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New York Post
an hour ago
- Health
- New York Post
Food expert warns ‘one of the riskiest items in the grocery store' seems healthy but can make you deathly ill
Your good health habit could actually get you seriously sick — and you wouldn't know until it's too late. While experts unanimously agree that we should all be eating more fresh, whole foods, a food policy professor has a warning: Danger lurks in your grocery store's produce aisle. Not all fruits and veggies are created equal, and a popular choice for easy meals that save you time could come with the price of contamination. 3 Prewashed bagged greens are one of the riskiest items in the grocery store. Scott Habermann – 'Prewashed bagged greens remain one of the riskiest items in the grocery store,' Darin Detwiler, a professor of food policy at Northeastern University and author of 'Food Safety: Past, Present, and Predictions,' told Huffington Post. 'When you look at past outbreaks, bagged salads have been a leading cause of foodborne illness, with some outbreaks resulting in hospitalizations, kidney failure, and even death.' Those pre-mixed bagged salads can harbor pathogens like listeria, salmonella, and E. coli and pose a higher risk for contamination through the supply chain and are among the worst offenders for food safety. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, food poisoning symptoms from bacteria like listeria or E. coli — which cause infections in the gastrointestinal tract — include nausea, vomiting, fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. According to a 2024 report in the Journal of Foodborne Illness, leafy greens are credited with 'up to 9.2% of known pathogen-caused foodborne illnesses' in the U.S, resulting in over 2.3 million cases of illness each year. What makes these speedy veggies particularly dicey is that heat is required to kill pathogens — and salads are typically eaten raw, making it difficult to reduce the risk of foodborne illness once they reach consumers. Contamination of these mean greens can occur at different stages of production. Produce can be contaminated during lettuce collection by pathogens in the water, soil, or air, or by wild or domesticated animals. Leafy greens are sometimes grown near large-scale cattle operations, a proximity that increases the likelihood that E. coli, salmonella, and listeria could be introduced through contaminated irrigation water. 3 Produce can be contaminated during collection by pathogens in the water, soil, or air, or by wild or domesticated animals. Pormezz – Detwiler cites manure lagoons, large pits where livestock waste is stored, as a common source of food contamination. 'Runoff from manure lagoons can seep into irrigation canals and contaminate fields with deadly bacteria like E. coli,' he said. Post-harvest, lettuce can be compromised through human handling, contaminated equipment, or water used to remove soil. Typically, lettuces from various farms are processed in a centralized area, meaning your bag of greens is more of a menagerie of fetid potential than a single source. 'Greens from different farms are mixed, washed, and packaged together, so one contaminated leaf can impact thousands of bags across multiple states,' said Detwiler. 3 Consider ditching bagged greens entirely and opting for whole heads of lettuce or loose bunches Dan Dalton/KOTO – The large vats that facilitate this washing are also an effective way to spread bacteria. To prevent the proliferation of pathogens, greens must be kept cold; if lettuce is not consistently kept at these cooler temperatures throughout the supply chain, bacteria can easily breed and reach store shelves. But refrigeration just slows bacteria growth, it doesn't kill them. Washing greens is also ineffective at removing pathogens. In fact, doing so also double down on the danger, as doing so can introduce contamination from the sink, utensils, equipment, and the compromised hands of the washer themselves. What's a leaf-eater to do? Consume carefully. Consider ditching bagged greens entirely and opting for whole heads of lettuce or loose bunches. He recommends whole heads of lettuce or spinach, which have less surface area for contamination. Just rinse the leaves under cold running water to remove dirt and surface-level bacteria. If you're bag or bust, Detwiler advises buyers to skip greens that appear wilted, slimy, or discolored and avoid those in packages that look wet, as these signs could indicate improper storage. Further, avoid subjecting your greens to drastic temperature changes. Keeping them in a hot environment or even on the counter at room temperature can create an environment for bacteria to grow and spoilage to take hold. Finally, stay up to date on recalls and double-checking expiration dates, only buying greens that you plan to use within 2 days.
Euronews
2 hours ago
- Health
- Euronews
Summer swimming: Most of Europe's waters safe to bathe in, report says
From the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, Europeans can swim safely in most of Europe's waters, according to the latest EU bathing water assessment released on Friday. Over 85 per cent of the sites tested met the EU's strictest 'excellent' bathing water quality standards according to data last year, while 96 per cent of all officially recognised bathing waters in the EU met the minimum quality standards. The assessment and interactive map, produced by the European Environment Agency (EEA) in partnership with the European Commission, highlights where swimmers can find well-managed bathing sites in Europe. The assessment tests the suitability of waters for bathing, focusing on monitoring bacteria that can cause potentially serious illness. In total, over 22,000 bathing water sites were assessed in all 27 EU Member States, as well as in Albania and Switzerland. In five countries - Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Austria, and Croatia - 95 per cent or more of the bathing waters were marked as being excellent quality bathing waters. Only 1.5 per cent of EU bathing waters were found to be of poor quality. The quality of coastal bathing waters is generally better than that of rivers and lakes. In 2024, around 89 per cent of EU coastal bathing waters were classified as excellent, compared to 78 per cent of inland bathing waters. From the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, most of Europe's bathing waters are of excellent bathing quality when assessed against the parameters (Escherichia coli [E. coli] and enterococci) required by the Water and Waste Water Directive (BWD). Bathing water quality in Europe has improved significantly over the last decades. This is due to a drastic reduction of organic pollutants and pathogens previously released in untreated or partially treated municipal wastewater. These improvements have occurred as a result of the combined effects: - The systematic monitoring and management introduced under the Water and Waste Water Directive. - The major investments in urban waste water treatment plants; - the large investments in urban waste water treatment plants. - Improvements in wastewater networks. Thanks to these ongoing efforts, swimming is now possible in urban and once very polluted waters. BWD focuses on monitoring E. coli and enterococci, important indicators of faecal contamination, which poses a risk to human health due to the potential presence of pathogens. In addition, toxic cyanobacterial blooms, although not subject to the quantitative monitoring prescribed by the BWD, often lead to anti-bathing advisories. However, chemicals are also present in the water. Water quality is monitored and assessed under the Water Framework Directive (WFD) (EU, 2000). The report found there is still significant pollution of surface and groundwater, which are not captured by bathing water monitoring, even when they exceed legal limits set to prevent harm to the environment. As the conflict between Israel and Iran intensifies, air strikes on Iran's nuclear sites could have serious health consequences across the region. Monitoring groups have not yet documented any such impact. On Monday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, said it had not identified radiation leaks as a result of Israeli strikes that began Friday and have killed hundreds of people in Iran. But that could change quickly as the attacks continue. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, chief of the World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday that he is worried about 'the targeting of nuclear sites, which may have immediate and long-term impacts on the environment and health of people in Iran and across the region'. Not all strikes on nuclear facilities would be the same, and an Israeli military official has said their forces plan to minimise the risk of a nuclear disaster and the consequences for civilians. 'There are gradients of risk,' Simon Bennett, who leads the civil safety and security unit at the University of Leicester in the UK and wrote a book on wartime risks to nuclear facilities, told Euronews Health. A successful attack on a live nuclear reactor would be the most devastating to human health, spreading radioactive materials that could endanger people hundreds of kilometres away. But Iran's only commercial nuclear power plant, the Bushehr plant, has not been targeted or affected by the recent attacks, according to the IAEA. Israel has targeted three key nuclear facilities: Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordo. The sites use centrifuges to enrich uranium gas, which produces the fuel that powers civilian nuclear reactors. These centrifuges would also be central to an Iranian effort to develop nuclear weapons, which European Union officials have said must not happen. Israeli strikes fully destroyed the above-ground plant at the Natanz facility, which is more than 100 miles from Tehran. The attacks also severely damaged the site's below-ground operations, which contain its centrifuges. According to the IAEA's director general Rafael Mariano Grossi, there is both 'radiological and chemical contamination' inside the Natanz facility. During an emergency meeting on Monday, Grossi said uranium isotopes may have spread within the facility. Such a leak would consist primarily of alpha particles and would pose a 'significant danger if uranium is inhaled or ingested'. Those dangers include a higher risk of cancer and damage to the kidneys, lungs, and bones. 'However, this risk can be effectively managed with appropriate protective measures, such as using respiratory protection devices while inside the affected facilities,' Grossi added. The level of radioactivity surrounding the site, meanwhile, 'has remained unchanged and at normal levels, indicating no external radiological impact to the population or the environment from this event,' Grossi said. Israel also hit a nuclear research facility in Isfahan on Friday, the IAEA said, damaging four buildings, including a uranium conversion plant. But there has been no sign of increased radiation there. Israel has been eyeing an attack on the secretive Fordo fuel enrichment site, which is where many analysts believe Iran has been working on its nuclear weapons capabilities. The site, built clandestinely, was first publicly acknowledged in 2009. Fordo is buried deep in the mountains of northern Iran, and US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering dropping a bunker-busting bomb to destroy the heavily fortified facility. The site's location deep below ground means that in the immediate aftermath, 'the likelihood of significant contamination [in the surrounding region] is significantly reduced, if not zero,' Bennett said. Over time, though, radioactive isotopes would be 'leaching into the groundwater,' he added. That means it will be critical that Iran allows the IAEA into the country to help manage any leaks – similarly to how the agency assists at the Chernobyl site in Ukraine, decommissioning and managing radioactive waste, Bennett said. It's not yet clear whether Iran will do so. One week into the conflict, it is still escalating. 'At this point, given the fog of war… everything is conjecture,' Bennett said.
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Toddler fighting for life after swim left her infected with deadly bacteria
A toddler has been left fighting for her life after contracting a deadly condition while swimming in a lake with her family during a day out as doctors fight tirelessly to keep her alive A two-year-old girl has been left in a critical condition after catching three dangerous strains of E. coli following a family day out at a lake. Little Elizabeth Faircloth became seriously ill just days after swimming and boating at Keystone Lake in Oklahoma, US, in early June. What began as a fun day in the sun quickly turned into a medical emergency. Doctors initially believed the toddler had strep throat and prescribed antibiotics - but the medication only worsened her condition, her heartbroken mum Suzanne Faircloth told US outlet KOTV. 'It blows our minds because we've never even heard of anything like this ever happening,' Suzanne said. READ MORE: Man, 55, diagnosed with dementia after doctor noticed one sign before diagnosis Further tests confirmed the devastating diagnosis. Elizabeth had contracted not one but three different strains of E. coli bacteria. The infection triggered Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), a rare and potentially fatal complication that can cause kidney failure, brain injury and liver damage. 'It's a nightmare,' Suzanne said. 'And it happened so fast, within like a week, we're here.' Doctors have since placed Elizabeth on dialysis and medically paralysed her to give her fragile body the best possible chance of recovery. The paralysis is a temporary state induced by medication to help reduce strain on her organs. Her aunt, Melissa Lynne, has been sharing updates online, revealing that her kidneys have been the most severely impacted. 'Although the prognosis is hopeful, it will be a very long battle to get her well again,' Melissa said. 'It's uncertain if she will ever recover 100 percent, or if there will be permanent kidney and/or brain damage.' To make matters worse, Elizabeth has also developed a lung infection, but her care team are unable to treat it with antibiotics over fears it could worsen her already fragile state. 'They are working night and day, the staff is amazing, just to keep her stable,' her mum said. 'It kind of feels like you're drowning and you get brief moments of air just enough to keep you alive - but there's no end in sight.' The family have launched a GoFundMe to help with medical expenses, raising more than $8,000 (£6.6k) of their $10,000 (£8k) target so far. In a heartfelt message, they urged other parents to be aware of the symptoms and act fast if their children fall ill after swimming in open water. 'We just can't imagine another child fighting for their life or parents living through this hell, when we could have warned families,' they wrote. 'Stay vigilant, parents, and get your kids in early if symptoms arise after a lake day. The faster you get your kids in, the better the odds.'
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
Most of Europe's bathing waters safe for swimming, says new report
A girl walks in the water of lake Wannsee at the start of the bathing season in Berlin. PHOTO: REUTERS Most of Europe's bathing waters safe for swimming, says new report COPENHAGEN – More than three quarters of bathing waters monitored in the European Union, Albania and Switzerland were of 'excellent' quality in 2024, the 27-member bloc's environment agency said on June 20. All but 4 per cent met the EU's minimum standard ('sufficient') and just 1.5 per cent were of 'poor' quality, the European Environment Agency (EEA) said in its annual update on the beaches, rivers and lakes that are tested for faecal contamination. Overall, Europe's bathing waters were of the same standard in 2024 as in the year before. The EEA monitors more than 22,000 bathing areas for bacteria such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) and intestinal enterococci, caused essentially by pollutant run-off from livestock farms and household sewage pipes. 'Europeans can confidently bathe in the vast majority of the EU's bathing sites that meet the EU's bathing quality standards,' European Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall said. The best bathing waters in 2024 were in Cyprus, where 99.2 per cent were of excellent quality, followed by Bulgaria with 97.9 per cent, Greece with 97 and Croatia with 95.2. The EU-wide average was 85 per cent. Albania came bottom in the ranking, with just 16 per cent of excellent quality bathing waters, a drop of more than 25 percentage points over the space of a year. Poland was second from bottom at 58.1 per cent, a slight improvement from 2023. In general, beaches were cleaner than rivers and lakes because of seawater's better capacity for renewal. Many of central Europe's inland bathing areas are found in relatively small lakes, ponds and rivers, which are more susceptible than coastal areas to short-term pollution caused by heavy rains, the EEA said. The agency said climate change was expected to increase the intensity and frequency of various extreme weather events, including heavy rains. 'In turn, these events will impact bathing water quality through pollution from sewer overflows, floods or surface run-off,' it said on its website. 'This will come with corresponding potential increased health risks for bathers.' The EEA no longer collates data on bathing water in Britain, which left the bloc. But the national Environment Agency found that in 2024, just 64.2 per cent of England's bathing waters were 'excellent' and 8.2 per cent failed to meet the minimum standard and were classified as 'poor'. British water companies, privatised since 1989, have repeatedly come under fire for allowing the discharge of large quantities of sewage into rivers and the sea. EU members, meanwhile, are obliged to monitor popular bathing places from May to September and rank the water quality as excellent, good, sufficient or poor. Of the 321 bathing sites that were recorded as poor in 2023, a fifth had improved by 2024. In such cases, the authorities must shut the area to bathers the following year and take steps to reduce pollution and health hazards before they can re-open. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
GMA Network
12 hours ago
- Business
- GMA Network
DA, PNP boost anti-smuggling campaign
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is intensifying its anti-smuggling campaign after discovering the sale of suspected smuggled onions in Paco Market in Manila. On Wednesday, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the DA will partner with the Philippine National Police (PNP) for the crackdown against smuggled agricultural products they discovered smuggled onions being sold in the market. The imported red onions are larger and cleaner than local varieties. It also surfaced in markets despite the absence of import permits, he added. 'We did not give any permits to anybody since early this year. Lahat ng imported onions sa lahat ng palengke ay smuggled iyan,' said Laurel Jr. 'It's the directive of President Bongbong Marcos to stop smuggling—that's why we now have this law,' he said. The DA will conduct lab testing of seized onions to ensure they are not a public health threat. Previous inspections found traces of E. coli and heavy metals in smuggled white onions. 'But of course, our target remains the so-called 'big fish.' We will raid warehouses with the help of the PNP,' said Tiu Laurel. Meanwhile, the DA said they are also eyeing to train police officers to distinguish between locally produced and imported agricultural products, including pork, as part of efforts to strengthen the government's anti-smuggling campaign. In October 2024, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Republic Act No. 12022 into law, which repeals the 2016 Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act and introduces tougher, more comprehensive enforcement mechanisms.—VAL, GMA Integrated News
