Colorado State University Extension
SafeFood Rapid Response Network
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IN THE NEWS
Edited by: Mary Schroeder, M.S., R.D. & Pat Kendall, Ph.D., R.D., Colorado State - Fall 2004
Are "Free-Range" Chickens Safer to Eat?
A belief held by many is that meat produced from a free-range raised animal may be healthier and safer to consume than meat obtained from conventionally raised animals. Organic growers often raise their chickens under free-range conditions - where the chickens are free to roam outside cages or other confined areas.
Are chickens raised without overcrowding and minimal or no hormone/ antibiotic use less likely to be contaminated with foodborne pathogens? To help answer this question, a microbiologist at the Richard B. Russell Research Center in Athens, GA recently examined 110 processed free-range chickens from three organic producers. The result - some 25% of the chickens tested positive for Salmonella, the same rate as found in conventionally raised chickens.
This should not deter consumers from purchasing free-range chicken if they prefer it for other reasons. They just need to use the same safe food handling precautions recommended with all types of raw meats and poultry. Food safety guidelines to remember are:
- Store it safe. Store raw meats on a plate or tray in the refrigerator below ready-to-eat items such as fresh produce.
- Avoid cross-contamination. Wash hands and all contact surfaces (including sink, knife, utensils, cutting boards, countertop) with hot soapy water after contact with raw meat, fish or poultry.
- Cook it well. Use a food thermometer to ensure that foods are adequately cooked. Cook chicken breasts to 165ºF; whole chicken to 180ºF.
- Serve it safe. Use a clean plate and utensils to serve the cooked meat, not the ones that held raw meat.
Source:
Durham, S. "Free-Range" Chicken-No Guarantee It's Free of Salmonella." Agricultural Research Service Online. Available at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2004/040920.htm.
Targeting E. Coli from the Inside Out
E. coli O157:H7 is one particularly nasty bacteria often implicated in foodborne disease outbreaks caused by consumption of undercooked or raw ground beef. Symptoms include bloody diarrhea and can lead to Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, the leading cause of acute kidney failure in children. While meat processors experiment with various chemical washes to reduce the numbers of harmful E. coli bacteria on beef products, others have taken a different approach.
Researchers at the National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa, are working on an oral vaccine to
prevent the attachment of E. coli O157:H7 bacteria to the intestinal walls of infected cattle. The vaccine uses intimin, a protein found on the outer membrane of the O157:H7 strain and needed for the bacteria to attach themselves to intestinal tissue. Calves injected with purified bacterial intimin develop antibodies that keep E. coli O157:H7 from setting up an infection in the cow's intestine, thus reducing the presence of E. coli O157:H7 in the cow. The vaccine only interferes with the harmful O157:H7 strain, not beneficial E. coli strains.
In other news, these researchers have also found that testing calves' gallbladders is a good way to determine if an E. coli infection has actually set up in the calf and are recommending that gall bladder tissue samples be cultured for E. coli O157:H7 as a way to help identify infected cattle at slaughter. While its reassuring to know that strides are being made to improve the safety of our food supply, the best line of defense for consumers still remains to follow safe food handling guidelines and cook ground beef to at least 160ºF.
Source:
Pons, L. "Targeting E. coli Bacteria at Their Source." Agricultural Research Service online. August 4, 2004. Available at: www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2004/040804.htm.
Food Code Changes Reflected in ServSafe® 3rd Edition
ServSafe® instructors may be wondering about making the switch to the new 3rd edition-2004 materials for upcoming trainings. As those who have conducted recent Managers Level Certification Trainings know, enough changes have been made, primarily in content organization, to justify doing so.
In General
Although not a problem if both the instructor and attendees all have 2nd edition materials, it is quite awkward when a combination of both 2nd and 3rd editions are used. The 3rd edition PowerPoint® slides, ServSafe® Essentials and Coursebook have all been restructured quite differently. In our opinion, the new flow of material, with enhanced visuals, is easier to follow than the previous editions. New slides with short quizzes at the end of each unit offer a handy review of material just covered and stimulate group discussion. The total number of chapters has increased from 14 to 15, as the "Flow of Food" has been expanded. Additionally, the new chapter title "Food Safety Systems" emphasizes the need for foodservice operations to develop an all encompassing food safety management system, not just a HAACP program, in order to effectively promote food safety within each organization.
An updated video series "ServSafe Steps to Food Safety Six-Video Set," is also available, which reflects temperature changes (as discussed below). These changes have been "voiced over" those in the 2nd edition series. According to the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the 3rd edition video series can be purchased through local chapters (i.e., The Colorado Restaurant Association) for a discounted price of $435.00 until December 15, 2004. After that, the retail price will be $535.00.
For those conducting basic Food Handler trainings, the ServSafe Employee Guides have also been updated to reflect the new changes. The current cost remains $5 each or $45 per 10-pack. These are available in English, Spanish and Chinese.
Temperature Changes
OF GREATEST IMPORTANCE to the 3rd Edition ServSafe® materials are the temperature changes outlined in the Supplement to the 2001 FDA Model Food Code. Based on recommendations by the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) and the 2002 Conference for Food Protection, the decision was made to lower the hot holding temperature of potentially hazardous foods from 140ºF to 135ºF. The old temperature danger zone (41ºF to 140ºF) now reads 41ºF to 135ºF.
Research has shown that Clostridium Perfringens and Bacillus cereus, the microorganisms most critically associated with foods held at improper temperatures, cannot survive in temperatures over 126ºF. Therefore, it was decided that the upper level of 135ºF for hot holding of potentially hazardous foods provides a sufficient margin of safety, while minimizing possible adverse effects to product quality during hot holding. Likewise, cooling verbiage now states that "cooked potentially hazardous food shall be cooled from 135ºF to 41ºF or below within 6 hours, provided that the food is cooled from 135ºF to 70ºF within the first 2 hours." The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment adopted these standards into its Colorado Retail Food Establishment Rules and Regulations, effective August 1, 2004. It is up to each state to decide if and when to adopt these Food Code recommendations.
Information on the new 3rd Edition ServSafe® materials can be found on the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's website at www.nraef.org.
