Food Poisoning 1 1 1'1 I 11 I ! i i I I I Although regulations are in place to safeguard the U.S. food supply, many cases of food poisoning occur each year. The following paragraphs describe some recent cases of food poisoning in the United States. Case A A group of people attended a company picnic on a warm summer day. Shortly after the picnic, about 400 of them became ill. The illness was traced to potato salad and turkey that was served at the picnic. When tested, the foods contained the Salmonella enteritidis bacteria. Poultry, milk, eggs, and foods made from eggs most often carry this bacterium. Symptoms of salmonella infection include diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, and fever. Symptoms usually last two to five days. People can best avoid infection by salmonella by properly refrigerating prepared foods and by thoroughly cooking poultry and other foods that could carry the bacteria. Case B A young woman decided to go on a healthy diet that consisted of mosdy vegetables, fruit, and chicken. One day, she felt a tingling in her feet. A few hours later. she collapsed. Her condition deteriorated over the next few days, with constant pain, difficulty breathing, and partial paralysis. Over several months, she slowly recovered. Her illness was traced to chicken contaminated by the Campylobacter bacteria. She had cooked the chicken well, but she remembered using a cutting board on which she had chopped raw chicken to also chop vegetables for a raw salad she ate at the 114 Agriculture and Society same meal. She did not wash the cutting board thoroughly between chopping the chicken and chopping the salad greens. Case C A young man went out to dinner and ordered tacos. He said they tasted strange. An hour tater, he felt ill with stomach pains and diarrhea. His illness lasted for only a few days, but at one point the pain was so severe that he went to the hospital emergency room. Local health authorities tested for foodborne bacteria and found that he was infected with E. coli, a very dangerous and sometimes deadly bacterium often found in food. Some sleuthing determined that the bacteria had come not from the tacos but from a hamburger eaten at . a backyard barbecue a few days earlier. Thc meat was contaminated at the food processing plant that had made the hamburger patties., . The company voluntarily recalled 35 million pounds of ground beef that could have been tainted with the bacterium. Questions 1. In Case A, identifjr the bacteria that were the source of the food poisoning. Which foods transmitted the bacteria to the people at the picnic? 2. Infer why the foods in Case A were 1 contaminated with enough bacteria to cause the illness. 3. Identify the bacteria that caused food f poisoning in Case B. Which food probably transmitted the bacteria? f
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Food Poisoning
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Although regulations are in place tosafeguard the U.S. food supply, many cases offood poisoning occur each year. The followingparagraphs describe some recent cases of foodpoisoning in the United States.
Case AA group of people attended a company
picnic on a warm summer day. Shortly afterthe picnic, about 400 of them became ill. Theillness was traced to potato salad and turkeythat was served at the picnic. When tested, thefoods contained the Salmonella enteritidisbacteria. Poultry, milk, eggs, and foods madefrom eggs most often carry this bacterium.Symptoms of salmonella infection includediarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, and fever.Symptoms usually last two to five days. Peoplecan best avoid infection by salmonella byproperly refrigerating prepared foods and bythoroughly cooking poultry and other foodsthat could carry the bacteria.
Case BA young woman decided to go on a healthy
diet that consisted of mosdy vegetables, fruit,and chicken. One day, she felt a tingling in herfeet. A few hours later. she collapsed. Hercondition deteriorated over the next few days,with constant pain, difficulty breathing, andpartial paralysis. Over several months, sheslowly recovered. Her illness was traced tochicken contaminated by the Campylobacterbacteria. She had cooked the chicken well, butshe remembered using a cutting board onwhich she had chopped raw chicken to alsochop vegetables for a raw salad she ate at the
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same meal. She did not wash the cutting boardthoroughly between chopping the chicken andchopping the salad greens.
Case CA young man went out to dinner and
ordered tacos. He said they tasted strange.An hour tater, he felt ill with stomach painsand diarrhea. His illness lasted for only a fewdays, but at one point the pain was so severethat he went to the hospital emergency room.Local health authorities tested for foodbornebacteria and found that he was infected withE. coli, a very dangerous and sometimes deadlybacterium often found in food. Some sleuthingdetermined that the bacteria had come notfrom the tacos but from a hamburger eaten at .a backyard barbecue a few days earlier. Thcmeat was contaminated at the food processingplant that had made the hamburger patties., .The company voluntarily recalled 35 millionpounds of ground beef that could have beentainted with the bacterium.
Questions1. In Case A, identifjr the bacteria that were
the source of the food poisoning. Whichfoods transmitted the bacteria to thepeople at the picnic?
2. Infer why the foods in Case A were 1contaminated with enough bacteria tocause the illness.
3. Identify the bacteria that caused food fpoisoning in Case B. Which foodprobably transmitted the bacteria? f
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4. Given the way the foods were handled inCase B, draw conclusions about how thebacteria were transmitted to the personwho became ill.
5. Identify the bacteria that caused thefood poisoning in Case ,c.Which foodtransmitted the bacteria?
6. Infer how the way the food was handledat the barbecue in Case C could haveaided in the growth and transmission ofthe bacteria.
7. Using the information in all three casesabove, list three rules for handling andstoring food that could decrease yourchances of getting food poisoning.
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At every step in the process, each companythat handles the mushrooms also adds a littleto cover its own profit.
The Price of Mushrooms
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Farmer's Cost Percentage of Revenue Cost per Pound ~"
Wages 28
Compost (growing medium) 23
Spawn (fungus starter that produces mushrooms) 7
Other (soil, fertilizer, disposal, packaging) 13e
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Pennsylvania leads the nation in the produc-tion of mushrooms, In 2001, sales of commonmushrooms (Agaricus mushrooms) nationwidetotaled 839 million pounds with an estimatedrevenue of $820 million. Pennsylvaniamushrooms made up 53 percent of that total.Farmers' Costs When you buy a package
of mushrooms, only a part of that money goesto the farmer. If you buy a 16-ounce packageof white button mushrooms for $2.50, thefarmer receives only $.76. Some of that moneypays for production costs, and the rest is profit.Nonfarm Portion of Price The difference
between what the farmer was paid and whatyou pay at the store includes the costs oftransportation, distribution, and marketing.
Questions1. What price was each farmer paid per
pound of mushrooms sold?
2. What percentage of that price was profit?What was the farmer's cost per poundof mushrooms sold? How much profit(in dollars and cents) did the farmer makefor each pound of mushrooms sold?
3. What percentage of the retail price went tothe farmer? What percentage of that retailprice did the farmer actually keep as profit?
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