Health News: 13 E. coli illnesses linked to recalled apple juice ♦ Researchers want to turn acid-loving microbes into safe drug-carriers ♦ Scarlet fever making a comeback

13 E. coli illnesses in California linked to recalled apple juice As of Friday, Nov. 6, 2015, there were 13 confirmed cases of E. coli O111 infection being linked to unpasteurized apple juice from High Hill Ranch near Placerville, CA. An investigation by state and county health and environmental officials is continuing into the source of the problem.

Researchers want to turn acid-loving microbes into safe drug-carriers Usually the microbe S. islandicus is found in hot and acidic volcanic springs, but now the microbe has also found its way to science labs. Here researchers have for the first time showed that the exotic microbe is capable of delivering drugs to the human body.

Business leaders should re-think how they treat team members, Business leaders who oversee teams need to find a middle ground in how they treat team members -- or risk hurting team performance -- new findings from an international team of researchers suggest. Specifically, the researchers found that treating some team members much better than others can adversely affect performance -- as can treating all team members the same way.

Scarlet fever making a comeback An international study has tracked the re-emergence of a childhood disease which had largely disappeared over the past 100 years. Researchers have used genome sequencing techniques to investigate a rise in the incidence of scarlet fever-causing bacteria and an increasing resistance to antibiotics.

Organic Apple Juice Recalled Due to Arsenic

Lakewood Organic has issued a recall for Fresh Pressed Apple Juice that may have levels of inorganic arsenic that exceed FDA limits.

This product is being recalled as a precaution because it could have levels of inorganic arsenic that exceed FDA limits. The element present is a natural compound found in all apple products and is a concern when the level is elevated. Certain US soils have been identified as areas of concern. Volcanic emissions, such as Mount St Helens in 1980, and the weathering rocks and soils have been identified as natural sources. There have been no reports of any issues with this product.

A recall has been issued due to may have levels of inorganic arsenic that exceed fda limits for the following items:

Item List

UPC	Item Code	Lot Number	Best By Date	Item description
42608-45943	0973057	226F	08OCT2015	LAKEWD JUICE OG2 APPL UNFILTERED

Reported by Big Y Supermarkets, Giant Supermarket and Stop and Shop

USDA Sets Limits for Arsenic in Apple Juice

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, after decades, has proposed limiting the amount of inorganic arsenic in apple juice to the same level allowed in drinking water.

Most of apple juice tested by the FDA has contained low levels of inorganic  arsenic that were considered safe. The agency  proposed a limit of 10 parts per billion for inorganic arsenic in apple juice, the same level set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for arsenic in drinking water.This action will keep apple juice that has more inorganic arsenic out of the marketplace..

Last year the agency tested 94 samples of arsenic in apple juice and found that all were below the 10 ppb threshold for inorganic arsenic. The FDA is now setting that limit as the allowable future benchmark. It will accept public comments on its recommendations for 60 days.

Inorganic arsenic may be found in foods because it naturally occurs in the environment, and due to the use of arsenic in pesticides.

Inorganic arsenic has been associated with skin lesions, developmental effects, cardiovascular disease, neurotoxicity and diabetes. Organic forms of arsenic, also found in soil and groundwater, are considered harmless.

"The standard they've chosen may not be adequate to fully protect the public," said Caroline Smith DeWaal, director of food safety at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

The proposal was applauded by non-profit, independent product-testing organization Consumer Reports, which called it a "reasonable first step in protecting consumers from unnecessary exposure to arsenic”.

"This is also a signal that we need to refocus on how we are introducing arsenic into the environment," said Urvashi Rangan, director of consumer safety and sustainability at Consumer Reports. "You want to see that standard get stronger and stronger over time, and we're going to hope to see that with apple juice."

Source Reuters