Raw milk: save the family farm while making kids barf?
The N.Y. Times has a story running in tomorrow’s edition flaunting the value of raw milk as a way to save the family farm because a small percentage of people pay a hefty premium for the raw stuff.
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The story lacks any mention of adverse health effects from raw milk , other than quoting an FDA type as saying, “raw milk should not be consumed by anyone, at any time, for any reason.”
Such proclamations are not particularly persuasive.
The story, like many others, notes that people want to know where their food comes from; but that doesn’t make food safer. Knowing how to control and minimize the spread of dangerous microorganisms makes food safer, whether it’s from around the corner or around the globe.
The Times story does however make mention of the Quebec listeria outbreak of 2008 that was traced to cheese made from unpasteurized milk, stating that “one person died; more than 30 became ill,” and proclaiming that the government went crazy recalling nearly 60,000 pounds, of cheese from hundreds of producers.
The Times story appears to be something about government out-of-control, although it’s a mish-mash. And it fails to mention that the 2008 Quebec outbreak, led to 38 hospitalizations, of which 13 were pregnant and gave birth prematurely. Two adults died and there were 13 perinatal deaths. Recent research has demonstrated listeria can cause illness in fetuses and infants at much lower doses than previously thought.
An updated table of unpastuerized milk and cheese outbreaks is below.
Listeria causes illness in fetuses, infants, at much lower dose than previously thought
Chapman is here in Manhattan (Kansas) for a couple days, delivering a seminar later today, hanging out at the Missouri-Kansas State football game tomorrow, and primarily helping plot our research and extension activities for the next few years.
We’ve both sired offspring in the past year-and-a-bit, so the issue of listeria and pregnant women has been a recurring theme – on barfblog.com, in research proposals, and in our microbiological nerd discussions.
Researchers from the University of Georgia reported in the journal, Risk Analysis, this month, that pregnant women may get ill from Listeria at lower doses than previously thought.
The risk of fetal or infant mortality among pregnant women who consume food containing 1 million cells of the food-borne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes in soft cheeses and other food is estimated at about 50 percent, suggesting five stillbirths potentially could occur when 10 pregnant women are exposed to that amount.
A previous risk assessment estimated more than 10 trillion cells would result in stillbirths to 50 percent of pregnant women exposed, researchers said.
"We're not saying there's a new epidemic here, we're suggesting we've come up with a more accurate method of measuring the risk and how this deadly bacteria impacts humans, especially the most medically vulnerable among us," study co-author Mary Alice Smith of the University of Georgia said in a statement.
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When estimates are extrapolated from data in tests on laboratory animals, the results showed "Listeriosis is likely occurring from exposure to lower doses than previously estimated," Smith said.
That’s a convoluted way of saying Listeria happens, and it’s probably more deadly than anyone thought for developing babies. Given the ridiculously low levels of awareness amongst physicians, health professionals and expectant mothers, new messages using a variety of media are needed so parents-to-be are at least aware of the risks of certain refrigerated, ready-to-eat foods.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated approximately 2,500 cases of Listeriosis occur annually in the United States, with about 500 cases resulting in death. In 2000, Listeria exposure resulted in a higher rate of hospitalization than any other food-borne pathogen and more than one-third of reported deaths from food pathogens, the CDC says.
9 outbreaks, 2 dead, 130 ill from same Salmonella across UK
The Telegraph reports this morning that around 130 people have fallen ill with the same strain of Salmonella linked to poultry and eggs since August across England and Wales
Five outbreaks have been linked to oriental restaurants, three to other restaurants and one was in a care home.
Two people with the infection died in the care home, which has not been named by officials, but post mortem results have proved inconclusive about the cause of death.
Three other people have been treated in hospital, a report from the Health Protection Agency said.
Canadians can go back to sleep; Maple Leaf Foods is profitable again
Some American colleagues have said killing 22 customers with deli-meat would have led to a non-existent company. Not so in Canada, where $5.5 billion companies like Maple Leaf Foods can say with a straight face that listeria presented new challenges in the ready-to-eat food category.
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Maple Leaf has been praised for its communication activities in the aftermath of the listeria outbreak last fall, but instead of taking a real leadership role they have fallen back on the tired and true – their stock went up, so everyone is happy.
Specifically, Maple Leaf has failed to provide point-of-sale warnings to at-risk populations like pregnant women and old folks, failed to publicly release listeria test data and failed to promote their food safety efforts at retail, to enhance the food safety culture back at the producer and processor level, and to build consumer confidence. A completely blown opportunity.
Well done: be aggressively mediocre. That’s how to get brownie points in Canada.
A second resident has died of Salmonella at UK care home
An elderly woman who was admitted to Sunderland Royal Hospital after eight cases of Samonella were confirmed at Millum House Care Home in Roker, Sunderland, has died.
A post-mortem examination to establish the cause of her death is to be carried out.
The news follows the death of great-grandmother Myra Robinson, 72, who died in hospital last Saturday following the outbreak.
The remaining patients, who include three members of staff at the three-storey home, have recovered.
Health chiefs are investigating, but the cause of the outbreak still remains unclear.
UK child with E. coli infection dies
The BBC has just reported that a child from Devon has died after being infected with E. coli.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has refused to release any details about the child, thought to be a toddler.
But the agency would say that no clear source for the infection has been found and that no other cases have been linked to the infection.
The HPA has also confirmed that it does not think the child's death is connected to an outbreak which centred on a petting farm in Surrey.
5 sick, 1 dead in new listeria outbreak in Canada
Canadian health types can’t seem to decide whether to go public with bad health news or whether to do it just enough to cover their asses afterwards.
A press release showed up on the Public Health Agency of Canada web site dated 21.sep.09 but it didn’t show up in any of the other notification systems like e-mail or RSS feeds. No media has picked it up. Phyllis Entis of e-food alert noticed it, so good.
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is working with provincial and local health authorities, Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to investigate cases of Listeria monocytogenes in Canada.
Currently, there are six cases under investigation. The six cases were caused by the same strain of Listeria monocytogenes. This strain is relatively common and it is unknown whether or not these cases are connected to the same source.
Investigation is ongoing to determine the possible cause of illness in each individual case, and to determine if there is a common source for the infections.
One of the cases has died, and listeriosis contributed to this death. … However, most healthy people exposed to Listeria are at very low risk of being affected by the bacteria.
Why do bureaucrats insist on saying listeria is low risk? I’m sure it doesn’t feel low-risk to the sick people and dead person. Just report what is being done.
Australia: Tables restaurant find $19,000 for deadly asparagus; widow says, 'we've had enough'
A fancy restaurant that served a man deadly asparagus sauce has been fined $19,000 - a fraction of the maximum penalty available under the Food Standards Act.
William Hodgins, 81, died of a ruptured stomach about 12 hours after taking his wife to the award-winning Tables Restaurant at Pymble, in January 2007.
Food Authority spokesman Alan Valvasori said legal advice was that it did not have enough evidence for a charge such as manslaughter.
A coronial inquest heard Mr Hodgins dined on snapper covered in a creamy asparagus sauce that had bacteria spores at 10 times the toxic level.
The maximum penalty under the Act is $275,000.
Mr Hodgins' widow, Audrey, said the family had decided not to proceed with further legal action.
"We've had enough."
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Hendra virus claims fourth Australian
The Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) may see an increase in demand for research on the bat-borne Hendra virus (HeV). On Sept. 1, 2009, Hendra claimed Australian veterinarian Alister Rodgers (pictured right). Dr. Rodgers is the second vet to die from Hendra, and the fourth of seven humans to succumb to the virus (below).
VIN (Veterinary Information Network) reports:
There is no known cure for Hendra virus (genus Henipavirus, family Paramyxoviridae). The disease gets its name from the Brisbane suburb where it was first isolated in 1994, from specimens obtained during an outbreak of respiratory and neurologic disease in horses and humans, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Humans become ill after exposure to the body fluids of horses infected with the virus. The natural reservoir for Hendra virus is suspected to be Australia’s flying foxes.
Veterinarians are more at risk to contract Hendra since they are the most likely to spend time with sick horses. A survey of 4,000 vets conducted by the CDC through the American Veterinary Medical Association found that even though vets were concerned about zoonotic disease, the concerns didn’t translate to better biosecurity practices. The results of this study highlight the need for veterinarians to put biosecurity practices into action and establish standard procedures to reduce infection of vets and their staff.
The Compendium of Veterinary Standard Precautions for Zoonotic Disease Prevention in Veterinary Personnel was published in the Aug. 1, 2008 Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. The 18-page document gives guidance on everything from isolating animals with infectious diseases to cleaning and decontamination. Its appendixes address zoonotic diseases of importance in the US as well as the characteristics of disinfectants.
The Australian Veterinary Association said:
Vets around Australia are mourning the death of Dr Rodgers. It is absolutely devastating to lose another vet so soon, and we must do everything within our power to stop this from ever happening again. All indications are that Hendra is here to stay. It is probable that cases will emerge in states other than Queensland. Governments around Australia need to take this disease seriously right now and invest in measures to address the problem.
Learn more about Hendra through ABC’s Catalyst.
Maple Leaf listeria vp sucks as comedian
The best Canadian comedians move to the U.S. The worst apparently stay and become Minister of Agriculture or a vp at some $5.5 billion a year corporation that discovers food safety after killing 22 people.
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First it was Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry-isn’t-my-moustache-awesome Ritz joking that he was dying by a thousand cold cuts.
Now, a Maple Leaf Foods vp is shown on YouTube, yucking it up for Canadian policy wonks in Ontario cottage country on August 8, 2009.
Every year, the witty and urbane of Canada put on their best Berkenstocks and retreat to the Couchiching conference. A barfblog.com fan e-mailed me at the time, and said via a redirected twitter post, Rory McAlpine of Maple Leaf Foods “suggests an approach to food safety that takes in the accountability of the consumer.”
At the time I thought, what an asshole. Are consumers supposed to be deep-frying their deli meats? But I had no further information, no verification, so didn’t bother blogging the story.
The video has surfaced.
I first heard this joke about the Toronto Maple Leafs, listeria and the Leafs inability to win hockey’s coveted Stanley Cup, a futility streak going back to 1967, last year.
I thought it was tasteless and said so at the time.
Guess Rory stayed in Canada, where he still may be considered funny.
So here’s Rory McAlpine, vice-president, Government and Industry Relations, Maple Leaf Foods, and former British Columbia deputy minister of Agriculture, with his rendition of, hey, my own kid got listeria from my products, what’s the big deal?
Salmonella and shigella: trying times for British tourists
This isn’t a Chevy Chase-John Candy (right) kind of vacation.
The widow of an elderly British tourist who died after falling ill with salmonella poisoning at a luxury Italian hotel has called for better safety standards at holiday resorts.
The Birmingham Post reports that Jean Appleyard and her husband, Geoffrey, aged 71, were staying at the four-star Grand Hotel in the Gardone resort on the shores of Lake Garda last year when both began to suffer from fever and stomach pains.
An inquest at South Worcestershire Coroners’ Court yesterday recorded a verdict of misadventure after hearing evidence that the salmonella poisoning Mr Appleyard contracted contributed to his death.
Coroner Geraint Williams said:
“Although the hotel seemed very picturesque, there was a very dark side in the kitchen and cellars where there was a virulent contamination of salmonella in the foodstuffs. This was served to the guests and, as a consequence, a large number became ill. Mr Appleyard died because he was not able to withstand this infection.”
The Italian authorities confirmed that salmonella was detected at the hotel.
Mrs Appleyard said,
“We went to the Grand Hotel for a luxury holiday. It is simply appalling that we fell ill and Geoffrey contracted something as serious as salmonella at a hotel like that. Tour operators have to ensure they are doing everything they possibly can to make sure holidaymakers are protected from outbreaks like this.”
Meanwhile, The Independent reports that 50-year-old Julian Hurley from South Yorkshire, U.K., said he was delighted today after being awarded nearly £300,000 compensation from tour operator First Choice following his diagnosis of shigella after eating "poor-standard" food at an all-inclusive hotel in Venezuela in August 2004.
Mr Hurley said.
"When we went to the hotel restaurant I tried a variety of different dishes, which included cooked meats. The food was of an extremely poor standard, a lot of the dishes were undercooked and some of them were almost cold. The impact that this hellish holiday has had on our lives has been devastating. I now struggle to walk long distances and find myself getting tired easily. I am still suffering from symptoms to this day and will do for the rest of my life, which has been very difficult to come to terms with.”
Killer cows
Cows can be dangerous.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported last week that from 2003-2007, cattle were the primary or secondary cause of death for 108 people.
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During the same period, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska accounted for 16% of the nation's approximately 985,000 cattle operations and 21% of the nation's cattle and calf herd.
To better characterize cattle-caused deaths in these four states, investigators reviewed all such deaths occurring during the period 2003--2008 that were detected by two surveillance programs, the Iowa Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (IA FACE) and the Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health (GPCAH). This report summarizes that investigation, which identified 21 cattle-related deaths. These deaths occurred throughout the year, and decedents tended to be older (aged ≥60 years) (67%) and male (95%). Except in one case, the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head or chest. Circumstances associated with these deaths included working with cattle in enclosed areas (33%), moving or herding cattle (24%), loading (14%), and feeding (14%). One third of the deaths were caused by animals that had previously exhibited aggressive behavior.
To reduce the risk for death from cattle-caused injuries, farmers and ranchers should be aware of and follow recommended practices for safe livestock-handling facilities and proper precautions for working with cattle, especially cattle that have exhibited aggressiveness.
MarlerBlog: Dave Theno had it right - Secretaries Vilsack and Sebelius should pay attention
Bill Marler writes:
Lauren Beth Rudolph (below, right) died on December 28, 1992 in her mother’s arms due to complications of an E. coli O157:H7 infection - Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome. She was only 6 years, 10 months, and 10 days old when she died. Her death, the deaths of three other children, and the sicknesses of 600 others, were eventually linked to E. coli O157:H7 tainted hamburger produced by Von’s and served at Jack in the Box restaurants on the West Coast during late 1992 and January 1993. Roni Rudolph, Lauren’s mom, I have known for 16 years.
Dave Theno became head of Jack in the Box’s food safety shortly after the outbreak. I too have known Dave for 16 years. However, I only learned recently a significant fact about Dave – one that made me admire him even more – one that I think, not only that all leaders in corporate food safety should emulate, but one that both Secretaries Vilsack and Sebelius should pay attention too.
Dave and I shared the stage at the Nation Meat Association annual convention a few months ago. The NMA is an association representing meat processors, suppliers, and exporters. Dave, spoke just before I did and was rightly lauded as someone who takes food safety to heart. However, it was his story about Lauren Rudolph and his relationship with Roni that struck me. Dave told the quiet audience about Lauren’s death. Dave also told us that the death of Lauren and his friendship with Roni had changed him. He told us all that he had carried a picture of Lauren in his brief case everyday since he had taken the job at Jack in the Box. He told us that every time he needed to make a food safety decision – who to pick as a supplier, what certain specifications should be – he took out Lauren’s picture and asked, “What would Lauren want me to do?”
I thought how powerful that image was. The thought of a senior executive holding the picture of a dead child seeking guidance to avoid the next possible illness or death is stunning, but completely appropriate. I wonder if Secretaries Vilsack and Sebelius do anything similar when they do their work on President Obama’s Food Safety Working Group? If they do not, perhaps they should?
Secretaries Vilsack and Sebelius right now there are hundreds of families struggling right now due to illnesses and death related to food that you oversee that has been tainted with E. coli O157:H7.
Yesterday, I spent time with a family in South Carolina whose 4 year old ate cookie dough and suffered months of hospitalizations, weeks of dialysis and seizures. She faces a lifetime of complications. And, there is a woman in Nevada who is still hospitalized, who has lost a portion of her large intestine, was on dialysis until a few days ago. She faces months if not years of rehabilitation.
Both ate cookie dough that was watch over by Secretary Sebelius’s FDA.
Today I sat across the kitchen table with a family who lost their only daughter because she died from an E. coli O157:H7 infection from meat inspected by Secretary Vilsack’s USDA/FSIS. I then visited families in a Cleveland hospital whose children are struggling in their battle against Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome – again E. coli O157:H7 tainted hamburger is to blame.
Secretaries Vilsack and Sebelius you should be like Dave Theno. Run your departments like Dave ran food safety at Jack in the Box. Go meet these families. Sit across their kitchen tables. Go to their child’s hospital room and see more tubes and wires than you can count. Understand what these people have lived though. Take their stories into your heart. It is hard, very hard, but it will give you a real reason to do your jobs.
UK toddler's relative dies of E. coli O157
A relative of a north-east Fife toddler who contracted E. coli O157 has died of the infection.
The Courier reports that the child, who became ill around a month ago, was treated at home.
NHS Fife, whose public health department was investigating the case, confirmed that no one outside the family had contracted the illness and that a woman—an older relative of the child—had died in Ninewells.
UK celebrity restaurant Quaglino's closes after woman celebrating 50th birthday dies, possibly related to oysters
A leading London restaurant has been forced to close after a female diner died of a mystery illness following a 50th birthday celebration there.
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Quaglino's was shut by management this week after the death of the Denise Martin who dined at the eatery with five friends on Saturday night.
The Health Protection Agency says it is investigating food poisoning as a possible cause of death.
Mother-of-two Ms Martin was found dead in her bed by partner Roy Johal,52, on Tuesday - three days after the meal which saw her eat oysters for the first time.
Last night the restaurant refused to comment, other than to confirm it had reopened following a two-day closure.
Girl dies from E. coli in Cleveland
The Cleveland Health Department said that a 6 or 7-year-old girl died from E. coli last weekend in Cleveland.
The Health Department's Matt Carroll said the girl's death is potentially connected to the recent beef recall.
There are three other E. coli cases in the area that may also be affected by the recall and are currently under investigation.
KATIE FILLION: Peanut paste potentially poisons pooch
An elderly dog in Atlanta, Georgia has passed on following consumption of Austin-brand peanut butter crackers recalled during the current Salmonella outbreak.
The outbreak, linked to Peanut Corp. of America’s peanut paste and related products, is responsible for at least seven (human) deaths, nearly 500 illnesses (over 100 of which have been hospitalized), and reported illness in pets.
Atlanta Dogs Examiner reports the dog, Ozzie, ate Austin brand peanut butter crackers a few days before their recall was announced.
Like some other pet owners, Bert Kanist of Atlanta gave his dogs human food as treats, and his dog Ozzie loved peanut butter crackers. He ate two packages of them, became ill the next day, and succumbed to the illness within 24 hours.
Now Mr. Kanist reports that he's getting the run-around from both government agencies and from Kellogg’s, the owner of Austin brands. Because his dog's body was cremated, a necropsy can't be performed, but testing for the presence of salmonella is being done on peanut butter crackers from the same case as the one the suspect crackers were from.
Dog treats are included in the recall, and a full list of recalled products is available on the FDA website at: http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/Salmonellatyph.html.
Student dies during bun eating contest at Taiwan university
A 23-year-old graduate student died after participating in a steamed bun eating competition at Dayeh University in Changhua.
The Taipei Times reports the student could not stop vomiting and fell unconscious after he began to feel uncomfortable during the school’s eating competition on Wednesday to determine who could finish two steamed buns stuffed with egg and cheese in the fastest time.
School medical personnel immediately performed CPR on the student and an ambulance was called which rushed him to a nearby hospital, but the student was pronounced dead. The cause of death remains unclear, but doctors said that the student may have choked to death
The human face of foodborne illness - Maple Leaf listeria edition
Robert Cribb of the Toronto Star writes this morning that,
“In the end, Frances Clark's unfocused gaze never moved as she desperately gasped for air.
“The listeria-tainted meat served to her in a Belleville-area hospital and again in a nursing home this summer was ravaging her 89-year-old body. She began losing breath altogether. Seizures came. And then, on Aug. 25, days after she allegedly ate Maple Leaf cold cuts from a Toronto plant, she died.
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“Details of Clark's death and the deaths of two others are documented in affidavits filed in court this week as part of a planned class-action lawsuit against the food giant in six provinces, including Ontario. The graphic accounts written by family members of the deceased describe gradual deterioration from flu-like symptoms to fading consciousness and struggles for air.” …
"It was the most disturbing sight," recalls Clark's daughter, Karen, who was at her bedside. "She was ... gasping, like a fish out of water ... Maple Leaf has to understand this is not acceptable. It hurts real families." …
"A second affidavit focuses on the case of Jeaninne Jacques, 69, who died July 28 after eating Maple Leaf ham. Her daughter, Linda Gosselin, said blood test results confirmed listeriosis was the cause of death. Tests filed in court confirm this.
"It is frustrating to think my mother passed away due to the negligence of Maple Leaf. ... I believe (Maple Leaf) should be held accountable and their behaviour should change so that no one will suffer like this again."
Maple Leaf was given the OK to start selling deli meats from its Toronto plant yesterday.
E. coli claims second child in Kansas
A Chase County boy is one of two young Kansas children who died within the past several days from E. coli infection, although the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said the deaths are unrelated and were caused by different E. coli serotypes.
Funeral arrangements were being made today for Brant Burton, 4, who died Sunday in Wesley Regional Medical Center in Wichita.
An 18-month-old from Liberal, Tanner Strickland, reportedly died Wednesday in Wesley. Tanner’s brother remains in Wesley in stable condition with the same illness.
Fifty-two cases of E-coli were reported to KDHE in 2007; 33 were caused by E-coli O157:H7. Kansas' three-year median for 2004-2006 was 48 cases. The highest rate of disease (8.8 per 100,000) was reported among children aged less than five years.
Kansas toddler dies of E.coli
The Mayor of Liberal, Kansas, Joe Denoyer, said that 18-month-old Tanner Edgar Strickland died Wednesday at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita and his brother is listed in stable condition. The mayor says the disease is contained within the immediate family and there is no danger to the public.
E. coli continues to kill and maim
There’s a lot of E. coli, the kind that sickens and kills, circulating around the U.S. In addition to the Locust Grove, OK, outbreak of E. coli O111 which has killed one and sickened 314, E. coli O157:H7 continues its rampage.
A three-year-old in Colorado died last Friday; another child who attended the same day-care has also tested positive but is expected to recover. The daycare is closed.
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In Ohio, a three-year-old girl died Sept. 13 of kidney failure at Akron Children’s Hospital after suffering from diarrhea, blood in her stool and vomiting, the hallmarks of shiga-toxin E. coli infection.
A Redmond family is praying for their 19-month-old son's recovery after he was diagnosed with E. coli and flown to a children's hospital in Portland.
A benefit was held for a three-year-old and his family after he spent a month in a Minneapolis Children's Hospital, again with E. coli.
A fundraising BBQ for the Forest Ranch, California, volunteer firefighters has sickened at least 24, with two remaining in hospital, including a 6-year-old girl.
In Michigan, health officials have confirmed 24 cases of E. coli O157:H7 throughout the state, broadening their investigation from an initial cluster at Michigan State University.
The child pictured is five-year-old Mason Jones who died after eating a school lunch in Wales in Oct. 2005. These are the faces and stories of foodborne illness. And that’s just one week in the U.S.
Death by cold-cuts? Canadian Ag Minister not as funny as he thinks he is
Michael McCain, the president and CEO of Maple Leaf Foods made a strategic decision once his company decided to handle the growing listeria mess in Canada by saying this wasn’t about government, it was about his company: he effectively cut himself loose from bizarre to self-congratulatory to purely political messages from government and bureaucrats.
That decision looks real smart tonight.
CTV.ca is reporting that during a conference call with scientists, bureaucrats and political staff on Aug. 30, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said, after fretting about the political dangers of the Listeria scare, he quipped:
"This is like a death by a thousand cuts. Or should I say cold cuts."
Then when told of a death in Prince Edward Island, Ritz said, "Please tell me it's (Liberal MP) Wayne Easter."
Easter is the Liberal agriculture critic and has called for Ritz's resignation over his handling of the outbreak, which was linked to a Maple Leaf Foods meat processing plant north of Toronto.
Kory Teneycke, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, said Ritz expressed regret over his remarks to Stephen Harper but there was no suggestion of resigning.
Ritz said,
"My comments were tasteless and completely inappropriate. I apologize unreservedly."
Canoe news reports that Ritz was "less contrite when he was asked about his comments after his flight from Saskatoon touched down at the Ottawa airport Wednesday afternoon". 
A bearded man with Ritz jostled with journalists as the agriculture minister beelined through the terminal to a waiting sedan. At one point the man grabbed a reporter's recorder and jabbed at the off button.
For two minutes Ritz stared dead ahead as he was peppered with questions about the conference call. His only words were clipped.
"Not right now, guys," he said.
Then: "Get out of my face, please."
Pregnant woman miscarries because of listeria in Quebec cheese
Public health officials in Quebec say a pregnant woman in the province has lost her baby, possibly because of listeriosis.
Officials are still awaiting test results to confirm whether the woman who lost her baby was infected with the bacteria, said Dr. Horatio Arruda, Quebec's director of public health protection.
She didn’t lose the baby. It’s not like she misplaced the baby somewhere. The baby died because of listeria. Pregnant women should not eat a whole bunch of refrigerated ready-to-eat foods, but in the rush to promote raw milk cheese and food porn, those in charge forgot to remind those who are vulnerable of the risks.
Max Dubois, the owner of L'Échoppe des Fromages in St. Lambert, wants to know who will compensate him for the $40,000 worth of cheese inspectors seized and destroyed from his store on Saturday.
"Why could they not have organized a voluntary recall, as they do in France. Each cheese would have been sent away for analysis. We would have better been able to trace the spread of the bacteria. But now all the evidence has been destroyed. We'll never know if it was spread through a distributor, or on the paper it was wrapped in, or in some other way."
Uh, France is no better. Here is the latest French cheese recall due to listeria.
Microbiologist Jacques Goulet, a cheese specialist in the food science department at Université Laval, says he, too, believes the government over-reacted.
"Listeria is present everywhere. But for most people, the risk posed by listeriosis is very low. Healthy people are rarely affected by the bacteria," he said, noting that the annual average of listeriosis cases in Quebec is about 50. (The public health department reported 63 cases in 2007 and 49 in 2006.).
Way to cite statistics. The people who got sick are real people who thought they were eating safe food.
E. coli kills 2-year-old Swedish girl
The Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control said Tuesday that a two-year-old girl has died in Sweden after contracting the lethal enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) bacteria, although no source had been identified.
The girl had fallen ill during a visit to Mora in central Sweden on June 29 and had died a few days later at a hospital in Stockholm, the Dagens Nyheter daily reported.
While most strains of E. coli are harmless, EHEC bacteria can produce nausea, diarrhoea and potentially lethal kidney problems, particularly threatening people with weak immune systems such as the elderly and small children.
Swedish two-year-old dies from E.coli
The girl fell ill during a visit to Mora in central Sweden last Sunday. She died a few days later. The source of the infection is not yet known.
Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) is an intestinal bacterium primarily found in the saliva and bodily waste of cattle, sheep and goats but infections can also be transmitted from person to person and via food.
The Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control (Smittskyddsinstitutet) said it had received around 100 reports of EHEC infections so far this year, which it said was a normal figure. Infections are most common during the summer.
The last time a person died in Sweden after being infected with the bacteria was in 2005. That too was an isolated case that did not result in an epidemic, said Smittskyddsinstitutet in a statement.
Train quarantined south of Timmins, Ontario
Ontario Provincial Police emergency workers with full protective gear were called to the train and about 10 people have been taken to hospital in Timmins. The rest of the passengers on the train have been quarantined.The train originated in Jasper, Alberta.
And in a good use of technology, the Toronto Star says,
Are you on the train or know someone who is? Call us a 1-800-268-9756.
Two dead from listeria in Massachusetts
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The Department of Public Health has identified four cases of the listerioris. 2 of the victims have died. The cases occurred in June, October and two in November. The four cases involved three elderly residents and a pregnant woman from Worcester county.DNA fingerprinting conducted by the State Laboratory Institute showed that the bacteria causing these infections came from a common source.
Whittier Farms has agreed to suspend operations and distribution until a source of contamination is identified.
Brand names produced at Whittier Dairy include Whittier, Schultz, Balance Rock, Spring Brook, and Maple.
Pet turtles can kill
William Godwin was quoted as saying, "I felt really bad because I brought them home. I would have never brought them home if I would have known that, she didn't have a chance."
The Godwin’s said their friends bought the turtles at a flea market. And while they've hired a lawyer to help with their complaint against that flea market, Julie says this is not about a legal claim, it’s about getting the word out to all parents.
“I think parents should know that they can make your kids sick and are deadly," she said. ”They should know before they bring them home.”
Since 1975 the sale of turtles with a shell less than 4 inches long is illegal. They can only be sold for scientific, educational or exhibition purposes.
E. coli O157:H7 deadly again
14-year-old Kayla Boner of Monroe, Iowa, died last week from E. coli and kidney failure.Boner's parents, Rick and Dana Boner, told KCCI that when their daughter first got sick, they thought she had the flu. But after two days, she wasn't getting any better
Dana and Rick Boner say it's hard to move forward without knowing what caused their daughter's infection. They can't help but wonder about recent frozen pizza recalls because of E. Coli contamination.
"They have taken some of our Totino's pizza rolls to test at the labs," Dana Boner said. "She had pizzas but there's none left so there's nothing to test."
Deaths are a sobering reminder that food safety is not simple. Our condolences to the family.
20-month-old dies after being infected with E. coli
Officials with the East Tennessee Regional Health Department said Wednesday the source of Jaycee's infection has not been confirmed.
Her family says Jaycee had a little bit of hamburger meat the Saturday before she got sick but they don't know if that was the cause of her infection.
Since no other E. coli infections have been reported recently in Cocke County, health officials say they think the cases will be limited to Burgin's.
Officials also say Burgin's case was not related to three cases of children's E. coli infections being treated in Knoxville, which have been linked to recalled meat produced by Minneapolis-based Cargill.
Deaths are a sobering reminder that food safety is not simple. Our condolences to the family.
It's OK, no one died, says PR-type
In a bizarrely inaccurate statement, Owen Roberts, a public relations-type for the University of Guelph in Canada, wrote in the local paper on Monday after his latest junket to a conference for agricultural journalists in Japan that,"The Japanese government is trying to solve the food safety and self-sufficiency problems in one clean sweep by convincing consumers that the only safe food product is locally grown. Unfortunately they've experienced a few hiccups along the way -- an E. coli outbreak in 1996, a foot and mouth problem in 2000, BSE in 2001, and an "inappropriate" food labelling problem in 2002.
"Even so, nobody in Japan ever died from any of these scares. So why are the Japanese so paranoid?"
Huh?
In the summer of 1996, over 9,500 Japanese, largely schoolchildren, were stricken with E. coli O157:H7 and 12 were killed, most likely linked to the consumption of raw radish sprouts.
In July, 2000, an outbreak of Staphylococcus aureu in Snow Brand milk sickened 14,700 after workers failed to clean factory pipes for weeks.
In Aug. 2002, five elderly patients died from E. coli O157:H7 linked to food served at a nursing home.
There have been dozens of other outbreaks of foodborne illness in Japan -- and in every other country -- involving not only death but countless untold illnesses. Healthy skepticism seems warranted. Especially of PR-types.
Outrage
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Sharon Mills, the mother of five-year-old Mason Jones, said she will campaign for a change in the law after William John Tudor, the butcher who caused the Wales E. coli O157 outbreak that killed Mason, was jailed for 12 months, adding it "sends a strong message that a change in the law is needed."Mills told Western Mail that the jail term was a “joke”, adding,
“Mason was a five-year-old with the rest of his life ahead of him. This person will spend just six months behind bars. It seems the law is a joke.”
Mills told the South Wales Echo that,
“What Mason went through was horrific and six months is a joke really. Six months is just not enough for what he did. William Tudor will be back with his family in six months’ time. Mason will never return to ours.”
Despite working as a butcher since he was 16 and completing an advanced food hygiene course, the presiding judge said that Tudor had a “careless and make-do approach” towards food safety and cleanliness at his factory.
Tudor, 55, allowed cooked ham, turkey and lamb, which he supplied to schools across the South Wales valleys, to become contaminated with E. coli at his factory, specifically a vacuum-packaging machine which was used for both cooked and raw meats.
A prosecuting lawyer said, "In the defendant’s own words, it was not uncommon for pieces of raw meat to get into the chamber of the vacuum packer."
At one time Tudor had two of these machines, which can cost from as little as £1,300, but one was not replaced when it broke.
When inspectors visited the factory on September 19, after the E.coli outbreak had been declared, they found congealed blood, dead insects and cobwebs in the machine.
