Food Safety
Research Links Pig Health and Food Safety
by Helena Bottemiller
Visceral lesions, or visible signs of infection or organ damage, can help predict Salmonella contamination on pig carcasses, according to new research published in the American Journal of Veterinary Research this month.
Researchers at Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine found that Salmonella contamination was 90 percent more likely to occur in carcasses with lesions that were visibly identifiable, when compared to carcasses without visible lesions.
The study analyzed 202 conventionally raised pigs and 156 antimicrobial-free pigs in a Mid-western processing plant during December 2005 and January 2006. All carcasses were swabbed to check for Salmonella contamination and then both nonexperts and three veterinary pathologists examined the carcasses for lesions.
U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors are on hand at every slaughter facility to inspect animals for visual health defects before and after slaughter. If during antemortem inspection, animals are deemed sick, they are kept out of the abattoir, or are tagged as suspect and then inspected postmortem, or after slaughter, which should, keep sick animals out of the food supply.
Study: Climate Change May Impact Outbreaks
by James Andrews
The transmission of foodborne pathogens may be impacted by the effects of climate change, according to a report released March 28 by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
Studying hundreds of peer-reviewed publications on six different food- and waterborne pathogens, the report’s authors observed 1,653 “key facts” that link the viability of those pathogens to a range of climatic variables such as air temperature, water temperature and precipitation. The pathogens under study included Campylobacter, Listeria, Salmonella, Norovirus, Cryptosporidium and non-cholera Vibrio.
Campylobacter, the most prevalent foodborne pathogen in Europe, shows a strong seasonal variability, leading researchers to believe its peak infection rates may rise or shift in response to rising global air and water temperatures. Salmonella infection rates were also strongly associated with air temperature.
Consumer groups demand GMO labeling, question food safety
(Reuters) – Critics of genetically modified crops are making new demands for government mandated labeling to identify foods on grocer shelves that contain ingredients from transgenic corn, soybeans and other crops.
Labeling drives are underway on both state and federal levels, and on Tuesday several U.S. consumer groups released a survey and results of a petition drive that they say shows overwhelming consumer support for labeling of foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMO).
“People believe they have a right to know what goes into their bodies,” said Mark Mellman, a public opinion pollster and consultant.
The Mellman Group survey released Tuesday said based on a polling of 1,000 voters last month, about 91 percent support labeling of GMO foods while 5 percent oppose such a move. Support was nearly equal among Democrats, Republicans and Independents.
‘Pink slime’ is now found in 70 percent of the ground beef at our grocers
(NaturalNews) Would you knowingly eat ground beef which contained scrap meat items such as muscle connective tissue which had been sprayed with ammonium hydroxide? Would you want your children to eat such ground beef in their school lunches? According to recent revelations, if you or your children eat ground beef there is a strong chance that both may be happening.
Last week, former United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist-turned-whistleblower Gerald Zirnstein revealed that 70 percent of the ground beef sold at supermarkets contained the fake-meat additive which is commonly referred to as “pink slime”. This revelation came on the heels of reports that the USDA is purchasing 7 million pounds of the product for school lunches in public schools.
“Pink slime” is taking over ground beef at our grocers and schools
“Pink slime” is made by gathering beef waste trimmings, simmering them at low heat to make it easy to separate fat from the muscle, and using a centrifuge to spin the waste trimmings to complete the separation. Next, the mixture is sent through pipes and sprayed with ammonium hydroxide gas to kill bacteria. Finally, the product is packaged into bricks, frozen and shipped to grocery stores and meat packers, where it is added to most ground beef.
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Articles of Interest
House Bill Would Require Labeling LFTB
by News Desk
A bill introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday would require the labeling of any beef products that contain lean finely textured beef, the lean beef supplement also known as “pink slime.”
Introduced by Democratic Congresswoman Chellie Pingree from Maine’s 1st District, the “Requiring Easy and Accurate Labeling of Beef Act” (REAL Beef Act) was inspired by growing public demand for lean finely textured beef (LFTB) to both be labeled in supermarkets and removed from the school lunch program.
Pingree, a member of the House Agriculture Committee, also previously wrote a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack demanding LFTB be completely banned from the school lunch program. Dozens of House members signed on.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said it would allow schools to choose opt out of serving LFTB.
The REAL Beef Act has ten co-sponsors in the House: Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Tim Ryan (D-OH), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jerry Lewis (D-CA) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL).
E. Coli Vaccine Maker Eyes Government Support
by News Desk
****Yet another chemical to be injected into cattle so that we can consume it. How about we raise cattle more humanely so the health issues are not as monumental???? Now there is a no-brainer ****
A Canadian biotech company has developed a vaccine for cattle that prevents them from shedding E. coli in their manure, and its CEO now hopes the Canadian and U.S. governments will help spread the vaccine to combat the threat posed by E. coli contamination in beef.
In an interview with CTV News, Bioniche Life Sciences CEO Graeme McRae said that while the cost of his company’s vaccine is currently too expensive for farmers to buy, a public health investment in the product would save hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
E. coli illnesses cost the Canadian medical system more than $200 million a year, but vaccinating every cow in the country would cost less than $50 million. From an economic perspective, government support of the vaccine is a “no-brainer,” he said.
