E Coli Lawyer & Attorney : Marler Clark Law Firm : E. coli Blog

A vaccine is being produced by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that is designed to prevent E. coli infection in humans, according to the New York Times. A vaccine is also being produced by Bionishe, a Canadian company, that is designed to reduce the number of E. coli bacteria shed in cattle feces.

Although vaccines produced by NIH and Bioniche may prove effective in their purposes, it may prove to be cost-prohibitive for the general public and the meat industry to adopt widespread use of either vaccine.  Beyond that, experts in the food safety field are skeptical about whether vaccines are the most effective solution to the problem of E. coli contamination.  And bacteriophages, which are an alternative to vaccines, are not touted as the answer by food safety experts, either.

Researchers at Washington State University and the University of Idaho have combined their efforts to develop a fresh produce wash - termed FIT - that is more effective in killing E. coli and other pathogenic contamination on fresh fruits and vegetables.

Currently most produce is washed in a chlorine source, either from bleach or from chlorine dioxide. However, these chemical compounds quickly deactivate and become ineffective in very dirty water, such as a potato or spinach flume. FIT's commercial produce wash helps overcome that problem when washing fresh cut and other processed produce. The ingredients in FIT, specifically its natural surfactants, act as "wetting agents" which are designed to lift off and kill the pathogens even in very dirty water. FIT is able to get into "nooks and crannies" that other washing systems may not and continues to keep killing bacteria via its patented surfactant technology.
 

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With only a few weeks remaining in barbecue season, local public health officials are urging people to cook hamburger properly and clean or discard anything that has come into contact with raw meat.

According to The Record, the reason for the warning is a sudden increase in reported food poisoning cases, the majority of which resulted from improperly cooked or contaminated hamburger meat prepared at home, which can cause E. coli poisoning.

The province saw 44 cases last month, compared to only 19 infections in July of last year, with 86 per cent of this July's cases coming from those who grill their own burgers.

According to Dr. Reno Proulx, consulting doctor with the public health agency in the Eastern Townships, most people know to cook their meat properly because of extensive public awareness campaigns on the issue. Infections this year are rising because people are using the same plates and utensils to handle raw and cooked meat, without washing them in between.

"People are putting their cooked hamburgers on the same plate as the raw hamburger meat. With juices from the raw meat leftover, the cooked hamburger then becomes contaminated," said Dr. Proulx.

It also seems that people are also forgetting to take the most basic precaution – hand-washing.

"Forty-five per cent of those infected in July were people who handled the raw meat directly," said Dr. Proulx, meaning those who cook and then do not wash their hands before eating, make up a large proportion of the infections reported this year.
 

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Last year, the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a report encouraging venues where the public has contact with animals, such as fairs and petting zoos, to adopt standards, saying that "inadequate understanding of disease transmission and animal behavior can lead to infectious diseases, rabies exposures, injuries and other health problems among visitors, especially children, in these settings."

The single most important step to reduce risk is to have visitors wash their hands, says the Ventura County Star.

Hand washing is nothing new at the Ventura County Fair, which has washing stations at the entrances and exits to the animal areas. This year, however, McGuire said she's increasing the number of signs encouraging people to wash their hands.

She's also hoping to encourage people not to bring food into the animal areas, although that is not yet a requirement.

"We're not that strict yet," she said. "There are some fairs that don't allow food at all into the animal areas."

The CDC recommends that food and beverages not be allowed in animal areas.

"In addition," the CDC report states, "smoking, carrying toys, and use of pacifiers, spill-proof cups and baby bottles should not be permitted in animal areas."
 

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New hand sanitizer dispensers are mounted in every animal barn at the Clark County Fair this year, more than 150 in all. Abundant signs posted in two languages warn visitors to leave food and drink outside barns, and to use the gel upon exiting.

Another 12 wash stations with 24 sinks, soap and towels were installed across the fairgrounds. And in every bathroom and near many food stalls are friendly reminding visitors to do what mommas have always scolded: Wash your hands before eating.

There's a concerted effort by fair leaders nationwide to lead a hand-washing campaign.

"We just want to create an awareness. Part of the obligation of a county fair is teaching people," said fair Manager Tom Musser. "And we're seeing them used, by golly."

Last August, three persons who attended the Clark County Fair were sickened by confirmed cases of E. coli, a life-threatening bacteria that can cause kidney failure. While the origin could not be confirmed, clues pointed to animal exhibits. Similar outbreaks of virulent nausea, vomiting and diarrhea have struck fairs in other cities and states, the culprit just as easily human-borne as animal-borne.

270,000 visitors could pass through the fair this week, providing plenty of risky contact. When the state Agriculture Department floated an $8,000 matching grant to install the extra sinks and signs, Clark County officials quickly ponied up an equal amount.

Also returning from a brief absence is the Germ City education booth operated by the Washington State University Extension Service. Special lotion is doled out by volunteers who said a proper cleaning requires: soap, best rubbed into hands before rinsing starts to scrub off dirt; a long 20 seconds of scrubbing (children are told to sing "Happy Birthday" or their "A-B-Cs"); and preferably, a towel wipe. After washing, visitors can check their hands under a special light to see if they did a good job of washing them.

"We've gone two and three generations away from the farm now, so a lot of people don't have knowledge of what they're supposed to do around animals," Musser said. "It's just an extremely smart idea to wash your hands."
 

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The South Dakota Department of Health has said that the 16 cases of E. coli 0157:H7 in the state by late July this year was an increase compared to the 13 cases by late July 2005.

The increase underscores a need for consumers to be reminded of how to guard themselves against foodborne illnesses, says the Vermillion Plain Talk.

SDSU Extension Food Safety Specialist Joan Hegerfeld offers these tips to keep foodborne illnesses at bay:
 

• Change your wiping cloth or your dish cloth at least daily, or more often if you've recently used it for wiping up some raw meat, poultry or fish juices from your countertop.
• Reduce handling of raw product which increases the chance for cross-contamination.
• Consider buying your foods ready to be cooked, such as ground beef patties that are preshaped and ready to grill.
• Store foods wisely. If the raw meat product is in the same cooler as your beverages, put them in a sealed, tight container and place them on the bottom of your cooler. Ideally, you should use two different coolers, one for your raw meat products and one for your ready-to-eat foods and beverages.
• Use the same principle in your kitchen refrigerator: The raw meat foods should be on the bottom shelf in a container that will not allow the juices to drip on ready-to-eat foods.
• Consider who's doing the cooking. Be sure those preparing the food know the risks involved with cross-contamination. If teenagers are preparing their own food, you may want to encourage foods that involve less preparation and handling unless you are home with them to monitor and teach them food handling practices.
• Washing of raw meat products, chicken and fish is not necessary. However, if you choose to wash your raw meat products before preparing for cooking be sure to clean and sanitize the sink and preparation area when you are finished.
• Wash fruits and vegetables just before eating (not when purchased, picked or stored). Running water with rubbing or brushing is best. Don't use bleach or dish soap. They will leave a residue and in many instances enter the food itself.
• When finished preparing foods that have raw meat juices, clean and sanitize the preparation area. It's important to clean first, then sanitize. This keeps the chlorine molecules from being tied up with organic matter, so it is available to destroy the bacteria and parasites.
• Chlorine bleach is a good sanitizing solution for a wiping cloth in the kitchen. Use 100 parts per million or 1 tablespoon for 2 gallons of water. Do not use the ultra bleach for this dilution. The water temperature should be between 75 degrees and 120 degrees Fahrenheit. If using a spray bottle, use 1 teaspoon per quart of water.
   

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Food Production Daily reports that researchers at Purdue University have developed a new system that analyzes scattered laser light to quickly identify bacteria for applications in medicine, food processing and homeland security at one-tenth the cost of conventional technologies.

The technique, called Bacteria Rapid Detection Using Optical Scattering Technology, works by shining a laser through a petri dish containing bacterial colonies growing in a nutrient medium.

The work was started by Arun Bhunia, a professor of food microbiology and Daniel Hirleman, head of Purdue's mechanical engineering school.

The machine bounces particles of light, called photons, off of a bacterial colony. The pattern of scattered light is projected onto a screen behind the petri dish. Individual bacterial colonies growing in a petri dish distort light passing through them, just as a lens changes light-wave patterns. The "light-scatter pattern" is recorded with a digital camera and analyzed with sophisticated software to identify the types of bacteria growing in the colonies.

The procedure identifies a bacterial colony by comparing an image of its scatter pattern against a template that contains 120 features described by Zernike polynomials. The reduced collection of numbers describes how well the colony fits the template, and then pattern recognition software is used to classify the bacteria.

The researchers used the new system to classify six species of listeria, only one of which is a dangerous food-borne pathogen for humans. The scientists used to system to accurately identify other types of bacterial colonies, including salmonella, vibrio, E. coli and bacillus.

The technology does not require complicated lab equipment. A system could be designed so that it wouldn't require someone with a doctoral degree to operate.

The researchers have filed a provisional patent for the data-processing technique, and a full patent application has been filed on the underlying light-scattering technology.

 

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Unless care is taken, says the Belleville Intelligencer, that summertime favorite, hamburger, can lead to sickness, perhaps even a stay in hospital or worse.

"Unfortunately, many people get more casual about food safety when they cook outdoors," said Rebecca Mathers of the Hastings and Prince Edward Counties Health Unit. "This can lead to dangerous results, especially when cooking ground meat burgers."

If you are not careful in handling and preparing foods, particularly undercooking meats like hamburger, contamination from E. coli bacteria can result and ingestion can lead to kidney damage and even death, Mathers said.

"Cooking burgers to the proper internal temperature helps to destroy E. coli," she said. Beef burgers are done at an internal temperature of 71 C. Poultry burgers should reach an even higher internal temperature of 74 C. Mathers recommends the use of a thermometer, slipping the stem sideways into the centre of the burger to make sure the meat is done, rather than checking the color of the meat for doneness.

Health unit spokeswoman Carol Snell says that there are four words to remember when cooking either indoors or out: chill, clean, separate, cook.

Snell said to keep food in the refrigerator as opposed to on a counter or beside the barbecue; clean your hands, the workstation and produce and separate raw foods and juices to prevent cross contamination.

"Prepare foods quickly," she said. "Cook them thoroughly and serve them immediately."
 

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The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline reminds consumers preparing ground beef products to heed the following advice:

• Consumers should only eat ground beef patties that have been cooked to a safe temperature of 160 degrees F. When a ground beef patty is cooked to 160 degrees F throughout, it can be safe and juicy, regardless of color.
• The only way to be sure a ground beef patty is cooked to a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria is to use an accurate food thermometer.
•  Color is not a reliable indicator that ground beef patties have been cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria such as E. coli O157:H7.
• Eating a pink or red ground beef patty without first verifying that the safe temperature of 160 degrees F has been reached is a significant risk factor for foodborne illness.
• Thermometer use to ensure proper cooking temperature is especially important for those who cook or serve ground beef patties to people most at risk for foodborne illness because E. coli O157:H7 can lead to serious illness or even death. Those most at risk include young children, seniors, and those with compromised immune systems.
   

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The May issue of the Journal of Food Science discussed the adequate cooking of meat in order to inactivate microbial pathogens such as E. coli and salmonella, particularly in ground meat products.

Consumers are being advised on appropriate temperatures to which meat products should be cooked, and to use a meat thermometer to ensure these temperatures are reached.

However, consumers are more likely to assess cooking status by the color of the meat or juice. This can be a dangerous method to gauge internal tempurature of meats, since several factors can artificially prolong the pink “uncooked” color in meat:

• high pH
• modified atmosphere packaging
• rapid thawing
• low fat content
• nitrite
• irradiation

Alternatively, meat can prematurely brown, where the interior of the product looks cooked but a microbiologically safe temperature has not been reached, such as:

• pale, soft exudative meats
• meats packaged under oxygenated conditions
• meats frozen in bulk
• meats thawed over long periods
• meats that have had salts or lean finely textured beef added

The article concludes that the color of cooked meat is not a good indicator of adequate cooking, and the use of a food thermometer is recommended.

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