"j.e. cummins" wrote:
> 19 February 2000
> Prof. Joe Cummins
> e-mail: jcummins@julian.uwo.ca
>
> “Escherichia coli 0157:H7 is not a Problem Linked Exclusively to Organic
> Produce”
> The page: http://safetyalerts.com/ gives a good compilation of
> government safety alerts in food products. The numerous alerts on
> Escherichia coli 0157:H7 (E coli) the shiga toxin producing bacteria that
> causes kidney damage and death in children and older people. The numerous
> incidents reported are mainly from eating undercooked hamburger or in one
> case a major outbreak was caused by people picnicking in a cow pasture.
> I have searched the science literature and found that most incidents of E
> coli poisoning are related to hamburger or other meat. Slutsker et al (1998)
> did a case controlled studies of E coli infection in the United States and
> their multivariante analysis showed only eating undercooked hamburger
> remained associated with infection .Ackers et al (1998 ) reported Montana E
> coli outbreak infecting 40 residents who ate lettuce purchased in stores
> from producers in Washington State and Montana, the lettuce was not
> identified as certified organic produce. Hillborn et al (1999) studied an
> outbreak of lettuce associated E coli associated with mesclun lettuce in
> Connecticut and Illinois from a single producer. The contamination was
> linked to cattle in a pasture near the lettuce field. The report did not
> indicate that the lettuce was certified organic produce nor was there use
> of manure from the cattle on the lettuce field, runoff from the cow pasture
> was suggested. A British study investigated whole lettuce from
> supermarkets, shops and market stalls and found all were acceptable
> microbiological quality in a search for fecal bacteria including E coli
> 0157:H7(Little et al 1999).
> Currently the peer reviewed scientific literature has not recorded evidence
> that organic produce is a source of E coli contamination. The best evidence
> indicates that the manure composting required for organic certification is
> fully adequate to eliminate E coli 0157:H7. However, organic farmers should
> take care that poo pollution in runoff from nearby pastures is avoided . At
> any rate, pastures near produce fields should be required create low berms
> around their fields to limit runoff, whether the produce fields are
> organic or not.
> References
> 1.Ackers,M.,Mahon,B.,Leahy,E,Goode,B.,Damrow,T,Hayes,P,Bibb,D. and
> Barrett,T. “An outbreak of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 infections associated
> with leaf lettuce” J Infect,Dis 1998,177,1588-93
> 2.Hilborn,E.,Mennin,J,Mshar,P,Hadler,J, Voetsch,A, Wojtkunski,C,
> Swartz,M,Mshar,R,Lamber-Fair,M.,Farrar,J,Glynn,M. and Slutsker,L.”A
> multistate outbreak of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 infection associated with
> consumption of mesclun lettuce” Arch Intern Med 1999,159,1758-64
> 3.Little,C,Roberts,D,Youngs,E and de Louvis,J. “Microbiological quality of
> retail imported unprepared whole lettuce” J Food Prot 1999 62,325-8
> 4.Slutsker,L,Ries,A,Maloney,K,Wells,J, Greene ,K and Griffin,P.”A nationwide
> case controlled study of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 infection in the United
> States” J Infect Dis 1998,177, 962-6
>
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