Tag Archives: listeria

Summer Food Safety for Moms-To-Be

Source: Downthemeadow.com

Source: Downthemeadow.com

Summer is here, and if you’re like us in the lab, you have sunshine, beaches, backyard cookouts, picnics, and Listeria monocytogenes on your mind. Warm weather and good food are two things we can all appreciate; however, unfortunately these conditions are also ideal for foodborne illness caused by Listeria.

According to the USDA’s Crystal McDade-Ngutter, Ph.D: “Listeria monocytogenes is a dangerous bacterium that you should be on the lookout for all year round—especially in the summer months. Listeria can cause a foodborne illness called listeriosis. It can grow at refrigeration temperatures and is one of the deadliest foodborne illnesses.” Listeriosis can be fatal, and is especially dangerous to numerous populations, including pregnant women.

For those expecting or hosting someone that is expecting at their next summer barbeque or picnic, consider these preventative measures that can help keep pregnant women and their mini-barbeque/picnic goer safe this summer:

  • Do not eat hot dogs, luncheon meats, or deli meats unless they are reheated until steaming hot.
  • Avoid getting fluid from hot dog packages on other foods, utensils, and food preparation surfaces, and wash hands after handling hot dogs, luncheon meats, and deli meats.
  • Do not eat soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, and Camembert, blue-veined cheeses, or Mexican-style cheeses such as queso blanco, queso fresco, and Panela, unless they have labels that clearly state they are made from pasteurized milk.
    • It is safe to eat hard cheeses, semi-soft cheeses such as mozzarella, pasteurized processed cheese slices and spreads, cream cheese, and cottage cheese.
  • Do not eat refrigerated pâté or meat spreads.
    • It is safe to eat canned or shelf-stable pâté and meat spreads.
  • Do not eat refrigerated smoked seafood unless it is an ingredient in a cooked dish such as a casserole. Examples of refrigerated smoked seafood include salmon, trout, whitefish, cod, tuna, and mackerel which are most often labeled as “nova-style,” “lox,” “kippered,” “smoked,” or “jerky.” This fish is found in the refrigerated section or sold at deli counters of grocery stores and delicatessens.
    • It is safe to eat canned fish such as salmon and tuna or shelf-stable smoked seafood.
  • Do not drink raw (unpasteurized) milk or eat foods that contain unpasteurized milk.
  • Use all refrigerated perishable items that are precooked or ready-to-eat as soon as possible.
  • Clean your refrigerator regularly.
  • Use a refrigerator thermometer to make sure that the refrigerator always stays at 40 °F or below.

Follow these tips to ensure that you and your little one have a fun and safe summer. For additional summer food safety tips, check out Krisina Beaugh’s “Checklist For the Perfect Summer Picnic.”

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Making Sense of Listeria

Listeria monocytogenes (ABC News)

Listeria monocytogenes (ABC News)

The Centers for Disease Control estimates “approximately 1600 illnesses and 260 deaths due to listeriosis [infection caused by listeria] occur annually in the United States.” Even though responsible for fewer illnesses than other pathogens that are out there, listeria’s relatively high mortality rate (especially for certain segments of the population) naturally resonates with both consumers and food producers as a focus for concern. This has especially been the case with numerous high-profile listeria cases making headlines in the past several months.

Consumers may be surprised to find out that, opposed to being some isolated super-bug, “Listeria monocytogenes is commonly found in soil and water. Animals can carry the bacterium without appearing ill and can contaminate foods of animal origin, such as meats and dairy products.” Beyond that, food processors, understanding the threat that listeria presents, are especially concerned with the fact that: “When Listeria bacteria get into a food processing factory, they can live there for years, sometimes contaminating food products.”

So what is to be done to combat listeria?   Consumers can check out information on prevention from the CDC here and information from the FDA on proper handling of ready-to-eat, refrigerated foods here. The continuing presence of listeria in the headlines will no doubt also give pause for many food processors to review internal practices/standards, and review local, state, and federal resources to address the issue. Fortunately, risks can be minimized by utilizing programs and products that target some of the following areas: cleaning and sampling; ensuring proper temperatures when processing and handling food; and separating foods and parts of the production/preparation process to avoid cross-contamination.

To assist producers find products that can be of use, Nelson-Jameson has compiled a collection of products, including testing/sampling supplies, color-coded products, and numerous other offerings to both test for and prevent listeria concerns. You can check out these products here.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Focusing on the Issues: Isolating Foodborne Illness

Norovirus

Source: FoodSafety.gov

Some new focus has come to the world of food safety thanks to the publication of: “Attribution of Foodborne Illnesses, Hospitalizations, and Deaths to Food Commodities by using Outbreak Data, United States, 1998–2008.” in the latest issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

In the study, produce was responsible for 46% of foodborne illness cases in the time period examined. In produce, leafy vegetables led the pack in attributed illnesses, with norovirus being the most common culprit affecting the market.  The greatest number of deaths were attributed to land animal commodities. About 19% of the deaths reported were connected to poultry, with many of these cases linked to Listeria or Salmonella.

In all, seventeen commodities were examined in the study that covered 1998-2008.    So, what is to be made of these findings? The authors describe that the study is a useful step in addressing foodborne illness, but a great deal of work needs to be done in order to effectively follow up on these results. “The attribution of foodborne-associated illnesses and deaths to specific commodities is useful for prioritizing public health activities; however, additional data on the specific food consumed is needed to assess per-serving risk.” If you would like to learn more about the study (methods, results, etc.), you can check out the article in full here for free on the CDC’s website.

Tags: , , ,
Comments Off on Focusing on the Issues: Isolating Foodborne Illness