Colorado State University Extension
SafeFood Rapid Response Network

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HIGHLIGHTS & UPDATES

UPDATE: SALMONELLA SAINTPAUL OUTBREAK
ASSOCIATED WITH PEPPERS AND TOMATOES

What started out on May 22, 2008 with the New Mexico Department of Health notifying CDC about four persons infected with the same strain of Salmonella Saintpaul grew over the summer months to the largest outbreak of salmonellosis in the past decade. When the CDC finally declared the outbreak over in late August, 1,442 persons in 43 states (17 from Colorado) had been reported to have been infected with the outbreak strain. Of these, 286 persons had been hospitalized and the infection contributed to two deaths.

The outbreak is now being associated with multiple raw produce items, with jalapeno peppers as the major transmission vehicle, followed by Serrano peppers and possibly tomatoes early in the outbreak. The FDA was able to trace back the outbreak strain to produce distributors in Texas who received peppers and tomatoes from Mexico. They were also able to isolate the outbreak strain in samples of Serrano peppers and irrigation water from one of the farms that provided produce to the Texas distributor. In addition, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment was able to isolate the outbreak strain from a jalapeno pepper collected from a household of a Coloradan who developed the illness. All of these were important breakthroughs in being able to identify the culprits in the outbreak.

Other than being so large, there are several factors which make this outbreak an important event, and one that may change how we look at food production and foodborne illness in the future. First, while raw produce has often been associated with foodborne illness outbreaks in the past, this is the first time jalapeno and Serrano peppers have been implicated. Also, outbreaks associated with Salmonella Saintpaul have been quite rare until now. Finally, the patient age demographics are concerning. The outbreak affected persons from less than one to 99 years, with the highest incidence among persons between the ages of 20 and 29 years, and the median age being 33 years. Was this because "20-somethings" eat more jalapeno and Serrano peppers than older adults, or do we have an unusually virulent pathogen on our hands? Only time will tell.

For information on safe processing of chile peppers, go to CSU's Processing Chile Peppers at http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/chili_pepper.pdf.

Sources:

1. CDC. 2008. Outbreak of Salmonella Serotype Saintpaul Infections Associated with Multiple Raw Produce Items - United States, 2008. MMWR 57(34)929-934. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5734a1.htm.
2. CDC Investigation of Outbreak of Infections Caused by Salmonella Saintpaul. 2008. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/saintpaul/
3. FDA Salmonella Saintpaul Outbreak. 2008. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/tomatoes.html.

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN LABELING

Country of origin labeling (COOL) has been in effect for fish and shellfish since 2004 and on September 30, 2008, the program will expand to include muscle cuts and ground beef (including veal), lamb, chicken, goat, and pork; perishable agricultural commodities (fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables); macadamia nuts; pecans; ginseng; and peanuts. These commodities must be labeled at retail to indicate their country of origin. The rule, which was included in the 2002 and 2008 Farm Bills, will not apply to commodities produced or packaged before September 30, 2008. Processed products that have undergone a physical or chemical change, like cooking or curing, or that have been combined with other food components, chocolate for example, are excluded from COOL labeling. This rule applies to grocery stores and similar retail businesses but food service establishments, such as restaurants, lunchrooms, cafeterias, food stands, bars, and lounges are exempt from these mandatory labeling requirements.

Source:

1. USDA, United States Department of Agriculture Takes Action on Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling, July 29, 2008: http://www.ams.usda.gov/COOL.

2007 REPORTED FBIS IN COLORADO

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment provides yearly statistics for over 60 diseases, including a number of illnesses usually associated with food. The statistics go back to 1998 and are reported by age group, county and report month.

The numbers of cases of these reportable foodborne illnesses confirmed in Colorado for 2007 were:

• Campylobacter (817)
• Salmonella (563)
• STEC (shiga toxin producing E. coli) (154)
• Shigellosis (123)
• Listeriosis (11)
• Botulism, Foodborne (4)

Source:

1. Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Colorado Reportable Disease Statistics, available online at: http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/dc/CODiseaseStatistics/index.html.

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