This week in safety: Talking turkey about food safety

The U.S. Department of Agriculture wants to make sure everyone has a food-safe Thanksgiving and is offering guidelines for thawing, cooking and storing the turkey.

Thawing

• In the refrigerator: Leave the turkey in its original wrapper and place it on a tray to catch any juices that may leak from the package. Bacteria in poultry juices can cross-contaminate other foods. Allow 24 hours per 4 to 5 pounds of turkey. For example, a 16-pound turkey would take 3 to 4 days to thaw. A thawed turkey can remain in the refrigerator for 1-2 days before cooking.
• In water: If you don't have the time or space to thaw the turkey in the refrigerator, don't panic. You can submerge the bird in cold water and change the water every 30 minutes. Allow about 30 minutes defrosting time per pound of turkey. Cook immediately after thawing.
• In the microwave: Check the manufacturer's instructions for the size turkey that will fit into your oven, the minutes per pound, and the power level to use for thawing. Cook immediately after thawing.

Cooking

• Don't even think of pulling an all-nighter with your turkey. It's not safe to cook a turkey all night at 200 °F. The minimum oven temperature is 325 °F to ensure any bacteria are destroyed.
• If you plan to stuff your turkey, mix the wet and dry stuffing ingredients just before placing the stuffing inside the turkey cavity or into a casserole dish. The stuffing should be moist, not dry, since heat destroys bacteria more rapidly in a moist environment. Stuff your turkey loosely and place it in the oven immediately.
• Use a food thermometer. A cooked whole turkey is safe at a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F throughout the bird and stuffing. Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh, wing, the thickest part of the breast and the stuffing. When the turkey is removed from the oven, let it stand 20 minutes before removing the stuffing and carving the turkey.

Leftovers

• After dinner, but within two hours of cooking, cut the leftover turkey into small pieces. Refrigerate the stuffing and turkey separately in shallow containers. Use leftover turkey and stuffing within 3-4 days or freeze these foods. Reheat thoroughly to a temperature of 165 °F or until hot and steaming.

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Dangerous counterfeit electronics a growing problem
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It's a hidden hazard that could set your house on fire or electrocute you. Counterfeit electronics are downright dangerous. "These things can kill you," says the president of the Electrical Safety Foundation. "A purse or a CD isn't going to hurt you. But a counterfeit electrical product will hurt you. It's pretty scary." Read more ...

Senate panel OKs giving FDA more power to police food safety
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A key Senate committee approved sweeping legislation that would give the Food and Drug Administration more power to police food safety and reorient its efforts toward preventing food contamination instead of reacting to outbreaks of food-borne illnesses. Read more ...

Listeria found in Eggo Waffles prior to shortage
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It appears there's more to the story behind the nationwide shortage of Eggo waffles. Kellogg's has blamed the shortage of its popular breakfast foods on flooding and equipment changes and repairs at the company's bakery in Atlanta, Georgia. But the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) in September found Listeria monocytogenes in a sample of Eggo Buttermilk Waffles made at the plant. Read more ...

Agriculture chief promises better food alerts to schools
USA Today
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack pledged Tuesday that the government will do a better job alerting schools across the nation when it suspects that food for school lunches might be contaminated. "We understand and appreciate that there has been a … gap in communication, which results in school districts not getting information on a timely basis," Vilsack told lawmakers during a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing. Read more ...

Senate bill would require E. coli testing
The New York Times
Citing public concern that meat companies and federal regulators are not doing enough to make ground beef safe, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Democrat of New York, has introduced legislation that would require companies to test for a deadly E. coli strain. Read more ...

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Two deaths linked to large ground beef recall

Two deaths have been linked to the recall of 545,699 pounds of fresh ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The beef was produced by Fairbank Farms in western New York, which recalled the meat on Saturday.

The meat was packaged between September 14 and 16 and may have been labeled with a sell-by date from Sept. 19 through Sept. 28. Because those dates have passed, the meat is no longer on store shelves but health officials fear it may still be in people's freezers. The meat was distributed to retailers in eight states -- Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia -- but Fairbank Farms said on its Web site that some of its customers may have redistributed ground beef to other states.  The stores receiving the meat include ACME, BJ's, Ford Brothers, Giant Food Stores, Price Chopper, Shaw's, and Trader Joe's, Lancaster and Wild Harvest. Each package bears the establishment number "EST. 492" inside the USDA mark of inspection or on the nutrition label.

The Associated Press reported that one of the deaths was an adult from Albany County, N.Y., who had several underlying health conditions, according to the New York State Health Department. The other fatality was reported by New Hampshire, where health officials said a patient died of complications.

For complete details on the recall including the weight and labels of the recalled packages of meat, read the recall notice from the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. Consumers can contact the Fairbank Farms’ toll-free hotline at 1-877-546-0122.

Testing for BPA: Concern over canned foods

Consumer Reports recently tested a variety of canned foods to determine whether they contain Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical used in the epoxy resin linings of most food and beverage cans. We found that even samples of canned food we tested from manufacturers who aim to reduce consumers’ BPA exposure by using non-epoxy based can linings had measurable amounts of the chemical.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration currently is reassessing what it considers a safe level of exposure to BPA, which some studies show is linked with increased risks of certain cancers, diabetes, reproductive abnormalities, and heart disease. Federal guidelines currently put the daily upper limit of exposure at 50 micrograms of BPA per kilogram of body weight. But that level is based on experiments done in the 1980s rather than hundreds of more recent animal and laboratory studies indicating that serious health risks could result from much lower doses of BPA.

Mounting scientific evidence of the chemical’s health risks prompted Eden Foods President and Chairman Michael Potter more than a decade ago to search for BPA-free cans for the canned foods produced by his Ann Arbor, Mich.-based natural foods company. In an interview with Consumer Reports, he explained that he eventually negotiated a deal with Ball Corp.—famous for its glass jars—to manufacture BPA-free cans starting in 1999 for Eden’s bean products, including chili. The inner coating of those cans is an oleo-based material originally known as “corn enamel,” which was commonly used in food can linings prior to the 1960s. That’s when epoxy resins took over the market because they helped extend shelf life without affecting flavor, according to Scott McCarty, spokesman for Ball Corp.

Potter says that finding a supplier of cans that weren’t lined with BPA-containing epoxy resin was a difficult and frustrating process. “I made hundreds of calls to can manufacturers trying to find out what was in their can linings and I always ended up talking to an attorney in the Beltway who informed me to my amazement that it was a trade secret and I had no right to know,” says Potter.

The Ball Corp. eventually agreed to produce custom runs of cans with oleo-based C-enamel linings for Eden. It’s also doing research to develop BPA-free can coatings that could work for more acidic foods such as fruit, which Eden now markets in glass containers. “It’s costing me 14 percent more for these BPA-free cans, but I said I have to do this because not only do I eat canned foods, but so do my kids and grandkids,” Potter says.

Even so, the samples of Eden Baked Beans in our tests were found to contain an average of one part per billion of BPA. That’s far below many other food products we tested, which ranged up to a high of 191 ppb for a single sample. The fact that the Eden Baked Beans we tested still had any measurable amounts of BPA—even though our tests confirmed the cans did not have epoxy-based linings—suggests that food can have multiple sources of exposure.

BPA is now one of the highest-volume chemicals in the world, with more than 100 tons released into the atmosphere per year. Various studies have found BPA in dust and water samples from around the world. This unavoidable environmental exposure makes it all the more important to eliminate the use of BPA in can linings and all materials that come in contact with food. Consumers Union is calling upon manufacturers and government regulators to do just that.

Plum Organics recalls baby food sold at Babies 'R' Us

Plum Organics has recalled a type of baby food sold at Babies 'R' us and Toys 'R' Us because of concerns over possible contamination by the bacteria that causes botulism. No illnesses have been reported.

“The product did not meet the FDA guidelines for proper acidity level,” said Dr. Paul Gerhardt, a Food Science Ph.D. at Plum Organics, in statement on the company's Web site.

Recalled are the 4.22 oz. "Apple & Carrot Portable Pouch" baby food with the best by date May 21, 2010 and marked with the following universal product code (UPC) 890180001221 (located on the bottom of the package). The pouches were sold individually at Toys 'R' Us and Babies 'R' Us stores nationally, according to the notice from the Food and Drug Administration.

Botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The classic symptoms of botulism include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, and muscle weakness.

Consumers with any questions are asked to call 888-974-3555 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PST, or email info@plumorganics.com.

This week in safety: Pet food recalls

Three brands of pet food have been recalled in recent days including two kinds of dog food and one of cat food. Premium Edge recalled two varieties of cat food after some pets became sick. The foods were found to be lacking in Thiamine, also known as Vitamin B1. Symptoms displayed by the affected cats were "neurological in nature," according to the company's press release, including tremors and weakness. The recalled foods were Premium Edge Finicky Adult Cat (RAF0501A22X 18lb., RAF0501A2X 6 lb.) and Premium Edge Hairball (RAH0501A22X 18 lb., RAH0501A2X 6lb.)

The dog food recalls were made by Wysong and Nutro. Wysong recalled five lots of dry dog food made in June and July because it was contaminated with mold. Wysong, which sells "natural" pet products said the problem with the food "stems from unusually high heat and humidity on those summer dates ... combined with a malfunctioning moisture checking device." The recalls includes Wysong Maintenance (lots 090617, 090624, 090706, 090720) and Wysong Senior (lot 090623).

Nutro recalled three kinds of puppy chow that may contain pieces of a plastic hard hat that fell into the production line. The food was distributed through Petco and Petsmart stores in the West and included Nutro Ultra (UPC 79105 51313, 4.5 lb. and UPC 79105 51315, 30 lb.) and Nutro Natural Choice Chicken Meal, Rice and Oatmeal Formula Small Bites Puppy (UPC# 79105 23050, 5 lb.)

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Saratoga school district reverses bike ban, with conditions
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After the death of a diver in California, S.I. Tech has recalled 65,000 diving air hoses for dry suits because an insert can dislodge and restrict the diver's air flow. The company has received six additional reports of hose inserts dislodging. Made in Sweden, the hoses were sold at diving equipment retailers and distributors nationwide from July 2006 through February 2009 for about $45.

This dry suit inflation hose connects a diver’s dry suit to the air supply and allows for the pumping of air into the suit to set up a positive pressure arrangement that helps  keep it watertight. The hose contains an air flow restricting insert that may be either black, blue or green in color. The batch code is stamped on the threaded metal end of the hose. Owners should visit the firm’s Web site for more information.

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This week in safety: What's your beef?

If you're a hamburger lover, you may lose your appetite after reading this. But we wanted to call attention this week to an eye-opening but stomach-turning report in The New York Times about the safety of ground beef. Sadly, the tale begins with a 22-year-old who became disabled after suffering a severe form of foodborne illness caused by E. coli. What did she eat? A hamburger.

An excerpt from the article explains: Ground beef is usually not simply a chunk of meat run through a grinder. Instead, records and interviews show, a single portion of hamburger meat is often an amalgam of various grades of meat from different parts of cows and even from different slaughterhouses. These cuts of meat are particularly vulnerable to E. coli contamination, food experts and officials say. Despite this, there is no federal requirement for grinders to test their ingredients for the pathogen.

The newspaper traced the origin of the suspect burger through inspection and other records and displayed the results graphically in the Anatomy of a Hamburger. The investigation caused a stir in the capital with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack calling the situation "unacceptable and tragic."

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Crusader tracks toll of kids strangled in blinds
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• 84,000 Lowe's folding directors chairs (fall hazard)
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Safety news from our Cars blog
Our Cars franchise has been busy this week reporting on road hazards so we've gathered the posts here to share with our readers.

• Record low traffic fatalities this year
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Report: The 10 riskiest foods overseen by the FDA

Leafy greens top the list of the 10 riskiest foods regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, according to a new report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Given recent recalls of spinach and other greens that news isn't surprising, but we were a bit baffled by some of the other foods on the list such as potatoes and ice cream. Then we read the reasons why.

"The most surprising things on the list are not so surprising when you look closely at the explanations and qualifications in the report," said Jean Halloran, Director of Food Policy Initiatives for Consumers Union.

The FDA is responsible for regulating produce, seafood, egg and dairy products -- but not meat or poultry -- that comprise nearly 80 percent of the food supply. The CSPI report noted that more than 1,500 separate, definable foodborne illness outbreaks were associated with the 10 foods on the list, causing nearly 50,000 reported illnesses. Since most foodborne illnesses go unreported, that number represents only a fraction of cases.

Here are the top 10 offending foods and excerpts from sections of the report that detail why these foods made the list:

1) Leafy greens (363 outbreaks, 13,568 reported cases of illness)
Outbreaks from leafy greens occur anywhere these popular food items are consumed. Contamination may be present from production and processing, or may occur through improper handling and preparation, such as inadequate handwashing and cross-contamination of cutting boards and other equipment. A major outbreak occurred in bagged spinach in 2006. In restaurants, any of these problems in only a single food item can affect multiple patrons.

2) Eggs (352 outbreaks, 11,163 reported cases of illness)
Eggs can contain salmonella. Half of all egg outbreaks occurred from restaurants and other food establishments. While proper egg handling and cooking should destroy most pathogens, serving eggs raw or “runny,” or leaving egg dishes at improper holding temperatures (such as on a breakfast buffet) can allow the bacteria to multiply.

3) Tuna ( 268 outbreaks, 2341 reported cases of illness)
Fresh fish decay quickly after being caught and, if stored above 60 degrees F, begin to release natural toxins that are dangerous for humans. Adequate refrigeration and handling can slow this spoilage, but the toxin cannot be destroyed by cooking, freezing, smoking, curing, or canning.

4) Oysters (132 outbreaks, 3409 reported cases of illness)
Illnesses from oysters occur primarily from two sources: Norovirus and Vibrio. Although Norovirus in other foods is usually associated with improper handling during harvest or preparation, oysters can actually be harvested from waters contaminated with Norovirus. When served raw or undercooked, those oysters can cause gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach and small or large intestines.

5) Potatoes (108 outbreaks, 3659 reported cases of illness)
Potatoes are grown in the soil, but they are always cooked before consuming. Outbreaks are linked to dishes, like potato salad, that can contain many ingredients and also a broad range of pathogens. More than 40 percent of potato outbreaks were linked to foods prepared in restaurants and food establishments (including grocery stores and delis).

6) Cheese (83 outbreaks, 2761 reported cases of illness)
Cheese can become contaminated with pathogens during the initial phases of production (curdling, molding, and salting), or later during processing. This summer California health officials warned consumers about eating Latin American-style cheeses such as queso fresco made with unpasteurized milk that may contain bacteria.

7) Ice cream (74 outbreaks, 2594 reported cases of illness)
Almost half of all ice-cream outbreaks contained in CSPI’s database occurred in private homes. This is most likely due to the use of undercooked eggs in homemade ice cream.

8) Tomatoes (31 outbreaks, 3292 reported cases of illness)
Salmonella can enter tomato plants through roots or flowers and can enter the tomato fruit through small cracks in the skin, the stem scar, or the plant itself. Once inside, destruction of salmonella without cooking the tomato is very difficult. Norovirus was the second most common hazard. Restaurants were responsible for 70 percent of all illnesses associated with tomatoes.

9) Sprouts (31 outbreaks, 2022 reported cases of illness)
The most likely source of sprout contamination is the seeds that are used to grow the sprouts. Seeds may become contaminated in the field or during storage, and the warm and humid conditions required to grow sprouts are ideal for the rapid growth of bacteria. Improper handling and poor hygiene in sprout production have also caused some sprout-related outbreaks.

10) Berries (25 outbreaks, 3397 reported cases of illness)
Most of the berry-related illnesses were caused by Cyclospora. The resulting  infection is a parasitic illness of the intestines, which can cause severe diarrhea, dehydration, and stomach cramps. Importantly, the illness does not resolve itself without antibiotics, thus requiring a trip to the doctor.

Our take: This Top 10 list underscores the need for food safety reform. The  House  passed the Food Safety Enhancement Act in July. We'd like to see the Senate follow its lead and take stronger measures to protect the nation's food supply.

GAO: Information on recalled food slow to reach schools

Schools were not told promptly about recalls of tainted peanut butter and other foods and may have unwittingly served it to students, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office. The report said that it took up to a week for states to find out which products had been recalled. As a result, the foods may have been served in federal lunch and breakfast programs.

"It is especially important that recalls affecting schools be carried out efficiently and effectively because young children have a higher risk of complications from food-borne illnesses," the report noted.

According to the GAO, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), which oversees federal school meal programs, did not always ensure that states and schools received timely and complete notification about suspect food provided to schools through the federal program. The government provides schools with 15 to 20 percent of the food served in cafeterias, which is consumed by 30 million students.

The report examined recalls of beef, peanut butter, and canned vegetables. Of the three, the schools were informed promptly in only one instance. Schools were told to stop serving certain beef products after a video aired showing inhumane treatment of animals at the processing plant, the GAO found. But in later recalls involving peanut butter and canned vegetables, schools were not told to hold and not serve the affected products until weeks after the recalls were made public. (As we reported earlier, there were nine deaths and 700 illnesses associated with the peanut recall.)

The GAO report goes on to detail problems the schools had disposing of the food—some landfills would not accept it—and getting reimbursed for recall-related expenses was difficult.

The delays in notifying schools point to a lack of communication among an alphabet soup of agencies responsible for food safety including the USDA, FNS, FDA (Food and Drug Administraion) and FSIS (Food Safety Inspection Service). The GAO recommends better coordination among agencies as well as better follow-up to ensure that recalls are carried out in schools effectively.

FDA, not industry, must set salad safety standards

This weekend, Ippolito International, a signatory of the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement, announced a new recall of loose spinach, due to salmonella contamination, that was distributed in 12 states and Canada.  The recall comes just before a U.S. Department of Agriculture hearing on whether to take the California LGMA national as a model for assuring the safety of leafy greens. Consumers Union thinks this model is not the way to go, and will oppose a national USDA-sponsored LGMA in testimony this week in Monterrey, California.

These days, most people agree we have a food safety problem.  An earlier case of contaminated spinach, which broke into the national media three years ago this month, was the first in a series of major national food safety crises, now including peanut butter, pistachios and cookie dough. In the 2006 spinach recall, 200 people were sickened across 26 states, 100 of those were hospitalized and three died. One of the three was two-year-old Kyle Algood of Chubbuck, Idaho.  Tragically, his mother made him the smoothie that contained the raw spinach, wanting to give him some healthy food.

So far there have been no illnesses or deaths associated with this latest spinach recall.  But the recall underlines the fact that we still have a ways to go before the nation's food supply is as safe as it can and should be.

The California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement, which specifies certain safety measures that all signees agree to adhere to, may have improved certain industry practices.  But that agreement, and the one proposed for the entire nation, is voluntary—you don't have to sign up. Further, all the standards are decided by a board appointed by the industry itself, and small farmers and environmentalists have complained that it runs roughshod over environmental concerns.

Consumers Union believes that  a far better solution is to pass Food and Drug Adminstration food safety reform as soon as possible.  The FDA's weakness, in terms of lack of authority and resources, has created a vacuum that has allowed these problems to develop, and must be remedied.   The House passed the Food Safety Enhancement Act (HR 2749) in July.  Now the Senate, which is working on its own bill, S. 510, needs to act promptly.

Recall details
The Ippolito recall includes 1,715 cartons of bunch spinach: 1,515 were packed under the "Queen Victoria" brand and distributed to Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York and British Columbia, Ontario and Manitoba, Canada. The remaining 200 cartons were packed under the "Tubby" label and distributed in California and New York. Details on how to identify the spinach are listed on the recall notice.

The FDA is advising consumers who purchased "Queen Victoria" or "Tubby" bunched spinach to dispose of the product or return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-831-772-9991 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PDT.

Illnesses prompt recall of 826,000 pounds of ground beef

Beef Packers, a California meatpacking firm, is recalling more than 826,000 pounds of ground beef that has been linked to an outbreak of antibiotic-resistant salmonella, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service. The outbreak has sickened people in nine Western states.

The recalled beef was processed between June 5 and 23 and sent to retail distribution centers in Arizona, California, Colorado and Utah marked with the establishment number "EST. 31913." It was then repackaged into consumer-size amounts and sold under different retail brand names. Because the repacked meat no longer carries the EST number, the USDA is urging shoppers to check with their retailer to determine whether they may have purchased any of the meat. 

The link between the salmonella outbreak and the ground beef was discovered by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, which was investigating a series of illnesses in the state.

This particular strain of Salmonella -- Newport -- is resistant to many commonly prescribed drugs, which can increase the risk of hospitalization or possible treatment failure in infected individuals.

Eating food contaminated with Salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses. Salmonella infections can be life-threatening, especially to those with weak immune systems, such as infants, the elderly, and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy. The most common manifestations of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within eight to 72 hours. Additional symptoms may be chills, headache, nausea and vomiting that can last up to seven days.

Our take: This recall again underscores the need for quick passage of the Food Safety Enhancement Act by the Senate. The bill, which is designed to give the FDA more authority and oversight over food producers, was passed by the House last week. We hope -- and expect -- the Senate to do likewise after its summer recess.