Deadly E. coli outbreak hits 20 states

[rodeodance]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060915/ap_on_he_me/tainted_spinach

Deadly E. coli outbreak hits 20 states

By ANDREW BRIDGES, Associated Press Writer 4 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Even if you wash the spinach, you still could be at risk. Sober warnings for salad lovers came from federal health officials Friday as they struggled to pinpoint a multistate
E. coli outbreak that killed one person and sickened nearly 100 more.


Bagged spinach — the triple-washed, cello-packed kind sold by the hundreds of millions of pounds each year — is the suspected source of the bacterial outbreak,
Food and Drug Administration officials said.

The FDA warned people nationwide not to eat the spinach. Washing won't get rid of the tenacious bug, though thorough cooking can kill it. Supermarkets across the country pulled spinach from shelves, and consumers tossed out the leafy green.

"We're waiting for the all-clear. In the meantime, Popeye the Sailor Man and this family will not be eating bagged spinach," said Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of preventative medicine at Vanderbilt University. The Tennessee university's medical center was treating a 17-year-old Kentucky girl for E. coli infection.

[Kutjara]

1. Serves people right for eating salad. Yuck!

I knew I'd one day be vindicated in my resolute refusal to eat anything remotely green. Never mind vitamin deficiencies, colon cancer and heart disease, it's steak and fries for me all the way!

"Salad: the silent killer."

[VegasWolf]

2. Hum, ReadyPac spinach is what we buy! It is all thrown out now. nt

[fed-up]

15. The outbreak was traced to Natural Selection Foods (California)

e-coli can be transmitted in a variety of ways, from workers using the fields for a bathroom, from failure of workers to wash hands, from manure (fertilizer) that wasn't "cooked" to a high enough temperature to kill the bacteria, or from birds and other animals

the yahoo story has been updated

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060915/ap_on_he_me/tainted_spinach
46 minutes ago
Tainted spinach traced to California

The outbreak was traced to Natural Selection Foods, based in San Juan Bautista, Calif., and the company has voluntarily recalled products containing spinach.

FDA officials stressed that the bacteria had not been isolated in products sold by Natural Selection Foods but that the link was established by patient accounts of what they had eaten before becoming ill.

...snip

"It is possible that the recall and the information will extend beyond Natural Selection Foods and involve other brands and other companies, at other dates," said Dr. David Acheson, the chief medical officer with the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.










http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-coli

Escherichia coli, usually abbreviated to E. coli, discovered by Theodor Escherich, a pediatrician and bacteriologist, is one of the main species of bacteria that live in the lower intestines of mammals. They have also been located on the edge of hot springs. They are necessary for the proper digestion of food and are part of the intestinal flora. Its presence in groundwater is a common indicator of fecal contamination. It belongs among the Enterobacteriaceae, and is commonly used as a model organism for bacteria in general. One of the root words of their family's scientific name, "enteric", refers to the intestine, hence "gastroenteritis" (from 'gastro-', stomach, 'entero-' intestine, '-itis', inflammation). "Fecal" is the adjective for organisms that live in feces, so it is often used synonymously with "enteric".
The number of individual E. coli bacteria in the feces that one human passes in one day averages between 100 billion and 10 trillion. All the different kinds of fecal coli bacteria and all the very similar bacteria that live in the ground (in soil or decaying plants, of which the most common is Enterobacter aerogenes) are grouped together under the name coliform bacteria. Technically, the "coliform group" is defined to be all the aerobic and facultative anaerobic, non-spore-forming, Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria that ferment lactose with the production of gas within 48 hours at 35°C (95°F). In the body, this gas is released as flatulence. E. coli cells are elongated, 1-2 µm in length and 0.1-0.5 µm in diameter.


...snip

Certain strains of E.coli such as Escherichia coli O157:H7 are toxigenic (some produce a toxin very similar to that seen in dysentery) and can cause food-poisoning usually associated with eating contaminated meat (contaminated during or shortly after slaughter or during storage or display). Severity of the illness varies considerably; it can be fatal, particularly to young children, the elderly or the immunocompromised, but is more often mild. E. coli can harbor both heat-stable and heat-labile enterotoxins. The latter, termed LT, is highly similar in structure and function to Cholera toxin. It contains one 'A' subunit and five 'B' subunits arranged into one holotoxin. The B subunits assist in adherence and entry of the toxin into host intestinal cells, where the A subunit is cleaved and prevents cells from absorbing water, causing diarrhoea.

[rodeodance]

3. Wisconsin accounted for 29 illnesses,--including one death

By Friday, the outbreak had grown to include at least 20 states: California, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Wisconsin accounted for 29 illnesses, about one-third of the cases, including the lone death.

"We are telling everyone to get rid of fresh bagged spinach right now. Don't assume anything is over," Gov. Jim Doyle said.

The bug has sickened at least 94 people across the nation, the
CDC said. The agency added that 29 people have been hospitalized, 14 of them with kidney failure.

[gizmo1979]

13. Goodthing it was a cooked dish

we had with the spinach on Monday.Whew.Have you heard where the death was yet?

[brentspeak]

4. Good grief. How did E. coli get its way around the nation's spinach crop?

Same thing happen a few years ago with the nation's beansprout crops.

[sweetheart]

9. mucking the fields with human shit?

Do they do that still? I figured that was only the third world; 20 states!! talk about
a legitimized biological attack on the people organized by Bush and FEMA... No, really, the
attack was coordinated by average people who needed to use the toilet whilst they were
working in the fields. Perhaps viet cong detainees have finally escaped a secret CIA prison
in montana, and from there set out to smear excrement on the spinach crop as an artistic
commentary on 9/11, a sort of retro poison motif with a green branding about it.

[Robbien]

21. Where else would the pickers of spinach go to the bathroom but

in the fields they are working? There are no bathroom facilities in any fields.

[Mojambo]

5. In other news... Popeye dead today at age 77. n/t

[nancyr]

6. Diet terror!

I guess this takes the place of the bird flu? Whatever happened to that approaching menace anyway???

[FiveGoodMen]

8. They're still working on it!

[datadiva]

7. Okay thats just wrong

I just spit water all over my keyboard!

[populistdriven]

12. Yep but it was the pipe smoking :o)

but you are right - he is 77!

http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/books/01/17/popeyeat75.ap/

[sendero]

10. What is taking them..

... so damn long to identify the source? How goddam many different sources for bagged spinach that are sold in 20 states are there?

Some moron ( NPR seemed to be overrun with them today) was claiming this could be because of "organic" spinach that cow manure used to fertilize could be the source. I suppose it COULD be, but I'm betting it's not.

[Lindacooks]

11. As Calvin, of 'Calvin and Hobbes' said,

'If it weren't for Twinkies, we'd all be dead.'

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

14. Don't worry gwb's crack FDA unit is on it!

:rofl: MKJ

[cap]

16. Is this spinach grown in the US or Mexico?

does anyone know? I have been leary of any veggies grown in the 3rd world that one does not ordinarily cook.

[MaineDem]

17. I heard California this morning. n/t

[cap]

18. so how did e coli happen in the spinach fields??

our irrigation water is purified, isnt it? No waste material flows into the irrigation? There are laws about this. There are also supposed to be federal inspectors checking on compliance.

Oh... I forgot. This is the Bush administration. Does anybody who follows Agriculture Issues know of a rule change affecting safe handling of food? They have been trying to strip the enforcement powers of the federal government. Maybe this is why it took so long for the story to get out. These folks just dont know how or just dont want to know how to make the government work for the people.

I smell another domestic Katrina in the works here. Maybe just like the mine accident that killed people.

[MaineDem]

19. I heard there was waste water in the irrigation system

But I haven't really read the details. That's just what I heard a while ago.

[cap]

20. sooo. how did this happen???

Inadequate supervision of irrigation... Loosening of the standards for the type of pipes used.

Toilet facilities are supposed to flow through a separate system. Could the contaminate flow through chicken or other animal waste overflows into irrigation water? Or was it human waste?

Who was the inspector on these farms?

[MaineDem]

22. FDA identifies Natural Selection Foods as origin of deadly E. coli outbrea

No indication here as to how it happened, though.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/09/16/tainted.spinach.ap/index.html?section=cnn_topstories

An outbreak of E. coli has been linked to a California spinach processor, but government investigators are looking into other producers as well.

"We're clearly evolving and it is very important to keep an open mind whether there are other products potentially implicated," said Dr. David Acheson, the chief medical officer with the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

Natural Selection Foods LLC was linked to the E. coli outbreak that has killed one person and sickened nearly 100 others. Twenty-nine people have been hospitalized, 14 of them with kidney failure. FDA officials said they had received reports of illness in 19 states. (Watch cases get discovered from coast to coast -- 2:47)

...

The officials stressed that the bacteria had not been isolated in products sold by Natural Selection Foods, a holding company based in San Juan Bautista, California, known for Earthbound Farm and other brands. However, multiple patients named spinach brands sold by the company in interviews with health officials, Acheson said. Other brands may yet be implicated.

[Robbien]

23. Water sources are so much more polluted these days

While waste water may be a seperate system around the farm in question, waste may have entered the irrigation system further up stream.

[cap]

25. safe tables work on e coli in CA water -- Arnold at work

http://www.safetables.org/Policy_&_Outreach/Public_Comments/pc_recycled_water_11_1999.html

Safe Tables Our Priority is a nonprofit, grassroots organization consisting of victims of foodborne illness, family, friends and concerned individuals who recognize the threat pathogens pose in the U.S. food supply. S.T.O.P.'s mission is to prevent unnecessary illness and loss of life from pathogenic foodborne illness. We count among our members victims of E. coli O157:H7 contaminated meat, lettuce and apple juice; hepatitis A contaminated strawberries; Vibrio vulnificus in oysters; Salmonella contaminated poultry and eggs; and Campylobacter contaminated poultry. In all of these cases, the dangers of potentially contaminated products were known to government. And in all of these cases, inadequate efforts by government to warn consumers failed to protect them from life threatening illnesses. We appreciate this opportunity to comment on California State Department of Health Service's Proposed Criteria for Water Recyling.

S.T.O.P.'s chief concern in addressing water recycling is the potential for contamination of human food and water by pathogens. We strongly support DHS setting strict standards for the processing and application of wastewater. Our concerns lie in four categories:

I. Use of Euphemisms
II. Insufficient categorization of food and animal feed crops
III. Lack of science supporting that secondary wastewater is sufficiently disinfected of pathogens.
IV. Testing for pathogens

Use of Euphemisms: S.T.O.P. is concerned that Department of Health Service's adoption of the terms "recycled" and "recycling" as replacements for the terms "reclaimed" and "reclamation" has been strongly encouraged by industry in an attempt to "market" new applications of reclaimed wastewater to consumers. By adopting such euphemisms, the Department of Health Service's further's industry's interests and not that of California citizens. Consumers who would not tolerate the use of reclaimed wastewater in applications related to food crops might not recognize that "recycled water" is, by DHS' definition, the same thing.

.... New terms that do not clarify issues for consumers but rather obscure the real nature of the issues, should not be adopted. This is the purpose of California's Plain English rules. On page two of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Recycled Water, the Plain English description of recycled water is given as: "cleaned sewage."

Insufficient categorization of food and animal feed crops: If DHS will not require that wastewater be disinfected to the same level as drinking water for irrigation of food and feed crops, S.T.O.P. strongly urges that California mandate the use of disinfected tertiary wastewater in the irrigation of all food and feed crops, and at an absolute minimum, disallow the use of any undisinfected water on any food or animal crops.

....

S.T.O.P. is very concerned that in California's support for the application of waste water to food and feed crops, California has little scientific support indicating that secondary "recycled" water has been rendered sufficiently pathogen reduced. Indeed, S.T.O.P. is still looking for data to support the safety of tertiary reclaimed wastewater beyond a very recent report: "Estimating the safety of wastewater reclamation and reuse using enteric virus monitoring data," (Tanaka, Asano, Schroeder, Tchobanoglous; Water Environment Research, Jan/Feb 1998). S.T.O.P. strongly urges that California act to restrict the use of wastewater on food and feed crops until such time as it has data proving that different levels of wastewater has been sufficiently pathogen-reduced.
....
The Need for At Least Disinfected Water in Foods that Undergo Commercial Pathogen-Destroying Processing

Current FDA and USDA performance standards for the reduction and elimination of pathogens are based on criteria established by scientific subcommittees based on the likelihood of a food coming into contact with pathogens. These committees have not considered that these foods could be irrigated with human-pathogen contaminated waste water. Indeed, though they attempt to set a standard of safety for elimination methods such as irradiation and pasteurization, committee members work from a premise that they need only establish a level that would cover most reasonable contamination. Scientifically, most "Commercial Pathogen-Destroying" processes can be overwhelmed if the incoming levels of contamination are too high, i.e. a 5-log reduction on a food containing 10-logs of organisms will still leave 5 logs of organisms. In addition, specific human pathogens such as E. coli O157:H7 require very few organisms to produce life threatening illness, less than 10 organisms and potentially as little as a single organism. It is therefore absolutely essential that DHS not presume that commercial processes will eliminate contamination caused by undisinfected waste water without specific science that shows how much contamination is being introduced to the food through its irrigation water in addition to the loads initially estimated by federal advisory committees. Anything less would be set up a vicious cycle of revisions to federal performance standards to incorporate DHS wastewater irrigation as a potential source of significant human pathogen contamination.
....
IV. TESTING FOR PATHOGENS

S.T.O.P. strongly supports testing of wastewater for pathogens if DHS plans to allow the application of wastewater that is not treated for pathogens up to drinking water quality standards to food and feed crops. Testing should support DHS' assertion that the wastewater has been sufficiently reduced to contain non-harmful levels of pathogens.

Once again, the Bush M.O. is at work. Arnold has been tutored by his masters. Note the same tactics as Katrina, inadequate airlifting of civilians out of Leabanon, and the mining accident in PA : doublespeak, quiet rule changes, inadequate oversight. All we are missing is the graft.

Where is the federal EPA/FDA and Dept of Agriculture on this?

[bleedingheart]

26. It can also happen on farms where livestock are kept

run-off from fields can potentially be a problem.

[cap]

28. Yup... Safe Tables mentions that as well...

not only run off, but flies from feces can land on spinach as well.

[IDemo]

24. Guess I'll stick to jet fuel contaminated lettuce for now->

http://www.ewg.org/reports/rocketlettuce/

[davsand]

27. Earthbound Farms' about the Spinach recall.

http://www.ebfarm.com/press/foodsafe/

"...Quality and food safety have been the centerpiece of our business and we pride ourselves on the high standards we have set and the great care we take in the handling of all the product that comes through our facilities.

With over twenty years of experience packing fresh produce we have built a track record that is unmatched by others in the industry. Our commitment to food safety means implementing a series of stringent measures..."

They go on to discuss Facility Sanitation, Independent Monitoring, and a plan to continue working to ID the problem.

Here is a link to an online store locator they have:

http://www.ebfarm.com/Products/StoreLocator.aspx

----

In no way will this make me stop buying organic produce. I still think it is better for us to avoid all the chemicals used on produce by commercial growers.

Regards!

Laura

On edit: I forgot to include this originally, but I wanted to. Take time to learn about these guys and what they do:

http://www.ebfarm.com/About/GivingBack.aspx

[cap]

29. the problem is not just organic foods

it's also in the contaminated water supply from irrigation. Even the best organic farmer has to get his water from the main aqueducts. He cant rely on the sky and he cant afford bottled water from a mountain spring! Flies from a dirty farm can land on his crop as well. A farmer can try to use the best organic insecticide but it may not be enough when too many of his neighbors are not as conscientious as himself. Itinerant workers' boots can drag contamination from a dirty farm to his farm. I believe whole heartedly in most organic farmers but unfortunately, I think they are getting screwed in this particular affair. I think most organic farmers are pretty conscientious and try very hard but the poor farmer just cant wall himself up against the whole society.

[Nikia]

30. Few people seem to appreciate how this doesn't happen more often

There is so much potential for food not being safe and it takes a lot of work to assure that it is.

[cap]

31. Agribusiness is a big contributor to the Bush campaign

Agribusiness contributions to the Bush 2004 campaign, at $697,000, already nearly equal those of energy and natural-resource interests ($736,000), likely assuring both sectors continued favor in the Bush-Cheney administration.

http://www.theocracywatch.org/montreal_protocal.html

[cap]

32. FDA warning on E. coli and lettuce in Salinas in 2005

Foodborne illness investigations rarely pinpoint the point of origin of the contamination. However, claims that "we cannot take action until we know the cause" are unacceptable. We believe that there are actions that can and should be undertaken immediately to address this issue. For example, at least some outbreaks may be related to contamination that may have occurred in the production environment. In June 2004, the California Department of Health Services, Food and Drug Branch (CDHS-FDB) initiated multi-agency, collaborative research aimed at identifying the environmental reservoirs for E. coli O157:H7, and understanding how lettuce may become contaminated. In a preliminary report presented at the August 2005 annual meeting of the International Association for Food Protection, E. coli O157:H7 was isolated from sediment in an irrigation canal bordering a ranch that had been identified in three separate outbreaks. The ranch is bowl-shaped; it sits upon a drained lake, and is highly susceptible to localized flooding. Expanded sampling in the Santa Rita Creek and the Salinas Valley area indicate that creeks and rivers in the Salinas watershed are contaminated periodically with E. coli O157:H7. The specific source of contamination that led to the outbreaks was not identified. However, several possible sources of contamination were identified, both on the ranch initially studied and upstream. Although it is unlikely that contamination in all 19 outbreaks was caused by flooding from agricultural water sources, we would like to take this opportunity to clarify that FDA considers ready to eat crops (such as lettuce) that have been in contact with flood waters to be adulterated due to potential exposure to sewage, animal waste, heavy metals, pathogenic microorganisms, or other contaminants. FDA is not aware of any method of reconditioning these crops that will provide a reasonable assurance of safety for human food use or otherwise bring them into compliance with the law. Therefore, FDA recommends that such crops be excluded from the human food supply and disposed of in a manner that ensures they do not contaminate unaffected crops during harvesting, storage, or distribution. Adulterated food may be subject to seizure under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and those responsible for its introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate commerce may be enjoined from continuing to do so or prosecuted for having done so.

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/prodltr2.html

so why didnt the FDA seize the food before it hit the market??