Environmental Working Group (EWG) has published their 2020 guide to the Dirty Dozen, which is a list of fruits and vegetables that are likely to have the most pesticide residue. The biggest change is EWG comment on raisins, which were not on the list but were mentioned for the first time. Raisins were tested for the first time since 2007 even though it's not a fresh food. That food is the dirtiest produce commodity. Of the 670 samples of conventional raisins analyzed, 99% tested positive for at least two pesticides. On average, each sample was contaminated with more than 13 pesticides. One sample had 26 pesticides. Even some organic raisins were contaminated. The issue with this food is that children under the age of 15 eat 208,000,000 pounds of raisins every year, about half of the … [Read more...]
Protect Yourself Against Coronavirus When Food Shopping
Everyone is worried about coronavirus and wants to know how to protect themselves and their family. We all know about social distancing and washing our hands frequently. Food Poisoning Bulletin has also told you how to protect yourself when receiving packages and food deliveries at home. But how do you protect yourself against coronavirus when food shopping? Consumer Reports has some answers. First, be aware that many grocery store chains and restaurants are offering delivery options and curbside pickup, which helps limit your exposure to others at this time. If you are picking things up, open the car door yourself. It's best to avoid a direct hand-off; instruct the delivery person to put the groceries at your door or in your car. But if you have to go into a store to get food, … [Read more...]
Recipe for Hand Sanitizer to Protect Against Coronavirus and Food Poisoning
The FDA warns that making home hand sanitizer can be dangerous, since people may not be able to formulate product that has the correct percentage of alcohol. It's important to note that soap and water is the gold standard for cleaning your hands in the coronavirus pandemic. It is easy to make hand sanitizer incorrectly, and it may not be effective or could be dangerous. But if you don't have access to soap and water, this formulation was developed by infection disease specialists that can substitute for commercial sanitizers in a pinch only if made correctly. Follow this recipe closely if you choose to make it. But remember, soap and water is best. Hoarding as a result of the coronavirus pandemic has people worried and upset. The items that are most often hoarded include toilet … [Read more...]
Coronavirus Pandemic Food Delivery: How You Can Protect Yourself
The coronavirus pandemic is changing the way Americans eat. Many more people eat at restaurants, take out food, or have it delivered than cook in their own kitchens. But with the news that the virus can survive on surfaces, especially plastic and cardboard, for days, is coronavirus pandemic food delivery safe? The FDA and USDA insist that the U.S. food supply is safe, and there are no cases of transmission through food or food packaging. But with new information coming out about this pathogen every day, it pays to think about things like food containers and transmission. After all, a few weeks ago experts didn't think the virus could be transmitted by touching a contaminated surface; that has changed. Viability of the virus on fomites, which are surfaces such as plastic handles … [Read more...]
Fecal-Oral Transmission of COVID-19 Is Possible, But Not Likely
A new study has found that fecal-oral transmission of COVID-19 is possible, but not likely. The research was conducted in China. It must be stressed: this type of transmission is theoretically possible, since viruses can enter the GI tract and survive in feces, but no cases of infection via this route have been identified. All cases diagnosed so far have been through inhaling droplets containing the virus. This is not a likely vehicle for transmission, but people should know about it. This new information is concerning because it brings food into the COVID-19 pandemic. The fecal-oral route of transmission means that when a person who is infected with a bacteria or virus goes to the bathroom, gets a tiny amount of feces on their fingers, and doesn't wash their hands, then touches … [Read more...]
New Information About COVID-19 Viability on Surfaces
The news is changing rapidly about COVID-19 viability on surfaces. At the beginning of this pandemic scientists thought that that coronavirus wouldn't retain viability on surfaces for very long, and also that it couldn't survive in the air. That information is probably incorrect, according to a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Because we have never seen a virus like this before, scientists could only compare it to other coronaviruses such as SARS and H1N1. Now that researchers have been able to study it, and have conducted tests, they know more about it. In this paper, COVID-19 is called SARS-CoV-2. The virus was tested in ten experimental situations involving the two strains of the virus in aerosols, plastic, stainless steel, copper, and cardboard. The … [Read more...]
Is the Coronavirus Pandemic Forcing You to Cook? Learn About Food Safety
The coronavirus pandemic is changing our lives in just about every way. From stores and restaurants closing to practicing social distancing, everyone is being forced to learn new habits and new ways of living. Is the coronavirus pandemic forcing you to cook? This is a great time to learn about food safety. In 2015, for the first time, Americans started spending more of their food budget on restaurant meals than grocery stores. While some groups will always cook from scratch, many people just don't do that anymore. So it's crucial that you learn about food safety as you are just starting to cook. You don't want to get food poisoning when hospitals are overwhelmed with pandemic patients, or any other time for that matter. Home cooks are the last line of defense against food … [Read more...]
Gourmet Catering to Go Warning Letter Details Roaches, Rodents, and Mold
The FDA has sent the company Gourmet Catering to Go a warning letter detailing the violations of Good Manufacturing Practice after an inspection in September and October 2019. That facility is located at 801 Hanger Lane in Nashville, Tennessee. Inspectors found mold, rodent excreta pellets, and dead cockroaches at the facility. The company makes ready to eat meals and food for the airline industry. Based on the FDA's findings, the ready to eat products made in that facility are adulterated "because they were prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby they may have become contaminated with filth or whereby they may have been rendered injurious to health." The FDA issued a Form-483 listing all of the deviations that were uncovered during the inspection. Gourmet … [Read more...]
Some E. coli Strains May Be Linked to Development of Bowel Cancer
According to a new study in the journal Nature, E. coli infections may be linked to bowel cancer. Some species of the intestinal microbiota, which is the collection of bacteria and viruses that live in the human gut, have been associated with colorectal cancer, but a direct role hasn't been proven. As it turns out, E. coli bacteria carry what is called a pathogenicity island pks, that creates enzymes that synthesize a compound called colibactin. Colibactin causes double-strand breaks in cultured cells. This damage can lead to cancer over time. Colibactin is found more often in fecal samples of people who do have bowel cancer than healthy people. Scientists don't know how many cases of bowel cancer may be linked to the E. coli bacteria, but estimate that as many as 5% of these … [Read more...]
FDA Releases 2020 Leafy Greens Action Plan After Romaine E. coli. Outbreaks
The FDA has released its 2020 Leafy Greens STEC Action Plan after the E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks linked to romaine lettuce in the past few years sickened hundreds. In fact, in 2019 alone, there were three E. coli O157:H7 romaine lettuce outbreaks that sickened more than 170 people and hospitalized more than 85 patients. Between 2009 and 2018, the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified 40 foodborne outbreaks of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections in the U.S. with a confirmed or suspected link to leafy greens. This illness can cause serious and life-threatening complications, including hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure. Part of the problem is the nature of leafy greens and especially romaine lettuce. Most are grown … [Read more...]
