With the seemingly never-ending advent of recalls and associated foodborne illness outbreaks, we thought we’d add the topic of food irradiation to our dialogue. Irradiation is the process of exposing food to ionizing radiation to eliminate or inactivate bacteria, microorganisms, and viruses. The goal of irradiating food is to damage the DNA of the organisms, so that they can no longer cause spoilage or decompose the produce, which extends the shelf life of the food.

Irradiating food has several advantages over traditional methods of preservation. The food undergoes very little, if any, change in flavor, texture, and appearance. Irradiation is convenient because virtually any size container can be used, the food can be irradiated after being packaged or frozen, and the resulting products are closer to the fresher state in texture, flavor, and color, when compared to other preservation methods.

Food irradiation has many practical applications other than preservation. Hospitals use irradiation as a means to sterilize meals for patients with weak immune systems. It is also used to control sprouting and ripening for certain foods. It has also been part of the arsenal against foodborne illness: irradiation is a very efficient way to eradicate any pathogens such as Salmonella or E. coli.

So, what’s not to like? Why hasn’t there been more use of this process? Is it the cost? Is it consumer apprehension about any potential negative impact (real or imaginary) this may have? Is there confusion (deserved or not) with genetically modified product dynamics? Why hasn’t the food industry widely embraced this method of food preservation? Stay tuned as we address these questions in upcoming blogs.

Looks like peppers are in the hot seat once again, as we face another pepper recall due to Salmonella contamination. It also looks as though Herring Produce, the company responsible for the recall, is taking its turn to try to blame the consumer for its own food safety failure. The press release states that peppers need to be washed before consuming them raw, and that cooking at a high enough temperature would kill the Salmonella. Unfortunately, washing produce that’s Salmonella contaminated may not clear away the pathogen completely: some may remain on the surface, and some may even be present beneath the washed surface, within the produce itself. Neither washing nor cooking eliminates the risk of cross-contamination. The only way to truly prevent the spread of and human infection with Salmonella is to keep it out of the food supply from step one.

So, Herring Produce, own up to your responsibility to provide safe, clean, food; correct the problem at the source of the Salmonella contamination; and stop blaming the victim for your mistakes.

Here’s the recall release:

July 8, 2009 – Herring Produce, Lake Park, Georgia is voluntarily recalling production lot number 0801206 of whole Anaheim Peppers out of an abundance of precaution because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. No illnesses have been reported in connection with the Herring Produce Anaheim Pepper products and the company is working with FDA to inform all retail consumers of this recall. FDA is not linking this isolated positive sample to any current or ongoing Salmonella outbreaks.

Salmonella is an organism which may cause serious and sometimes fatal infections particularly in young children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and/or abdominal pain. Long term complications can include arterial infections (i.e. infected aneurysms), endocarditis and severe arthritis. For more information, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website at www.cdc.gov.

The whole Anaheim Peppers were shipped June 9-19, 2009 to retail outlets in New York state, Ohio and Massachusetts. The Anaheim Peppers being recalled were shipped in half-bushel boxes with production lot number 0801206 located on a red sticker on the box. Boxes are white, wax cardboard, Herring Produce boxes with a printed picture of yellow squash and green zucchini.

All Herring Produce customers have been notified of the potential contamination and affected produce has been recalled.

The recall comes after routine sampling by the New York State Department of Agriculture on behalf of the U.S. Department of Agriculture discovered a positive sample in the affected production lot. Herring Produce has ceased production and shipments from this production area. FDA is not linking this isolated positive sample to any current or ongoing Salmonella outbreaks.

Anaheim peppers are a raw agricultural product that needs to be washed before consumption. These peppers are typically cooked, but they can be eaten raw. Heating to a high enough temperature would kill Salmonella bacteria.

If customers have purchased Anaheim Peppers they are advised to contact their retailer to find out if the products they purchased were affected by the recall. Consumers who have questions about this recall may contact Gulf Stream Produce at 919-217-2870 or Herring Produce at 229-559-0101.

I blogged this week on the recommendations of the Obama administration’s Food Safety Working Group (click here if you missed it: Can Bureaucracy Stop Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7?). It’s been a busy week on the food safety front lines, not only in Washington, but on international turf as well. Here are a few highlights:

• The Wall Street Journal reports House approval of the largest budget increase in FDA history: $373 million, boosting the fiscal 2010 FDA budget to $2.99 billion. According to Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the rise in funds will allow for an additional 1,150 foreign and domestic inspections.

• The FDA has announced the appointment of Michael R. Taylor, J.D., to the position of senior advisor to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg. The FDA news release calls Taylor “a nationally recognized food safety expert and research professor at George Washington University’s School of Public Health and Health Services,”  whose previous work with the FDA—and as USDA FSIS Administrator—involved policy development and public-health oriented agency reform. Also added to the federal agency roster: Jerold Mande, M.P.H., as Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety of the USDA FSIS. Details of Mande’s previous food safety work can be found in the FSIS news release.

• The World Health Organization reports the adoption of over thirty new food safety standards by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) to encourage the improvement of worldwide food safety. New criteria have been set for a variety of food-oriented issues, including parameters on the presence of Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes, and the proposal of practices to control Noroviruses and Hepatitis A.

At a time when the safety of our food supply seems to be under constant attack, any advance—monetary, administrative, procedural—is welcome. Allotting funds, appointing personnel, and adopting standards are only preliminary steps, but they’re necessary steps that we can hope will lead to effective action in defending the fragile security of our food system.

Who could blame us for being skeptical about the FDA’s new “egg safety and Salmonella prevention” regulations, what with all the glistening generalities and untenable confidence sprinkled throughout their Consumer Update, which follows in full. It seems that the FDA—much like the food industry it’s supposed to be regulating—would prefer to provide the public with as little information as it can get away with. The consumer has a need for, and a right to, more information rather than less, especially when it addresses foodborne pathogens like Salmonella that can threaten the health of our families.

For a more detailed account of the new egg safety regulations, see the FDA’s online final rule publication (in their defense, at least they make this available, even if their consumer-oriented data is lacking), which includes info on such requirements as refrigeration, environmental testing, disinfection, and FDA registration. In the meantime, we’ll share here their recently published Consumer Update, simply for the Salmonella information and safety tips:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a regulation to help make eggs safer to eat.

The regulation will reduce the number of illnesses caused by eggs contaminated with the bacterium Salmonella Enteritidis (SE).

The regulation, released to the public on July 7, 2009, requires the egg industry to take specific preventive measures to keep eggs safe during their production, storage and transport. Egg producers will also be required to register with FDA and to maintain a prevention plan and records to show they are following the regulation.

FDA took this action because SE is a major cause of foodborne illness in the United States. Eating raw or undercooked eggs is an important source of SE infections in people. FDA estimates that 142,000 illnesses each year are caused by consuming eggs contaminated with SE.

FDA first proposed the regulation on September 22, 2004. The agency has held three public meetings and opened two comment periods to ensure public participation in the rule-making process.

About Salmonella Enteritidis (SE)

SE infections can be very serious, even life-threatening, especially to the very young, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems. Infected people may experience

• diarrhea
• fever
• abdominal cramps
• headache
• nausea
• vomiting

Some infected people may suffer from severe illness, arthritis, or even death.

Eggs can become contaminated on the farm because a laying hen can become infected with SE and pass the bacteria into the egg before it is laid. If the egg is not refrigerated, the bacteria can grow inside the uncracked, whole egg.

FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture carried out a series of egg safety efforts during the 1990s. These efforts focused on refrigeration to limit the growth of bacteria that may be inside an egg. Although these efforts made it harder for the bacteria to grow, they did not prevent the eggs from becoming contaminated initially on the farm. Through the measures spelled out in the new regulation, which address controlling the bacteria on the farm, SE will be reduced in the poultry house and consequently in the eggs themselves.

How Consumers Are Affected

The regulation means that eggs will be safer for people to eat.

The regulation will reduce the risk that eggs from an estimated 3,300 farms that produce most of the U.S. egg supply will be contaminated with SE. As a result, an estimated 79,000 illnesses and 30 deaths will be avoided each year—that’s a reduction of nearly 60 percent in egg-related illnesses from SE.

In addition to the new safety measures being taken by industry, consumers can reduce their risk of foodborne illness by following a few simple steps:

• Only buy eggs if they are sold from a refrigerator or refrigerated case.
• Open the carton and make sure that the eggs are clean and the shells are not cracked.
• Refrigerate the eggs promptly after purchase.
• Cook eggs until yolks are firm, and cook foods containing eggs thoroughly.

For more information on buying, storing, handling and cooking eggs—or foods that contain them—please see Playing it Safe With Eggs: What Consumers Need to Know.

Some Producers Exempt

The regulation does not apply to producers with fewer than 3,000 laying hens. These producers account for less than 1 percent of U.S. eggs. The regulation also does not apply to producers who sell all of their eggs directly to consumers.

Producers who treat their eggs to destroy SE, such as by in-shell pasteurization, or who process their eggs into egg products, need to comply only with the parts of the regulation addressing refrigeration and registration. FDA requires all producers who must comply with the regulation to do so between 12 and 36 months after issuance of the regulation, depending on the size of the operation.

July 06, 2009 – On July 5, 2009, FDA alerted consumers that Protica Inc. of Whitehall, PA, had undertaken a voluntary recall of its liquid protein dietary supplements and high energy products marketed under the IDS Sports’ New Whey™ and iSatori’s Hardcore Energize Bullet™ brands, respectively. This recall is limited to specific lots of the two branded products.The FDA notice of July 5 warned consumers not to buy or use New Whey™ Fruit Punch lot 1960; New Whey™ Blue Raspberry lot 1944; Hardcore Energize Bullet Blue Rage lots 1961, 1962, and 1794; and Hardcore Energize Bullet Black Rush lot 1963.  Several lots of potentially affected product distributed in the United States were inadvertently not included in the FDA notice. The additional lots are:

 

Lot Code	Product Identification
1750	New Whey, Orange 42g (12 pack)
1887	New Whey, Orange 42g (12 pack)
1924	New Whey, Orange 42g (12 pack)
1928	New Whey, Orange 42g (12 pack)
1934	New Whey, Orange 42g (12 pack)
1946	New Whey, Orange 42g (12 pack)
1920	New Whey, Blue Raspberry 42g (12 pack)
1930	New Whey, Blue Raspberry 42g (12 pack)
1936	New Whey, Blue Raspberry 42g (12 pack)
1925	New Whey, Grape 42g (12 pack)
1949	New Whey, Grape 42g (12 pack)
1972	New Whey, Fruit Punch 42g (12 pack)
1973	New Whey, Fruit Punch 42g (12 pack)
1932	New Whey, Fruit Punch 25g (12 pack)
1900	New Whey, Blue Raspberry 25g (12 pack)
1959	New Whey, Blue Raspberry 25g (12 pack)
1945	Energize Bullet; Blue Rage flavor (12 pack)

 

“Our primary concern is ensuring our customers’ health and safety,” said James Duffy, founder and president of Protica. “Fortunately, no reports of injury have been received. We have been working with the FDA and its OCI (Office of Criminal Investigations) and are cooperating fully with investigations initiated by the FDA and Health Canada.”

All potentially affected lots of New Whey™ and Hardcore Energize Bullet™ were shipped in January 2009. The caps of tampered products are devoid of any print – the ‘best by’ date and lot code that appear on the cap of every container do not appear on caps from the tampered products.

Consumers who have purchased any of the above products can return them to the place of purchase or to Protica for a full refund. Consumers with any questions should contact Protica at 1-800-PROTICA (1-800-776-8422) between 8a and 5p, Monday through Friday.

Any adverse reactions experienced with the use of these products should be reported to the FDA’s MedWatch Program by phone at 1-800-FDA-1088, by fax at 1-800-FDA-0178, by mail at MedWatch, HF-2, FDA, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787, or on the MedWatch website at www.fda.gov/medwatch.

Protica, founded in 2001, is headquartered in Whitehall, PA. The company relocated from Horsham, PA, to the Lehigh Valley in January 2009, occupying and rehabilitating the former vacant Lehigh Valley Dairy Plant near Allentown. Protica has approximately 60 employees and is privately held.

July 8, 2009 – Minneapolis, MN – General Mills announced today a voluntary recall of a limited quantity of “Nut Lovers” flavor Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters product containing pecans.No illnesses have been reported in connection with the “Nut Lovers” Granola Nut Clusters product, and no other types, varieties or flavors of Nature Valley products are being recalled. 

This action is being taken as a precaution because pecans received from a supplier and used in the product may be tainted with salmonella.  No other types of nuts are impacted, and no other flavors or varieties of Granola Nut Clusters products are involved.

This product is a new bite-size cluster sold in a stand-up bag in grocery stores, convenience stores and vending outlets nationally. 

Nature Valley granola bar products are NOT involved, and no other General Mills products are impacted. 

Only specific Nut Lovers flavor products with five specific “best if used by dates” are being recalled.  The five “best if used by dates” are: 07MAR2010     10MAR2010     08MAR2010     11MAR2010     09MAR2010

Consumers who have products covered by this recall are urged to dispose of the product and to contact General Mills for a full refund.  Consumers with questions may contact General Mills toll-free at 1-800-231-0308. 

Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, particularly in young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems. Healthy people infected with salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and/or abdominal pain.

We blogged two weeks ago on the recall of Kowalke Family Sprouts packaged alfalfa sprouts, due to potential Salmonella contamination (Salmonella Recall: Kowalke Organics Sprouts). Here’s the recently published press release:

Los Angeles, CA – July 6, 2009 – Kowalke Family Sprouts of Los Angeles CA is recalling all Kowalke Family Sprouts Brand Alfalfa Products with sell-by dates from June 18 through June 30 because they may be contaminated with Salmonella, which can cause serious illness.  Mike’s Produce, Inc. dba Kowalke Family Sprouts is voluntarily recalling the alfalfa products after receiving notification that a surveillance sample taken at a retail location with a June 21 sell-by date tested positive for Salmonella.

No illnesses have been reported from these products.  Kowalke Family Sprouts has informed the Food and Drug Administration of its actions and is fully cooperating with the Agency. 

The alfalfa sprouts tested negative for the presence of Salmonella prior to being shipped to retailers.  Nonetheless, the firm is recalling all sprouts from this seed lot out of abundance of caution in response to being notified of alfalfa sprout seeds that may have been contaminated with Salmonella.

Kowalke Family Sprouts meets all FDA disinfection, processing, and pathogen testing guidelines.  In addition, the FDA tested for the presence of Salmonella on sprout growing equipment, food contact surfaces, walls, floors, and drains at the Kowalke Family Sprouts facility.  All tests results were negative.  The FDA found no Salmonella at the Kowalke Family Sprouts facility.

Kowalke alfalfa products are sold in 4 oz, 8 oz, 1 pound and 5 pound clear plastic, clam shell packages.   Two other Kowalke products also contain alfalfa sprouts – the Dinner Salad in a 6 oz package and the Onion/Alfalfa Mix in a 4 oz package.

These products were sold to produce distributors in Los Angeles and to retail stores in Southern California, Nevada, and Arizona.  It is possible the sprouts may have been transported to other states.

Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

Consumers who purchased these products should immediately discard them or return them to the point of purchase for a refund. Consumers with questions may contact Mike’s Produce, Inc. dba Kowalke Family Sprouts at (310) 636-1924 from 8am to 2pm PST.

The Plainview Milk Salmonella outbreak continues to wreak havoc on food items produced with Plainview Milk ingredients. Here’s the latest:

July 8, 2009 -  PLENTIFUL PANTRY RECALLS ALMOND POUND CAKE WITH CINNAMON SAUCE, 741; ALMOND POUND CAKE, T2940; BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE HEALTH RISK

Plentiful Pantry of Salt Lake City, Utah is recalling the following products:

3,871 units of 741, Almond Pound Cake w/ Cinnamon Sauce

84 units of T2940, Almond Pound Cake

The above listed products have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

The product is intended for wholesale/retail sale and was distributed wholesale/retail throughout the U.S. with UPC 660550007418.   

T2940 Almond Pound Cake is packed in16 oz white poly pillow pack bags with 1 unit to a finished, ready for retail box, packaged 12 finished boxes to a master case. The following lot numbers and dates of manufacture are found on the white poly pillow pack bag inside finished box:

Lot 82025 Date of Manufacture 07/09/2008

Lot 82026 Date of Manufacture 07/09/2008

Lot 83505 Date of Manufacture 10/15/2008

No Illnesses have been reported to date.

Plentiful Pantry was notified that Plainview Milk Products recalled all instant milk, whey protein, fruit stabilizers, and gums.  We determined the above listed products utilized affected Plainview products as ingredients.  The company has ceased the production and distribution of the product as FDA and the Plainview continues their investigation.

Distributors/Wholesalers/Retailers/Consumers that have purchased any of these products are urged to produce a digital photo of any remaining product and forward the photos, along with the completed Recall Return Response Forms to info@plentifulpantry.com or fax to 801-977-8202 then destroy the product. Consumers may also contact Plentiful Pantry at 801-977-9077.

July 10, 2009 – Country Creations is recalling packets of frosting because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis. 

The frosting packets are included with Country Creations Braided Bread and Country Creations Cinnamon Rolls distributed to frozen food distributors nationwide. These frosting packets were produced and distributed between September 1, 2008 and June 12, 2009. The frosting packets are packaged in small clear plastic pouches measuring approximately three (3) inches by five and one-quarter (5-1/4) inches that have no identifying information and contain two (2) to three and one-half (3-1/2) ounces of frosting. These frosting packets were only included in braided bread and cinnamon roll boxes. The only component of the product that represents a potential hazard is the non-fat dried milk that is part of the frosting mix. 

The packet of frosting should not be used or consumed. Consumers who have any of the frosting packets are urged to destroy them. Country Creations has not received any notification of consumer illness associated with the consumption of its product. 

The recall was initiated when Country Creations was notified by its nonfat dry milk supplier, J.M. Swank, that the non-fat dried milk contained product supplied by Plainview Milk Products Cooperative, which has issued a voluntary recall because the non-fat dried milk has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.  (more…)

Four more recall alerts due to potential Salmonella contamination, all related to the Plainview Milk Salmonella outbreak:

July 7, 2009 – Calico Cottage, Inc. of Amityville, NY is voluntarily recalling 10 oz. Gourmet Hot Cocoa Mix pouches marked with lot# 101.08.15 and lot# 311.08.45 because they contain nonfat dried milk manufactured by the Plainview Milk Products Association (“Plainview”) of Plainview, MN. The “Plainview” nonfat dried milk has been subject to an FDA recall due to potential Salmonella contamination.  There have been no reports of illness related to the recall. The Gourmet Hot Cocoa Mix pouches were shipped in cartons marked with lot # 041008 and lot # 110608, respectively.Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and other with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis. For more information on Salmonella, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website at http://www.cdc.gov.

The Calico Cottage manufactured Gourmet Hot Cocoa Mix was distributed to retail stores in the USA and Canada. The item subject to the recall is labeled “Gourmet Hot Cocoa Mix, Net Wt. 10 oz. (284g)” with the following retailer names appearing on the label:

Algonquin Fudge Factory–Dwight, Ontario, Canada Calico Cottage Winery–Watertown, WI The Candy Company of Saratoga Springs–Saratoga Springs, NY The Candy Crate–Red River, NM Cape Breton Fudge Co.–Sidney, Nova Scotia, Canada Cracker Creek–Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada Darby’s–Natchez, MS Evans Orchard & Cider Mill–Georgetown, KY Franklin’s General Store–Mystic, CT G’Babies Sweets–Morganton, NC Grandma Ruby’s Sweet Shoppe–www.grandmarubys.com Jan’s Homemade Candies–Lauderdale By The Sea, FL (LBTS, FL) Jim Olivers Smoke House–Monteagle, TN Malabar Farm State Park–Lucas, OH Malley’s Chocolates–Cleveland, OH Pagosa Candy Company–Pagosa Springs, CO Peanut Patch–Yuma, AZ The Scotch Bonnet–Frisco, NC Shenot’s Farm Market–Wexford, PA Simply Amazing Gourmet Fudge–www.oppent.org Sweet Treats From Home–Port Dover, Ontario, Canada TJ’s New England Fudge–Killingworth, CT Trunnells Farm Market–Utica, KY Weston Village Store–Weston, VT Whip-Poor-Will Resort–Broken Bow, OK Winnies Gourmet Delights–Tatamy, PA

Consumers that purchased 10 oz. packages of “Gourmet Hot Cocoa Mix” from any of the retailers listed above are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Calico Cottage, Inc. at 1-800-645-5345, Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, Eastern Time.

July 8, 2009 – BERKELEY, Calif. — A nationwide voluntary and precautionary recall of Hot Chocolate Recovery Drink Mix from CLIF SHOT® sold in 40-gram, single-serve packets and 12-pack boxes with a “Best By” date of 19SEP09R was announced today because the powdered drink mix contains organic non-fat dried milk made by the Plainview Milk Products Cooperative, Plainview, Minn. Plainview recently issued a recall of certain non-fat dried milk products that were made on equipment found to contain Salmonella during an FDA investigation of the facility.The recall affects approximately 1800 boxes of Hot Chocolate Drink Mix for sale in sports retail stores and on select websites. No other products or flavors are included in this recall. None of the recalled Hot Chocolate Recovery Drink Mix has tested positive for Salmonella, and there have been no reports of illness.

The affected Hot Chocolate Recovery Drink Mix from CLIF SHOT includes the following information on the back of the single-serve packets and the bottom of the 12-pack box: (more…)

Recently, a lawsuit was filed against JBS Swift & Co.  on behalf of a young boy infected with E. coli O157:H7 from eating shish kabobs.  While E. coli is most commonly associated with ground beef, it’s not exclusive.

Yes, E. coli O157:H7 is commonly known as the “Hamburger Disease”. Why? Well, because cows carry E. coli in their intestines and show no signs of illness as they lack the special cell receptors that are usually attacked by the bacteria. In the processing of the cow, fecal material can end up on the beef cuts and trimmings. When the meat cuts are ground, E. coli O157:H7 gets ground throughout the meat. This is reportedly the most common contamination scenario and why the term “Hamburger Disease” has been applied to E. coli O157:H7.

When food is contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, for all intents and purposes, there is no safe way to handle it. The fact of the matter is that as little as ten E. coli O157:H7 bacteria are enough to cause illness. Just merely handling contaminated meat poses a serious threat. Anything that touches the meat can serve as a cross contamination hub. You may cook the meat to the correct temperature but you can’t cook your fingers, countertops, utensils, or refrigerator. The only way to fully eliminate the threat of E. coli O157:H7 is to never have it in or on meat in the first place.

And, as in the case of the young boy who became ill compliments of E. coli contaminated shish kabobs, the exposure can lead to devastating complications like hemolytic uremic syndrome or HUS. HUS is a blood disease that causes damage to red blood cells. Because of the damage organ systems begin to get blood flow cut off and damage ensues. It is usually the kidneys that are the first system affected. A battle with HUS can lead to a lifetime of problems ranging from expensive medications to the need for kidney transplants. In 15% of the cases, HUS proves to be fatal.

The public needs to be aware that safety measures should be taken when dealing with any raw meat product. But consumer safety practices are simply not enough to truly protect you and your family from E. coli O157:H7 and HUS. Manufacturers must conduct themselves in a responsible manner and provide consumers with disease free products.  When manufacturers cannot provide the consumer with healthy and safe food, they put us in danger.