Today’s post is a story that I heard from a colleague about a vegetable processing plant that became infected with salmonella and e. coli.
Please understand that this is a major international company and it is for this reason that I cannot disclose any names in the content of this article. This particular plant buys vegetables of all sorts directly from large farms and after grading, cleaning and sorting the vegetables are frozen and packed for the consumer and institutional markets.
The company in question works with just two or three trucking companies which bring the raw materials to the plant and deliver shipments of finished product to the local and foreign markets. Good relationships had been established with the trucking companies which included both the haulage companies and the factory itself helping each other out as much as possible as a matter of course. This factory had the best weigh bridge in the area and one of the favors that was performed on an ongoing basis was to weigh trucks of the said three companies even though the payload of the trucks had nothing to do with the business of the factory.
Complaints had been arriving at the factory’s quality control department stating that their products had tested positive for salmonella and e.coli. The factory checked all of their production lines to check that everything was working as it should and indeed no faults were found inside the factory itself.
A decision was taken to bring in an expert in the area of HACCP’s. and indeed it took him a mere five minutes to discover the source of the problem. Many different types of trucks were coming in to be weighed. Among them were trucks hauling the following cargoes: cages for chickens and turkeys being shipped from farms to slaughter houses, deep litter from dairy farms and poultry farms, various types of manure, and soil.
Trucks carrying these loads often waited for quite some time alongside trucks hauling vegetables for the factory itself. Dust and spray that inevitably flew from one truck to another was enough to cause the cross contamination of the vegetables with whatever the other truck was hauling.. This was a very basic and critical flaw in the work procedures and food hygiene standards of this particular factory. This situation was more than enough to cause this food hygiene crisis for this particular factory.
A decision was instantly taken to stop the weighbridge service to all trucks not carrying vegetables specifically for the plant. In this particular case, good intentions led to a very bad result.
I can remember when I was about fourteen years old I went on a school trip to see a steel mill in Sheffield England. Three things impressed me on that trip. These three things were the noise, the heat and the rats. I could hardly believe my eyes. Not a bite of food in sight and yet rats were scurrying around not twenty yards away from where we were walking.
I can remember wondering why rats would bother about a steel mill. There was not a morsel of food in sight. It was not until fifteen years later that I would find the answer to that question. Yet the fact remains that rats do infest many types of factories.
If the common denominator for rats establishing presence in factories and mills wasn’t food then what was it? In 1991 I began a course of practical Engineering in agriculture. It was during this course that I found out why rats infested many types of industrial plants. The reason is copper. Mice have trouble getting enough copper to be able to operate their immune systems and the missing link that enables them to do so is copper.
All industrial operations run on electricity and electricity runs through copper wires. Rats peel away the plastic coating on electric cables and lick the wire to get more copper and they do this obcessively. People who have worked in factories will know that from time to time they will hear an almighty bang. More often than not this bang is caused by a rat short circuting an electric cable. Needless to say that the rat is dead.
Why an I telling you this? Because one needs to understand that if rats had no reason to infest a food factory, they would still be there because of the copper wiring.
Food factories can be categorized into two main categories. Ones that process raw agricultural produce, plant or animal and ones that process food that has already been processed for industrial use. In the first example produce is brought from the farm or co-operative sorting plant to the factory. Here the produce is tipped, washed, sorted and peeled or alternatively slaughtered, skinned, gutted and cleaned in the case of most animal produce.
In both cases the amount of dirt and contamination that is around at this intitial stage of the game is quite unbelievable and it is at this stage of the process that most rats are found. Only an ongoing, organized and regular cleaning regime can reduce the presence of rats and mice.
Once the produce has finished this init ial stage it is then passed to the next stage. Whatever the stage the amount of dirt should be very minimal compared to that of the first stage. As the product progresses towards packing the work environment should be almost sterile in comparison.
There are systems that analyze the risks and points at which one can reduce risks to food products. One such system is called HACCP. HACCP means hazard analysis and critical control points. In this system each hazard is defined and critical control points at which the level of the hazard can be reduced, eliminated or controlled are also defined and adopted.
There may well be one sequence of actions to control vermin and an entirely differnt sequence for the control of bacteria, for instance. It is the job of management to ensure that workerd are familiar with all the various sequences and to make sure that they are adopted and applied.
When this system is implemented in all of the factories various departments threats such as salmonella poisoning from rats is greatly reduced. Trouble can start when priorities and sequences are changed for one reason or another. The enemy of the HACCP system is cut backs. Cut backs in staff or cut backs in spending. Right now we are in the midst of a recession. In recession we can expect cut backs on more or less everything.
In plants where produce is immediately pumped through stainless steel pipes the opportunity for vermin to contaminate the produce is greatly lowered. Businesses such as bakeries may enocounter problems with rats at the end of the process rather than at the initial stages. For some reason mice rats and cats do not seem to like white flour and prefer to wait until it has been transformed into bread products. Here pest control is particularly important because there is no process between contamination and the consumer that will kill the bacteria that have been transferred through cross contamination. Nothing should be left unattended at this stage. Nothing should be but directly on the floor and nothingshould be put into plastic trays that have not been washed thoroughly in a proper industrial manner. To fail to be attentive to this points can cause indirect contamination via contact with vermin excretions.
The golden rule is to leave noting to chance. Always pre suppose that anything that can happen in theory will happen in practice.
Just how many articles need to be written about pistachios? Well, obviously one more because now I’m writing one too.
Ok, so lets look at the facts. We know that the nuts were rodent infested and that salmonella bacterium were found to be present in the nuts. Ok, sounds reasonable! food hygienestandards were down and a few dirty little mice or rats got at the nuts.
Here’s a video demonstrating the somewhat less than delicate method of harvesting pistachios
Excuse me! Don’t all types of nuts, seeds and grain attract rats anyway? Don’t pistachios grow in the open environment where field mice, cute little chipmunks and a whole host of other little critters frolic to their hearts content. OK, the mice and rats that infest wharehouses, sewers and industrial areas are not quite the same as those found in nature, right?
The answer to this is yes, and no. And another question comes to mind. Is salmonella the only dangerous bacteria spread by rodents? The answer to this is NO. Rodent urine very often contains a bacteria called leptospira which infects other species with a desease called leptospirosos. Rodents have no control over their excretions and there fore wherever they go a trail of their infected urine is left behind. This is how many snake species track rodents.
Leptospirosis is a very unpleasant desease which can require up to three weeks in a hospital bed to recover from. It is a zoonotic desease and is often contracted by fishermen who work on wharfs, dairy workers and other professions involving animals or places where rodents congregate such as sewers and feed bins. Leptospira as a species is far more heat resistant than salmonella. We should remember that not all deseases involving food are contracted through ingestion. Some, like leptospirosis can be contracted through healthy skin, especially when wet.
Rodents may also be responsible for the spreading of other forms of bacteria such as camphilobacter, staphilococcus aureus, clostridium spp. pseudomonas aeroginosa and many more. All of which can cause serious illness and similarly to leptospira are more heat resistant than salmonella.
But let’s say for a minute that in spite of all these other possibilities salmonella is our prime concern. What could have happened that caused the bacteria to remain alive? They are roasted and salted, right? In theory that is correct. Pistachios are typically roasted and salted if they are left in the shell. If they are taken out of the shell they may be sugared in which case the pistachios are dipped into boiling sugar syrup and cooked in an oven so that the sugar crystalizes.
If salmonella remained alive on the nuts it is clear that they did not receive sufficient roasting. Could it be that the second largest pistachio distributer in the ‘US of A’ did not roast his nuts adequately? What’s going on? We have been chomping these nuts for years why the problems all of a sudden? Were there no rodents then?
We are in a recession, right? Cuts in costs have to be made, right? Could it be that workers were instructed to change the control setting on the roasters to a lower temperature and/or keep the nuts within the machine for a shorter period of time.
As I said, salmonella is by no means the only health risk where pistachios are concerned. We have not even started to discuss liver cancer causing moulds that have been found on pistachios all over the world.
One thing that I can assure you is this, just about every pistachio that you will ever eat has been in indirect or direct contact with a rodent at some stage of its production. It is all but impossible to keep rodents away from this type of crop in the natural habitat. The problem that occured here is one of HACCP’s and GMP. In my opinion critical control points were disregarded in the interest of saving money. This could include pest control within the processing plant also.
The moral of this story is that if you don’t want to loose big time, don’t try to save small time!
The eight stages below define eight recognized crucial stages in food production paying particular attention to the contribution that each stage has on the overall quality of the end product with respect to food quality and hygiene.
Farm animals, and crops must be handled and cared for humanely & professionally by trained professionals and with proper supervision by qualified Vets or agronomical expert supervisors.
In vegetable and fruit production it is important to use fresh water for the irrigation of foods. In areas which have sufficient rain this might not be a problem but in some countries some less reputable growers may be tempted to use semi treated sewer water.
Also, crop spraying must be done with permitted pesticides only and in dosages which conform to the guidelines under the statutes of the law.
Crops must be picked, transported and stored professionally to ensure the crop arrives undamaged to the shop shelves. Livestock must be reared in suitable conditions.
Their environment must be controlled to ensure that they are reared free of disease. Milking parlors must be thoroughly cleaned and CIP and SIP (cleaning in place and sterilization in place), must be carried out in a wash cycle within the udder cups and piping of the milking system after every milking session.
Udders should be washed with warm water before milking to ensure that all feces and debris is removed from the udder. The milk of cows receiving anti biotic should be not be sent to the collection tank. Likewise, a sample of milk should be squirted from each teat to ensure that the milk is flowing freely and not coagulated.
Any coagulation would indicate the presence of mastitis, or infection of the udder. In such cases the milk must be discarded. Sore or inflamed udders or teats should also be treated and any milk from them discarded until the condition has cleared up.
All milk collection tanks should be chilled until the time of milk collection by the tanker And thoroughly cleaned after collection with an appropriate milk cleaning detergents.
Animals should be reared humanely in clean conditions with an eye to rearing strong healthy animals. All illnesses should be dealt with promptly. Eating and drinking troughs need to be kept clean and flies and other parasites should likewise be controlled.
Crops should be grown on land which is suitable for the growth of food crops. Care should be taken to check for parasites that may threaten the quality of the harvest and chemicals used on crops should be used according to legislation and manufacturer recommendations and according to the correct time restrictions.
Likewise packing must be done professionally and harvested crops must be stored in proper, clean facilities and must be packed and shipped correctly.
2. Transportation
The of raw materials- animals and crops must be transported in a way which complies with state legislation and ethical codes. Animals which are being transported to reputable slaughter houses will be handled with care because well organized establishments will not accept sick or injured animals for fear of introducing bacterial infestations into their line.
Some farmers may try to sell sick or injured animals to second rate slaughter houses when an animal is falling sick or has been seriously injured. Meat such as this will be sold to disreputable butchers who are looking to buy meat cheaply.
Meat such as this will not have any documentation nor will it have been passed as safe for consumption by veterinary officials. In some countries horses are brutally slaughtered in secret corals away from public view and their meat is sold as beef. Such meat is dangerous.
If you know of any such activities, hear about or suspect illegal slaughter it is most important to report it a) to the police, b) to the local health and safety office and c) to the area head veterinary authority.
3. Processing plants
This stage includes slaughter houses, packing stations and factories. All of these sites should be authorized by appropriate food regulatory bodies, have a valid food manufacturers license, issues to state and national specifications, and comply with GMP, ISO 9002 and HACCP’s standards.
All authentic, safe products should have the name address and telephone number of the processor or manufacturer clearly printed on the packing.
GMP=Good manufacturing procedures
HACCP=Hazard analysis and critical control points
ISO=International standards organization
At This point I would like to explain why it is so important to buy meat which has been slaughtered in authorized establishments. After an animal has been slaughtered certain physiological reactions occur within the muscles of the corpse, such as rigor mortis.
These reactions cause the temperature of the meat to elevate to around forty degrees centigrade. This happens over a period of several hours. This means that over that period particularly, the muscles becomes a perfect breading ground for a multitude of pathogenic bacteria.
Authorized and regulated slaughter establishments will but the meat into a cooler wind tunnel that is specially designed to cool the meat to below sixteen degrees centigrade. Thus, the multiplication and spread of harmful bacteria within the meat is prevented. This is why it is so important to buy meat from a safe source.
Also, qualified vets will examine critical areas of the body such as the heart and other internal organs to look for signs of parasitical and bacterial infestation, such as tuberculosis and on the basis of his findings he will deem
if the meat is safe for human consumption and
if the meat has to be frozen at very low temperatures to destroy bacterial spores.
4. Food Distribution Networks
Distribution of food must be done according to National, state and city regulations. Likewise deliverymen must be clean and well presented. Transport & shipping containers must be clean inside and out and be designed specifically to transport the type of food in them, EG. Frozen, chilled.
Where appropriate container temperatures should be checked before off loading produce that you ordered. Make sure that thermometers and thermostats are placed correctly within the container and not inside a package/box. This is a technique used by many delivery men to make the ambient refrigeration temperature inside the van seem colder than it actually is.
The thermometers are in place to show the ambient temperature of the container to you. It is your right to check it.
By putting the thermometer inside a box containing frozen meat the driver can give the impression that the ambient temperature is lower than it actually is in reality. Should a driver refuse to show you the end of the thermometer he may well be hiding the fact that he is hiding it inside a box or inside a piece of meat.
Look for holes in boxes that should not be there. If you notice such cases talk to other businesses who receive from the same supplier and ask them if they see the same thing. You might consider reporting your findings to the authorities or changing suppliers. Remember to always tell your new supplier why you stopped working with the previous one.
This will send out a clear message that you will not tolerate such practices and that you indeed do check. If you should find a package like this you should take the following action:
take a Polaroid camera picture of the box,
refuse to accept the delivery.
report the incident to the city hygiene authority and to the head office of the company in question stating that a photograph has been sent to the appropriate municipal office.
5. Delivery and storage
Food should de delivered in good condition with undamaged packaging. It should be stored in suitable conditions for that type of food & in a way that prevents cross contamination with other food sauces. This includes food storage in the home of the consumer.
In some countries it is common practice for drivers to transport dead bodies at night to funeral parlors for extra money. If you should see delivery vans of companies that you work with working at strange late hours it may be worth while investigating further and reporting your findings to all the appropriate authorities with photographic evidence if possible.
Remember, the health of your clients is at risk.
6. Preparation of food before cooking
Food should be prepared along clean guidelines. Meat should be thawed in refrigerated conditions and kept separate from vegetables, dairy products, eggs etc. By keeping the meat in a closed container during the defrosting processes you reduce the risk of cross contamination considerably.
Fresh vegetables should be cut on separate clean cutting boards and knives should be thoroughly washed with soapy water and a scrubbing brush before being used to cut other foodstuffs. In Professional kitchens there should be separate work stations for unclean vegetables, raw meat, dairy confectionaries and salads.
Factories and processing plants should have GMP, ISO9002, and HACCP certification and comply with city/municipal regulations and be able to provide the relevant paperwork as proof.
7. Cooking, Roasting, Baking
Cooking the food will kill most bacteria but keep in mind that some bacterial toxins survive high temperatures so it is most important remember to keep food hot until eaten or Alternatively chill in small containers and freeze as quickly as possible. Bacteria cease to be active at temperatures of less than 4 degrees centigrade.
8. Serving
Serving food is often the stage when most people let down their guard. Food should be served at a temperature of above 70 degrees centigrade or at a temperature of 5 degrees centigrade. Food serving dishes, thermo-porters, pates and cutlery should be spotlessly clean after being washed thoroughly at a temperature of above 70 degrees centigrade.
By checking all these stages as thoroughly as possible you can cut your risk of getting food poisoning considerably.
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