Did You Know?
Eliminating E. Coli from Cattle
According to a recent article in the New York Times, microbiologists at Cornell University have discovered that the gain-based feedlot diet usually fed to cattle before slaughter fosters the growth of the deadly E. coli O157:H7 bacteria, and that eliminating the grain from their diet literally eliminates the bacteria. Dr. James Russell, an Agriculture Department microbiologist who teaches at Cornell was cited as explaining that when the cattle ate grain, the acid level in their colon rose, fostering the growth of acid-resistant bacteria. This organism could remain alive in the animal’s fecal matter and accidentally contaminate meat during slaughter. The solution, say researchers, is to switch the cattle to a diet of hay or fresh grass for five days leading up to slaughter.
Following the release of the findings, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman is quoted as saying “This deceptively simple finding, if confirmed by further research, has the potential to greatly assist out efforts to fight foodborne illness.”
Alfalfa Sprouts may be Hazardous to your Health!
On September 1, 1998, the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reafirmed its health advisory that persons at high risk for foodborne disease, such as children, the elderly, and persons with compromised immune systems, avoid raw alfalfa sprouts. Similar warnings have been issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which only a month before reported outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 directly linked to the eating of raw sprouts.
Egg Safety Regulations Change
As of August 27, 1998, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has revised its regulations governing the inspection of eggs and egg products to implement 1991 amendments to the Egg Products Inspection Act (EPIA). These amendments require that shell eggs packed for consumer use be stored and transported under refrigeration at an ambient temperature not to exceed 45°F (7.2°C). In addition the amendments require that these packed shell eggs be labeled to state that refrigeration is required. Finally, the amendments require that any shell eggs imported into the United States packed for consumer use include a certification that the eggs, at all times after packing, have been stored and transported at an ambient temperature of no greater than 45°F (7.2°C).
O.J. 101
In case you need some help deciphering those troublesome juice labels:
“100% Pure” or “100% Juice”: the only guarantee that you're buying all juice with all its nutrients.
“Cocktail,” “Punch,” “Drink,” or “Beverage”: diluted juice, often with added sweeteners.
“Fresh Squeezed Juice”: unpasteurized and squeezed from fresh fruit; generally ocated in the produce or dairy section.
“From Concentrate”: Water is removed from whole juice to make concentrate, then water is added back to reconstitute to 100% juice, or to diluted juice.
“Not From Concentrate”: juice that has never been concentrated.
“Fresh Frozen”: freshly squeezed, then packaged and frozen without pasteurization or further processing.
“Canned Juice”: heated and sealed in cans to provide extended shelf life of more than one year.