Tainted tuna raises food safety questions…again

It seems that 2008 will go down in the books as the Year of Tainted Food. First, there was the Saintpaul salmonella scare. Hard on the heels of that outbreak was the E.coli beef recall. And now, there's news that the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) is expanding a recall of Listeria-tainted tuna salad.

Is it even possible to have an appetite any more?

The tuna in question was made by Home Made Brand Goods, and the MDPH advised everyone to steer clear of any deli-prepared tuna salad purchase from late July to mid August. No cases of listeriosis infection have been reported in connection with the recall.

The bacteria strain that they're worried about is Listeria monocytogenes, which can cause listeriosis, a major form of food poisoning. Unlike many bacteria, Listeria thrives in the cold.

Of course, there can't be a report out there that mentions Listeria without, of course, saying that outbreaks are usually associated with RAW MILK, among other things. It's amazing to me. In spite of the fact that raw milk is RARELY to blame for listeriosis, it continues to be vilified as the number-one carrier of this disease.

The facts are different! The last time I wrote to you about a Listeria outbreak involving milk, it was listeria-tainted PASTEURIZED milk that led to the tragic deaths of THREE people. Not raw milk!

There was a smaller Listeria recall this year when the grocery chain Stop & Shop voluntarily recalled some varieties of prepared chicken for potential contamination. Notice that I said "chicken," not "raw milk."

The problems with tainted foods continue, but as usual, the media continues to throw milk under the bus, in spite of its many health benefits.

Not hiding my water use from my grandkids – yet,

William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.