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EVALUATION OF THE EXTRACT-RELEASE VOLUME PHENOMENON AS A RAPID TEST FOR DETECTING SPOILAGE IN BEEF.

Ground beef of several grades, obtained fresh and held refrigerated until spoiled, was presented to a test panel for scoring on color, odor, and tactile response (tackiness) as to degree of acceptance. Panel scores were correlated with total bacterial counts, ninhydrin-reactive substances, and ERV (extract-release volume) on the same meat. ERV correlated highest with bacterial counts the largest number of times; tackiness, odor, ninhydrin, and color followed in that order. Correlation between bacterial numbers and organoleptic qualities was best, with tackiness followed closely by odor, and then by color. Correlation between tackiness and odor was high. The degree of correlation between bacterial numbers, tackiness, and ERV was high enough to warrant the use of the ERV phenomenon as a rapid test of microbial quality of beef. An ERV value of 25 under the conditions of the test was supported as a divider between acceptable and unacceptable ground beef.

Animals↗

SECOND SURVEY OF MARKET POULTRY FOR SALMONELLA INFECTION.

On 34 days over a period of 30 months, samplings were made of randomly selected birds slaughtered in randomly chosen processing plants. Methods were designed so that Salmonella and paracolon bacteria isolated were indigenous to the intestinal tract of the selected bird. Incidence rates were 5.25% for turkeys, 0.54% for chicken hens, and 1.05% for chicken fryers. Infected birds, providing the potential for contamination, were processed on 58% (turkeys), 25% (chicken hens), and 43% (chicken fryers) of the days. Combined data from the present and previous surveys represent a total of 9,851 carcasses sampled on 94 separate days over a 4.5-year period; these data provide a more accurate analysis of incidence rates and days that positive birds were being slaughtered. For turkeys, chicken hens, and chicken fryers, incidence rates were 4.16, 0.65, and 1.42%, respectively, and days positive were 56, 14, and 32%.

Animals↗

Prevalence of EHEC O157:H7 in patients with diarrhoea in Lagos, Nigeria.

The prevalence of sorbitol-nonfermenting Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EHEC) was assessed in 100 patients with diarrhoea by stool culture on sorbitol MacConkey agar. The cytotoxicity of the EHEC strains was analysed by Vero cell assay and the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of the isolates was determined. Detection rate of EHEC O157:H7 was 6%. Five of the six patients were males. Three of the isolates were from children and one was from a teenager. All strains induced cytotoxic effects in the Vero cell assay. All isolates were susceptible to most of the antimicrobials tested. The results showed that diarrhoea caused by EHEC O157:H7, a potentially life-threatening pathogen, has remained common particularly among the child population of Lagos during the past 10 years (5). There must therefore be adequate meat and food inspection to improve the general hygiene of local fast food restaurants, so-called 'bukkas', which are regarded as likely sources of infection.

Adolescent↗

Microbiological quality of food samples from restaurants and sweet shops in developing countries: a case study from the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

The aim of this paper is to review the microbiological quality of food samples taken from a wide range of cooked and raw foods obtained from restaurants and sweet shops in the Ramallah and al-Bireh district, and to identify the gaps in food inspection and handling that can be realistically improved. Utilizing food sample test results of the Palestinian Ministry of Health, records pertaining to the years 1995, 1996, 2000, 2002, and the first 2 months of the year 2003 reveal that only 60.9%, 44.0%, 63.8%, 93.6%, 51.8%, 83.8%, and 50.4% of the food samples tested for total aerobic count, total Coliform, faecal Coliform, Staphylococcus aureus, faecal Streptococci, moulds, and yeasts respectively are within the limits of the Palestinian and International standards. None of the tested samples for Salmonellae or Clostridium perfringes were positive. Analysis of the data indicates an irregular rather than systematic process to testing. For example, 60.4% of the tested food samples in 2000 came from sweet shops, while the relative percentage of sweet shops is 21.4% out of the total restaurants and sweet shop figures in the area at the time. In contrast to what would be expected, most of the samples were collected during the cold season, raising questions as to the suitability of testing procedures and guidelines. Systemic and procedural gaps were identified by the analysis that can be addressed to at least contain, if not completely eliminate the presence of foods in the market that are unacceptable for consumption.

Data Collection↗

[Food poisoning outbreak due to the consumption of spaghetti a la carbonara caused by Salmonella enteritidis].

INTRODUCTION: This paper reports a clinico-epidemiological and microbiological investigation conducted into an outbreak of gastrointestinal infection due to Salmonella enteritidis, where the most likely food vehicle was spaghetti a la carbonara. METHODS: An historic cohort study was conducted out among persons exposed to menus at a school canteen. Data were gathered on age, sex, foods consumed and clinical symptoms. School premises and menus were inspected, food samples obtained (spaghetti and meat balls), and stool samples taken from 30 affected subjects and 8 food handlers. Isolated strains were studied using pulsed-field electrophoresis. Attack rates were computed, and the odds ratio adjusted for the remaining foodstuffs (ORa) used to calculate the independent contribution made by the respective foods to risk of infection. RESULTS: Study coverage was 75.7% (140/185). The overall attack rate was 72.1% (101/140), with 12.9% of those affected requiring hospitalisation. The multivariate analysis showed that, while the spaghetti maintained its association (ORa = 8.4; 95% CI 1.4-51.8), the meat balls registered a reduction in risk (ORa = 1.8; 95% CI 0.4-7.5). S. enteritidis was isolated in stool cultures from 28 affected subjects, and in 2 blood and 6 stool cultures from food handlers (5 of whom were classed as cases). Moreover, S. enteritidis was also isolated in the food samples. On pulsed-field electrophoresis, the strains registered the same electrophoresis pattern. CONCLUSIONS: This outbreak serves to underscore the gravity of Salmonella spp. food poisoning, the danger of using inadequately cooked eggs, and the importance of interviewing food handlers to ensure proper classification (i.e., as patients or carriers). Existing recommendations as to the use of pasteurised egg products ought to be extended in scope.

Adult↗

Overview and summary of the Food Safety and Inspection Service risk assessment for Salmonella enteritidis in shell eggs, October 2005.

In 1998, the United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Food and Drug Administration completed a risk assessment that indicated multiple interventions along the farm-to-table chain were needed to reduce the risk of human illness from Salmonella Enteritidis in shell eggs. Based on newly available data and improved modeling techniques, FSIS completed an updated risk assessment to examine the effect of pasteurization and refrigeration on reducing human illnesses from S. Enteritidis in shell eggs. The risk assessment model was written in Visual Basic for Applications (Microsoft, Redmond, WA) and run using Monte Carlo methods. The model estimated that if all shell eggs produced in the United States were pasteurized for a 3-log10 reduction of S. Enteritidis, the annual number of illnesses from S. Enteritidis in eggs would decrease from approximately 130,000 to 40,000. Pasteurization for a 5-log10 reduction of S. Enteritidis was estimated to reduce the annual number of illnesses to 19,000. The model also estimated that if all eggs produced in the United States were stored and held at 7.2 degrees C within 12 hours of lay, the annual number of illnesses from S. Enteritidis in eggs would decrease from 130,000 to 28,000. As a result, rapid cooling and pasteurization of shell eggs were predicted to be highly effective mitigations for reducing illnesses from consumption of S. Enteritidis in shell eggs.

Animals↗

Seafood-associated diseases and control in Canada.

Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) has been documented for two centuries and control programmes have been operated for fifty years. Although some illnesses are reported almost every year, the last known death from PSP occurred in 1981. In more recent years, amnesic shellfish poisoning, ciguatera poisoning, diarrhoetic shellfish poisoning, scombroid (histamine) poisoning and tetramine poisoning have been documented. The most frequently observed of these diseases is scombroid poisoning from improperly stored fish, but PSP and ciguatera poisoning have the most serious consequences. Vibrio infections arising from naturally-contaminated shellfish are virtually unknown, and viral illnesses from polluted harvested waters are rare. Control is achieved through monitoring of waters for indicators of human pathogens. Inspection systems based on the hazard analysis and critical control point principles are being introduced into all areas of fish and shellfish harvesting. The Inspection Directorate of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans joined the new Canadian Food Inspection Agency in 1997, which co-ordinates all Federal control measures for food in Canada.

Amnesia↗

European standardization of methods for pesticide residue analysis in foods--current status.

The aim of this paper is to inform all scientists working in pesticide residue analysis on the contents, size and background of European standards (ENs) in this area. These ENs were established by a Technical Committee (TC 275, of the European Committee for Standardization (CEN, and each CEN member country is obliged to implement them as national standards. EN 1528:1996 comprises eight methods for the multiresidue determination of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in fatty foods. For non-fatty foods such as fruits and vegetables, EN 12 393:1998 provides five multi-residue methods. In addition, three methods for dithiocarbamate fungicides in EN 12 396: 1998/2000 and two methods for bromide residues in EN 13 191:2000 are already available. In this way, a valuable harmonization of methods across Europe is achieved which is useful for quality control in the food industry as well as in official food inspection.

Europe↗

U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service testing for Salmonella in selected raw meat and poultry products in the United States, 1998 through 2003: analysis of set results.

The U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) tests sets of samples of selected raw meat and poultry products for Salmonella to ensure that federally inspected establishments meet performance standards defined in the pathogen reduction-hazard analysis and critical control point system (PR-HACCP) final rule. In the present report, sample set results are described and associations between set failure and set and establishment characteristics are identified for 4,607 sample sets collected from 1998 through 2003. Sample sets were obtained from seven product classes: broiler chicken carcasses (n = 1,010), cow and bull carcasses (n = 240), market hog carcasses (n = 560), steer and heifer carcasses (n = 123), ground beef (n = 2,527), ground chicken (n = 31), and ground turkey (n = 116). Of these 4,607 sample sets, 92% (4,255) were collected as part of random testing efforts (A sets), and 93% (4,166) passed. However, the percentage of positive samples relative to the maximum number of positive results allowable in a set increased over time for broilers but decreased or stayed the same for the other product classes. Three factors associated with set failure were identified: establishment size, product class, and year. Set failures were more likely early in the testing program (relative to 2003). Small and very small establishments were more likely to fail than large ones. Set failure was less likely in ground beef than in other product classes. Despite an overall decline in set failures through 2003, these results highlight the need for continued vigilance to reduce Salmonella contamination in broiler chicken and continued implementation of programs designed to assist small and very small establishments with PR-HACCP compliance issues.

Animals↗