Reason: Contained undeclared egg whites.
Distribution: CA
January 18, 2000
National Meat Association - Herd on the Hill
Edited by Jeremy Russell
The Justice Department, on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), filed a lawsuit against IBP Inc. last week, alleging violation of
numerous environmental laws in the company's handling of waste from its
Dakota City, NE processing facility. EPA investigators say they found
evidence of an overabundance of hydrogen sulfide in the air above six of the
operation's waste lagoons, as well as evidence of illegal ammonia discharges
in the Missouri River. IBP expressed disappointment at the suit, saying it
"will benefit no one. It only further delays the environmental
improvements we have been trying to make at Dakota City since 1997. We also
strongly refute the allegations stated in the government complaint."
The company expressed its desire to clean up the plant and the frustration
of government roadblocks that have and continue to delay them. IBP and the
Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) in early November
reached an agreement to work out details for IBP to receive the permitting
needed to make an estimated $13 million in environmental improvements, as
well as to expand the plant92s hide tannery. However, by December NDEQ
officials unexpectedly backed out of the tentative agreement, indicating
they need federal government concurr ence before engaging in any permitting
activity.
"We believe the government officials should issue the necessary
permitting through (as originally promised by the NDEQ) as soon as
possible," said the company in their statement. IBP also noted that
state environmental officials have determined that the ammonia levels in the
treated water released into the river do not cause an adverse environmental
impact.
January 20, 2000
PA News
John von Radowitz, Medical Correspondent
Researchers at the Wellcome Trust Centre for the Epidemiology of Infectious
Diseases in Oxford, were cited as saying in New Scientist that depending on
how many people died from new variant CJD in 1999, they will be able to
predict the eventual number of fatalities, and that forecasts by scientists
researching the human form of mad cow disease have suggested the death toll
will be thousands rather than millions although it is still possible that as
many as 500,000 people could fall victim to the disease, thought to be
triggered by eating infected beef But, the story says, the researchers have
virtually ruled out an apocalyptic final death toll of millions, which some
experts had warned could occur.
The scale of the problem will rest on how many susceptible people were
infected and how long the disease's incubation period is.
The story notes that the Wellcome Trust researchers based their
predictions on how many infected cows were slaughtered, how much infected
material entered the food chain and the course of the cattle epidemic.
From this they produced a model for predicting the likely course of the
human disease. One of the team, statistician Christl Donnelly, was quoted in
New Scientist as saying, "1999 may be a bit of a turning point."
If 15 people or fewer died from nvCJD in 1999, the model predicts the
number will reach a maximum of 500,000 cases in total.
If there is no increase, and a similar number die in 2000, it is expected
to peak at 14,000 cases or fewer.
January 19, 2000
PRNewswire
WASHINGTON -- The Agriculture Department's reconfigured policy on food
recalls "contradicts the stated goal of the government's new strategic
food safety plan to establish effective, efficient and science-based
policies," the Grocery Manufacturers of America said today.
GMA Vice President of Scientific and Regulatory Policy, Stacey Zawel,
addressed a public meeting held by the President's Council on Food Safety,
to discuss the Council's draft strategic plan for federal food safety
operations.
"USDA's new policy to publicize every recall of meat and poultry
products‹regardless of whether or not there's a health risk to the
public‹seems to go against the spirit of what the Council on Food Safety
wants to accomplish with its federal food safety goals," said Dr. Zawel.
In the past, the department would publicize only those cases where
contamination is involved and work with the affected companies on a case-by-
case basis. Now, USDA intends on issuing a press release on every recall
situation, even in cases where there is not a health risk (if a product
contained excessive water, for example).
"The Council's plans are designed to implement science-based risk
management and risk communication strategies," Zawel said. "The
USDA's hastily announced change in how it plans on announcing meat and
poultry recalls seems to contradict those strategies. Admittedly, we are a
bit puzzled in the direction USDA is suddenly taking with its new policy,
which seems to remove flexibility and discretion from a policy that needs
both components."
"We will look forward to talking with USDA in detail about the
implications of this policy in the coming weeks," added Zawel.
The President's Council on Food Safety, which includes representatives
from USDA, FDA, and the Environmental Protection Agency, met today to hear
public feedback on its strategic plan aimed at improving cooperation and
communication among federal food safety agencies.
For more information, contact Brian Sansoni at 202-337-9400.
GMA is the world's largest association of food, beverage and consumer
product companies. With U.S. sales of more than $450 billion, GMA members
employ more than 2.5 million workers in all 50 states. The organization
applies legal, scientific and political expertise from its member companies
to vital food, nutrition and public policy issues affecting the industry.
Led by a board of 42 Chief Executive Officers, GMA speaks for food and
consumer product manufacturers at the state, federal and international
levels on legislative and regulatory issues. The association also leads
efforts to increase productivity, efficiency and growth in the food,
beverage and consumer products industry.
January 20, 2000
The Associated Press
Philip Brasher
WASHINGTON -- Nutrition experts rewriting the nation's dietary guidelines
will, according to this story, likely specify for the first time who might
benefit from moderate consumption of alcohol: middle-aged men and women. The
story says that based on a working draft of the standards, the proposed new
guidelines, expected to be made public soon by an 11-member advisory
committee, also will tell Americans to cut down on foods rich in saturated
fats such as meat and dairy products, include a change in wording intended
to make it easier for consumers to adhere to the maximum fat intake, put
more emphasis on eating whole grains, fruits and vegetables and will include
a special section on food safety.
Margo Wootan, a senior scientist with the Center for Science in the
Public Interest, a nutrition advocacy group, was quoted as saying,
"These guidelines will be better than they have ever been."
January 20, 2000
Reuters
ATHENS -- More than 300 people, according to this story, swamped hospitals
in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki in the past week with symptoms of
food poisoning and severe gastrointestinal problems after eating mussels and
shellfish caught locally.
Local municipality officials were cited as telling the semi-offical
Athens News Agency on Thursday that specialists were tentatively attributing
the sickness to the development of toxic organisms in parts of the Thermaic
Gulf, south of the city.
Shellfish fishing was temporarily banned on Monday by the local
prefecture and the sale of associated products prohibited after
microorganisms deemed to be hazardous to public health were detected in the
the Gulf waters.
January 20, 2000
Knight-Ridder Tribune/AP
The first wave of lawsuits was, according to these stories, filed Wednesday
in Chicago against Sara Lee Corp. in connection with an outbreak of food
poisoning that killed 15 people and sickened hundreds of others in 1998.
The stories note that five suits, filed in Cook County Circuit Court,
blame Sara Lee and its Bil Mar Foods plant in Zeeland, Mich., for the
outbreak of Listeria. The suits are filed on behalf of the estates of four
people who died of the disease and two people who recovered.
Last summer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked the
unusual outbreak of the virulent form of food poisoning to the Zeeland
plant, but cautioned, the stories add, that not every case of illness could
be linked precisely to the site.
Sara Lee recalled about 15 million pounds of hot dogs and other meats in
December 1998, four months after the first cases of Listeria were
discovered. New cases of the disease dropped off sharply after that recall.
Despite the recall, Sara Lee has, the stories say, maintained steadfastly
that its plant has never been proven to be the culprit.
However, the company did make improvements at the Zeeland
plant‹including some recommended by the CDC‹to prevent any outbreaks of
airborne illnesses. The company would not comment Wednesday on the five
suits.
Jan. 20, 2000
AP
By Rachel Zoll
Associated Press Writer
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- CVS Corp., the U.S.'s second-largest drugstore chain
has, according to this story, started asking customers to list the herbal
supplements they use -- in addition to their prescription drugs -- in an
effort to avoid potentially dangerous drug interactions.
The story says that CVS Corp. pharmacy employees enter the information
into a computer and cross-check it with the customer's drug prescriptions.
When the customer gets a prescription filled, the computer automatically
lists possible reactions.
Chris Bodine, a CVS vice president for pharmacy, was cited as saying in
announcing the program Thursday that herbal supplements are a $1.5 billion
per year industry, and health care providers want to educate people about
using the remedies safely, adding, "We are deeply concerned that an
increased use of vitamin and herbal therapies can lead to an increased
chance of potentially dangerous drug interactions."
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