Don't eat bagged spinach

~~Hacking is a Felony~~ · 09-15-2006, 02:21 PM

POSTED: 9:49 a.m. EDT, September 15, 2006

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Consumers nationwide should not eat fresh bagged spinach, say health officials probing a multistate outbreak of E. coli that killed at least one person and made dozens of others sick.

Food and Drug Administration and state officials don't know the cause of the outbreak, although raw, packaged spinach appears likely. "We're advising people not to eat it," said Dr. David Acheson of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

Eight states were reporting a total of 50 cases of E. coli illness, Acheson said Thursday. (Watch how health officials in the hardest hit state are scrambling -- 1:11)

The person died in Wisconsin, where 20 people were reported ill, 11 of them in Milwaukee. The outbreak has sickened others -- eight of them seriously -- in Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon and Utah. In California, state health officials said they were investigating a possible case there.

The outbreak has affected a mix of ages, but most of the cases have involved women, Acheson said. Further information on the person who died wasn't available.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, and Wisconsin health officials alerted the FDA about the outbreak at midweek. Preliminary analysis suggested the same bug is responsible for the outbreak in all eight states.

The warning applied to consumers nationwide because of uncertainty over the origin of the tainted spinach and how widely it was distributed. Health officials did not know of any link to a specific growing region, grower, brand or supplier, Acheson said.

Amy Philpott, a spokeswoman for the United Fresh Produce Association, said that it's possible the cause of the outbreak won't be known for some time, even after its source is determined.

"Our industry is very concerned," she said. "We're taking this very seriously."

Reports of infections have been growing by the day, Acheson said. "We may be at the peak, we may not be," he said."

E. coli can cause diarrhea, death

E. coli causes diarrhea, often with bloody stools. Most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, although some people -- including the very young and old -- can develop a form of kidney failure that often leads to death.

Anyone who has gotten sick after eating raw packaged spinach should contact a doctor, officials said.

Other bagged vegetables, including prepackaged salads, apparently are not affected. In general, however, washing all bagged vegetables is recommended. Thorough cooking kills the bacterium.

"We're telling people if they have bagged produce and they feel like it's a risk, throw it out," Michigan Department of Community Health spokesman T.J. Bucholz said. "If they feel like they have to eat it, wash it first in warm water."

E. coli lives in the intestines of cattle and other animals and typically is linked to contamination by fecal material. It causes an estimated 73,000 cases of infection, including 61 deaths, each year in the United States, according to the CDC.

Sources of the bacterium include uncooked produce, raw milk, unpasteurized juice, contaminated water and meat, especially undercooked or raw hamburger, the agency says on its Web site.

In December 2005, an E. coli outbreak sickened at least eight children in Washington state. Officials traced the outbreak to unpasteurized milk from a dairy that had been ordered to stop distributing raw milk.

Last October, the FDA warned people not to eat certain Dole prepackaged salads that were connected to an outbreak of E. coli infections in Minnesota. At least 11 people were sickened.

In 1993, a major E. coli outbreak sickened about 700 people and killed four who ate undercooked Jack in the Box hamburgers in Washington state. That outbreak led to tighter Agriculture Department safety standards for meat and poultry producers

**Jayelin** · 09-15-2006, 02:35 PM

Gotta love companies that fertilize with manure.

stonecoldtruth · 09-15-2006, 04:27 PM

Thanks a lot Dole, now my wife has another excuse for not eating vegetables. She just said, "See, I'm smart for not eating veggies, apparently they can kill you."

ROFL.

SCT

**madman911** · 09-15-2006, 04:49 PM

I saw a report on this last night during my cardio at the gym, and I was a little shocked/worried, because I've been eating bagged spinach a lot lately and I noticed a slight odor coming from the bag I was eating last week... it is a hard smell to describe, but it wasn't normal spinach smell... it smelled almost like raw meat. I just ate it anyway, like a total dumbass... LOL; it tasted fine. I didn't get sick at all so I guess the smell wasn't cow poop, but it is an odd coincidence that I had a bag of smelly spinach last week. I don't even wash it, because it says "pre-washed" right on it. I guess I'll go home and throw the new bag I just bought away; having the bloody diarrhea sounds like no fun.

**bigDman** · 09-15-2006, 06:14 PM

i saw that on the news this morning scary stuff

~~Hacking is a Felony~~ · 09-15-2006, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by madman911

I just ate it anyway, like a total dumbass... LOL

LOL!!

.. I would of threw it away just from the smell .. I can't believe you actually ate it after that .. lol .. good to hear you're ok though.

**warriors** · 09-15-2006, 06:36 PM

Damn, there goes my goal on looking like Pop eye

**DarkFalcon** · 09-15-2006, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by warriors

Damn, there goes my goal on looking like Pop eye

LOL!

**madman911** · 09-15-2006, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PROVERBS 4:13

LOL!!

.. I would of threw it away just from the smell .. I can't believe you actually ate it after that .. lol .. good to hear you're ok though.

What can I say, I was hungry.

malek256 · 09-15-2006, 08:44 PM

I *never* believe the "pre-washed" label...though I do prefer to buy that kind, then we do a quick wash on it anyway.

That would only cut the odds of an E. coli infection - man that is sad news.

P.S. adding spinach into stuff like a 'healthy' lasagna with chicken, cottage cheese, etc. actually enhances its usability by the body and kills any bacterial contaminant (in fact I ate that dish today!)

EDIT: just had a thought - let's know if you want the recipe, I'll post it

**DarkFalcon** · 09-15-2006, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by malek256

I *never* believe the "pre-washed" label...though I do prefer to buy that kind, then we do a quick wash on it anyway.

That would only cut the odds of an E. coli infection - man that is sad news.

P.S. adding spinach into stuff like a 'healthy' lasagna with chicken, cottage cheese, etc. actually enhances its usability by the body and kills any bacterial contaminant (in fact I ate that dish today!)

EDIT: just had a thought - let's know if you want the recipe, I'll post it

Sure, post it in the recipe forum.

**Jayelin** · 09-15-2006, 10:25 PM

I agree, even my microbiology teacher said he always rewashes prewashed greens. There is just too much potential for outbreak since it's eaten raw. If you were to wilt the lettuce or otherwise heat it, it'd be okay.

**madman911** · 09-16-2006, 12:38 AM

I'm too diesel for E. coli to have any effect on me.

I laugh in the face of doody contaminated produce...

navarone · 09-16-2006, 03:08 PM

Haha well its a good thing i hate spinach, see sometimes it helps to not like certain vegtables

09-15-2006, 02:21 PM	#1
~~Hacking is a Felony~~ I destroy property Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 4,105 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 0	Don't eat bagged spinach POSTED: 9:49 a.m. EDT, September 15, 2006 WASHINGTON (AP) -- Consumers nationwide should not eat fresh bagged spinach, say health officials probing a multistate outbreak of E. coli that killed at least one person and made dozens of others sick. Food and Drug Administration and state officials don't know the cause of the outbreak, although raw, packaged spinach appears likely. "We're advising people not to eat it," said Dr. David Acheson of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Eight states were reporting a total of 50 cases of E. coli illness, Acheson said Thursday. (Watch how health officials in the hardest hit state are scrambling -- 1:11) The person died in Wisconsin, where 20 people were reported ill, 11 of them in Milwaukee. The outbreak has sickened others -- eight of them seriously -- in Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon and Utah. In California, state health officials said they were investigating a possible case there. The outbreak has affected a mix of ages, but most of the cases have involved women, Acheson said. Further information on the person who died wasn't available. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, and Wisconsin health officials alerted the FDA about the outbreak at midweek. Preliminary analysis suggested the same bug is responsible for the outbreak in all eight states. The warning applied to consumers nationwide because of uncertainty over the origin of the tainted spinach and how widely it was distributed. Health officials did not know of any link to a specific growing region, grower, brand or supplier, Acheson said. Amy Philpott, a spokeswoman for the United Fresh Produce Association, said that it's possible the cause of the outbreak won't be known for some time, even after its source is determined. "Our industry is very concerned," she said. "We're taking this very seriously." Reports of infections have been growing by the day, Acheson said. "We may be at the peak, we may not be," he said." E. coli can cause diarrhea, death E. coli causes diarrhea, often with bloody stools. Most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, although some people -- including the very young and old -- can develop a form of kidney failure that often leads to death. Anyone who has gotten sick after eating raw packaged spinach should contact a doctor, officials said. Other bagged vegetables, including prepackaged salads, apparently are not affected. In general, however, washing all bagged vegetables is recommended. Thorough cooking kills the bacterium. "We're telling people if they have bagged produce and they feel like it's a risk, throw it out," Michigan Department of Community Health spokesman T.J. Bucholz said. "If they feel like they have to eat it, wash it first in warm water." E. coli lives in the intestines of cattle and other animals and typically is linked to contamination by fecal material. It causes an estimated 73,000 cases of infection, including 61 deaths, each year in the United States, according to the CDC. Sources of the bacterium include uncooked produce, raw milk, unpasteurized juice, contaminated water and meat, especially undercooked or raw hamburger, the agency says on its Web site. In December 2005, an E. coli outbreak sickened at least eight children in Washington state. Officials traced the outbreak to unpasteurized milk from a dairy that had been ordered to stop distributing raw milk. Last October, the FDA warned people not to eat certain Dole prepackaged salads that were connected to an outbreak of E. coli infections in Minnesota. At least 11 people were sickened. In 1993, a major E. coli outbreak sickened about 700 people and killed four who ate undercooked Jack in the Box hamburgers in Washington state. That outbreak led to tighter Agriculture Department safety standards for meat and poultry producers

09-15-2006, 02:35 PM	#2
Jayelin IronMass Vip Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Middletown, Ohio Posts: 791 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 28	Gotta love companies that fertilize with manure. __________________ George Orwell was double plus right.

09-15-2006, 04:27 PM	#3
stonecoldtruth IMPC Contestant Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Sioux Falls, SD Posts: 535 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 12	Thanks a lot Dole, now my wife has another excuse for not eating vegetables. She just said, "See, I'm smart for not eating veggies, apparently they can kill you." ROFL. SCT __________________ Designer Supplements Board Representative www.intelligentdesignmag.com www.designersupps.com josh@designersupps.com To my fellow MIP competitors :bringiton:

09-15-2006, 04:49 PM	#4
madman911 Metamorphosizing Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Boston Area Posts: 1,531 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 60	I saw a report on this last night during my cardio at the gym, and I was a little shocked/worried, because I've been eating bagged spinach a lot lately and I noticed a slight odor coming from the bag I was eating last week... it is a hard smell to describe, but it wasn't normal spinach smell... it smelled almost like raw meat. I just ate it anyway, like a total dumbass... LOL; it tasted fine. I didn't get sick at all so I guess the smell wasn't cow poop, but it is an odd coincidence that I had a bag of smelly spinach last week. I don't even wash it, because it says "pre-washed" right on it. I guess I'll go home and throw the new bag I just bought away; having the bloody diarrhea sounds like no fun. __________________ Millennium Sport Technologies Sponsored Athlete http://www.millenniumsport.net IMPC 2006 Novice Division Champ IMPC 2007 Open Division Champ Never underestimate the power of the bandana.

09-15-2006, 06:36 PM	#7
warriors The world is yours Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 1,127 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 29	Damn, there goes my goal on looking like Pop eye __________________ Not Around...

09-15-2006, 08:44 PM	#10
malek256 Amateur Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 28 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 0	I never believe the "pre-washed" label...though I do prefer to buy that kind, then we do a quick wash on it anyway. That would only cut the odds of an E. coli infection - man that is sad news. P.S. adding spinach into stuff like a 'healthy' lasagna with chicken, cottage cheese, etc. actually enhances its usability by the body and kills any bacterial contaminant (in fact I ate that dish today!) EDIT: just had a thought - let's know if you want the recipe, I'll post it __________________ Point blank, nobody wants to do what it takes to have a hard, healthy body — they want a soft life instead. — gaining mass

09-15-2006, 10:25 PM	#12
Jayelin IronMass Vip Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Middletown, Ohio Posts: 791 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 28	I agree, even my microbiology teacher said he always rewashes prewashed greens. There is just too much potential for outbreak since it's eaten raw. If you were to wilt the lettuce or otherwise heat it, it'd be okay. __________________ George Orwell was double plus right.

09-16-2006, 12:38 AM	#13
madman911 Metamorphosizing Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Boston Area Posts: 1,531 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 60	I'm too diesel for E. coli to have any effect on me. I laugh in the face of doody contaminated produce... __________________ Millennium Sport Technologies Sponsored Athlete http://www.millenniumsport.net IMPC 2006 Novice Division Champ IMPC 2007 Open Division Champ Never underestimate the power of the bandana.

09-16-2006, 03:08 PM	#14
navarone Pro Stature Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 930 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 50	Haha well its a good thing i hate spinach, see sometimes it helps to not like certain vegtables __________________ Obsessed is a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated Stats: Weight: Between 200-205 depending on the day Bench: 265X5 atm. Squat: 360X5 atm.. Higest Ever 435 Deadlift: 420X3 Waist: 34 Arms: 17.5 cold . Pics Finally! http://www.ironmass.com/f16/nav-s-1-...ulk-12947.html

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