Foodborne Illnesses ** Salmonella and E-Coli

[Guest guest]

Howdy Dale,

 

> Excuse the cross post but I know it's salad and grilling season:

>

> http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-

> general/20080603/MED.Salmonella.Tomatoes/

> CDC: Tomatoes eyed in salmonella cases in 9 states

 

I thank you for this post .. was glad to see it because it is a very

important issue.

 

Lemme comment a little bit .. its a little bit cause that's all I

know but I bet the nurses on the group can tell us a lot more. I

know a little bit because back when I was a planner in U.S. Army

Central Command we had this information pounded into our heads often

and I used a lot of that information when I did a small study on the

potential problems of foodborne illnesses while I was in Turkey and

in the commodities trading and food export business. For a time I

exported various packaged and dried foods from Turkey.

 

Even though our soldiers were more than well informed we still had

many cases of illness when they visited various places throughout the

Mid East and Africa .. especially in Somalia. Somalia was far worse

than Vietnam.

 

There are two species and dozens of subspecies and thousands of types

of Salmonella bacteria .. but the one that humans generally get from

food or contaminated water is Salmonella enterica.

 

Refrigeration does NOT kill Salmonella .. cooking does. Was a time

(maybe still going on) that the U.S. Embassy nurses in some countries

advised newcomers in introduction pamphlets to wash fresh vegetables

with solutions of water and Clorox .. not many folks paid attention

to the advice but it was good CYA for the State Department.

 

Not eating raw eggs and ensuring foods with eggs were well cooked ..

cooking chicken and red meats well and not letting them age before

cooking .. and washing vegetables and fruits well were other pieces

of advice and a valid pieces they were.

 

Long term use of antibiotics in the meat industry has created some

strains of Salmonella that are now resistant to antibiotics .. so it

can be a serious thing. Organic or Free Range or Kosher and such are

no guarantee that Salmonella or E-coli are not present on food.

 

Salmonella is almost always there .. even in our own bodies .. its

just a matter of the level of bacteria present .. and like most

bacteria, they can multiply quickly. Basically, good hygiene is a

necessity .. gotta wash our hands before and after handling foods and

make sure counter tops and utensils are well cleaned .. spreading the

bacteria from one food to another is common.

 

There are studies from Vanderbilt University showing that Oregano and

a few other EO completely destroy Salmonella and E-Coli on counter

tops and such .. and exposure to copper destroys them. I'll pull up

that one and other old studies as soon as I get Vista to recognize my

old Windows 2000 files. ;-)

 

Its doubtful that many of us follow all the hygienic rules demanded

by hospitals, restaurants and the U.S. military for preparation of

foods .. like separate knives and cutting boards, use of food

thermometers, proper cooking and storage temperatures, proper thawing

techniques and such .. and because we generally get by without

becoming ill lack of proper procedures becomes a norm .. but we're

not always lucky. When I had my company in Turkey there were two

sisters working for me .. their entire family spent time in the

hospital due to Salmonella bacteria .. one of them came close to

death.

 

Moving on to vegetables .. some points which might give us reasons to

want to grow our own. Aside from the fact that food prices (like

fuel) are going out of sight and will continue to do so .. it matters

not if we purchase from a Farmer's Market or a grocery store .. the

risk of Salmonella and E-Coli is there. We can't always be sure how

that food was grown or handled.

 

Some farmers use raw (or less than seasoned) animal manure on their

fields .. manure must be composted for at LEAST one year to destroy

these bacteria.

 

Some farmers use water that has been contaminated with animal

manure .. they irrigate directly from farm ponds.

 

Use of unfiltered tap water is no guarantee either .. the company in

Ohio that tests the Hydrosols I sell tells me that there are many

municipal water supplies in the USA that have plate counts from time

to time that exceed safe standards. Some filters can help to

control this .. but better is tested well water. Obviously, all

folks don't have well water .. but if they are buying local produce

they might want to learn what the seller uses to water their plants.

 

I'll also point out that since 1995, on two occasions I had Hydrosols

tested that had levels of baddies that were more than 400% higher

than the acceptable norm. When those Hydrosols exited the still

they were 100% sterile .. odds are the contamination came from the

use of old barrels .. takes but a few drops of moisture in a barrel

to contaminate it. All of my Hydrosols from Turkey are stored in

new barrels produced for me and containing my markings .. straight

from the factory .. but I cannot ensure this when I purchase from

other countries so testing is a necessary requirement.

 

Since I returned from Turkey last July .. for the first time in 20

years I have my own Organic vegetable garden .. a bit over 6/10ths of

an acre now .. and I recognize that everyone is not interested in or

able to grow their own. But even those who have a small back yard

or patio can grow a good portion of vegetables that would normally be

eaten raw .. there are many ways to turn a patio into a fairly large

garden. One of the California ladies on this group does that now ..

she might decide to comment. ;-)

 

Remember .. baddies are generally found on most commercial produce ..

its just a matter of the percentage of baddies and how strong our

immune system is when we consume them.

 

If we don't grow our own then the extreme option is to eat no raw

vegetables .. but looking at overall risk vs nutritional gain .. that

is probably not a good option in all cases because we lose much when

some vegetables are cooked and others can't be cooked and still taste

good .. like Lettuce. Examples of foods that can be cooked but are

better eaten raw are Garlic and Onions .. great therapeutic value

when raw .. close to none when cooked.

 

All raw vegetables can be contaminated with baddies but Green Onions

and Lettuce and other leafy vegetables eaten raw in salads a major

sources because they bacteria can't be washed off. They should not

remain in the frig for days .. they should be eaten immediately after

purchase and then we must HOPE they were fresh when we purchased

them. But few of us follow this policy .. and we are lucky .. most

of the time.

 

Y'all keep smiling. :-)

 

Butch .. http://www.AV-AT.com

[Guest guest]

As usual, Butch wrote a sensible reply.

I might want to add something about gardening, As I am pretty much

disabled now to do real gardening, I learned from my friend Foxhillers

about the fun one can have with large container gardening. No need to

spend much money either.

Cheap laundry baskets from the dollar store, lined them with newspaper

and started planting. Trial was last year, this week , as soon as I

find myself a strapping young man to fill the baskets up with fine

earth, ther will be more, with the essentials of tomatoes, beans,

lettuce on the edges and kale to make them look pretty..

Just an idea, for us older folks

C-M

[Guest guest]

I use the inside of a washing machine we remove the tub and its full of holes

for drainage and has the piece in the middle and full them full of dirt and

plant things in the round circle..

 

-

C Maria

Thursday, June 05, 2008 7:11 AM

Re:Foodborne Illnesses ** Salmonella and E-Coli

 

 

As usual, Butch wrote a sensible reply.

I might want to add something about gardening, As I am pretty much

disabled now to do real gardening, I learned from my friend Foxhillers

about the fun one can have with large container gardening. No need to

spend much money either.

Cheap laundry baskets from the dollar store, lined them with newspaper

and started planting. Trial was last year, this week , as soon as I

find myself a strapping young man to fill the baskets up with fine

earth, ther will be more, with the essentials of tomatoes, beans,

lettuce on the edges and kale to make them look pretty..

Just an idea, for us older folks

C-M

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Butch is right on about growing your own.

 

Container gardening is definitely a solution for those of us with no more

than a patio to plant in. I use three very large terra cotta pots with

some trellises, and this year's crop will be snap peas, melons, tomatoes,

and cucumbers. I'm working some greens and carrots in, too. In smaller

pots, I have a nice little herb garden.

 

There are so many reasons to plant this year. The price of fruits and

veggies is just the start of it. If you grow in your own, rich soil, you

know you are boosting the nutrition of the food stuffs you harvest. And by

eating a few feet from where you grow - talk about local grown - the

environment is a little better off. Taste is a fantastic reason to grow

your own, as the flavors found in your garden are almost sure to surpass

even that which can be found at a farmer's market near you.

 

If you are interested, and want some low-cost ways to get started,

try googling " Urban Homestead " . There is a large movement to tap into, with

advice that runs the gamut between fabulous and ridiculous. Just like with

Aromatherapy. Free compost is available in many communities, and the

Internet has seed sharing services.

 

I also highly recommend Michael Pollan's book, " In Defense of Food " . While

I think it should be required reading for foodies and nutritionists, anyone

seeking a healthier lifestyle will benefit from understanding why we should

be extremely picky about our food, and what we can do to make better choices

for ourselves.

 

Cheers,

Christina

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

One thing Butch DIDN'T mention and REALLY put me off on buying veggies to

the point where I've sworn off some all together. feces, urine....

 

He touched on animal manure where it has to season, but he didn't mention

human waste. A lot of farm workers either don't have, or can't be bothered

to use, toilets and so they go in the ditches next to the field, where water

carries it back out to the fields... Speculation during the last big Spinach

scare was that it was human waste that was the source of e coli.

 

Puke a dog off a gut wagon!

 

K

 

On Thu, Jun 5, 2008 at 10:29 AM, Christina M <BodyAmbrosia wrote:

 

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--

Kathleen Petrides

Bead Hussy

http://www.BeadHussy.com

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

from what i was told there is only a danger of this with root crops

-

Kathleen Petrides

Thursday, June 05, 2008 1:41 PM

Re: Re:Foodborne Illnesses ** Salmonella and E-Coli

 

 

One thing Butch DIDN'T mention and REALLY put me off on buying veggies to

the point where I've sworn off some all together. feces, urine....

 

He touched on animal manure where it has to season, but he didn't mention

human waste. A lot of farm workers either don't have, or can't be bothered

to use, toilets and so they go in the ditches next to the field, where water

carries it back out to the fields... Speculation during the last big Spinach

scare was that it was human waste that was the source of e coli.

 

Puke a dog off a gut wagon!

 

K

 

On Thu, Jun 5, 2008 at 10:29 AM, Christina M <BodyAmbrosia wrote:

 

> .

>

>

>

 

--

Kathleen Petrides

Bead Hussy

http://www.BeadHussy.com