Can this be real?

It's amazing how a throwaway line can be picked up and takes on a life of its own.  A New Zealand botanist referred to a lichen, Xanthoparmelia scabrosa, as "Sexy Pavement Lichen" because it contains a PDE5 inhibitor.  See https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3083877/

It appears that powdered X. scabrosa is being sold on-line as a Viagra alternative.  It has even been reported that people are actually licking sidewalks!  This is probably not a smart way to obtain a potential erectile disfuntion medication, as the inhibitor is not the same thing as Viagra and is also somewhat toxic, not to mention the contamination of the lichen from vehicle exhaust, dust and grit etc.

According to Tom Hale, writing for IFLScience, the US FDA analysed a sample of the powder bought on-line and found it consisted of 80% Viagra and 20% grass clippings (really?)

Listeria in smoked salmon - again.

The Department of Health in Australia is investigating three separate cases of Listeriosis apparently associated with smoked salmon.  There have been two deaths and one

This is not a reason to stop eating smoked salmon, or even cause for a massive recall.  There is a couple of things we all need to know.

Firstly, no specific smoked salmon product has been recalled.

Secondly, the three cases were in three different states and occurred over the period 22nd February to 7th June.  i.e. they were well separated both in location and time.

Thirdly, and probably most importantly, all three patients were over 70 years old and had other health conditions that may have predisposed them to infection by Listeria.

This is a reminder that people who may be susceptible to listeriosis should avoid foods that are known to carry higher risk of infection.

See:  https://foodsafetywithjaybee.blogspot.com/2011/01/listeria-hysteria.html  and search the blog using keyword Listeria.

A caffeine fix too far

This post is a little different from many of my articles, which have been predominantly about food microbiology.

The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting the death of a young man who dosed his protein shake with caffeine powder.  Natassia Chrysanthos wrote an article published 05:21, Jul 10 2019 about the man who returned home after celebrating New Year's Eve and made a hangover cure/workout shake and added pure caffeine powder.

Strangely, he messaged his friends that the shake tasted awful, but apparently continued to consume it.  He was found dead on the bathroom floor next morning.

Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant and we all know the lift we get from our morning cup of Joe.  There is a number of benefits claimed for consumption of caffeine, but there are downsides.  Caffeine withdrawal is real, particularly if you drink lots of coffee, as your body becomes tolerant of the chemical.  Some people suffer headaches if they stop drinking coffee, probably because of its effect on the blood vessels of the brain.

The Mayo Clinic considers that up to 400 milligrams of caffeins is safe, and this is equivalent to about 4 cups of coffee.  A teaspoonful of pure caffeine is equivalent to about 28 cups of coffee!  An overdose can result in a rapid heartbeat and breathing difficulties, or may cause death due to convulsions or irregular heartbeat.   

According to the FDA, it is practically impossible to measure a safe dose of highly concentrated caffeine using household utensils; the difference between a safe dose and potentially lethal amount is very small.  In this case, the caffeine powder may have been given to the victim without a label.

It's very sad that a young, vibrant young man should die from consuming a home-made energy drink.  We should all be aware that some chemicals that are normally found in foods and beverages can be toxic if consumed in larger amounts.

Mussels unsafe if eaten raw

Many people in New Zealand like to eat shellfish, such as mussels, raw.  The Ministry of Health and New Zealand Food Safety Authority (Te Pou Oranga Kai O Aotearoa) has warned consumers NOT to eat fresh mussels harvested commercially in Coromandel, an area of the North Island, without cooking them to at least 65C.

The culprit for the current food poisonings is probably Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a bacterium found in marine, coastal and tidal waters, and most commonly causes gastroenteritis.  It is not normally spread person to person, though poor personal hygiene, such as failure to wash hands after handling raw shellfish, could result in infections.

Symptoms usually occur within 24 hours of eating the infected food and include

• watery diarrhoea (occasionally bloody diarrhoea)
• abdominal cramps
• nausea
• vomiting
• fever
• headache.

Image from Pathogen Profile Dictionary

https://www.ppdictionary.com/bacteria/gnbac/parahemolyticus.htm

There is a feeling among some experts that Vibrio parahaemolyticus entered New Zealand in imported fish or shellfish.  Cross contamination in the markets then allowed its spread.

Helpful Guide to Food Safety and Kitchen Clean-up - guest column

As most readers know, I normally don't post comments that contain links to commercial sites.  I get quite of lot of these, and in most cases, the writers are just trying to get clicks on their own sites.

However, occasionally a message comes along with useful information.   I received an invitation recently to publish a guide to food safety and kitchen clean-up.  This came from Cleaning Building Services New York.

A Guide to Food Safety and Kitchen Clean Up

An essential part of preparing a meal is making sure to use the proper food safety techniques. Without proper safety protocols your food can become contaminated and pass along foodborne illnesses to whomever eats or comes in contact with it. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that 48 million Americans become sick from foodborne illnesses each year. Of those 48 million people, 128,000 are so sick that they need to be hospitalized, and 3,000 people even die from the foodborne illness. To prevent foodborne illness from happening to you or your family, it is important to practice food safety protocols while handling, preparing, and storing all of your meals.

Cleaning Up the Kitchen

Keeping your kitchen clean is an important step in food safety. After each meal, it is important to clean and sanitize all surfaces where food was prepared or handled. All surfaces should be washed thoroughly with hot water and soap. For a deeper clean the surfaces can even be washed with a diluted chemical mixture of 1 tablespoon bleach and one gallon of water. All cooking appliances used when preparing the meal should also be washed thoroughly inside and out. An important step that most people tend to forget about is cleaning out your refrigerator. You should be going through your refrigerator once a week to discard any expired items to prevent growing bacteria. Vegetables and Fruits should also be rinsed under water before being consumed to get rid of any pesticide residue. You should always clean your hands thoroughly after touching any raw meats or fish as well, this will help prevent transporting harmful bacteria.

Know Your Temps

Foodborne Illness is caused by harmful bacteria, some of the most common being Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus. This harmful bacteria can be consumed by eating undercooked foods and can be prevented by making sure all food is being cooked to their accurate internal temperatures. This can be done by using a kitchen thermometer. Checking the internal temperature is especially important when preparing foods like meats, fish, poultry, and eggs. Before preparing a new recipe, be sure to research what temperatures your ingredients should be kept at to avoid them being in a danger zone for the harmful bacteria.

Food Organization

When buying food at the grocery store, look for broken seals and damaged containers before putting them in the cart. Also, be sure to check expiration or sell by dates to only purchase fresh and safe to eat foods. When cashing out in the register line, be sure that your meat or fish is packaged separately to avoid juices spreading onto your other foods. Separation is key when storing your foods away at home as well. You should always store raw meat or seafood below any other foods in your refrigerator and place them in plastic bags to avoid contamination. If possible, use different cutting boards and other cooking utensils for meats or fish and veggies. If not, be sure to clean them thoroughly in between each use. Doing this will lessen the chances of leftover bacteria being transported from your raw meats or fish to your cut veggies and fruits.

Source: Cleaning Building Services

Other material from this source will appear on this blog from time to time.

Declaration:  Safe Food Blog does not endorse Cleaning Building Services, not does it have any pecuniary interest in the company.