December 20, 2000

Greens More Likely to Cause Illness Than Beef Or Ham, CDC, says

by Bryan Salvage

Here's news that will unnerve those who are convinced that fruits and vegetables are safer to eat than animal protein.

According to a news release from the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association touting its new "What's In Store 2001" annual trends analysis report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined that based on 15,475 confirmed cases of food-borne illness, the top 10 most likely foods to cause an illness are:

1. Mixed dishes (i.e., casseroles, sandwiches, burritos)
2. Greens/vegetable salad
3. Turkey
4. Fruits & vegetables
5. Beef
6. Fish (not shellfish)
7. Juices, beverages
8. Eggs
9. Protein salad
10. Ham

What's In Store 2001 also points out that in total, salmonella, listeria and toxoplasma account for more than 75 percent of deaths from food-borne illness. However, 81 percent of food-borne illness cases are caused by undetermined agents.

An Audits International follow-up study for 1999, first conducted in 1997, found that two-thirds of household cooks had "situations" in their kitchens that could lead to food-borne illness. The good news is that this percentage is down from the 96 percent found in the 1997 study.

The major "violations" included: cross-contamination (31 percent); failing to wash hands (29 percent) and failing to chill their leftovers properly (29 percent).

Supermarkets and restaurants were conspicuously absent from the list of sources of food-safety information, according the Audits Information survey. Seventy-three percent of respondents noted television as a source; 63 percent received information from the print media; 21 percent received information through word-of-mouth; and from 3 to 5 percent received food-safety information from schools, doctors offices and other sources, according to an IDDBA news release.

Food-safety booklets that are occasionally stuffed in a random bag apparently are not getting the job done. IDDBA suggested that more aggressive methods may be necessary, such as the T-sticks distributed on meat packages at Public Supermarkets in Lakeland, Fla. The T-stick is a disposable thermometer that can be attached to a package. Meat and fresh produce departments throughout the country are beginning to sell both single-use and professional grade thermometers alongside their products, and a growing number of meat and poultry products have doneness indicators, such as pop-up timers, included with the products.

Some supermarkets are taking the lead in providing useful food safety information. Landover, Md.-based Giant Foods, for example, has developed a "What to do when the power goes out" flyer which tells customers which foods can be kept -- and for how long -- in the event of a power outage. The publication was so informative, according to a Giant consumer affairs representative, that it was distributed by the Red Cross during a major storm.

At the University of Georgia, scientists exposed coins to E. coli O157:H7, finding that the bacteria lived up to 11 days. On some cooking surfaces, E. coli survived between four and seven days, according to the news release.

While washing hands thoroughly helps in the food safety fight, washing meat and poultry products does not help to remove bacteria. According to Food Safety Issues, a supplement to the Food Institute report, washing raw meat and poultry may even promote the spread of bacteria to other food products.

Likewise, washing eggs is not recommended because they are washed and coated with mineral oil before they are packaged. Washing the eggs increases the risk of cracking the shell and contaminating other products. The only way to completely disarm bacteria in these products is to cook them to recommended internal temperatures.

On the other hand, produce should be washed to remove dirt an bacteria, especially since much of it is eaten raw, the IDDBA reports. Rinsing produce with water (some fruits and vegetables maybe scrubbed with a brush) is sufficient as detergent may cause damage.

Readers of The Meatingplace.com are aware that irradiation has also been approved for raw red meat products. A group of 30 industry trade associations, health organizations and academic and consumer groups is working to gain approval for irradiation of ready-to-eat perishable foods. This is estimated to be a $277.5 billion market, according to the National Food Processors Association.

This 177-page report also includes information on the deli department.

For more information, call the IDDBA Education department at (608) 238-7908.For more information, log onto IDDBA.org

This article reprinted with permission from Meat Marketing and Technology Magazine.

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