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Food Protection Trends
Abstracts - August 2004
Ethnic Food Safety Trends in the United States Based
on CDC Foodborne Illness Data
Consumers’ Attitudes toward Labeling Food Products with
Possible Allergens
Treatment Options to Eliminate or Control Growth of
Listeria monocytogenes on Raw Material and on Finished Product for the
Smoked Fish Industry
Ethnic
Food Safety Trends in the United States Based on CDC Foodborne Illness Data
A. H. Simonne,1*
A. Nille,1 K. Evans,1 andM. R. Marshall, Jr.2
1-Department of Family, Youth and
Community Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University
of Florida, 3038-E McCarty Hall, P.O. Box 110310 Gainesville, FL 32611-0310,
USA; Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique de Toulouse, Avenue de l’Agrobiopole,
BP 107 Auzeville-Tolosane, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan Cedex;
2-Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, Food and Environmental Toxicology
Laboratory, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida,
Gainesville, FL 32611-0310, USA
SUMMARY
American’s exposure to ethnic foods has expanded, while little information is
available about the safety of these foods. This study examined CDC foodborne
illness data (1990 to 2000) for ethnic foods to determine food safety trends.
Total outbreaks associated with ethnic foods rose from 3% to 11%, whereas total
number of cases showed no specific trend. Because most outbreaks reported were
for Mexican, Italian, or Asian foods, this paper will focus on these three categories.
The highest numbers of outbreaks occurred in restaurants (43%), private homes
(21%), schools (7%), and others (29%), and the top five states were Florida
(n=136), California (n=74), New York (n=42), Maryland (n=40), and Michigan (n=37).
The etiologies of ethnic food outbreaks were primarily unknown (61%), then to
Salmonella spp. (18%), Clostridium spp. (6%), Bacillus
spp. (4%), Staphylococcus spp. (4%), and all others (7%). Based on known etiology,
each ethnic category had its own profile of microorganisms and characteristic
foods. Current food manager certification may not adequately cover specific
details essential for safe ethnic food preparation. The findings should
bring awareness to food safety professionals of unique issues and risks related
to ethnic foods.
Consumers’
Attitudes toward Labeling Food Products with Possible Allergens
Katherine M. Kosa,1* Sheryl C. Cates,1
Robert C. Post,2 andJeff Canavan2
1-RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis
Road, P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
2-U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service Labeling
and Consumer Protection Staff, 300 12th Street SW, Washington, D.C. 20250, USA
SUMMARY
Individuals with food allergies may read labels on food packaging to determine
whether a food allergen is present. Food regulatory agencies, food manufacturers,
and special interest groups are working together to provide consumers with adequate
and appropriate allergen information on food labels. This study used focus
groups to explore consumers’ use of ingredients statements, their preference
for allergen labeling, and their attitudes toward a federal regulation that
would require allergen statements (e.g., “May Contain Peanuts”) on food products
with possible allergens. The focus group findings suggest that identification
of the source of ingredients (e.g., “whey [milk]”) in ingredients statements
would be beneficial to consumers. Additionally, some consumers would find allergen
statements useful in avoiding foods with possible allergens. Based on these
findings, some consumers would benefit from adequate and appropriate allergen
information on food labels.
Treatment
Options to Eliminate or Control Growth of Listeria monocytogenes on Raw
Material and on Finished Product for the Smoked Fish Industry
Michael L. Jahncke,1* Robert Collette,2
Doris Hicks,3 Martin Wiedmann,4 Virginia N. Scott,5 and Ken Gall6
1-Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research
and Extension Center, Virginia Sea Grant Program, Hampton, VA 23669, USA
2-National Fisheries Institute, Arlington, VA 22209, USA
3-University of Delaware Sea Grant College Program, Lewes, DE 19958, USA
4-Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
5-National Food Processors Association, Washington, D.C. 20005, USA
6-New York Sea Grant and Cornell Cooperative Extension, Stony Brook, NY 11794,
USA
SUMMARY
The Smoked Seafood Working Group (SSWG), a collaboration of the National Fisheries
Institute, the National Food Processors Association, several smoked fish processors
and universities, reviewed scientific papers that describe possible treatments
to eliminate or reduce the amount of Listeria monocytogenes present on incoming raw material and eliminate
or minimize its growth on finished product. Suggested treatment options
that are approved for use on seafood, can be used by most commercial smoked
fish companies, and have potential to significantly reduce L. monocytogenes
numbers on incoming raw fish include (1) washing of raw fish with water containing
chlorine and (2) treatment of raw fish with calcium hydroxide solution (pH 12).
Other potential treatments approved for raw materials include washing of fish
with acidified sodium chlorite solutions, ozone treatment, steam surface pasteurization,
and electrochemical brine tank treatments. Treatment options to control
L. monocytogenes on finished product include (1) freezing of finished
product to stop growth; and (2) addition of approved chemical growth inhibitors.
Other treatment options that have potential to eliminate L. monocytogenes
or control its growth on finished product but that are not currently approved
for use on seafood include addition of natural growth inhibitors, addition of
high levels of Carnobacterium piscicola (~2 ¥ 106 CFU/g), and irradiation.
All treatment options require validation under commercial processing conditions.
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