Food poisoning on the rise

‘Disease on rise as food use-by dates ignored’- Jamie Doward, guardian.co.uk, 02/11/08

Health experts are concerned about a serious rise in the disease listeriosis, which is thought to be caused by consuming chilled ready-to-eat food products that have been kept in fridges for too long.

Concerns about the spread of the disease have become so serious the government is planning a major food hygiene awareness campaign next year encouraging consumers to observe use-by dates and to make sure their fridges are kept at the correct temperature.

The Food Standards Agency show the number of cases of listeriosis has doubled since 2001 and risen by 20% in the last year alone. Those who are most prone to the disease are people with reduced immunity, mostly the elderly, pregnant women and those suffering from illness.

The Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF), which advises the Health Protection Agency, has established a special sub-committee to discuss new ways of combating Listeria-related food poisoning.

‘Listeriosis is fairly rare, but when it does occur the death rate is quite high,’ said a spokeswoman for the FSA. ‘It does not appear to be a problem in the manufacture of products, so it looks as if it comes from what people may be doing at home.’

Advice from the FSA to consumers:

- keep fridge temperature at below 5 degrees C

- follow storage instructions

- consume food before its use-by date

- once food is opened, eat within two days

 

I often hear of other food poisoning instances such as E.coli and salmonella, but I was surprised to learn that ‘there are now as many deaths from listeriosis as those from salmonella and E.coli O157 combined’. The advice given by the FSA is common sense and the disease seems so easy to prevent if people followed basic health and safety guidelines.

Although listeriosis is a potentially life-threatening disease, I don’t feel particularly frightened by the news. Perhaps because I am not one of those who are particularly vulnerable, but also because I feel the disease is very easy to prevent. However, it does make readers more cautious when handling food.

The headline and first paragraph sums up the article so readers will understand the story without reading down too far. After the first paragraph, the story is broken down further and the same content as the paragraph is described twice in different ways, once as a quote form the FSA and once as a quote by a draft report in more complicated wording.

Because there are no pictures attached to the article, and the story not so alarming, I don’t think it would be read many times, but the topic was easy to follow. The headline was written as a statement rather than something alarming, so it doesn’t really stir up reader’s curiostity and many would have chosen other articles to read.

 

 

English breakfasts healthier than croissants?

‘Healthy croissants? Take with pinch of salt’-  James Meikle, guardian.co.uk, 30/10/08

According to a campaign group that aims to reduce salt in diets, sweet pastries sold at high street coffee chains has a significant contribution to busting the 6g of salt daily target set for adults by the FSA. For example, a survey by Consensus Action on Salt and Health (Cash) found that a Starbuck’s cinnamon swirl contained more than twice the amount of salt contained in a rasher of bacon.

High salt intakes increase the risk of high blood pressure, and therefore a stroke or heart attack. About three-quarters of the salt we eat is already from the food we buy, the rest added during cooking and at the table. The FSA says the average daily adult salt intake is 8.6g, (down from 9.5g in 2001) and wants to make FSA targets for different types of food tougher. However these only apply to food bought from shops. Although the FSA in now turning its attention to caterers and food shops, Cash believes the majority of people who eat breakfast out are unaware of how salty it can be.

‘Although full English fry-ups may contain enough salt for a whole day’s “allowance”, there were cooked breakfasts that could remain on the menu, said Cash. One poached egg, one tomato, mushrooms and a slice of toast and butter could contain as little as 0.7g of salt. Even two sausages, a fried egg, one tomato and a slice of toast and butter, might, at 2.3g, be little more salty than a coffee shop latte and pastry.

Carrie Bolt, nutritionist with Cash, said: “When eating breakfast away from home, customers shunning greasy spoons for coffee shop breakfasts could actually be eating more salt and be better off choosing lower salt options from the greasy spoon menu.”‘

 

I believe the reason why many people who eat their breakfast out choose food from high street coffee shops rather than greasy spoon cafes, are not only because they think its healthier, but because it is more convenient. You can buy pastries and muffins quickly and eat on the go, whilst you would have to wait a couple of minutes and eat in-store for food in a greasy spoons cafe. Also, those who like eating in cafes like me, probably likes the ‘posh’ atmosphere that coffee shops have over that of a greasy spoons cafe.

If you take aside the fact that an English breakfast is greasy and consider for a moment, it’s not surprising if it is more nutritious than a pastry since it contains vegetables.

The headline is written in a question format, and it stirs curiosity from readers, making many people read the article. The article would interest those who regularly eat food from cafes, not just people who eat breakfast out. The wording of the headline is slightly misleading since it makes readers think croissants are healthy although later they understand it was being hypocritical. Although the article did not contain any pictures, it was easy to follow. It was surprising to find that pastries and muffins were talked to be unhealthy in the article not because of their fat content as one might expect, but because of their salt levels.

Food labelling

‘Think you know what’s good for you?’ – Emine Saner, guardian.co.uk, 22/10/08

We have the traffic-light system that was introduced last year by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Guideline Daily Amount system in the UK. In the US, a new food labelling system is being introduced. Dr David Katz, a nutritionist and former director of medical studies in public health at Yale University, who now runs the university’s Prevention Research Centre devised the Overall Nutritional Quality Index (ONQI), commercially known as the NuVal system. The idea is simple- the higher the score given to the food, the more nutritious it is. For example, broccoli scores the highest, at 100 while fizzy drinks get only one point.

So far, 3 supermarket chains in the US have adopted the system, with another 15 to 20 companies planning to get involved next year. The system was devised when Katz and a number of other nutritionists were invited by the US secretary of health to submit one idea each to combat obesity. Katz wanted to create a single measure of nutritional quality and apply it to every food product sold in the supermarkets. Although his system did not take up his proposal, Katz received funding to develop it from a local hospital.

 

After reading the headline ‘Think you know what’s good for you?’  I expected that the article was about finding foods that are thought to be healthy by many people are actually not so nutritious…which is true, but the main focus of the article was about the new food labelling system in the US, that ranked foods on how nutritious it is. The thumbnail picture of bright oranges put up on the main food and drink page draws the attention of the reader to read the article, and the large picture put at the top of the article makes the article look more appealing to read. The article would be of interest to anyone who shops regularly in supermarkets such as mums, who look out for food labelling systems such as the traffic light system.

The article usefully provides a printable pdf guide to food ratings. the ONQI guide is simple to understand, but as the last part of the article says, “The ONQI guides you towards the most nutritious foods in any given category, but the message of balance and variety in your diet is still relevant”, I don’t think it informs people on the balance of foods. For example, Broccoli is given 100 points whereas a green cabbage is given 96 points. Although only 4 points more, people may think because broccoli has a higher value, they will opt to buy it instead of the cabbage.  I think people will confuse and misunderstands ‘nutritional value’ as an indication of how healthy the food is. I don’t think you can say a green cabbage is an unhealthy choice over broccoli, but only that it has a less nutritional value. The list given at the end of the article, although intended to inform the different nutritional values of a range of food, it makes people compare the values of one against another.

Honey Remedy

‘Honey to the Rescue’ -http://www.laurelonhealthfood.com, 29/10/08

Since it’s flu season, Laura has updated us on something seasonal; honey.

 

A recent study found that overweight or obese people who consumed 2.5 ounces of honey everyday for 30days reduced their LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and total cholesterol while maintaining and losing their current weight.

 The article starts with the blogger’s personal experience and slips in the healthy eating news, rather than just notifying readers of what she found, which made the article more easier to get into and read. She gives examples on ways of incorporating honey into our daily diet, making readers want to try them out.

 

Warning about energy drinks

‘Warning about energy drinks’- Eric Nagourney, International Herald Tribune, 16/10/08

The International Herald Tribune also featured an article about the amount of caffeine contained in energy drinks. However, it made an indirect comparison between energy drinks and coffee, which made the article less alarming.

The article was placed on the bottom right corner of the page, and covered little space, thus making it easy for readers to overlook. However the headline prompts readers that they should read it, and those who would not mind reading a short article would.

 

B12

‘Studies aim to fix ideal dose of B12′- Jane E. Brody, International Herald Tribune, 16/10/08

This article stated that although a deficiency in vitamin B12 was associated with bone loss, frailty, shrinkage of the brain, experts are now questioning whether blood levels of B12 now considered normal are really optimal.

The article was placed on the left side of the health and science page of the newspaper, covering three quarters of the page. It also contained a black and white image, luring readers to read the article. However, I found the article confusing since it mentioned the various illnesses that the deficiency can cause, and the only thing we understand from the article is that experts do not know what the optimal intake of B12 should be. The confusion and the length of the article may put readers off reading the whole of the article.

Farm- raised fish

‘Farm- Raised Fish May Lack Omega-3s’ - http://www.laurelonhealthfood.com, 16/10/08

The Journal of the American Dietic Association published a study that found that farm-raised fish may be lacking on omega-3s. Researchers tested the levels of omega-3 fats in farm-raised tilapia and found that it may contain high levels of omega-6s, (which can cause inflammation when consumed in excess) and low levels of omega-3s.

A nutritionist from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Laurie Transman, R.D., explains that you need to look at the ratio of omega-3s and omega-6s you get in your whole diet, not just from one food. She suggests that you take in a minimum of eight ounces of fatty fish a week. e..g salmon, herring, mackerel and trout.

On the other hand, Laurel advises that you should limit foods high in omega-6s such as red meat and refined vegetable oils (corn, soybean, sunflower, safflower and cottonseed oils). Hydrogenated fats and other processed foods are also high in omega-6s. Your body needs omega-6s, but in moderation.

 

Although no pictures were put up, it was short enough to be read easily. It wasn’t surprising to learn that farm-raised fish contains low levels of omega 3-s, but it was refreshing to hear about omega-6s. The article doesn’t state that you should rule out tilapia from your diet, but to be careful in your diet. It also includes a link for readers wanting to know more about the nutritional differenced between wild and farm-raised fish.