7 Things You Should Know About E. Coli




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In the past, there have been cases of large scale food recalls due to high levels of dangerous contamination. E. coli has been the culprit of many of these food safety issues in the news. Here are 7 facts that you should know about this rod-shaped bacterium.

1) Resounding Research
Currently, E. coli is the most thoroughly studied species in microbiology. Good news is that most strains of Escherichia coli are actually harmless.

 

2) Not All E. Coli is Bad

E. coli  already resides in the bodies of many people as it is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms. E. coli normally colonizes the gastrointestinal tract of a human within 40 hours of birth and brings some benefit to the host including prevention of the establishment of pathogenic bacteria within the intestine.

 

3) Gross Science

This type of bacterium is also described as ‘normally found in fecal matter,’ which assigns a truly dangerous and downright disgusting connotation.

 

4) Dangerous Waters

Less harmful strains may lead to relatively brief diarrhea that most adults can recover from within a few days but young children and older adults can develop a life-threatening form of kidney failure. Other strains, however, may be especially dangerous as they cause some serious gastrointestinal diseases, severe abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting.

 

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5) Prevent this Pest!

Most food products available have passed food safety standards, but consumers are advised to be cautious of food products that seem to be untested. Diebel Laboratories is an International Corporation of food-testing laboratories that helps keep food safe for consumers.

There are many potential sources of exposure for e.coli including the most common way: contaminated food. Food like undercooked ground beef, unpasteurized milk, unwashed fresh produce and restaurant meals can be susceptible to e. coli. Personal contact is another way to be exposed, especially when hands are not washed properly.

 

6) Call the Doctor

If you think you have been exposed, your doctor will have to send a sample of your stool to be tested in a laboratory. They will then be able to confirm the diagnosis and identify any specific toxins.

7) Get Well

For most people, the best option is to get plenty of rest and drink lots of clear liquids to avoid dehydration. Do not take anti-diarrheal medication, as it slows the digestive system and the toxins will not be expelled. Add food back into your diet at a gradual pace and avoid dairy products, fatty foods, and seasoned foods.

 

Find more information on contaminant detection at www.deibellabs.com.

Typhoid Mary: From cook to national health threat

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In modern times, a person is referred to as a “Typhoid Mary” when he or she becomes a transmitter of anything undesirable, harmful, or catastrophic. The term has evolved to become a general term for a harbinger of misfortune, although when delving into its etymology, one finds out that it was coined following a public health brouhaha which involved two things: a disease called “typhoid” and a woman named “Mary.”

When Mary Mallon emigrated from Ireland to the United States in 1884, she immediately tried looking for work. In 1900, she got accepted as a cook in Mamaroneck, New York City, but that was also when strange things began to happen.

Within two weeks in her first employment, members of the household she worked for suddenly developed typhoid fever. That wasn’t strange at all, until every other household she worked for fell ill with typhoid. The outbreak followed Mary wherever she went, and before long, New York City was awash with typhoid patients.

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It was in 1906 when George Soper, a sanitary engineer and renowned typhoid researcher, was hired to investigate the situation and found Mary to be the common dominator among all documented cases. When Mary was confronted about this, she adamantly refused to cooperate to health authorities, citing her seemingly perfect health as basis for her disbelief in Soper’s findings. It was only when the New York City Health Department decided to bring her to quarantine and obtain cultures that they discovered her secret: Her gallbladder was teeming with Salmonella typhi. These got transmitted to the food she prepared because she rarely washed her hands, claiming that she felt there was no need.

When she was released from quarantine in 1910, she immediately went back to the workforce, first taking up a low-paying job as a laundress, and eventually returning to cooking after she changed her name to Mary Brown. But as fate would have it, the typhoid outbreaks returned, leading to an extensive cat-and-mouse chase which eventually led to Mallon’s arrest in 1915. From then on, she was quarantined in North Brother Island where she remained until her death on November 11, 1938 at the age of 69, leaving behind a number of infected people.

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Although food safety is a relatively new discipline, it already has its fair share of interesting and odd stories in its short, albeit colorful history. More updates on the industry can be found on this Facebook page for Deibel Laboratories.

Ensuring the safety of food products

Making sure that food is safe for consumption requires compliance of everyone involved in the production, transport, and preparation of the product to strict standards of quality control.

Even the consumers are responsible for their safety and well-being. They must know how to properly prepare the food product, make sure that they cook the food well, and store the food in an environment that slows spoilage and prevents the growth of contaminants.

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Before food reaches the table

As for the companies that offer food products and for establishments that prepare food for their customers, all efforts must be done to ensure that the product that reaches the consumer is safe and of high quality. Before they can market their products, businesses need to ensure that their facilities pass food industry safety standards. They also need to make sure that their staff and suppliers can be counted upon to follow protocol in handling the food products.

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Food contamination

The problem of food poisoning is more serious than many people realize. While consumers can be lax about their choices at times, food-providing companies cannot be lenient about their quality and safety standards.

There are risks of contamination at every step of the food production process, and following a rigid routine that emphasizes safety is necessary. A small mistake can send consumers to the hospital bed, and companies can easily lose the trust of the costumers.

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Diebel Labs has been ensuring the production of safe and high-quality commodities for over 30 years. Find more information on contaminant detection at www.deibellabs.com.

Quality control for the food and personal care industries

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The food and personal care industries are among the trades that require stringent quality control protocols. The need is obvious as the products that come from these industries are easily purchased and widely used by consumers. Having little or no quality control measures can and do result to grave problems for companies, local authorities, and consumers alike as contaminants in products available in the market may cause big scandals for companies and can even lead to some serious health problems for many people.

In the US, the Food and Drug Administration is the primary organization that sets guidelines and standards for products that companies can offer to the public at large. This governing body ensures that all food, drugs, medical devices, vaccines, cosmetics, and tobacco products that will be offered to the public are safe for consumption or use.

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Companies and brands in the aforementioned industries can also take extra precaution in protecting their reputation and the welfare of the consumers by getting support from third-party testing providers. Deibel Laboratories is one such company, and it has been supporting the food diagnostics and personal care industries for over 30 years.

It takes methodologies based on current FDA/BAM, USDA/FSIS, USP, AOAC and EPA recognition, as well as PCR and ELISA arrays for rapid pathogen detection to ensure high quality in food and personal care products. Meanwhile, it provides comprehensive microbiological and chemical support for companies to fully verify their claims of product quality and safety.

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Read more about quality control for the food and personal care industry at www.deibellabs.com.