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美国FDA认为菠菜尽管安全但有重大隐患
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Fresh spinach is safe to eat in the United States because all E. coli-tainted spinach has been recalled, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday.
But the FDA said serious concerns remained because so many outbreaks of food poisoning in fresh greens such as spinach and lettuce have been traced to California farms. The current outbreak, which dates back to mid-August and hit 26 states, may have killed as many as three people and put 97 in the hospital.
California's food industry needs to address the issue and tougher regulations may be needed, said the FDA's Dr. David Acheson. But consumers can safely eat fresh spinach again, he told reporters in a telephone briefing.
"The spinach that is going to come on to the market next week or whenever is going to be as safe as it was before this outbreak," Acheson said. "But ... there are some longer-term issues that need to be addressed."
The outbreak had been traced to fresh spinach processed by San Juan Bautista, California-based Natural Selection Foods LLC. The company said on Thursday that the FDA had found no contamination by toxic bacteria at two plants and that they were bacteria-free.
Acheson denied this.
"I don't know who gave them this information but it is incorrect," he said. "The information I have here is that the Natural Selections facility is still under investigation."
He said all the spinach implicated in the E. coli outbreak had been traced to Natural Selection Foods. Many of the bags had been sold under the Dole brand name. Continued...
CONTINUING OUTBREAKS
Acheson said food growers and processors will have to change some of their practices, although it is not yet clear which ones.
"The FDA and the state of California have previously expressed serious concerns with continuing outbreaks of foodborne illness associated with the consumption of fresh and fresh-cut lettuce and other leafy greens," Acheson said.
"And as part of our longer term strategy, FDA and the state of California expect industry to develop a plan to minimize the risk of a further outbreak of E. coli 0157 not just in spinach but in all leafy greens including lettuce."
He said this was the 20th outbreak of E. coli 0157:H7 in leafy greens in 10 years, and half had been traced to central California.
"What it does is it raises concerns about what is going on in that environment," Acheson said.
For instance, cattle may need to be kept away from fields where food is grown, and physical barriers may have to be used, he said.
E. coli is a common and usually harmless bacteria found in the guts of animals including people. The 0157:H7 strain can be toxic and is found in the intestines and manure of cattle.
"Having cattle that may or may not be carrying 0157 that are uphill and upstream of a field that is growing a fresh product that is going to be consumed without cooking obviously raises concerns and questions," Acheson said. 认领了 US FDA says spinach safe but has bigger concerns
美国FDA称菠菜尽管安全但仍有重大隐患
WASHINGTON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Fresh spinach is safe to eat in the United States because all E. coli-tainted spinach has been recalled, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday.
美国FDA在周五称，美国已经召回所有被大肠杆菌污染的菠菜，所以人们尽可以放心食用新鲜菠菜。
But the FDA said serious concerns remained because so many outbreaks of food poisoning in fresh greens such as spinach and lettuce have been traced to California farms. The current outbreak, which dates back to mid-August and hit 26 states, may have killed as many as three people and put 97 in the hospital.
但FDA随后说依然存在严重安全隐患。因为绿色蔬菜如菠菜及生菜曾引起多起食物中毒事件，这些蔬菜产地均为加利褔尼亚农场。最近一次疫情发生于八月中旬，殃及26个州，导致3人死亡，97人入院。
California's food industry needs to address the issue and tougher regulations may be needed, said the FDA's Dr. David Acheson. But consumers can safely eat fresh spinach again, he told reporters in a telephone briefing. "The spinach that is going to come on to the market next week or whenever is going to be as safe as it was before this outbreak," Acheson said. "But ... there are some longer-term issues that need to be addressed."
FDA的 David Acheson博士在电话访问中说，加利福尼亚的食品工厂有必要认真讨论这个问题，也需要制订更严格的规定。但是消费者已经可以再次放心食用新鲜菠菜。"下周，或者在我们认为菠菜已经达到这次疫情爆发之前的安全水平时，菠菜将再次上架。但是，还有一些长期问题需要讨论"
The outbreak had been traced to fresh spinach processed by San Juan Bautista, California-based Natural Selection Foods LLC. The company said on Thursday that the FDA had found no contamination by toxic bacteria at two plants and that they were bacteria-free.
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作者:admin@医学,生命科学 2011-01-18 05:14
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