“Superbugs” are not creepy crawly insects. They are bacterial organisms that can make you very sick. They’re called “superbugs” because they can’t easily be controlled with medicine. I’m pretty sure you don’t want to be eating superbugs with your burger!

According to research conducted by Consumer Reports, superbugs are proliferating in conventionally-produced ground beef. If that’s what you buy when you make a burger or other food with hamburger (like meat loaf or spaghetti sauce), you run the risk of getting so sick you could die.

That’s especially true if you like your burgers rare or medium-rare, and only cook them to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.

Consumer Reports tested the equivalent of 1,832 quarter-pounders, bought from 103 grocery, big-box and natural food stores in 26 cities across the U.S.

What they found is stunning: five types of bacteria: clostridium perfringens, E. coli, enterococcus, salmonella and staphylococcus aureus.

All of these bacteria can cause food poisoning.

But you should be concerned about more than an uncomfortable stomach ache.

One strain of E. coli can release a toxin that damages the lining of the intestine, often leading to abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea, vomiting and in some cases, life-threatening kidney damage.

Between 2003 and 2012, there were almost 80 outbreaks of E. coli O157 due to tainted beef, sickening 1,144 people, putting 316 in the hospital and killing five, Consumer Reports’ analysis found.

“Ground beef was the source of the majority of those outbreaks,” said the non-profit research group.

⇒ And here’s the kicker.

“For every case of E. coli O157 that we hear about, we estimate that another 26 cases actually occur,” say the report’s authors.

Beef is the fourth most common cause of salmonella outbreaks—
one of the most common foodborne illnesses in the U.S.

For each reported illness caused by that bacteria, an estimated 29 other people are infected.

How Did Superbugs get So Super?

√ One reason the illnesses occur is because people are eating beef that they don’t cook well enough.

√ But the bigger problem is with the beef itself. Most beef is produced in “conventional” factory farm-type feedlots where the cattle are fattened up with grain and soy and fed antibiotics and other drugs to promote growth and prevent disease.

√ Ironically, these antibiotics encourage the bacteria that cause disease to develop a resistance to them.

√ The more antibiotics cattle are given, the more resistant to them the bacteria become, which is how they turn into superbugs.

Consumer Reports found a type of antibiotic-resistant S. aureus bacteria called MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) on three conventional samples (and none on samples from cows raised in a more humane and sustainable way). S. aureus kills about 11,000 people in the U.S. every year.

√ Bacteria can also get on the meat during slaughter or processing.

With a steak or a roast, the bacteria tend to stay on the surface, so when you cook them, the outside is likely to get hot enough to kill any bugs.

But grinding up the beef mixes the bacteria throughout, contaminating all of the meat inside and out.

√ The problem is compounded because the meat and fat that are ground into beef usually come from several animals. Even if only one cow is contaminated, its meat may get mixed into many other packages.

√ Superbug-infested meat can also contaminate the processing plants that package it, as well as the stores and restaurants that serve it.

Superbugs in Your Kitchen

Your kitchen is at risk, too. If you knead ground beef into hamburger patties or a meat loaf, you could be spreading dangerous bacteria on your counter or in your sink.

And if you don’t scrub your hands after working with the meat, you could spread the bacteria to whatever you touch next.

“There’s no way to tell by looking at a package of meat or smelling it whether it has harmful bacteria or not,” warns Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D., executive director of the Center for Food Safety and Sustainability at Consumer Reports.

“You have to be on guard every time.”

How to Avoid Eating Superbugs With Your Burger

Want to take a break from eating so much meat?

Check out our Meatless Monday recipes. They’re delish!

This recipe for a Zucchini Frittata is one of my favorites.

The post Are You Eating Superbugs With Your Burger? appeared first on Big Green Purse.

I love eggs, but I hate food poisoning more.

I’m betting so do the more than 2,000 people who have been sickened by eating tainted eggs produced by factory chicken farms in Iowa. After all, no one I know enjoys the impact salmonella has on their digestive tract, since it induces vomiting, dizziness, diahrrea, fever, abdominal cramps, blood infections and even death.

Investigators are still trying to understand how this potentially lethal bacterium was able to infect so many eggs in such a short period of time. One possible cause is getting a lot of attention: the way the laying hens were raised. Conventional poultry operations raise millions of chickens at a time, often in confined spaces and under filthy and inhumane conditions that reduce the ability of the animals to fight off germs. When disease hits, it spreads like wildfire. But with a fire you can see the flames coming. With salmonella, you don’t know it’s got you until you’re doubled over in pain or on your way to the emergency room.

For now, eggs in 14 states in the midwest have been recalled. The good news is that this amounts to less than 1 percent of all eggs produced in the U.S. Still, disease outbreaks like these remind all of us to be vigilant about the food we eat. The following precautions will help you stay healthy:

* Check for tainted eggs. Eggs being recalled are packaged under the following brand names: Albertsons, Farm Fresh, James Farms, Glenview, Mountain Dairy, Ralphs, Boomsma, Lund, Kemps and Pacific Coast. Eggs are packed in varying sizes of cartons (6-egg cartons, dozen egg cartons, 18-egg cartons, and loose eggs for institutional use and repackaging) with Julian dates ranging from 136 to 229 and plant numbers 1720 and 1942. If you find any eggs that contain these dates or plant numbers, return them to the store immediately.

* Throwaway cracked or discolored eggs. Even if they’re not tainted with salmonella, they could be harboring other “bugs” that could make you sick. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

* Buy eggs produced locally on small family farms. Small farms generally produce safer food because farmers have fewer animals to police. If an animal does get sick, chances are the farmer will find it and treat it before an entire flock becomes a threat. If the farms are certified organic, so much the better. You can find the nearest family farm here. If you’re interested, take a look at Smith Meadows Farm. I buy their eggs (see their chickens in the picture below) at my local farmers market on Sundays.

* Follow the same steps for preparing raw eggs that you would for raw chicken: handle carefully, cook thoroughly, and wash your hands with hot, soapy water when you’re finished.

* Avoid eating raw eggs in any form. Yes, that means skip the raw cookie dough, the raw cake batter, the raw muffin mix. If making scrambled eggs or french toast, you can tell the egg is cooked through because it won’t look shiny and wet.

* Keep eggs refrigerated until you use them. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommends that eggs be kept in a refrigerator cooled to 45 degrees F.

* Raise your own chickens. Believe it or not, raising backyard chickens has become increasingly popular, and not just in rural communities. Many municipalities are re-considering zoning laws to allow people to keep chickens in their backyards; this is even true in dense urban areas like Seattle, Washington and Boston, Massachusetts.

For more information on salmonella, here’s our recap of the salmonella that infected peanut butter last year.

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Earlier this month, products containing peanut butter produced by the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) were disovered to be tainted with salmonella. Over 488 people have become ill; six have died.

The government has issued this list of products consumers should avoid. It is quite extensive and probably includes some of your favorite brands, so please review it carefully.

The FDA says so far, no brand name peanut butter sold in grocery stores is linked to the outbreak. Your Jiffy, Skippy and Peter Pan should be safe.

Many schools do not serve peanut butter because so many kids are allergic to peanuts. Schools that do serve peanut butter that they got from PCA have had their supplies recalled.

The FDA says you would be wise to avoid foods like processed cakes, candies, cookies and ice cream that contain peanut butter or peanut paste.  The Kellog Co. voluntarily recalled 16 products, including Keebler and Famous Amos peanut butter cookies, because they contain peanut butter that could have come from the Peanut Corporation of America.

If you think you have consumed contaminated peanut butter or peanut products, look for these signs:
diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after eating the questionnable food.  Though most people recover without treatment, in some cases salmonellosis, as the infection is called, can kill. Take antibiotics immediately, and stay under a doctor’s watchful eye.

What about the peanut butter treats you give your dogs? Pet Smart has recalled seven Grrreat Choice dog treats; many other pet snacks have been recalled as well (check the FDA’s list).  Allie’s Answers asked Zuke’s and Newman’s Organics about the safety of their pet food. So far, no salmonella has been reported.

The Girl Scouts say their cookies are ok, too.

The post Where can you find safe peanut butter? appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Here’s a quick run-down on how to stay safe from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, as well as a list of reasonable options if you still want to eat tomatoes this summer.

What You Can Eat, What to Avoid:

Avoid raw red plum, raw red Roma, and raw red round tomatoes that have NOT been grown in the following states:

Alabama
Alaska
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Delaware
Florida (counties of: Jackson, Gadsden, Leon, Jefferson, Madison, Suwannee, Hamilton, Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, Hardee, DeSoto, Sarasota, Highlands, Pasco, Sumter, Citrus, Hernando, Charlotte)*
Georgia
Hawaii
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
Nebraska
North Carolina
Ohio
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Belgium
Canada
Dominican Republic
Guatemala
Israel
Netherlands
Puerto Rico
* Shipments of tomatoes harvested in these counties are acceptable with a certificate issued by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Eat:

Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and tomatoes still on the vine appear to be safe to eat. Canned (that is, processed) or bottled foods like grocery-store tomato juice and spaghetti sauce are also safe if they were processed by a commercial food-processing facility.

Be wary of fresh salsa, guacamole, pico de gallo, and other prepared foods that contain tomatoes. Ask the proprietor of the store or restaurant to verify the source of the tomatoes they use. If you’re unsure that the tomatoes are safe, says the FDA’s food safety chief, Dr. David Acheson, “don’t eat them.”

Get Treatment Immediately

People who have eaten food contaminated with Salmonella often have fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Infection with Salmonella also may be more serious or fatal in young children, frail or elderly people, and people with weakened immune systems. If you suspect Salmonella poisoning, seek medical help immediately.

Know How Salmonella Spreads

Salmonella lives in the intestinal tracts of some animals, and can survive in soil and water for months. Once Salmonella has contaminated something, it can be spread from surface to surface. A tomato contaminated with Salmonella can spread the bacterium to the hands of a person who cuts the tomato and to the cutting board on which the tomato is sliced, for example. Because Salmonella is very hard to wash off, the FDA says consumers should not try to wash tomatoes that are implicated in the outbreak. Instead, throw these tomatoes out.

Consumers should not attempt to cook potentially contaminated tomatoes, either. Handling tomatoes contaminated with Salmonella can spread the bacterium to anything the handler touches, including hands, kitchen utensils, cutting boards, sinks, and other foods. Plus, cooking tomatoes in the home will not necessarily kill Salmonella.

What About Tomatoes from Farmers’ Markets and Other Locally Grown Sources?

Before you buy tomatoes from the local farmers’ market, make sure the tomatoes were indeed grown locally. Farmers’ markets get their tomatoes from a variety of sources that are not necessarily limited to local farms. These other sources may include the same ones that provided the tomatoes implicated in the Salmonella outbreak. Ask retailers at farmers’ markets where their tomatoes come from to be sure they haven’t been grown in a state where salmonella is present.

That being said, chances may be higher that tomatoes grown at your local farmers’ market are safe. Find the nearest farmers’ market at the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s website.

To find farmers that sell direct to consumers look here.

To find food grown in your community, check with Local Harvest here.

Want to grow your own? There’s still time to plant and harvest tomatoes. You can put them in big pots on your porch or patio, or in a backyard garden. Get organic gardening tips here.

And if you want to plant a garden but have no room at your own home or apartment, try a community garden. If it’s too late for this year, get on the waiting list for this fall or next spring.

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