Dangerous Food Bacteria Is Here To Stay

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Dangerous Food Bacteria Is Here To Stay

CNN.com

2-21-2

WASHINGTON (AP) - Consumers beware: Scientists say the bacteria that cause

food poisonings aren't going away, despite the efforts of the food industry

to eliminate them.

New germs arrive in imported foods and bacteria already here develop in new

forms, according to a report for the Institute of Food Technologists. The

bacteria Listeria monocytogenes are so common in the environment, it's

" practically impossible " to keep food entirely free of them.

" Zero risk is not a reality, " said the report released Wednesday.

The scientists also say the increasing use of manure as fertilizer poses the

risk of spreading harmful bacteria to food, either by contaminating

irrigation water or by coming into contact with crops.

Manure, which harbors bacteria such as E. coli O157:H7, campylobacter and

salmonella, substitutes for chemical fertilizer on both organic and

conventional crops. In some foreign countries, chicken manure is fed to

farm-raised shrimp.

The report also warns against overuse of antibiotics in livestock, saying

there is growing evidence that it's causing bacteria to become resistant to

drugs.

" The job of assuring microbiological food safety is unending, " said

Potter, a top Food and Drug Administration epidemiologist who chaired the

study by government and university scientists. Consumers " should take heart,

however, because of the progress that has been made. "

The report also raises concern about the regulation of imported fruits and

vegetables and the potential for new pathogens getting into the country. The

bacteria, Cyclospora cayetanensis, came to the United States through

imported produce, and rare forms of salmonella also have been appearing in

the country.

" Certainly, you can grow produce that is free of pathogens in developing

countries. It's just a matter of sanitary practices and the quality of water

that is used for irrigation, " said Doyle, a University of Georgia

microbiologist who assisted in the study.

FDA inspects less than 2 percent of imported fruits and vegetables. Major

supermarket chains, worried about new outbreaks of salmonella and other

bacteria, have recently started requiring domestic and foreign produce

suppliers to be inspected by private firms.

The report says better monitoring of foodborne illnesses is needed to spot

trends and identify causes. For example, doctors too often treat patients

for food poisonings without reporting the illnesses to public health

authorities or ordering tests to determine the exact causes.

That lack of reporting means that government agencies and food companies may

not be aware of new pathogens or dangerous products.

Changes in how foods are processed -- such as leaving out salt -- can lead

inadvertently to new safety problems by making food more hospitable to

bacteria, or by causing the bacteria to evolve into hardier forms.

At one point, yogurt manufacturers started replacing sugar with an

artificial sweetener only to discover that led to the growth of the bacteria

that causes botulism. It turned out that the sugar was removing water from

the yogurt, making it difficult for the bacteria to grow. Yogurt was

reformulated to eliminate the problem.

" There are a lot of complicated factors that result in foodborne illness, "

said , senior director of food safety programs for the National

Food Processors Association. " You can focus in on one aspect, but things

change. You think you are licking them, but something else pops up. "

http://www.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/diet.fitness/02/20/food.safety.ap/index.html