A concerned member of the StateFoodSafety.com team recently asked a pertinent food safety question that has crossed my mind as well. Just how long can bacteria such as E. coli, Shigella, and Salmonella survive on inanimate surfaces?
According to a 2006 study, these particular species can persist for months on dry surfaces. In addition, these pathogens thrive longer in humid environments and low temperatures. Researchers reached conflicting conclusions about the effects of surface types on the life span of the bacteria. Some insisted that the species persisted longer on plastic, while others found “a survival advantage on steel.” Nevertheless, the study, which was primarily focusing on the transmission of bacteria and viruses in hospitals, has significant implications for the food service industry as well.
For example, the study’s conclusion emphasizes the importance of cleaning and sanitizing hard surfaces to minimize the presence of harmful bacteria. All food workers should be aware of this vital step when cleaning food preparation and dining areas. In addition, proper hand washing is crucial in preventing infection from or transmission of these long-living pathogens. Food preparation workers, like medical personnel, should also wear disposable gloves as a precautionary measure. Because of the potentially long survival rate of harmful bacteria on surfaces, never assume that if you leave a surface long enough, it will cease to be a threat.
Furthermore, because harmful bacteria can persist on surfaces for extended periods of time, you should also probably reconsider your faithful adherence to the “Five-Second Rule”—the one that makes eating food within five seconds of dropping it on the floor perfectly acceptable. A Clemson study from 2003 confirms that salmonella could survive on a surface for months. After contaminating a surface with Salmonella eight hours previously, researchers dropped slices of bread and bologna, left them sitting for a mere five seconds, and found that the food slices had 150 to 8,000 bacteria on them. Even as few as 10 Salmonellas can cause illness. Thus, the moral of the story is that surfaces can potentially contain harmful microbes that can persist for months and even brief contact with such surfaces can result in negative consequences. Clean surfaces often and don’t eat food off the floor. It sounds silly, but we’re all guilty of ignoring these simple guidelines.
–Madelyn Tucker
It looks as if four members of the Sydney Opera House’s production of Macbeth ate out of the wrong witch’s cauldron, or the “Curse of Macbeth” struck again last week—this time in the form of food poisoning. Two of the individuals were hospitalized and two more were left bedridden after contracting severe cases of foodborne illness. Consequently, the first three preview shows of the Shakespearean classic were cancelled and the opening show was moved to tonight. The New South Wales Food Authority has been working to determine the official cause of the foodborne illness cases, and luckily, no other food poisoning cases have been reported in the surrounding precinct.
For those unfamiliar with theatrical superstitions, Macbeth is believed to be a cursed play. In the early 1600s, right before the first performance of the production, the actor set to play the part of Lady Macbeth suddenly fell ill and died, leaving Shakespeare as the replacement. To avoid similar disasters, individuals often refer to the play as the “Scottish Play” or the “Bard’s Play” because uttering the real title is thought to bring on the curse. If an actor or “player” slips up and says “Macbeth,” he or she is supposed to perform a ritual consisting of exiting the theater, spinning around three times, spitting on the ground, and cursing. He or she must then knock on the theater door to reenter. It sounds like the members of the Sydney Opera House production might have forgotten one of these steps, leaving them doubled over with more than just spit coming out. However, reports from yesterday said that the affected individuals are all showing signs of improvement.
Nevertheless, I think that for extra protection against the curse, one of Lady Macbeth’s most famous lines should now say “Out, damned pathogen!”
–Madelyn Tucker
Source: foodsafetynews.com
Sometimes the classic “sniff for freshness” test isn’t always the best way to make sure a food item is safe to eat, and most of us probably don’t know the proper ways to store foods in the freezer, refrigerator, or pantry. For example, did you know that seafood should be placed on a bowl of ice inside the fridge, or that corn starch is good indefinitely as long as it’s kept in a dry place? Real Simple Magazine recently published “The Ultimate Food-Storage Guide” which provides tips for storing everything from ground meat to beer. By using information gathered from the US Department of Agriculture, food scientists and manufacturers, and other experts like fishmongers and bakers, the magazine’s guide can help you store and enjoy food in its “peak condition,” reducing your chances of consuming spoiled or freezer-burned goods. Click here to read the guide!
A few weeks ago, I wrote an article about the importance of the new Twitter accounts created by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service in informing consumers about food recalls and other food safety information. With all of the recent food safety scares such as the “pink slime” controversy, it seems that more consumers are hungry for similar accessible ways to find out where their food comes from in addition to recall information.
Derek Singleton, a Food Distribution Analyst at Software Advice, recently wrote a blog post concerning a mobile app that could potentially satisfy this consumer need. The app CLEARthru, released by Junction Solutions, allows smartphone users to scan a QR code to access food product information that was previously inaccessible or difficult for consumers to find. This information includes product origins, product freshness, packaging information, nutrition and allergen facts, and food recall information. Essentially, this app allows individuals to trace the path of their food, from farm or processing plant to the dinner table. Of course, for this app to be truly effective food suppliers must include this QR label on every food item and consumers must be willing to take a few extra minutes at the grocery store to scan and read this product information.
According to Singleton, “we’ll need an ecosystem of growers, processors, distributors and retailers to embrace this consumer movement.” Nevertheless, these types of innovative solutions are becoming more important as we advance in an age of technology and as more consumers are bombarded by conflicting information about food safety issues and desire to know the facts about their food before buying, consuming, and serving it to others.
For more information on this mobile app, check out Singleton’ s blog post here.
-Madelyn Tucker
