Residuos de medicamentos de uso veterinario en comida para bebes.

La administración de medicamentos en los animales no tiene un control riguroso.

Un estudio publicado en la revista "Food Chemistry" recogido por el Servicio de Información y Noticias Científicas (SINC) señala  que científicos de la Universidad de Almería (UAL) detectaron en comida para bebés restos de antibióticos como la tilmicosina o antiparasitarios como el levamisol, fármacos  que se suministran habitualmente  al ganado para evitar enfermedades.

Los residuos de medicamentos veterinarios fueron determinados por el método multiresiduo, que permite detectar simultáneamente varios fármacos en las muestras. Mediante cromatografía se realiza la  separación de los compuestos y por espectrometría de masas su identificación. 

Con este método "preciso, simple y rápido" se analizaron 12 colados para bebes con carne de vaca, cerdo o ave y 9 muestras de leche en polvo. Los datos indican que las concentraciones de medicamentos veterinarios varían de 0,5 a 25,2 microgramos por kilogramo en los alimentos con  carne y entre 1,2 y 26,2 microgramos por kilogramo en las leches en polvo. No obstante, los autores admiten que los resultados serían "más concluyentes" si hubiera un mayor número de muestras. También se detectó  trazas de sulfonamidas, macrólidos y otros antibióticos, así como antihelmínticos y fungicidas. En total, 5 medicamentos veterinarios en la leche en polvo y 10 en los productos elaborados con carne, especialmente si eran de pollo u otras aves. 

Aunque las concentraciones detectadas son muy bajas, los resultados refuerzan la necesidad de realizar controles en estos productos para garantizar su inocuidad, señala  la catedrática de Química Analítica en la UAL, Antonia Garrido.

La Comisión Europea (CE) ha legislado hasta ahora sobre los niveles permitidos de plaguicidas y otras sustancias en la comida a base de cereales para niños y bebés, pero no en la de origen animal. Como resultado de la falta de regulación se tiende a aplicar una política de tolerancia cero con los medicamentos veterinarios en los alimentos, ya que pueden causar reacciones alérgicas, resistencia a antibióticos y otros problemas para la salud.

Aporte: María Rene Rey

Fuente: www.consumer.es

Georgia Confirms Multistate E. coli O145 Outbreak in Southern U.S.

Five sick in Georgia; 3 in Louisiana with 1 death; other states unknown

The E. coli O145 outbreak that killed a 21-month-old girl in New Orleans on May 31 and sickened at least two other adults is connected to at least five cases in Georgia, the Georgia Department of Public Health announced today.
Both the Georgia and Louisiana state health departments say they are working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate cases in a multistate E. coli O145 outbreak that's affecting the southern U.S. The CDC has not yet released a list of the other states involved with the outbreak or any other information related to the investigation.
So far, health officials do not know the source of the contamination. "At this time, we continue to interview new cases as we are notified of them," a Georgia health department spokeswoman told Food Safety News in an email. "We have detected no food items or environmental exposures that are statistically associated with illness at this time. This investigation is ongoing."
The five Georgia illnesses are spread across the following counties: Cobb (2 illnesses), Cherokee (1), Coweta (1) and Forsyth (1).
As of June 4, E. coli O145 is one of the 'Big Six' E. coli strains since this week considered an adulterant in food by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Source: Food Safety News

La necesidad de tener una comunicación eficaz en la transmisión de riesgos alimentarios

La difusión de la información sobre brotes de intoxicación alimentaria puede llevar a serios problemas cuando se hace irresponsblemente

La presidenta de la IAFP (Asociación Internacional de Protección Alimentaria) entregó su opinión respecto a la reciente conferencia sobre inocuidad alimentaria realizada en China.

Dicha reunión se centró en los resultados obtenidos luego de que se dictara la ley de inocuidad de alimentos el año 2009 en China. La ley creó un centro nacional para la inocuidad alimentaria y  además reforzó los programas de inspección conforme a los lineamientos de la FAO/OMS y la OMC. Los resultados, que inicialmente parecieron una hazaña realmente increíble, ya que disminuyeron los brotes,  luego se complicaron cuando los medios de prensa diseminaron información que el público interpretó como que existiría un aumento importante del número de brotes.

Dicho problema surgió, como era lógico, luego que los consumidores se informaran que los medios perciban que ahora existe un mayor riesgo de contraer enfermedades por el consumo de alimentos contaminados. Como respuesta a esta  información los consumidores tienden a evitar ciertos productos alimentarios y el resultado puede causar muchos problemas económicos al país. Esta e la naturaleza del problema en China.

Un ejemplo de los daños que puede causar la mala información es lo que sufrieron los las granjeros productores de pepinos en España, que en 2011 sufrieron tremendamente porque Alemania los consignó, equivocadamente como la causa de  un brote de E. coli en Europa. La información errada luego rectificó indicando que la causa había sido la ingestión de brotes de soja provenientes de una granja en el norte de Alemania. La difusión de la prensa hizo que los granjeros de España perdieran muchísimo dinero por causa de un brote que no tenía nada que ver con sus productos.

Otro ejemplo bastante famoso fue la ‘gripe porcina’, o la pandemia de H1N1 de 2009. Productores de cerdos perdieron millones de dólares durante un largo periodo de tiempo cuando más de treinta países suspendieron las importaciones provenientes de los EEUU. A pesar de que se lo llama ‘gripe porcina’, el virus H1N1 es transmitido de persona a persona y no atreves de la alimentación.

El acceso de los consumidores a una comunicación eficaz es absolutamente crucial en situaciones como el brote de H1N1. Aunque son realmente excelentes todos estos aumentos en detección de riesgos, como la nueva ley de China, debemos recordar que las percepciones de los medios y los consumidores sobre los riesgos alimentarios no siempre se basan en el conocimiento científico. La capacitación de los periodistas y la entrega de información a los consumidores son tareas pendientes apara las autoridades.

Fuentes: http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trilix/fpt_201204/index.php?startid=160
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/06/e-coli-bean-sprouts-not-cause
Aporte: Jeremy Neuman

New cases due to Salmonella in dry dog food; recall expands

Salmonella Infantis, which was detected after a routine test
Two more people have become ill after being exposed to Salmonella-tainted dry dog food, bringing the total to 16, federal health officials reported Friday.  That includes one more case in the United States, where people in nine states have been sickened. Another case was detected in Quebec, Canada. Five people have been hospitalized.

All of the illnesses follow a recall of at least 11 brands of dry dog food manufactured at a Gaston, S.C., plant operated by Diamond Pet Foods of Meta, Mo. They include the store brand pet food sold by Costco, Kirkland Signature and Kirkland Signature Domain.
 Lab tests have confirmed that those sick were infected with a rare strain of Salmonella Infantis, which was detected only after a routine test of dry dog food revealed contamination, a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

Public health investigators used DNA fingerprints of the Salmonella to identify past cases of illness linked to the outbreak. People infected with the outbreak strain became sick between Oct. 8, 2011 and April 22, 2012. Cases included three each in North Carolina and Missouri, two each in Ohio and Pennsylvania and one each in Alabama, Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey and Virginia.

Diamond Pet Foods has voluntarily expanded its recall of certain brands of dry dog and cat food manufactured at the South Carolina site between Dec. 9, 2011 and April 7, 2012 because of potentially salmonella contamination. The federal Food and Drug Administration posted recalls as well, here.  People can become sick by handling the tainted pet food or through contact with an animal that has eaten the contaminated food.

Consumers should discard any of the recalled products. Those who think they may have become sick after contact should consult a health care provider. Consumers should be sure to wash their hands after feeding or handling a pet, or after picking up after an animal. Cat litter boxes should be scooped daily.
 Salmonella infections can cause diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramping 12 to 72 hours after infection. The Salmonella  illness can last up to a week and most people recover without antibiotic treatment. Only some patients with severe diarrhea or immune deficiencies can require treatment in a hospital.

Source: CDC http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/dog-food-05-12/index.html

Actualización de Reglamento UE Nº432/2012 sobre mensajes daludables en alimentos

El documento, que comenzará a regir el 14 de diciembre de 2012, establece la lista de declaraciones de propiedades saludables permitidas para alimentos.  

El documento establece la prohibición del uso de declaraciones de propiedades saludables para los alimentos, a menos que se encuentren autorizados por la Comisión de conformidad de la Autoridad Europea y se incluyan en la lista de declaraciones autorizadas.

A partir de los requerimientos presentados por los interesados en declarar propiedades saludables en sus productos, que desde 2008 suman más de 44.000, la Autoridad Europea llegó a la conclusión de que se debía autorizar solo a aquellas declaraciones que pudiesen comprobar científicamente una relación causa-efecto entre una categoría de alimentos, un alimento o uno de sus constituyentes, y el efecto declarado. Tales declaraciones deben además cumplir con los requisitos del Reglamento (CE) Nº1924/2006.

La nueva versión del reglamento incluye 67 nutrientes con propiedades saludables comprobadas. Los alimentos que quieran rotular su presencia deben incluir además las dosis diarias recomendadas para obtener el efecto beneficioso.

Fuente: Diario Oficial de laUnión Europea; Emol

Uso del ajo contra Campylobacter

Un compuesto del ajo es capaz de eliminar la bacteria Campylobacter, una de las principales causas de intoxicación alimentaria

Un reciente hallazgo ha demostrado una efectividad del ajo contra Campylobacter, que en ocasiones es superior a la de algunos antibióticos. Este hallazgo podría servir para reducir la contaminación con esta bacteria en alimentos como carnes crudas y procesadas. Este nuevo hallazgo se enmarca en la capacidad antimicrobiana de compuestos naturales de los alimentos y supone un nuevo paso en el campo de la alimentación. Orégano, arándanos o guaraná son algunos vegetales que han aportado hasta ahora importantes avances en el desarrollo de sustancias antimicrobianas naturales.

Ajo para eliminar Campylobacter

Una investigación realizada por expertos de la Universidad de Washington ha examinado la capacidad del sulfuro de dialil, un compuesto derivado del ajo, para eliminar Campylobacter en carne. Este compuesto tiene la capacidad de penetrar en la biopelícula protectora de la carne y matar las células bacterianas mediante la combinación de una enzima que contiene azufre.

El sulfuro de dialil es, según los expertos estadounidenses, "100 veces más eficaz que determinados antibióticos utilizados para el mismo fin" y actúa en menos tiempo: la bacteria puede inactivarse en cinco horas, frente a las 24 de los otros sistemas de eliminación. Además, los expertos han determinado que el compuesto también puede utilizarse para reducir los niveles de Campylobacter en el medio ambiente y en la industria alimentaria, como método de limpieza de los equipos de procesamiento.

Según la investigación, el sulfuro de dialil podría utilizarse también como conservante en los alimentos envasados, como ensaladas y carnes frías. Además de extender la vida útil de estos productos, el compuesto de ajo reduce el crecimiento de bacterias patógenas. La alicina, o dialil sulfato, es una sustancia que se forma por la acción de una enzima que contiene la superficie del ajo (aliinasa) en contacto con otra sustancia de este alimento (aliina). Si el ajo se machaca y se juntan la aliinasa y la aliina, forman la alicina.

Fuente: Consumer

Aporte: Carla Uribe

ARS highlights alternatives to antibiotics for animal agriculture

New technologies for treating and preventing diseases of animals 
As concerns grow about antibiotic-resistant pathogens in our food, environment, and hospitals, the Agricultural Research Service is trying to figure out the best alternatives for food animal producers, who have long relied on these miracle drugs for combating diseases and boosting feed efficiency.  
Though antibiotic resistance is a known consequence of antibiotic use in both humans and animals, agricultural use has come under greater scrutiny in recent years as more consumers take an interest in how their food is produced. According to the most recent estimates, around 80 percent of all antibiotics sold in the United States each year are used in food animal production.
Vitamins, phytonutrients, and probiotics are all being explored as viable alternatives, according to this month's Agricultural Research magazine. Some of the findings will be presented by ARS researchers at a World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) conference in Paris in September. 
There is a need for new technologies to treat and prevent diseases of animals as well as recommendations that will advance strategies for growth promotion and health in livestock, poultry, and aquaculture.
At the BARC Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, an ARS lab in Beltsville, avian immunologist has found that certain food supplements, probiotics, and phytonutrients can be effective in fighting off diseases like coccidiosis, a common parasitic disease. The USDA estimates that coccidiosis costs the domestic industry $600 million annually.   
Researchers are now working to apply the same technology to develop ways to treat intestinal bacterial infections caused by Clostridium without using antibiotics, according to ARS. 
ARS has been trying to figure out how to grow poultry without using drugs and enhance their innate immunity. One of those strategies is genetic improvement to identify genetic markers associated with enhanced innate immunity to enteric pathogens.
The team has also identified and patented an immune molecule called "NK lysin," a chicken protein that kills the parasite that causes coccidiosis and other troublesome parasites. 
For the past couple of years, ARS researchers have also studied whether phytochemicals derived from safflower, plums, peppers, cinnamon, and green tea can help enhance a chicken's immune system. 
Source: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/may12/form0512.htm
Fuente: Dalia Clarisa Echeverri

The ARS National Animal Disease Center in Ames found promising treatment for mastitis

Vitamin D and chemicals like chlorate and nitro compounds are good candidates to replace antibiotics in bovine.
The research team at the ARS National Animal Disease Center in Ames, IA has found that Vitamin D is a promising treatment for mastitis, a mammary gland infection common among dairy cows that is currently usually treated with antibiotics. 
Cows treated with vitamin D showed fewer bacterial counts and fewer clinical signs of severe infection and if they were treated early enough in the infection, the treated cows also produced more milk than untreated cows, reported Agricultural Research. "We hope this natural form of vitamin D will be a means to reduce antibiotic use either by using this in tandem with antibiotics and shortening the duration of antibiotic use, or as a means against some bacteria that are resistant to antibiotic treatments.
ARS researchers at the Food and Feed Safety Research United in College Station, TX patented their new technology to fight foodborne pathogens in the intestinal tracts of animals. The method uses chlorate and nitro compounds to significantly reduce or eliminate pathogens like Salmonella and E. coli O157: H7, according to ARS. 
Researchers found that mixing the chlorate-based compound into cattle's water or feed two days before slaughter was highly effective in killing E. coli -- reducing bacteria levels from 100,000 E. coli cells per gram of fecal material to 100 cells per gram. 
The researchers found similar results with Salmonella in turkeys: the incidence of Salmonella dropped from 35 percent to 0 and from 37 percent to 2 percent in broiler chickens. 
Chlorate by itself had significant bacteria-killing activity against E. coli and Salmonella, and that activity was enhanced 10- to 100-fold with addition of the nitro compound. The nitro compounds by themselves had also significant bacteria-killing activity, and that activity was more persistent than the chlorate activity by itself.
These options could be used instead of certain antibiotics that are commonly used to treat diarrheal infections in young pigs and cattle.
A major issue to be addressed is novel biocontrol approaches for reducing bacterial pathogens in food animal production is to employ strategies specifically geared to reduce or eliminate drug-resistance development.
Source: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/may12/animal0512.htm
Aporte: Dalia Clarisa Echeverri

Important Information for Food Distributors, Retailers, and Food Service Operators Regarding the Sourcing of Molluscan Shellfish from Korea

Oysters, clams, mussels, and scallops from Korea should be removed from the market

On May 1, 2012, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) removed all Korean certified shippers of molluscan shellfish (oysters, clams, mussels, and scallops) from the Interstate Certified Shellfish Shippers List (ICSSL), following a comprehensive FDA evaluation that determined that the Korean Shellfish Sanitation Program (KSSP) no longer meets the sanitation controls spelled out under the National Shellfish Sanitation Program.  FDA’s evaluation of the KSSP found significant shellfish growing area deficiencies including:

•      ineffective management of land-based pollution sources that can impact shellfish growing areas;
•          inadequate sanitary controls to prevent the discharge of human fecal waste from fish farms and commercial fishing and aquaculture vessels operating in and adjacent to shellfish growing areas; and
•       detection of norovirus in shellfish growing areas analyzed by FDA during the evaluation

Because of inadequate sanitation controls, the molluscan shellfish harvested from Korean waters may have been exposed to human fecal waste and have the potential to be contaminated with norovirus. 

The removal of Korean shellfish shippers from the ICSSL is intended to stop the import of molluscan shellfish harvested from polluted waters. Korean molluscan shellfish that entered the United States prior to May 1 and any product made with Korean molluscan shellfish are considered adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

FDA recommends that food distributors, retailers, and food service operators remove from sale or service, all fresh, frozen, and processed (including canned) Korean molluscan shellfish and any product subsequently made with them. Korean molluscan shellfish represents only a small fraction of the oysters, clams, mussels, and scallops sold in the United States. FDA is currently working to determine the distribution of the product.

Distributors, retailers, and food service operators can continue to receive molluscan shellfish from any of the other shellfish shippers listed in the ICSSL.

Fuente: FDA

Aporte: Angélica Díaz

FDA Improves the Reportable Food Registry by Adding New Data Elements

Additional data elements are part of an effort to improve the RFR’s information gathering capability.
FDA brings online a new Reportable Food Registry (RFR) Rational Questionnaire which incorporates additional data elements as part of an effort to improve the RFR’s information gathering capability. The RFR is an electronic portal to which the food industry must, and public health officials may, report when they have information about a reportable food. A reportable food is an article of food/feed for which there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, such article of food will cause serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals. By gathering and analyzing the new data, FDA will improve its ability to track patterns of adulteration in human food and animal feed (including pet food) and to target its inspection resources. The additional elements are:
• The reason the food has been determined to be reportable (agent);
• A description of the root cause of the reportable food (if applicable);
• A brief justification of the process used to determine which product(s), lot(s), or batch(es) were affected;
• Whether or not the submitter believes all of the reportable food has been removed from commerce;
• A brief description of the corrective actions taken to avoid repeating the reportable event;
• The commodity type of the reportable food;
• The dates that the product was manufactured;
• Whether or not the reportable food underwent treatment to reduce microorganisms;
• A brief description of the microbial reduction treatment;
• Whether or not a bacterial isolate is available for FDA collection;
• For reportable foods intended for animal consumption, the animal species that the reportable food was intended to be consumed by;
• For reportable foods intended for animal consumption, the life stage of the animal that the reportable food was intended to be consumed by;
• Whether the responsible party has notified all of its immediate previous sources (suppliers) of the reportable food (if applicable); and
• Whether the responsible party has notified all of its immediate subsequent recipients (customers) for the reportable food (if applicable).
Providing information in response to the new data elements is voluntary for the time being; however, later this year responses to these elements will become mandatory.
The electronic portal for the RFR is located at www.SafetyReporting.hhs.gov.