Detectan a dos locales de comida rápida reutilizando aceite para sus alimentos

Tras el programa contacto, en Punta Arenas detectan locales de comida rápida reutilizando sus aceites para preparar sus alimentos.

Tras el impacto que causó un programa televisado la noche del martes sobre las deficientes condiciones en que preparan sus productos dos cadenas de comida rápida en la capital y cumpliendo con su rol fiscalizador, las autoridades sanitarias locales detectaron a dos empresas en Punta Arenas que reutilizaban los aceites para preparar sus alimentos.

Superando todos los estándares de calidad y seguridad, los locales de TelePizza en el mall Espacio Urbano Pionero, y Moukasaurio en el módulo central de Zona Franca, fueron sorprendidos reutilizando el aceite con el que preparan sus alimentos y poniendo en peligro la salud de la comunidad y sus propios trabajadores.

Así lo informó la seremi de Salud, María Isabel Iduya, quien explicó que estas fiscalizaciones se hacen rutinariamente, y que tras un programa que fue televisado en la noche del martes se puso especial atención en los aceites y se sorprendieron a las mencionadas empresas que no cumplen con la normativa de las “buenas prácticas de manufactura”, acotando que en estos casos se notificó a las mismas para que procedan a cambiar el producto y citación para una nueva inspección de cumplimiento.

La autoridad sanitaria planteó también que no es la primera ocasión que se detectan estos casos y por eso las inspecciones se realizan de lunes a jueves en todos los locales de comida, recordando que el uso de aceites quemados causa serios problemas a la salud en el largo plazo, desarrollando diversas enfermedades en las personas y problemas de colesterol y obesidad.

“La comida chatarra no es un buen alimento y menos de forma constante. Las personas deben ser las primeras fiscalizadoras y el llamado es a estar alertas y denunciar cualquier irregularidad”, sugirió Iduya, destacando que uno de los principales indicadores de que los aceites pueden estar siendo reutilizados es el fuerte y penetrante olor del producto al entrar a un establecimiento. Por último enfatizó que sólo se deben consumir alimentos en lugares establecidos y con autorización sanitaria.

Aporte: Álvaro Baeza González

Fuente: http://www.laprensaaustral.cl 

Cyclospora cayetanensis ya afectan a más de 500 personas

El brote de Ciclosporidiasis que se inició a mediados de Junio del presente año continúa con un aumento en el número de casos en Estados Unidos.

Brote por protozoo Cyclospora continúa afectando a personas en al menos 7 estados, como lo indica la CDC en Atlanta, lo que marca el seguimiento del brote de diarrea que ha afectado a la fecha a 16 estados. La información oficial de la CDC es que por primera vez se alcanzó la cifra de 504 casos confirmados en 16 estados en las zonas centrales y del este del país. 

El aumento de casos ocurrió en Texas (19 casos), Iowa (5), Illinois (4), Arkansas (3), Florida (2), y un caso en Missouri y uno en Nebraska. Aunque los 16 estados involucrados no han variado, el número de infecciones siguen enfocándose en Texas, Iowa y en Nebraska. Estos últimos tres estados comprenden 428 casos, siendo el 84% del total de ellos. Entre todos el CDC confirma que 30 pacientes requirieron hospitalización.

En este brote la fuente de infección sigue siendo tema de discusión entre los oficiales de salud. La investigación aún no ha determinado si los parásitos forman parte de sólo un brote o si se trata de múltiples brotes.Ello se asocia a la escasa disponibilidad de métodos de diagnóstico que permitan identificar la presencia del parásito y comparar los hallazgos derivados de distintas fuentes (agua o alimentos) o pacientes.

El parásito se transmite a través de la ruta fecal-oral y los pacientes infestados excretan quistes por sus deposiciones lo que lleva al protozoo a contaminar diferentes alimentos que son regados con aguas servidas. Los parásitos son propios de las áreas tropicales con elevadas temperaturas.

El último informe de la CDC indicó que los análisis independientes realizados durante las investigaciones epidemiológicas realizadas en Iowa y en Nebraska, confirman una asociación entre el consumo de ensalada y la presencia de Ciclosporiasis durante los meses de Junio y Julio de 2013 en ambos estados. El pasado 2 de Agosto, la CDC recibió los resultados de la investigación de rastreo realizado, concluyendo que esta ensalada provendría de Taylor Farms una empresa en México. 

Fuente: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/08/parasites-now-infect-more-than-500-people-numbers-up-in-seven-states/#.UgTt4cu9KSM

Aporte: Viviana Arroyo

Oceana Study: ‘Fish Fraud’ Ripping Off American Consumers

Consumers deserve to know their seafood is safe, legally caught, and honestly labeled

In a follow-up to its February report finding one-third of the seafood tested in the United States is mislabeled according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the new report from Oceana says that seafood fraud is practiced on consumers when less-expensive and less-desirable species are passed off as high-quality fish.

“If a consumer eats mislabeled fish even just once a week, they could be losing up to hundreds of dollars each year due to seafood fraud.”

According to the Oceana study, substitution of a lower-cost species such as tilapia for more-expensive grouper could cost consumers an extra $10 for an eight-ounce filet in a restaurant, and the common substitution of Atlantic farmed salmon for wild Chinook salmon adds another $5 to a restaurant bill.

“Consumers deserve to know their seafood is safe, legally caught, and honestly labeled, including information like where, when and how it was taken out of the ocean”.

The 23-page Oceana report on fish fraud says part of the problem is that seafood follows a complex path “from boat to plate.” Fish often cross ocean basins and multiple countries before reaching the final point of sale.

Oceana says that each stop in the supply chain is an opportunity for fraud. “Without traceability, or requiring information to follow the fish through the supply chain that is transparent and verifiable, consumers can be subject to fraud at every step the way,” the group says.

Oceana supports the Safety and Fraud Enforcement for Seafood (SAFE) act that has been pending in Congress since March. The group says it has more than 500,000 members worldwide.

In total, Americans are eating about $80 billion worth of fish annually.

The study found seafood labels often provided inaccurate information and that less-expensive species were often swapped for sought-after fish such as Atlantic cod, red snapper and wild salmon.

Mislabeling is common, Oceana says, because of the immediate economic incentive combined with little enforcement.

Fuente: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/08/americans-are-getting-ripped-off-by-fish-fraud-oceana-study-finds/

Aporte: Gianni Passalacqua

3M Molecular Detection Assay for Salmonella is adopted as an official method by AOAC international

The system is able to provide real-time results in as early as 15 minutes

The assays use loop-mediated isothermal amplification with high specificity and sensitivity, combined with bioluminescence to detect the amplification. The method uses multiple primers to recognize distinct regions of the genome and a DNA polymerase to provide continuous and rapid amplification.

Foods targeted: The matrices in the validation are pasteurized liquid whole egg, raw ground beef, cooked breaded chicken, raw shrimp, bagged spinach and wet pet food. There is a plan to expand the validation scope with additional matrices, in the case of the 3M Molecular Detection Assay - Salmonella and other Molecular Detection assays.

OMA validation is AOAC  internationally recognized program for chemical, microbial and molecular biological testing methods. Consisting of a joint validation in multiple labs and reviewed by an expert panel, it ascribes a given method as an official method of analysis.

OMA expansion of PTM:The OMA builds on the Performance Tested Method (PTM), which compares new and alternative testing methods with standard reference methods for each food and environmental matrix. PTM tests also include inclusivity and exclusivity strains, as well as a series of tests challenging the robustness of the method’s instrumentation.

 In the assay, pyrophosphate ions, generated by amplification of the targeted DNA, and a substrate are enzymatically converted into Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) by ATP-Sulfurylase. ATP reacts with luciferase to produce light, which is then detected by the 3M Molecular Detection Instrument,08/08/13 3M MDS Salmonella Kit with Media indicating the presence of target organism DNA.

Both amplification and detection occur simultaneously and continuously during the exponential phase providing real time results and a short run time. The system is able to provide real-time results in as early as 15 minutes, following an overnight enrichment and simple assay preparation protocol. Negative results are reported at the end of the 75-min instrument run.

Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20130806-908287.html

The need to limit the advertising of food and beverage products to children: a systematic review

Voluntary codes may not sufficiently reduce the advertising of foods

In response to increasing evidence that advertising of foods and beverages affects  children’s food choices and food intake, several national governments and many of the world’s larger food and beverage manufacturers have acted to restrict the marketing of their products to children or to advertise only ‘better for you’ products or ‘healthier dietary choices’ to children. Independent assessment of the impact of these pledges has been difficult due to the different criteria being used in regulatory and self-regulatory regimes.

In this study, we undertook a systematic review to examine the data available on levels of exposure of children to the advertising of less healthy foods since the introduction of the statutory and voluntary codes. The results indicate a sharp division in the evidence, with scientific, peer-reviewed papers showing that high levels of such advertising of less healthy foods continue to be found in several different countries worldwide.

 In contrast, the evidence provided in industry-sponsored reports indicates a remarkably high adherence to voluntary codes. We conclude that adherence to voluntary codes may not sufficiently reduce the advertising of foods which undermine healthy diets, or reduce children’s exposure to this advertising.

Source: S. Galbraith-Emami and T. Lobstein, Obesity Reviews, May 2013

FDA Proposes Rules for Safer Imported Foods

Only around 2 percent of that food is inspected by the government at ports and borders

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed new steps Friday to ensure that fresh produce, cheeses and other foods imported into the United States are safe.

The proposed rules, required by a sweeping food safety law passed by Congress 2 1/2 years ago, are meant to establish better checks on what long has been a scattershot effort at guarding against unsafe food imported from more than 150 countries. Only around 2 percent of that food is inspected by the government at ports and borders.

About 15 percent of the food Americans eat is imported, including about 50 percent of fruits and 20 percent of vegetables. An estimated 3,000 people die from food-related illnesses every year.

The proposed guidelines would require U.S. food importers to verify that the foreign companies they are importing from are achieving the same levels of food safety required in this country. The rules, which would also improve audits of food facilities abroad, could cost the food industry up to $472 million annually.

Since Congress passed the food safety law in December 2010 and President Barack Obama signed it in early 2011, there have been several outbreaks caused by imported foods, including an occurrence of Listeria in imported Italian cheese last year that killed four people. Other illnesses were linked to tainted papayas, mangoes and pine nuts and spices used as ingredients.

Like rules for domestic farmers and food companies released earlier this year, the idea is to make businesses more responsible for the food they are selling or importing by proving that they are using good food safety practices. They might do that by documenting basic information about their suppliers' cleanliness, testing foods or acquiring food safety audits.

A farm bill passed in the House this month included an amendment sponsored by Republican Rep.

The FDA will take comments on both the domestic and foreign food safety proposals for the next several months and then move to issue final rules.

Source: http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm362610.htm

EU medicines regulator says no to farmers’ blanket use of antibiotic

Colistin and tigecycline should not be approved for use in animals

A medicine used by veterinarians for more than 50 years should be restricted, according to European medical experts, amid fears that overuse of antibiotics in animals could create health risks for humans.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) says there is “no available evidence” on resistance to the antibiotic colistin transferring from animals to humans. However, it says, there is little evidence of any kind available. In advice published today the agency says that colistin should still remain available to veterinarians, but restricted to infected animals or animals in contact with infections, with prophylactic use banned.

A decision on such restrictions now rests with the European Commission. Prophylactic use of antibiotics on farms has become a controversial issue. Although the practice is widespread, some scientists believe unfettered use promotes resistance to antibiotics that can spread to threaten human health.

The EMA also says there is no reason another antibiotic called tigecycline should be approved for use in animals. Both colistin and tigecycline are essential treatments in human medicine, where they are used against bacteria resistant to many first-line treatments.

The United States has tried to restrict the use of antibiotics on farms, and the European Union has banned their use in promoting growth (see ‘Get pigs off antibiotics‘).

The EMA recommendation is ‘the precautionary approach’, and is laudable,” says Laura Piddock, a microbiologist at the University of Birmingham, UK, and director of Antibiotic Action, which campaigns for the development of new antibiotics. “The reality is that we should question the use of any antibacterial agent outside of human medicine and until there is unequivocal evidence showing no effect of animal use upon human health. Colistin should be restricted as recommended by the EMA.

Source: http://blogs.nature.com/news/2013/07/eu-medicines-regulator-says-no-to-farmers-blanket-use-of-antibiotic.html

5,400 cantaloupes recalled for Listeria by unidentified supplier

Listeria in IV game vegetal is not an infrequent finding

Grand Rapids, Michigan, August 6, 2013 – Heeren Brothers Produce is recalling approximately 5,400 cantaloupes because of a possible health risk to consumers.

The produce, which was distributed to small, independent grocers in Michigan July 23-26, has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and should be discarded and not consumed.  The cantaloupes are Athena Cantaloupes, but have no stickers or other markings that identify them as such.

Heeren Brothers Produce has not received any case of reported illnesses related to this product to date.  The recall does not affect any other Heeren Brothers Produce products.

 After receiving notice from the FDA, Heeren Brothers Produce immediately alerted retailers and requested that they remove the produce from their shelves.  Heeren Brothers Produce has also contacted the supplier of the cantaloupes.  The source of the potential issue is still under investigation.  Heeren Brothers Produce is cooperating fully with the FDA.

Consumers who have questions may contact Heeren Brothers Produce at 616.452.2101 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Source: http://blog.usfoodsafety.com/2013/08/06/5400-cantaloupes-recalled-for-listeria-by-unidentified-supplier/

Un pequeño porcentaje de Campylobacter jejuni en pollo canadiense es resistente a los antibióticos

El uso de antimicrobianos en los animales de granja, ha contribuido al aumento de los niveles de resistencia a los antibióticos

Se encontró que una pequeña cantidad de Campylobacter aislado de un retiro de carne de pollo canadiense es resistente a un antibiótico clave (ciprofloxacina), que se utiliza para tratar las infecciones bacterianas en los seres humanos, según un informe de la Agencia de Salud Pública de Canadá, publicado en la edición de julio de Enfermedades Infecciosas Emergentes.

El informe de seguimiento de la resistencia a la ciprofloxacina en Campylobacter en la carne de pollo informa que una mayor tasa de resistencia se encontró en Columbia Británica en 2009, cuando 22 de los 77 (29 por ciento) muestras de Campylobacter eran resistentes a la ciprofloxacina.

El ciprofloxacino es el fármaco más utilizado para el tratamiento de la infección por Campylobacter en Canadá, donde un promedio 31 por cada 100.000 personas se enfermaron por las bacterias gastrointestinales cada año, presentando síntomas como vómitos, diarrea y náuseas.

Muchos profesionales de la salud pública creen que el uso de antimicrobianos en los animales de granja, incluyendo entre los pollos de engorde, ha contribuido al aumento de los niveles de resistencia a los antibióticos en algunos patógenos, aunque no se pone a disposición datos sobre ese uso de drogas por los productores de pollo en Canadá.

Según el informe, la industria del pollo de Canadá está trabajando con el gobierno del país para crear un programa de vigilancia agrícola que recoge datos sobre el consumo de drogas y la resistencia.

Fuente:http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/06/small-percentage-of-campylobacter-in-canadian-chicken-antibiotic-resistant/#.Uc3OkzuQVR0

Aporte: Ximena Wong

Hamburguesa desarrollada en laboratorio se somete a testeo público

Una hamburguesa hecha desde el tejido muscular de una vaca y desarrollada en un laboratorio, se frió, sirvió y consumió en Londres,

De acuerdo a las tres personas que la consumieron, la hamburguesa estaba seca y con aroma escaso. Uno de los testeadores, dijo que “la consistencia se siente como una hamburguesa tradicional”, pero que la carne probada es una “torta de proteína animal”.

El propósito de este testeo público, fue demostrar que este tipo de alimentos creados “in vitro” merece financiamiento e investigación adicional. De acuerdo al Dr. Mark Post, investigador Holandés perteneciente a la Universidad de Maastricht creador de la hamburguesa “artificial”, comenta que la carne creada en el laboratorio podría proveer de una alta calidad de proteínas para la población mundial creciente, evitando de esta forma problemas ambientales y en el bienestar animal relacionados con la ganadería convencional.

La carne fue producida usando células desde el tejido muscular del vacuno, específicamente de la parte alta de la espalda, las cuales se obtuvieron en mataderos. Posteriormente las células fueron multiplicadas en una solución nutritiva y puestas dentro de pequeñas placas petris, donde se convirtieron en células musculares y formaron pequeñas tiras de fibra muscular. Sobre 20.000 tiras fueron utilizadas para crear las 5 onzas de hamburguesa, la cual contuvo migas de pan, sal y algunos colorantes naturales.

Así mismo, el Dr. Post comentó que aún falta investigación y que probablemente tome 10 años o más antes de que la carne “cultivada” sea comercializable.

Los dos años que ha durado este proyecto para crear una hamburguesa, incluyendo los componentes para el testeo, ha tenido un costo de 325.000 dólares.

Estudios recientes han mostrado que la producción de carne “cultivada” en industrias, podría satisfactoriamente reducir el uso de agua, terreno y energía, además de las emisiones de metano y otros gases del efecto invernadero, comparadas con la producción convencional de carne. 

Aporte: Ricardo Jacob

Fuentes: www.nytimes.com, www.maastrichtuniversity.nl