February 2005

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service today released data showing a 43.3% drop in the percentage of E. coli O157:H7 positive ground beef regulatory samples collected in 2004 compared with the previous year.
Of the 8010 samples collected and analyzed in 2004, 0.17 percent tested positive for E. coli O157:H7, down from 0.30 in 2003, 0.78 in 2002, 0.84 in 2001 and 0.86 in 2000. Between 2000 and 2004, the percentage of positive samples in FSIS regulatory sampling has declined by more than 80 percent.
In April 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in its annual report on foodborne illness in America, reported a 36 percent reduction in illnesses from E. coli O157:H7 in 2003 compared to 2002. The number of FSIS recall actions related to E. coli O157:H7 also continued to drop. There were six recalls related to E. coli O157:H7 in 2004 compared to 12 in 2003 and 21 in 2002.
“The reduction in positive E. coli O157:H7 regulatory samples demonstrates the continuing success of our agency’s strong, science based policies aimed at reducing pathogens in America’s meat, poultry and egg products,” said Acting FSIS Administrator Dr. Barbara Masters. “Improvements in regulatory oversight and training have paid dividends, and we are committed to building on this strong foundation.”Continue Reading FSIS Ground Beef Sampling Shows Substantial E. coli O157:H7 Decline In 2004

Although E. coli has been often in the news as a foodborne pathogen, the vast majority of E. coli strains are harmless, including those commonly used by scientists in genetics laboratories. E. coli is found in the family of bacteria named Enterobacteriaceae, which is informally referred to as the enteric bacteria. Other enteric bacteria are…

By Richard Mitchell
A host of rinse and chill technologies help packers and processors to further enhance the wholesomeness of their products.
Interventions designed to kill bacteria during the rinse-and-chill cycles in meat and poultry plants are being given greater emphasis by manufacturers and users of antimicrobial treatments. Plant operators are incorporating an array of sophisticated pathogen-killing technologies that can be applied multiple times during processing to minimize contamination.
“Treating meat and poultry with antimicrobial agents is a key way to improve food safety by reducing bacteria on carcasses,” says Keith Johnson, marketing manager, meat and poultry markets, for Ecolab Inc., a St. Paul, MN-based developer of anti-pathogen solutions.
Ecolab, which last summer merged with Redmond, WA-based Alcide Corp., is a supplier of the Sanova and InspexxTM 100 rinse-and-chill applications. Sanova developed by Alcide, contains acidified sodium chlorite, and it intended to combat such pathogens in poultry and red meat plants as Salmonella, E.coli O157:H7, Listeria, and Campylobacter.Continue Reading Increasing Product Safety

The 7th Annual Food Safety Summit and Expo next month will focus on the latest developments in protecting the nation’s food supply from being compromised by any potential food safety or food security incidents, including everything from E. coli to Salmonella to intentional contamination by terrorists, according to the organizers here.
More than 1,800 food manufacturers, food processors, restaurant executives and food retailers are expected to attend the Summit on March 16-18, at the Washington DC Convention Center. The Conference program has been developed in conjunction with the Food Products Association (FPA), the National Restaurant Association (NRA), and other institutions.Continue Reading Food Safety Summit to Feature 70 Speakers and 2 Dozen New Sessions

Chris Tribbey, Napa Valley Register City Editor, did a story today on the relationship between the restaurants of Napa County and the inspectors from the Napa County Department of Environmental Health. They have an alliance, albeit an uneasy one. Both want good things for the restaurants, but being inspected isn’t a restaurant owner or manager’s idea of a good time.
“We catch people when they least expect us. That’s part of our game plan,” said Ruben Oropeza, the county’s environmental management coordinator.
To get an understanding of how restaurants are inspected and graded, the Register went with Oropeza on an inspection of Celadon, a high-end restaurant and bar in downtown Napa. Normally, restaurant inspections are unannounced, however in this case the health department contacted Celadon and secured an agreement to let the newspaper come along.Continue Reading When the health inspector calls

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich today announced that hospitals, doctors and other health care providers now can electronically report infectious diseases to the state and local health departments as part of a continuing effort to improve the state’s ability to respond to public health emergencies:

“We are committed to strengthening the capacity of our public health

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