More food poisonings - This time with organic carrot juice

[ck4829]

Two people are paralyzed after drinking botulism-contaminated carrot juice, some of which was still found on store shelves 10 days after a Canada-wide recall, a Toronto health spokesperson said on Tuesday.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on September 30 warned consumers not to drink Bolthouse Farms 100 percent Carrot Juice, Earthbound Farm Organic Carrot Juice and President's Choice Organics 100 percent Pure Carrot Juice, all of U.S. origin, "due to botulism concerns."

Canadian distributors had immediately recalled the contaminated products. But as of Monday night, Toronto officials had found the juice in 11 of 788 stores checked during a four-day blitz, said Rishma Govani, spokeswoman for Toronto Public Health.

The two victims remain in hospital in serious condition, Govani said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061010/hl_nm/tainted_juice_dc

[pooja]

1. Ok, what's up with the organic targeting... Without our monsanto

beans jack, you will never reach the top.... I'm becoming suspicious of this e-coli break out. Products like juice are supposed to be tested to the hilt during processing... Just check out Tropicana and their team of testers (and testing these products leads to serious health conditions for chemists--the chemicals used in the testing process are extremely hazardous)... Anyway, juice is supposed to be tested for contamination... Is someone after Earthbound or what?

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. Okay, what's going on here?

This is happening all too frequently. Is it because of deregulation?


I admit I even had food poisoning today, but I think it was because of the Olive oil I added to the steamed vegetables. It was old, and had black specks floating inside. I don't know how I missed it.

[pooja]

8. I think this has more to do with the "organic" than anything else.

A couple of months ago, FDA approved a spray virus to go on meats to help prevent viral infections. There kicker was moving on a viral protection for E. coli bacteria... If we are made afraid of organics, our only other choice will be the crap they put on modified food...

[Cha]

10. The Bolthouse carrot juice that

we order for our co-op is not organic..organic isn't offered or we would get it.

The botulism is caused be not keeping the carrot juice cold enough.

[Cha]

3. Thanks for this..now I see it's in

Canada, too. Wow..from Florida to Canada!

[brook]

4. I just came from a meeting

with a local health department inspector and FWIW was told that they've found people are taking a few sips of their carrot juice - then leaving it on the counter or in their car -then drinking more of it. The juice should be tightly recapped and put in the refrigerator, not left out. Just passing on what I was told.

[Cha]

7. Thanks, I work @ a co-op where

our Bolthouse carrot juice was recalled. It's weird how it happened in Florida, Georgia(another article) and now up in Canada.

[pitohui]

14. that is completely ridiculous

if the product becomes unsafe in the ten minutes that it takes me to sip it instead of to gulp it then the product should be banned from market


if i let my coke sit on my desk as i sip, sip, sip, instead of running back and forth to the fridge and completely destroying my enjoyment of the drink, then this doesn't happen

[brook]

16. ten minutes?

cokes?

sip, sip, sip?

ridiculous?

indeed.

[spoony]

22. I was looking at the FDA site

About some cases in Georgia in September and it said that the low number of cases, but coincidentally timed near each other, suggested the toxin grew after purchase and advised people to immediately refridgerate juice when they get home--including pasteurized juice.

My hypochondria is getting quite a workout lately. Lol.

[LibraLiz1973]

5. I'm really skeeved by this- I have used this product for about 2 yrs.

and the ONLY reason I haven't had any in the last few weeks is that school just started and I haven't been getting to the market.


Also, I heard that it was 8 people affected... all now on respirators.


What, EXACTLY is safe to eat anymore?

[pitohui]

13. it's safe to eat stuff that is completely cooked

i think it's safe to say juice don't fall in that category

[Random_Australian]

23. Uh, cooking helps but is not a cover-all preventative.

There are a fair number of things that cooking won't really effect.

BUT it does affect most things, and what's more it helps with a couple of digestive things too. :9 (Begins to break down some fats if I recall correctly)

[LostinVA]

15. Carrot juice "gets" botulism quite easily

It's one reason why I stay away from it.

[and-justice-for-all]

6. FEARMONGERING!

[Cha]

9. Unfortunately, botulism is very

real for those who got it from drinking the carrot juice.

[brook]

11. Did you know

botulism lives happily on melons rind and banana skins? It's a good idea to wash melons with a sanitizer or soak in a sink of cold water with a few drops of clorox before slicing. I wish I hadn't been so sleep deprived at the meeting because they said you can eat botulism by the spoonful and not get sick - it takes certain conditions to make it dangerous. I think the condition was warming over 41 degrees and then it's the enzymes that make you ill.

[Cha]

18. THanks!

I found this...

"The types of foods involved in botulism vary according to food preservation and eating habits in different regions. Any food that is conducive to outgrowth and toxin production, that when processed allows spore survival, and is not subsequently heated before consumption can be associated with botulism. Almost any type of food that is not very acidic (pH above 4.6) can support growth and toxin production by C. botulinum. Botulinal toxin has been demonstrated in a considerable variety of foods, such as canned corn, peppers, green beans, soups, beets, asparagus, mushrooms, ripe olives, spinach, tuna fish, chicken and chicken livers and liver pate, and luncheon meats, ham, sausage, stuffed eggplant, lobster, and smoked and salted fish."

Your meeting sounds more detailed.

More..
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/chap2.html

[brook]

19. You're welcome...

I work for a program similar to Meals on Wheels. We have 9 dining facilities and send 5-600 meals per day to homebound seniors....so we're continually being trained, informed, etc. on food safety and like matters. Cleanliness, no cross contamination and temperature control are key.
We're more heavily regulated than restaurants because we get some federal funding and generally get good marks from the health dept. spot checks.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

12. This is media sensationalism.

Food poisoning's actually down.

But these stories are popular.

It's like kidnapped blonde girls.

[and-justice-for-all]

21. I have to agree with you...nt

[AZBlue]

17. AAAHHH....it's NOT all organic!!

As I posted elsewhere on DU:

The spinach in question wasn't organic but all spinach, including organic, was pulled as a precautionary measure.

The lettuce in question, Foxy brand, sells both organic and non-organic products.

The carrot juice that was drunk hasn't been identified as organic or non-organic yet (to my knowledge) but again, as a precautionary action, Bolthouse Farms of Bakersfield, Calif., voluntarily recalled the following organic and non-organic items: Bolthouse Farms 100% Carrot Juice, Earthbound Farm Organic Carrot Juice and President's Choice Organics 100% Pure Carrot Juice. Carrot Juice easily develops botulism if not refrigerated properly and I bet this will turn out to be the situation.

Not all the beef recalled is organic either. The following is the list of the organic beef products being recalled:
- 10-pound boxes of "PACKED FOR: DAVIS MOUNTAIN ORGANIC BEEF, 100% CERTIFIED ORGANIC 3-1 BEEF PATTIES," with lot code G6-540 or G6-544.
- Five-pound packages of "DAVIS MOUNTAINS 100% ORGANIC BEEF, LEAN GROUND BEEF 90/10," with lot code G6-544.
- One-pound packages of "MASTER CHOICE 100% ORGANIC ANGUS BEEF, 90/10 GROUND BEEF," with lot code G6-544.
- One-pound packages of "DAVIS MOUNTAINS 100% CERTIFIED ORGANIC GROUND BEEF," with lot code G6-544.
- 10.5-pound boxes of "NEBRASKA, BEEF GROUND BEEF PATTY 6 OZ," with lot code G6-541.
- 60-pound boxes of "SPECIALLY SELECTED FOR: FARNER-BOCKEN FOOD SERVICE BEEF PATTIE MIX 6/10," with lot code G6-542.
- One-pound packages of "PACKED FOR: IRWIN COUNTRY STORE, BEEF GROUND BEEF 16 OZ," with lot code G6-541.
- One-pound blocks of "PACKED FOR: IRWIN COUNTRY STORE, BEEF GROUND BEEF PATTIES 4-1," with code G6-541.
- 10-pound boxes of "DISTRIBUTED BY: STUBE RANCH, WAGYU BEEF, BEEF GROUND BEEF PATTIES, 8 OZ. PATTIES," with lot code G6-546.

[brook]

20. Hadn't seen your other post.

Many thanks for taking the trouble to add it here. Good info.