Beef blamed for tainted U.S. spinach

16.oct.06
Meat Processing
MeatNews
http://www.meatnews.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Article&artNum=12647

UNITED STATES: FDA traces the contaminated spinach, which sickened nearly 200 people, to a beef cattle ranch in California.
Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) alerted consumers about fresh spinach that may have been contaminated with E. coli. The FDA later determined that the contaminating bacteria was E. coli O154:H7 - the same deadly strain that often contaminates ground beef.
To date, 199 people in 26 states became ill after eating the fresh spinach - 103 required hospitalization and three people died.
The FDA eventually traced the contaminated spinach to farms in California.
Last week, the FDA concluded that the water the farms used to irrigate the spinach was contaminated with E. coli. The FDA traced the source of the E. coli to a neighboring beef cattle ranch.
A FDA news release said: "Test results from the field investigation of the outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in spinach are positive for E. coli O157:H7. Samples of cattle feces on one of the implicated ranches tested positive based on matching genetic fingerprints for the same strain of E. coli that sickened 199 people. The trace back investigation has narrowed to four implicated fields on four ranches. The outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 from cattle feces was identified on one of these four ranches. At this time, testing of other environmental samples from all four ranches that supplied the implicated lot of contaminated spinach are in progress. The positive test result is a significant finding, but is just one aspect of this investigation. More information may come forward as the investigation continues."
The four fields suspected of producing the contaminated spinach are not currently being used to grow any fresh produce.
"While the focus of this outbreak has narrowed to these four fields, the history of E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks linked to leafy greens indicates an ongoing problem," the FDA news release stated.
There have been previous cases of E. coli O157:H7 contamination of leafy green vegetables from farms in central California. FDA and the state of California have encouraged the fresh vegetable industry to develop a comprehensive plan designed to minimize the risk of another outbreak due to E. coli O157:H7 in vegetables grown in central California. While this plan is under development, FDA and the state of California reiterated previous concerns and advised firms to review their current operations in light of the Agency's assistance and recommendations for minimizing microbial food-safety hazards.