Product recalls are becoming increasingly frequent in countries like the US and the most recent one involved ground beef and beef patties to the extent of 270 tons made by a single manufacturer. Though not proven conclusively, it is suspected that this product was contaminated with the virulent form of E.coli that can be fatal to vulnerable consumers. Interestingly the consignment was inspected by USDA and found safe. It is a dicey situation for the industry as well as the regulators since the product was tested as per the protocol and cleared but still two consumers died after consuming the product from this manufacturer. Probably real facts in these cases may never be known and industry will continue to be blamed for the episode.
"Infection with E. coli O157:H7 can have a wide range of effects, from mild intestinal discomfort to death. The New Hampshire resident who died of it contracted hemolytic uremic syndrome, a disease that attacks red blood cells and can cause kidney failure. The New Yorker who died was an adult from Albany County who had several underlying health problems, The Associated Press reported. While thorough cooking can kill E. coli O157:H7, it is dangerous even in microscopic doses and can be spread from utensils or cooking surfaces to other foods".
Interestingly by the time recall process started most of the products have crossed the "sell by date" mark though thousands of house holds might still be holding some of the packs in their freezers. What is intriguing is, when frozen products are invariably consumed after cooking, how can the offending organism can survive to cause any damage. It is known that virulent E.coli can cause harm even in microscopic doses and cooking has to be sufficient to obtain 100% kill. Probably inadequate cooking could have caused the the present food poisoning.
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com
No comments:
Post a Comment