The Center for Disease Control released some incredible findings this month–and since then the sun has shown a little less brightly for salsa and guacamole lovers (your humble author not excluded).  According to the CDC, fresh salsas and guacamole are the causes of 1 in 25 foodborne illness outbreaks in restaurants and delis across the United States.  Specifically, of the 136 salsa/guacamole cases reported of foodborne illness outbreaks during a 10 year period, 36 were linked directly to guacamole, 95 to salsa, and the rest to both.  CDC representative, Robert Tauxe, specifically noted that all the cases involved freshly-prepared guacamole and salsas–not commercially packaged products.

Norovirus, which moms tend to call “the 24-hour flu” or “stomach flu,” thrives in environments where cut and porous vegetables (such as avocados, cilantro, peppers, and tomatoes) are left uncovered and poorly refrigerated.  In fact, Tauxe reported that the most common pathogens associated with these outbreaks were norovirus, salmonella, and E.coli, which all cause stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea in various degrees of intensity.

This study, which began in 2008, was originally prompted by an outbreak in St. Paul, MN in which 1,400 people were sickened by contaminated Serrano and jalapeño peppers used in freshly-prepared salsa.   Researchers examined reported restaurant and deli outbreaks from 1998 to 2008 and found that salsa and guacamole contributed to 3.9% of cases–a +200% jump from the previous decade.  Investigators are unsure what specific ingredients are leading to the contamination, but report that due to the varying recipes of salsa and guacamole, it is unwise to depend on the acidity of lemon or lime juice to fight off the growth of foodborne illness.

Micheal Doyle of the University of Georgia’s Center for Food Safety put it best when he said, “Refrigeration is the key to safe salsa.”  We’ll assume he meant guacamole too.

Image Source:  La Fonda Restaurant

Source:  USA Today

Whoa.  What are we talking about?!

Antigenic Shift is an intense term with an important meaning.  The long explanation is that “antigenic shift” occurs when two or more strains of a virus, or two or more different viruses, combine to create a NEW virus with the the defenses of the original viruses that it originated from.  The short definition is:  Antigenic Shift =  how Super Viruses are made.  So . . . why does this matter?  As you can tell from the incredibly complex chart at the top of this article, an Antigenic Shift is a molecular change that allows an illness to combine and move between animal species (i.e. “bird flu” and “swine flu”).

As you are most certainly aware, for the past year H1N1 has been an incredibly important global issue.  The “swine flu” originated in animals, mutated, and eventually moved to humans.  As the chart demonstrates, a virus can begin in a bird and move to a pig or human without any mutation.  But if the infected animal (or human) is then infected with another virus, the diseases can combine to create a super virus with the strengths of both types of viruses.

Every time you overcome a virus, it means your body has created antibodies (natural germ killers) that are equipped to destroy that specific type of virus.  When new viruses are created from other animals and humans are infected, the body has difficulty killing them.  Children, the elderly, and persons who are chronically ill have an especially hard time fighting new strains of influenza because their immune systems are already weak.

So what can you do?  The World Health Organization (WHO) advises the public to follow some simple advice:  wash your hands, and resist touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.  These two behaviors alone can keep you healthy when outbreaks occur.

Salmonella

When talking about food safety, salmonella is a disease that gets brought up frequently.  This year, salmonella has prompted hundreds of food recalls from items as diverse as salami, tortilla chips, and salad dressing.  During the past few years, health officials have identified the bacteria in eggs, peanuts, black pepper, spinach, meat products and the list goes on and on.  Salmonella contamination becomes an even greater issue when contaminated food items are sent to multiple locations as ingredients as other products.  It becomes extremely difficult to trace where the infection began, and how far it spread.  This year alone, salmonella-contaminated black pepper was distributed as an ingredient in Italian-style deli meats, which then infected 252 people in 44 different states!  The same contaminated black pepper has also sparked countless spice, snack, and condiment recalls since January 2010.

Of the 2,000 strains of salmonella, only about a dozen can infect humans.  Still, the number of persons infected annually remains high from year to year.  The CDC estimates that there are a 1.4 million cases of salmonella infection each year in the United States, with only about 3% officially reported.  These numbers make is clear that it is impossible to overstate how crucial it is that food handlers become aware of this disease and how to protect consumers from it.

A few things to know about Salmonella:

• Salmonella can be transmitted from animals to humans (see Kissing Frogs) and from food to humans.
• Persons at greater risk for serious infection include infants, small children, chronically ill persons with weak immune systems, and the elderly.
• Salmonella can survive for weeks outside a living body.
• Salmonella is not destroyed by freezing.
• An infectious dose of salmonella can be as small as 15-20 cells (bacteria).
• Incubation period–the time it takes to get sick once a patient has contracted the disease–is anywhere from six to 72 hours.
• Common symptoms of salmonella infection include exhaustion, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea (which can be bloody in serious cases!).

What can you do to prevent salmonella infection in the workplace?  One of the first things each food service employee must do to prevent infection of any kind is wash their hands.  For salmonella-specific prevention, the Mayo Clinic recommends the following practices:

1. Cook poultry, ground beef, and eggs thoroughly before eating (or serving).   Poultry specifically must reach 160º F throughout before it can be served.
2. Eggs must be cooked until they have a hard yoke.  Pasteurized eggs may also be used.  If consumers insist on soft yokes, they must be made aware of the risk of salmonella infection.
3. Never consume or serve raw milk.  Milk must be pasteurized to be used in a consumer setting.
4. Wash and sterilize hands, utensils, and surfaces immediately after they have come in contact with foods of animal origin.
5. Be extremely cautious when preparing food for babies, children, sick persons, or the elderly as they are at a greater risk of infection.

If you have additional questions about salmonella and how to prevent it, please contact your local health department.

Sources:  Mayo Clinic, Wikipedia

Ok, so we’ve been obsessed with Jamie Oliver–Britain’s tastiest export–for a while now.  Formerly known as England’s “Naked Chef,” Jamie single-handedly overhauled the United Kingdom’s school lunch program and has now taken America by storm with his new cookbook Jamie’s Food Revolution.  Oliver teaches non-foodies how to use fresh, healthy ingredients to make simple, affordable, delicious meals the whole family will love.

If you can’t get enough of Jamie, then you’ll love his new show Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution debuting on ABC March 26th.  He’ll head to America’s unhealthiest city to try and break the cycle of destructive habits, arming himself with fresh ingredients and some alarming facts.  (Did you know that America’s current generation of children is not expected to live longer than their parents?!)  In one powerful promo, he visits a first grade classroom only to find they are unable to identify even the most basic fruits and vegetables.

In the show, Jamie will focus largely on the eating habits of America’s youth.  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is likewise concerned with this issue. They issued a press release last Friday (Feb 26, 2010) stating that on average, parents who considered nutrition when selecting fast food items for their children, chose meals that were at least 100 calories less than meals selected by uninformed parents.  As the USDHHS   put it, “100 calories, added up over time, is actually a significant amount.”

For more information, check out Jamie Oliver’s website and sign the petition to become “part of the revolution.”

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has strongly recommended that ALL persons, 6 months or older, receive a flu vaccine for the 2010-2011 flu season.  The swine flu has hit the 5-17 year-old population especially hard.  Those hospitalized with the disease generally had an underlying illness, like asthma, to weaken their immune system and allow them to be more susceptible to the virus.

As of mid February, 126 million doses of the vaccine had been ordered by states, with health departments targeting at-risk groups for treatment.

If you are pregnant, over 50 years of age, or the parent of small children–get yourself (and your children over 6 months) vaccinated!

View the CDC’s press release.

It’s not hard to believe however.  The CDC estimates that 76 million cases of foodborne illness occur EACH YEAR in the United States, but when you take into consideration that as few as 1 in 5 cases are ever reported, the number could be much higher.

Did you get the “24-hour flu” this year?  You may be surprise to know that there is no such thing as the “24 hour flu.”  What you probably had was foodborne illness. Even the “stomach flu” is really a foodborne illness called gastroenteritis that results from ingesting contaminated food and water.  It’s doubtful you called the health department about your sickness–and just like that, another case of foodborne illness went unreported.

If you are asking youself, “Ok, then do I need to call my doctor every time I get sick??” then we have the answer for you.  Well, actually the CDC does:

“A health care provider should be consulted for a diarrheal illness if it is accompanied by:

• high fever (temperature over 101.5 F measured orally),
• blood in the stools,
• prolonged vomiting that prevents keeping liquids down (which can lead to dehydration),
• signs of dehydration, including a decrease in urination, a dry mouth and throat, and a dizzy feeling when standing up,
• diarrheal illness that lasts more than three days”

If you do contract “stomach flu”-like symptoms, take care of yourself!  This includes resting, drinking LOTS of clear liquids–especially sports beverages to replace electrolytes, and when possible, attempt to eat foods like popsicles, chicken noodle soup, and gelatin.  You’ll be feeling better soon.

For food handlers, always make sure you’re practicing safe food handling procedures.  Just because you didn’t hear about a case of foodborne illness coming from your establishment, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.

Food safety is JUST as important at home as it is in the workplace.  One place where toxic foodstuffs love to hide is the back of the refrigerator, or as we like to call it “The Land that Time Forgot.”  Summon the new season with this essential Spring Cleaning task: cleaning out the fridge.

Follow these simple steps to get your fridge looking and smelling fresher than a new box of baking soda:

• Turn the temperature to OFF and remove all the food from the fridge.
• Discard any food that is moldy, past its expiration date, or growing miniature versions of itself.
• If you have a drip pan remove and clean it.
• Remove all shelves, trays, and drawers.
• Fill the kitchen sink with soapy water–as warm as you can stand–and wash the shelves, trays, and drawers.  Lay to dry on clean paper towels.
• Wipe drips, stuck-on mess, and food material from the bottom of the fridge.
• Using disinfecting wipes or antibacterial dish soap, wipe out the entire fridge and allow to dry.
• Clean the outside of the fridge with soap and water.  Don’t forget to sweep around and underneath!
• Replace the shelves, drawers, and trays.
• Reset the temperature to the recommended settings.
• Wipe off any sticky food containers and put them away in the fridge.

Happy cleaning!

They must have skipped a few steps.

Source:  eHow.com

To help us introduce Trichinellosis, we thought we’d use this handy chart:

We had no idea what this chart meant, so we went to the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) website for some clarification.  Trichinellosis is a cycle of disease.  For the patient, it begins when he or she consumes meat of an animal infected with Trichinella cysts.  Trichinella is a parasitic worm that enters the body of its host through ingestion.  The worm’s larvae are in the form of round cysts with a hard outer shell.  When an animal eats infected meat, the cystic shell dissolves in stomach acid and the baby worm is released into the intestinal tract and become mature within 1-2 days.  Once the mature worm mates, it lays its eggs which develop into immature worms.  The young worms then travel through the host’s and are carried into the muscle tissue where they curl up and become cysts.  When the host tissue (i.e. contaminated pork) is consumed, the cycle begins anew.  Gross, right?  Here are some additional facts from the CDC:

• What is Trichinellosis? Trichinellosis, or Trichinosis, is a disease caused by eating undercooked meat of animals infected with the larvae of the worm Trichinella.  Although this is most common in carnivorous (meat-eating) wild animals, Trichinellosis can also be contracted through domestically-raised pigs.
• What are the symptoms? In the first stages of infection (in the majority of cases) fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain are all common.  The second phase of symptoms will often add chills, eye swelling, aching joints, muscle pain, itchy skin, and constipation to the list.  For patients who contract a larger infection labored breathing and coordination problems are possible.  Death is rare, but can occur.  Generally symptoms subside in a few months.
• How soon to symptoms appear? Abdominal symptoms can appear within 1-2 days, whereas other symptoms may take as much as 8 weeks to become apparent after eating infected meat.  Severity of symptoms depends on how many Trichinella worms were ingested.
• Am I at risk for Trichinellosis? Do you eat raw or undercooked meat from wild animals such as bears, pigs, felines (cougars), foxes, dogs, horses, seals, or walruses?  Then yes, you are at risk.
• Is Trichinellosis common in the United States? Trichinellosis used to be very common in the US because of undercooked pork.  Today, however, infection is rare.  Infection in the US has decreased due in part to refrigeration and in part to new regulations making it illegal to feed raw meat to hogs.

For more information about Trichinellosis, visit the CDC website.

We are loving First Lady Michelle Obama’s initiative to educate the American public about childhood obesity.  It is an incredibly important issue that has only become more frightening in the past decade as our children have become more media-dependent and less physically active. Her new website letsmove.gov, has been created as a portal for parents and educators to find information about all four key points of her Let’s Move campaign:

1. Healthy Choices
2. Healthier Schools
3. Physical Activity
4. Accessible & Affordable Healthy Food

Join the First Lady and millions of others by finding out what you can do to help America “raise a healthier generation of kids.”