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.

Tiny turtles blamed for large salmonella outbreak

Even though tiny turtles were banned as pets more than 30 years ago, they were apparently to blame for a large salmonella outbreak in 2007 and 2008. Sickened were 107 people, mostly children, in 34 states. One-third of the victims were hospitalized.

Two of the children who became sick had gone swimming with their pets in a backyard pool, according to the report in this month's Pediatrics. Health officials began their investigation in the fall of 2007 after a North Carolina teen and a pal from South Carolina swam in an unchlorinated pool with two pet turtles. Both girls developed bloody diarrhea, vomiting, fever and stomach cramps; one developed kidney failure and spent eight days in the hospital.

"It's very easy to think of turtles as being a very gentle and nice pet," but many carry salmonella, without showing any signs, Julie Harris, a scientist at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the report's lead author, told the Associated Press.

The Food and Drug Administration banned selling turtles with shells less than four inches long in 1975 because of the public health impact of turtle-associated salmonellosis. Despite the ban, in recent years, several widespread outbreaks of salmonella infection related to undersized turtles have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, the number of pet turtles is actually increasing—from 950,000 in 1996 to almost 2 million in 2006.

All reptiles (turtles, lizards, snakes) and amphibians (frogs, salamanders) are commonly contaminated with salmonella. The bacteria do not make these animals sick, but they can make people ill and even be life-threatening to children, elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Small pet turtles are of particular concern because children are more prone to handling the turtles without washing their hands afterward, and sometimes even put the turtles in their mouths.

In the outbreak documented in Pediatrics, the same strain of salmonella found in the teenage girls was also found in more than 100 other people in 34 states who were reported ill between early May 2007 and mid-January 2008, according to the CDC. When 80 of these people were questioned, 47 of them confirmed that they had been exposed to a turtle during the seven days before they got sick.

When it can track sellers down the FDA, together with related agencies, has pursued criminal charges. In a recent case, Strictly Reptiles of Hollywood, Florida was convicted and sentenced in July 2008 for its role in illegally selling more than 1,000 live undersized turtles.

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.

Generator safety: Deaths from CO poisoning on the rise

Deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning associated with the use of  portable generators are increasing, according to new information released by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

There were 85 carbon monoxide poisoning deaths attributed to the use of generators in 2006, the year covered in the latest CPSC study. The estimated number of generator-related CO fatalities doubled in 2005 and 2006 from the two prior years, with a combined estimate of 182 fatalities in 2005 and 2006 compared to an estimated 92 in 2003 and 2004, the agency reported. One reason for the sharp spike in 2005 was likely a high number of severe weather events that caused widespread power outages, including hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Non-weather related CO fatalities associated with generator use are also on the rise—by 53 percent from 2004 to 2005, and another 41 percent  from 2005 to 2006. In contrast to 2005, the busiest hurricane season since records have been kept, there were no hurricanes that made landfall in the U.S. in 2006.

Recently, Underwriters Laboratories asked us to help get the word out on generator safety and to call attention to its first standard for portable generators, which took effect in March. The standard—UL 2201—addresses hazards associated with the typical use of generators, primarily those related to CO poisoning.

According to UL, the new performance requirements facilitate safe outdoor use of UL-listed portable generators during storms or poor weather conditions, as well as provide clear usage labels for consumers to help reduce the known risks of CO poisoning and electrocution.

Here are some tips on generator safety that our readers have found helpful..

• Never operate a generator indoors or in any enclosed or partially enclosed area—even if you think you can adequately ventilate the space.
• Keep generators away from windows, doors, air conditioners, and vents where gases can enter the house. Outside, always be conscious of where the exhaust gas is moving, and stay out of its path.
• Maintain working carbon-monoxide detectors throughout your home.
• Properly store and handle the gasoline. Never refuel the generator while it's running; stop the engine and allow it to cool first.
• Store gasoline safely. Keep it outside in a cool place away from the house or a heat source. Treat gas with a stabilizer (about $5 to treat 25 gallons) to preserve it for up to a year. And dispose of old fuel by using it in mowers and other outdoor equipment.
• Be sure the generator is properly grounded, and use extreme caution around wet electrical cords. Use a portable GFCI device with extension cords whenever you use your generator.
• Never connect a generator directly to a home's wiring. If the generator is used to power home circuits, always use a properly installed transfer switch (about $600 installed).
• Keep connections safe. For small generators, use extension cords rated for the wattage they're carrying.

For more information see our most recent report on generators including Ratings and recommendations.

This week in safety: Home hazardous home

Each year more than 18,000 Americans die accidental deaths at home. In fact, the home is the second most common place for such mishaps, following the car, according to the Home Safety Council. To get the word out, Meri-K Appy, the council's president, talked to U.S. News recently about the five leading causes of unintentional home injury deaths and how to prevent them.

According to Appy, these are the five leading home injuries and the number of lives they claim each year.

1. Falls: 6,000
2. Poisoning: 5,000
3. Fires and burns: 3,000
4. Airway obstruction: 1,000
5. Drowning: 800

Headlines
Lead-tainted toys linger on shelves despite law
NPR. org
At many discount toy stores in this country, products that test at dangerously high levels for lead are still on the shelves — despite a new federal law to protect children. Read more ...

Legal life: Watching out for the consumer
The New York Times.com
Earlier this summer I bought a new gas barbecue grill at Lowe’s. I had used it only a handful of times when one morning as I blankly stared at the Star-Ledger, I noticed a line of print announcing a recall of Blue Ember barbecue grills. Read more ...

After snowmobilers killed, parents push for greater safety
The Journal Times (Racine, WI)
For six months after Nathan and Jennifer Kender went out for a morning snowmobile ride in northern Wisconsin and never made it home, their parents have wanted to know why the crash happened. Read more ...

Infant car seats can restrict babies oxygen levels
CNN.com
Infant car safety seats can—and do—save newborns' lives in traffic accidents. However, these seats, which require infants to be placed in an upright position, can also cause breathing problems when babies sleep in them. Read more ...

When food safety fails: E. coli victim fights to survive
The Los Angeles Times
Linda Rivera's mute state, punctuated only by groans, is the latest downturn in the swift collapse of her health that began in May when she curled up on her living room couch and nonchalantly ate several spoonfuls of Nestle Toll House cookie dough. Read more ...

Don't miss these recalls

• 1,400 children’s animal masks and pendants (lead)
• 24,000 SRAM bicycle chains with PowerLock connector links (fall hazard)
• 500 Grizzly Industrial bandsaws (shock hazard)
• 2,300 La Jolla Sport hooded sweatshirts (strangulation hazard)

Safety news from the CR blogs

• Babies & Kids: Dishwasher dangers
  
• Babies & Kids: Safe sleep tips
• Cars: National child passenger safety week
• Cars: Toyota and Volkswagen recalls
• Cars: How to prevent car theft
• Home: Can nonstick pans make you sick?
• Health: Latisse -- long lashes, long list of risks

From China with love? Don’t be mis-lead

Despite stricter testing requirements and tighter limits for the amount of lead permitted in children’s products, lead-laden items with kid appeal can still be found on store shelves. That's the finding of Jeffrey Weidenhamer, a chemistry professor at Ashland University in Ohio who is an expert in analytical chemistry. 
 
This summer, Weidenhamer tested “Patriot Pride” jewelry sets purchased in May at Flower Factory, a store in Mansfield, Ohio. Though the made-in-China pendant on the necklace pictured at right proclaims, “I love USA”, the metal, made primarily of lead, could expose a child to toxic lead levels if they mouth or accidentally ingest the pendant. Weidenhamer’s tests showed that the pendant’s total lead content was an astounding 861,000 parts per million. The limit imposed in February for total lead content in children’s products was 600 ppm, which was reduced further in August to 300 ppm.
 
That necklace and several other Patriot Pride jewelry sets Weidenhamer tested contain more than 80 percent lead by weight. Last year, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled keychains sold at Walmart that had charms with a lower lead content after health officials reported elevated blood lead levels in a child who had been mouthing the keychain. More than a year before that recall, however, Weidenhamer reported to the CPSC test results of a similar keychain with charms containing 60 to 70 percent lead.  Such public-safety efforts prompted us to applaud Weidenhamer as one of our safety crusaders.

“Because of the new standards for lead in children’s products, you see a lot of products now with labels saying they’re not intended for use by children,” Weidenhamer says.  “But since there’s no age-related labeling like that on Patriot Pride jewelry sets and they only cost $1.50 or so, I’m concerned that kids are going to be harmed because their parents buy them these things assuming that they’re safe.  I worry about the cases that never are reported, where no one makes the connection between learning disabilities and a child’s exposure to lead in products that never are recalled.”

Poisoning overtakes firearms as second cause of accidental death

In recent years, poisoning has overtaken firearms as the second leading cause of death from injuries, trending right behind motor vehicle accidents, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The report says that death rates for motor-vehicle traffic-related accidents and deaths from firearms decreased from 1979 to 2006, whereas the rate for poisoning more than doubled during the same period. And from 2005 to 2006, the  poisoning death rate increased 13 percent, whereas motor-vehicle traffic and firearm death rates remained unchanged.

The CDC defines a poison as "any substance that is harmful to your body when ingested (eaten), inhaled (breathed), injected, or absorbed through the skin.  This definition does not include adverse reactions to medications taken correctly." Most deaths from poison are unintentional.

In a second report on poisoning that focused on children, the CDC said that prescription and over-the-counter medications account for almost 7 out of 10 emergency room visits for childhood poisonings. Each year more than 71,000 children ages 18 and younger visit hospital emergency rooms for unintentional medication overdoses. Most of the ingestions are among toddlers.

"Unsupervised medication ingestions caused over 80 percent of the emergency department visits. These emergency department visits for unsupervised ingestions are ten times more common than overdoses from medication errors by a parent or caregiver," said Daniel Budnitz, M.D., the senior study author.

The medications children most often consumed included acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) opioids (such as Percodan) or benzodiazepines (such as Valium and Xanax), cough and cold medicines, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as aspirin and ibuprofen), and antidepressants.

One explanation for the increase, according to the report, is that more adults and children are taking medications at home and more are taking multiple medications. "The high frequency of medication usage and the rising number of medications stored in American homes increases the potential for medication overdoses ... especially among children," the report states.

The CDC is working with drug manufacturers to encourage the implementation of passive safety innovations, such as individual dose packets. In the meantime, parents can take some common sense measures to make sure their children don't have access to medications. Put your medications in a locked medicine cabinet or box and be sure to always replace child-resistant caps. When parents of small children visit other people's homes, they should make sure the homeowner's medications are also out of reach. The CDC has more good advice including what to do if a poisoning occurs.

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.

Food fight on House floor postpones bill passage

Your food won’t be any safer just yet. Today, the House of Representatives failed to pass the Food Safety Enhancement Act, despite an attempt to expedite this legislation before Congress leaves for its summer recess.  The vote, 280 in favor and 150 against, fell just short of the two-thirds majority that was required under fast-tracked legislation procedures. 

The FSEA would increase regulation of food processors and growers of fruits and vegetables and give the FDA the authority to require a recall.The legislation was spurred by recalls of tainted peanuts, spinach, peppers, cookie dough, and other foods -- many of which caused widespread illness.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are 76 million cases of foodborne illness annually, leading to 5,000 deaths.

"It is essential that Congress act on food safety soon. This spring nine people died from eating contaminated peanut butter. We need to reform our broken food safety system so that these incidents are prevented before they happen,” said Jean Halloran, Director of Food Policy Initiatives at Consumers Union.

It is possible that the House will vote again Thursday under rules requiring a simple majority for approval.  

- Don Mays

Lettuce recall underscores need for food safety reform

About 22,000 cartons of romaine lettuce, distributed by Tanimura & Antle Inc. of Salinas, Calif. were recalled today because they might be contaminated with salmonella, according to reports from the Associated Press.

The cartons of bulk or wrapped romaine are marked with the lot code 531380 and were harvested June 25-July 2. They were sold to retail, wholesale and food service outlets across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. (See the company's press release to see if your state is one of the 29 to which it was shipped.)

"This latest recall underlines how urgently we need Congress to pass the Food Safety Enhancement Act, which is awaiting a floor vote in the House,"  said Jean Halloran, Director of Food Policy Initiatives at Consumers Union. "Almost every week brings a new food recall.  The FSEA will require FDA to take steps to prevent problems like this before they happen, like requiring produce growers to follow food safety standards.  Recalls like this are expensive to the industry, and there is a risk that not everyone will get the message and that the lettuce may make people sick.  We need the House to pass the food safety bill before the August recess."

The recalls that have been made so far this summer—nonfat dry milk, beef, cookie dough, alfalfa sprouts —only underscore that point. The Centers for Disease Control estimate that there are 76 million cases of foodborne illness annually leading to 5,000 deaths.

Most persons infected with salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts four to seven days, and most people recover without treatment. The elderly, infants and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.