HOMETOWN: Madison, Wis.
EDUCATION: bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate in food microbiology from the University of Wisconsin — Madison
PERSONAL: married, three children
EXPERIENCE: director, Center for Food Safety; University of Wisconsin Department of Food Microbiology and Toxicology; senior project leader, microbiology division, Ralston Purina Co.
Restaurateurs can take simple steps to protect guests from potentially contaminated foods, noted Michael P. Doyle of the University of Georgia’s Center for Food Safety as a deadly outbreak in Europe from fecal contaminant E. coli O104:H4 appeared to be waning. The epidemic, thought to have begun in May, is now associated with uncooked sprouts of fenugreek seeds.
The outbreak is believed to be responsible for 41 deaths and 3,908 illnesses and may be responsible for an additional seven deaths and 147 illnesses, said the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Nearly a thousand of those stricken could face serious lifetime medical complications.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta said in the United States there were six confirmed cases of infection from the O104:H4 strain plaguing Europe, five of which involved people who traveled abroad, including one who died.
Though cucumbers, lettuce and tomatoes were initially suspected, the link to raw sprouts was made by Robert Koch Institute investigators looking at recipes for a restaurant in Lübeck, Germany.
Doyle answered questions about the outbreak and developments in the U.S. touching on food safety.
How has the European outbreak impacted fresh-produce users in America?
The European E. coli O104:H4 outbreak has made American consumers and restaurateurs more aware of the hazards of eating sprouts, and as a result of this increased awareness, more consumers are likely to avoid them.
As a result of the European outbreak, has your institution seen increased requests for produce-safety resources from the U.S. foodservice or retail industries?
We have received inquiries for conducting research on the survival characteristics and disinfection treatments for E. coli O104:H4.
Will different disinfection approaches be needed to deal with the O104:H4 strain, as opposed to the more commonly known O157:H7 strain?
Probably not, but that is yet to be determined.
What are the top two or three things restaurateurs can do to reduce E. coli contamination?
The big [problems] have been with meat, primarily beef, and making sure you use proper cooking [temperatures]. The other thing has been about sprouts, and that is that you should either cook them or not serve them. Proper cooking will take care of E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria. And avoid cross-contamination [in production areas].
Editor’s note: USDA-recommended internal cooking temperature guidelines can be found at: www.fsis.usda.gov/Is_It_Done_Yet/Brochure_Text/index.asp#5.
Are you concerned about talk by Congress and the president that some federal food-safety programs may receive less money or be cut as part of the deficit-reduction effort?
I am definitely concerned about the federal funding situation for food safety, largely because of the incredible trend for importing more foods from developing countries that do not produce or process foods using the levels of sanitary practices expected by U.S. consumers.
If you were to advise restaurateurs on a point about which they should lobby the government related to improving the safety of the produce, what would it be?
Reinstate funding for the USDA Microbiological Data Program for pathogen testing of produce that the House Agriculture Appropriations Committee eliminated. This is the primary government testing program for pathogen testing of produce and without it [there is] a major void in the verification of the safety of higher-risk fresh produce.
Contact Alan J. Liddle at alan.liddle@penton.com.
