E. coli O157:H7 and cattle diet - it's messy
“If only” is often how statements begin by food safety wannabes who are sure they have stumbled upon a vast conspiracy meant to subjugate society.
If only Monsanto didn’t genetically-engineer seeds …
If only products like milk were served raw and natural …
If only cattle were fed grass, there would be no E. coli O157:H7.
When someone makes such proclamations, or says they speak fact, usually with an air of authority, I immediately think that person is full of it. People who say “trust me” are immediately untrustworthy.
Megan Jacob, Todd Callaway, and T.G. Nagaraja of Kansas State University write about the dietary interactions and interventions affecting Escherichia coli O157 colonization and shedding in cattle in an upcoming issue of Foodborne Pathogens and Disease. It’s not a movie, not a blog, not a pulp fiction, so they sorta have to get it right. And they do, when they write:
“The specific mechanisms responsible for increased or decreased E. coli O157 shedding or survival are not known … results of studies are conflicting or not repeatable, which speaks to the complexity of the hindgut ecosystem, variation in animal feed utilization, and variation within feed products.”
The complete abstract is below.
Escherichia coli O157 is an important foodborne pathogen affecting human health and the beef cattle industry. Contamination of carcasses at slaughter is correlated to the prevalence of E. coli O157 in cattle feces. Many associations have been made between dietary factors and E. coli O157 prevalence in cattle feces. Preharvest interventions, such as diet management, could reduce the fecal prevalence and diminish the impact of this adulterant. Dietary influences, including grain type and processing method, forage quality, and distillers grains have all been associated with E. coli O157 prevalence. In addition, several plant compounds, including phenolic acids and essential oils, have been proposed as in-feed intervention strategies. The specific mechanisms responsible for increased or decreased E. coli O157 shedding or survival are not known but are often attributed to changes in hindgut ecology induced by diet types. Some interventions may have a direct bacterial effect. Frequently, results of studies are conflicting or not repeatable, which speaks to the complexity of the hindgut ecosystem, variation in animal feed utilization, and variation within feed products. Still, understanding specific mechanisms, driven by diet influences, responsible for E. coli O157 shedding will aid in the development and implementation of better and practical preharvest intervention strategies.
Is Diet Coke Plus really a plus?
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It’s no secret. The obesity epidemic is still raging in the United States. Documentaries such as Super Size Me and TV shows like Big Medicine have helped to bring the public’s attention to the obesity problem in the US, but there is still a long way to go to encourage consumers to adopt proper eating habits and exercise regiments.
There have been quite a few fad diets out there that guarantee the latest “quick fix” for a spare tire around the waist or love handles. The health food market has also exploded with new products offering few calories and added vitamins and minerals. Consumers are also looking for products not only to help them lose weight, but also stay healthy by consuming products, like functional foods, to help prevent cancer. Functional foods, any fresh or processed food claiming to have a health-promoting and/or disease-preventing property beyond the basic nutritional function of supplying nutrients, are also being researched and developed by many scientists.
Functional foods are fast becoming a part of everyday life. Two-thirds of adults made an effort to buy more fortified foods in 2006 - up 17% over 2005. One-third of young adults age 18–24 regularly drink energy beverages, and more than half of mothers of preteens bought organic foods last year.
With the majority (69%) of Americans pursuing a preventive lifestyle and 27% taking a treatment approach, not surprisingly, products that offer specific health benefits that make it easier for consumers to address their individual needs are enjoying explosive sales growth.
How does the market classify whether or not a food is considered functional food? The FDA regulates food products according to their intended use and the nature of claims made on the package. Five types of health-related statements or claims are allowed on food and dietary supplement labels:
http://www.ific.org/nutrition/functional/index.cfm
* Nutrient content claims indicate the presence of a specific nutrient at a certain level.
* Structure and function claims describe the effect of dietary components on the normal structure or function of the body.
* Dietary guidance claims describe the health benefits of broad categories of foods.
* Qualified health claims convey a developing relationship between components in the diet and risk of disease, as reviewed by the FDA and supported by the weight of credible scientific evidence available.
* Health claims confirm a relationship between components in the diet and risk of disease or health condition, as approved by FDA and supported by significant scientific agreement.
Could junk food be advertised with health claims? Diet Coke Plus was introduced in 2007 by The Coca-Cola Company as an alternative to Coca-Cola Classic. The ingredient list includes the following added vitamins and minerals: magnesium sulfate (declared at 10% of the Daily Value (DV) for magnesium in the Nutrition Facts panel), zinc gluconate (declared at 10% of the DV for zinc), niacinamide (declared at 15% of the DV for niacin), pyridoxine hydrochloride (declared at 15% of the DV for vitamin B6), and cyanocobalamine (declared at 15% of the DV for vitamin B12).
Diet Coke Plus has just come under fire for using the word “plus” in their product name. According to the FDA, Diet Coke Plus is “misbranded … because the product makes a nutrient content claim but does not meet the criteria to make the claim.” Muhtar Kent, the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Coca-Cola Company received a warning letter from the FDA last week detailing regulations for using the word “plus” and Diet Coke Plus’ abuse of the word, along with the statement that the “FDA does not consider it appropriate to fortify snack foods such as carbonated beverages.”
I’ll be honest; I’ve bought Diet Coke Plus at the grocery store. I might’ve been trying to rationalize my caffeine addiction. It said Plus, it must be ok to drink. If they ever come out with an Organic Coke I’m sure people will be clamoring to buy it, supposing that it will be “all natural”.
The FDA has allowed Coke 15 days to prepare a letter detailing the actions that Coke plans to take in response to the warning letter, including an explanation of each step being taken to correct the current violations and prevent similar violations. “We take seriously the issues raised by the FDA in its letter,” Coke spokesman Scott Williamson said in a prepared statement. “This does not involve any health or safety issues, and we believe the label on Diet Coke Plus complies with FDA's policies and regulations. We will provide a detailed response to the FDA in early January."
Cats eating better than their owners
I’ve just started my first year of veterinary school, and after only two days into the program, I’ve been contacted by at least five pet food companies touting their premium pet food that is healthy for pets and tasty as well. I suppose that pets enjoy the variety of flavors, but a new study from Australia suggests it’s doing more harm than good.
Deakin University scientist Dr Giovanni Turchini has discovered an estimated 2.48 million tonnes of forage fish - a limited biological resource - is consumed by the global cat food industry each year.
This puts cats ahead of people as far as consumption rates go; pet cats are eating an estimated 13.7 kilograms of fish a year, which far exceeds the Australian average (human) per capita fish and seafood consumption of around 11 kilograms.
Just as obesity has become a major epidemic among Americans, it is also an epidemic among pets. These tasty canned foods with enticing flavors such as “shredded yellowfin tuna fare” only encourage pets to grow wider around the belly all while pet food companies continue to cook up new ideas for making cats want their food.
What happened to cats eating regular dry food? Though, even the dry food goes overboard for Fancy Feast, which touts three different flavors for the finicky cat. With the slogan of “A bowl full of ‘I love you,’” Fancy Feast has definitely gone overboard in pampering cats. If you love your pet, then why are you feeding it a high-fat meal?
The luxury products containing fish unfortunately are contributing to the overfishing problem worldwide.
Better breakfasts fight teen anxiety: study
A study of more than 800 students has found that a complex breakfast is directly linked to better mental health irrespective of family income, the student's weight or exercise routine.
Students who ate from more food groups for their morning meal scored higher on a child behaviour checklist, with an improvement in mood seen for every extra food type added.Lead researcher Therese O'Sullivan, from the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research in Perth, said,
"It didn't matter what they added, just that they added something different like a banana to their cereal to make that meal more complete with vitamins and minerals. From what we found, that makes a huge difference."Don't cry
Don't raise your eye
It's only teenage wasteland
And this is the best live version of Baba O'Riley.
Fred Flintstone and diet
Volunteers were put on a stone-age diet of berries, nuts, lean meat, fish and vegetables while cutting out cereals, dairy products and refined sugar.After just three weeks they had lost five pounds in weight, their waistlines were slimmer, and their blood pressure was lower.
Those taking part in the Swedish study had to stick to a food list which included lean meat, unsalted fish, fresh or frozen fruit, berries, vegetables -- but not beans -- most kinds of nuts, canned tomatoes, lemon or lime juice, spices, and coffee or tea without milk or sugar.
Dairy products, beans, peanuts, salt, pasta, rice, sausages, sugar, fruit juices and alcohol were all banned.
