Health News:Privatized meat inspection jeopardizes food safety ♦ Lab-grown 3D intestine regenerates gut lining in dogs ♦ Major flu drug report underway

Privatized meat inspection experiment jeopardizes food safety An analysis based on inspection documents and non-compliance reports obtained through the Freedom of Information Act reveals large numbers of defects being missed in the USDA's controversial pilot project for privatized poultry inspection. In the name of budget-cutting, more defective and unsanitary poultry contaminated

Lab-grown 3D intestine regenerates gut lining in dogs Working with gut stem cells from humans and mice, scientists have successfully grown healthy intestine atop a 3-D scaffold made of a substance used in surgical sutures

Major flu drug report underway A new landmark report reveals that antiviral drugs called NAIs (like Tamiflu) have been successful in reducing deaths in flu patients in hospital. The report also reveals that preventative use of the same drugs helps fight flu infection in the home.

Women and men react differently to infidelity A recent Norwegian study shows that men and women react differently to various types of infidelity. Whereas men are most jealous of sexual infidelity, so-called emotional infidelity is what makes women the most jealous. Evolutionary psychology provides an explanation for why this can be

Dying at home leads to more peace, less grief, but requires wider support Dying at home could be beneficial for terminally ill cancer patients and their relatives, according to research. The study shows that, according to questionnaires completed by their relatives, those who die at home experience more peace and a similar amount of pain compared to those who die in hospital, and their relatives also experience less grief. However, this requires discussion of preferences, access to a comprehensive home care package and facilitation of family caregiving.

Health News :FDA posts Blue Bell inspection reports ♦ Salmonella linked sushi now totals 53 cases in 9 states ♦ Control of robotic arm using thoughts alone

FDA posts Blue Bell inspection reports 2007-2014 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday posted four additional inspection reports of Blue Bell Creameries facilities from 2007-2012. The four join recent FDA inspection reports of three Blue Bell plants performed before and after the company’s total product recall.

Salmonella cases linked to raw tuna sushi now totals 53 cases in 9 states According to updates posted Thursday by both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there are now 53 people in 9 states infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Paratyphi B variant L Ten of those sickened have been hospitalized.

Control of robotic arm using thoughts alone Through a clinical collaboration between Caltech, Keck Medicine of USC and Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, a 34-year-old paralyzed man is the first person in the world to have a neural prosthetic device implanted in a region of the brain where intentions are made, giving him the ability to perform a fluid hand-shaking gesture, drink a beverage, and even play 'rock, paper, scissors,' using a robotic arm

Mosquito sex-determining gene could help fight dengue fever A gene responsible for sex determination in mosquitoes that can transmit yellow fever, dengue, and chikungunya viruses has been identified. Only female mosquitoes bite because they need blood for developing eggs, and researchers believe that a higher ratio of males could reduce disease transmission.

Why you need one vaccine for measles and many for the flu While the influenza virus mutates constantly and requires a yearly shot that offers a certain percentage of protection, old reliable measles needs only a two-dose vaccine during childhood for lifelong immunity. A new study has an explanation: The surface proteins that the measles virus uses to enter cells are ineffective if they suffer any mutation, meaning that any changes to the virus come at a major cost.

12/13/14 Health News: Making a Pig’s Ear out of Food Safety ♦ Fast relief from severe neck pain ♦ Curb binge-drinking ♦ Metal test helps diagnose breast cancer early

Making a Pig’s Ear out of Food Safety

IF, thanks to an experimental inspection program, a meatpacking firm produces as much as two tons a day of pork contaminated by fecal matter, urine, bile, hair, intestinal contents or diseased tissue, should that count as a success? The agency responsible for enforcing food safety laws has not only approved this new inspection regime but is considering whether to …Continue Reading

Spine patient gets fast relief after years of severe neck pain

A new article outlines how a spine patient obtained almost instant relief after years of severe neck pain. The patient injured her neck after falling from her roof while clearing snow. She tried various therapies over the years, but the treatments provided, at best, only temporary relief.  Continue Reading

Tis the season for youth to curb binge-drinking

With the holidays around the corner, we're all a little more likely to indulge, especially when it comes to alcohol. While a few extra drinks might be brushed off as holiday cheer, they can actually signal a problem in young adults. Continue Reading

Metal test could help diagnose breast cancer early

It may be possible to develop a simple blood test that, by detecting changes in the zinc in our bodies, could help to diagnose breast cancer early, scientists say. In a world-first, the researchers were able to show that changes in the isotopic composition of zinc, which can be detected in a person's breast tissue, could make it possible to identify a 'biomarker' (a measurable indicator) of early breast cancer Continue Reading

10/21/14 Health News; FDA WARNING LETTERS ♦ USDA NEEDS TO TIGHTEN UP STANDARDS FOR POULTRY ♦ WHAT U.S. CAN LEARN ABOUT POULTRY INSPECTION

FDA WARNING LETTERS: DRUG RESIDUES, SEAFOOD PROCESSING, COCONUT BUTTER

In recently posted U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning letters, three producers were cited for holding animals “under conditions that are so inadequate that medicated animals bearing potentially harmful drug residues are likely to enter the food supply.” Papas Dairy of North Bangor, NY, was cited for illegal drug residue in a calf sold... Continue Reading

GAO: USDA NEEDS TO TIGHTEN UP SALMONELLA AND CAMPYLOBACTER STANDARDS FOR POULTRY

The U.S. General Accountability Office (GAO) is recommending that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) take action to reduce pathogen contamination on chicken and turkey products, make sure that agency food-safety standards are being met, and better assess whether on-farm practices are effective in reducing pathogens in live poultry. In... Continue Reading

WHAT U.S. CAN LEARN FROM OTHER COUNTRIES ABOUT MEAT, POULTRY INSPECTION

As the new Modernization of Poultry Inspection rule went into effect Monday, the Pew Charitable Trusts and Center for Science in the Public Interest released their review of global meat and poultry inspection systems. They recommended that U.S. policymakers begin a broader, data-driven effort to update the Department of Agriculture’s inspection system. Traditional slaughter inspection methods for beef, pork and... Continue Reading

FDA Orders Smoked Seafood Manufacturer to Cease Operations

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently ordered Jensen’s Old Fashioned Smokehouse Inc., a processor of smoked fish products in Seattle, Wash., to stop processing, preparing, packing, holding and distributing any food at or from its facility.

The order follows the FDA’s analysis of environmental samples collected during its most recent inspection of the company’s facility, which confirmed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes (L. mono) in the facility, including in food processing and storage areas.

Jensen’s Old Fashioned Smokehouse Inc. is subject to a consent decree of permanent injunction, which was entered by the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington in 2001. Under the terms of the consent decree, the company agreed to comply with requirements to control food safety hazards and ensure that its products are not adulterated.   

The findings of the FDA’s most recent inspection establish that food in the company’s facility is adulterated and led the FDA to issue the order to cease operations under the terms of the consent decree.

In order to resume operations, Jensen’s must meet several requirements, including thoroughly cleaning and sanitizing the facility and hiring an expert to develop a Sanitation Standard Operating Procedure and an environmental microbial monitoring program for L. mono. Jensen’s must also test representative samples of all vacuum-packaged smoked fishery products on hand at the company for L. mono and provide the results to the FDA.

Jensen’s processes smoked fish products and distributes or sells them in its retail store, online and through other businesses in Washington, Oregon and California.

Listeria can cause a serious illness called listeriosis, which can be fatal, especially in certain high-risk groups. These groups include older adults, people with compromised immune systems and certain chronic medical conditions (such as cancer) and unborn babies and newborns. In pregnant women, listeriosis can cause miscarriage, stillbirth and serious illness or death in newborn babies, though the mother herself rarely becomes seriously ill.

3/23/14 Health News • Delaware didn’t inspect Cheese Plant that caused Listeria Infections ♦ Vitamin D Helps Breast Cancer Survival ♦ Coffee Fuels Drive for Drugs for Parkinson’s to Dementia

Delaware didn’t inspect Cheese Plant that caused Listeria Infections

The Delaware News Journal reported the reason not to inspect cheese producers like Roos Foods before it was shut down for Listeria was Delaware never sought expanded food safety inspection powers.

State rules kept blinders on local inspectors who made quarterly sanitation and compliance checks in a separate section where sour cream was produced in the same plant building that sent cheese to 10 eastern states, Texas and California. Continue Reading

Vitamin D Enhances Breast Cancer Survival

Women with high levels of vitamin D in their blood when they are diagnosed with breast cancer are almost twice as likely to survive as those with low levels of vitamin D, according to a meta-analysis published in the March issue of Anticancer Research. The meta-analysis looked at 5 studies of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) that reported hazard ratios for mortality from breast cancer by quintiles of the vitamin. Combined, the studies involved 4443 patients with breast cancer. Continue Reading

Coffee Fuels Drive for Drugs for Parkinson’s to Dementia

For clues to treatments for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, scientists are looking at their morning cup of joe. What they’ve found is that caffeine, the world’s most widely used drug, does more than wake people up. It’s been linked to improvements in memory and appears to protect against the destruction of brain cells. One study found that people who drank two or more cups of coffee a day had a 40 percent lower risk of developing Parkinson’s. Emboldened by these findings, some companies have been designing drugs to replicate those benefits.Continue Reading.

3/7/14 Health News:GROUPS ASK OBAMA TO DITCH NEW POULTRY RULES - KROGER, SAFEWAY WILL NIX GMO SALMON - Protein Associated With PTSD Risk

100-PLUS GROUPS ASK OBAMA TO DITCH NEW POULTRY RULES

More than 100 organizations signed a letter sent to President Obama on Thursday asking the White House to withdraw the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s proposed rule on the “Modernization of Poultry Slaughter Inspection.” The organizations signing on to the letter cover a range of interests, from organic food retailers such as Hummingbird Wholesale to groups...Continue Reading

KROGER, SAFEWAY WILL NIX GMO SALMON REGARDLESS OF FDA DECISION

Kroger and Safeway, the largest retail grocery companies in the U.S., have reportedly agreed not to sell genetically modified salmon. The decision was released Monday by a coalition of food safety, consumer, health and fishing groups. The two grocery chains are now part of more than 9,000 stores across the country that have rejected carrying... Continue Reading

C-Reactive Protein May Be Associated With PTSD Risk.

High levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammatory marker, were seen in soldiers who later developed post-traumatic stress disorder, researchers said. Among U.S. Marines and Navy personnel who consented to participate in a prospective study, each 10-fold increment in CRP levels at pre-deployment baseline was associated with a 51% increased likelihood of showing at least one PTSD symptom after deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan reported Dewleen Baker, MD, of the VA Healthcare System in San Diego..Continue Reading

USDA Will Not Withdraw the New Poultry Inspection Rule

USDA Will Not Withdraw the New Poultry Inspection Rule.

The Government Accountability Office has issued a report that criticizes the way USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has handled pilot projects that led to a proposed rule to make changes to poultry inspections. Under Secretary for Food Safety Elisabeth Hagen says that will not prompt USDA to withdraw the rule. Hagen notes GAO did not suggest withdrawing the rule. She also points out that the rule is based on more than the pilot projects analyzed by the GAO and adds that this is about public health. According to Hagen – we’ve got to reverse the trend on salmonella – and this is a big step toward it. According to the GAO – stakeholders did not have adequate information to comment on the rule because of USDA’s lack of evaluation and disclosure. Hagen says the comment period is closed – but says the proposal will go through further drafting before it is sent to the Office of Management and Budget.

New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand – who chairs a Senate Ag Subcommittee – requested the GAO study. She said USDA did not thoroughly evaluate the performance of pilot projects to change the system of poultry inspection before concluding that an inspection system based on the pilot projects would ensure equivalent – if not better – levels of food safety and quality than currently provided at plants not in the pilot project.

Wenonah Hauter – Food and Water Watch Executive Director – says the GAO confirmed her group’s fears that FSIS does not have the scientific bases to justify privatizing poultry inspection. Hauter says it’s time to take a look at the poor management of FSIS, withdraw the flawed rule and restore the funding in the fiscal year 2014 budget to keep independent and trained FSIS inspectors on the job.

The National Chicken Council defends the proposal – saying it’s all about making food safer. The group believes the poultry inspection system should be modernized and notes FSIS plans to present updated analyses with the final rule in a manner that will facilitate public understanding of the information used to support the rulemaking.

The trial has been going on for 15 years and it does reduce the salmonella contamination by 20%. With the current budget restraints the Department of Agriculture has no choice but to use industry inspectors to enable their inspectors to watch the rest of the farm to reduce salminalla contamination.

The present on line inspection is mostly cosmetic and has very little to do with pathogens. Obviously a visual inspection will not catch contamination by microorganism although it will catch visceral and ficial  contamination.

The major problems with the present plan is the lack of training for the industries inspectors  and and the increased speed  of inspection. There is no question  at the increased speed there will be some things missed. Even so the new inspection will save lives by reducing the amount of pathogens on the birds.. If the Department of agriculture addressed these two issues they would have a very good plan..

USDA Using Questionable Science to Justify New Poultry and Hog Inspection Program

A Government Accountability Office report being released Wednesday questions whether the U.S. Department of Agriculture used bad information to justify plans for nearly nationwide expansion of its poultry-inspection pilot program.

The USDA’s pilot program for allowing plants to speed up processing lines by as much as 25 percent and replace some government inspectors with poultry firm employees. USDA officials say that the new procedures will save money, better identify problems in poultry-processing plants and be more likely to limit Salmonella and other pathogens.

The GAO auditors found that USDA relied on data collected from processing plants more than 11 years ago and some from another study done more than 20 years ago. According to the Post article, GAO also said that USDA should not use data from chicken-processing plants and apply it to turkey plants.

Last year, USDA proposed expansion of its new processing procedures from the 29 plants where the pilot program was being conducted to nearly all of the 239 chicken and 96 turkey plants in the U.S.

Approval of the agency’s plans would have to come from the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, although U.S. Senator Gillibrand has asked that agency’s administrator not to move forward until better research is done. She said that USDA collected more than 175,000 public comments on its proposed plans based on flawed information.

According to the Tuesday Post article, the GAO report also criticizes USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service for not collecting and analyzing data from a similar previous pilot program conducted in pork-processing facilities. The USDA was planning to implement a similar inspection plan for pork without analysing the data from the trial program. USDA officials have already agreed to comply with the GAO audit recommendations, the article stated.

Tuesday’s Washington Post reported this past spring on the increasing use of toxic antimicrobial chemicals in poultry-processing facilities to clean and disinfect carcasses on accelerated processing lines. Inspectors have complained about illness and injury from exposure to these chemicals.

GAO identified strengths and weaknesses of the chicken,pork and turkey pilot projects based on the views cited most frequently by 11 key stakeholder groups representing industry, labor, consumer advocacy, and animal welfare. On the basis of these views, GAO identified strengths including giving plants responsibility and flexibility for ensuring food safety and quality and allowing USDA inspectors to focus more on food safety activities. GAO identified weaknesses including that training of plant personnel assuming sorting responsibilities on the slaughter line is not required or standardized and that faster line speeds allowed under the pilot projects raise concerns about food safety and worker safety.

Source Food Safety News and GAO

Eggs Containing Salmonella Graded AA by Inspectors

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) inspect the eggs we eat. They grade eggs as “Grade A” or “Jumbo,” for example.The grade mark is also an indication that the eggs are “fit for human food”  But the (AMS) inspectors can grade an egg containing Salmonella E. as “grade AA”.

“We look strictly at the quality of the egg, not the safety,” said Sam Jones, a spokesman for Agricultural Marketing Service. “Safety inspection of the egg is the responsibility of either FDA or FSIS.”

A 2012 federal audit by USDA’s Office of Inspector General – released in December – questioned the standards used by Jones’ office.

Larger egg producers, about one-third of the industry, pay Agricultural Marketing Service to provide onsite certification personnel. Jones is quick to clarify that the USDA grade mark for quality is just that – for quality.

Are eggs Contaminated  with salmonella really “fit for human food” or should the  Agricultural Marketing Service practices be updated. I hate to think that all that money is being spent to make sure that the eggs are pretty.

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New Policies Implemented because of largest Canadian Food Recall

This fall XL Foods  Inc had the largest recall in Canadian History. There plant processed 35% of Canada's beef. When  some of the beef was sent to the United States it was inspected and found out to contain .E. coli  There was a problem getting a recall going because of lax record keeping.

An independent panel of three Doctors was set up to find out what went wrong. They found long standing problems with cleanliness and bad inspection practices.  

They reported that the company never practiced what to do incase of a recall.The staff didn't clean the equipment regularly. When they cleaned the equipment they did a poor job. The Canadian Food Inspection Service Promised To have sweeping reforms after the 2008 listeria contamination at Maple Leaf Foods. This Caused deaths and 57 serious illnesses. Yet the inspections at XL Foods were lax. the report stated that they had “a relaxed attitude toward applying mandatory procedures”.

They reported that it was likely that an animal that was highly infected with E coli spread the bacteria onto the equipment in the plant.Because of the poor sanitation the bacteria spread to other animals.

XL Foods Inc. for its poor communication with both the CFIA and the public. They did not providing CFIA with information  quickly after it was discovered. “For its part, CFIA was clearly not monitoring the company’s [Food Safety Enhancement Program] and identifying deficiencies as carefully as they should have been,” the report states.

The report suggested that Canada approve irradiation for Canadian beef products The (cattlemen's association) believes irradiation, when used with food safety interventions already in use, could essentially eliminate E.-coli-related illness associated with ground beef, The cattlemen's association said it hopes to gain approval for beef irradiation during that time.

The Government promised to act on all the report’s recommendation.  Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz says the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will strengthen E. coli testing in federally inspected establishments.The Government is planning to impose tougher rules to deal with the threat of E. coli in slaughterhouses.Meat packers will also have to provide production and distribution information on demand and in a standardized format.This will help speed up the food agency's ability to trace products during investigations and recalls.