Did You Know?

Incredible Inedible Artichokes
Incredible as it may seem, according to a recent story out of Reuters, Spanish farmers have begun growing nine-foot high artichokes for burning in special power stations to produce electricity for 60,000 customers in Northern Spain. The vegetables, which have been genetically modified and boast 21-foot roots, are part of one of many such biomass schemes presently being tried out in Europe. It is estimated that the twin power stations involved in the Spanish project will generate power by burning 105,000 tons of dried and pulped artichokes each year.

Marler Clark Sprouts Off
Seattle law firm Marler Clark has taken a proactive role in the fight for consumer protection. Specifically, Marler Clark recently called on the Food and Drug Administration to require warnings on packaging of all raw sprouts—this after a recent outbreak of sprout-linked Salmonella infected 45 individuals in Northern California. “According to the FDA’s own 1999 advisory ‘Recommendations on Sprouted Seeds,’ sprouts have been increasingly implicated in foodborne outbreaks,” said firm managing partner William Marler. “The time has come to label sprouts as potentially hazardous.” Marler suggests the labeling mirror the requirements now found on unpasteurized juices: ‘WARNING: This product may contain harmful bacteria that can cause serious illness in children, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems.’

FSIS Ends Chemical Screening
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) recently announced plans to have meat plants assume the responsibility for screening animals for illegal chemical residues—a job currently performed by FSIS veterinarians. According to the news release, FSIS will conduct oversight to ensure that plant personnel are testing animals correctly, but it will be up to the plants to do the testing to verify the meat derived is free of harmful chemical residues. Before implimentation the plan must receive public approval.

The Deadly Duckling
According to federal health officials, those cute little ducklings and chicks children are often given around Easter time may be dangerous to their health. A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that these young birds are sometimes carriers of the Salmonella bacteria, and that merely handling the birds can lead to transmission of the bacteria—which can cause diarrhea, vomiting and fever, and may cause death in small children and the elderly.

Spices Can Undermine Irradiation Effectiveness
According to researchers working out of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Mumbai, India, there is evidence that common spices such as red chili pepper, black pepper and turmeric may actually prevent the destruction of the bacteria E. coli during irradiation. The research, reported in the April 17, 2000 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, concluded that chili provided bacteria DNA with the best protection against irradiation, followed by black pepper and turmeric. On the positive side, researchers believe their findings indicate that spice extracts might be used to protect healthy tissue in patients undergoing radiation therapy.