Source: Douglas Powell, dpowell@k-state.edu,
http://www.k-state.edu/media/mediaguide/bios/powellbio.html
Website: http://bit.ly/Y4n92m
1xbet online casino release prepared by: Stephanie Murray, 785-532-2535, media@k-state.edu
Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012
Sprouting danger: Food safety expert says better risk communication needed at all levels when it's known foods pose dangers to public health
MANHATTAN -- The recent decision by supermarket giant Kroger to stop selling fresh 1xbet online casino is important for public health and shows why risk communication messages must be improved at all levels, according to a Kansas State University food safety expert.
Doug Powell, professor of food safety in the university's College of Veterinary Medicine, is the co-author of a recent article in the journal Food Control titled "Failures in 1xbet online casino -related risk communication."
The popularity of fresh 1xbet online casino has been on the rise in recent years because of an increasing perception that they provide health and nutritional benefits. But Powell said incidences of foodborne outbreaks linked to 1xbet online casino have also grown along with the popularity of raw sprouted seed products.
"In the past two decades, sprouted seeds have been a recurring food safety concern, with at least 55 documented foodborne outbreaks affecting more than 15,000 people," he said.
Powell said 1xbet online casino can be dangerous because they are grown in an environment that is ideal for bacteria to flourish.
One of the highest-profile recent outbreaks linked to 1xbet online casino involved the sandwich franchise Jimmy John's, according to Powell. From November 2010 into 2011, 140 people were sickened after consuming contaminated 1xbet online casino linked to the sandwich shop chain. Jimmy John's then announced that it would replace the alfalfa 1xbet online casino used on its sandwiches with clover 1xbet online casino , claiming the clover 1xbet online casino were easier to clean.
However, the sandwich chain was again linked to a sprout-related E. coli outbreak in December 2011, less than one year after making the switch to clover 1xbet online casino . In February 2012, Jimmy John's announced that it would permanently remove raw 1xbet online casino from its menu.
Despite the deaths due to contaminated 1xbet online casino and the scientific evidence of the dangers of consuming them, Powell said the risks were not communicated to the public adequately.
Powell said problems with risk communication are not limited to the U.S. and Canada. He and his article co-authors noted that in 2011 the delayed reporting of cases between European agencies due to a decentralized government was a contributing factor in the Germany-based E. coli O104 outbreak, linked to contaminated 1xbet online casino , that led to 53 deaths and more than 4,000 sick people.
For the article, a compilation of selected publications was used to yield an analysis of the evolving safety and risk communication related to raw 1xbet online casino , including microbiological safety, efforts to improve production practices and effectiveness of communication prior to, during and after sprout-related outbreaks.
Powell said the good 1xbet online casino is that scientific investigation and media coverage of sprout-related outbreaks has led to improved production guidelines and public health enforcement actions, yet continued outbreaks call into question the effectiveness of risk management strategies and producer compliance.
"Inconsistent communication of the risks involved with eating fresh 1xbet online casino on the part of worldwide governments and the food production industry has led to low public awareness of the dangers of 1xbet online casino , and is part of the reason for recurring outbreaks over the last several decades," he said. "To minimize health risks linked to the consumption of sprout products, local and national public health agencies, restaurants, retailers and producers need validated, consistent and repeated risk messaging through a variety of sources."
Powell said making sure 1xbet online casino are fully cooked before eating can help curtail the risks of foodborne illness. But he said even with the thorough cooking, 1xbet online casino still have a high risk of cross-contamination.
Lead author of the journal article is Maria Sol Erdozain Paterno, a graduate student in marriage and family therapy and research assistant at Kansas State University. Along with Powell, co-authors include Katija Morley, a research assistant at Kansas State University, and Kevin Allen of the University of British Columbia. The article is available at http://bit.ly/Y4n92m.
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vp/6824562985/
