April 2006

April 2006
Journal of Food Protection, Volume 69, Number 4, pp. 757-761(5)
Scherer, Kathrin et al
Abstract:
The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and numbers of Campylobacter on the skin and in the muscle of chicken legs at retail to examine the external and internal contamination for an exposure assessment. Furthermore,…

April 2006
Journal of Food Protection, Volume 69, Number 4, pp. 729-738(10)
Ahlborn, Gene; Sheldon, Brian W.
Abstract:
The biological activity (D-value determination) of eggshell membrane (ESM) was examined to determine the membrane components and mechanisms responsible for antibacterial activity. Biological and enzymatic activities (i.e., β-N-acetylglucosaminidase [β-NAGase], lysozyme, and ovotransferrin) of ESM denatured with trypsin,…

April 12, 2006
Akron Beacon-Journal (OH)
Hard-cooked eggs in the shell once were considered so safe and bacteria-free that kids stored them in their Easter baskets and moms displayed them in a nest of plastic grass on the dining room buffet.
No more. We now know hard-cooked eggs should be handled as carefully as raw poultry. They should be stored in the refrigerator and left at room temperature for no longer than two hours max, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
Scientists have found that high-protein foods such as eggs are perfect breeding grounds for bacteria when left at room temperature. Further prompting the push for egg safety was a new type of salmonella bacteria that started showing up in some raw in-shell eggs in the 1980s. The bacteria, salmonella enteritidis, was transferred directly from the hens to the eggs. The discovery resulted in a government recommendation to thoroughly cook eggs and to keep raw and cooked eggs chilled.Continue Reading Keeping cooked eggs safe to eat

April 6, 2006
Scripps Howard News Service
Lance Gay
America’s disease detectives credit pasteurization of milk as one of the great health advances of the 20th century. But drinkers of raw milk argue the heating process that destroys dangerous pathogens also kills beneficial nutrients and vitamins.
Advocates are accelerating their lobbying in some of the 23 states that ban sales of un-pasteurized milk, arguing that it’s no more dangerous than raw meat or un-pasteurized fruit juice. Encouraging dairy farmers to sell un-pasteurized milk at the farm gate will save small farms that are losing their milk markets, they say.
“Technology is destroying nature’s perfect food,” said Sally Fallon, head of the Weston A. Price Foundation in Washington, who argues Americans would be healthier returning to drinking raw milk. The foundation is spearheading a drive to make raw milk more available.Continue Reading Battle brewing over raw milk

April 5, 2006
Food Safety Web Specialists
Food Safety and Inspection Service
WASHINGTON — The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today advised consumers that cooking raw poultry to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F will eliminate pathogens and viruses.
The single minimum internal temperature requirement of 165 degrees F was recommended by the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF).
“The Committee was asked to determine a single minimum temperature for poultry at which consumers can be confident that pathogens and viruses will be destroyed,” said Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Richard Raymond. “The recommendation is based on the best scientific data available and will serve as a foundation for our programs designed to reduce foodborne illness and protect public health.”Continue Reading Single minimum internal temperature established for cooked poultry

April 5, 2006
Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A bill that would have allowed raw, unpasteurized milk sales in Tennessee was bottled up in a House committee on Tuesday.
Opponents were concerned that without pasteurization, raw milk has a potential to be laced with listeria, E. coli or salmonella, but bill sponsor Rep. Glen Casada said consumers run the risk of contracting illnesses from any food.
“That’s just the nature of food,” the College Grove Republican said. “I contend it’s a consumers right to buy food they think is healthy for them and their family.”
Listeria, E. coli and Salmonella can result in gastrointestinal illness and, in the worst cases, kidney failure or death.Continue Reading Proposal to allow raw milk sales defeated

April 2, 2006
Press Release Newswire
Chicken is one of the most versatile and economical main dishes for people looking for nutritious and easy-to-fix meals. But if not stored, cooked and cleaned correctly, chicken can cause food poisoning and other food-borne illnesses.
Little Rock — “Chicken? Again?” That’s probably one of the most common laments heard over and over at dinnertime in homes throughout Arkansas.
Chicken is one of the most versatile and economical main dishes for people looking for nutritious and easy-to-fix meals. But if not stored, cooked and cleaned correctly, chicken can cause food poisoning and other food-borne illnesses.Continue Reading Don’t play chicken with health: practice food safety when preparing poultry

April 2, 2006
Knoxnews News Sentinel (TN)
The Associated Press
Erik Schelzig
FRANKLIN, Tenn. – A proposal to allow raw milk sales in Tennessee could put dairy consumers at risk, opponents of a measure moving through the Legislature said Friday.
Supporters say pasteurization’s scalding heat destroys the taste and nutrients. But Bill Mason, executive director of consumer watchdog group Tennessee Citizen Action, calls those claims “anecdotal.”
“There’s just no scientific connection between drinking raw milk and any benefits,” said Mason.
Yet interest in raw, unpasteurized milk has been on the rise nationwide, part of a growing natural foods movement. And similar measures have been approved in more than 20 other states, said the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Glen Casada.Continue Reading Both sides of raw milk plan debated: Critics say proposal could hurt farmers, lead to a health risk