Thanks for the warning. We just bought some bagged spinach at the grocery store today. Tossing it!
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
We just had a little emergency meeting at the restaurant I work at. We received frantic calls from a half dozen suppliers telling us to stop serving spinach.
It should be noted though that FROZEN spinach is still perfectly fine.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Given the stranglehold the frozen spinach lobby has over Washington, do you really think they'll say otherwise?
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
They should send me a check then, I'm lobbying pro bono at the moment.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I'm anti-Bono, myself. That guy is entirely too full of himself.
Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
Hmmm. What if it's boxed spinach, and I've alraedy eaten half the box? It's unlikely that the other half is contaminated, isn't it?
It's just that I made double lunches today and brought them in, so I didn't have to carry lunch in on my bike tomorrow, so there's a lovely salad with chicken and fresh tomato and jicama and everything sitting in the fridge at work waiting for me. . .
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
What's jicama?
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Boxed spinach? I've never heard of boxed spinach.
In any case, I'd say that if you've already eaten half the box there's probably not a problem with the half that's left.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by imogen: What's jicama?
This is. It's a lovely vegetable, somewhat starchy and just a bit sweet (but the sweet is not due to fructose or white sugar, but an indigestible oligo-sugar). Very crisp and crunchy. And high in vitamin C. Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Very tasty vegetable. I used to snack on those all the time as a kid. Haven't had one in years.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
quote:Originally posted by Noemon: Boxed spinach? I've never heard of boxed spinach.
In any case, I'd say that if you've already eaten half the box there's probably not a problem with the half that's left.
The spinach at Whole Foods comes in a clear plastic box.
-pH
Posted by CaySedai (Member # 6459) on :
Washing fresh food before eating helps prevent a lot of problems. It's not just e coli - my mom got salmonella poisoning a few years ago and spent a few days in the hospital. She thinks she got it from a canteloupe. She didn't wash it before she cut it. Now she does - and I do, too.
Even though the bagged salads say they are washed, it's a good idea to wash them before using, just in case.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
Thanks, Noemon.
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
I think they got contaminated by my spoiled brats. Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Shouldn't they be asleep by now?
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
*thwap*
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
(I tried to resist. I really did. But you were right about the jet-lag -- and thus I have no willpower. Alas!)
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
(I must say I'm inordinately pleased with myself for working Air Jordan into that thread. )
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I knew Hatrack would know. I saw a blurb for the news about spinach but my daughter wanted to watch Lois and Clark, so I didn't watch to see what it was about (I never watch the news anyway), and being lazy, I popped on to Hatrack to see if anything had "spinach" in the title instead of searching news sites.
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
Did you find anything?
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Why are you up? Isn't it past 3 am there?
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
Yeah. >_<
I have a lot of work to do.
I'll go to bed in the next hour or so.
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
(Thursday's a good night for pulling late-nighters, because I only wreck myself for one day afterward, instead of for a whole week.)
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Yeah, I can understand that. Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
If I had bagged spinach in my fridge, I would throw it out because of this news report. Always better safe than sorry.
But also, as an agricultural person, I feel for all the "other" spinach producers who are going to get hurt by this. They haven't yet narrowed it down to which batch/producer caused this e-coli outbreak, so they are basically, to err on the side of safety, having people through out ALL brands of bagged spinach.
While I agree with the philosophy of erring on the side of caution, I can predict a lot of hurting producers who weren't involved in this at all. That is sad.
Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
Of course, I ate a huge spinach salad (from a bag) last night! And the two nights before (once I open the bag, I need to finish it off). Great. I'm hoping that it would have gotten me by now if it was gonna. Serves me right for trying to be healthy for a change.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I can't believe how many people I've talked to who have said that they didn't ordinarily eat spinach, but that on a whim they had just gotten a bag in the last day or two.
Farmgirl, do you think that the producers are the ones who will be hurt by this? I would imagine that the recommendation that people not buy bagged spinach will be fairly short lived, and I expect that people will return to their old eating habits before too long. It seems to me that the people who will take the biggest hit here will be the grocery stores and their suppliers, who will have to throw out tons of stock (although if I were them I'd hold on to it, as I would imagine that the particular brands contaminated will be known shortly enough that non-contaminated stock would still be good).
Do grocery stores and their suppliers carry insurance against this kind of thing?
Posted by Libbie (Member # 9529) on :
Ewwww! E. coli! Bad times. I had an incredibly delicious salad last night, but it was made by somebody else. I don't remember there being spinach in it, but I'll ask him and see if he knows.
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
We just bought a bag yesterday to make yummy whole-wheat pasta with spinach and goat cheese.
I hope the farmers' market has fresh spinach tomorrow.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
quote: Farmgirl, do you think that the producers are the ones who will be hurt by this?
Well, if it affects growers at all like it affected beef producers when there was just ONE report of a mad-cow infected cow, then yes, it will be the producers that are hurt.
It's all about the markets, ya know. The market affects the pricing of products.
Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
How long does this e coli take to kick in?
Posted by Dasa (Member # 8968) on :
Noemon -- add me to the list. If I buy spinach, I buy the frozen variety. This last week, for the first time, I bought the bagged version Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
I, OTOH, decided against buying bagged spinach Tuesday night.
(Ic, I noticed. You know, there are absolutely no good shoe puns that can be made with El Al? At least, not by me last night.)
Posted by Brian J. Hill (Member # 5346) on :
quote:Originally posted by Farmgirl: Well, if it affects growers at all like it affected beef producers when there was just ONE report of a mad-cow infected cow, then yes, it will be the producers that are hurt.
It's all about the markets, ya know. The market affects the pricing of products.
A lot of the effect on beef producers came from our exports coming to a screeching halt. Countries, including the U.S., use so-called "risk of contamination" as a thinly veiled excuse to practice protectionist trade practices. As a result, when the SINGLE case of mad-cow was found, other nations immediately banned imports of U.S. beef, conveniently giving a boost to their own home-grown industry. Such is the "free-market" economy.
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
El zapato Al dente?
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
quote:Originally posted by Farmgirl:
quote: Farmgirl, do you think that the producers are the ones who will be hurt by this?
Well, if it affects growers at all like it affected beef producers when there was just ONE report of a mad-cow infected cow, then yes, it will be the producers that are hurt.
It's all about the markets, ya know. The market affects the pricing of products.
Mad cow disease is a different animal, though. Brian's point is a good one, but in addition to that you have the fact that mad cow is an infectious disease that can spread through existing cattle populations. If Farm A's spinach is contaminated by E. coli, there's no real way for it to be spread to Farm B's crop. The two farms' produce could be mixed together by the business they sell it to, of course, but the stuff that's still in the ground? No real chance of the infection spreading.
I haven't seen studies on how quickly consumer confidence bounces back after a contamination scare, but I'd be surprised if it took very long. Anybody have any numbers on how long it's taken in the past? Say with that apple scare years ago? Or the more recent green onion scare?
Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
I just felt quite justified in having nice, healthy german potato salad (I make excellent german potato salad) for lunch instead of a scary, disease-ridden, likely-to-kill-me, spinach salad.
Posted by maui babe (Member # 1894) on :
quote:Originally posted by kmbboots: How long does this e coli take to kick in?
The incubation period can range from 2-8 days.
From the CDC alert:
quote: The E. coli O157:H7 bacterium causes diarrhea that is often bloody and accompanied by abdominal cramps, but fever is absent or mild. The illness typically resolves within a week. However, some persons, especially young children and the elderly, develop hemolytic uremic syndrome or HUS.
Sorry, the site is secure and I cannot post a link. But here is more information.
Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
Darn. I figured I would be home free by now.
Posted by Kasie H (Member # 2120) on :
Here's is the glance I put together that went on the AP wire last night.
Facts and figures about the E. coli bacterium:
E. coli is: _A form of bacteria that commonly lives in the human body. _One strain releases a toxin that can cause severe illness. _The germ is present in uncooked beef, unpasteurized milk and juice, and on raw sprouts and lettuce.
Symptoms include: _Abdominal cramps. _Severe, often bloody, diarrhea. _Kidney failure in the young, elderly or people with weak immune systems.
If you have an E. coli infection: _You don't need to take antibiotics. _It will probably go away in five to 10 days. _Young children and the elderly could be hospitalized to treat kidney failure.
Every year in the U.S.: _Approximately 73,000 people contract E. coli. _Approximately 61 people die from the infection.
Ways to prevent contracting E. coli: _Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly. _Cook all ground beef and meat. _Drink only pasteurized milk and juice. _Don't swallow water in lakes or public pools.
If you get E. coli, try to avoid infecting others: _Don't prepare food for others. _Bathe alone. _Don't swim in public places. ___ Source: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
2 - 8 days? Well, crap. I just finished eating my salad. But, I did wash the spinach even though it said pre-washed, and I'll throw out the rest of the box. I bought a big one, too, as I'm atempting to eat healthier.
Hmmmm, maybe I'll check first and see if it's a local company. That would make it less likely to be linked to these other cases.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
It seems like there's a Hepatitis scare here every other summer or so. And it seems to me that people go back to their prior eating habits fairly quickly.
Personally, I have ALWAYS washed all my fruits and veggies, including bananas, melons, etc., and washed the leafy, hard-to-clean ones with a little dish soap as well as running water (dish soap has the same active ingredient as that expensive fancy veggie wash stuff.)
Posted by Soara (Member # 6729) on :
I'll buy some spinach for my science teacher, she'll be delighted.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Now Subway isn't going to have any spinach when I can finally eat food again!
-pH
Posted by Theaca (Member # 8325) on :
What's funny is that I had Subway for dinner last night, and I put spinach on it. Guess that was my last time for the month.
I'm still pondering over whether to eat my boxed fresh baby spinach or not. I have the weekend off if I get sick...
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
You could wash it and cook it.
Posted by Theaca (Member # 8325) on :
Wash, yes, but cook it? Nah.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
Keep in mind, please.... That so far this has only affected 50 people in the entire 295 Million population of the U.S.
I think my chances are higher of getting West Nile Virus, personally....
FG
(Edit: Okay, so I guess our real current population is 299 million and growing every 10 seconds...)
[ September 15, 2006, 04:27 PM: Message edited by: Farmgirl ]
Posted by maui babe (Member # 1894) on :
Edit: The latest from CDC is that until we know more about the source of this outbreak, it's not recommended even to cook bagged spinach. They're probably just being overly cautious, but that's what they're saying. *Thorough* cooking will kill E. coli. But who buys fresh spinach and then cooks it? Posted by Kasie H (Member # 2120) on :
We now know the source of the outbreak: A California company called Natural Selection Foods and/or Earthbound Farms.
New details from the wire: WASHINGTON (AP) _ Federal heath officials said Friday that they have traced a nationwide E. coli outbreak to a California company, which has agreed to recall its bagged spinach products.
One person has died and nearly 100 people others became ill in the outbreak, which has spread to about 20 states.
The Food and Drug Administration said late Friday that the outbreak had been linked to bagged spinach products distributed by Natural Selection Foods, based in San Juan Bautista, Calif.
"It is possible that the recall and the information will extend beyond Natural Selection Foods and involve other brands and other companies, at other dates," said Dr. David Acheson, the chief medical officer with the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
Posted by Ngogwakuni (Member # 9737) on :
I've heard that the incubation period for E.Coli is usually 3-9 days, but longer or shorter incubation periods are not that unusual (never less than 24 hours. i'd guess that it would never be more than 2 weeks. E.Coli outbreaks actually often come from salad greens, last october there was one in the minneapolis area that was caused by dole salad greens. there have been many other outbreaks that were caused by lettuce or other greens. i found all this out from the website of the Marler/Clark law firm. i don't know how to post links, but if you do an internet search for "About E.Coli"+"Marler Clark" you should find them. the page is called "About E.Coli", and they have information about symptoms, treatment, incubation periods, etc. they also have a list of recent outbreaks, with case information about many of them. Given the number of E.Coli epidemics that have been caused by salad greens, i never eat salads or greens, and i'm certainly not going to start now. i'm surprised that this outbreak has gotten more publcity than all the other ones that have happened recently, given that there have been several major ones in the last year.
Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :
1 dead. To keep this in perspective, googling for "car accidents US", it seems that today about 117 people died in car accidents. If you've been goofing off for an hour on the Internet like I have, 5 people have died for your goofing off.
I'm more scared about being run over in my chair than dying of spinach. Not that I eat spinach anyways Posted by MyrddinFyre (Member # 2576) on :
I would feel insulted if it were spinach that got me in the end.
Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :
quote:Originally posted by kmbboots: I just felt quite justified in having nice, healthy german potato salad (I make excellent german potato salad) for lunch instead of a scary, disease-ridden, likely-to-kill-me, spinach salad.
I've been looking for a good potato salad recipe for a month or so. It's been hard, since I don't know anyone who makes good potato salad. Would you mind sharing?
My email is blacwolve@gmail.com
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
blacwolve, German potato salad is not what most people think of when they say potato salad. It's a sweet-and-sour potato dish which is served hot. Usually involving bacon, vinegar, and brown sugar, though I can't speak for kate's recipe.
Posted by theCrowsWife (Member # 8302) on :
German potato salad is good. However, blacwolve, if it's the typical American potato salad you're looking for, my mom's recipe always gets rave reviews. One warning, though, it's more of a list of ingredients and approximate amounts, rather than step-by-step instructions. If you want it, I'd be happy to send it to you.
--Mel
Posted by Theca (Member # 1629) on :
"Meanwhile, a Seattle law firm said it planned to add Natural Selection Foods on Monday to federal lawsuits already filed in Wisconsin and Oregon that named other spinach producers."
This makes me sick. People were already filing lawsuits when they didn't even know who they should even be blaming. Before they had a company in mind. Suing people just because they happen to sell spinach? Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :
quote:Originally posted by theCrowsWife: German potato salad is good. However, blacwolve, if it's the typical American potato salad you're looking for, my mom's recipe always gets rave reviews. One warning, though, it's more of a list of ingredients and approximate amounts, rather than step-by-step instructions. If you want it, I'd be happy to send it to you.
--Mel
That would be absolutely wonderful!
I have a superstitious love for potato salad, to me it represents everything that is good and happy in life. I think it's probably related to my love of potlucks.
Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
Mine was Earthbound Farms. Tossed.
Posted by theCrowsWife (Member # 8302) on :
Recipe sent!
--Mel
Posted by CaySedai (Member # 6459) on :
From an AP article: They are sold under the brand names Rave Spinach, Natural Selection Foods, Dole, Earthbound Farm, Trader Joe's, Ready Pac and Green Harvest.
For those who have spinach and aren't sure if it's the affected brand.
Posted by plaid (Member # 2393) on :
Here's a listing of more companies, from a CNN article:
quote:Natural Selection Foods has recalled all packages of its fresh spinach and any salad with spinach in a blend because they are possibly contaminated with E. coli. The affected packages have "Best if Used by Dates" of August 17 through October 1. Consumers with questions can contact the company at 800-690-3200.
The recalled brands are: • Bellissima • Cheney Brothers • Coastline • Compliments • Cross Valley • D'Arrigo Brothers • Dole • Earthbound Farm • Emeril • Fresh Point • Green Harvest • Jansal Valley • Mann • Mills Family Farm • Natural Selection Foods • Nature's Basket • O Organic • Premium Fresh • President's Choice • Pride of San Juan • Pro-Mark • Rave Spinach • Ready Pac • River Ranch • Riverside Farms • Snoboy • Superior • Sysco • Tanimura & Antle • The Farmer's Market • Trader Joe's
Source: Natural Selection Foods LLC
More bits from the article:
quote:About 74 percent of the fresh market spinach grown in the U.S. comes from California, according to the California Farm Bureau Federation. There have been previous bacterial contamination outbreaks linked to spinach and lettuce grown in the state.
...
The FDA advised consumers not to eat fresh spinach or products containing fresh spinach until further notice. Some restaurants and retailers may be taking spinach out of bags before selling it, so consumers shouldn't buy it at all, the FDA said.
Boiling contaminated spinach can kill the bacteria but washing won't eliminate it, the CDC warned.
...
Earthbound Farm, which claims it pioneered the retail market in pre-washed, bagged salads in 1986, says its spinach and other products are in 74 percent of U.S. grocery stores.
It also sells spinach to restaurants and other establishments that serve food. The National Restaurant Association said members were pulling spinach from their menus.
Natural Selection Foods is a HUGE processor. It's one of the drawbacks of agribiz consolidation -- when contamination like this happens it can be a much more widespread problem.
Posted by General Sax (Member # 9694) on :
It could be a terrorist attack, after all, how can we be expected to fight to the finischk if we do not have our spinichk? The drop in our national will might be critical...
Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :
Now it's all fresh spinach--not just bagged. (If that's already been mentioned here, I missed it--sorry.)
Waaah! I was going to buy a bunch of un-bagged spinach to replace the bag we had to throw out.
The farmer's market (which would have been local, and thus not a part of this) didn't have any.
Posted by JonHecht (Member # 9712) on :
That might explain why I was like horribly sick last week... I eat their spinach as salad all the time.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Unfortunately, something like 90% of the fresh spinach in this country comes from this one region of California. (Or so they were reporting.) Moreover, there is some indication that the infection has spread to the spinach growing in other states.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Is the problem in the growing of the spinach or in the processing of it?
Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
In case you still want german potato salad:
Boil and peel about 3 pound of red potatos (peeling is optional - some folks like it with the peel still on)
Fry 1 pound of bacon. Remove the bacon from the pan, leaving the bacon grease.
Add about a tablespoon of flour to the hot bacon grease to thicken it up.
Add 1 cup of apple cider vinegar and 1 cup of suger (haven't tried brown suger - could be good). Be careful the bacon grease will sizzle when you pour the vinegar. Let this boil down a bit.
Slice the potatos. Add one small onion chopped. Tear up the bacon and add that. Pour the grease, sugar, vinegar mixture. Add a little salt and pepper to taste. Stir it all together and serve very warm.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Looks like the current answer to my question is "we're not sure".
quote:The spinach could have been contaminated in the field or during processing.
from this article.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Yeah. I mean, I know the bacteria can be present in both soil and the wash water, so until they nail down a definite source . . .
And that article said 74% which I admit does seem more plausible than the 90% I heard tossed around this morning.
Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
I recommend the safe and healthy option of german pototo salad (except for Rivka). Mmmmmm...bacon grease and sugar.
Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :
quote:Originally posted by General Sax: It could be a terrorist attack, after all, how can we be expected to fight to the finischk if we do not have our spinichk? The drop in our national will might be critical...
Yes, it appears that our new anti-terrorist agents, built after the Popeye model will be left helpless by this new strategy.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
quote:Originally posted by kmbboots: I recommend the safe and healthy option of german pototo salad (except for Rivka). Mmmmmm...bacon grease and sugar.
Who knew a heart attack could be so delicious!
Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
Hey. My cholesterol is fine and my blood pressure rarely gets as high as 120/70.
Leafy greens, though, will kill ya.
Posted by Scorpio (Member # 9502) on :
At last, my childhood picky-eating habits that I never grew out of have finally paid off!!!
Just wait, next it'll be brocolli, then cauliflour, and every other vegetable, and I alone shall emerge unscathed!
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