January 2003

Food Facts For You!

Barbara Ingham, Extension Food Scientist

Department of Food Science, 1605 Linden Drive , Madison , WI 53706-1565

Advise to Health Care Workers: Clean Your Hands
Antibacterial Soap a Waste of Time
Are We Too Clean?
Viruses Lurking on Cruise Ships
For a New Year's Resolution, Try Cleaning the Refrigerator!
What's On Your Mind?
(starting a small food business; food storage dates; outreach to food pantries; How clean is a dog's mouth?)
On the Web: New Year's Food Traditions.

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January, 2003 Newsletter

 

 

Advise to Health Care Workers: Clean Your Hands

Although somewhat surprising, and even a bit embarrassing, evidence shows that physicians, nurses and other health care workers don't always adequately wash their hands. In 34 hand-washing studies, these professionals really cleaned up only 40% of the time, according to the hand hygiene resource center at the Hospital of Saint Raphael in New Haven, Conn. The shortcoming is attributed to heavy workloads and hectic schedules. But their oversight is linked to the transmission of infection within the health care system. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that each year nearly 2 million patients in the United States get an infection in hospitals, and about 90,000 of die as a result. In an effort to reverse these outcomes, the CDC has issued new hand hygiene guidelines that will prove useful in the hospital, the clinic and even in physicians' offices. Central to the directive is the regular use of alcohol-based hand rubs, and the message is clear: Even the busiest physician should be able to find time to use these products for a between-patient cleanup.

The CDC's findings indicate that the alcohol-based hand rubs reduce the number of bacteria on the hands more effectively than does washing with soap and water alone. But despite their effectiveness, they can't take the place of the traditional soap and water wash if hands are visibly soiled. Alcohol-based hand rubs don't remove soil, but they can kill germs on hands that have already been washed. And alcohol-based hand rubs should not be confused with anti-bacterial soaps, gels and lotions that have proliferated the consumer market. Antimicrobial products like the antibacterial soaps have raised concern about their possible role in antibiotic resistance, but the alcohol based rubs do not pose the same risk. Clean hands continue to be the single most important factor in preventing the spread of dangerous germs and antibiotic resistance in health care settings.

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Antibacterial Soap a Waste of Time

We've known for some time that antibacterial soaps may be harmful for the environment, but newly researched research results indicate that the antibacterial soaps may also not be providing any extra health protection. Researchers at the most recent meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America were told that while it may be virtually impossible to buy soap in the United States that is not "antibacterial," such products are a waste of time, and their heavy use could contribute to a whole new breed of hard-to-kill superbugs. Researchers from the Columbia University School of Nursing in New York evaluated the effectiveness of antibacterial soaps after studying primary caretakers in 222 New York City households. As part of the study, half of the households received an antibacterial soap for daily hand washing, and half were given plain soap - neither was labeled. The two groups were tested after washing one time, and again after one year of regular use of the assigned soap. The researchers found that antibacterial soap isn't any more effective than plain soap when it comes to hand washing. Soap and water works by literally washing away germs, and for daily hygiene, hand-washing with regular soap is fine. The only caution that the researchers offered was to be sure to wash hands properly, this means washing and scrubbing all surfaces: fingers, the backs of hands, between fingers, wrists, and under fingernails and jewelry.

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Are We Too Clean?

And now…. We turn our attention to a recent question that seems rather contradictory. Health professionals needing to wash their hands aside, are we perhaps too clean? Evidence presented by a recent article in The Washington Post appears to be accumulating that this just might be true. First, the Post article says, was news that having two or more cats or dogs around to slather your infant's face in salivary affection appears to help a baby build up immunity to allergies and asthma. Then in September 2002, researchers showed that hanging out with farm animals may help shield kids from allergies. After that came a study indicating that having older siblings and going to day care seems to provide the same type of allergy and asthma protection as consorting with pets and livestock.

Scientists are reluctant to recommend raising hogs in the spare bedroom or skinny-dipping in the septic tank as preventive medicine; at least partly because the evidence that is accumulating is still deemed inconclusive. And much is not yet known about the precise relationship between filth and human health. But evidence is increasing to support the "hygiene hypothesis," which holds that developed nations are too clean and that our relentless efforts to wipe away grime are messing with our immune systems, which need a bit of squalor to function at full tilt. Spearheaded by scientist David Strachan in the late 1980s, the hygiene hypothesis claims that exposure to bacteria, viruses and other microbes early in life helps fortify the developing immune system against a broad array of potentially allergenic substances. Without such exposure, we become vulnerable. Certainly evidence exists that our higher health standards correspond with an exponential increase in allergy and asthma among children.

One controlled double-blind study done last year strongly upheld the hygiene theory. Researchers in Finland identified a beneficial bacterium that had been part of humans' intestinal flora prior to the 20th century. Researchers fed the bacteria, now mysteriously absent from the human gut, to pregnant women and then to the infants after they were born. The babies experienced increased immunity to atopic eczema, allergic rhinitis and asthma. The researchers concluded that improvements in hygiene and a reduction in family size might explain the bacterium's disappearance.

While there is no doubt that scientists are interested in the increase in allergies and asthma in children in recent years, most do caution against letting dust accumulate in your home or exposing your children to infections. History has shown that improvements in personal hygiene can have significant benefits: less infant mortality, longer life spans, less infections diseases. So, it probably isn't time to give up house cleaning as a New Year's resolution, but increased study may indicate that our children are right…a little bit of dirt is ok.

Washington Post. The Dirt on Bad Health, Good Hygiene. 11/12/02.

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Viruses Lurking on Cruise Ships

Norwalk-like viruses are responsible for sickening millions of people every year, and recent outbreaks on luxury cruise liners underscore the need for more awareness of the leading known cause of transmissible foodborne illness. Spread via food, water, contact with an infected person or items they touch, Norwalk-like viruses can linger on the periphery of food and food service.

Both the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) have summarized information relative to norwalk-like viruses. "These viruses are transmitted as a result of direct or indirect contact with feces or vomit," according to IFT food science expert Dean Cliver, professor at the University of California at Davis. "Frequent, thorough hand washing and keeping hands out of the mouth are effective at reducing the risk of infection brought on by person-to-person contact and contact with shared items." Behaviors such as sharing food, water or eating utensils can spread the infection. Individuals may also become infected by eating or drinking contaminated foods or beverages.

Norwalk-like viruses are considered to be responsible for at least 9 million of the estimated 76 million annual cases of foodborne illness. The onset of illness is usually 24 to 48 hours, and includes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, low-grade fever and abdominal pain. The fatality rate of the illness is one-in-100,000. Suffering and recovering from the virus does not reduce the risk of re-infection. "Those who've contracted the illness can spread it even days after their symptoms cease," said Cliver, "It's imperative they emphasize personal cleanliness, especially if preparing food, up to one week later." The person infected by a Norwalk virus is a major factor in the occurrence and character of the disease. Susceptible populations such as the extremely young and elderly and individuals taking immunosuppressive drugs are at greater risk of contracting such illnesses.

The potential of the Norwalk virus for infecting food sources exists within fecally contaminated marine water that can affect shellfish, human sewage contaminated water sources used on fresh produce, and ready-to-eat and prepared foods contaminated by food handlers using poor hygiene. The most preventive measures to counter Norwalk viruses are proper hygiene and sanitation as related to food preparation and handling. Treatment of the disease is based on preventing severe loss of fluids (dehydration), and this is especially critical in children. Medications, including antibiotics, have no effect on viruses.

IFT scientific documents are accessible online at http://www.ift.org/sci_reports/.

And CDC reports on viral illness can be found online: http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/fact/norwalkv.htm

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For a New Year's Resolution, Try Cleaning the office Refrigerator!

Alice Henneman from the University of Nebraska solicited horror stories about the office refrigerator earlier this year and she compiled these into an article for her newsletter 'Food Reflections'. For a look at what might be in the office refrigerator, read on:

Tales of fuzzy and fermented foods are common! One refrigerator magnet summed up the situation: "If a messy kitchen is a happy kitchen, this place is delirious." Take a moment to test your refrigerator food safety savvy, and then review ideas for establishing a refrigerator policy for your office. And look for a press release in January on cleaning up the home refrigerator.

Test if you are Refrigerator Food Safety Savvy (answer YES or NO to the following)

Questions:

1. Is it safe to leave perishable foods at room temperature for longer than TWO hours TOTAL time? (Perishable foods include: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu; dairy products; cooked pasta, rice and vegetables; fresh, peeled and/or cut fruits and vegetables.)

2. Is it OK to refrigerate foods while they're still warm?

3. Should you eat refrigerated leftovers within a day or two for safety and quality?

4. Should you keep your refrigerator at 40°F or lower?

5. Can you always see, smell or taste bacteria that cause food-borne illness?

Answers
1. NO. Refrigerate perishable foods so the TOTAL time they're at room temperature is less than 2 hours. At room temperature, just ONE bacterium in these foods could grow to 2,097,152 in 7 hours!

2. YES. Just leave the container cover slightly cracked until the food has cooled. Refrigerate foods in shallow containers to speed cooling.

3. YES. Eat refrigerated leftovers promptly.

4. YES. Keeping your refrigerator at 40° F or lower slows bacterial growth. Keep your freezer at 0° F or lower, which stops most bacterial growth. Freezing DOES NOT kill bacteria. Keep an appliance thermometer in your refrigerator and in your freezer to assure they stay at these recommended temperatures

5. NO. When in doubt, toss it out! You can't always see, smell or taste bacteria that cause food-borne illness. It takes from ½ hour to 6 weeks before you get sick from contaminated food.


Ideas for Keeping Your Office Refrigerator Neat and Clean:

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What's On Your Mind?

Starting a small food business. Every so often a question comes into a county office with someone wanting to start a food business. Maybe it's interest in selling jams and jellies at the Farmer's Market; or perhaps it's someone interested in selling salad dressings to a local restaurant. Those questions may make their way to my desk and so, in an effort to summarize what I have learned, I have put together a fact sheet entitled: Starting a Small Food Business in Wisconsin. This fact sheet can be accessed under the archives for the Food Facts for You! newsletter- search under B- business.

Food storage dates. Several emails over the past month have come in to my office related to how to interpret the dates on items such as ham or jars of salsa. While we don't want people to discard items that are perfectly acceptable, we also don't want items to sit in our refrigerators or freezers too long. Following are a few web-based resources that might help answer these questions, or I'm always willing to deal with this type of question individually.

Wilma Johnson (Washburn County) also asked about resources for food pantries and their clients related to this subject. On the next page (page 6) you will find a one-page sheet that you might use for food pantries or their clients relative to this issue. The information is summarized from the wealth of information located on Purdue University's Safe Food for the Hungry web site. This web site is an excellent resource for dealing with food pantries and their clients. Under the 'Food Safety References' section you find posters illustrating can and jar defects and guidelines for evaluating donated food plus other useful items:
http://www.cfs.purdue.edu/safefood/sfhungry.html

Food Product Dating: What It Means to You

Date labels are common on many types of food packages. But what do they mean? Is it safe for your program to use or distribute food after the package date? The answer is, it depends. Use the information below to help you decide which outdated foods to distribute and which to discard.

Expiration Dates

Pack Dates

Pull Dates

Quality Dates

Whether the items in your food pantry are packaged or fresh, careful inspection of all in-coming items is very important. One rotten onion can spoil an entire bag, and one leaking jar of juice may ruin all the boxes of cereal stored nearby. Discard items that are obviously spoiled or that have off odors. Remember, your rule-of-thumb should always be: When in doubt, throw it out!

Adapted from Dates on Food Packages: What Do They Mean? From Safe Food for the Hungry: http://www.cfs.purdue.edu/safefood/foodsafety.html

Lucia Patritto (Iron County) provided the answer to that age-old question: "Is a Dog's Mouth Cleaner Than A Human's? " The answer, found at the Urban Legends web site, includes this segment: "A dog's mouth contains a lot of bacteria," says Dr. Gary "Ask the Vet" Clemons. "Remember, a dog's tongue is not only his wash cloth but also his toilet paper." So where did the notion come from that a dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's? From doctors, evidently. It has long been noted in the medical literature that human bites are more likely to become infected than those of other mammals, including dogs. The statistics were published in journals and repeated by medical professionals, and folk wisdom took off from there.
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/weekly/aa090400a.htm

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On the Web: New Year's Food Traditions

A quick search of the Web yielded these food traditions associated with New Year's celebrations:

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