Step away from the Spinach!

[linuxgeek]

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01450.html

FDA Warning on Serious Foodborne E.coli O157:H7 Outbreak
September 14, 2006

One Death and Multiple Hospitalizations in Several States

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is issuing an alert to consumers about an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in multiple states that may be associated with the consumption of produce. To date, preliminary epidemiological evidence suggests that bagged fresh spinach may be a possible cause of this outbreak.

Based on the current information, FDA advises that consumers not eat bagged fresh spinach at this time. Individuals who believe they may have experienced symptoms of illness after consuming bagged spinach are urged to contact their health care provider.

“Given the severity of this illness and the seriousness of the outbreak, FDA believes that a warning to consumers is needed. We are working closely with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local agencies to determine the cause and scope of the problem,” said Dr. Robert Brackett, Director of FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN).

E. coli O157:H7 causes diarrhea, often with bloody stools. Although most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, some people can develop a form of kidney failure called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). HUS is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly. The condition can lead to serious kidney damage and even death. To date, 50 cases of illness have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including 8 cases of HUS and one death.

At this time, the investigation is ongoing and states that have reported illnesses to date include: Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Wisconsin.

FDA will keep consumers informed of the investigation as more information becomes available.

 

[gravyrug]

That's it. No salads for me this week.

 

[goodmorningdavi]

I ate a huge baby spinach ceasar salad last night, no diarrhea yet

 

[FuckinRedneck]

Yeah I am thinking there won't be too many kids crying that mom won't let them eat spinach...

 

[hotguy1234]

glad I don't live in the US and those states.

I like to eat some Spinach cooked with a little vinegar on it as a side dish. It keeps me strong to the finish, ( Popeye told me that, so it has to be true )

 

[hotguy1234]

ah luckily, I have some frozen good quality Spinach so I am safe no matter what.

 

[Guest]

 

[ksmybuttons]

I made a beautiful Lasagna with fresh spinach.

There has been an issue with lots of fresh produce. Always like to know the food supply is safe...

 

[shoulderblade]

At least its only bagged spinach in some states.

 

[linuxgeek]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/09/15/tainted.spinach.ap/index.html

E. coli outbreak spreads to 10th state
September 15, 2006

source of a multistate E. coli outbreak and warned consumers that even washing the suspect spinach won't kill the sometimes deadly bacteria.

One person died and dozens of others were sickened in the 10-state outbreak, linked by Food and Drug Administration officials to bagged spinach.

"We need to strive to do even better, so even one life is not lost," said Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, FDA's acting commissioner.

The FDA warned people not to eat bagged spinach and said washing it wouldn't solve the problem because the bacteria is too tightly attached. (Watch CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta explain why this advisory is significant -- 2:07)

"If you wash it, it is not going to get rid of it," said Robert Brackett, director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Nutrition.

The original outbreak was reported Thursday with 50 cases in eight states. Ohio and Kentucky became the ninth and tenth Friday, with health officials reporting seven cases in Ohio and one in Kentucky.

Officials believes the spinach may have been grown in California, and federal and state health officials were there trying to pinpoint the source of the contamination.

E. coli is commonly present in animal manure.

Brackett said the use of manure as a fertilizer for produce typically consumed raw, such as spinach, is not in keeping with good agricultural practices. "It is something we don't want to see," he told a food policy conference.

The death occurred in Wisconsin, where 20 people were reported ill, 11 of them in Milwaukee. (Watch how health officials are scrambling -- 1:11)

The outbreak has sickened others -- eight of them seriously -- in Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon and Utah. In California, state health officials said they were investigating a possible case there.

The outbreak has affected a mix of ages, but most of the cases have involved women, Acheson said. Further information on the person who died wasn't available.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Wisconsin health officials alerted the FDA about the outbreak at midweek.

The warning applied to consumers nationwide because of uncertainty over the origin of the tainted spinach and how widely it was distributed. Health officials did not know of any link to a specific growing region, grower, brand or supplier.

"Typically we would try to narrow it down as focused as we could," Brackett said in an interview. "The fact that it was distributed all over the country, the fact that people are getting seriously ill from this, warranted us to have an abundance of caution and just to say 'OK, stop now until we figure out exactly what's going on."'

Brackett noted that most of the spinach crop at this time of the year comes from California. A special effort is under way in the Salinas Valley of California, a major leafy-vegetable growing region, to look for any possible source of contamination there.

Amy Philpott, a spokeswoman for the United Fresh Produce Association, said that it's possible the cause of the outbreak won't be known for some time, even after its source is determined.

"Our industry is very concerned," she said. "We're taking this very seriously."

Reports of infections have been growing by the day, Acheson said. "We may be at the peak, we may not be," he said."

E. coli causes diarrhea, often with bloody stools. Most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, although some people -- including the very young and old -- can develop a form of kidney failure that often leads to death.

Anyone who has gotten sick after eating raw packaged spinach should contact a doctor, officials said.

Other bagged vegetables, including prepackaged salads, apparently are not affected. In general, however, washing all bagged vegetables is recommended. Thorough cooking kills the bacterium.

"We're telling people if they have bagged produce and they feel like it's a risk, throw it out," Michigan Department of Community Health spokesman T.J. Bucholz said. "If they feel like they have to eat it, wash it first in warm water."

E. coli lives in the intestines of cattle and other animals and typically is linked to contamination by fecal material. It causes an estimated 73,000 cases of infection, including 61 deaths, each year in the United States, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Sources of the bacterium include uncooked produce, raw milk, unpasteurized juice, contaminated water and meat, especially undercooked or raw hamburger, the agency says on its Web site.

Last October, the FDA warned people not to eat certain Dole prepackaged salads that were connected to an outbreak of E. coli infections in Minnesota. At least 11 people were sickened.

 

[Lorelei_11]

I don't eat spinach. Its rare that I even buy the prepackaged lettuce.

It is scary though. I cought some of it on the news last night.

 

[KravMaga]

This pisses me off. I eat this stuff nearly every day and nothing beats having it that accessible when you are working full time and a full time parent as well.

 

[plasticman33]

Throw it in a pot of boiling water, no more e-coli. Serve it up with bacon bits and melted butter.

 

[marksgirl]

Good thing I grow my own!

 

[plasticman33]

Good thing I grow my own!

I'm sure there a few things you could make grow.

 

[marksgirl]

I'm sure there a few things you could make grow.

Oh man you should see my "Giant Pumpkins"...impressive I tell you...impressive!

 

[plasticman33]

Oh man you should see my "Giant Pumpkins"...impressive I tell you...impressive!

Oh wow!! Unbelievable!

http://www.ralphmag.org/CL/giant-pumpkins644x524.gif

 

[linuxgeek]

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01451.html

FDA Statement on Foodborne E.coli O157:H7 Outbreak in Spinach
Updated 9/15/06

As part of the agency's continued commitment to keep the public informed of food safety issues, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is providing this update on the outbreak involving spinach.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is continuing to alert consumers about an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in multiple states that may be associated with the consumption of fresh spinach and fresh spinach containing-products.

Based on current information, FDA advises that people not eat fresh spinach or fresh spinach containing-products that are consumed raw. Individuals who believe they may have experienced symptoms of illness after consuming pre-packaged spinach are urged to contact their health care provider.

At this time, Natural Selection Foods, LLC, of San Juan Bautista, California, is recalling all of its products that contain spinach in all the brands they pack with “Best if Used by Dates” of August 17, 2006 through October 1, 2006.

FDA continues to investigate whether other companies and brands are involved.

Natural Selection Foods, LLC brands include: Natural Selection Foods, Pride of San Juan, Earthbound Farm, Bellissima, Dole, Rave Spinach, Emeril, Sysco, O Organic, Fresh Point, River Ranch, Superior, Nature’s Basket, Pro-Mark, Compliments, Trader Joe’s, Ready Pac, Jansal Valley, Cheney Brothers, Coastline, D’Arrigo Brothers, Green Harvest, Mann, Mills Family Farm, Pro*Act, Premium Fresh, Snoboy, The Farmer’s Market, Tanimura & Antle, President’s Choice, Cross Valley, and Riverside Farms. These products include spinach and any salad with spinach in a blend, both retail and food service products. Products that do not contain spinach are not part of this recall.

E. coli O157:H7 causes diarrhea, often with bloody stools. Although most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, some people can develop a form of kidney failure called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). HUS is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly. The condition can lead to serious kidney damage and even death. To date, 94 cases of illness have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including 14 cases of HUS and one death.

At this time, the investigation is ongoing and states that have reported illnesses to date include: California, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The affected products were also distributed to Canada and Mexico.

FDA continues to work closely with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local agencies to determine the cause and scope of the problem. As part of our investigation, we will test packages of spinach from confirmed cases of E. coli infection.

FDA will provide daily updates on its investigation. Please check this site for updated information.

 

[linuxgeek]

http://www.newsday.com/news/politic...spinach,0,1050220.story?track=mostemailedlink

Tainted Spinach Traced to California
September 16, 2006, 12:13 AM EDT

WASHINGTON -- A California natural foods company was linked Friday to a nationwide E. coli outbreak that has killed one person and sickened nearly 100 others. Supermarkets across the country pulled spinach from shelves, and consumers tossed out the leafy green.

Food and Drug Administration officials said that they had received reports of illness in 19 states. Twenty-nine people have been hospitalized, 14 of them with kidney failure.

The outbreak was traced to Natural Selection Foods, a holding company based in San Juan Bautista, Calif., known for Earthbound Farm and other brands. The company has voluntarily recalled products containing spinach.

FDA officials stressed that the bacteria had not been isolated in products sold by Natural Selection Foods but that the link was established by patient accounts of what they had eaten before becoming ill.

An investigation was continuing.

"It is possible that the recall and the information will extend beyond Natural Selection Foods and involve other brands and other companies, at other dates," said Dr. David Acheson, the chief medical officer with the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

Natural Selection Foods LLC said in a statement that it was cooperating with federal and state health officials to identify the source of the contamination and had stopped shipping all fresh spinach products. They are sold under many brand names, including Earthbound Farm, Dole, Green Harvest, Natural Selection Foods, Rave Spinach, Ready Pac and Trader Joe's.

State health officials received the first reports of illness on Aug. 25, and the FDA was informed on Wednesday, Acheson said.

The FDA warned people nationwide not to eat the spinach. Washing won't get rid of the tenacious bug, though thorough cooking can kill it.

"We're waiting for the all-clear. In the meantime, Popeye the Sailor Man and this family will not be eating bagged spinach," said Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of preventative medicine at Vanderbilt University. The Tennessee university's medical center was treating a 17-year-old Kentucky girl for E. coli infection. That case originally was listed as being from Tennessee, but federal health officials changed it to Kentucky.

Each year, consumers buy hundreds of millions of pounds of bagged spinach -- triple-washed and packaged in cellophane bags and clamshell boxes.

"We are very, very upset about this," Natural Selection Foods spokeswoman Samantha Cabaluna said Friday night. "What we do is produce food that we want to be healthy and safe for consumers, so this is a tragedy for us."

The company said consumers could call 800-690-3200 for a refund or replacement coupons for tossed-out spinach products.

Wisconsin accounted for 29 illnesses, about one-third of the cases, including the lone death. The victim's son identified her Friday night as Marion Graff, 77, of Manitowoc, who died of kidney failure on Sept. 7.

Other states reporting cases were: California, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"We are telling everyone to get rid of fresh bagged spinach right now. Don't assume anything is over," Gov. Jim Doyle said.

FDA officials said they issued the nationwide consumer alert without waiting to identify the source of the tainted spinach.

"Early is good," said Caroline Smith DeWaal, food safety director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, adding that the alert may have prevented hundreds more cases.

An industry spokeswoman said public health concerns justified the blanket warning: "It needed to happen this way," said Kathy Means, a spokeswoman for the Produce Marketing Association. "Public health has to trump economics at this time."

More than half the nation's 500 million-pound spinach crop is grown in California's Monterey County, according to the Agriculture Department.

"We're trying to get to the bottom of this and figure out what happened. Everybody is terribly concerned," said Dave Kranz, a spokesman for the California Farm Bureau Federation.

Even before the latest outbreak, a joint state and federal effort has been under way in the California county to find and eliminate any possible sources of E. coli contamination.

"We need to strive to do even better so even one life is not lost," said Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, FDA's acting commissioner.

The FDA's top food expert stressed the importance of stopping the bacterium at its source, since rinsing spinach won't eliminate the risk. "If you wash it, it is not going to get rid of it," said Robert Brackett, director of the agency's Center for Food Safety and Nutrition.

E. coli lives in the intestines of cattle and other animals and typically is spread through contamination by fecal material. Brackett said the use of manure as a fertilizer for produce typically consumed raw, such as spinach, is not in keeping with good agricultural practices. "It is something we don't want to see," he told a food policy conference.

Meanwhile, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Safeway Inc., SuperValu Inc. and other major grocery chains stopped selling spinach, removing it from shelves and salad bars.

"We pulled everything that we have spinach in," said Dan Brettelle, manager of a Piggly Wiggly store in Columbia, S.C.

Consumer activist Barb Kowalcyk said fixing the nation's "fractured network" of food safety agencies could save lives. In 2001, her 2-year-old son, Kevin, died of E. coli, possibly after eating tainted ground beef.

"How can we improve communication between agencies? That needs to happen," the Loveland, Ohio, resident said.

Not all strains of E. coli cause illness: E. coli O157:H7, the strain involved in the current outbreak, was first recognized as a cause of illness in 1982. That strain causes an estimated 73,000 cases of infection, including 61 deaths, each year in the United States, according to the CDC.

When ingested, the bug can cause diarrhea, often with bloody stools. Most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, although some people -- including the very young and old -- can develop a form of kidney failure that often leads to death.

Sources of the bacterium include uncooked produce, raw milk, unpasteurized juice, contaminated water and meat, especially undercooked or raw hamburger.

 

[linuxgeek]

http://www.cdc.gov/foodborne/ecoli_spinach.htm

Web update on multi-state outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections from bagged spinach
September 15, 2006

State health officials and CDC have identified a widespread outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections due to bagged spinach in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a press release on September 14 advising consumers not to eat bagged spinach. FDA and industry are collaborating to remove produce that may be contaminated from the market.

As of September 15, 94 persons infected with the outbreak strain have been reported to CDC from 20 states. E. coli O157 causes a diarrheal illness. Among the ill persons, 29 (31%) were hospitalized, 14 (15%) developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), and an adult in Wisconsin died.

Identification of the outbreak

E. coli O157 strains from all states are “fingerprinted” at public health laboratories, as part of PulseNet (the network of public health laboratories that sub-type bacteria). The outbreak was first recognized in Wisconsin when health officials received information about an unusually high number of persons with recent E. coli O157 infection. Around the same time, other members of OutbreakNet (the network of public health epidemiologists who investigate foodborne disease outbreaks) were noticing smaller clusters of E. coli O157 infections with the outbreak pattern. OutbreakNet identified a multi-state outbreak on September 13, and implicated bagged spinach the next day.

The first reported illness associated with the outbreak began on August 5, the most recently reported case had onset of illness on September 5.

The states that have reported cases are WI (29), UT (11), NY (7), OH (7), MI (6), NM (5), OR (5), IN (4), ID (3), KY (3), PA (3), CT (2), ME (2), CA (1), MN (1), NV (1), TN (1), VA (1), WA (1), and WY (1).

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[Bob_Bytchin]

Good thing I grow my own!

Yeah, Tank's good for growing E Coli.

 

[someplace]

Thanks Linuxgeek for keeping us totally uptodate on this.

Your information allowed me to thoroughly enjoy my spinach enchiladas last night. The last one has my name on it for lunch this morning. mmmmmmm

 

[Bob_Bytchin]

Oh man you should see my "Giant Pumpkins"...impressive I tell you...impressive!

WOW!

http://www.potedebosta.blogger.com.br/fat%20ass.jpg

 

[linuxgeek]

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01453.html

FDA Statement on Foodborne E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak in Spinach
Update: Sunday, September 17, 2006

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will continue to provide the public with regular updates on the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak each day until further notice.

Case Reports
To date, 109 cases of illness due to E. coli infection have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including 16 cases of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) and one death. Illnesses continue to be reported to CDC. This is considered to be an ongoing investigation.

Symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 Illness
E. coli O157:H7 causes diarrhea, often with bloody stools. Although most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, some people can develop a form of kidney failure called HUS. HUS is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly. The condition can lead to serious kidney damage and even death.

States Affected
There are 19 confirmed states: California, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Consumer Advice
FDA advises consumers to not eat fresh spinach or fresh spinach-containing products until further notice.
If individuals believe they may have experienced symptoms of illness after consuming fresh spinach or fresh spinach-containing products, FDA recommends that they seek medical advice.

Two (2) Recalls
FDA has been informed that River Ranch, of California, is recalling packages of spring mix containing spinach. River Ranch obtained bulk spring mix containing spinach from Natural Selections. The following brands are involved: Farmers Market, Hy Vee, Fresh and Easy. Products that do not contain spinach are not part of this recall.

Natural Selection Foods, LLC, of San Juan Bautista, California, is recalling all of its products containing spinach in all brands they pack with "Best if Used by Dates" of August 17, 2006 through October 1, 2006. These products include spinach and any salad with spinach in a blend, both retail and food service products. Products that do not contain spinach are not part of this recall.

Natural Selection Foods, LLC brands include: Natural Selection Foods, Pride of San Juan, Earthbound Farm, Bellissima, Dole, Rave Spinach, Emeril, Sysco, O Organic, Fresh Point, River Ranch, Superior, Nature's Basket, Pro-Mark, Compliments, Trader Joe's, Ready Pac, Jansal Valley, Cheney Brothers, Coastline, D'Arrigo Brothers, Green Harvest, Mann, Mills Family Farm, Premium Fresh, Snoboy, The Farmer's Market, Tanimura & Antle, President's Choice, Cross Valley, and Riverside Farms.

The affected products were also distributed to Canada and Mexico. FDA continues to investigate whether other companies and brands are involved.

Lettuce Safety Initiative
The FDA developed the Lettuce Safety Initiative http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/lettsafe.html in response to recurring outbreaks of E.coli O157:H7 in lettuce. As a result of this outbreak, the initiative has been expanded to cover spinach. The primary goals of the initiative are to reduce public health risks by focusing on the product, agents and areas of greatest concern and to alert consumers early and respond rapidly in the event of an outbreak. This initiative is based on the 2004 Produce Safety Action Plan, intended to minimize the incidence of food borne illness associated with the consumption of fresh produce.

FDA continues to work closely with the CDC and state and local agencies to determine the cause and scope of the E.coli outbreak in spinach. Please check www.fda.gov for updates.

 

[Olivianna]

is this the SPINACH EMERGENCY 2006 UPDATE THREAD?