DON'T EAT BAGGED SPINACH

[globalvillage]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- An outbreak of E. coli in eight states has left at least one person dead and 50 others sick, federal health officials said Thursday in warning consumers not to eat bagged fresh spinach.

The death occurred in Wisconsin, where 20 others were also sickened, said Dr. David Acheson of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. The outbreak has sickened others -- eight of them seriously -- in Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon and Utah.

FDA officials do not know the source of the outbreak, other than it appears to be linked to bagged spinach. "We're advising people not to eat it," Acheson said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Wisconsin health officials alerted the FDA about the outbreak Wednesday. Preliminary analysis suggests the same bug is responsible for the outbreak in all eight states.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/09/14/tainted.spinach.ap/index.html

[Ediacara]

1. Of course no word on the brand....

just sensationalizing at the expense of all bagged spinach :eyes:

[Canuckistanian]

50. It's pressure from the loose spinach lobby

Pay it no mind.

[Ediacara]

57. Well there are a number of brands with various farms and different

labor conditions. It's assanine to claim that ALL bagged spinach is full of E. coli when it appears to be an isolated case. It's also completely hysterical to report on the outbreak without mentioning the brand (which the article doesn't mention IIRC).

[Canuckistanian]

58. I agree

This is reminiscent of the John Stossel "organic vegetable E. coli scare":

http://www.ewg.org/reports/givemeafake/ecoli.html

This seems to be an attempt to put natural vegetables in general under a cloud of suspicion.

And no surprise that ABC is the network that aired this.

[Ediacara]

61. It reminds me of the Alar scare

I am by no means saying that E coli isn't a big deal, but creating a scare without indicating which brands are the problem is potentially damaging to the entire industry (not to mention public health) especially when most bagged spinach (or whatever your scare produce de jour happens to be) is perfectly safe.

[Kali]

68. When the battle is common sense vs FEAR, especially as it relates

to FOOD, fear will always get top billing.

[Viking12]

81. Unfortunate that even DUers buy into chemical company PR campaigns

Prior to 1989, five separate, peer-reviewed studies of Alar and its chemical breakdown product, UDMH, had found a correlation between exposure to the chemicals and cancerous tumors in lab animals. In 1984 and again in 1987, the EPA classified Alar as a probable human carcinogen. In 1986, the American Academy of Pediatrics urged the EPA to ban it. Well before the 60 Minutes broadcast, public concern had already led six national grocery chains and nine major food processors to stop accepting apples treated with Alar. Washington State growers had pledged to voluntarily stop using it (although tests later revealed that many did not). Maine and Massachusetts had banned it outright.

On Feb. 1, 1989, acting EPA Administrator John A. Moore, commenting on the preliminary results of Uniroyal's own study of Alar, stated: "There is an inescapable and direct correlation between exposure to UDMH and the development of life-threatening tumors in mice." EPA calculated the lifetime risk of cancer from Alar consumption at 45 in 1 million - 45 times the agency's "negligible" risk level. EPA announced the beginning of a process that would eventually result in a ban on Alar, but before it could take effect, Uniroyal pulled it from the market and its registration, or license for use, soon expired. In 1991 and again in 1992, the EPA reconfirmed its decision that Alar poses an unacceptable risk as a probable human carcinogen, although its new estimate of the cancer risk was about 23 in 1 million - still more than 20 times the acceptable risk level.

The National Cancer Institute never issued a report clearing Alar as a carcinogen, notwithstanding the ACSH claim to the contrary. In fact, in 1992, an internal ACSH memo lamented, "So many professional organizations, including the National Cancer Institute and American Cancer Society flatly refused to say that the food supply was safe, that pesticide residues in food were not a cause of cancer, that Alar did not pose a risk . . ."1

In 1993, a report by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) validated a central premise of the NRDC report: that infants and young children, who consume a lot of apples and apple products, are particularly susceptible to carcinogens in food. The chair of the NAS study, Dr. Philip Landrigan, said: "NRDC was absolutely on the right track when they excoriated the regulatory agencies for having allowed a toxic material to stay on the market for 25 years." Subsequent reports by the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer and the National Toxicology Program of the U.S. Public Health Service confirmed that Alar is carcinogenic.

http://www.ewg.org/reports/alar/alar.html

http://www.ewg.org/reports/Myths/Myth6.html

[Ediacara]

91. This of course is true

if you were able to drink 50,000 litres of apple juice in a day or eat 5000 kg of apples a day. Every day. For decades.

In any case, the point is not if alar is mildly carcinogenic, but if media hit pieces have the right to destroy an industry and damage public health because apples might contain a chemical which might be mildly carcinogenic.

It's hysteria, just as the OP article's "don't eat bagged spinach, it all has E coli," is hysteria.

[Viking12]

92. Well, the OP's warning is exactly the same as the FDA's

Doesn't sound that hysterical to me: "FDA advises that consumers not eat bagged fresh spinach at this time."

50,000 litres of apple juice in a day or eat 5000 kg of apples a day. Every day. For decades....destroy an industry

I reiterate my expression that it is unfortunate that DUers buy this pesticide PR. The risk was significant enough that the American Pediatric Association called for the current ban. The chair of the National Academy of Sciences committee that reviewed the risk stated, "NRDC was absolutely on the right track when it excoriated the regulatory agencies for having allowed a toxic material to stay on the market for 25 years," stated Dr. Philip Landrigan. The Consumer Union showed that within five years growers' profits were 50 percent higher than they had been at the time of the 60 Minutes broadcast. Apple growers did suffer $120 million in losses during 1989, but much of that loss was due to a market already glutted with apples prior to the 60 Minutes broadcast. And as some observers noted back in 1989, the real consumer backlash occurred after some apple growers were caught lying about the fact that they were continuing to use Alar. Regardless of the size of a risk, consumers do not like being lied to, and such outrage is not only predictable but rational.

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Alar_and_apples

[Ediacara]

93. The OP as in CNN's article, not the poster

The FDA is being ridiculous and hysterical by not identifying brands. They should know better.

[Viking12]

94. The FDA cannot identify any brands yet, thus the shotgun approach

See the offical FDA warning posted below.
"No brand of bagged fresh spinach has been identified as the source of this outbreak."

[Ediacara]

97. That's not possible

I'm sorry but there's no way to identify the culprit as "bagged spinach" but not know the brand. They're either a) guessing that it's bagged spinach, b) afraid of getting sued by their known manufacturer, or if it is multiple manufacturers c) afraid to announce that multiple brands have been tampered with by terrorists in the food distribution system.

There is simply NO WAY to know it's bagged spinach and not know the brand.

[Viking12]

98. Whatever.

You've clearly made up your mind that this FDA/Media ass covering hype and nothing is going to change that. I, for one, am quite pleased the FDA has taken action; there's no sense in putting people at risk unnecessarily. Have a good weekend.

[Ediacara]

99. If you know how the FDA can identify bagged spinach as the source

yet cannot or willnot identify the brand, please explain that to me. I'd like to know. Really. Please don't take this as snark, that's not my intention, I'd really like to know how it's possible.

[mzteris]

101. well - seeing as the incubation period

is anywhere from 3 to 9 days - people might not remember "WHICH BRAND" of spinach they bought.

I AM taking this seriously as we do eat bagged spinach AND I have kids. In fact, I just bought a bag last night that we had at dinner. AND I live in Wisconsin - where the outbreak is occuring.

I think it's a serious matter. Not everything is a conspiracy.

[Ediacara]

106. I didn't say it wasn't serious or that it was a conspiracy

I'm saying the FDA is creating an hysteria by not doing its job correctly. There are not that many prepack salad companies in the US (I can think of only three, there are probably less than 10), the interviewers could simply find out which brands are available in which markets, and bring the freaking bags to interviews. Did your salad come in this bag:

or this bag:


Without this easily obtainable data, the warning is hysterical and damaging to the entire industry and public health at large.

[mzteris]

108. I know I've seen some other brands

in different markets - I agree, though, that it seems as if they should at least be able to narrow it down *some*.

But then again, they're not entirely positive it's even the spinach! That's just the only item that they can *find* that has a commonality - that they "know" of.

[jmowreader]

111. Here's how it's done...

Someone goes to the store and buys bagged spinach. They make a salad from it and throw the bag away.

E.coli has a typical incubation period in the human of between three and nine days...so we'll say that five days from the time the spinach was eaten, the victim gets whacked with severe cramps and bloody diarrhea. Sometime in those five days, the garbage (containing the spinach bag) was picked up and buried in a landfill.

When the victim gets to the doctor, he or she will be asked to list everything eaten over the last week or so. On the list..."a spinach salad made from spinach in a bag." Not "Del Monte spinach in a bag" or "Fresh Selections spinach in a bag," but "spinach in a bag."

If the victim had eaten something proprietary...a certain kind of sausage that only one company in the area makes, say...you can trace it. But the incubation time on e.coli, coupled with the fact that it normally comes from commodity goods, means it's hard to pin it to one vendor's product.

[Ediacara]

118. The point I am making is that when there are soooo few brands

and only one brand in each store it should be almost no work to find the brand especially if people are very brand/store loyal. If it's seen in multiple brands, then that's something else entirely

[jmowreader]

122. The only thing for which there's brand loyalty anymore is cigarettes

Brand loyalty is dead.

I'm sorry, those of you who only buy Jif peanut butter or Orville Redenbacher popcorn, but you're an anachronism. A throwback to a happier time when the air was pure and Republicans kept their slime away from the eyes of the world.

The truth of the matter is that people will switch stores, will switch brands, will even redesign their whole project because a competing product is a dime cheaper. If there are a lot of different brands of stores in an area, it's conceivable that every store brand has a different brand of bagged greens.

You won't remember which store you bought them in if you jump from store to store regularly.

So you want to trace this shit down? I'll tell you EXACTLY how to trace it down. Just have every store in the area run a History of Retails on bagged spinach for the last two weeks. (History of Retails shows you the price a product sold for.) Find the store that had the lowest price last weekend, figure out which brand they were carrying...I'll bet you a nickel that's the brand that was packaged with free e.coli.

[Ediacara]

126. If you say so...

Generally people shop at the same store, or couple of stores because they are geographically convenient. Grocery stores do not generally (or ever in my epxerience) carry more than one brand of bagged greens. It's extremely easy to find the brand as I've been saying, and the FDA is being stupid by not finding which brand is problematic; or if they've found it, not announcing the brand name.

[helderheid]

2. I was going to buy some today (in Utah) but spaced it - PHEW!

[madame defarge]

3. 30 minutes too late, damn it...

Just had bagged spinach, but I did cook it. It was organic...for what that's worth...

Hopefully, the microwave zapped the hell out of the e. coli... (Of course, I'll die from microwavitis instead.)

[Lone_Star_Dem]

6. You too?

Mine was raw, but I washed it. I usually eat from my garden but I wanted spinach and it's too hot right now to grow it. Teach me to be picky.

[pnwmom]

13. Organic has been implicated in e-coli before. It all depends on

how it is processed. But if you cooked it, you should be fine.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

35. More like a year too late. The "Alert" is from 2005.

[globalvillage]

40. CNN reported this tonight.

E. coli outbreak traced to bagged spinach; 1 dead
POSTED: 9:07 p.m. EDT, September 14, 2006

Keith Olberman reported it also. You must be referring to another warning.

[davidwparker]

44. that's what I eat. I aways sauté mine. I wished they had been explicit

about whether it is RAW spinach or any spinach.

[babylonsister]

48. I don't know if sauteeing gets hot enough to kill the virus.

ANd I too had sauted spinach today, from a bag. Sigh.

[mzteris]

102. they're saying not to take any chances -

even with cooking. That this is a particularly virulent strain.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

4. Too late, where were you two hours ago?

[Anakin Skywalker]

Now the kids have another excuse

not to like them spinach.

[LisaM]

5. I've heard that about bagged lettuce, too.

I think if you wash it, you're fine. I know most people buy the bagged so they don't HAVE to wash it, but if you just re-wash it, it should be okay.

Yet another instance of our government failing to protect the food supply.

[madame defarge]

8. Please tell me that cooked bagged spinach is ok...

Even if you have to lie to me...

(argh, my stomach hurts just thinking about this...)

[Lindacooks]

41. If you thoroughly cooked the spinach, you should be okay.

Just be alert; if you get sick, go to the doctor.

[mcscajun]

9. If you use a vegetable wash, maybe. Just plain water on leaves?

No.

Cleaning fruits and vegetables contaminated with E. coli requires a water wash with scrubbing, which most leafy greens would never survive.

For myself, I never buy the bagged stuff anyway; apart from any risk, it's just not as fresh most times I see it in stores. I see 'rust' and browning on the lighter greens, and wilting overall.

[badgerpup]

42. How about dehydrating?

I buy bagged spinach and dehydrate most of it...cheaper to buy a bag than a couple bunches, but can't use a whole bag before it spoils.

Dehydrated spinach works really well for adding to things or using as a dried herb!

[mcscajun]

56. Dehydrating is fine IF what you start with is good to begin with.

It preserves what is...doesn't improve anything. Except Pineapple. Dried pineapple...wow!

Anyway...E. coli isn't impacted by the dehydrating process...the primary issue remains.

[Kali]

67. Fine if you cook it.

There are risks in life. Stop worrying.

[SoCalDem]

7. This is the DIRTY little secret about all that pretty bagged produce

lots of those fields do not have BATHROOMS for the field workers.. That's one reason they can sell it affordably..they take advantage of the laborers, and guess what? those folks still have to "go" from time to time..... so with no sanitary facilities, no place to wash up and people walking through the "stuff", produce gets contaminated..

[Daphne08]

10. Yes, this is true. n/t

[bobbolink]

11. THanks for the mental image....

ONe more example about how being cruel to some people comes back to bite us.

Yanno, there's a wicked part of me that likes this strike for justice.

BATHROOMS FOR ALL!!

damn it!

[Beausoir]

12. Yes, but it's not just bagged produce. It's just that people don't wash

bagged produce.

I stopped buying bagged lettuces several months ago when some people here in MN got severely ill.

Everything must be washed.

[SoCalDem]

15. If it's got e coli in it, a simple swish under the tap

is not sufficient.. Are you going to gamble your child's life over your ability to get ALL the contamination when you wash the veggies?

and is a cold water rinse even enough? How MUCH washing is necessary to get rid of stuff you cannot even see with the naked eye?

just sayin' :scared:

[Beausoir]

22. Those thoughts cross my mind, too. Especially since I have a child with

only one kidney.

But, we wash things as best we can and move forward.

[jmowreader]

124. You know why people don't wash bagged produce

It says right on the bag: "Already Washed. Ready To Serve."

People are so lazy these days.

If you want some horror stories about exactly HOW lazy they are, click "Reply."

[pnwmom]

16. And supposedly it's washed, but I've read yukky stuff about that, too.

Like the washing bins being right next to where the cows are hanging out.

Geez.

[CTyankee]

75. That was Pat Buchanen's big argument against all the

produce from South American countries, how their standards are so low and it was a threat to our national health. Of course, he wasn't concerned about the safety of the workers at all. I bet he's smirking now.

[elehhhhna]

115. Righto. Birds also poop all over crops, which does not help.

[tridim]

14. I JUST got over 8 days of intestinal hell

Could have easily been the bagged spinach (Safeway brand) I ate about 2 weeks ago. Or then again it could be the cheese, or the eggs, or the milk, or the half-and-half, or the baby carrots, or anything.

Do I throw out everything in the fridge?

Edit: Just a warning.. If you've never taken Imodium AD, be careful with the full dose. It locked my up solid for 4 miserable days.

[GreenPartyVoter]

28. I live on immodium, but yeah it can lock you up if you take your last dose

too close to being well again.

[Name removed]

32. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[GreenPartyVoter]

36. I use the immodium to shut my bowels down. That stuff doesn't look like it

would help. (I have ulcerative colitis, although since having my second son I think I can be downgraded to just colitis. And since I prefer to use a toilet when I evacuate my bowels, hence the need for controlling them with the Immodium. :( )

[HysteryDiagnosis]

38. Do you have any idea what some of these substances can

mean to a person who has to deal with colitis?? For example:

PROBIOTICS:


1: Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2006 Oct;24 Suppl 3:90-5. Links
Review article: the intestinal lumen as a therapeutic target in inflammatory bowel disease.

* Gassull MA.

Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain.

Undigested carbohydrates reaching the colon can act as competitors for epithelial bacterial receptors, making it difficult for noncommensal bacteria to adhere to them. On the contrary, fermentation of these carbohydrates by anaerobic flora produces - among other substrates - butyrate that is involved in numerous important metabolic processes. These include the provision of energy to the colonocytes, the enhancement of sodium and water absorption and the synthesis of mucus and cell membranes. In addition, butyrate inhibits the nuclear translocation of the transcription factor NFkappaB, which exerts a potent anti-inflammatory activity. Clinical experience with probiotics in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is controversial. Whereas some probiotic preparations appear to be useful in ulcerative colitis (UC) and pouchitis, most attempts to use probiotics for treating or preventing recurrence in Crohn's disease have failed. It should be pointed out that - unlike in the small bowel - the colon and ileal pouches are well-established microbiological ecosystems with increasing amounts of a wide variety of bacterial strains. These bacterial strains have a high degree of metabolic interaction with luminal nutrients and a greater probability of developing dysbiosis. With this in mind, the rationale for using pre- and probiotics appears to be stronger for colonic IBD (UC or Crohn's colitis) and pouchitis than for IBD mostly involving the small bowel.

PMID: 16961752

1: Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2006 Sep;24(5):701-14.Click here to read Links
Review article: prebiotics in the gastrointestinal tract.

* Macfarlane S,
* Macfarlane GT,
* Cummings JH.

Dundee University Gut Group, Division of Pathology and Neuroscience, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, UK.

Prebiotics are short-chain carbohydrates that alter the composition, or metabolism, of the gut microbiota in a beneficial manner. It is therefore expected that prebiotics will improve health in a way similar to probiotics, whilst at the same time being cheaper, and carrying less risk and being easier to incorporate into the diet than probiotics. To review published evidence for prebiotic effects on gut function and human health. We searched the Science Citation Index with the terms prebiotic, microbiota, gut bacteria, large intestine, mucosa, bowel habit, constipation, diarrhoea, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, pouchitis, calcium and cancer, focussing principally on studies in humans and reports in the English language. Search of the Cochrane Library did not identify any clinical study or meta-analysis on this topic. Three prebiotics, oligofructose, galacto-oligosaccharides and lactulose, clearly alter the balance of the large bowel microbiota by increasing bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus numbers. These carbohydrates are fermented and give rise to short-chain fatty acid and intestinal gas; however, effects on bowel habit are relatively small. Randomized-controlled trials of their effect in a clinical context are few, although animal studies show anti-inflammatory effects in inflammatory bowel disease, while calcium absorption is increased. It is still early days for prebiotics, but they offer the potential to modify the gut microbial balance in such a way as to bring direct health benefits cheaply and safely.

PMID: 16918875

[REP]

66. Animal Studies? Please.

If you had UC or Crohn's, you may not want to depend on something that is not proven while blood is pouring out of you. You too might reach for the Immodium or Lomotil.

It might be a good idea not to give medical advice about a life-threatening disease such as Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn's Disease or any other IDB. You cannot examine patients or their medical records and histories, and IBD is simply too dangerous to dispense "advice" willy-nilly, no matter how well-meant it is.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

74. Well, consider Europe's track record, and then consider

what you said.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine in Germany - a survey of patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

* Joos S,
* Rosemann T,
* Szecsenyi J,
* Hahn EG,
* Willich SN,
* Brinkhaus B.

Department of General Practice and Health Services Research, University of Heidelberg, Germany. [email protected]

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have suggested an increasing use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of our study was to evaluate the use of CAM in German patients with IBD. METHODS: A questionnaire was offered to IBD patients participating in patient workshops which were organized by a self-help association, the German Crohn's and Colitis Association. The self-administered questionnaire included demographic and disease-related data as well as items analysing the extent of CAM use and satisfaction with CAM treatment. Seven commonly used CAM methods were predetermined on the questionnaire.

RESULTS: 413 questionnaires were completed and included in the analysis (n = 153 male, n = 260 female; n = 246 Crohn's disease, n = 164 ulcerative colitis). 52 % of the patients reported CAM use in the present or past. In detail, homeopathy (55%), probiotics (43%), classical naturopathy (38%), Boswellia serrata extracts (36%) and acupuncture/Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) (33%) were the most frequently used CAM methods. Patients using probiotics, acupuncture and Boswellia serrata extracts (incense) reported more positive therapeutic effects than others. Within the statistical analysis no significant predictors for CAM use were found. 77% of the patients felt insufficiently informed about CAM.

CONCLUSION: The use of CAM in IBD patients is very common in Germany, although a large proportion of patients felt that information about CAM is not sufficient. However, to provide an evidence-based approach more research in this field is desperately needed. Therefore, physicians should increasingly inform IBD patients about benefits and limitations of CAM treatment.

PMID: 16716218

[shanti]

71. i heard that!

when you have ibs, you live on the stuff. constipation/diarhea, back and forth. :(

[Syrinx]

17. yikes. I ate some last night!

:scared:

[acmavm]

18. Prepacked Salads Tied To E-Coli

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/10/03/health/main901556.shtml?CMP=OTC-RSSFeed&source=RSS&attr=U.S._901556

<snip>
(AP) The Food and Drug Administration is warning people not to eat certain Dole prepackaged salads that have been connected to an outbreak of E. coli infections in Minnesota.

The illnesses have all been associated with Dole salads bought at Rainbow Foods grocery store outlets in the state. But salads carrying the same production codes have been distributed nationwide, prompting the national warning, the FDA said.

-more-

FDA Issues Nationwide Health Alert on Dole Pre-Packaged Salads

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/news/2005/new01239.html

<snip>
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is issuing a nationwide warning to consumers against eating certain pre-packaged Dole salad products because these products have been associated with an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in Minnesota. The affected products include three brand names and are labeled with "best-if-used by" dates, as listed below, and a production code beginning with "B250."

Illnesses have been associated with consumption of Dole salad products purchased from a single grocery store chain, Rainbow Foods, in its Minnesota locations. However, salad products containing the affected production codes are also distributed nationwide.

The three prepackaged salad products involved are:

Classic Romaine - with a "best-if-used-by (BIUB)" date of September 23, 2005 and a production code beginning with "B250."
American Blend - with a "best-if-used-by (BIUB)" date of September 23, 2005 and a production code beginning with "B250."
Greener Selection - with a "best-if-used-by (BIUB)" date of September 22, 2005, and a production code beginning with "B250."

-more-

[KeepItReal]

20. Son-of-a-B*tch!! I'm doomed!

Those pre-packed salads are tha bomb....

[smirkymonkey]

21. Me too - I live on spinach salads and other bagged/packaged

greens. I am amazed I haven't gotten sick before - sometimes I even forget to wash it (most of it is prewashed, but still I like to wash it again.)

Well, what doesn't kill me makes me stronger, I guess.

[KeepItReal]

25. I just run it through some L.A. tapwater before I eat it...

...recipe for disaster - I know...

[Canuckistanian]

60. LOL

You're really living on the edge, there...

[oregonjen]

26. All of the links you provided are from Oct. 2005

The warning issued today does not mention which brand name and other details yet.

[acmavm]

30. So what are you getting at? Because the warnings were issued in

October 2005 they're not valid? Or because today's didn't mention brand names that invalidates those warnings?

I posted that because this is something that's been known for quite some time.

If you have a point please let me know what it is.

[oregonjen]

33. I'm not attacking, jeez

Just wanted to let you know, just in case you were posting thinking it was recent. I'm sorry to have offended you. Have a nice evening. :)

Edited to add: I clicked on your links thinking it was new info because you didn't state it was from a year ago. Now that I look closely on the links, 2005 is apparent.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

31. delete

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

34. delete

[Halliburton]

125. damnit

I ate bagged lettuce the other day. hell I even got some in my refrigerator right now.

[acmavm]

127. I eat the stuff. But I've always washed it first.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

19. are you kidding? I can't afford raw spinach

let alone the bagged stuff.

Why would anyone pay twice as much for something so easy to cut and wash yourself?

[smalll]

59. I wonder why there are all these bagged-greens fans too -

isn't bagged more expensive than buying greens that sit there out in the open in your produce section? Right near the bagged stuff?

I'm going to go on a mini-rant here about something I can't understand about today's Americans. I am an American too, and am generally in favor of this country, but this is what I don't understand:

They uncomplainingly have subjected themselves to having the shortest vacations in the world and the longest work days. They are willing to commute one, or even two, or even three hours each way to get to those time-eating places of work. They're pretty tough people. But in the relatively small fraction of time that they live as consumers rather than salary slaves, they suddenly become such a bunch of impatient sybaritic babies. Waaahh. I can't be expected to PULL APART my own greens, and WASH them! No, I will spend extra to escape such onerous travails.

Or babies in the easily-scared sense, the sense that seems to have scared far too many people into drinking only BOTTLED water (pay extra, of course!), and into the situation we have in this country today where, elsewhere on this thread, someone alleges that tap water in Los Angeles would put you at risk if used merely for WASHING GREENS (let alone drinking it.) I don't know the West Coast. Is that true? If so, isn't it time people threw away their endless water bottles and marched in demand of safe municipal water? It's like we're falling back into something like the rough young Industrial Revolution of the 1820s. And it's NOT all just because of some vast Rovian BFEE evil master plan. The fault is not in our stars, but in ourselves. Americans need to STOP working like dogs and STOP living like babies!

[Kali]

65. Here here!

:toast:

[Viva_La_Revolution]

70. Wow.

Welcome to DU!

:applause:

[MUSTANG_2004]

80. What an obnoxious rant

I, for one, buy bagged greens because they are convenient and I eat healthier because of them. If I'm running late and am dashing out the door, I can grab a bag of pre-washed, pre-cut greens to snack on. If I didn't have that option, I'd end up dropping a dollar in the office snack machine. I'm hardly an "impatient sybaritic baby", and actually enjoy cooking fairly complicated meals, but there's a time and a place for that.

It seems to me that it's a good thing that stores offer foods that are fast, healthy alternatives to pre-packaged junk food, yet you complain about it like it's a bad thing.

[Kali]

89. Ok you do have a point

It makes a handy alternative to candybars, still one might suggest planning ahead and prebagging a few days supply? :hide:

[sproutster]

23. Had some yesterday - In Idaho - Just wonderful

[LisaM]

24. I rarely buy the bagged lettuce for this very reason

but I get the spinach (or did get the spinach) once in a while because it takes so long to wash it.

[nytemare]

27. You'd think maybe they could break it down a little more for us?

Like what company made it and where it was packaged, what states did the spinach get shipped to?

I can eat me some spinach. This is sad. I hope the sick folks get better.

:(

[Berry Cool]

29. Who knows? Maybe one crop of spinach got packaged many ways

and sent many places. Or maybe they're just hedging their bets.

I read about the dangers of bagged greens months ago. I admit, it turned me off them but good.

[SmokingJacket]

37. Well, I've bought my last bag of that shit.

E-coli I don't need. I betcha those bugs just love the nice sealed environment of the bags to grow fat in...

[Lost-in-FL]

39. I have a bag in my fridge

And i don't feel like going to work tomorrow. :7

[liberaldemocrat7]

43. Breaking News: Sailor Doubles over and dies an hour after eating spinach.

The sailor ate the entire spinach and his girlfriend with wiry arms and skinny body and short hair and pony tail watched over him as he doubled over and fell sick. She comforted him as best as she could for close to an hour as he moaned and moaned. Then he turned on his side on the floor and gave out a big cry Oh Olive I will see you in the next life, and fell silent. His girlfirend said Oh Popeye I'll avenge those stupid Republicans for not inspecting foods adequately and having enough FDA inspectors, and giving into unethical businessmen who would see people die so they can make a bigger profit.

[readmoreoften]

45. JUST FINISHED EATING RAW BAGGED SPINACH!!! Damn@!#!!

Went to the store. Bought the goddamned bagged spinach. Had a salad. Clicked onto DU.

DAMN IT!!!!

[Catherine Vincent]

54. Hopefully the bag you bought wasn't contaminated.

But if you start feeling sick, head to the doctor. Good luck! :hi:

[Hamlette]

46. my secretary has been fighting it for 2 weeks, just out of intensive care

in Utah...I've not talked to her since the news about the spinach but I wouldn't be surprised...

She's had a rough road.

[bliss_eternal]

47. Darn it--Guess I'll have to eat frozen for a while...

:(

[Swamp Rat]

49. "Soylent Green is people!"

Mad cow beef and diseases, etc. that occur in the meat packing industry are MUCH more of a danger than bagged spinach.

[Kali]

53. Not if you are susceptible and eat that bag of contaminated spinach.

Source doesn't matter. In fact one is much more likely to eat that spinach raw than meat. Cooking kills E coli, vCJD is so rare as to be of negligible rational concern.

[Swamp Rat]

55. Well, I always cook my spinach.

You can't cook meat that has become poisoned with kuru/mad cow (prions), etc. and expect it to be ok.

[Kali]

64. No, but you CAN expect it to be OK to begin with.

At least as far as prion-caused disease. As for some of the other common food-caused illnesses, depends on how it was raised and especially how it was butchered. And even with contamination, cooking thoroughly kills most all but clostridial toxins.

[Swamp Rat]

73. You apparently have much more confidence in the FDA and U.S. meat

inspectors than do I.

[Kali]

88. Well, I'm not blind to the faults in the system, that is for sure

but the bottom line is unless you buy into crazy conspiracy theories, things ARE pretty safe. Not peak in terms of how it could be done for sure, and plenty of info out there on what is wrong with mass production in terms of food, yet not many sicken and die before old age. It is pretty amazing really how many people are (over) fed and for fairly low costs in this country and elsewhere. (of course there will be the hidden long term costs of environmental damage and human and animal health issues to pay eventually, but the predictions of the collapse of "modern" ag have come and gone numerous times. Yet it keeps ticking onward.)

Disclaimer (or maybe credibility claimer?) I raise cattle, so try to keep as informed as I can on issues surrounding my avocation.

[WinkyDink]

123. Yeah, all 2 of them. Or is it up to 3 now?

[tinfoilinfor2005]

51. Had a spinach salad for lunch from Appleby's. Do they buy it in bags?

:shrug:

[shanti]

72. shoot, applebee's

my son ate some buffalo wings there last year and was sent to the emergency room. now he won't touch buffalo wings and of course, never will go to applebee's again.

[Bridget Burke]

78. Every processing step is another chance for contamination...

Whether it's at the "factory" or the kitchen at Appleby's.

Even your own organic spinach needs washing. And don't chop it on the block you use for raw chicken.

[Recursion]

52. Clearly, we should start pasteurizing spinach... nt

[CarlVK]

62. This is hella bad news for Popeye.

[Phentex]

95. LOL!

argh! :)

[Kurovski]

63. It has been said that even pre-washed spinach and salad should

be washed before consumption.

[K8-EEE]

69. Cripes I Have Some In The Fridge....

throwing it OUT...

[Kali]

90. Just cook it.

With a tiny bit of bacon grease for flavor...mmmmmm.

[treestar]

76. Good thing for Popeye that he eats canned spinach

Or he would not be strong to the finish

[Hubert Flottz]

77. I hope someone told Popeye!

Edit...

Popeye passed on to the big ship in the sky yesterday, after a very short illness.(the dribbling shits) Popeye was a union sailor, on all the many seven seas, for more than 70 years. He kicked ass and took names wherever he sailed and he always did the right things right.(he was what he was) He will be sadly missed by his friends and family. He is survived by his wife Olive and their son Sweet Pea and one wimpy brother. The smoking lamp is lit...That Is All...

[lonestarnot]

96. I'll gladly trade you some spinach for a hamburger todaaaaaaaay.

[Bridget Burke]

79. Here's a suggestion for that spinach in the fridge....

Peel garlic cloves and flatten with the broad side of a knife to crush. Place crushed garlic in olive oil and set aside (for a stronger garlic flavor, do this as much as a day in advance and refrigerate oil).

Wash spinach and shake dry, still leaving some moisture on the leaves. Heat oil in a large skillet, toss slightly damp spinach in heated oil just until wilted and heated through. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and toss to coat. Serve topped with toasted pine nuts (or hazelnuts).

www.fabulousfoods.com/recipes/side/veg/spingarlem.html

Is the oil hot enough to kill the bacteria? I'll take the risk.

[KurtNYC]

82. Yes why wash or cook it when THERE IS A CAPS LOCK KEY!

fear fear itself.

[elehhhhna]

113. lmao.

[EnviroBat]

83. HOLY CRAP!

I just chowed down an entire 6 lb bag for brunch! Starting to feel queasy... Forearms, swelling up...

[noonwitch]

84. Good thing I use frozen spinach for my spanokotopita!

Spinach pie, that is.

[Kazak]

85. Our dinner plans for Sunday evening...

involve raw bagged spinach. I'm trying to gauge how seriously to take this, or if we should scrap our plans (for which we've already bought all of the other ingredients (lazagna)).

[Pathwalker]

86. I know EXACTLY what brand is the problem,

because I'm just now getting over a three week battle with this illness. IT WAS DOLE! This has been AWFUL, and I cleaned it FIVE TIMES before I ate it, which, according to my Doctor, is why I'm still here. You DON'T want e. coli - BELIEVE ME!
Throw it away!

[K8-EEE]

100. HOLY GUACAMOLE!!

OMG I'm so sorry you got so sick! Glad you're better and I was probably saved by timing, I had some in my fridge that I just threw out...!!

[mzteris]

104. That's the brand I bought.

Did you for sure have ecoli? Did you contact the FDA with info about the brand, store? If not, you should - it might help narrow it down for them. (Lot number, etc......)

[Pathwalker]

120. I gave all the info to my local Health Department.

Yes, it was e. coli - that's what the tests confirmed. I bought it from the local Kroger, but they seemed to think other stores are involved, as well. I'm getting better, but stilll very, very weak. I don't think I'll ever eat fresh spinach again, though.
I haven't heard fron the FDA, and don't know how to contact them.

[mzteris]

121. the Health Dept.

should have passed it on - but you never know.

Here's a link to the FDA "complaint" dept. I should think if they have someone with a DEFINITE source - they'd want to KNOW.

oops - forgot the link. :blush:

http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html

[elehhhhna]

114. Dole sold the killer bagged lettuce a few months back, too...

Some news program showed how they now pick and process it right in the field which evidently increases the contamination potential. The pickers are also the trimmers...and...well...have y'all ever seen a port-a-potty in the middle of a vast veggie field? Me neither.

[elehhhhna]

116. More proof that Bob Dole doesn't wash his hands often enough.

[NJmaverick]

87. HERE IS THE OFFICIAL ADVISORY!!!

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is issuing an alert to consumers about an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in multiple states that may be associated with the consumption of produce. To date, preliminary epidemiological evidence suggests that bagged fresh spinach may be a possible cause of this outbreak.

Based on the current information, FDA advises that consumers not eat bagged fresh spinach at this time. Individuals who believe they may have experienced symptoms of illness after consuming bagged spinach are urged to contact their health care provider.

"Given the severity of this illness and the seriousness of the outbreak, FDA believes that a warning to consumers is needed. We are working closely with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local agencies to determine the cause and scope of the problem," said Dr. Robert Brackett, Director of FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN).

E. coli O157:H7 causes diarrhea, often with bloody stools. Although most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, some people can develop a form of kidney failure called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). HUS is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly. The condition can lead to serious kidney damage and even death. To date, 50 cases of illness have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including 8 cases of HUS and one death.

At this time, the investigation is ongoing and states that have reported illnesses to date include: Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Wisconsin.

No brand of bagged fresh spinach has been identified as the source of this outbreak.

[Swamp Rat]

112. an "outbreak" and a "possible cause?"

:scared:

[deaniac21]

103. I'll eats whut I wantska....

[Cobalt Violet]

105. Who's been crapping in the spinach field?

Will we ever know?

[elehhhhna]

117. Birds. And pickers.. No bathrooms ya know.

[elehhhhna]

119. Geez. McCain says the pickers make 50 bucks per hour. So why don't they

insist on Executive bathrooms?

[Union Label]

107. I wonder if this only happened in more liberal areas

Just saying.:tinfoilhat:

[PaulaFarrell]

109. or wash it first n/t

[lovuian]

110. bush and Cheney sh**ing in the White House garden

Toxic waste...