangered Wildlife and Plants.

Tags: banned foods to ship, safe foods to ship overseas, Safe Shipping Overseas, Shipping foods overseas

FDA to open China offices after product scares

November 22, 2008 by admin · Comment
Filed under: Melamine, U.S.A and Melamine Scare 

BEIJING (AP) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will open three offices in China this week in an unprecedented effort to improve the safety of exports headed to America amid recurring product safety scares.

The new FDA offices, which are the first outside of the United States, will increase effectiveness in protecting for American and Chinese consumers, according to the office of U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt.

Leavitt and the agency’s Food and Drug Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach will open the first office in Beijing on Wednesday, followed by one in Guangzhou and another in Shanghai.

“Establishing a permanent FDA presence in China will greatly enhance the speed and effectiveness of our regulatory cooperation and our efforts to protect consumers in both countries,” Leavitt’s office said in a statement last week.

Safety issues involving the blood thinner heparin, food and other products imported from China has put pressure on the FDA to boost its international presence. In the heparin case, a Chinese-made component contained a contaminant linked to as many as 81 deaths and hundreds of allergic reactions.

In October, cribs made in China were included in a recall of 1.6 million cribs issued by New York-based Delta Enterprises.

Last year, U.S.-based Mattel Inc. recalled more than 21 million Chinese-made toys worldwide. Products including Barbie doll accessories and toy cars were pulled off shelves because of concerns about lead paint or tiny, detachable magnets that might be swallowed.

Leavitt has said 13 employees will be assigned to work in the FDA offices in China but has not said what their role will be. He plans to make opening facilities in India and Central America his next priority.

Leavitt plans to attend two workshops conducted by American and Chinese government during his visit to Beijing.

The sessions will address outbreaks of food-related illnesses in the U.S. related to fresh produce as well as melamine contamination in Chinese dairy products which have sickened tens of thousands of babies, the HHS statement said. The nitrogen-rich chemical is used in the manufacture of plastics and fertilizer.

The groups will also discuss reforms that could improve the safety of consumer products and will exchange data on the toxicity to humans of melamine, which was added to Chinese milk to make it appear protein-rich in quality tests that measure nitrogen.



On Monday, the European Union and China signed an agreement to cooperate better on consumer safety. Under the agreement, the two sides will more quickly swap information on tainted food and other dangerous goods. The deal also allows officials from the EU and China to carry out coordinated checks on producers to ensure safety standards are met.

Tags: America Melamine, FDA melamine, USA melamine, USA melamine scare

Is Melamine in our food in the U.S? United States

November 22, 2008 by admin · Comment
Filed under: China Product Safety, Dangerous Foods, U.S.A and Melamine Scare 

By JAMES E. McWILLIAMS
Published: November 17, 2008

CHINA’S food supply appears to be awash in the industrial chemical melamine. Dangerous levels have been detected not only in milk and eggs, but also in chicken feed and wheat gluten, meaning that melamine is almost impossible to avoid in processed foods. Melamine in baby formula has killed at least four infants in China and sickened tens of thousands more.

In response, the United States has blasted lax Chinese regulations, while the Food and Drug Administration, in a rare move, announced last week that Chinese food products containing milk would be detained at the border until they were proved safe.

For all the outrage about Chinese melamine, what American consumers and government agencies have studiously failed to scrutinize is how much melamine has pervaded our own food system. In casting stones, we’ve forgotten that our own house has more than its share of exposed glass.

To be sure, in China some food manufacturers deliberately added melamine to products to increase profits. Makers of baby formula, for example, watered down their product, lowering the amount of protein and nutrients, then added melamine, which is cheap and fools tests measuring protein levels.

But melamine is also integral to the material life of any industrialized society. It’s a common ingredient in cleaning products, waterproof plywood, plastic compounds, cement, ink and fire-retardant paint. Chemical plants throughout the United States produce millions of pounds of melamine a year.



Given the pervasiveness of melamine, it’s always possible that trace elements will end up in food. The F.D.A. thus sets the legal limit for melamine in food at 2.5 parts per million. This amount is indeed minuscule, a couple of sand grains in an expanse of desert that pose no real threat to public health. Moreover, the 2.5 p.p.m. figure is calculated for a person weighing 132 pounds — a cautious benchmark given that the average adult weighs 150 to 180 pounds.

But these figures obscure more than they reveal. First, while adults eat about one-fortieth of their weight every day, toddlers consume closer to one-tenth. Although scientists haven’t measured the differential impact of melamine on infants versus adults, it’s likely that this intensified ratio would at least double (if not quadruple) the impact of legal levels of melamine on toddlers.

This doubled exposure might not land a child in the hospital, but it could certainly contribute to the long-term kidney and liver problems that we know are caused by chronic exposure to melamine.

On a more concrete note, melamine not only has widespread industrial applications, but is also used to buttress the foundation of American agriculture.

Fertilizer companies commonly add melamine to their products because it helps control the rate at which nitrogen seeps into soil, thereby allowing the farmer to get more nutrient bang for the fertilizer buck. But the government doesn’t regulate how much melamine is applied to the soil. This melamine accumulates as salt crystals in the ground, tainting the soil through which American food sucks up American nutrients.

A related area of agricultural concern is animal feed. Chinese eggs seized last month in Hong Kong, for instance, contained elevated levels of melamine because of the melamine-laden wheat gluten used in the feed for the chickens that produced the eggs.

To think American consumers are immune to this unscrupulous behavior is to ignore the Byzantine reality of the global gluten trade. Tracking the flow of wheat gluten around the world, much less evaluating its quality, is like trying to contain a drop of dye in a churning whirlpool.

More ominous, the United States imports most of its wheat gluten. Last year, for instance, the F.D.A. reported that millions of Americans had eaten chicken fattened on feed with melamine-tainted gluten imported from China. Around the same time, Tyson Foods slaughtered and processed hogs that had eaten melamine-contaminated feed. The government decided not to recall the meat.

Only a week earlier, however, the F.D.A. had announced that thousands of cats and dogs had died from melamine-laden pet food. This high-profile pet scandal did not prove to be a spur to reform so much as a red herring. Our attention was diverted to Fido and away from the animals we happen to kill and eat rather than spoil.

Frightening as this all sounds, the concerned consumer is not completely helpless. We can seek out organic foods, which are grown with fertilizer without melamine — unless that fertilizer was composted with manure from animals fed melamine-laden feed (always possible, as the Tyson example suggests).

We could further protect ourselves by choosing meat from grass-fed or truly free-range animals, assuming the grass was not fertilized with a conventional product (something that’s also very hard to know).

But as all the caveats above indicate, these precautions will only go so far. Melamine, after all, points to the much larger relationship between industrial waste and American food production. Regulations might be lax when it comes to animal feed and fertilizer in China, but take a closer look at similar regulations in the United States and it becomes clear that they’re vague enough to allow industries to “recycle” much of their waste into fertilizer and other products that form the basis of our domestic food supply.

As a result, toxic chemicals routinely enter our agricultural system through the back channels of this under-explored but insidious relationship.

So, sure, let’s keep the heat on China. And, yes, let’s take with a big dose of skepticism the Chinese government’s assurances that they’re improving the food supply.

At the same time, though, instead of delivering righteous condemnation, the United States should seize upon the melamine scandal as an opportunity to pass federal fertilizer standards backed by consistent testing for this compound, which could very well be hidden in plain sight.

James E. McWilliams, a history professor at Texas State University at San Marcos, is the author of “American Pests: The Losing War on Insects From Colonial Times to DDT.

Tags: America Melamine Scare, banned foods melamine, dangerous foods melamine, Foods recalled USA melamine

Amercian or USA food products with Melamine?

November 22, 2008 by admin · Comment
Filed under: Dangerous Foods, Melamine, U.S.A and Melamine Scare 

Many people are worried that we may have some melamine tainted foods in the U.S.
So far it would seem only certain imported items are meriting an alert.
I will post everything I find about alerts and recalls in the U.S
I will keep my eye on this and post any new information that comes to light.

FDA Updates Health Information Advisory on Melamine Contamination

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is alerting consumers that seven Mr. Brown instant coffee and milk tea products are being recalled by the Taiwanese company, King Car Food Industrial Co. Ltd., due to possible contamination with melamine. King Car Food Industrial Co. used a non-dairy creamer manufactured by Shandong Duqing Inc., China, which was found to be contaminated with melamine. The recalled products are:

• Mr. Brown Mandheling Blend Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
• Mr. Brown Arabica Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
• Mr. Brown Blue Mountain Blend Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
• Mr. Brown Caramel Macchiato Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
• Mr. Brown French Vanilla Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
• Mr. Brown Mandhling Blend instant Coffee (2-in-1)
• Mr. Brown Milk Tea (3-in-1)

The FDA recommends that consumers not consume any of the above Mr. Brown instant coffee and milk tea products. The FDA also recommends that retailers and foodservice operators remove the products from sale or service.

As of September 25, 2008, the FDA testing of milk based products imported into the United States from China has not found melamine contamination.

The FDA is working with regulatory agencies in other countries. The New Zealand Food Safety Authority reports that its testing of White Rabbit Creamy Candies has shown melamine contamination at high levels. In light of the widespread contamination of milk and milk-based products in China and the New Zealand Food Safety Authority’s finding, the FDA recommends that consumers not eat White Rabbit Creamy Candy and that retailers and foodservice operations remove the product from sale or service.

To date, the FDA is not aware of any illnesses in the United States stemming from consumption of either White Rabbit Creamy Candy or the Mr. Brown instant coffee and milk tea products.

Individuals who have experienced any health problems after consuming either White Rabbit Creamy Candy or any of the identified Mr. Brown coffee and tea products are advised to contact their health care professional.

Background

On September 12, 2008, in light of reports from China of melamine contaminated infant formula, the FDA issued a Health Information Advisory to assure the American public that there is no known threat of contamination in infant formula manufactured by companies that have met the requirements to sell such products in the United States. That advisory also warned members of Chinese communities in the United States that infant formula manufactured in China, possibly available for purchase at Asian markets, could pose a risk to infants.

The FDA had contacted the companies who manufacture infant formula for distribution in the United States and received, from the companies, information that they are not importing formula or sourcing milk-based materials from China.

At the same time, the FDA—in conjunction with state and local officials—began a nation-wide investigation to check Asian markets for Chinese manufactured infant formula that may have been brought into the United States. In particular, this effort focused on areas of the country with large Chinese communities, such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and New York. To date, investigators have visited more than 1,400 retail markets and have not found Chinese infant formula present on shelves in these markets.

The FDA also advises consumers not to purchase infant formula manufactured in China from Internet sites or from other sources.

The FDA has taken, and will continue to take, proactive measures to help ensure the safety of the American food supply. In conjunction with state and local officials, the FDA will continue to check Asian markets for food items that are imported from China and that could contain a significant amount of milk or milk proteins. In addition, the FDA has broadened its domestic and import sampling and testing of milk-derived ingredients and finished food products containing milk, such as candies, desserts, and beverages that could contain these ingredients from Chinese sources. Milk-derived ingredients include whole milk powder, non-fat milk powder, whey powder, lactose powder, and casein.

In addition to state and local governments, the FDA is working in close cooperation with Customs and Border Protection within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, other federal agencies, and foreign governments.

Tags: America Melamine Scare, Foods recalled USA melamine, melamine ban, melamine dangerous foods, melamine foods, U.S Melamine

Huge Recall on Frozen Nestle Lean Cuisine Dinners with Chicken

November 20, 2008 by admin · Comment
Filed under: Banned Foods, BPA,Bishenol A 

Major recall of frozen dinners

Nestle issues Lean Cuisine recall

Related Links

• USDA Recall

WASHINGTON, DC — Nestlé has recalled over 879,000 pounds of frozen chicken meals after pieces of hard plastic were found in several of the products.The company received several complaints after finding pieces of hard plastic inside of their frozen chicken meals, according to the USDA. One person was reported injured.

The following products are part of the recall:

1.) 9.5 ounce packages of “Lean Cuisine Pesto Chicken With Bow Tie Pasta.” The package has a production code of 8280595912 and a use-by date of May 2010.

2.) 10.5 ounce packages of “Lean Cuisine Chicken Mediterranean.” Packages with the following productions codes have been recalled: 8231595912, 8241595912, 8263595912, 8269595911, 8274595912, 8291595912, or 8292595912.

3.) 12.5 ounce packages of “Lean Cuisine Chicken Tuscan.” Packages with the following productions codes have been recalled: 8234595911, 8253595911, 8269595912, 8292595911, or 8296595911.

These packages were sold nationwide. The USDA is classifying this recall as a class one recall meaning it is considered a heath hazard with a reasonable probability that using the product can cause serious health consequences.

For more information on the recalled products call Nestle’s Consumer Services Center at (800) 993-8625.

Tags: Lean Cuisine, Nestle, Product Recall, USDA recall

EU, China sign safety agreement -more protection for consumers

November 17, 2008 by admin · Comment
Filed under: Banned Foods, China Product Safety, Is it Safe? 

EU, China sign safety agreement

By Zoë Casey

17.11.2008

Agreement particularly aims to reduce the number of products whose makers are unknown.

China and the EU have agreed to beef up safety measures in response to a wave of large-scale safety scares relating to Chinese products.

The centrepiece of the plan, signed today by Meglena Kuneva, the European commissioner for consumer affairs, and Wei Chuanzhong, a deputy minister responsible for product safety, are measures designed to make it easier to trace dangerous food and consumer products.

Some 50% of all products withdrawn from the EU market for safety reasons are of Chinese origin, and Chinese authorities are unable to trace the manufacturer of just under half of these dangerous goods, the European Commission said.


Those figures indicate that the problems extend beyond the range of Chinese products – toys, pet food and toothpaste – pulled from European shelves in the “summer of recalls” in 2007. However, there is particular concern about toys, as around 85% of toys on the EU market are made in China.

Since 2007, the Chinese authorities have stepped up safety measures, auditing exporters and, as a result, revoking the export licences of 701 companies.

However, Kuneva said “it is clear we must do more”. The signing of the memorandum of understanding today signals that intention “at the highest political level”, she said, stressing that “we are strongly in favour of open and competitive markets, with all the benefits in terms of price and choice they bring for the consumer, but never at the expense of safety”.

Under the agreement, China will be obliged to inform the Commission and the US authorities four times a year of its plans to improve its systems that trace dangerous goods back to the manufacturer.

The Commission and China – together with US authorities – will also meet in 2009 to take stock of the progress made and set new political priorities to improve product safety, Kuneva said. There is no indication that these will become annual meetings.

In another step agreed today, the Commission will allow the Chinese authorities immediate access to information contained in the Commission's Rapid Alert System for Feed and Food (RASFF) database on dangerous Chinese food products found in Europe. The intention is to make it easier for Chinese authorities to trace the source of contaminated products.

Today's agreement has been given added urgency by the scandal of milk tainted with melamine, which officially left nearly 13,000 Chinese infants ill. Unofficial figures suggest the number was substantially higher.

There are no known cases of melamine contamination affecting people in Europe, but traces of the plastic resin have been found in some products, including White Rabbit candy sold in the UK. In Slovakia, three to four times the legal limit of melamine was found in chocolate biscuits and snacks that had yet to be commercialised. In addition, in mid-October the Italian authorities seized one tonne of smuggled Chinese milk powder suspected to have been contaminated.

Overall, figures from the Commission's Rapid Alert System for dangerous consumer products (RAPEX) – a classification that does not include food items – indicate that fewer products withdrawn from the market are now of untraceable origin. In 2006, the figure was 17%; in 2007, it fell to 10%.

Converging safety standards

The day also produced a consensus, though no formal agreement between the Commission, China and the US, that there should be an international “convergence” of safety standards for products such as toys and electrical appliances, a view that chimes with a recent call from the European Parliament for strict international standards on product safety.

Speaking at a safety conference held in Brussels today, Nancy Nord, the chairwoman of the US consumer-product safety commission, said that the need to meet many different standards in international markets posed a significant “challenge” for exporting countries such as China.

Tags: banned products, china, dangerous food, EU, imported products, Melamine, safety

Thailand burns melamine-tainted products 8 tons of products

November 11, 2008 by admin · Comment
Filed under: Melamine 

www.chinaview.cn 2008-11-10 15:36:09

BANGKOK, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) — Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration burned eight tons of food products tainted with high levels of the toxic chemical melamine on Monday. Deputy Public Health Minister Wicharn Meenchainan witnessed the incineration of tens of thousands of food product items contaminated with higher than acceptable levels of melamine at the Bang Pa-in industrial estate north of Bangkok, according to the Thai news Agency. Some 20,000 boxes of snacks such as cheese crackers and biscuits and more than 13,000 cans of unsweetened condensed milk containing high levels of melamine were destroyed, Wicharn said that the burning of the melamine-tainted products was to ensure Thailand’s consumers that food products in the market are melamine free.

Editor: Deng Shasha

Tags: destroy melamine food, Melamine, tainted food, thailand, unsafe level melamine

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