E.
coli and
Coliforms: Fecal Bacteria in Our Food
Salmonella from cantaloupe,
sprouts and fruit juices: Hepatitis A from strawberries: Cryptosporidium
from scallions: Shigella from parsley: E. coli O157:H7 from lettuce,
spouts and orange juice: Cyclospora from raspberries: Listeria
from sprouts: Aeromonas hydrophilia, Listeria, Salmonella, Shigella,
Staphylococcus spp. (multiple varieties), and others all from
prepared salad mix: the list of disease-causing microbes (bacteria
and Fungi) in fruits and vegetables is almost as varied as our
supply of fresh produce.
According to a report
by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fresh
produce was the most significant source of foodborne illness
in 2005. In 2000, the CDC reported that the occurrence of foodborne
disease increases during the summer months for all foods, including
fresh produce. They report the number of reported produce related
outbreaks annually doubled between 1973-87 and 1988-92.
The article sites three
major reasons for the increased incidence: increased foreign
imports and the handling methods and ready-to-eat packaging of
those produce products, modified atmosphere packaging, to keep
produce looking fresh longer which "…may open a window
of opportunity for pathogens to grow," and "…poor
hygiene practices and inadequate inspections at produce-processing
plants, according to a report issued in March by the House of
Representatives Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
of the Committee on Energy and Commerce."
According to ASM's (American
Society of Microbiology) Microbe magazine (June, 2008), "Foodborne
outbreaks attributable to leafy greens such as lettuce, cabbage,
and spinach increased substantially during the past 35 years,
and continue to cause public health problems throughout the United
States."
Google Blogs Alert for E. coli testing: E. coli Outbreak is Growing:
Posted on: Wednesday, 18 June 2008, 06:00 CDT. Subscribe to Google
Blogs Alert for E. coli testing and you will find that ground
water contamination and, more importantly, runoff water may be
spreading E. coli across your lawn and your children or pets
may be transporting thousands of E. coli and Coliform bacteria
into your home.
E. coli and Coliform bacteria are fecal bacteria. High populations
of urbanized wild animals and hillside dog walking areas contribute
to the E. coli and Coliform population on your lawn. In the movie
the War of the Worlds, the microbes took down the alien invaders
when the military could not.
As E. coli and Coliform levels go up in our food and in our environment
people are getting ill; people die from this in America today.
E. coli infection usually causes diarrhea, which can be bloody,
and appears within two to eight days after infection. People
who have symptoms should contact their doctors.
Government regulation is needed and welcomed in the battle against
E. coli; however the rate of E. coli and Coliform infestations
are moving much faster than the wheels of government, as per
the CDC’s report of incidence doubling as presented above.
Today much of the country is being flooded; flooding spreads
E. coli and Coliform bacteria. Multiple Water Watch Groups in
25 states (1/2 of the United States) report E. coli counts in
excess of 90% above safe levels in the water. Well water should
be tested periodically; however, after flooding testing should
be mandatory.
Foreign human and pet foods move into the United States in massive
volumes both fresh and processed. The budget constraints are
such that rigorous testing and monitoring cannot be accomplished.
Possibly the model of the Water Watch Groups should find fertile
ground as Food Watch Groups.
As my readers and obesity counseling clients change their eating
habits in an effort to get their Candida yeast infestations,
their overweight or obesity, and their other Candida infection
symptoms under control, I see many of them moving towards a healthy
consumption of more fruits and vegetables. My experience with
molds, yeasts, and bacteria personally, in the field and in my
laboratory prompts me to bring to attention information about
these healthful foods which frequently harbor Bacteria or Fungus.
All fruits, vegetables,
nuts and grains are habitat to Bacteria or Fungi: one or the
other will dominate the territory of the various foods we eat.
The main difference between Bacteria and Fungus is the time factor
to resulting death after exposure and contraction. Bacteria is
fast; untreated it can lead to death, in days, weeks, months.
Fungus is insidious and slow compared to bacteria and a wide
range of its symptoms is normally not attributed to it, thereby
allowing it to grow unchecked for years. Fungus is a contributing
factor to morbidity, often named as a secondary cause of death
(COD); however, Fungal infections take a long time to kill you.
My personal experience
with the Fungus Candida had a dramatic effect on my life and
the conditions caused by Candida; my morbid obesity was cured
by a dietary change to reduce the yeast infestation in my body,
and a variety of other Candida yeast symptoms such as chronic
fatigue, moodiness, fogginess, and just feeling older than I
should cleared up as well.
Unfortunately, E. coli,
Salmonella and General bacteria, which multiply at a much faster
rate than Fungus, are a greater and more immediate health threat.
My laboratory (Florida Institute of Mold/Florida Institute of
Yeast Optimum Recovery Laboratories) has been working with Micrology
Laboratories’ E. coli media, an EPA approved media for Water
Watch Groups. Our recent culturing of fresh pre-washed packaged
salad mix* yielded high amounts of General bacteria, Coliforms,
and E. coli. (Photographic results of these tests are available
on line at ecolitestkit.com.) The food we eat is going to have Bacteria or
Fungi, and it is important to know what health threat each type
of food has, and how to reduce that threat.
Plant Management Network
published this efficient listing of produce by associated pathogen
in an article by J.W. Buck, University of Georgia et al:
Table 1. Examples of
fresh produce and juice from which
bacterial pathogens have been isolated.
Pathogen Product
Aeromonas alfalfa sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower,
celery, lettuce, pepper, spinach
Bacillus cereus alfalfa sprouts, cress sprouts, cucumbers, mustard
sprouts, soybean sprouts
Campylobacter jejuni green onions, lettuce, mushroom, potato,
parsley, pepper, spinach
Clostridium botulinum cabbage, mushrooms, pepper
E. coli O157:H7 alfalfa sprouts, apple juice, cabbage, celery,
cilantro, coriander, cress sprouts, lettuce
Listeria monocytogenes bean sprouts, cabbage, chicory, cucumber,
eggplant, lettuce, mushrooms, potatoes, radish, salad vegetables,
tomato
Salmonella alfalfa sprouts, artichokes, beet leaves, celery,
cabbage, cantaloupe, cauliflower, chili, cilantro, eggplant,
endive, fennel, green onions, lettuce, mung bean sprouts, mustard
cress, orange juice, parsley, pepper, salad greens, spinach,
strawberries, tomato, watermelon
Shigella celery, cantaloupe, lettuce, parsley, scallions
Staphylococcus alfalfa sprouts, carrot, lettuce, onions sprouts,
parsley, radish
Vibrio cholera cabbage, coconut milk, lettuce
Adapted from Beuchat
(3,6), NACMCF (26,27) and Nguyen-the and Carlin (28)
What you can do:
All scrubbable fruits
and vegetables should be thoroughly scrubbed; the scrub brush
should be washed well with dish soap or run through the dishwasher
often. Wash all berries, all lettuce (whole head lettuce is safer
than pre-washed packaged lettuce), and all non-scrubbable fruits
and vegetables with fast-running water.
Before you cut or peel,
scrub the skins of cantaloupes and other melons with water and
a clean vegetable brush to prevent transfer of pathogens from
the rind to the flesh.
Eat only sprouts only
if cooked (even if they are home-grown). In restaurants, request
no sprouts on your sandwich or salad. (Personally, I am no longer
going to eat the salad at restaurants.)
Utilize commercially
available vegetable wash or mix a drop of chlorine in a gallon
of water to use as a rinse for all produce.
*NOTE: Lettuce is listed as a source of
7 of the 10 pathogens listed.
Diet & Weight Loss
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