Nutrition News

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Spring 2000

Resources Available

This-n- That

  • Milk Matters Campaign. Sponsored by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the Milk Matters campaign is designed to increase calcium consumption among children and adolescents to help prevent osteoporosis later in life. NICHD has a variety of educational materials for distribution to parents, children, and colleagues. These materials are available free of charge and include fact sheets, posters, stickers, and brochures. For more information, contact: NICHD/Milk Matters Clearinghouse, PO Box 3006, Rockville, MD 20847, phone (800) 370-3943.
     
  • Cold is Cool. The Dairy Council has a new program, Cold is Cool! School Milk Handling Workshop, which is available to school food service directors. This video-training program follows HACCP guidelines for handling milk. School food service staff will learn the critical control points of keeping milk fresh and good tasting for their customers. The kit includes a ten-minute video and a presentation outline. The training has been approved for one hour of ASFSA continuing education credits. Call the Dairy Council at 1-800-516-4443 or borrow it from the Florida Department of Education's Food and Nutrition Resource Center, (850) 487-3569.
     
  • Health and Nutrition Worksheets. The National Heart Savers Association has a variety of nutrition education activities for grades K-8. Word games, puzzles, and a variety of other enrichment activities focus on heart healthy nutrition concepts, many of which can also be integrated with other curricular areas such as language arts or math. A resource packet can be obtained for free by contacting Jackie Delehant at (402) 398-1993.

Source: Florida Spotlight on Child Nutrition, A publication of Food and Nutrition Management, Florida Department of Education, Winter 2000.

Food Allergy Resources

Source: Florida Spotlight on Child Nutrition, A publication of Food and Nutrition Management, Florida Department of Education, Winter 2000.

Buying Medical Products Online

FDA has a Web site that helps consumers select reliable Web sites for purchasing prescription or over-the-counter drugs. Consumers also can notify FDA about problem Web sites that may be illegally selling drugs, medical devices, or other medical products online. Find it at:

http://www.fda.gov/oc/buyonline/default.htm

"Home Food Safety...It's in Your Hands"

Professional Kit

This kit contains several consumer education home food safety brochures, press kit materials, reproducible slicks of the key campaign messages, a campaign logo slick, a new nutrition fact sheet on home food safety, the ADA position paper on food safety, and both the refrigerator magnet and bookmark supporting the campaign.

Member price $ 5.95
Nonmember price $19.95

Presentation

ADA developed this PowerPoint presentation focusing on the campaign's four key messages.

Member price $6.95
Nonmember price $22.95

To order call ADA at (800) 877-1600, ext. 5000.

Web-Based Food Safety Lessons

Iowa State University Cooperative Extension has put together a food safety module accessible on the Internet: "Safe Food: It's Your Job Too!" Four food safety lessons are included-Lesson 1: What's bugging you?, Lesson 2: What are Consumer Control Points?, Lesson 3: Where is the Danger Zone?, and Lesson 4: Who is FAT TOM?

Computer-scored achievement tests are provided after each lesson and participants receive immediate feedback on their scores. Test your food safety knowledge!

http://www.Extension.iastate.edu/foodsafety/Lesson

Eggcyclopedia

The American Egg Board recently released "Eggcyclopedia," unabridged. This manual provides a wealth of information related to eggs. Topics covered include egg production, food safety, nutrition, basic egg preparation methods and classic recipes, the egg industry etc.

A number of other materials also are available upon request from the Egg Board. These include transparencies, slides and glossies of recipes, single copies of consumer publications, newsletters for active older adults, and educational materials for use at various grade levels. For information on available materials, contact the American Egg Board at:

http://www.aeb.org

Food Safety

Food Biotechnology: A Look at the Issues

The following is a reprint of an article written by Dr. Pat Kendall, Extension Specialist at Colorado State University:

As might be expected with something so powerful as genetic engineering, there is much controversy regarding if and how it should be used, on what, by whom, and under what controls.

While simple forms of biotechnology have been used for centuries, such as selective and cross breeding, the new biotechnology is quite different. Using a process called recombinant DNA technology or genetic engineering, scientists have developed the ability to modify plants and animals in ways never thought possible. Genes found in animals, for example, can be isolated and inserted into plants and vice versa. The first application, the artificial production of chymosin, an enzyme needed for cheese making, was highly successful. The first genetically engineered whole food on the other hand, the Flavr Savr™ (Calgene, Inc.) Tomato, was not so successful. Introduced in 1994, it was pulled off the market in 1997 due to low consumer appeal and is currently being re-designed. Currently, the most popular use of bioengineering in the food production arena (and the use creating the most headlines) is the planting of crops genetically engineered with the traits for pest management. Since first approved for commercial use in the mid 1990s, the number of acres planted with genetically engineered crops, primarily insect-resistant corn and cotton and herbicide-resistant soybeans, has risen sharply, from 4 million acres in 1996 to approximately 100 million acres in 1999 (about 50 percent of the total production of these crops in the U.S.). This high adoption rate has created a bit of a storm among environmentalists and others both in this country and abroad. Concerns became so intense this fall in Europe, that the European Union suspended both the introduction and the importation of new varieties of genetically engineered crops in Europe. Are these concerns justified or are they merely an outpouring of anti-technology emotion, based on fear of the unknown? Given that not only the risks but also the most significant benefits of foods produced using genetic engineering are still mostly theoretical, no one knows for sure where the answers lie, probably somewhere in between. Understanding the issues surrounding the debate, however, is very important. Proponents see genetic engineering as an Extension of classic cross-breeding methods, more complex, but also more precise. They view it as a method of organizing nature to bring out the best in nature. They stress the potential biotechnology has for reducing the need for agricultural chemicals, improving the productivity, efficiency and profitability of food production, and improving the quality, safety, cost and convenience of consumer food products. They tend to oppose special labeling, as long as the end product is substantially the same nutritionally and functionally as the originally product. They see special labeling as unnecessary and potentially misleading. Opponents focus on various issues. For some, ecological or environmental issues are the major concerns. Groups such as the Union for Concerned Scientists and the National Wildlife Federation raise concerns about "super bugs" or pesticide-resistant insects taking over agricultural fields. They express concern that bioengineering plants to resistant herbicides will increase our dependency on chemicals and take us further away from sustainable agriculture practices. They fear that transgenic crops will transfer their herbicide resistance to other weeds, become weeds themselves, cause damage to wildlife, and threaten global centers of crop diversity. Some people are primarily concerned about food safety and allergenicity issues. They raise concerns about the potential transfer of unknown allergens into foods causing problems in unsuspecting persons. The ability of genes to transfer "known" allergens already has been shown. Others are more concerned about social and ethical issues. Their view is that because most of the basic research and development on genetically engineered foods is being done by the private sector, profit will overpower good science and protection of public welfare. Some consumers are concerned with "right to know" issues. They want to be able to express their choice in the market place regarding how their food was produced; thus, they want special labeling. For others, the greatest concern is that genetic engineering will lead to eugenics, that is, genetic modifications to the human race. Agricultural biotechnology clearly has great potential to help solve agricultural production and food security challenges. But, first in Europe and more and more in this country, people are asking whether this promise is being realized. They're also asking who stands to benefit and who might end up bearing the costs and unintended consequences as agricultural biotechnology forges ahead? In the end, the public will be well served by a healthy mix of these two viewpoints, one that allows scientific progress, yet addresses safety and ecological issues and is responsive to social and ethical concerns.

Let Temperature be Your Only Guide When Cooking Hamburgers

Investigation by USDA has now proven that color is not a reliable criterion to judge if a hamburger has been heated to a level that will kill bacteria that may cause foodborne illness. Internal temperature is the best food safety criterion food doneness of any meat. You can only determine the safe temperature for burgers by using a thermometer; for example, insert a quick-response digital thermometer or a disposable T-stick thermometer sideways into the center of the cooked burger.

The recommended safe temperature is 160 F. Keep in mind that the burger might still be pink inside after reading 160 F, but it will be safe from bacteria that may cause foodborne illness. There are several reasons why ground beef may remain pink even after being cooked above 160 F. The reasons are associated with factors like the pH and the level of pigment in the meat, as well as the fat content. In fact, low-fat beef patties may require longer cooking times and higher cooking temperatures than higher fat beef patties to reach a safe internal temperature.

The opposite can also be true: a burger may be brown inside but may not have reached the safe temperature of 160 F. This is primarily caused by extensive oxidation of the fresh ground beef pigment and can occur, for example, with prolonged thawing of frozen ground beef or refrigerator storage of thawed ground beef.

When you use temperature as your guide when cooking hamburgers, you can serve them with confidence that you are protecting children from foodborne illness. Reprinted from: What's New with School Commodities, USDA, Fall 1999, via Florida Spotlight on Child Nutrition. A Publication of Food and Nutrition Management, Florida Department of Education, Vol. 5, Winter 2000.

Hard Cooking Eggs to Reduce  SALMONELLA ENTERITIDIS

The inside of an egg, once considered sterile, is now known to occasionally harbor Salmonella enteritidis (SE). The contamination occurs as a result of deposition in the oviduct before shell formation. While less than 1 percent of all eggs on the retail market contain the bacteria, up to 8 percent of eggs from infected flocks may contain SE. Therefore, it's important to properly handle and cook eggs.

The Egg Board recommends the following method for hard-cooking eggs: place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan; add tap water to cover at least 1 inch above eggs; cover pan, place on burner and bring to a boil. Upon boiling, remove the pan from the burner, allow eggs to set for 15 minutes (12 minutes for medium eggs, 18 minutes for extra large eggs), then place in ice cold water until completely cooled. This last step prevents the yolks from turning green by keeping the sulfur produced during the cooking process from adhering to the iron in the yolk and forming a green deposit.

In a recent study, eggs cooked this way actually showed inactivation of SE sooner following boiling than did those placed directly into boiling water, and cooked for 15 minutes. The Egg Board method also is less likely to result in cracking than the common method.

Sources: 1) Chantarapanont, W., et al. 2000. Factors influencing inactivation of Salmonella enteritidis in hard-cooked eggs, J Food Prot. 63:36-43; 2) American Egg Board. Eggcyclopedia, America Egg Board, Park Ridge, IL. 1999. http://www.aeb.org

 http://www.aeb.org/LearnMore/EggSafety.htm

 

Consumer Concerns

According to the Center for Consumer Research at UC - Davis, more consumers are concerned about microbiological hazards in foods than any other food safety issue. Among low income consumers with less formal education, pesticide residues are a concern. Fewer consumers consider use of antibiotics and hormones in animal production a serious concern. There appears to be some interest in purchasing irradiated foods when specific benefits are described. These foods have been well accepted in the marketplace. Consumers also are positive toward biotechnology.

Reference: Adv Exp Med Biol., 459:1-7, 1999.

Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Irradiation Update

USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) final rule on meat and poultry irradiation went into effect February 22, 2000. The amended regulations permit the use of ionizing radiation for treating refrigerated or frozen uncooked meat, meat by-products, and certain other meat food products. The FSIS also revised its regulations governing the irradiation of poultry products to make them as consistent as possible with the regulations for the irradiation of meat products.

How can you tell which products have undergone irradiation! The FDA requires that irradiated foods display the radura symbol on the food label. The radura symbol contains simple petals in a broken circle.

Consumers need to handle and prepare irradiated meat and poultry the same as they would other raw products. Irradiation will not necessarily destroy all bacteria present on or in the food. For additional information on irradiation, refer to "Red Meat Irradiation" in the Winter 1998 issue of Safe Food News.

Source: Cooperative Extension, Colorado State University Safe Food News, Spring 2000.

Is Raw Tofu a Concern?

Most tofu available in supermarkets is pasteurized, commercially sealed, and refrigerated. If the tofu is kept refrigerated and used within a week after opening, with the storage water changed every day or two after opening, there is little food safety risk to a healthy person from eating the product raw.

Tofu, a soybean curd that is protein-rich, meets the criteria to be classified as a potentially hazardous food. Therefore, proper storage of tofu is critical in decreasing the risk for foodborne illness.

Raw tofu purchased from open, unrefrigerated trays in produce markets can be a riskier practice when it comes to food safety. This product has not been pasteurized and needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 F prior to consumption.Source. UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, November 1999.

New Home Food Safety Program

"Home Food Safety. . . It's in Your Hands" campaign, debuted during summer of 1999. Sponsored by the American Dietetic Association (ADA), the ADA Foundation, and the ConAgra Foundation, the campaign focuses on raising consumer awareness about home food safety.

Four key messages are used to emphasize simple solutions for proper home food handling:

  • Wash hands often.
  • Keep raw meats and ready-to-eat foods separate.
  • Cook food to proper temperatures.
  • Refrigerate promptly below 40 F.

As part of the campaign, ADA and ConAgra launched a new web site to provide home food safety tips and an interactive food safety quiz that tests a consumer's food safety knowledge. This web site can be accessed at:

http://www.homefoodsafety.org

ADA offers a professional kit and a PowerPoint presentation to assist educators in their efforts. See the Resources section in this newsletter for a description and ordering information. A free home food safety brochure is available to the consumer by sending a self-addressed, business-sized envelope with two stamps to ADA, NCND-Home Food Safety Brochure, 216 W. Jackson Blvd. Chicago, IL 60606.

The campaign press kit and the consumer brochure are available in Spanish. Source: ADA Courier, December 1999.