Whoever thought that chocolate was the yin to peanut butter’s yang never accounted for the grand aspirations of a clandestine, under-handed, headline-grabbing little gastrointestinal bugger called the food-borne illness. Talk about being a media hog — salmonella’s got it in spades. True, the nutty lugume of our hopes and dreams, so creamy-dreamy-and-tastebud-snugglin’ in its processed form, has traditionally been the ideal complement to milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or any chocolate for that matter — but waaaaait just a minute – cacao would be wise not to rest on its laurels. That’s right. The greedy bacterial-paparazzi-pig responsible for terrorizing the tummies of an entire nation has firmly entrenched itself in our peanut-based candies, cookies, energy bars, sauces (and countless other products possessing peanut buttery goodness) and sadly shows no signs of backing off. Is anything sacred? It’s bad enough that our spinach, tomatoes, orange juice, jalapenos, almonds, frozen chicken and (YES) chocolate have fallen prey to this detestable bacterium, but why, oh whyyyyy must the holiest of protein-packed-preparations succumb, too? Have you ever wondered how a simple nut can get so *%#@&* up?
The director of the FDA’s food safety center, Stephen Sundlof, has precisely the same question on his mind. Though he acknowledges that salmonella can remain dormant in peanut butter, he says that the rod-shaped bacteria traditionally don’t thrive in the high-fat, low-water composition, especially since the final product is regularly pasteurized. Nevertheless, this recall follows an outbreak of 625 salmonella cases in 47 states just two years ago from contaminated jars of Peter Pan brand peanut butter produced by ConAgra. In that case, the company blamed the salmonella outbreak on a leaky roof in their processing plant as well as a malfunctioning sprinkler system. Ultimately, they remodeled their factory in an attempt to more effectively separate raw peanuts from the final peanut butter product while also incorporating new tests to protect the consumer from any future concerns. The latest outbreak is presumed to be caused by peanut products such as sandwich crackers and cookies, ice cream, and nutrition bars (Clif Bar lovers, watch out!!) created in a Georgia-based facility owned by Peanut Corp. of America. Take a look at this link for the entire list of peanut butter products that are associated with the recall — http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/list.html.
If you want the give-it-to-me-straight version of how salmonella ends up in peanut butter, behold the highlights of the CDC’s everything-you-always-wanted-to-know-about-salmonella-but-were-afraid-to-ask fact page. Namely:
WHAT IS SALMONELLA?
- It is actually a group of bacteria/microscopic living creatures.
- For over 100 years, these germs have caused illnesses in humans.
- There are approximately 2000 different strains, but the Typhimurium and Enteritidis microbes are the most common in the United States.
- Approximately 40,000 cases are reported annually in America, although it is estimated that the true number of cases is 30+ times greater.
HOW IS IT SPREAD?
- Salmonella live in the intestinal tracts of humans and other animals (including birds) and the bacteria can contaminate food (which usually looks and smells normal).
- Common modes of transmission:
a) contaminated irrigation water used on crops,
b) the hands of an infected food handler who did not wash hands with soap after using the bathroom,
c) contaminated raw animal products.
- The silver lining in the storm cloud — thorough cooking kills Salmonella! (Yaaaay, I think…)
WHAT DOES IT DO?
- 8 to 72 hours after consuming food that is contaminated with the bacteria (which binds to and then penetrates the wall of the intestine), one can experience such unpleasant symptoms as diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps that last from 4 to 7 days.
- Individuals with strong immune systems may be a little worse for the wear, but they can normally recover without professional intervention.
- Very young and elderly patients who have challenged immune systems may face a far more difficult struggle requiring hospitalization since the Salmonella infection can spread from the intestines to the blood stream (and beyond). An aggressive course of antibiotics is crucial, as death can be the sad and preventable result if one does not act immediately.
HOW THE #@&* DID IT GET IN MY PEANUT BUTTER? (These are my not-so-far-off-in-left-field imaginings…)
- Back on the field, it is possible that peanut crops were augmented with contaminated cow manure or irrigated with salmonella-tainted water? While I am a firm proponent of recycling our natural resources, perhaps this is a neon-sign that demonstrates where we should draw the line…there’s a reason why they call graywater GRAY!!!!
- During the harvest, were there a few lazy peanut pickers who failed to wash up after a pit stop to the bathroom? Once again, it’s time to uphold the sage advice of our mothers….
- Could the same wild porkers who were roaming through the spinach fields of California back in 2006 have possibly made it all the way to Georgia by now? If so, they need to learn how to wipe their feet before trotting through our food crops – enough is enough!
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AgriGuiders:
- Are you concerned about the latest food contamination scare? How has it affected your life and shopping habits?
- Have you sworn off peanut butter altogether or are you taking your chances because you love it tooooooo darn much?
- What measures have you taken to protect yourself and your family from food-borne illnesses? Got any tips that you’d like to share?
COME ON — SHARE WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THIS ISSUE. Make your voice heard!
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