- CHICAGO - New studies on
food safety have found pork may contain even more dangerous germs than
poultry.
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- The findings were presented at the 2001 Interscience
Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in Chicago.
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- A team of researchers at the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention tested nearly 600 packages of ground pork purchased from
different grocery stores in five states.
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- They found high levels of Enterococci bacteria, a common
cause of food poisoning that is resistant to antibiotic drugs.
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- Scientists say patients who have antibiotic-resistant
enterococcal infections have a death rate of 37 per cent.
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- Enterococci were found on three per cent of ground
pork.
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- "With pork chops or steaks, you've got bacteria
contamination on the outside," says lead researcher Jennifer
McClennan.
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- And with ground meats, the bacteria are found throughout,
making them more dangerous.
-
- "You've got to make sure to cook (pork)
thoroughly."
-
- As a result, McClennan says cooks should follow stringent
practices when they prepare pork and anything cooked less than medium is
probably not a good idea.
-
- Another study presented at the symposium raised further
concerns about pork.
-
- Dutch researchers found the Enterococci bacteria in pigs
cause more trouble for humans than the same type of bacteria found in
poultry.
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- The researchers recommended farmers use antibiotics
sparingly
on their animals.
-
- About half of the antibiotics given to animals worldwide
are used so they can grow bigger and remain disease-free.
-
- The continuous exposure to antibiotics can also alter
the balance of good to bad germs, promoting the antibiotic-resistant
strain
of bacteria in the animal.
-
- Resistant strains can be passed on to humans when they
consume the meat of the animal. Researchers found these bacteria in pork
seemed to survive and thrive longer in humans than those found in
poultry.
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- Written by CBC News Online staff.
- http://cbc.ca/cgi-bin/view?/news/2001/12/28/Consumers/pork_011228
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