10 Foods that can cause you to get sick
10 Foods Most Likely to Make You Sick
Leafy Greens, Eggs, and Tuna Are Among Foods Mostly Like to Cause Food-borne Illness
By Todd Zwillich
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
Oct. 6, 2009 — Here’s a surprise: Some of the healthiest foods may also be the most likely to cause food-borne illness.
That’s the conclusion in a report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). The report shows leafy greens, sprouts, and berries are among the most prone to carry infections or toxins.
“We don’t recommend that consumers change their eating habits,” says Caroline Smith DeWaal, the CSPI’s head of food safety programs. Instead, the group is trying to point out vulnerabilities in the nation’s food safety system as it lobbies Congress to beef up enforcement.
The group analyzed CDC data on food illness outbreaks dating back to 1990. They found that leafy greens were involved in 363 outbreaks and about 13,600 illnesses, mostly caused by norovirus, E. coli, and salmonella bacteria.
The rest of the top 10 list included:
* Eggs, involved in 352 outbreaks and 11,163 reported cases of illness.
* Tuna, involved in 268 outbreaks and 2,341 reported cases of illness.
* Oysters, involved in 132 outbreaks and 3,409 reported cases of illness.
* Potatoes, involved in 108 outbreaks and 3,659 reported cases of illness.
* Cheese, involved in 83 outbreaks and 2,761 reported cases of illness.
* Ice cream, involved in 74 outbreaks and 2,594 reported cases of illness.
* Tomatoes, involved in 31 outbreaks and 3,292 reported cases of illness.
* Sprouts, involved in 31 outbreaks and 2,022 reported cases of illness.
* Berries, involved in 25 outbreaks and 3,397 reported cases of illness.
It is unclear how many of the outbreaks can be blamed on the foods themselves. The CDC’s database can’t discriminate between outbreaks caused by tomatoes, for example, vs. those caused by other ingredients in a salad. Foods like potatoes are almost always consumed cooked, so it is unlikely that potatoes themselves caused 108 outbreaks.
Still, Smith DeWaal called the list “the tip of the iceberg” when it comes to food-borne illnesses in the U.S. Not all outbreaks are reported to public health authorities. In addition, the analysis focused only on foods regulated by the FDA; that leaves out beef, pork, poultry, and some egg products, which are policed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“Consumers always want to know what they should do to avoid getting sick,” says Sarah Klein, lead author of the report. She recommends “defensive eating,” including keeping food cold and cooking it thoroughly, chilling oysters and avoiding them when raw, and avoiding raw eggs or using them in homemade ice cream.
Several bills that are circulating in Congress aim to crack down on food safety by requiring all food producers to keep written safety plans and giving the FDA more power to inspect plans and enforce rules.
“In a relative scale our food supply remains quite safe,” says Craig Hedberg, a professor of environmental and occupational health at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. The CDC says 76 million Americans get sick from food-borne illnesses each year.
“Because most people don’t experience a bad outcome from a lapse in good behavior it’s difficult to enforce,” he says.
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Food Safety Reform, Is our food safe?
Food safety reform is on the table again
Pistachios Food and Drug Administration Kraft
Paul Sakuma / Associated Press
The Food and Drug Administration was tipped off by Kraft Foods Inc. on March 24, after the company found salmonella during routine testing.
The pistachio warning, coming not long after the peanut product recall, may lead to legislative changes.
By Mary MacVean
April 3, 2009
Consumers could be forgiven for feeling a little weary about this week’s recall of pistachios that might be contaminated with salmonella.
It comes just weeks after thousands of products containing peanuts were voluntarily recalled in a salmonella outbreak that sickened about 700 people, and follows highly publicized food-borne disease outbreaks connected to peppers and spinach.
www.Malt-O-Meal.com/VoluntaryRecall
“As consumers, we all have that reaction, ‘Here we go again,’ ” said Jeff Levi, executive director of the Trust for America’s Health, a Washington-based nonprofit organization that works to reform the food safety system.
But the string of alerts keeps food safety on the minds of Americans and could lead to legislative changes in California and the rest of the country.
The Food and Drug Administration told consumers Monday to stop eating anything containing pistachios — an effort to keep people from getting sick while investigators looked for the source and the extent of the problem.
The government was tipped off by Kraft Foods Inc. on March 24, after it found salmonella in routine testing and recalled some trail mix.
Ebola-Reston found in the Philippines, killing pigs to stop spread.
Filed under: Banned Foods, Dangerous Foods, Is it Safe?, What it is?
MANILA, Feb 23 (Reuters) – The Philippines will slaughter 6,000 pigs at a hog farm north of the capital Manila to prevent the spread of the Ebola-Reston virus, health and farm officials said on Monday.
But the government has lifted a quarantine on a second hog farm after tests by experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO), World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and Food and the Agriculture Organisation (FAO) showed no more signs of the disease.
The country has more than 13 million heads of swine and the discovery of Ebola-Reston on two hog farms north of Manila was isolated, the government said.
"There is ongoing viral transmission in Bulacan ... as a precautionary measure, depopulation will be carried out in the Bulacan farm," Health Secretary Francisco Duque told reporters, referring to the farm just north of Manila.
The government said 6,000 pigs would be killed, burned and buried as experts sought to determine the source of Ebola-Reston in pigs as well as pig-to-pig and from pig-to-human transmission. Duque said 147 human samples have been tested for Ebola, but only six have tested positive. But all six remain healthy, he added.
"Ebola-Reston poses a low risk to human health at this time," Duque said.
It is the first time the virus has been found outside monkeys and the first time it has been found in pigs. The virus had previously jumped from monkeys to humans but this was the first case of a jump from hogs.
The Ebola-Reston virus was found in the Philippines as early as the late 1980s and 25 people were found infected after contact with sick monkeys. But only one developed flu-like symptoms and later recovered. (Reporting by Manny Mogato; Editing by Sugita Katyal)
China clears Danone, milk products of melamine
Filed under: Banned Foods, china, China Product Safety, Dangerous Foods, Is it Safe?, Melamine
China clears Danone, milk products of melamine
By AUDRA ANG – 12 hours ago
BEIJING (AP) — Chinese quality investigators have found that milk products from a unit of France’s Groupe Danone SA are melamine-free, and also said an unapproved additive used by one of China’s largest dairies is safe but was used illegally.
The separate investigations into the products of Danone’s Dumex Baby Food Co. Ltd. and Mengniu Dairy Group Co. underscore the government’s chronic problems with policing product quality. Melamine-contaminated milk was linked to the deaths of at least six Chinese babies and illnesses of nearly 300,000 others last year.
In a statement released over the weekend, the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision said it had tested 932 batches dairy products produced by the Dumex subsidiary since mid-September “and all are melamine-free.”
It also said no melamine, an industrial chemical used in the manufacture of plastics and fertilizer, was found in more than 1,700 batches produced before mid-September, when the dairy scandal broke.
“Our valued consumers can continue to use our product with confidence,” Dumex said in a statement. “Now more than ever, we remain committed to providing products of the highest quality to our loyal consumers.”
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry said a panel of experts had reviewed OMP, a milk protein added by Mengniu to its premium Telunsu line and declared that "consumption ... is not hazardous to health."
However, the ministry said that OMP is not a government-approved additive and Mengniu "promoted its function in an exaggerated manner."
"Law enforcement and inspection departments will further deal with the illegal actions of Mengniu," the ministry said, without giving any details.
It said the company had stopped using OMP and was in the process of getting official approval.
Telephones were not answered at Mengniu's media department on Monday.
Last year's milk scandal, over nitrogen-rich melamine that was added to milk to fool protein tests, was China's worst food contamination crisis. It also exposed loose controls over large companies like Mengniu and Yili Industrial Group Co., whose products were recalled.
Both companies had been exempt from government inspections under waivers given to companies deemed to have proper quality controls, which have since been scrapped.
17 Harmful additives banned
Filed under: Banned Foods, china, Is it Safe?, Melamine, Red Dye 1
Chinese health ministry bans 17 harmful substances in food
BEIJING – China has published a list of 17 acids, chemicals and other substances that have been banned as food additives, amid a four-month safety campaign following a scandal over tainted milk.
A Chinese customer browses through various instant noodles at a supermarket in Zhengzhou, Dec. 16. China has banned 17 substances as food additives as part of a four-month safety campaign launched following a scandal over tainted milk. – AFP
Illegal items posted on the Chinese health ministry’s list include boric acid, a chemical used as an insecticide or flame retardant that is known to be added to noodles or the skin of dumplings to increase their elasticity.
Formaldehyde, applied to dried seafood to improve its appearance, but also commonly used as a disinfectant, was another dangerous substance on the banned list, published on the ministry’s Web site late on Monday.
Some of the substances, such as the carcinogenic dye Sudan Red 1, had already been banned by the government, but this was the first official compilation of illegal food additives in China.
In a related story, Chinese police are investigating 27 cases of melamine-laced animal feed, state media said Monday, three months after the industrial chemical was detected in milk, triggering a worldwide food scandal.
The Ministry of Agriculture examined 22,700 batches of feed throughout the country, and found 545, or 2.4%, were found to contain excessive melamine, the official China Daily reported.
Twenty-seven cases had been transferred to police for further investigation, the report said, citing Wang Xiaohong, a top official at the ministry’s National Feed Office.
The government said this month at least six children may have died in China after drinking milk laced with melamine, a chemical normally used to make plastic, and a further 294,000 suffered kidney-related problems.
The scandal, which came to light in September, caused international concern and led to recalls and bans of Chinese-made dairy products around the world.
The melamine was mixed into watered-down milk so dairy products would have the appearance of higher protein content.
The scandal widened when eggs sent from the mainland to Hong Kong were also discovered to contain melamine in October, with the chemical similarly added to chicken feed to give it the appearance of more protein.
China is the largest feed and feed additive exporter after the US, with output estimated to be 131 million tonnes this year, according to the China Daily.
This prompted authorities to launch a four-month food safety drive at the beginning of December to try to restore confidence in the “Made-in-China” brand.
The government said when it announced the campaign that it would start out softly, with companies urged to correct their own shortcomings. But officials would soon begin raiding food producers deemed high-risk and carry out random checks, it warned.
Banned food additives
The list of banned food additives on Monday also included sodium thiocyanate, used in the manufacture of textiles, and added to milk and dairy products to keep them fresh.
Anthony Hazzard, a regional adviser for food safety in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Western Pacific office, said the list could prove useful in reducing the illegal use of such chemicals, by raising awareness.
But he told AFP it was more efficient to have a list of additives that could be used in food rather than an unending list of ones that could not.
As part of the crackdown, the health ministry also published on Monday the names of additives that could easily be abused when added to food products.
It mentioned leavening agents as one such substance, used to make cakes and dough sticks, which could leave excessive aluminium residues if added in excessive quantities.
But the ministry warned the lists were not exhaustive.
"These lists... cannot cover all problems linked to illegally adding substances in food and abusing additives in the industry," it said in its online statement. - AFP
How much melamine is safe? World Heath Org says traces seem safe
By FRANK JORDANS
GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization said Friday that tiny traces of the chemical melamine are not harmful in most foods, but it joined the U.S. and EU in setting a strict limit that regulators should impose before pulling products off the shelf.
Melamine was recently found to have contaminated milk products around the world and has been implicated in the sickening of nearly 300,000 babies in China and killing at least six infants there.
A meeting of food safety experts held by WHO in Ottawa, Canada, decided on Friday that while there is no good reason to have any melamine in food products at all, a maximum of 0.2 milligrams of melamine per kilogram of body weight can be tolerated per day.
Jorgen Schlundt, WHO's director for food safety, said that threshold is lower than the European Union's limitation of 0.5 milligrams. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which originally set its limit at 0.63 milligrams, later reduced its tolerable daily intake to 0.063 milligrams.
WHO's guidance is used by governments to set their minimum food safety standards.
Melamine, a nitrogen-rich chemical used in the production of plastics, was first discovered to be a major problem when it appeared in Chinese infant formula in September. Since then traces have been found in milk products around the world.
Last month the FDA said tests found traces of melamine in the infant formula of one major U.S. manufacturer and cyanuric acid, a related chemical, in the formula of a second major maker.
Schlundt stressed that the threshold the WHO has set — which stipulates that a 50 kilogram (110-pound) person could tolerate 10 milligrams of melamine per day — is not a “safe” level for melamine, but merely the amount a human being can consume without higher health risk.
Melamine is used in some food packaging and can rub off into packaged food products. It also is part of a cleaning solution used on some food processing equipment.
Red Dye No 3 and other dyes, are they safe?
Red Dyes in Food, are they safe? Should they be banned?
Red Dye # 40 has been linked unofficially to some behavioral problems with young children.
Red dye No. 40 is found in hundreds of foods, including Twizzlers, Doritos, Twinkies, chocolate cake mix, vanilla frosting and crosissants.
This is a great site about red dyes and the history of what is going on with dyes in general.
Click here to read more.
Note: This is an older article and oddly enough when I researched red dye 3, I could not find any new info as far as it being banned. The FDA apparently tried to ban it at one point and failed.
Red No. 3 and Other Colorful Controversies
by Dale Blumenthal
The lure of red cherries in canned fruit cocktail is legendary in many
American families. Siblings fight over them, parents use them to bribe or
treat their children, and even adults count the cherries spooned into their
dessert. But, the days of the fruit cocktail cherry colored by FD&C Red No. 3
may be numbered. Because large amounts of the color have been shown to cause
cancer in rats, FDA recently ended certain uses of FD&C Red No. 3 and plans to
end the remaining uses. The cherries in 21st century fruit cocktail could
well be light brown.
Color has long been recognized as important in consumer acceptance of nearly
every food, medication and cosmetic product. Even the hue of the containers
can make the difference between a best seller and a “no-sale-er.”
A research project in the 1970s, reported in the October 1973 issue of
Marketing, illustrated just how big the impact of color can be on the
acceptance of food items in particular. Research volunteers were served a
meal of steak, peas and French fries. They ate part of the meal under special
lighting that concealed the fact that the colors of the food had been
altered. When, under normal lighting, the test group discovered that their
steaks were blue, peas red, and french fries green, some participants became
ill at the sight of the unnaturally colored food they had been eating.
Color Safety
Food once was colored only with natural dyes. Beets, peppers, grape skins,
saffron, and even brilliantly scarlet extracts prepared from dried bodies of
cochineal insects lent their distinctive colors to the cook’s creativity.
By the 19th century, colors derived from other chemicals came into use–with
sometimes serious health consequences (see “Additives for Eye Appeal” in the
July-August 1973 issue of FDA Consumer). Lead chromate and copper sulfate
began to be used to tint candy and pickles. Arsenic and other poisonous
impurities were added when mixing up new color additives. Dyes made from
coal-tar and petroleum derivatives also appeared in foods, drugs and cosmetics.
How, then, can a consumer be sure that the bright primary colors and the
subtle shadings that color many consumer products today are safe to eat, use
in drugs, put on skin or hair, or–as with colored contact lenses–stick in
the eyes? A monitoring process–directed by FDA and refined over several
decades–ensures that this is so.
FDA began a comprehensive assessment of the safety of color additives with the
passage of the Pure Food and Drugs Act of 1906. The country had changed from
an agricultural to an industrial nation. No longer did most Americans live on
farms and produce their own food. Instead, much of the food a nation of city
dwellers ate was processed, chemically preserved, and marketed by large firms
competing for consumers’ attention.
It was a time of triumph for synthetic dyes, followed by concern on the part
of public health officials about the safety of these dyes. Harvey Wiley,
chief of USDA’s Bureau of Chemistry, challenged the ease with which
manufacturers added chemicals to food. Food safety became Wiley’s special
cause, and he was instrumental in bringing about passage of the first federal
Food and Drugs Act in 1906.
This landmark food law prohibited the use of any color additive in foods if
the color would deceive the consumer, conceal inferiority or damage, or
otherwise result in misbranding and adulteration. However, Wiley believed
that the use of color additives in food required further investigation. He
hired an outside consultant, dye expert Bernard Hesse, Ph.D., to study the
problem.
After reviewing 80 of the most commonly used colors, many of which had never
been tested before, Hesse recommended only seven color additives as safe for
use in food. His recommendation was announced in a 1907 regulation, Food
Inspection Decision 76, which also introduced a system for voluntary
certification of synthetic food colors.
Pre-Market Approval
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938 elaborated on the earlier
regulations by providing for the listing and mandatory certification of
synthetic color additives used in foods, drugs and cosmetics. During the
1950s, a safety concern associated with the improper use of FDC’s Orange No. 1
prompted additional safety studies on color additives used in food, including
FDC’s Red No. 3.
Then, in 1960, Congress amended the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938 to
set up a pre-market approval system for new color additives and to require
demonstration of the safety of color additives already in use.
Approved color additives were divided into two groups: those requiring FDA’s
certification (synthetic dyes made mostly from coal tar and petroleum
derivatives) and those exempt from FDA’s certification (substances derived
from vegetable, animal or mineral products). Each batch of a synthetic color
is tested by the manufacturer and a sample submitted to FDA for certification
according to specifications in the Code of Federal Regulations. Colors exempt
from batch certification must also meet specifications in the CFR.
The 1960 amendments placed the color additives already in use on a provisional
list to permit their continued use while the manufacturers developed the
necessary data for a petition to support the listing of the color additive.
Many of the color additives requiring certification come in two forms:
straight colors and lakes. Straight colors in many cases are water-soluble
dyes. Certain straight colors are used to make “lakes” or water-insoluble
forms of the color additive. Lakes are used in products in which leaching or
“bleeding” of color would pose problems, such as in cookie fillings, coated
tablets, candies, chewing gum, and lipsticks. The agency is currently
planning a proposal regarding the regulation of lakes.
Manufacturers seeking approval for new color additives or for those on the
provisional list were required to submit a petition to FDA with scientific
data demonstrating that a specific color was safe for its intended uses. If
the agency approved the petition, the color was placed on a “permanent”
listing. Colors can be approved for use in food, drugs, and cosmetics (FDC),
in drugs and cosmetics only , or specifically for external drug and
cosmetic use .
To date, of the original 200 provisionally listed color additives, 90 have
been listed as safe and the rest have either been withdrawn by industry or
delisted by FDA.
FD&C Red No. 3
FDA terminated the provisional listings for FD&C Red No. 3 on Jan. 29, 1990,
at the conclusion of its review of the 200 straight colors on the 1960
provisional list. Commonly called erythrosine, FD&C Red No. 3 is a tint that
imparts a watermelon-red color and was one of the original seven colors on
Hesse’s list.
The provisionally listed uses that were recently terminated include use of the
straight color in cosmetics and externally applied drugs and all uses of the
lakes of FD&C Red No. 3.
The case of FDC Red No. 3, however, presents what one individual familiar
with color regulation calls a “regulatory inconsistency.” Although the
provisional uses (about one-third of its uses) are now banned, FDC Red No. 3
is still permanently listed for use in ingested drugs and food, such as baked
goods, cherries, dairy products, desserts, dietary supplements, food
seasonings, jellies, jams, and vegetable products.
This paradox came about because of improvements in scientific methods and the
timing of the petitioner’s submission for permanently listing the food and
ingested drug uses. After the 1960 provisional listings, studies were
performed on FDC Red No. 3. Results did not show any safety concerns, and in
response to a petition by the Certified Color Manufacturers Association
(CCMA), FDC Red No. 3 was permanently listed for use in ingested drugs and
foods in June 1969.
Cosmetic and externally applied drug uses of the color remained provisionally
listed while studies on skin exposure were conducted. Meanwhile, FDA expanded
its safety requirements in 1977 to include more extensive studies on
provisionally listed color additives. Based upon the results of new studies
on FDC Red No. 3, conducted by the International Research Development
Corporation and completed in 1982, the agency concluded that FDC Red No. 3
causes thyroid cancer in male rats.
The Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association and CCMA argued that no
direct cancer-causing effect was seen in animals given the color in the low
levels used in consumer goods. FDA, however, decided that the evidence of
thyroid tumors in rats was clear, and that the additional research cited by
industry did not establish that an indirect mechanism--such as a hormonal
effect triggered by the dye--caused the tumors, rather than the dye itself.
Thus, FDA denied the manufacturers' petition for further permanent listings of
the color. Based on data from the studies, the agency estimated that the
lifetime risk of thyroid tumors in humans was at most 1 in 100,000.
Like FDC Red No. 3, FDC Blue No. 1 and FDC Yellow No. 5 were also
permanently listed for food and ingested drug uses in 1969. When FDA reviewed
new, more extensive studies on FDC Blue No. 1 and FDC Yellow No. 5, the
agency found that these two color additives did not cause cancer in animal
studies. (But, since FDC Yellow No. 5 causes allergic reactions in some
people, FDA requires its listing on food labels.)
As experts note, while the provisional listings for straight colors have
ended, advances in science will require continual monitoring of the safety of
color additives.
Delaney Dilemma
The decision to ban the provisional uses of FDC Red No. 3 is based on the
Delaney Clause of the 1960 Color Additive Amendments. Under that clause, FDA
cannot approve color additives shown to induce cancer in humans or animals in
any amount.
Many government officials, however, believe that the inflexibility of the
Delaney Clause should be replaced by a standard that allows for what may be an
insignificant cancer risk. Advances in technology and the ability to detect
minute quantities of cancer-causing chemicals in foods may make the risk
standard of the Delaney Clause unnecessarily stringent in some cases. In
announcing the decision to terminate the provisional uses of FD&C Red No. 3,
Health and Human Services Secretary Louis W. Sullivan, M.D., said that the
decision to ban the uses of Red No. 3 was not based on risk but on the legal
mandate of the Delaney Clause.
In 1986, FDA took a different approach in approving four cosmetic dyes for
which cancer risk was trivial. The agency based its approval of Orange
No. 17, FDC Red No. 19, and Red Nos. 8 and 9 on the legal maxim "de
minimis non curat lex," meaning that the law does not concern itself with
trifles. A government review panel had assessed the worst-case risks for
externally applied drug and cosmetic uses for D&C Orange No. 17 as 1 in 19
billion (that is, exposure to external cosmetics containing FDC Orange No. 17
may cause at most one additional case of cancer in 19 billion people over a
70-year lifetime of exposure) and for FDC Red No. 19 as 1 in 9 million. The
maximum possible cancer risk for D&C Red Nos. 8 and 9 was evaluated as 1 in 60
million.
The next year, however, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
held that the Delaney Clause does not contain an exemption for cancer-causing
color additives with only trivial risks. Thus, the court ordered FDA to ban
the colors listed under the de minimis principle.
In the past two Congresses, Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts and
Congressman Henry Waxman of California have introduced legislation concerning
pesticides that others in government would extend to other
additives--including colors--as well. The proposed legislation would
substitute a "negligible risk" standard for the "zero-risk" standard (such as
described in the Delaney Clause) to the regulation of pesticides. The bills
define "negligible risk" as causing at most one additional case of cancer in 1
million people over a 70-year lifetime of exposure to the compound.
President Bush endorsed the negligible risk standard for pesticides in his
October 1989 Food Safety Plan. A joint press statement issued that same day
by HHS Secretary Sullivan, USDA Secretary Yeutter, and EPA Administrator
Reilly noted that while the president's plan specifically addresses pesticide
residues, the principle of negligible risk is one that naturally applies to
other additives to the food supply.
Small Risks
The ban of the provisionally listed uses of FDC Red No. 3 applies to new
manufacture and production of affected products. Because any health risks
posed by Red No. 3 are extremely small, FDA concluded that consumers may
continue to use existing supplies of products that already contain that color.
Following the mandate of the Delaney Clause, FDA will now reconsider the
permanently listed uses of the straight form of FDC Red No. 3. The procedure
for banning a permanently listed dye, however, is more complex than that for
terminating the provisional uses and requires time for public comment.
Though in the future, new definitions of acceptable risk spawned by new
technologies may replace the Delaney definition, for now FDA must operate
under this meaning and say to consumers that because of the risks, certain
uses of FD&C Red No. 3 can no longer be allowed.
Dale Blumenthal is a staff writer for FDA Consumer.
Lists Available
For complete lists of color additives approved for use in food, drugs and
cosmetics--including the year approved, uses and restrictions--write to:
Division of Colors and Cosmetics
FDA (HFF-442)
200 C Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20204
Cocaine laced with levamisole, causes fatal illness
Just say no to drugs. Here is another example of why drugs are scary. You don't know the guy who is cutting your drugs, you think he cares about your health? No. Check it out the coke is being cut with levamisole, which is used to treat treat intestinal worms in humans and animals. The problem is it is suppressing peoples immune system to the point where a common cold could kill you! If you did some coke and found yourself sick and with a fever after, I suggest going to doctor ASAP. So far they only found this in Canada, the thing is after following banned foods and items that make people sick, one thing I know is these things escalate and grow, like the melamine crisis.
Maybe just one dealer cut the coke with that crap. Lets hope so.
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.
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.
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
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| 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.
| Table 1. Use the following guide to help choose safe foods during pregnancy, while avoiding foods from unsafe sources. | |
| Instead of… |
Choose |
| Cold hot dogs, deli meats and luncheon meats | Hot dogs, luncheon meats and deli meats reheated to steaming hot |
| Undercooked meat and poultry | Fully cooked meat and poultry |
| Raw or undercooked seafood | Fully cooked seafood |
| Refrigerated smoked fish and precooked seafood such as shrimp, crab and deli seafood salads | Tuna, salmon and crab meat in cans or pouches |
| Refrigerated pâtés and meat spreads | Canned pâtés and meat spreads |
| Raw sprouts | Fresh vegetables (well-cleaned) and cooked sprouts |
| Soft cheeses made from raw milk such as Feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined cheeses, queso fresco, queso blanco and Panela | Hard cheeses, processed cheeses, cream cheese, cottage cheese, mozzarella, and soft cheeses made from pasteurized milk |
| Raw or undercooked eggs | Eggs that are cooked until the white and yolk are firm |
| Raw milk and milk products | Pasteurized milk and milk products |
| Unpasteurized juice (May be called “fresh squeezed” or “chilled”) | Frozen concentrate, canned juices and refrigerated juices that are labeled as pasteurized |
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
Filed under: Banned Foods, Is it Safe?, Product Recalls, Salmonella
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.
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