E. coli Eating Antibiotics for Lunch
New research suggests that E. coli may have a new weapon to combat antibiotics. Although debate has surfaced over the use of antibiotics and the ability for bacteria to become resistant to the drugs, researchers from Harvard have discovered that some bacteria are not only resistant to antibiotics, but actually consume the drugs.
According to Discover, the researchers took 11 soil samples from various environments with different levels of antibiotics. Bacteria were discovered in all the samples that were able to survive by consuming antibiotics. These bacteria included types of E. coli as well as Shigella. The bacteria even existed in conditions that contained more that 100 times the amount of drugs given as a normal dose to patients and more than 50 times the amount needed to qualify bacteria as resistant.
The research provides a new angle on the use of antibiotics to combat bacteria like E. coli, both in patients and in livestock. There is also a possibility that the genes that allow the consumption of antibiotics could be spread to pathogenic bacteria and make infections from bacteria such as E. coli 0157:H7 even more dangerous.
Microwave safety and E. coli
With outbreaks of E. coli 0157:H7 in frozen foods such as Jeno’s and Totino’s Pizza, the safety of microwave cooking has been intensely questioned and studied in order to provide safer products in the future. Many organizations in the food industry have developed programs to address risks associated with microwavable foods, and the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) released a series of presentations discussing the risks.
Microwave ovens are inherently flawed in that they do not always evenly heat and cook foods, which allow for hot and cold spots within cooked food. Not only are there variances in temperature, but not evenly cooking the product can result in the failure to inactivate pathogens (including E. coli O157:H7) in the food that may cause disease.
The presentations address a variety of areas that affect uneven heating:
- Non-uniform distribution of dipolar molecules and ionic materials within the food.
- Differences in microwave absorption of frozen/thawed areas.
- Product/component edge heating effects.
- Areas of high and low microwave field strength within the oven cavity and product.
- Different food component and thermal properties.
We support all efforts to make food safe. It is important to note, however, that consumers are not at fault for E. coli poisoning. It is the responsibility of manufacturers and others to provide food that is free of dangerous pathogens such as E. coli O157:H7.
Published by E. coli Lawyer.
Ethanol and E. coli
2007 marked a drastic increase of recalled beef due to E. coli contamination, including the Topps Meat recall, the largest beef recall in U.S. history. There were 67 illnesses connected to the 20 recalls of 2007, as opposed to the 8 recalls with no illnesses in 2006. Scientists believe the recent flood of E. coli contamination (specifically the lethal 0157:H7 strain) may be connected to the use of distillers grain, an ethanol byproduct.
Ethanol production has greatly increased with the increasing demand for the use of ethanol as a fuel additive. This demand has driven up the price of corn which makes distillers grain much more affordable for cattle producers to use as feed. Researchers have been testing for a correlation between the use of distillers grain and E. coli 0157:H7 for a few years already. According to the Des Moines Register:
Researchers at Kansas State University noticed the possible E. coli connection to distillers grains in 2005. A second study found a twofold increase in E. coli levels in cattle fed the product compared with those that ate only corn. Research at the University of Nebraska showed mixed results. Cattle fed a diet comprising 10 percent to 30 percent distillers grains actually had lower rates of E. coli than cattle on a diet of all corn. But cattle fed 40 percent to 50 percent distillers grains showed higher E. coli rates.
The U.S. Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska is currently conducting a large scale experiment to get to the bottom of this issue. According to the Associated Press:
The research involves 600 cattle. Half are being fed a traditional grain feed and half are being fed distiller’s grain. The research will wrap up in June after the cattle have been sold for slaughter and samples of their carcasses have been collected.
The cattle fed with distillers grains receive a diet of 40 percent distillers grains. The research will be a valuable insight into both the beef and ethanol industry. The study hopes to gain a greater understanding of E. coli 0157:H7 so that its dangerous effects can be prevented. The bacteria can cause stomach cramps and diarrhea that may turn bloody within one to three days. It can also be lethal to the elderly, children, and those with weak immune systems.
2006 Spinach E. coli Outbreak Prompted Change
The 2006 outbreak of E. coli 0157:H7 from fresh spinach has prompted many growers to change their practices to ensure the safety of their produce. According to the Detroit Free Press, growers in Yuma, Arizona have been stepping up precautionary measures in order to prevent another massive outbreak and to make sure consumers feels safe about the produce they eat.
The outbreak in 2006, which claimed the lives of three people, and sickening over 200 people in 26 different states, was found to be tied to California spinach. It is believed that wild pigs spread E. coli 0157:H7 from a cattle ranch to the spinach fields.
According to the Detroit Free Press:
The outbreak prompted the Western Growers Association to create an agreement that incorporates the latest scientific practices for growing and handling produce, said Jasper Hempel, executive vice president and attorney for the trade group. When a food distributor signs the pact, it agrees to buy only from growers who abide by the practices and who agree to inspections by federally trained state inspectors.
California produce distributors have already signed the agreement. California produces virtually all spinach and lettuce produce for the United States during the summer, but Arizona produces the nation’s supply during the winter. Most major distributors in Arizona have also signed an agreement similar to the one in California.
California and Arizona growers have adopted new standards to protect their crops from E. coli contamination, including spacing produce fields at least a quarter mile away from cattle grazing ground and a mile away from feed lots. Growers will also need to evaluate their fields in news ways to prevent contamination due to storm runoff, flooding, irrigation water and fertilizer. The Western Growers Association also supports the creation of federal standards similar to those implemented in California and Arizona.
NFBF Calls for Mandatory Testing for Imported Beef Trim
The Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation (NFBF) has sent a letter to the USDA criticizing certain aspects of the Food Safety and Inspection Service’s upgraded protocol to deal with E. coli 0157:H7 contamination, according to the Brownfield Network. The NFBF has issues with the FSIS protocol’s mandate on the testing of beef trimmings.
In the current protocol, testing is mandatory for beef trim produced in the United States. FSIS, however, has no mandates for beef trim produced in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Canada, and others that are imported to the United States. NFBF President Keith Olsen states that the current procedure gives a competitive advantage to imported beef trim. This could also lead to an increase in beef recalls because of E. coli 0157:H7 contamination.
E. coli and Grain-Fed Cattle
The debate continues as to whether grain-fed cattle are more likely to harbor deadly E. coli O157:H7 bacteria in their intestines. A recent Kansas State University study now finds that cattle fed distiller’s grain, a byproduct of the ethanol distilling process, may increase the incidence of E. coli O157:H7 in the cattle’s hindgut. Below is a Kansas State University press release regarding the study:
MANHATTAN, KAN. — Ethanol plants and livestock producers have created a symbiotic relationship. Cattle producers feed their livestock distiller’s grains, a byproduct of the ethanol distilling process, giving ethanol producers have an added source of income.
But recent research at Kansas State University has found that cattle fed distiller’s grain have an increased prevalence of E. coli 0157 in their hindgut. This particular type of E. coli is present in healthy cattle but poses a health risk to humans, who can acquire it through undercooked meat, raw dairy products and produce contaminated with cattle manure.
“Distiller’s grain is a good animal feed. That’s why ethanol plants are often built next to feedlots,” said T.G. Nagaraja, a professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology at K-State’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
The growth in ethanol plants means more cattle are likely to be fed distiller’s grain, therefore harboring 0157 and potentially a source of health risks to humans, Nagaraja said. That’s why he and Jim Drouillard, K-State professor of animal sciences, have been collaborating on testing distiller’s grain-fed cattle for 0157. Nagaraja and Drouillard, who studied the carcass quality of cattle fed distiller’s grain, are joined by Megan Jacob, a K-State doctoral student in pathobiology. Through three rounds of testing, Nagaraja said the prevalence of 0157 was about twice as high in cattle fed distiller’s grain compared with those cattle that were on a diet lacking the ethanol byproduct.
“This is a very interesting observation and is likely to have profound implications in food safety,” Nagaraja said.
Food safety and animal health are research priorities at K-State, which since 1999 has dedicated more than $70 million on research related to animal health and food safety. More than 150 K-Staters are actively involved in these areas.
Nagaraja said research in the next few years will focus on finding out why 0157 is more prevalent in cattle fed a distiller’s grain diet. He said it could be something that changes in the animals’ hindgut as a result of feeding distiller’s grains, or maybe the byproduct provides a nutrient for the bacteria.
“Feeding cattle distiller’s grain is a big economic advantage for ethanol plants,” Nagaraja said. “We realize we can’t tell cattle producers, ‘Don’t feed distiller’s grain.’ What we want to do is not only understand the reasons why 0157 increases, but also find a way to prevent that from happening.”
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