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PRE-PACKED SALAD POPULARITY 'MAY INCREASE POISONING'
By Andrew Hamilton, Scottish Press Association
The growing popularity of pre-packed salads is likely to lead to an increase in
food poisoning cases, scientists warned today.
They said the increased uptake in the salads in particular, but also in fruit
and vegetables, is likely to be reflected in a future rise in food poisoning.
They also warned that while scientists have a role to play in developing
technology to protect food from contamination, consumers should be aware of the
risks.
The comments were made before research into food contamination was discussed at
a conference in Aberdeen today.
Led by Imperial College London, the research details how salmonella bacteria
are able to contaminate salads and vegetables.
Professor Gadi Frankel, from Imperial College, said a greater understanding of
how salads are contaminated is important because cases of food poisoning caused
by salads are "likely to rise in the future".
He said there had been recent outbreaks that could specifically be related to
pre-packed salads, including a salmonella outbreak in the UK last year traced to
imported basil and an E.coli outbreak in the US in 2006 traced to pre-packed
baby spinach.
He said: "In their efforts to eat healthily, people are eating more salad
products, choosing to buy organic brands and preferring the ease of 'pre-washed'
bagged salads from supermarkets, than ever before.
"All of these factors, together with the globalisation of the food market,
mean that cases of salmonella and E.coli poisoning caused by salads are likely
to rise in the future.
"This is why it's important to get a head start with understanding how
contamination occurs now."
He said that a label stating food was pre-washed did not necessarily mean it
was safe to eat and, although the risk of poisoning remained low, consumers
should make "informed decisions".
"There are many kinds of salad bags being marketed as washed and
ready-to-eat," he said. "It is about individual choice but people should be
aware of the risks so they can make informed decisions about whether they want
to wash their food or not."
Food poisoning from salmonella and E.coli is commonly associated with eating
contaminated bovine or chicken products.
The germs live in the guts of cows and egg-ducts of chickens, and contamination
of meat can occur during slaughtering but recent outbreaks of food poisoning
highlight the dangers associated with contaminated salad or vegetables.
Prof Frankel's research, carried out with the University of Birmingham, found
that salmonella bacteria are able to use their flagella - the stringy
"propellors" designed to aid their movement - to grip salad leaves and
contaminate them.
Scientists know that salmonella and E.coli 0157 - a strain that can cause
serious sickness in humans - can spread to salads and vegetables if they are
fertilised with contaminated manure or come into contact with contaminated
products.
Until now they did not understand how the germs managed to bind to the leaves.
Professor Frankel said they would try to identify the factors that made some
leaves less susceptible to salmonella to protect others from contamination in
future.
He said: "Discovering that the flagella play a key role in salmonella's
ability to contaminate salad leaves gives us a better understanding than ever
before of how this contamination process occurs.
"Once we understand it, we can begin to work on ways of fighting it."
The findings are being presented at the Food Micro 2008 conference in
Aberdeen.
The conference, which began on Monday at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference
Centre and runs until tomorrow, brings together 850 delegates from 50
countries.
Its main speaker is leading microbiologist Professor Hugh Pennington, who will
ask tomorrow whether or not lessons have been learned from an E.coli outbreak in
Lanarkshire in 1996 in which 21 elderly people died.

And that stuff from the FSA: "

Our work in the microbiology team involves the entire food chain, from how to protect crops in the field through to when it reaches your plates. The importance of this farm to fork approach becomes particularly clear when new studies, such as the one reported in today's papers on bagged salads, hit the press. The Telegraph, Express and Mail all publicise research by Imperial College that looks at how salmonella and E.coli can contaminate salad leaves. Bagged salads from supermarkets are increasingly popular as people try to achieve 'five a day' of fruit and vegetables. The study, led by Professor Gadi Frankel from Imperial College London and carried out at the University of Birmingham, looked at the mechanics of how one particular form of salmonella sticks to salad leaves.

Imperial College picks up on some recent outbreaks of food poisoning which have been associated with contaminated salad leaves. For example, in 2007 a salmonella outbreak in the UK was traced back to imported basil, and an E. coli outbreak in the USA in 2006 was traced to contaminated prepacked baby spinach. They also suggest that cases like these may be set to rise as the popularity of bagged salads grow.

Currently there's no evidence to suggest that salads are a major source of food poisoning and very few incidents of contamination in prepacked salads have been reported to the Agency in the past three years. Our independent expert Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food will be looking at recent trends in illness associated with fresh produce in the UK at their meeting later this month.

The Agency works with producers and manufacturers who apply stringent controls on the leafy salad supply chain in the UK, minimising potential for contamination and providing for food safety assurance In fact while we advise that it's a good idea to wash salad items in general, there is no need for consumers to rewash ready to eat bagged salads unless it says otherwise on the packet. You can best help yourself by following good food hygiene practice at home - it's important to follow the 4Cs - cooking, cleaning, chilling, cross contamination."