E. coli Blog - Surveillance & analysis on e. coli news & outbreaks

The Allegheny County Health Department is offering free signs to community fairs and festivals that have petting zoos with farm animals, to encourage visitors to wash their hands after visiting such exhibits.

"Petting zoos and farm animal exhibits are a tradition at many community events every summer and can be a lot of fun and very educational, but children and adults alike should always remember to wash their hands after having contact with the animals," said County Health Director Dr. Bruce W. Dixon.

• Don't kiss the animals and limit your contact with them and the surroundings, such as fencing, stalls and gates, because manure may be present on their body and in their environment.
• Supervise young children and advise them to keep their hands out of their mouths.
• Don't take food or drink into the animal area.
• Wash your hands as soon as you exit the animal area, and help young children wash their hands properly. Washing with soap and warm water is best; use antibacterial towelettes or lotion if handwashing facilities are not available.
• Clean your shoes when you return home and after doing so wash your hands.
• Call your doctor if you or your children get sick with stomach cramps, vomiting or diarrhea within a week of visiting a petting zoo. Tell the doctor you were around farm animals.

Today's Ontario Farmer reports that Canadian food poisonings lawsuits are every bit as spectacular as the U.S. cases. The largest in Canadian history involved lunchmate products from Schneider Corp., and there is an ongoing lawsuit between Schneiders and cheese supplier Parmalat.

From the article:

However, U.S. lawyer Bill Marler of Seattle, Washington, has said even though Canadian lawyers might file class-action lawsuits, but there won't be much money for the victims, since Medicare has spared Canadian food companies from multi-million-dollar lawsuits when their products poison consumers.

Marler talked about the lack of legal action in Canada in response to a question about the recent food poisonings of dozens of people who ate at a cafeteria at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton.

Marler was further cited as saying that the publicity surrounding the cases he has brought to trial in the United States has probably done more to improve food safety than the multi-million-dollar penalties companies face, since jury awards such as the $25 million settlement made by ConAgra to consumers poisoned by E. coli O157:H7 are often covered by insurance.

Fortunately, he said, the incidence of E. coli 0157:H7 has declined significantly in meats since the high-profile lawsuits, but there is a rising tide of cases involving sprouts and fresh fruits and vegetables as well as those cases involving salmonella.

The Blade News reports that the Children's Zoo at the Toledo Zoo was shut down yesterday following the discovery of an infectious bacteria in several of its animals.

Two baby calves sharing the same stall tested positive during routine testing for a bacteria known as Campylobacter, a common cause of gastrointestinal illness. A sow that had just given birth in an adjacent stall also tested positive. Campylobacter was found in fecal matter collected from a group of about a half-dozen sheep in the children's zoo petting area.

Zoo officials said none of the other animals showed signs of sickness, and there were no reports of patrons who have become ill.

The children's zoo's animals are loaned to the zoo by area farmers and institutions for the summer. The zoo's calves and pigs arrived in May from several area farmers, while the sheep arrived in May from the University of Findlay.

The children's zoo was shut down an hour before closing yesterday and will be closed for the entire weekend while animal care staff assess the situation and decide on a long-term solution to the problem.. Zoo officials said last night that the petting portion of the children's facility could remain closed for the rest of the summer.

The 2002 ConAgra recall was one of this nation's largest beef recalls. Tainted meat was linked to the sickening of dozens of people through E. coli infection.

Marler Clark represented many who ate tainted beef in 2002. As I told the Associated Press today:

"I think that the ConAgra E. coli outbreak was a major tipping point in the meat industry and their commitment to dealing with E. coli."

The timeline leading to the recall was as follows:

• January 2002 -- Ground beef from Montana Quality Foods in Miles City, Mont., tests positive for E. coli. Operator John Munsell recalls 270 pounds of meat.

• February 2002 -- Additional beef samples return positive for E. coli. Munsell claims the tainted meat originated from ConAgra Beef Co., a supplier.

• Mid-June 2002 -- Dozens of people in 16 states ate ConAgra beef and fell ill from E. coli infection, according to a report from the Office of Inspector General. Federal Food Safety and Inspection Service testing found E. coli at a Colorado meat grinder, but later testing indicated the contamination source as beef from a ConAgra plant in Greeley, Colo.

• Late June 2002 -- ConAgra Beef Co. issues a recall of 354,200 pounds of ground beef products for possible contamination of E. coli.

• July 2002 -- ConAgra issues a recall for 19 million pounds of beef trim and ground beef products for possible E. coli contamination, after a review by FSIS.

• January 2003 -- National Cattlemen's Beef Association hosts an industry-wide summit to look at the issue of E. coli and ways to address potential contamination.

FSIS has enacted numerous changes since the E. coli outbreak, including improved training for inspectors and requiring greater accountability from supervisors. Plants that do their own testing are no longer exempt from agency testing, and FSIS is moving toward increased testing at higher-volume facilities.

Fred Angulo with the Centers for Disease Control and Protection believes that the meat processing industry is doing something right. He cites data showing a 42 percent drop in E. coli incidence between 1996 and 2004, including what he called "remarkable declines" in the past two years.

"All indications we have are the beef industry made remarkable investments in their processing plants to contribute to this decline," he said told the Associated Press.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the FDA says developing stricter safety standards for sprouts -- which include mung, alfalfa, clover, broccoli and radish seedlings -- is a top priority to reduce diseases rising from E. coli and salmonella contamination.

Despite being high in fiber and free of fat, fresh sprouts were flagged in the government's two latest dietary guidelines as a health risk tantamount to undercooked beef or eggs. Food researchers say a contaminated sprout can contain millions of bacteria. A tainted chicken carcass, in contrast, usually contains around 100.

Since 1996, raw or slightly cooked sprouts have caused around 1,636 cases of illness, or 40% of all food-borne illness linked to produce. In 1999, after the number of illnesses linked to sprouts spiked, the FDA urged producers to chlorinate seeds before they sprout.

However, chlorination has proved irritating to the skins and respiratory tracts of sprout producers, according to Bob Sanderson, head of the International Sprout Growers Association. He hopes that the FDA will define a standard, but leave it up to the sprouting industry to use its own methods to meet that standard.

Before you fire up the grill this summer, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns about dangerous food-borne diseases that can be transmitted by the consumption of improperly prepared foods.

An estimated 76 million cases of food-borne disease occur each year in the United States. The CDC estimates that there are 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths related to these diseases each year.

In general, refrigeration or freezing prevents virtually all bacteria from growing. Microbes are killed by heat. If food is heated to an internal temperature above 160 degrees for even a few seconds, this is enough to kill almost parasites, viruses or bacteria.

In the kitchen or on the picnic table, microbes can be transferred from one food to another food by using the same knife, cutting board or other utensils to prepare both without washing the surface or utensil in between. A food that is fully cooked can become re-contaminated if it touches other raw foods or drippings from raw foods that contain pathogens.

Even lightly contaminated food, such as potato salad made with mayonnaise, left out on a warm summer day can become highly infectious in a matter of hours. If the food were refrigerated promptly, the bacteria would not multiply at all.

Here are some tips from the Partnership for Food Safety Education:

• Always wash your hands with hot, soapy water before and after handling food.

• When marinating, keep foods refrigerated. Don't use sauces that were used to marinate raw meat or poultry on cooked food. Boil used marinades before applying to cooked food.

• When grilling foods, preheat the coals on your grill for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the coals are lightly coated with ash.

• Use a meat thermometer to ensure that food reaches a safe internal temperature. Hamburgers should be cooked to 160 degrees, while roasts and steaks may be cooked to 145 for medium rare or to 160 for medium. Cook ground poultry to 165 degrees and chicken breasts to 170. Fish should be opaque and flake easily.

• When taking foods off the grill, do not put cooked food items back on the same plate that previously held raw food.

• A full cooler will maintain its cold temperatures longer than one that is partially filled, so it is important to pack plenty of extra ice or freezer packs to insure a constant cold temperature.

A growing market of food shoppers are becoming sensitive to how their food is made.

Some people talk of how buying some foods undermines the world's rain forests or coastlines. Others campaign to save the American family farm or improve conditions for foreign laborers. Some call for the American system of big farms and companies to get bigger and deliver ever cheaper food.

Some only shop organic or support only locally grown produce. But on the other hand, international trade has allowed us to have cherries and pineapples in the Midwest in the winter. Although wild salmon may taste better and be healthier due to the lack of contaminants and added antibiotics, open fishing unfortunately can meet only half the global demand.

The global market gives Americans a variety of food once unimagined. But those who advocate buying locally say such imports reduce the incentive of U.S. farmers to grow produce and encourage them to turn to more subsidized commodity grains.

But buying from foreign countries is not always the simplest of solutions either. Buy chocolate and you risk supporting Ivory Coast plantations notorious for using child slave labor to grow and harvest cocoa. Drink java, and unless it's shade-grown, you could be accused of encouraging destruction of South American rain forests to make room for your coffee beans.

In 1997, an outbreak of potentially fatal hepatitis A from frozen strawberries shipped from Mexico sickened 270 persons in five states, 130 Michigan schoolchildren among them. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says imported food is three times more likely than U.S.-grown food to be contaminated with illegal pesticide residues.

The Environmental Working Group found those chemicals on 18.4 percent of strawberries, 15.6 percent of head lettuce and 12.3 percent of carrots imported from Mexico. Whether that poses a health risk is controversial.

Report a Food Illness

www.rusick2.msu.edu

This project is being conducted by researchers and epidemiologists at the National Food Safety & Toxicology Center at Michigan State University. The Developmental Steering Committee had scientists from the Michigan Department of Community Health, Michigan Department of Agriculture, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Mid-Michigan District Health Department, Barry-Eaton District Health Department, and the Ingham County Health Department.

Since the rate of reporting foodborne illnesses is very low (about 1% - 2%), we are striving to increase the reporting of foodborne disease. This website helps visitors to recall their food exposures and allows them to organize information regarding their foodborne illness. It also gives assistance on how to contact their local health departments. By reporting foodborne illnesses to local health departments, we hope to prevent others from becoming sick from eating the same food items.

www.badfood.org

This site provides reporting and record keeping processes for incidences of food borne illnesses and unsanitary conditions. When you add a record to our system it is used primarily to gather statistical information. For cases of food borne illnesses you can at your option forward the information to the local health agency where the illness occurred. At your option, you can file a fully anonymous report. Unsanitary condition submissions provide information on specific trends and the system tracks this information for patterns that may identify a serious problem.

Support Groups

S.T.O.P - Safe Tables Our Priority

S.T.O.P. -- Safe Tables Our Priority is a non-profit grassroots organization devoted to victim assistance, public education, and policy advocacy for safe food and public health. The organization was founded in 1993 by family and friends of people who became ill or died from exposure to E. coli 0157:H7 and other pathogenic bacteria in meat and poultry. S.T.O.P.'s mission is to prevent unnecessary illness and loss of life from foodborne contamination. This is an excellent informational site, but also a critical resource for people whose lives have been affected by these deadly bacteria.

E. Coli Help Organization - Eric's ECHO

This website was created by a father, Rainer Mueller, in honor and remembrance of his son, Eric Mueller, who died after eating a hamburger contaminated with E. coli 0157:H7. In addition to be a valuable source of information about these deadly bacteria, this site is also a heartbreaking reminder of tragic human-costs inflicted by foodborne pathogens. This site is also particularly well-designed, and contains much helpful and needed information about food safety and foodborne illnesses.

Medical Services

The Medical Reporter

In our travels on the Web, we have had an opportunity to look at a LOT of sites about medical care and health, and this is one of the best. The Medical Reporter is an independent, educational, non-profit health magazine for enlightened healthcare consumers. Published solely in cyberspace since April of 1995, The Medical Reporter emphasizes preventive medicine, primary care, patient advocacy, education and support of interest to men and women alike. Please check it out and tell us what you think.

Centers for Disease Control (or, CDC) homepage

The CDC is at the heart of the government's fight against foodborne illness outbreak. When an outbreak occurs, the CDC will inevitably be part of the resulting investigation into the cause of the outbreak. This website contains a lot of useful information, both general and technical. You can also find the online version of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Review (or, MMWR), which is the government's primary publication for disseminating information about communicable disease statistics and other epidemiological research.

INSTITUTE OF FOOD TECHNOLOGISTS

The Institute of Food Technologists (or, IFT) was founded in 1939, and is a nonprofit scientific society with 28,000 members working in food science, food technology, and related professions in industry, academia and government. On several occasions, the attorneys at Marler Clark have been asked to give presentations at an IFT national or regional convention. THE IFT IS AN EXCELLENT ORGANIZATIION, AND WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS WEBSITE AS AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF RELIABLE SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL INFORMATION.

National Institutes of Health Main Homepage

The National Institutes of Health web site is huge, with links to countless other sites, all having to do with (you guessed it) HEALTH. In particular, the sections having to do with HEALTH INFORMATION and SCIENTIFIC RESOURCES are both impressively vast, and typically quite helpful. You can do no-cost Medline searches here as well, and link to on-line catalogs, journals, and learn about ongoing research projects. You could spend hours surfing this site, and learn tons.

Foodborne Illness: What Consumers Need to Know

Part of a website designed to provide health and safety information for HIV-positive individuals, and persons living with AIDS, this web-page provide simple, yet important, information about foodborne illnesses and how best to avoid them.

National Center for Food Safety and Technology

The NCFST is a consortium organized to address the complex issues raised by emerging food technologies. It includes academia, industry, and the government to combine resources and encourage cooperative efforts to ensure the continued food safety and quality of the nation's food supply. This is not necessarily the prettiest site around, but it contains a good amount of helpful information, especially about available educational programs.

Educational

The Food Safety Network

The Food Safety Network (FSN), housed at the University of Guelph, provides research, commentary, policy evaluation and public information on food safety issues, from farm-to-fork. In addition to four daily list serves, FSN offers consumer, student and industry outreach services, information research, on-line resources, collaborative projects, evaluation and analysis, and a capacity to address current and emerging food safety concerns.

Food Safety for Consumers - Washington State University

Food Safety Cooperative Extension Service - Washington State University

Washington State University now has two food safety information resources relating to Food Safety for Consumers and a web site for their Food Safety Cooperative Extension Service.

The Penn State Food Safety Web Site
Food Safety throughout the Food System

The Penn State Department of Food Science has recently created a new information resource for extension educators, the food industry, and consumers interested in the safety of our food supply. The Penn State Food Safety Web Site combines a user-friendly environment with a farm-to-fork approach for quick retrieval of food safety information pertaining to the entire food system. Unique to this site are two databases with over 1300 links to online food safety resources.

Ask a Food Safety Expert

Web site designed to answer common food safety questions with more than 600 frequently asked questions and answers. More than 100 food safety experts available to provide peer-reviewed answers to consumer and foodservice food safety questions.

Food Safety Information from Iowa State University Extension

Iowa State University Extension believes that resources are needed for consumers, educators and students to access research-based, unbiased information on food safety and quality. The goal of the Food Safety Project is to develop educational materials that give the public the tools they need to minimize their risk of foodborne illness.

HACCP Information Center

Collection of HACCP information for meat processors, juice processors, foodservice operations, and on-farm operations. Compiled from current research conducted at Iowa State University.

Home Food Safety

This web site covers food safety issues that arise during normal preparation of meals in the home. It is aimed at consumers but makes a great training tool for educators and health care providers as well!

Kids World - Food Safety Page

A beautifully animated site that is full of helpful food safety information for children. We especially like the food safety coloring book and the quiz, both designed for school-age children. Along with the FIGHT BAC! program, this site is an excellent resource for families who are trying to educate their young children about food safety.

The FOODSAFE Program homepage

Sponsored by the University of California, at Davis, this website provides an incredible amount of useful information about food safety issues. Two things make this site stand out: (1) a huge food safety database with powerful search capabilities, and (2) the most extensive links page we've yet managed to find. We use this website all the time at Marler Clark.

International Food Information Council Homepage

The International Food Information Council (or, IFIC) provides reliable scientific information on food safety and nutrition to journalists, health professionals, educators, government officials and consumers. Because this website is updated regularly, the information it provides is always quite current.

Bugs in the News!

Both lighthearted and informative, this is a great site to learn all about "bugs" of all kinds -- and we don't mean flies, and spiders, and bees! Don't be fooled, however; this site contains load information -- science, even! The creator of this web-site is John C. (Jack) Brown, Professor, Department of Molecular Biosciences at the University of Kansas. While you are there, be sure to check out the GREAT article "What the Heck is E. coli??????"

Food Science Links Page

Sponsored by the University of Kentucky, Lexington, this is arguably one of the most comprehensive lists of WWW links we've yet found. Divided into easy-to-use sections, e.g., Law, Microbiology, and HACCP, you should be able to find out everything you need to know by beginning your internet journey here.

Salmonella & Egg Safety

Sponsored by the American Egg Board, this website offers excellent information on the safe use of eggs and egg-products. As might be expected, however, the information slightly downplays the risks associated with Salmonella and the use and consumption of eggs. We would suggest that you also read about salmonella in the "Bad Bug" book. REMEMBER: YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT FOOD SAFETY.

The Food Safety Consortium

This consortium combines the collective talents of researchers from the University of Arkansas, Iowa State University, and Kansas State University. The Consortium was established by Congress in 1988, and was charged to conduct extensive research in all areas of poultry, beef, and pork meat production, from the farm to the table. Most of the information contained at this site is scientific and technical -- but it is important information, and worth the time it takes to understand and appreciate it.

The National Safe Kids Campaign (Safe Kids)

The National Safe Kids Campaign operates with the beliefs that there is no such thing as an "accident", and that ALL unintentional injuries of children are preventable. Their website offers many practical and useful tips on preventing even the most common childhood injuries.

FOODNET

Sponsored by the Food Institute of Canada, this web-site provides a wealth of information on the food industry, while also offering a global perspective. The Food Safety resource page is quite good, as is the site's section on laws and regulations.

IFSE's Food Safety Information and Links Page

This site, which is sponsored by Texas A&M's Institute of Food Science and Engineering, collects a large number of articles and informational sites on food safety, in all its forms, including topics related to E. coli 0157:H7.

Northern Virginia Alliance for Safe Food

The Northern Virginia Alliance for Safe Food is a working partnership between several public agencies charged with the oversight of food safety and the private food industry. The site is nicely colorful and easy to navigate. It also includes some excellent resources for educating young children about food safety issues like hand washing.

Kid Source Online

This well-designed web site is a great source for in depth and timely education and healthcare information. Easy to navigate, and with a broad range of topics covered, we think this site is a good first-stop on the internet for any parent looking for answers. This site also has excellent search capabilities and an extensive list of resources on a wide range of topics.

Government

The "Bad Bug" Book

This online handbook provides basic facts about foodborne pathogens, and brings together in one place information from the FDA, CDC, National Institutes of Health, and the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. IT IS AN EXCELLENT RESOURCE THAT WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

U.S.D.A. Economic Research Service

The Economic Research Service (or "ERS"), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, provides economic analysis on issues related to agriculture, food, and the environment. Not all of its research reports are available (in full-text versions) on-line, but the reports are easy to order, and definitely worth reading. Of particular interest is the ERS research on the medical and productivity costs of foodborne illness in the United States. So, next time your hungry for some numbers, this is an excellent place to look for some.

USDA Foodborne Illness Education Information Center

The USDA/FDA Foodborne Illness Education Information Center provides information about foodborne illness prevention to education, trainers, and organizations. Here you can find the Educational Materials Database, which includes everything from posters, games, computer software, and teaching guides for elementary and secondary schools, as well as training materials for managers and employees of the food industry.

The Gateway to Government Food Safety Information

This is a gateway website that provides links to selected government food safety-related information. Not every government website is listed, but it is still an excellent place to begin your research for more general information.

Government Accountability Project

This excellent site is for the rabble-rouser in all of us, providing an internet resource for information about whistle blowing, government wrongdoing, and official misconduct of all kinds. Be sure to check out the excellent section on food safety, which features an expose' of the substandard food that sometimes makes its way into the National School Lunch Program. Do you REALLY know what your kids are eating at school?

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (or, FSIS) is the public health agency that is responsible for ensuring (or trying to ensure) that the nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled. Not without its critics, this website is still a helpful resource for finding out more about the regulations that govern food inspection.

USDA Food Safety Index

This is a list of websites that the USDA selected as being of interest to persons in the food safety field. It has been our experience that this page is not routinely updated, so several links no longer work. Still, if you are looking for food safety information on a particular topic, this is a good place to start.

FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

This government website is primarily devoted to the information available from the FDA, including press releases, proposed changes in food safety regulations, and other more technical information about the FDA's regulatory activities. It provides helpful information about how to contact several of the FDA's agencies, how to propose regulations, and how to make Freedom of Information Act requests.

Non-Profit

S.T.O.P - Safe Tables Our Priority

S.T.O.P. -- Safe Tables Our Priority is a non-profit grassroots organization devoted to victim assistance, public education, and policy advocacy for safe food and public health. The organization was founded in 1993 by family and friends of people who became ill or died from exposure to E. coli 0157:H7 and other pathogenic bacteria in meat and poultry. S.T.O.P.'s mission is to prevent unnecessary illness and loss of life from foodborne contamination. This is an excellent informational site, but also a critical resource for people whose lives have been affected by these deadly bacteria.

E. Coli Help Organization - Eric's ECHO

This website was created by a father, Rainer Mueller, in honor and remembrance of his son, Eric Mueller, who died after eating a hamburger contaminated with E. coli 0157:H7. In addition to be a valuable source of information about these deadly bacteria, this site is also a heartbreaking reminder of tragic human-costs inflicted by foodborne pathogens. This site is also particularly well-designed, and contains much helpful and needed information about food safety and foodborne illnesses.

INSTITUTE OF FOOD TECHNOLOGISTS

The Institute of Food Technologists (or, IFT) was founded in 1939, and is a nonprofit scientific society with 28,000 members working in food science, food technology, and related professions in industry, academia and government. On several occasions, the attorneys at Marler Clark have been asked to give presentations at an IFT national or regional convention. THE IFT IS AN EXCELLENT ORGANIZATIION, AND WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS WEBSITE AS AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF RELIABLE SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL INFORMATION.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (or, CSPI) is a nonprofit education and advocacy organization that focuses on improving the safety and nutritional quality of our food supply and on reducing the damaging health affects associated with the abuse of alcoholic beverages. CSPI promotes health through educating the public about nutrition and alcohol; it represents citizens' interests before legislative, regulatory, and judicial bodies; and it works to ensure that advances in science are used for the public's good. This site is an excellent clearinghouse for up-to-date information on food regulations; it is also a good way to participate in grass-root lobbying efforts.

Institutional

Food-Safety-News.com

Is a monthly online newsletter produced by food-safety.com.au for the retail food industry: e.g. restaurants, fast food outlets, hotels, motels, cafeterias, etc. Their newsletter focuses on a wide range of issues such as food safety plans, food poisoning, food safety, contamination, and customer service improvements. Advice of each issue is sent via E-mail to registered users.

The Food Research Institute

The Food Research Institute (or, FRI) is based at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, and is both an independent research institute and an academic department in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Usually on the cutting-edge of food safety research, the FRI is a top-notch resource for obtaining the most recent scientific information about food microbiology and toxicology. The attorneys at Marler Clark regularly retain the experts here at the FRI for help in ongoing foodborne illness litigation.

National Food Processors Association homepage

The National Food Processors Association (or, NFPA) is the principal scientific and technical trade association for the food industry. While we normally advise people to be cautious when relying on information provided by trade associations, we have found that the NFPA remains an excellent source of information on food safety issues of all kind, both scientific and regulatory. The Marler Clark attorneys gave a presentation at last year's NFPA national convention in Chicago, Illinois, and came away quite impressed with the organization, and its commitment to food safety. We recommend this site without reservation.

Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management homepage

This excellent website is packed with food safety information and research, with a particular focus on the retail food industry. There is also lots of information about food safety at home. Created by Dr. Pete Snyder, one of the country's leading and most outspoken food safety advocates, this website is a treasure trove of useful and important information.

The Inspector.Com

Sponsored by the Midwest Council of Food Inspection Locals, a labor union that represents meat, poultry & egg inspectors, this site is informative, eye-opening, and unabashedly opinionated. With a perspective developed on the front-lines of the food safety war, this site does not pull many punches. For example, if you want to be shocked (and maybe even appalled), check out the article entitled "Edible S**t" THIS IS A GREAT SITE!

American Meat Institute homepage

The American Meat Institute (or, AMI) is a national trade association that represents approximately 70% of the Nation's meat packers and processors. The AMI provides legislative, regulatory, and public relations services on behalf of the meat industry, and also sponsors scientific and economic research, and some public education programs. While this is not a website that we would recommend for researching food safety issues, or seeking unbiased information (there are several better sites for that), it is still an excellent way to find out what the meat industry is up to.

Food Marketing Institute homepage

Like the AMI, the Food Marketing Institute (or, FMI) is a national trade association, this one representing food retailers. This website has limited utility unless you are interested in learning more about the food retailing and the laws that regulate it.

Outbreak Inc.

Started by three of the attorneys at Marler Clark, Outbreak Inc. is a resource for companies in the food industry. In their roles as Outbreak consultants, the Marler Clark attorneys visit food companies, and attend food industry conventions and trade shows, offering practical advice on how to avoid litigation related to foodborne illness outbreaks.

This summer, as with every summer, children will be visiting fairs, zoos, theme parks or other child-oriented places such as petting zoos. If you arm yourself with some facts and err on the side of caution, they should be safe from the worries of contracting E. coli and similar pathogenic diseases.

Not only do children become vulnerable to infection when touching animals, they can then spread the infection to others, since bacteria can be passed from person to person.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recommendations to help keep this summer a safe and happy one:

• Clean hands after visiting petting zoos or touching objects animals have been in contact with. Does the petting zoo have washrooms or sinks nearby or hand sanitizing areas at the exit of the petting area? Hand sanitizers can be rubbed on hands to destroy germs. Tote-along-sized containers of hand sanitizers are readily available at supermarkets and other stores.

• Always wash hands before touching food. Do not bring food or beverages into areas where there is direct contact with animals.

• Keep children away from animals' food and water dishes. If you are visiting an indoor area with animals, there should be adequate ventilation.

• Keep toys, pacifiers, sippy cups, baby bottles and the like out of the petting zoo area. Avoid thumb-sucking or otherwise putting hands into mouths until they are sanitized.

• Soiled animal bedding, as well as manure droppings, should be removed immediately from the petting zoo area. If you observe these conditions, inform one of the petting zoo workers.

• Keep a close eye on children and discourage touching objects that the animals have been in contact with such as toys, brushes or feed dishes.

Contact with animals at fairs and petting zoos can be fun, but it also can lead to the transmission of various serious infectious diseases if proper precautions are not taken.

Children are most susceptible to infection from bacteria and parasites from animals because they are more likely to put their fingers or other objects into their mouths. Since animal fur, hair, skin and saliva can become contaminated with fecal organisms, transmission of disease can occur when persons pets, touch or are licked by animals.

Proper hand washing can reduce transmission of bacteria and parasites:

1. Wet hands with running water
2. Place soap in palms and rub hands together to make a lather
3. Scrub hands vigorously for 20 seconds
4. Rinse soap off hands
5. Dry hands with a disposable towel and use a disposable towel to turn off the water

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are effective against many of the germs that animals can carry, but are not effective against bacterial spores, some parasites and certain viruses.

The Illinois departments of Agriculture and Public Health have designed five posters with the following precautions that persons should take when having contact with animals:

• Do not bring pacifiers, food or beverages into animal areas
• Closely supervise children to avoid touching manure, animal bedding and enclosures
• Do not put hands to the mouth after petting animals
• Wash hands after petting animals or touching the animal enclosure
• Assist young children with hand washing

The posters have been sent to all 105 county fairs in the state.

Last month, petting zoo animals caused an outbreak of 26 E. coli infections at three central Florida fairs. In North Carolina, more than 100 people, mostly children, were infected by E. coli at the state fair last year.

Two E. coli outbreaks in Pennsylvania and Washington in 2000 led the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to establish recommendations for preventing the disease when people come in contact with animals.

E. coli O157:H7 can cause severe diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and in about 2 percent to 7 percent of cases, life-threatening kidney complications.

In addition to animals at petting zoos, "pocket pets" such as hamsters, mice, reptiles, and amphibians are notorious for carrying a dangerous multidrug-resistant form of salmonella. As many as 70,000 people contract salmonellosis from reptiles in the United States each year.

To prevent possible infection, the CDC suggests that you scrub your hands vigorously with soap and water (preferably hot water) for at least 20 seconds after contact with animals.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are effective against many organisms. However, hand sanitizers are not effective against bacterial spores, Cryptosporidium and some viruses. Hand sanitizers are also less effective when hands are visibly dirty.

In addition, the CDC recommends:

• Supervise children closely at petting zoos and fairs, making sure to discourage hand-to-mouth contact.
• Do not take food or beverages, toys, pacifiers, baby bottles or sippy cups into the animal contact areas.
• Fairs and zoos should limit access to animal areas, with hand-washing stations at the gates and in food concession areas.

Q: Our family is going to visit the zoo this summer. Do we need to be concerned about touching the animals?

A: Animals at the zoo or county fairs can carry infectious diseases that cause illness or even death. If hands are not washed after handling animals, bacteria can transfer to food and into the body. Children tend to put their hands in their mouths more than adults, so it is especially important to wash their hands. There have been several outbreaks of illness after handling animals and then consuming food. In 2000, two incidences occurred in Pennsylvania and Washington causing illness due to E.coli infections. Fifty-six children became ill and 19 were hospitalized, all due to direct farm animal contact. Another incident occurred in 2002 at an Oregon county fair. After visiting the sheep and goat exhibits, 82 people became ill. And just this year, more than 20 people became ill after handling animals in Florida petting zoos.