Thread: Ecoli contaminated Spinach Recall

Recent news reports warn consumers to discard fresh-bagged spinach and some are recommending caution with other fresh-bagged salad mixes. The cause for this warning is an outbreak of a toxic strain of ecoli.

Ecoli is found in the intestinal track and spread through animal and human stool and urine; it is common to find traces of the non-toxic strain in humans and rarely causes problems. It is when toxic strains are introduced to the body, and the body cannot battle it, that illness and sometimes death result.

Determining if a person "carries" the toxic strain is relatively simple through a blood test or culture test. Immigrants who enter the country legally are tested for numerous diseases. If found to carry any diseases that can be passed along to the general population, the potential immigrant is treated and retested, or rejected entrance. It is just common sense that those who test positive should be restricted from working in any phase of the food industry.

Illegal aliens are not tested, nor is it presumed California growers have invested money to test workers before putting them in the fields or processing plants. Portable toilets are not permitted in the fields with the crops; workers cannot afford to run to the nearest portable facility at the end of the field. Because they are paid by the amount they pick and not by the hour, they relieve themselves in the growing area. Those who carry the toxic strain, not only contaminate the vegetables but the soil as well.

This outbreak has been traced back to California where the highest concentration of illegal agriculture workers are found. Even if just a handful of illegal workers contaminate small sections of the field, once the vegetables are combined and processed, the problem becomes national.

Ecoli is spread by animals and humans. If California growers can’t show they changed their fertilizer source then humans are the only other contaminant. If the growers can’t (or won’t) show that their workers were tested for communicable diseases, prior to handling food to be distributed nationwide, this could be a fun time in the court system. Remember, washing ecoli contaminated vegetables will not remove the bacteria – in the processing plants or in the home.

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Maybe it’s time to demand answers to the hard questions. Yes, I would like to know which commercial farms processed and shipped contaminated spinach (and perhaps other greens), but more importantly, I would like to know the source of the contamination. If the growers don’t know HOW, how will they prevent it from recurring?

This is an excellent article. Did you write this, or what source is this from?

Ecoli is spread by animals and humans

Well I can't recall ever seeing animals hanging out in food crop fields. Seriously though, even the manure based fertilizer that is used for some commercially grown organic crops is heated to extreme temperatures to destroy harmful pathogens.

This whole thing is so revolting.

Do you think they will ever tell the truth about how the spinach became contaminated? I am betting even if they find out it’s from a human source it will never be told. How much is that Illegal labor worth now?

Originally Posted by American_made

Do you think they will ever tell the truth about how the spinach became contaminated? I am betting even if they find out it’s from a human source it will never be told. How much is that Illegal labor worth now?

I was thinking the same thing. Our "leaders" would probably let hundreds more die rather then say something bad about the poor Mexicans just trying to find work.

I wouldn't even put it past the spinach pickers to be purposely using spinach for toilet paper. They love spitting in our food, why not take it to the next level.

These are my words, after spending an entire day researching ecoli and how it is spread. I was hoping to write a brief that made enough of a statement that a reporter from the Washington Times would want to pick it up and run with it.

I really can't add more than what has already been said. I have a feeling, although not logical or based on any scientific hypothesis, that a lot of other Americans are reaching the same deductive conclusion. The scary thing for me ( I always have a story) is I am working with a person of very advanced age(91). She loves spinach. We bought a package ( Dole) which I prepared. I cooked it thorougly for her ( after washing it ) before serving it. The package was bought during the same time the E-coli hit N.M. - she could not have survived an E-coli infection. Interestingly, she came to the same conclusion - her mind is sharper than a lot of people 30 years younger. Legal immigration is a viable part of the US "melting pot" history - illegal trespassers often bring in diseases can effect thousands of American citizens. Will we hear of CDC findings if they confirm the source of the contamination as an illegal trespasser? - I think not.

I had never heard there was a 'toxic' and 'non-toxic' strain of this before.

Seriously, I thought all feces carried this.

But I think everyone is right - we will never know the truth about this.

Never fear, however, the government might find a 'virus' to spray on your spinach as they are your hot dogs.

Rather than go into a long drawn out scientific description, I simplified regular ecoli, usually harmless and E. coli O157:H7 which is the toxic strain.

Other animals may have either strain of ecoli in their intestine, but the toxic strain is more prevalent in cattle. I don't know of any cases with other animals.

Being a vegan, I don't eat meat, so I'm not sure what the government might spray ON hot dogs. Knowing what's in them is enough to deter me.

The FDA is conducting an investigation. It was reported (now they tell us) that there have been at least 19 incidences of ecoli, infecting over 400 people in the past 10 years. Half of those cases are linked to the growing area of the most recent outbreak. They are surmising contaminated irrigation water which may have resulted from run-off from neighboring commercial vegetable plots or cattle ranches. If you don't know the area, I suppose they could try to make it fly. Until they complete their investigation we can only guess.

There WILL have to be an extensive FDA investigation. Since this hit the media, people are nervous and want verifiable answers. Consumers are much smarter today and less trusting of accepting whatever the government throws at them.

I have to agree with you June, I have been thinking and talking about the very same conclusion since this hit the news.

We eat salad mixes in our house all the time, so I am mildly surprised we have not been sick.

Notice something about the pattern of infection across the map? Notice that it has not been consistently eveyone in every state that has bought the spinach? You know more people than have been sick from this, have bought spinach, yet not all have gotten ill. Why is that? Because contamination from a human source would likely be inconsistent. If like they say it was from contaminated ground water, then ALL the people who ate the spinach would have become ill, not just a few here and a few there.

What do they take us for anyways trying to say that? How stupid do they really think people are?

I live amongst these people and the men think nothing of just stopping where they are at outside and urinating, right in front of anyone and everyone.

To me there is no doubt, and the only reason no one in the government has said what is really suspect is they do not want angry citizens saying "see what have we been telling you?", and then bboting their butts out of office faster than they can blink.