With the Hepatitis A outbreak in Mexican-grown strawberries
barely over, another
problem has hit the imported produce industry. This time it’s a
parasite in Guatemalan
raspberries.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention received reports
of eight
cyclosporiasis outbreaks in five states,” said Judy Harrison of
the University of
Georgia. She’s a food, nutrition and health specialist with the
UGA Extension Service.
The outbreaks were in California, Florida, Nevada, New York and
Texas. Early
reports said raspberries from Guatemala, and possibly Chile,
were the likely source,
Harrison said.
The demand for fresh produce year-round has brought a flood of
imported goods into
the United States. Shoppers, not knowing how the produce was
grown and packed,
wonder about the safety of these foods.
“Consumers must be aware that there can be problems with any
produce if
mishandled,” Harrison said. “You cannot say one source is safer
than another. You
have to look at each situation.”
The United States has strict standards. But accidents can
happen.
“To my knowledge, the source of the Cyclospora contamination in
the raspberries
hasn’t been determined,” Harrison said. “With parasites, as well
as viruses like the
Hepatitis A in the strawberries, fecal contamination or
contaminated water used on the
produce could be a possible route.”
The American food supply is known to be among the safest in the
world. But it’s still
important to take precautions with any fresh food.
“We can never live in a risk-free environment,” Harrison
said. “Even if you grow your
own produce, things can happen to contaminate it, such as
animals getting into fields or
orchards, or unclean hands harvesting and handling it.”
Could proper cleaning clear away parasites?
“The jury is still out on that one,” Harrison said. “Raspberries
present a special
cleaning problem because they’re delicate and can’t withstand a
lot of force. Plus, they
have a lot of nooks and crannies where the organisms could
hide.”
A May 30 CDC report said washing the berries could lessen the
risk. But even
thorough washing may not get rid of all Cyclospora. The report
stressed that produce
should always be thoroughly washed.
What’s the best way to do that? So far, studies haven’t come up
with a clear answer.
“Our best guess is to wash with a spray of water while stirring
the berries to clean as
thoroughly as possible, or to wash them under running water,”
Harrison said. “We just
don’t have a definitive answer to that yet.”
Even if produce is safe when it arrives in the store or in your
kitchen, it can become
contaminated before you eat it if you mishandle it.
“Thoroughly washing produce should decrease the risk of food-
borne illness in most
situations,” Harrison said.
She offers these tips when buying fresh fruit:
1. Buy from reputable, clean-looking sources. If your grocery
store and the employees
look unsanitary, they probably are. You could find the same
problems at fruit stands or
pick-your-own farms. One source may not be better than the
other. Good processing
and sanitation practices are key in any setting.
2. Wash all produce thoroughly. Running water or water under
pressure is best. Use a
vegetable brush to clean sturdier fruits and vegetables.
Sanitize the brushes in a
chlorine bleach solution or in a dishwasher with a sanitizing
cycle.
Pathogens in fresh produce can cause intestinal trouble for the
healthiest among us. But
they can cause special problems in the young, the elderly and
those with immune
systems weakened by chemotherapy or diseases like leukemia or
AIDS.
“Young children are more at risk for food-borne illness because
their immune systems
aren’t as fully functioning as an adult’s,” Harrison said. “The
elderly are on the other
end of the scale. Their immune systems are declining, putting
them at more risk, too.”
