Congress Proves They Can Be Pushed to do Something of Value

In a move that proves Congress can be as productive as they want to be (especially if pushed hard enough), a Senate committee has unanimously passed the Food Safety Modernization Act, successfully bringing food safety laws out of the stone age and into the 21st century.

“This is another milestone on the path to fixing our badly-broken system for food safety,” said Jean Halloran, director of food policy initiatives at Consumers Union, the non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports. “The Senate bill was passed unanimously by committee members on both sides of the political aisle. The bipartisan support for this bill is strong, and momentum is building.”

This law will allow the FDA to do things that you’ll be shocked to find out they didn’t actually have the right to do before. For example, order a food recall instead of just asking the manufacturer to order one. That’s like politely asking your new, untrained puppy not to piddle on the carpet and actually expecting them to listen and follow through.

The bill’s in the home stretch but there are a couple of issues yet to be resolved between the version that passed the House and this one that cleared the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) committee. The biggest difference is that the House’s version calls for fees on food facilities that would go toward supporting the FDA’s food safety inspection efforts. So what’s the problem, Senate? If the money has to come from somewhere, it might as well be from a source that will now have more than just the moral incentive to keep the food they produce safe.

No Research on Anything to Make an Informed Decision About Everything

As much as we wish foodbourne illnesses were easy to detect—given that food is a vital part of our existence—nobody really knows the extent of foodbourne illnesses and what long term effects it might cause. Why is this? Because even though such an important issue that affects everyone across the country, regardless of race, religion or social status, should be properly reported, have adequate research and follow up at the very least, it turns out it doesn’t. The government dropped the ball again, shocker.

The FDA called a meeting earlier this month on how they can improve their food traceability systems and the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) has released a report that covers how to trace foodbourne illnesses, how to reduce then, and the best ways to pinpoint the source of contamination along the supply chain.

Considering that nobody, not the food manufactures, the raw food suppliers, farmers, nor the governing bodies (FDA and USDA), had any idea until now how to accurately pinpoint the source of a contamination without causing a panic among consumers is upsetting extraordinarily absurd. Dependable research is an extremely overdue baby step but, nonetheless, still a very big step toward our peace of mind. Until then, stock up on Pepto Bismol.

Life After an Expiration Date

Scenario: You pick up the last bottle of you’re favorite salad dressing, Annie’s Originals Organic Thousand Island Dressing, from Morton Williams. Once home, you then proceed to open said bottle of dressing, notice an unusual whitish color (coincidentally in a part of the bottle hidden by the label) prompting you to glance at the expiration date which boasts a date 4 months in the past.

And this unfortunate incident doesn’t stop with Morton Williams. The coveted organic saint of the supermarket industry, Whole Foods, had several bottles of this particular salad dressing on the shelf, all expired. Granted, these were only 2-4 weeks expired which are still most likely safe to consume, but why should that be the only option? Is it too much to ask that an overpriced bottle of salad dressing at least be up to date?

Salad dressings are emulsions, a.k.a. a mix of two liquids that normally can’t be combined. Mayo, an emulsion of oil and vinegar/lemon juice, is held together by egg yolks (the emulsifier). Mayo and ketchup essentially make up the Communist dressing (a.k.a. Russian/Thousand Island). When a salad dressing goes past it’s sell-by date, that means the emulsifier is starting to weaken and is having trouble keeping the two liquids together. Phase separation occurs, the oil oxidizes and produces that gym sock flavor, and bacterial contamination begins.

If you find yourself in this situation: for a dairy based dressing, throw it out. For an oil based dressing, take a look at it, smell it, taste it. If all seems Kosher and you’re not too far past the expirations date, go ahead and enjoy.

Congress, Let’s Do It For the Kids

The CDC’s April 10, 2009 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)—sounds very depressing, I know—said that about half of foodbourne illnesses across the country occur in children and they’re more likely to have serious and long-lasting effects from these diseases.

The Make Our Food Safe Coalition, comprised of leading public health, consumer, and food safety organizations, is looking to keep the kiddies safe by calling on Congress to push through the seemingly eternally pending Food Modernization Act, the same legislation the CSPI has been endorsing their approval of.

” ‘Families across America want the government to do more to ensure their loved ones do not get sick from the food they serve over the holidays,’ says Sandra Eskin, director of the food safety project for the Pew Health Group. ‘Congress should enact stronger food safety laws before the end of the year.’ “

Here are some quick tips on how you can keep you kiddies safe while Congress takes their sweet time:

The 40-140 Rule: Always make sure that food is stored at a temperature of 40 F or below and food is cooked for a minimum of 10 minutes at a temperature above 140 F. 40 F – 140 F is like a Maui vacation for bacteria, especially around room temperature.

Prevent Cross-Contamination: A sanitary kitchen is a happy kitchen. Make sure to properly disinfect anything touched by raw meat such as the cutting board, the knife, and the sink, especially when dealing with chicken which loves to spread the Salmonella lovin. Soap and water doesn’t disinfect like a good ‘Soft Scrub’ and always devote a separate cutting board for all raw fish, meats and poultry.

Not Your Cute Alice In Wonderland Oysters

Whether there’s an “R” in the month or not, you soon might be hard-pressed to find raw oysters from April to October. The FDA is pushing to ban the sale of raw oysters from the Gulf Coast harvested during the warm summer months starting 2011, an initiative supported by President Obama but heavily opposed by members of Congress and, of course, oystermen.

I can sympathize with the argument that banning the sale of warm water oysters is a little Big-Brothery but, given the slew of recalls over the last few years that started with the spinach debacle of ’06, food safety should not only be a major governmental concern, organizations like the FDA and USDA are finally starting to take action and do something about it.

Raw oysters are a breeding ground for bacteria, parasites, and viruses like Hepatitis A. Shellfish filter a LOT of water that leaves behind tons of microbes and viruses while the warm water temperature in the Gulf of Mexico acts like soft chenille blanket, making them feel cozy and comfortable enough to multiply by the millions.

The best way to avoid consuming a side of bacteria or Hepatitis A with your oysters fra diavolo is to freeze and pasteurize them first, a process that, of course, changes the taste, which oyster buffs are claiming could irreversibly damage the Gulf Coast oyster industry.

Approximately 15 deaths and numerous illnesses a year a year are attributed to eating raw oysters, most of which come from the Gulf Coast in America.

Ladies, You’ll Never Feel Bad For Eating the Whole Tub of Ice Cream Again

Your favorite double-fudge-chuck-vanilla-chocolate-strawberry-super-duper-swirl ice cream may turn into more than just a gluttonous indulgence soon enough. Researchers at University of Missouri-Columbia are experimenting with adding probiotics, antioxidants, and dietary fiber to full fat ice cream and expect it to hit store shelves in the next couple of years.

The purpose of this research is not to add new ingredients or flavors to the countless choices you already see in the supermarket; however, researchers want to keep all of the fatty and sugary goodness that draws us to ice cream but add some peace of mind knowing you’re also ingesting, for example, 15% of your required daily fiber. The trick is making the ice cream tasty enough to ingest a full serving.

Probiotics are naturally found in yogurt and can be masked by a strong flavor like chocolate. One challenge will be to adding fiber without leaving the ice cream bitter and grainy. If they achieve a taste even remotely better than the taste of high fiber cereals that claim they don’t taste like cardboard but actually taste like feet and cardboard, then I would consider it a success. They also wanted to harness the plentiful amount of antioxidants found in acai berries. The challenge there will be to extract the antioxidants without the acai flavor component which doesn’t go so great with dairy.

Sure you can’t eat the whole half-gallon of ice cream and actually think you’re doing your body more good than harm, but this news makes me feel like Hanukkah is coming early this year. Tomorrow night I get socks, and the next night, an eraser.

Oh How Little Happens in a Year..

Remember that huge peanut debacle at the end of last year with the Peanut Corporation of America that resulted in one of the largest product recalls ever? Well apparently causing nine deaths and hundreds of illnesses because your bottom dollar is more important than your customer’s health might not get you in trouble, at least not right away.

After the FDA found mold, a leaky roof, and roaches in the facility, numerous company emails were sent out by the head of the company about how they “desperately at least need to turn the raw peanuts on [their] floor into money.”

Even though most food contamination cases end up in a fine—because that will make the company not do it again, a fine that still leaves them with a profit—prosecutors were sure that this case would lead to criminal charges, though they’re not off the hook just yet. Call me crazy, but knowingly putting out dangerous bacteria to the public that is a direct cause of several deaths is murder, Judge Judy would agree.

Needless to say, family members of those who were poisoned are displeased and wondering why this lack of social responsibility is still going unpunished. It’s unfortunate that, once media buzz dies down, so does the prosecution. Hopefully with the continuing overhaul of the FDA, future episodes such as this one will not only point fingers at the bad guys but bring justice to the victims as well.

Hope You Didn’t Eat Meatloaf this Week..

If you ate ground beef this week, don’t read this post. I wouldn’t want to upset you by discussing the 2 MAJOR ground beef recalls in the last week due to possible E.coli contamination.

1. 2 people died and 28 others became seriously ill after consuming ground beef infected with E.coli that originated from Fairbank Farms in NY. To look for possible tainted products in your home, there’s a long laundry list of labels under which the tainted beef could have been sold under including B.J.’s Wholesale Club, Trader Joe’s, ACME and Shaw’s Supermarkets, Giant Food Stores and Martin’s Food Markets (among many others) in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states.

Food Lion, a popular chain in the Midlands, is recalling their ground beef as well. Have no fear, your favorite local Walmart and Piggly Wigly do NOT carry ground beef products under this label.

2. Valley Meats LLC of Coal Valley, Ohio is recalling 96,000 pounds of ground beef products that was sold under brand names including Grillmaster, J&B and Thick ‘N Savory.

If you’ve possibly consumed ground beef that falls under the above categories, look out for the typical warning signs of E.coli poisoning: watery/bloody diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, mild fever, dehydration, and kidney failure. Other than the kidney failure, you pretty much can’t tell if you became ill from E.coli poisoning or the Nexium-Paxil-Viagra cocktail you drink for breakfast.

Processed Food Makes You Sad and Hate Your Thighs

Not only does processed food hurt your waistline and your LDL counts but a new study shows that it actually hurts your state of mind.

A study performed by researchers at the University College London over the course of 5 years segregated two groups, one eating a diet of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and fish, while the other consumed an obese American’s dream diet of overly processed and fried foods rich in sodium with a side of clogged arteries. The conclusions they drew were not surprising if you’ve ever seen Supersize Me.

Those who gluttonously enjoy a diet rich in life-shortening, over processed foods have a 58% higher risk of depression. So expect to hate yourself—and your thighs most likely—the next time you polish off an entire block of store brand cheddar as a mid-morning snack.

An Organic Preservative: The Vegan Tree-Hugger Story

Your favorite leave you with a headache and only smelling like Mountain Fresh scent for 2 days household cleaning products may soon have a new competitor. Biosecur, an organic, broad spectrum preservative and disinfectant, has received official certification from the USDA, National Organic Program, and Ecocert, an organic control and certification group.

Who came up with it? America’s hat, the Canadians. It’s derived from 100% organic citrus fruit, kills bacteria in 30 seconds with just a 0.5 to 2% concentration, and can also replace harmful food additives used in food production that we know and love to read on the side of a box such as sodium nitrate (typically found in processed meats) and potassium metabisulphite (most common use is to help maintain color and flavor of wine). Not only will the counters we prepare food on be safer, disinfectants and preservatives used on fresh and processed food before retail distribution will be healthier to consume as well.

Be on the lookout for some green-tinted Biosecur concoction fashioning a Clorox sticker and proudly overpriced at the local Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s in the not-so-distant future.