Albert Hofmann, the mystical Swiss chemist who gave the world LSD, the most powerful psychotropic substance known, died Tuesday at his hilltop home near Basel, Switzerland. He was 102.

I mention this because a lot of people come to barfblog because of this groovy LSD-inspired picture. And Amy and I watched a fairly heady documentary about psychedlics last week.

According to the obituary in the N.Y. Times:

Dr. Hofmann first synthesized the compound lysergic acid diethylamide in 1938 but did not discover its psychopharmacological effects until five years later, when he accidentally ingested the substance that became known to the 1960s counterculture as acid.

He then took LSD hundreds of times, but regarded it as a powerful and potentially dangerous psychotropic drug that demanded respect. More important to him than the pleasures of the psychedelic experience was the drug’s value as a revelatory aid for contemplating and understanding what he saw as humanity’s oneness with nature. That perception, of union, which came to Dr. Hofmann as almost a religious epiphany while still a child, directed much of his personal and professional life.

“It happened on a May morning — I have forgotten the year — but I can still point to the exact spot where it occurred, on a forest path on Martinsberg above Baden,” he wrote in “LSD: My Problem Child.” “As I strolled through the freshly greened woods filled with bird song and lit up by the morning sun, all at once everything appeared in an uncommonly clear light.

“It shone with the most beautiful radiance, speaking to the heart, as though it wanted to encompass me in its majesty. I was filled with an indescribable sensation of joy, oneness and blissful security.”

He earned his Ph.D. there in 1929, when he was just 23. He then took a job with Sandoz Laboratories in Basel, attracted by a program there that sought to synthesize pharmacological compounds from medicinally important plants.

It was during his work on the ergot fungus, which grows in rye kernels, that he stumbled on LSD, accidentally ingesting a trace of the compound one Friday afternoon in April 1943. Soon he experienced an altered state of consciousness similar to the one he had experienced as a child.

On the following Monday, he deliberately swallowed a dose of LSD and rode his bicycle home as the effects of the drug overwhelmed him. That day, April 19, later became memorialized by LSD enthusiasts as “bicycle day.”

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Scientists in the UK are seeking 150 women to eat chocolate every day for a year in the cause of medical research.

The trial, at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, eastern England, will test whether a natural compound found in cocoa, the main ingredient of chocolate, could cut the risk of heart disease among women with diabetes.

A Belgian confectionist has created the special chocolate bar containing high levels of flavonoids -- a plant compound that has been shown to reduce heart risk factors -- to be used in the experiment. Soy, another natural source of flavonoids, has also been added to the bar.

Participants, who must be postmenopausal women under the age of 70, will have their risk of heart disease tested on five occasions during the year to see whether change occurs.

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The Independant (UK) ( had an assortment of free range egg articles yesterday, including one from Joanna Lumley. Doug says that Joanna Lumley is famous; in a Coronation Street kind of way, I guess.

Lumley writes that: Sixty-two per cent of hens in the UK still endure life sentences of frustration and deprivation in the battery cage. How can we let such cruelty continue? For the past two years, Compassion in World Farming has been engaging with the corporate world, persuading big players to abandon battery eggs and pledge to use eggs from more humane systems – at least from barn-kept hens, though free-range is best.

Celebs getting involved with poultry standards isn't a new issue in the UK: back in January, Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall took part in documentaries discussing poultry-raising standards and urging the public to switch to consumption of a more humane product.  Soon after the documentaries aired, Joanna Blythman (Jan 13, 2008) wrote that she didn't see the latest celebrity chef campaign yielding any better results [than past efforts]:

The current round of public breast-beating on factory-farmed poultry provokes a sense of déja vu. If Britain really was concerned enough to support more progressive farming methods with its purse, then we would have seen an improvement in animal welfare by now. 

But Blythman was apparently wrong.  In February it was reported that sales of factory-farmed chickens slumped post-documentary campaign to raise awareness implore consumers to pay more to improve the animals' welfare.  According to the Independent (Feb 28, 2008):

Sales of free-range poultry shot up by 35 per cent last month compared with January 2007, while sales of standard indoor birds fell by 7 per cent, according to a survey of 25,000 shoppers by the market research company TNS.

Celeb endorsements of food issues isn't strictly a British tactic either. Pam Anderson was famously linked to PETA animal welfare protests at KFC outlets a few years ago and maybe the threat of these protests resulted in Burger King's animal welfare systems?  In a Burger King press release PETA Vice President, Bruce Friedrich was quoted as saying “The BURGER KING brand’s influence has moved the entire animal industry. The availability of cage free products is growing, a credit to BKC’s leadership on the issue.”  California, hot bed of US celebrity action will be voting on animal welfare legislation, "The Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act" which would mandate roomier housing for pregnant sows, veal calves and laying hens.

The message to the food industry is that celebs (no matter how minor, or how British) can make a stir (whether around animal welfare, local diets, food safety, etc.) and really affect purchasing habits.  So be prepared and find a way to work alongside them on the issues; you can't ignore them.

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Swanky Auckland restaurant Euro served up a recipe for Metro Food Critic Testicles in an advertisement that finished -- "balls to them" -- before inviting people to try the place for themselves.

The Nourish Group, which owns Auckland restaurants Euro and the Jervois Steak House and Saloon, and Pravda in Wellington, took out a full page ad in the Herald on Sunday banning what it claimed were "out of step" Metro reviewers from its premises after the restaurants were left out of a top 50 list of New Zealand eateries.

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NBCSandiego reported yesterday that the cases of Hep A linked to a La Mesa Chipotle has reached 14.  The story says that most concern is over anyone who dined at the restaurant located at 8005 Fletcher Parkway between March 1 and April 22. Officials were cited as saying blood samples taken so far from restaurant employees have not shown any recent Hepatitis A infections.

With 14 cases and so far no employee testing for any signs of Hep A, I wonder if this outbreak is linked to a common food vehicle from a supplier, or one mixed/prepared in store.    Wonder if there has been a spike in what is thought to be sporadic Hep A cases associated with other outlets suppliers sent product to.

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State health officials are continuing to investigate an E. coli outbreak in Sarpy County, Omaha, that sickened 14 people — including a 7-year-old — and sent four people to the hospital.

State epidemiologist Dr. Tom Safranek said the outbreak was caused by roast beef served at a reception hall in Sarpy County for a private gathering of 50 to 60 people on March 26.  Safranek further noted the meat was prepared at a person's home and brought to the event, but he would not say where the meal was served or what the gathering was for.

Despite the sense of kinship and best intentions, there have been at least 37 reported outbreaks of foodborne illness associated with homecooked products and community dinners in North America since 1973 (http://foodsafety.ksu.edu/en/article-details.php?a=3&c=32&sc=419&id=890).

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Salmonella left 19 people hospitalized and 146 sick after eating at a popular Tuzla diner last Friday. The large number of patients overwhelmed hospital facilities.

City authorities ordered the closure of the diner and investigated its food and facilities.

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Katie Byard at Ohio.com reports this morning that the number of potential norovirus cases linked to a Kent, Ohio Chipotle has grown to 435.  The story also says that Chipotle has established a claims process to reimburse the related medical expenses of those who became ill (good move on their part).
The outbreak also inspired our infosheet this week.  We hope that the infosheet generates discussion amongst food handlers about norovirus outbreaks and what can be done to reduce the risk.

Click here to download the infosheet.

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The Chipotle restaurant across from Kent State University in Ohio appears to be the source of hundreds of norovirus illnesses this weekend.

One report cited Kent health officials as saying that 432 people had reported norovirus symptoms as of Monday afternoon.

Victims began showing up at local hospitals Thursday evening and the restaurant closed Friday.

Many of those who got ill were Kent State University students. The restaurant is directly across from the campus, and students who took part in a recent American Red Cross blood drive received a coupon for free food at Chipotle.

Kent Health Commissioner John Ferlito said Saturday the health department and the Denver-based restaurant chain agreed to switch employees out of concern that the outbreak might be caused by a sick employee. Several of the restaurant's employees had been ill, but they also had eaten the restaurant's food.

Chipotle spokesman Chris Arnold said in a statement Saturday,

"Local health department officials have found no violations in inspections of our Kent State restaurant conducted after this incident was first reported, and again in an inspection this morning. We have reopened our restaurant with their full support. We have taken preventative steps that meet or exceed health department requirements, and will continue to assist them in their investigation."

If someone wants to check out Kent State University and Chipotle on Facebook, I bet there's lots of stories to hear.

Antibiotics? How about norovirus?

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The first time I met Amy was Oct. 24, 2005.

Ben and I had arrived in Manhattan (Kansas) a couple of days earlier, and our first official function was to serve as the entertainment at a meeting of the Canadian Studies club at Kansas State University. They wanted to see what real hosers were like, and Ben and I wanted free sandwiches, so it worked out well.

Amy said something about being a French professor and I said French food sucked.

At some point we got talking about dogs and food safety, and Amy mentioned that she let her dog sleep on her bed (below) and I said that was a microbiological nightmare.

Or something like that.

Fred Landeg, the U.K.'s acting Chief Veterinary Officer, said today dogs should not be allowed to sleep in their owners’ beds or even in the same room in case they pass on diseases, such as campylobacter and salmonella as well as exotic diseases.

"As a veterinary surgeon I would never advise people to keep dogs in their bedroom."

I was being dramatic when I first met Amy. Our dogs sleep in the bedroom but not on the bed.

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America has the safest food supply in the world. True or False?

It's impossible to say. The statistics don't exist to make such a claim. But that doesn't stop meatpackers, lobbyists, lawmakers and even government regulators who should know better, from repeating the claim every time there's a food-borne illness outbreak or major food recall.

So says Philip Brasher, writing today in the Des Moines Register.

Brasher says unfounded claims can undermine the credibility of the government and the industry and he cites barfblog.com and our special safest-food-in-the-world section at http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/articles/safest-food-in-the-world/.

Kansas State University Professor Doug Powell wrote on a blog where he tracks food safety news,

"Bland blanket statements serve only to amplify rather than mollify consumers (concerns)."

Brasher goes on to say that the problem with making these claims is that it's now impossible to compare one country's statistics to another country's, experts say. Most foodborne illnesses go unreported, so government agencies must come up with estimates of how many actually occur. How to do that varies.

Paul Frenzen, a demographer with the Agriculture Department's Economic Research who specializes in food safety, said that even a factor that would seem relatively simple to measure, such as cases of food-related diarrhea, isn't easy to track because definitions vary, and there are also cultural differences between countries as to when victims of foodborne illness go to the doctor.

Other countries offer universal health insurance, making it more likely that people will get to a doctor when they're sick.

Brasher concludes that after the nation's largest meat recall was announced earlier this year, Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer didn't claim that U.S. food is the world's safest. Instead, he said,

"The United States enjoys one of the safest food supplies in the world."

No one is going to argue with that.

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About 90 children and staff at three primary schools in south Belfast are to be tested for the E. coli infection after a P1 pupil at Rosetta Primary School was confirmed as carrying the bug.

Pupils at the school recently took part in a school excursion to an open farm near Belfast along with children from Cregagh and Holy Rosary primaries.

The Eastern Health Board said other people who had contracted the infection in recent weeks had some contact with the farm.

Children and pensioners are especially vulnerable to E. coli O157 which is normally found in the intestines of people and cattle and can be passed on by eating infected food and liquid.

Not quite.

E. coli O157 and other verotoxigenic E. coli are found in about 10 per cent of all ruminants -- cattle, sheep, goats, deer -- and outbreaks have been linked to each.

So while the farm says,

"We are confident that our intensive cleaning programme over the weekend will further reassure the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on Monday and that we will immediately reopen for business,"

it may not be that simple.

There have been over 20 outbreaks of severe illness from petting zoos -- primarily contact with farm animals -- in the past decade.

159 people, mainly children, were sickened with E. coli O157:H7 traced to a goat and a sheep at the petting zoo at the 1999 Western Fair in London, Ontario.

Prof. Hugh Pennington of the U.K. has gone so far as to say that children under five (who are more vulnerable because of their still-developing immune systems) should be banned from visiting livestock farms because of the serious risk of acquiring E. coli O157:H7 infection from farm animals. Such a ban already exists in Sweden.

In the fall of 1998, I accompanied one of my four daughters on a kindergarten trip to the farm (left). After petting the animals and touring the crops --I questioned the fresh manure on the strawberries --we were assured that all the food produced was natural. We then returned for unpasteurized apple cider. The host served the cider in a coffee urn, heated, so my concern about it being unpasteurized was abated. I asked: "Did you serve the cider heated because you heard about other outbreaks and were concerned about liability?" She responded, "No. The stuff starts to smell when it's a few weeks old and heating removes the smell."

There is much to learn from interacting with animals, farms and the world. The challenge is to do so in a microbiologically safe manner.

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Dr. Raymond has spoken: the U.S. Department of Agriculture needs neither videocameras nor more inspectors to police slaughterhouses after the country's largest beef recall earlier this year.

Everything is just fine.

Raymond, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's undersecretary for food safety (right, on the left, at Marler's food safety bash last week), told a House subcommittee that USDA has enough food inspectors after hiring more than 190 last year and videotaping meat plant operations would be costly and practically difficult to implement, adding, "It's not as simple as a camera," and that the agency was "not stretched too thin."

Raymond's response angered House members, who said the recall of beef slaughtered in the Hallmark/Westland plant in Chino, Calif., showed a need for improvements.

The beef was recalled after the Humane Society of the United States released an undercover video showing the mistreatment of sick cows at the Westland/Hallmark plant in Chino, Calif.

As I've said before, USDA may need to adopt some new inspection and investigative techniques if the HSUS can so easily document such grotesquely poor treatment of animals.

And unlike 12th century France, USDA has access to the same video technology that a single undercover worker -- not the five USDA inspectors on-site -- was able to use to bring down a large corporation. Producers and processors who say their food is safe should be able to prove it. Producers and processors who say they treat animals humanely should be able to prove it.

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Ryan learned on Top Chef last night that California-style tailgating doesn't play too well in the heartland -- or at least, Chicago.

Accurately measuring whether food is safe or not is also not high on the Top Chef to-do list. Sure, the Australian dude (or New Zealand, the show refers to him interchangeably, which will equally please the Aussies and Kiwis) was chastised for being unsanitary -- cross contamination and double dipping -- but use a tip-sensitive digital thermometer to ensure safety and quality. Sick it in.

Check out our youtube video of tailgaters at Kansas State's last home game - against Missouri -- back in Nov. 2007.

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A mother writes in the blog of the New Jersey Star-Ledger that,
 
"What began as a two-night getaway at a farm in Lancaster County, Pa., turned into a calamity of nightmarish proportions for me and my two kids when we drank raw milk.

My friend and I took our children to a working farm during spring break. They milked cows, fed bottles of milk to calves and ran free on acres of land - a rarity for these city kids.

They also drank the milk that was on the breakfast table, a milk I might add, that was the most silky and delicious any of us had ever tasted. We were told it was unpasteurized, but made to believe it was safe. (I assumed it was at least boiled).

A day after returning home, we knew we had made a terrible mistake. The first to fall ill was my five-year-old daughter, who had a high fever, then stomach flu symptoms, then my four-year-old son, then me.

My friend and her family had become violently ill as well. We spent seven days worried that our kids could dehydrate and forced them to drink gallons of Gatorade. My friend did get dehydrated and needed intravenous fluids in order to return to her job as a nurse.

After a week of this torture, medical tests showed we had contracted campylobacter, a bacterial food poisoning that can be found in unpasteurized milk. The six of us were prescribed antibiotics.

Thankfully, we're all going to be OK.

To be fair, campylobacter can also be spread by contact with raw or undercooked poultry, as the farm owners later told us, but the likely culprit according to my doctor was the raw milk."

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In October 2007, at least 270 people in 36 American states got sick with Salmonella after eating Banquet Pot Pies, leading to a national recall and prompting many to question the safety of microwave cooking. Since the outbreak, the manufacturer, ConAgra, has revamped their labeling to try to ensure proper microwave preparation by consumers.  But questions still loom whether these label changes are enough, and may leave people wondering how to properly cook using a microwave.

For thick items that can’t be cut:
∑ use medium power;
∑ microwave for a longer period of time;
∑ stir, turn, or flip food halfway through to limit cold spots;
∑ let food stand for a couple minutes when finished microwaving; and,
∑ be cautious of bones (they can act as heat shields.

There are many other variables that dictate how well food is cooked in the microwave, including:
∑ type of container;
∑ physical state of food (frozen or thawed);
∑ type of food;
∑ product geometry;
∑ moisture content;
∑ bone presence; and,
∑ microwave wattage.

The wattage of a microwave is located on the back or inside the door.  Microwave power is grouped into high (1000 – 1300 W), medium (700-900 W) and low (500-600 W).  Many labels on microwave foods give cook times for high, medium and low wattage microwaves, so it is handy to know the wattage being used.

There are hundreds of frozen, prepared products or meals, like pot pies, that may contain raw or fully cooked ingredients. The only way to know is to read labels carefully. Package labels may also contain instructions to cook to 165°F for poultry and 160°F for beef and other meats, and to verify doneness using a digital, tip-sensitive thermometer.  To be on the safe side, leftovers should reach 145°F.

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced that at least 23 people in 14 states have been diagnosed with salmonellosis that was caused by the same strain of Salmonella that was found in the recently recalled unsweetened Puffed Rice and unsweetened Puffed Wheat Cereals produced by Malt-O-Meal.


The recalled products were distributed nationally under the Malt-O-Meal brand name as well as under private label brands including Acme, America's Choice, Food Club, Giant, Hannaford, Jewel, Laura Lynn, Pathmark, Shaw's, ShopRite, Tops and Weis Quality. The cereals have "Best If Used By" dates from April 8, 2008 (coded as "APR0808") through March 18, 2009 (coded as "MAR1809").

Consumers should throw out any product in their homes from these recalled lots. Grocery stores and other retailers should promptly remove the cereals from their shelves.

Salmonella is a type of bacteria that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Symptoms of foodborne Salmonella infection include nausea, vomiting, fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. In persons with poor health or weakened immune systems, Salmonella can invade the bloodstream and cause life-threatening infections.

Individuals who believe they may have experienced an illness consistent with the symptoms described above after consuming a puffed wheat or puffed rice cereal made by Malt-O-Meal should contact their health care practitioner immediately and report the illness to their state or local health authorities.


On April 5, 2008, Malt-O-Meal voluntarily recalled the cereals because the company’s routine testing found Salmonella in a product produced on March 24, 2008.

The FDA is working with Malt-O-Meal to determine the cause of the contamination and with the states and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify and prevent additional illnesses.

A full list of recalled products can be found at www.malt-o-meal.com/recallinfo.

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Philip Brasher of the Des Moines Register reported from Seattle this morning that USDA’s undersecretary for food safety, Richard Raymond, said he’s determined to increase testing for E. coli contamination before he leaves office, adding,

"We need to address this tougher problem and take some moves there to help protect the American public."

Raymond, a physician who was formerly the chief medical officer in Nebraska, said results from some public health laboratories shows illnesses form non-O157 strains of E. coli are “at least as prevalent” as O157 illnesses. He said the non-O157 strains are harder to detect.

I'm at the same conference, Who's Minding the Store? - The Current State of Food Safety and How It Can Be Improved, hosted by lawyer and barfblog sugar daddy Bill Marler.

Washington  Governor Christine Gregoire (right) gave the food safety luncheon address.

I chatted with the affable Dr. Raymond after his presentation, and asked him if USDA would consider using video cameras to augment veterinary inspection in slaughterhouses. He said, "ask me after next Thursday."

Raymond, and several of the other speakers stated that the political-media focus on a single food inspection agency was a distraction.

I agree. Whatever is done, it should reduce the number of sick people. That's the measure that counts, and one where progress has stalled.

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"Raw milk is like a magic food for children."

So says Sally Fallon, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation.

She adds.

"Without the green grass, you're missing a lot of vitamins. Also, it's much safer. When cows are eating green grass, you don't find pathogens in their milk."

With such statements, public advocacy becomes public health risk.

The natural reservoirs for E. coli O157:H7 and other verotoxigenic E. coli is the intestines of all ruminants, including cattle -- grass or grain-fed -- sheep, goats, deer and the like. The final report of the fall 2006 spinach outbreak identifies nearby grass-fed beef cattle as the likely source of the E. coli O157:H7 that sickened 200 and killed 4.

A table of raw dairy outbreaks is available at http://www.foodsafety.ksu.edu/articles/384/RawMilkOutbreakTable.pdf

Kids are often the ones that get sick.

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After three weeks of a boil-water advisory, the 8,500 residents were hoping for the all-clear today, so they could have a shower, brush their teeth, and maybe even a glass of water without hauling 5-gallon carboys of water around the house.

Oh-oh.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, called in to help with the outbreak of Salmonellas that has so far sickened 389, found two different parasites -- giardia and cryptosporidium -- present in the water system before it was flushed with high doses of chlorine last week.

The city remains on a "boil order" requiring residents to boil water before drinking it or using it for cooking.

A thorough investigation into the intricacies of a municipal water supply becoming contaminated can be found in the Walkerton Commission of Inquiry, held after E. coli O157:H7 got into the water supply of Walkerton, Ontario in 2000, sickening half the town of 5,000 and killing seven.

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A Six Flags water park and resort complex in up-state New York known as "Great Escapes", is the focus of a large norovirus outbreak.  Norovirus is transmitted from infected human carriers to food, water, and environmental surfaces. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognize noroviruses (and related viral strains) as the leading cause of foodborne illness in the US. The gastrointestinal illness is highly communicable and easily spread by hand to hand contact and even through the air. Outbreaks occur in resorts and other facilities when ill persons contaminate the environment, food and water through vomit and feces. Rapid and effective measures well-known to the public health community are needed to stop transmission. Many of these measures are developed by the US Public Health Service. Cruise lines have experienced many norovirus outbreaks and therefor there is much known about the pathogen and how to address it.

Untimely Responses to the Problem
According to the local health department a case of norovirus at the Great Escapes is defined as a person with norovirus symptoms at the resort on or after March 7, 2008. The health department  therefore belives the date of March 7 was the beginning of the outbreak, but did not for some unexplained reason begin an investigation for ten days. It is not known to this writer when the operator of the facility was first aware of that employees and patrons were becoming ill. We are also unaware of how or when the health department was officially notified of the problem. The official coordinated response to this outbreak began on March 17, a full 10 days after the outbreak apparently began. By March 21, there were already 200 cases. The number of reported cases eventually reached at least 435 as news of the incident spread.

Rapid tests using sophisticated molecular testing platforms are available to provide confirming results of norovirus infection in 24 hours, yet investigators over 1 week into the investigation still didn't have a confirming diagnosis from the state lab.  The slow state lab results were an unnecessary delay, as approved private labs are available.

Early recognition of this problem is critical. Once it is known that norovirus is in the environment, investigators can implement timely and appropriate sanitation and safety precautions to combat transmission. One example of appropriate response was the closing of the food service. But this only occured after numerous employees of the kitchen reported symptoms of norovirus. The pools, food and lodging facilities are undoubtedly contaminated. Delay in the the implementation of this and other preventive measures at this public, regulated facility likely increased the potential for the exposure of large numbers of unsuspecting people to the pathogen over several days. The licensed operator's delay in recognizing and reporting a large number of ill patrons and staff to authorities, the response of the authorities once notified, and the timeliness and effectiveness of prevention measures taken are critical questions.

Lawsuit
Four members of a family sickened by the resort have filed a lawsuit. Key issues that must be scrutinized are the delay between the start of the outbreak and notification of the health authorities, the large number of food service staff ill and whether they worked while ill, the basis for the decision to close the kitchen, and the basis for management's decision to allow the rest of the facility to remain open..

Unanswered Questions
A detailed analysis of the cases and their relationships to the food service or other environmental exposures will be key to determining the causes of this large and serious outbreak and whether the operator responded in an effective and timely manner to protect both it's employees and guests.

Could the large number of cases of illness been reduced if more timely and effective prevention measures were implemented at Great Escapes?

To read more, select the links below.

Health Department official statement Norovirus at Great Escapes Water Park
1st article from the Post Star. March 21st, 200 cases reported
2nd article from the Post Star, March 16th, 435 cases  reported
Channel 6 report. Lawsuits filed.

--
Mr. Costa is a professor at the Walt Disney World Center for Hospitality and the Culinary Arts at Valencia College in Orlando, Florida and is the founder and owner of the consulting firm Environ Health Associates, Inc.  Mr. Costa is a registered professional sanitarian with 30 years of environmental heath practice in the academic, government and private sectors.

For our manual on Norovirus Contamination and Control send an email to rcosta1@cfl.rr.com

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The April 2008 issue of Journal of Food Protection contains a cool paper on a survey of Salmonella and E. coli at a greenhouse tomato farm in Mexico. During 2003 and 2004 the authors sampled over 1600 product and environmental samples, before, during and after a couple of environmental disturbances: a flood and the entry of wild animals (opossums, mice and sparrows).

The authors isolated Salmonella Montevideo, Salmonella Newport, and strains of the F serogroup  from tomatoes and go on to state that almost all of the Salmonella Newport strains were isolated from samples collected during or immediately after the flood.

Analysis by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed that some Salmonella Montevideo isolates from tomatoes, opossums, and mice displayed identical genetic patterns, suggesting that these wild animals represented a potential source of contamination.

The fun part of paper is that the authors suggest that dirty work shoes were also thought to be an important vehicle for dissemination of Salmonella into (and possibly throughout) the greenhouses (especially after being worn during the flood incident):

Contaminated worker shoes may be vehicles for contamination with enteric pathogens, from either outside the greenhouses or from one facility to another. The levels of E. coli on personal shoes were higher than those of working  shoes were before the flood. However, there was a higher  level of contamination with Salmonella and E. coli on  working shoes compared with personal shoes after the flood.

The authors go on to say that sanitary mats intended to reduce pathogen movement may not be all that effective the real-world application:

Working shoes were provided by management to the workers to wear inside the greenhouse at the suggestion of our research group after finding that personal shoes were positive for E. coli, even after shoes received a disinfection treatment with quaternary salts solution (800 ppm) on a sanitary mat. However, working shoes were not used exclusively inside the greenhouse, but were also worn to go from one facility to another. Shoes have seldom been mentioned as vehicles of contamination in food production areas. This dissemination mechanism of enteric pathogens should be considered as an important control point  during working procedures in greenhouses.

It's unclear whether this is just a notable finding, or if it represents a real risk in moving pathogens around food production systems, and needs some further investigation.  Probably don't want to use boots to stomp garlic though.

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Careful with that hedgehog, Eugene, especially in New Zealand.

The Herald on Sunday say police alleged that William Singalargh, 27, picked up the hedgehog and threw it at a 15-year-old boy in the North Island east coast town of Whakatane on February 9.

Police Senior Sgt. Bruce Jenkins said Monday,

"It hit the victim in the leg, causing a large, red welt and several puncture marks."

Police arrested Singalargh shortly after the incident, and charged him with assault with a weapon -- the hedgehog.

The Herald said the hedgehog was dead when it was collected as evidence, but did not know if it was dead or alive at the time of the alleged attack.

The Herald reported Singalargh's arrest under the headline "Raise your hands and step away from the hedgehog."

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The author of La Gringa's Blogicito, whose motto is, Gardening and living in La Ceiba, Honduras; neither is easy for this American woman, writes the FDA Inspectors left Honduras on Friday with no word whatsoever as to the results of the tests at Agrolibano. According to La Prensa, the samples are being tested in the U.S. and the results will be given next week.



She also says that little has been heard from the Honduran delegation who went to the U.S. last week to demand proof of the tests and a retraction from the FDA either. She does say that she's noticed more balanced reports from various agricultural and commercial experts saying that Honduras needs to vigilantly meet international quality and safety standards, but no admission that salmonella did exist in the melons.

While searching for the news video, I ran a across a parody of that scene on YouTube. If you speak Spanish, you may get a kick out of the video below, "Mel Melon con Salmonella." Even if you don't, you may find it humorous.

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Health officials said more than 60 people fell ill after attending a medical convention, with several reporting symptoms as they prepared to leave on flights from Washington.

Many of the victims came forward Friday, the day after attending the meeting Thursday at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Md.

Staff members of the Prince George's County health department interviewed resort workers and inspected the center to determine what caused the illness. A private company has already started cleaning.

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The New Zealand Ministry of Health is working with local and national authorities to determine the cause of an outbreak of Salmonella mbandaka, a strain rarely seen in New Zealand.

Nationally there have been 28 cases, 10 of which have occurred in the Nelson Marlborough district. A recent death occurred in an elderly woman in Nelson Hospital who had been infected with Salmonella mbandaka.

The Ministry's Director of Public Health, Dr Mark Jacobs said,

"… it's worth noting at this stage, no food premises have been implicated and all food samples tested have returned negative results."

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Two California girls aged 14 and 15 are in Juvenile Hall facing animal cruelty charges over allegedly microwaving a hamster.

They also briefly put him a freezer.

An investigating police officer said the girls have admitting microwaving Bugsy because they were bored.

"These girls showed no remorse."

The Press Democrat reports that the hamster, Bugsy, survived, but three of his feet were severely burned. Lake County Animal Control Officer Morgan Hermann said the legs later turned black and the hamster chewed them off, adding,

“Now (Bugsy) has one leg."

The incident occurred in December, but it was not reported to Animal Control and police until the students had been released for Spring break.

Unlike the pic (right) this was not a happy hamster.

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The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control is urging anyone who purchased barbecue at a March 30 fundraiser for the Tega Cay Volunteer Fire Department to throw the food away.

Firefighters sold approximately 3,000 servings of food and the York County Public Health Department has identified more than 40 people who became ill. Many people bought barbecue in bulk for freezing and later use.

Tests are under way to identify the cause of the illness.

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Last week,  Italy's Agriculture Minister, Paolo De Castro, (right) dug into some buffalo mozzarella for the cameras after assuring the European Commission that no mozzarella cheese contaminated with cancer-causing dioxin had been exported.

On Saturday President Manuel Zelaya of Honduras downed some homegrown cantaloupe for a CNN news crew, proclaiming, "I eat this fruit without any fear. It’s a delicious fruit. Nothing happens to me!”

Both were continuing a questionable tradition that may actually amplify the concerns of citizens when the safety of certain foods is scrutinized: roll out the politician to consume the food in question.
The list is long:

• Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien scarfed back a burger after the first case of mad cow disease was discovered in Canada in May 2003;
• French President Jacques Chirac and future French president Nicolas Sarkozy consumed cooked chicken during the International Agriculture show in Paris in March 2006 to bolster confidence after an outbreak of avain influenza;
• Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said in 2006 he often fed salmon to his own children after Russia banned imports of fresh Norwegian salmon because of worries about toxic metals;
• Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell lunched at a Philadelphia Taco Bell in Dec. 2006 after an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to lettuce sickened 71; and,
• most famously, former U.K. Agriculture Minister John Gummer feeding a hamburger to his four-year-old daughter Cordelia as concerns about the safety of British beef mounted in 1990 (left).

Do people believe politicians? How about company executives?

In 2000, 14,700 Japanese were sickened and 180 hospitalized after Snow Brand milk employees failed to properly clean factory pipes for weeks. As reported in The Economist, "At one point during Snow Brand’s latest poisoning scare, its befuddled boss fled a press conference shouting, 'I haven’t slept at all in the past week.'"

Snow Brand has a bit of a reputation for dramatics.

"When, almost half a century ago, some 1,900 school children fell ill after drinking Snow Brand’s powdered milk, a dismissive company executive confidently downed a glass of the drink in front of the press to allay fears of contamination. A few hours later, as expected, he was rushed to a bathroom."

Several years ago, Health Canada proposed to ban the sale of cheeses derived from raw milk, but they failed to provide a compelling case for such a ban. They also ignored the cultural and social factors—the enjoyment—that lead some people to rank specific cheeses like fine wines. Raw milk cheeses can contain the bacterium Listeria which can cause life-threatening illness and lead to miscarriages, but such cases simply had not been seen in Canada (which does not mean such cases did not exist). This left health officials arguing that such cheeses should be banned, even in the absence of Canadian-based scientific evidence to warrant such a ban. The Minister of Health at the time, David Dingwall, was soon in Quebec, scarfing down raw milk cheese for the television cameras.

People make risk/benefit decisions every time they enter an automobile, smoke a cigarette, have a drink, eat fat or enter into a relationship. Rather than eating up in front of the camera, governments, executives, even local farmers, should provide data to back up their claims of safety.

Douglas Powell is scientific director of the International Food Safety Network at Kansas State University.

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