Food Protection Trends

Abstracts - March 2003

Providing an Adequate Supply of Microbiologically Safe and Palatable Food and Drinking Water: Contribution of a European Vertically Integrated Approach to Educating Professionals and Consumers — Part 3

Media Coverage of Food Irradiation

Occurrence of Campylobacter and Salmonella in Broiler Chickens Raised in Different Production Systems and Fed Organic and Traditional Feed

Providing an Adequate Supply of Microbiologically Safe and Palatable Food and Drinking Water: Contribution of a European Vertically Integrated Approach to Educating Professionals and Consumers — Part 3

D. A. A. Mossel,a*; G. P. Morris,b,c; C. B. Struijk,a,d; J. M. Cowden,b; and L. M. Browningb

a-Eijkman Foundation for Postgraduate Education and Research in the Medical Microbiology of Foods and Drinking Water at Utrecht University, P.O. Box 6024, 3503 PA Utrecht, The Netherlands;
b-Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health, Clifton House, Clifton Place, Glasgow G3 7LN;
c-University of Strathclyde, Division of Environmental Health, Glasgow, Scotland;
d-University of Hertfordshire, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Hatfield, Herts., UK

SUMMARY
Great efforts are being made, almost worldwide, to identify and subsequently rectify potential causes of process control failures that endanger the microbiological safety of foods. This is being done through application of HACCP-based intervention technologies, relying on impressive scientific and technological knowledge. Nonetheless, food-transmitted infections and intoxinations with a microbiological etiology remain worryingly common.

This failure in management implies the need for a critical review of the strategies in use for protection of the public, with reference, among many other commodities, to catered meals, especially those sold by smaller and less developed enterprises. Success will hinge on motivating and educating all staff whose actions might adversely affect food safety.  A decisive element in these efforts will be to ensure compliance with the Wilson Triad, i.e., longitudinally integrated management of contamination, colonization, and microbial metabolism.

Relevant professionals need improved understanding of the crucial elements of microbiological food and water safety assurance: the interactions between the commodities and their biotic associations, i.e., microbial ecology.  Although an abundant number of meetings on this subject have been convened, structured professional education, ending in at least some test of satisfactory digestion of the presentations, has been mostly lacking. These considerations have prompted the creation of a unique distance-learning course: the European MSc in  Public Health Science (Food and Drinking Water).  The course is a joint initiative of the University of Hertfordshire, the Eijkman Foundation at the University of Utrecht, and the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health. It is intended that the project will evolve to embrace academic institutions in other European Union countries.

Media Coverage of Food Irradiation

Michael R. Thomsen,1*; Molly Longstreth,2; andJefferson D. Miller,3

1-Dept. of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, 217 Agriculture Building,
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701;
2-Survey Research Center, 123 Hotz Hall, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701;
3-Dept. of Agricultural and Extension Education, 205 Agriculture Building, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701

ABSTRACT
Mass media are the conduit through which potential consumers are most likely to hear about food irradiation.  Furthermore, news media influence opinion by identifying issues of prominence and otherwise framing debate on topics of public importance.  This study summarizes the content of mainstream newspaper, television, and radio stories that addressed food irradiation from January 1991 to June 2001.  Results suggest that in aggregate, coverage has been balanced, if not positive, towards the technology.  That irradiation is a means of controlling harmful microorganisms in foods was the most frequent idea that came across in news stories.  This finding is likely due in part to coverage of the regulatory approval process for use of irradiation to control pathogens in poultry and meats and in part to coverage of high profile outbreaks and recalls involving microbiological contaminants.  Concerns about irradiation, while varied, reinforced the idea that the technology is controversial.  Statements in the media that directly questioned the safety of irradiation or its effects on foods were less common and were frequently found in conjunction with counter statements. News coverage of irradiation focused more on the benefits and concerns of the technology than on the technical aspects of food irradiation and its uses.

Occurrence of Campylobacter and Salmonella in Broiler Chickens Raised in Different Production Systems and Fed Organic and Traditional Feed

Melinda Lund, Trish K Welch*, Ken Griswold, Jeannette B. Endres, andBen Shepherd

Department of Animal Science, Food & Nutrition, Southern Illinois University, 209 Quigley MC 4317, Carbondale, IL 62901

SUMMARY
The purpose of this study was to determine whether using different production systems and types of feed had an effect on the occurrence of the bacterial pathogens, Salmonella and Campylobacter in broiler chickens.

In each of four small farm operations, 300 chickens were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups (75 in each): (1) free-range, organic feed (2) free-range, traditional feed (3) pastured pen, organic feed, and (4) pastured pen, traditional feed.  A fifth farm had 50 chickens in each of the four treatment groups.  After eight weeks, random samples of the viscera from each treatment group were collected, for a total of 456 samples.

One-way ANOVA (P < 0.05) was used to determine if there was a significant effect of farm environment, production method, and type of feed used on the presence of Salmonella and Campylobacter.

There were no instances of Campylobacter contamination in any of the 456 samples.  There was no significant effect of feed type on the occurrence of Salmonella when the organic and traditional feeds were compared. There was, however, a significant farm effect; all nine of the samples in which Salmonella were detected were from two of the nine farms.