Salmonella and thanksgiving turkey.

Human salmonella infections linked to live poultry. Salmonella is estimated to cause millions of foodborne illnesses around the world with over 30,000 hospitalizations and several deaths. Most persons infected with Salmonella have diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most individuals recover without treatment. In some cases, diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. In these patients, the Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream, and then to other body sites. In these cases, Salmonella can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics. The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness. Salmonella infections have trailed this year's thanksgiving as the bacteria reportedly survived cooking turkeys served for dinner.At least 33 customers of an American restaurant were sickened from the turkey served as part of a Thanksgiving dinner.Another 19 illnesses were reported after Thanksgiving with Salmonella suspected as the cause of the illnesses. At least 9 clusters of customers are involved. The sickened developed symptoms such as fever, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea within about six to 69 hours. The foods eaten included imported American turkeys, vegetables, apple pie and pumpkin pie.continue

Hepatitis A and food safety.

Hepatitis A is a viral liver disease that can cause mild to severe illness. The hepatitis A virus (HAV) is transmitted through ingestion of contaminated food and water or through direct contact with an infectious person. Almost everyone recovers fully from hepatitis A with a lifelong immunity. However, a very small proportion of people infected with hepatitis A could die from fulminating hepatitis. The virus is primarily spread when an uninfected and unvaccinated person ingests food or water that is contaminated with the feces of an infected person. The disease is associated with unsafe water or food, inadequate sanitation and poor personal hygiene. The risk of hepatitis A infection is associated with a lack of safe water, and poor sanitation and hygiene especially dirty hands.Safe water supply, food safety, improved sanitation, hand washing and the hepatitis A vaccine are the most effective ways to combat the disease. The hepatitis A virus is one of the most frequent causes of foodborne infection. Epidemics related to contaminated food or water can erupt explosively,as Hepatitis A viruses persist in the environment and can withstand food-production processes routinely used to inactivate and/or control bacterial pathogens. The risk of hepatitis A from food or water is a serious issue as approximately 3,000 people received Hepatitis A vaccinations after being exposed to the illness by the restaurant and in fact a lawsuit was initiated and a settlement of $200,000 has been announced. A settlement has been reached in the class action lawsuit against New Hawaii Sea Restaurant, formerly of the Bronx, New York. Approximately 3,000 people received Hepatitis A vaccinations after being exposed to the illness by the restaurant in September 2013 and all are included in the class-action lawsuit. According to the settlement, potential class members who may benefit by this settlement include anyone who ate or drank food from the New Hawaii Sea Restaurant from September 7-19, 2013, or were exposed to someone who did, and obtained a blood test and immune globulin (IG) or Hepatitis A vaccination shot within 30 days of eating at the restaurant. Those who actually developed Hepatitis A infections after eating at the restaurant are not included in this settlement. continue

Food safety news: Latest NARMS report contains some positive findings.

Latest NARMS report contains some positive findings;The National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS), established in 1996, is out with its latest data—covering the year 2014 and showing low levels of salmonella in poultry and meat in the United States. NARMS, founded in 1998, involves state and local public health departments and universities in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). NARMS collects surveillance data from human clinical samples, slaughter samples and retail meat samples and tracks changes in the antimicrobial susceptibility of enteric (intestinal) bacteria found in ill people (CDC), retail meats (FDA), and food animals (USDA) in the U.S. NARMS data is used by FDA to make regulatory decisions designed to preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics for humans and animals. NARMS found measurable decreases in salmonella present in retail chicken and ground turkey. More specifically, NARMS found that salmonella recovery continued to decline in poultry sources to the lowest levels in 20 years of joint testing. Salmonella prevalence reached 9.1 percent in chicken and 5.5 percent in ground turkey while remaining below 1.5 percent in beef (at 0.8 percent) and 1.3 percent in pork. A consistent decline in the proportion of salmonella isolates from retail chicken meat that are multi-drug resistant was also called out. Both food safety advocates and the poultry and meat industries are encouraged by the report because the findings are encouraging news for both reducing foodborne illness and curbing antimicrobial resistance. continue

5 attributes of slow-growing broilers.

5 attributes of slow-growing broilers. There are five main attributes that can result from using genetics for slower growing broiler chickens, according to Claude Toudic, technical manager for Hubbard France. 1) Carcass and meat quality Toudic notes that research showed that broiler meat coming from the slow-growing Label Rouge breeding stock, commonly marketed in France, showed a higher filet dry matter and higher protein content when compared to conventional broilers 2) Antibiotic-free. According to a study done in the Netherlands, slow-growing broilers require six times less antibiotic-treatment than do traditional broiler breeds. 3) Animal welfare Toudic pointed to a study conducted by the Research Institute for Animal Husbandry, which revealed that slow growing breeders were five times less likely to develop heart and vascular diseases. The same organization’s research also showed that slow-growing breeds also experienced three times less trouble walking 4) Sustainability According to Toudic, there are sustainability benefits from slow-growing broiler production that encompass environmental issues, economics and social issues. 5) Image and product differentiation Consumers in today’s society are increasingly concerned about how food animals are raised. It is determined that because of animal welfare and sustainability initiatives, as well as those related to animal antibiotic use, that chicken meat from slower-growing birds better meets consumers’ image-related demands…

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Protein feed and bioplastic from farm biogas.

Protein feed and bioplastic from farm biogas. A new solution has been developed for converting even small sources of methane-rich biogas into raw materials for animal feed or bioplastic on farms, landfills and wastewater treatment plants. This emission-reducing solution is based on the ability of methanotrophic bacteria to grow on methane in gas fermentors. Methane-rich biogas is generated on farms, landfills and wastewater treatment plants in anaerobic digestion of biological material. Until now, the processing of such gas into biomethane has only been viable on large biogas-producing sites; small biogas sources such as farms have remained largely unexploited. Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT), has developed a solution for converting even small sources of methane-rich biogas into raw materials for animal feed or bioplastic on farms, landfills and wastewater treatment plants. This emission-reducing solution is based on the ability of methanotrophic bacteria to grow on methane in gas fermentors. Methane-rich biogas is generated on farms, landfills and wastewater treatment plants in anaerobic digestion of biological material. Until now, the processing of such gas into biomethane has only been viable on large biogas-producing sites; small biogas sources such as farms have remained largely unexploited. The method developed by VTT would reduce emissions, increase the use of biogas and improve protein self-sufficiency. It is based on the ability of methanotrophic bacteria to grow in aerobic conditions in gas fermentors, using methane as the source for carbon and energy. The process is as follows: The methane gas generated by anaerobic digestion is fed into a gas fermentor. A growth medium containing the methanotrophic bacteria circulates through the pipes of the gas fermentor, creating a single-cell protein biomass with a protein content of around 60%. The cell mass is filtered, pasteurised and dried. The methanotrophic bacteria and (depending on the growth conditions) cell mass may also contain polyhydroxybutyrate plastic (PHB) -- a natural substance in the cells that enables them to store conserve energy. For example, PHB can be used as a raw material for biodegradable packaging material, instead of oil-based and non-biodegradable plastics such as polypropylene (PP). The cell mass may contain 50% half of the PHB, in which case the protein content is around 30%. Extraction is used to separate the PHB and protein fractions from the dried cell mass.

Ammonia-rich bird waste cools the atmosphere.

Ammonia-rich bird waste cools the atmosphere.It turns out bird feces helps cool the Arctic. That’s according to new research by atmospheric scientists, who are working to better understand key components of Arctic climate systems. New research from Colorado State University atmospheric scientists, who are working to better understand key components of Arctic climate systems.Publishing in Nature Communications and featured by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Associate Professor of Atmospheric Science Jeff Pierce and graduate student Jack Kodros present evidence linking ammonia emissions from summertime Arctic seabird-colony excrement, called guano, to newly formed atmospheric aerosol particles. These particles can in turn influence Arctic cloud properties and their effects on climate. Clouds play a key role in modulating Arctic temperature; thus, understanding factors that influence clouds is essential, Pierce says. Central to the development of clouds is the availability of cloud condensation nuclei -- small atmospheric particles around which water can condense. Using a combination of observations and computer modeling, Pierce, Kodros and co-authors at Dalhousie University, University of Toronto, and Environment and Climate Change Canada determined that migratory-seabird colonies have a definitive influence on atmospheric particles and clouds in the pristine summertime Arctic. They report the presence of summertime bursts of atmospheric particles linked to ammonia emissions from seabird-colony guano. These particles can spread throughout the Arctic, fostering cloud-droplet formation, and in turn reflect sunlight back to space for a net cooling effect. This newly identified and fascinating ecological-atmospheric connection highlights the interconnectedness of the many components of Earth's climate system. MORE

Turning sugar waste into light, and job opportunities.

How to turn sugar waste into light, and job opportunities.An alternate use for sugarcane waste has been proposed by a research team in India. Sugar is falling out of favor around the world, sugarcane residue is becoming a useful commodity. From Britain to Mexico, countries are considering sugar taxes to reduce consumption and curb the global obesity epidemic. In 2014, about 600 million people, roughly double the population of the United States, were obese. Addressing the problem earlier this year, the World Health Organization pointed the finger at high sugar consumption, in particular through sugar-sweetened beverages. At the same time, sugar industry associations and sugarcane growers warn for huge job losses if countries discourage their citizens from consuming sugar. In South Africa, for example, the industry warns that a mooted sugar tax will cut at least 60,000 jobs. Indian researchers have found a new use for sugarcane pulp, as a source of highly fluorescent carbon quantum dots, in a study published in Applied Surface Science. This alternate use of sugarcane waste, or bagasse, could not only reduce the amount of agricultural waste contaminating the environment but also offers a new revenue stream for farmers. The scientists developed a simple, low-cost and efficient method for green synthesis of fluorescent carbon quantum dots from sugarcane bagasse. These dots are tiny carbon nanoparticles, which are about four nanometers across. For an idea of scale, 110 billion of these dots, more than the number of stars in the Milky Way, would fit on the head of a pin. They emit light and are non-toxic, carbon quantum dots can serve as biosensors, in light-emitting diodes and even to deliver drugs around the human body. For example, researchers have injected liquids containing carbon quantum dots into a living body to image it from the inside. This research demonstrates a new method of producing these versatile nanoparticles. To begin with, the Indian team cut the sugarcane bagasse into small pieces and sun-dried it for six days. After burning the dry bagasse, they chemically oxidized and exfoliated it. While this approach produces a useful substance, it also removes agricultural waste from the environment. More than 90 countries produce sugarcane, and by extension, sugarcane waste. Huge quantities of agricultural residues -- rice husks, sugarcane bagasse and coconut husks -- are produced annually around the world, and these are vastly underutilized. Continue