Ground meat from Michigan is being recalled after 16 individuals became infected with Salmonella Typhimurium. It is important to point out that at least 7 of those people ate the meat raw as part of an middle eastern dish. (Perhaps there were a few others who ate it raw, but have not admitted it.)
There has been a growing trend of eating raw meat. There are even raw meat diets. On Livestrong.com (the Lance Armstrong related group), they suggest using organic as a way to supply your raw meat needs....right, like that will work.(http://www.livestrong.com/article/541420-is-it-bad-to-eat-raw-meat/).
So if a small processor sells some meat to a person, and this person makes a raw meat dish for his/her band of raw-meat-diet groupies, and all 12 of them come down with a Salmonella infection, will that processor be forced to recall that lot of meat, even though the rest of the customers who bought that same meat were smart enough to cook it?
And do you think the people who ate the raw meat will file a lawsuit? You bet they will. http://www.marlerblog.com/legal-cases/marler-clark-retained-in-raw-ground-beef-salmonella-kibbeh-cases-in-michigan/
Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium Infections Linked to Ground Beef
CDC Release - Posted January 25, 2013 05:30 PM ET
http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/typhimurium-01-13/index.html
Highlights
· A total of 16 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium have been reported from 5 states.
The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Arizona (1), Illinois (2), Iowa (1), Michigan (9), and Wisconsin (3).
53% of ill persons have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.
· Collaborative investigative efforts of state, local, and federal public health and regulatory agencies indicated that ground beef produced by Jouni Meats, Inc. and Gab Halal Foods are likely sources of this outbreak.
Seven of the ill persons reported eating a raw ground beef dish at the same restaurant before becoming ill. The restaurant served raw beef to customers and had acquired the raw beef from two retailers.
On January 24, 2013, JouniMeats, Inc. recalled approximately 500 pounds of ground beef products .
On January 25, 2013, Gab Halal Foods recalled approximately 550 pounds of ground beef products.
Showing posts with label ground meat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ground meat. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Monday, July 23, 2012
Ground meat recalled after linked to salmonellosis cases
Upadate 8/6/12: CDC updated the number of illnesses to 40.
http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/enteritidis-07-12/index.html
Cargill is recalling approximately 29339 lbs of ground beef after the product was linked to Salmonella enteritidis infections. The recalled product was produced on May 25, 2012 and although the product would be past the expiration date, there is concern that some may still have this meat in thier freezer.
The strain that was responsible for this illness, Salmonella enteritidis or SE, is more often associated with poultry. According to the CDC - "Eggs have been the most common food source linked to SE infections.....Since the early 2000s, poultry has also been found to be a common food source for SE infections. Multiple other, less frequently identified sources include raw milk, pork, beef, sprouts, and raw almonds."
Cargill sells chubs of meat to retailers who then repackage this product into retail sized packages. These packages will have the store brand on the label, but will show the same USDA establishment number 9400.
This is an interesting recall from the standpoint that this strain is not an antibiotic resistant strain of Salmonella and it was in raw meat, not a RTE product. Unlike E. coli STEC strains which are considered an adulterant in ground beef, Salmella is not. Cargill had recalled ground turkey for Salmonella, but those strains were antibiotic resistant and thus more difficult to treat. Well if we can expect that ground beef may have Salmonella present, then why recall? Since this strain in this product has been linked to at least 5 illnesses, USDA and Cargill decided it was in the best interest of the public. However, are we getting to a point when raw meat products will be expected to have no pathogens?
http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/enteritidis-07-12/index.html
Cargill is recalling approximately 29339 lbs of ground beef after the product was linked to Salmonella enteritidis infections. The recalled product was produced on May 25, 2012 and although the product would be past the expiration date, there is concern that some may still have this meat in thier freezer.
The strain that was responsible for this illness, Salmonella enteritidis or SE, is more often associated with poultry. According to the CDC - "Eggs have been the most common food source linked to SE infections.....Since the early 2000s, poultry has also been found to be a common food source for SE infections. Multiple other, less frequently identified sources include raw milk, pork, beef, sprouts, and raw almonds."
Cargill sells chubs of meat to retailers who then repackage this product into retail sized packages. These packages will have the store brand on the label, but will show the same USDA establishment number 9400.
This is an interesting recall from the standpoint that this strain is not an antibiotic resistant strain of Salmonella and it was in raw meat, not a RTE product. Unlike E. coli STEC strains which are considered an adulterant in ground beef, Salmella is not. Cargill had recalled ground turkey for Salmonella, but those strains were antibiotic resistant and thus more difficult to treat. Well if we can expect that ground beef may have Salmonella present, then why recall? Since this strain in this product has been linked to at least 5 illnesses, USDA and Cargill decided it was in the best interest of the public. However, are we getting to a point when raw meat products will be expected to have no pathogens?
Monday, July 16, 2012
E. coli in Ground Beef - FSIS Data and Risk
USDA-FSIS recently updated their data on E. coli O157:H7 in ground beef and trim through July 8, 2012 (http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Science/RGBC_STEC_Results/index.asp). In order to get a visual representation of the risk associated with ground beef, the year-end results were plotted. Only routine samples were evaluated for ground beef (both federal plant and retail). Based upon this sampling, E. coli O157:H7 is found in approximately 0.1% to 0.2% of ground beef samples.
This rate is a lower than the percent positive found in trim (beef trim that goes into ground beef). For 2011, trim verification yielded a 0.64% positive and thru 7/2012, 0.53%.
The results indicate that interventions put in place by the meat industry have had an impact in reducing the level of E. coli in ground beef, however, from a consumer's perspective, careful handling and preparation is required. Specifically, cleaning hands and food contact surfaces when handling and preparing, and cooking to the proper internal temperature of 160ºF.
This rate is a lower than the percent positive found in trim (beef trim that goes into ground beef). For 2011, trim verification yielded a 0.64% positive and thru 7/2012, 0.53%.
The results indicate that interventions put in place by the meat industry have had an impact in reducing the level of E. coli in ground beef, however, from a consumer's perspective, careful handling and preparation is required. Specifically, cleaning hands and food contact surfaces when handling and preparing, and cooking to the proper internal temperature of 160ºF.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Avoiding High Risk Foods
Consumers who want to reduce the risk of foodborne illness should consider avoiding these foods.
Avoid high-risk foods, food-safety expert recommends
Friday, February 24, 2012
http://live.psu.edu/story/58000
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- It seems that hardly a week goes by without another reported case of some food being blamed for causing people to get sick. Most recently, a national restaurant chain's clover sprouts were linked to a Midwestern outbreak of pathogenic E. coli, and dozens of cases of Campylobacter in four states have been linked to the consumption of raw milk from a Pennsylvania dairy.
As consumers, we start to ask whether any foods are safe to eat.
While it is unlikely that we can completely eliminate the risk of foodborne illness, we can certainly identify a few food items that pose a higher risk of making us ill and avoid them, advises a food-safety expert with Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
"One just needs to look through U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports to see that there are certain foods that show up time and again," said Martin Bucknavage, extension food-safety specialist. "In my opinion, these are foods we certainly should consider removing from our diet if we are interested in reducing our chances of contracting foodborne disease."
Following are a few foods Bucknavage suggests avoiding:
-- Raw sprouts. In the last 15 years, there have been at least 30 reported cases of foodborne illness linked to raw sprouts.
"Pathogenic bacteria come in on the seeds or beans, and during the sprouting process, the conditions are right for these bacteria to multiply," he explained. "Processors will sanitize seeds to remove bacteria, but that measure has not been foolproof."
-- Raw milk. People have consumed raw milk for ages, but from time to time, pathogenic bacteria make their way into the milk, Bucknavage noted.
"In the recent outbreak of foodborne illness related to raw milk sold in southern Pennsylvania, 77 people became infected by Campylobacter, which will cause severe diarrheal conditions for as long as a week or more."
Bucknavage conceded that there are avid proponents of drinking raw milk, who point to the fresh taste and the perceived health benefits.
"However, these health benefits have not been scientifically proven, and the working part of the cow, the udders, are close to the ground and can become contaminated with pathogenic organisms such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria and E. coli," he said.
"While most of those who sell raw milk keep the dairy environment as clean as they can and regularly test the health of the cows, a long history of outbreaks shows that there is a real risk of dangerous bacteria making their way into milk. This is why pasteurization became a standard practice in the late 1800s."
-- Raw oysters. These are another food that has a loyal following, Bucknavage pointed out. But he explained that oysters are filter feeders and can capture pathogenic bacteria and viruses if they are harvested in contaminated waters.
"A process such as depuration -- allowing oysters to live in cleaned water for a period of time -- can help, but use of this practice is limited," he said.
-- Undercooked ground beef. While some people undercook hamburgers intentionally, the majority do it because they do not use the correct endpoint for cooking, according to Bucknavage. They should measure the recommended internal temperature of 160 F using a meat thermometer.
"It would be fair to say that most people measure whether something is cooked by visual evaluation -- the lack of pink color," he said. "But this is an unreliable method.
"Some people will point out that they eat steak with pink in the middle. But this is different than hamburger. In the process of making hamburger, the meat is ground, and the exterior parts where the bacteria reside are mixed throughout the meat. Because of this, we need to achieve a higher cooking temperature in the center of the meat."
Chicken is another example of a food that often is undercooked, whether on purpose or by accident, Bucknavage lamented. Poultry has been shown to have a high prevalence, or contamination rate, of Campylobacter, he noted.
"To properly cook poultry, an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit or higher is required," he said. "Otherwise, organisms such as Campylobacter can survive."
Along with avoiding high-risk foods, it is also important to practice effective cleaning and sanitizing of food-preparation surfaces and cooking utensils, Bucknavage said, as well as storing food under proper conditions. "Doing this, we can go a long way in protecting ourselves and our families from contracting foodborne illness."
Avoid high-risk foods, food-safety expert recommends
Friday, February 24, 2012
http://live.psu.edu/story/58000
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- It seems that hardly a week goes by without another reported case of some food being blamed for causing people to get sick. Most recently, a national restaurant chain's clover sprouts were linked to a Midwestern outbreak of pathogenic E. coli, and dozens of cases of Campylobacter in four states have been linked to the consumption of raw milk from a Pennsylvania dairy.
As consumers, we start to ask whether any foods are safe to eat.
While it is unlikely that we can completely eliminate the risk of foodborne illness, we can certainly identify a few food items that pose a higher risk of making us ill and avoid them, advises a food-safety expert with Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
"One just needs to look through U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports to see that there are certain foods that show up time and again," said Martin Bucknavage, extension food-safety specialist. "In my opinion, these are foods we certainly should consider removing from our diet if we are interested in reducing our chances of contracting foodborne disease."
Following are a few foods Bucknavage suggests avoiding:
-- Raw sprouts. In the last 15 years, there have been at least 30 reported cases of foodborne illness linked to raw sprouts.
"Pathogenic bacteria come in on the seeds or beans, and during the sprouting process, the conditions are right for these bacteria to multiply," he explained. "Processors will sanitize seeds to remove bacteria, but that measure has not been foolproof."
-- Raw milk. People have consumed raw milk for ages, but from time to time, pathogenic bacteria make their way into the milk, Bucknavage noted.
"In the recent outbreak of foodborne illness related to raw milk sold in southern Pennsylvania, 77 people became infected by Campylobacter, which will cause severe diarrheal conditions for as long as a week or more."
Bucknavage conceded that there are avid proponents of drinking raw milk, who point to the fresh taste and the perceived health benefits.
"However, these health benefits have not been scientifically proven, and the working part of the cow, the udders, are close to the ground and can become contaminated with pathogenic organisms such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria and E. coli," he said.
"While most of those who sell raw milk keep the dairy environment as clean as they can and regularly test the health of the cows, a long history of outbreaks shows that there is a real risk of dangerous bacteria making their way into milk. This is why pasteurization became a standard practice in the late 1800s."
-- Raw oysters. These are another food that has a loyal following, Bucknavage pointed out. But he explained that oysters are filter feeders and can capture pathogenic bacteria and viruses if they are harvested in contaminated waters.
"A process such as depuration -- allowing oysters to live in cleaned water for a period of time -- can help, but use of this practice is limited," he said.
-- Undercooked ground beef. While some people undercook hamburgers intentionally, the majority do it because they do not use the correct endpoint for cooking, according to Bucknavage. They should measure the recommended internal temperature of 160 F using a meat thermometer.
"It would be fair to say that most people measure whether something is cooked by visual evaluation -- the lack of pink color," he said. "But this is an unreliable method.
"Some people will point out that they eat steak with pink in the middle. But this is different than hamburger. In the process of making hamburger, the meat is ground, and the exterior parts where the bacteria reside are mixed throughout the meat. Because of this, we need to achieve a higher cooking temperature in the center of the meat."
Chicken is another example of a food that often is undercooked, whether on purpose or by accident, Bucknavage lamented. Poultry has been shown to have a high prevalence, or contamination rate, of Campylobacter, he noted.
"To properly cook poultry, an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit or higher is required," he said. "Otherwise, organisms such as Campylobacter can survive."
Along with avoiding high-risk foods, it is also important to practice effective cleaning and sanitizing of food-preparation surfaces and cooking utensils, Bucknavage said, as well as storing food under proper conditions. "Doing this, we can go a long way in protecting ourselves and our families from contracting foodborne illness."
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