Endolysin-A new tool to overwhelm Super Bugs

The so called super bugs which have emerged during the last few years which are resistant to most known antibiotics may imperil the lives of millions of people infected by them if suitable alternative therapy is not developed fast. Though many scientists are working to evolve satisfactory antidotes to them success has been far and few. One of the reasons is lack of investment in developing new classes of antibiotics that can destroy them. Reckless use of antibiotics for even those afflictions not caused by pathogenic bacteria and for non-medical purpose like incorporating in animal feed for fattening the animals or lacing the growing medium by aqua culture industry have greatly contributed to emergence of super bugs not responsive to normal antibiotics. It has been shown clearly that many bacteria can create biofilms around them which are unimpregnable and therefore inaccessible to the antibiotic molecule making it ineffective. If this film can be breached, the bacterial cells are highly vulnerable to destruction. Such an approach seems to have succeeded with a group of scientists in the Netherlands coming out with a biological agent (endolysins) that can be effective in exploiting the chink in the armor of these pathogens offering alternative therapy for killing drug resistant organisms. Here is a take on this new exciting development.

"In a breakthrough, scientists have developed the first effective alternative to antibiotics that may aid the fight against drug-resistant infections.  In a small patient trial, the drug was shown to be effective at eradicating the superbug Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Researchers said it is unlikely that the infection could develop resistance against the new treatment, which is already available as a cream for skin infections. They hope to develop a pill or an injectable version of the drug within five years. The treatment marks "a new era in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria," according to Mark Offerhaus, chief executive of the biotechnology company Micreos, which is behind the advance. The treatment attacks infections in an entirely different way from conventional drugs and, unlike them, exclusively targets the Staphylococcus bacteria responsible for MRSA, and leaves other microbes unaffected. The approach is inspired by naturally occurring viruses that attack bacteria using enzymes called endolysins. It uses a 'designer' endolysin, Staphefekt, which the scientists engineered to latch on to the surface of bacteria cells and tear them apart, 'The Times' reported. "Endolysins exist in nature, but we've made a modified version that combines the bit that is best at binding to the bacteria with another bit that is best at killing it," said Bjorn Herpers, a clinical microbiologist, who tested the drug at the Public Health Laboratory in Kennemerland, the Netherlands. Conventional antibiotics need to reach the inside of the cell to work, and part of the reason they are becoming less effective is that certain strains of bacteria, such as MRSA, have evolved impenetrable membranes. By contrast, endolysins target basic building blocks on the outside of bacterial cells that are unlikely to change as infections genetically mutate over time. Scientists believe that the results could mark the first of a wave of endolysin-based therapies for infections that conventional drugs are no longer able to treat. About 80 per cent of gonorrhoea infections are resistant to frontline drugs, and multidrug-resistant salmonella, tuberculosis and E coli are regarded as significant threats. Naturally occurring endolysins can attack all of these diseases, and the challenge is to create stable versions that can be packaged as drugs, researchers said." 

It is encouraging to note that new endolysins are being evolved to attack and kill the organisms concerned containing both the cell membrane busting molecule and the killing molecule. Formulations like skin creams, tablets and injections may be in the offing soon and the specter of epidemics caused by these hitherto indestructible vectors may not be that daunting if these developments are taken to their logical conclusion. Interestingly endolysins do not seem to be affecting normal bacteria unlike antibiotics which when taken orally cause considerable havoc in the intestine harming many beneficial bacteria, part of human microbiome, considered critical to the well being of man. Those afflicted by deadly diseases like gonorrhoea, salmonella, tuberculosis, virulent E.coli, etc can heave a sigh of relief if the new therapy is brought to main the stream medical practices.

V.H.POTTY
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http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

LITMUS PAPER-THE ARCHIVAL pH TESTER FOR BACTERIA TESTING?

Who ever has not heard of the "Litmus Test" which in Society means proving the truth! In chemistry practical classes use of litmus paper was a standard procedure in deciding the acidity or alkalinity of a solution during early days of development of chemistry. Modern tools like pH meter and other more sophisticated tools were neither available nor affordable to colleges running on shoe string budgets and litmus paper was the only means of assessing the pH of a liquid. Though many of the modern generation chemistry students might have forgotten about this simple tool, now comes the news that litmus paper may see a revival if the reports about its utility to detect microbial presence in water and some liquid foods are true. Here is a take on this significant finding.  

"Litmus paper, long known as a low-tech method of testing substances for acidity, might have a new use as a cheap, quick way to test for E. coli, according to researchers at McMaster University in Ontario. The researchers correlated levels of E. coli bacteria with pH values represented by the colors to which the litmus paper changes. The work has been led by Dr. Yingfu Li of McMaster's Sentinel Bioactive Paper Network, which has a goal of finding innovative uses for paper. The researchers say that the test, which costs just a few cents, can be easily used by homeowners to test private wells or swimming pools and see the results within hours. If the paper changes color, there are bacteria present. Compare that to the current standard test for homeowners, which requires a sterile testing kit supplied by a local health authority, with the test results coming later by mail. Even public health agencies currently need laboratory personnel to perform tests of lakes and beaches for E. coli and other bacteria. If the litmus paper test shows promise outside the research environment, it could significantly hasten testing of public waters. The research team is now looking at testing methods for other food- and water-borne bacteria, including Listeria and Salmonella. They have also received a grant to develop a similar test for colorectal cancer."

If what has been reported really works out, as claimed, in many applications, litmus paper can be a valuable aid to consumers also to find out whether water they are drinking is free of organisms like E.coli. How far this is reliable and accurate under different conditions is a crucial question for which scientists will have to come out with more data. Also critical is the versatility of litmus paper in detecting the presence of more hazardous pathogens like Salmonella, Listeria and other food borne ones due to which thousands of food poisoning cases are reported world over. There is a presumptive thinking that once a sample shows positive for E.coli the same must be examined further for the possible presence of pathogens through further testing. One can be sure that the pioneering scientists who stumbled upon this new use for litmus paper will come out with more useful findings regarding the usefulness of the same.

V.H.POTTY
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http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

THE SALMONELLA "FORT"-DEFYING EVEN THE HARSHEST CONDITIONS!

Salmonella is a deadly pathogenic bug which has contributed to thousands of human death through consumption of contaminated foods, mostly in the US. Its potential for food poisoning is well known and extensively documented. There are hundreds of food poisoning episodes reported every year from all over the world from this food pathogen, in spite of pre-emptive precautions exercised by the industry. It has now been discovered that this monstrous bug has the capacity to defy every destruction technology man has known and it is spreading its tentacles far and wide affecting even dry foods with no moisture for survival! According to new studies Salmonella has acquired this new capability to resist severe processing condition because of a strange phenomenon called biofilm formation. Such biofilms containing these pathogens behave like a cocoon protecting them from harsh environment like high heat or high acidity! Here is a commentary on this new findings with far reaching implications. 

"Over the past five years, more than 900 Salmonella-related illnesses have been linked to dried foods such as nuts, cereals, spices, powdered milk and pet foods. Those foods were previously believed to have been safe from the bacteria, as their dry nature helps halt the growth of bacteria and other microbes. "Most people expect to find Salmonella on raw meats but don't consider that it can survive on fruits, vegetables or dry products, which are not always cooked," Ponder said. Salmonella typically thrive and reproduce abundantly in moist conditions, the researchers said. In dry conditions, they cease reproduction, but activate genes which produce biofilms, thus protecting them from the harsh conditions. "Researchers tested the resilience of the Salmonella biofilm by drying it and storing it in dry milk powder for up to 30 days," the university explained. "At various points it was tested in a simulated gastrointestinal system. Salmonella survived this long- term storage in large numbers but the biofilm Salmonella were more resilient than the free-floating cells treated to the same conditions."  "The bacteria's stress response to the dry conditions also made it more likely to cause disease," they added. "Biofilms allowed the Salmonella to survive the harsh, acidic environment of the stomach, increasing its chances of reaching the intestines, where infection results in the symptoms associated with food poisoning."The researchers believe that their work could help the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shape federal regulations by emphasizing the need for a new strategy to reduce biofilm formation on equipment. With luck, those strategies, along with improved sanitation techniques, will hopefully decrease the likelihood of another widespread Salmonella outbreak in the US".

Microbiologists are already familiar with the ability of some of the bugs to sporulate, how these spores are resistant to destruction under most severe heat treatment and the technology of Tyndalization involving serial high temperature treatment was specifically developed to deal with such a situation. The new development revealing the biofilm forming ability of Salmonella is a challenge to food scientists to go for steps that will have to ensure total destruction of this pathogen present in food both free as well as in biofilm format. Dry foods can no more be taken as free from Salmonella risk since this pathogen can contaminate, form biofilm and stay there till right conditions arrive for their proliferation. Biofilms can pass through the highly acidic environment of the stomach and "wake up" later in the intestine to bring havoc with the attendant consequences. With the discovery of biofilm phenomenon, food scientists are likey to come up with new techniques that can penetrate the biofilms and destroy the bacteria for making the food safer.  

V.H.POTTY
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http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

SALMONELLA IN CHICKEN-NEW EFFORTS TO REDUCE CONTAMINATION

In one of the most paradoxical twists of irony, food poisoning episodes that occur with sickening regularity in countries like the US never posed any serious danger among billions of impoverished and malnourished population in Asia, Africa and Latin America! Whether the extra strong immunity of the latter or the extra vulnerability of Americans to infection, the fact still remains that industrialized nations are struggling to check, contain and prevent such food poisoning incidences as much as possible deploying most modern compliance protocols and sophisticated technological intervention. The bacterium Salmonella, one of the scourges causing immense damage among western population still rules the roost and meat products are most vulnerable to their disease causing ability. The most frequent source of contamination is the slaughtering house floor where the GI tract is punctured spilling over the contents which have high pathogen concentration. If a recent study which found that use of essential oils in water a few hours before slaughter can reduce such contamination, is true, there is hope for a new commercial practice involving use of these oils in thousands of slaughter houses across the world. Here is a glimpse of the findings which support earlier studies attributing anti bacterial properties to many spices and herbs containing essential oils.

Chickens that consumed the oil mixture harbored fewer Salmonella bacteria in their crop, but nearly similar percentages in their ceca when compared to chickens that simply drank water. During slaughter and processing, chicken meat can become contaminated with pathogenic bacteria if either of those two organs becomes ruptured. Considering that the oil treatment does little to reduce Salmonella in the cecum, it might appear wishful to think it could significantly reduce contamination in the slaughterhouse. The upshot, however, is that a chicken's crop is roughly 86 times more likely to be ruptured during slaughter than the cecum. The studies' lead author, Walid Alali, Ph.D., told Food Safety News he has not heard of any studies estimating the percentage of carcasses contaminated by rupturing of the crop versus the cecum. But the hope is that Salmonella reductions in the crop alone may be enough to stave off considerable amounts of contamination during processing, Alali said. Alali's studies used a commercial oil mixture known as "mix-oil," an Italian-made product first marketed in 2004 to improve livestock health. It was never intended to treat pathogens, but numerous studies demonstrate the antimicrobial characteristics of essential oils, Alali said. Some researchers and farmers have tried using essential oils to control pathogens in the past, though this marks the first time oils have been blended into the water. Others add organic acids into the water for the same purpose. The advantage to distributing oils via water as opposed to feed comes when considering a certain practice in chicken farming known as the "withdrawal period": Chickens are typically denied feed for the last 8 to 12 hours of their life before transport to slaughter and are only left with water to drink. Naturally, the chickens get hungry in that much time. They start pecking at anything that might look like food — including litter, which might be contaminated with Salmonella.

There is lot of logic in what the studies have reported but more insight about the mode of action of these oils on the poultry birds needs to be obtained. In India there are ancient practices which make use of major spices like black pepper, ginger, turmeric, cardamom, etc for treating many diseases under the traditional medicinal system. Even the western countries are to day considering alternate medicines for many allopathic main stream drug regimes and there fore use of spice oils by the poultry industry should not be a constraint. The wide scale use of antibiotics by the meat industry is now being blamed for the emergence of many super bugs with resistance to almost all antibiotics known to day posing a high degree of risk to the lives of billions of people who other wise depend on a few front line antibiotics. The extent of danger can be gauged from the fact that more than 80% of antibiotics consumed in the US finds its way to the meat industry! Can essential oils save this world? Possible!

V.H.POTTY
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http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

RAPID COOLING OF EGGS-A SAFER PRACTICE FOR POUlTRY INDUSTRY

Salmonella bacteria and poultry products are closely linked and to prevent the contamination of chicken derived foods by this much feared pathogen coming from both large poultry farms and smaller ones require effective preventive actions. While large farms with well designed cages can pre-empt contact between the bird feces and the freshly laid eggs, the small poultry farmers have to be more vigilant in sending salmonella free eggs to the market. There are sanitizing agents and other hygienic practices that can reasonably assure that egg is free from salmonella. Keeping quality of egg is another issue that is of concern to egg producers. The current refrigeration practices can only ensure a 6 weeks life before which the egg loses its prime grade quality and premium price. Recent development of a rapid cooling technology using liquid carbon dioxide is considered a boon to poultry farms in ensuring top quality for 12 weeks. Here is a take on this new development. 

"The rapid-cooling process, developed by Kevin Keener, a professor of food science, uses liquid carbon dioxide to stabilize the proteins in egg whites so much that they could be rated AA – the highest grade for eggs – for 12 weeks. Earlier research showed that the same cooling technology could significantly reduce occurrences of salmonella illnesses. Eggs cooled under current methods lose the AA grade in about six weeks, Keener said. "There is no statistical difference in quality between eggs as measured by Haugh units just after laying and rapidly cooled eggs at 12 weeks," he said. "This rapid cooling process can provide a significant extension in the shelf life of eggs compared to traditional processing." Haugh units measure an egg white's protein quality. Keener's results, published in the journal Poultry Science, also show that membranes surrounding the eggs' yolks were maintained for 12 weeks when eggs were rapidly cooled. That membrane is a barrier that keeps harmful bacteria from reaching the yolk, a nutrient-rich reservoir that bacteria could use as a food source".

Safe temperature for the eggs to prevent salmonella proliferation is 45F but if there is a delay in packing, the bacterial population can assume alarming size making it difficult to send to the market. It is in this context that liquid carbon dioxide cooling comes to the rescue of the egg producers and being simple in operation it is affordable to every one. Another advantage is that carbon dioxide is a toxic gas and no life can survive in its presence at certain concentration in the environment. Even sodium bicarbonate is an effective chemical when used in conjunction with an acid salt in generating carbon dioxide in adequate concentration in a closed environment and destroy salmonella. There are also egg washing powder preparations which if used immediately as soon as the egg is laid, can remove  bulk of the pathogen and further use of egg coating oil containing bactericidal chemicals is known to preserve the egg quality for more than 12 weeks. The new development of liquid carbon dioxide treatment makes egg preservation much faster, less tedious and more effective.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

MEAT PROCESSING-THE ACHILLES'S FEET OF FOOD INDUSTRY?

World never seems to learning from its past mistakes and the consequences can be terrible as reflected by the recent meat poisoning episode in the US caused by a strain of Salmonella, the culprit being one of the largest meat industry players in the world. Though fatality was some what limited to a few persons, the incidence raises valid questions regarding the soundness of meat processing practices vis-a-vis consumer safety. If such large manufacturers with state of the art processing facilities cannot ensure guarantee for their products, who else can? Going by the report about the role of safety agencies responsible for monitoring food safety compliance by the industry, less said better it is! The million dollar question is on which side of the "fence" does the safety agency stand? In this particular case the agency seems to have erred on the side of too much caution, literally giving benefit of doubt to the industry, thus jeopardizing the consumer safety. Here is a take on this unfortunate episode that rattled that country:

"On July 29, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) announced a nationwide outbreak of a deadly strain of Salmonella food poisoning that is resistant to multiple antibiotics. According to the FSIS, the cases of Salmonella heidelberg were associated with the use and consumption of ground turkey. No supplier or source of the outbreak was provided. No names, no brands, no source -- just advice on cooking and handling meat properly. Then, on Aug. 3, the multinational food monolith Cargill announced the largest ever Class I recall of tainted meat. In a press release Cargill stated that, based on information from public health officials, the company was "voluntarily" recalling 36 million pounds of fresh and frozen ground turkey produced over a seven-month period beginning in February 2011 at one of their meat processing facilities at Springdale, Ark. According to a spokesperson, while there was no conclusive proof about the source of the Salmonella heidelberg contamination, Cargill was recalling the meat out of "concern for what has happened, and our desire to do what is right for our consumers and customers." Consumers were urged to return specific fresh and ground turkey products. Hidden in the list of recalled products are 40-pound chubs (catering packages) of ground turkey. These chubs are used in the food service industry and combined with other food products -- and thus, presumably, are now well beyond the reach of this recall. Processing at the Arkansas plant was also suspended, although production at Cargill's four other meat processing plants would continue unaffected. So far, the contamination has resulted in one death in California and at least 79 illnesses across 26 states. According to reports, it appears the outbreak "officially" began in March 2011, when a growing number of cases of Salmonella heidelberg were noted. However, the FSIS didn't issue a public warning until July 29, and even then this was a broad statement about potential links with ground turkey. Questions are already being asked about the significant time lag between the March detection of the spike in cases, the FSIS announcement in late July, and Cargill's voluntary withdrawal in early August. But I have far graver concerns about this outbreak.Cargill's statement read, "It is regrettable that people may have become ill from eating one of our ground turkey products and, for anyone who did, we are truly sorry. We go to great lengths to ensure the food we produce is safe and we fully understand that people expect to be able to consume safe food, each serving, every time." But these are hollow words indeed, for in almost the same breath, Cargill abdicated responsibility saying, "We all need to remember bacteria is everywhere, and we must properly handle and prepare fresh foods wherever they are served." The American Meat Institute has also leapt to Cargill's defense, reassuring U.S. consumers that the turkey supply is safe, especially if standardized safe handling and cooking procedures are followed".

It is very true that practically all meat purchased in raw form undergoes cooking and by such thermal exposure all pathogens are supposed to be killed. However there is always the possibility of inadequate looking or non-uniform cooking that can leave some contaminants unaffected which can spring to life causing the harm. That this particular strain of Salmonella did not respond to antibiotic treatment makes it all the more worrisome. Liberal incorporation of many antibiotic chemicals in animal feed is a practice widely prevalent in the US and this must have resulted in antibiotic resistance noticed with Salmonella heidelberg, being held responsible for the current meat poisoning episode. As for the manufacturer, it is not clear how they can get away by just saying sorry is some what puzzling. Are they not sensitive to the sufferings of those who had put faith on their brand of product trusting fully about the safety? There must be a an automatic redressal system that will punish the violator severely depending on the seriousness of violation. The safety agency deserves a rap on its knuckles for its dereliction of duty. It is still not unclear as to why low doe ionizing radiation is not permitted considering the enormous logistical restraints the meat industry faces in delivering the products in a sterile condition to the consumer.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

THE TURKEY "SYNDROME"-CHICKENS COME HOME TO ROOST!

Recent food poisoning episode involving ground Turkey meat from one of the largest food companies in the world reflects the risks involved in food business. No excuse is adequate to cover up the laxity on the part of the manufacturer to exercise sufficient diligence in ensuring supply of safe foods to the market and retribution is inevitable in the form economic losses due to product recall and damage suits. This episode raises the critical question whether the current incidence is an accident or the manufacturer is a habitual defaulter. If the past records are any indication, it appears such breach of safety regulations has been going on with hardly any punishment meted out for these violations. In this context consumers taking the culprit to the court is nothing but logical and more such court cases can be expected arising out of the callousness of the industry.

"The family of a 10-month-old Troutdale, Oregon girl filed a lawsuit against Cargill Meat Solutions this week, alleging that the child is one of more than 107 people nationwide who became seriously ill with an antibiotic-resistant Salmonella Heidelberg infection linked to ground turkey produced by the food giant. The lawsuit was filed in Oregon Federal District Court in Portland by Seattle-based food safety law firm Marler Clark. According to the complaint, the child ate Cargill ground turkey as part of a spaghetti and meatballs dinner her father prepared in early June. By June 10, she had developed severe diarrhea and a very high fever. By June 15, following numerous visits to the doctor, the doctors determined that the antibiotic-resistant Salmonella Heidelberg had entered the child's bloodstream, and she was rushed to Doerenbecher hospital, where she was treated for seven days. The family's attorney, Bill Marler, says Cargill owes it to the family to take responsibility for its actions. "Since 1993, Cargill has been the source of contaminated meat implicated in at least 10 major outbreaks, 10 deaths, three stillbirths and 366 illnesses," said Marler, who is publisher of Food Safety News. "Considering that these illnesses are likely undercounted by a factor of at least 20, those are significant numbers. What would we say if a car company or some other product manufacturer had the same numbers for an ongoing defect,? Since1993, Cargill -- the largest privately held corporation in the U.S. in terms of revenue -- has been responsible for at least 10 major foodborne illness outbreaks, which resulted in 366 illnesses, 10 deaths, and 3 stillbirths. Public health officials have thus far have attributed 107 illnesses and at least one death to the consumption of ground turkey produced by Cargill. On July 29, the company recalled 36 million pounds of ground turkey, the largest Class I meat recall in U.S. history".

One can only admire the environment in a country like the US where judiciary is receptive and responsive to citizens' grievances and taking very little time to dispose of such consumer complaints. In contrast it takes years for getting justice in India and even government initiated food safety violation cases are in limbo because of the "tortoise" like pace of convictions of food criminals. Of course there are critics who feel that trial lawyers in the US are "over eager" to "capture" clients for getting compensation of which they share as much as 50% in many cases! Probably India should have special "Legal Food Courts" with mandate to decide on each case of violation with a reasonable time frame, say 30-60 days. The deterrent quantum of punishment also needs to be enhanced instead of the current puny fines. The so much trumpeted Food Safety Act which took 6 years to materialize from government "cupboard" may be far short of the need at the ground level, assuming it will be implemented with no fear or favor.

V.H.POTTY
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http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

HARNESSING THE ENEMY AGAINST CANCER-A NEW APPROACH

The very mention of Salmonella evokes fear amongst consumers in the western world because of the disease potential of this bacterial species that has caused hundreds of incidences of product recall and thousands of consumers falling ill due to contamination of foods like meat, frozen food, spinach, egg, poultry, tomato etc. According to a recent report, world wide about 2 lakh people are infected with Salmonella with less than 0.02% dying out of the episode. Most famous strains are S.typhi responsible for typhoid fever and S.paratyphi causing paratyphoid fever amongst humans. These vectors are especially dangerous to children, old age people and immune compromised consumers. It is inconceivable that Salmonella can be useful to man in any way but if recent research findings are to be believed the bacteria can help overcoming some forms of cancer at early stages. The SipA protein present in the cell of this bacteria can generate caspase-3 enzyme in the human body which can contribute to programmed death of cancerous cells in human body..

"Salmonella uses an enzyme, known as caspase-3, produced by the infected host cell, to deliberately increase inflammation at the site of infection. Normally, caspase-3 plays an important role in the body by removing damaged or malfunctioning cells from the system through a process known as 'programmed cell death' or apoptosis. It is this process of cell death that is often defective in cancerous cells. The researchers, Dónal Wall from the University of Glasgow, and Srikanth Chittur and Beth McCormick from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, demonstrated that the salmonella bacterial protein SipA is responsible for inducing caspase-3 activation within the host cell. "The novelty of the research is in understanding how the bacteria are undermining the host cell, and getting it [host cells] to process the bacterial toxins into smaller functional units," said Wall. The bacteria deliver large toxins into the cell and then use the host enzyme, caspase-3, to divide these proteins. These toxins can then go to different parts of the cell to carry out their individual functions." Caspase-3 only cuts specific sequences within proteins (bacterial toxins) known as caspase-3 cleavage sites. Notably, caspase-3 cleavage sites are found in several salmonella proteins; however, these appear to be restricted to proteins that play a role in bacterial entry, or proteins that are used to overpower the host cell, indicating that this may be a general strategy employed by the bacteria to aid with processing bacterial toxins. "Although this work is important for the field of host-pathogen interactions it also highlights a process that could be exploited in cancer therapeutics to activate programmed cell death in cells in which the early stages of this process are defective."

Though the findings show the potential for the use of Salmonella cells in treating cancer, there are logistical problems in delivering the live cells to the affected site in the patient and its subsequent inactivation to pre-empt any undesirable consequences due to their presence in the body. Further studies are needed to develop delivery techniques that can bring the cancer cells and the live bacteria together for achieving the desired result.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

FROZEN "MICE"-THE PET OWNERS' LIFE LINE!

The latest scare of Salmonella has emanated not from food industry but from the pet food industry which supply frozen mice and baby chickens to pet owners in the US through on-line orders. While food industry is constantly being monitored for many safety compliance procedures, pet food industry hardly receives any attention from the regulators. This is all the more discernible when it comes to on-line supplies. The manufacturing facilities where pet foods are manufactured are not as vigorously scrutinized as being done in the case of food processing industry, probably under the illusion that pets are more resistant to infections through their foods. Hard pressed as they are in monitoring the food industry, many regulators just do not have the necessary facilities for checking pet foods for safety. While segregating pet foods in the freezers or earmarking separate freezers for pet foods and thorough washing after handling these foods can prevent spread of food borne infections.

"That is the message from public health officials in the wake of salmonellaoutbreaks that have sickened more than 400 people, many of them snake owners or their children, in the United States and Britain. The illnesses have been traced to frozen mice sold over the Internet as food for exotic pets by a small Georgia company called MiceDirect. The company announced this week a recall involving millions of frozen mice and said that it would begin irradiating future shipments to kill infectious bacteria. MiceDirect also recalled frozen rats and baby chickens used as pet food by reptile fanciers, although those products had not been linked to the salmonella outbreaks. The recall drew back the curtain on a world of exotic pet enthusiasts for whom there is nothing unusual about keeping a dozen snakes in the living room and a few zippered bags of mice in the freezer".

It is a strange world where people practice dichotomy when pets are showered with all kinds of physical comfort while other animals like cows, pigs, chicken etc are mercilessly slaughtered in millions for enjoying many food preparations based on their meat! Dogs and cats are the most favored pets amongst urban dwellers but it is some what surprising that snakes are also domesticated by a number of people for whom on-line supply of frozen mice is a life line!

V.H.POTTY
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http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

WOODEN SHELVES AND MICROBIALHAZARD

Microbial contamination in foods can come from many sources and the sanitary and hygiene conditions that prevail in food handling facilities can influence the microbial quality of food made there. Modern food processing plants incorporate many design features while setting up their production facilities with stainless equipment, contamination proof surfaces,"clean in place" (CIP) sanitation system, use of highly effective bactericidal and virucidal chemical agents, etc to ensure prime manufacturing conditions. But traditional food handling units find it very difficult to modernize their facilities due to investment constraints and they can pose some concerns to safety monitoring agencies as reflected by the recent report from the USDA sources.

"The microbial survey carried out by USDA's Agriculture Research Service (ARS) said that plywood nest run carts used to carry eggs can contain Enterobacteriaceae, a bacterial family that includes the human pathogens Salmonella and Shigella. These microbes are known to contaminate the shell egg processing environment, said the body, adding their presence in high levels in processing plants "can signal inadequate sanitation".

Of course egg is a highly nutritious food and has high potential for attracting pathogenic organisms with devastating consequences. Many traditional smaller poultry farms use primitive contraptions, a hang over from the past but their number may be low and as such the risks posed by them may not be serious. Probably USDA may ban use of such carts considering the present safety concerns faced by the American consumer.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com