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10 29 24 CSU Prof Dr Eduardo Gutierrez-Rodriguez talks about the origins of E coli
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McDonald's Quarter Pounders, coming back on the menu in hundreds of restaurants, after new testing confirmed that the chain's beef patties were not to blame for the deadly coli outbreak, strengthening the case that the slivered onions are the culprit. For more in-depth analysis on the processes and responsibilities for food handling and processing, we're joined by Colorado State University Associate Professor in Food and Fresh Produce Safety, Dr. Eduardo Gudieras Rodriguez, Dr. We appreciate you coming on Colorado's Morning News. Just to begin with, I'm curious, do we find E. coli more often in meat products or in the vegetable products that are handled? Well, that's a very important question. I guess, over time, at the very beginning, when the food safety systems in our country were changing, mainly were associated with beef and many of these changes in regulations were made within the beef industry to make sure that many of these outbreaks were not associated with this. So now we've sort of passed that. And now, there seems to be some unfortunate correlations lately with some produce, but still, I guess, the jury is still out there. We still need to understand more exactly what is happening in our rowing fields if this is the case that may or may need lead to this contamination. Dr., what is usually the handling when it comes to the overall cause of an E. coli outbreak? Are we talking about the handling of foods? Is it generally from person to product to people and consumers? What is usually the root cause of it? Unfortunately, it's very complex. So in this case, at the beginning, when we started, we were thinking it was the body story was that the onions, now that more investigation has happened, then it seems to be that. So the contamination could have happened in the field, the contamination could have happened in the processing facility where these onions were being processed. So there's still a lot of things that happen there. So if we go back to some of the outbreaks associated with onions in 2021 and 2020, to some of those were associated with actual contamination in the field, then then was covered or moved into our supply chain. So it just, unfortunately, there is not a clear-cut way of describing this. But many of the outbreaks that we have seen lately have been with contamination at the farm level. Dr., is it as simple as sanitation in washing your hands as we hear it is to prevent this or is it more complex than that? It is way more complex than this. We, in our home and washing your hands, and obviously all those aspects are critical. And if you were at home, it is critical to make sure that you have your meat separate from your produce, because sometimes at home, even that simple scenario can cross contaminate the food that we're eating, but at the bigger scale, at mass production, it is a very complex fit that still we are generating a lot of research trying to understand what are the root causes of these contamination that is going on, because if there is one thing that the produce industry has done significantly, I would say in the last 15 years, is to tighten the knobs, to make sure that they are going above and beyond everything they can to be able to reduce contamination at the farm or at other different levels, and still, unfortunately, we see some of these problems. So it's much more complex than growing outside of the environment. It's a very complex system, sometimes, and in the case, for example, a VCLI-157, in some instances, you only need 10 cells to get sick. So even if we're doing significant evaluations and detections, sometimes detecting 10 cells is quite difficult to be able to prevent some of these things if we were to follow a route for detection, which obviously is not working and it's not the preferred one. Consumers have to trust fast food restaurants and chain restaurants and hoping that their food is safe. But when it comes to purchasing your own groceries and your own foods, are there precautions that consumers can take in order to hope that their food is more safe? Like when you see pre-washed produce, is that something that could be a little bit better for you, or is that even a concern in itself? One thing that is clear is if you buy a pre-washed salad, you don't need to wash it again at all, that would not be advisable. You would actually increase the chances of potential cross-contamination. So if you buy a salad from the supermarket that is already washed, please just eat it as is. And then, I mean, our food supply chain is quite safe. There is a lot of things that are being put in place. And when you go to the supermarket, many of these supermarkets have very robust food safety systems, and unfortunately, these things continue to happen. So I think that the consumer, the best thing that they can do is try to make sure that they don't leave meat in their car or think they are sitting for copious amounts of time and then bringing them home or cross-contaminating them at the house. I think that those are the most important things that the consumer can do. And obviously, if you buy food at the supermarket and cook it at home, it's most likely healthier and safer for you than other aspects. I was going to ask you, if our food supply is safe, it's nice to hear you say that it is for the most part. I'll ask you this question instead. Who's more responsible for E. coli spread? Is it the farm of which it comes from or is it the restaurant with the protocols they have in place? I, unfortunately, don't have a sincere answer around this. I know that the farmer is doing everything they can to prevent contamination. I know that the food facility that is processing the audience is doing everything they can. And I also know that the McDonald's restaurants are doing exactly the same thing. So I don't think we can simply put that blame on one specifically. I think they're all doing everything they can in their supply chain to make sure that they are providing safe food to the consumer. And, Doctor, when it comes to specific foods, are there any foods that should be avoided because they're a little more susceptible to bacteria or other food-borne illnesses? Is some more possible of having an E. coli outbreak or a concern than other products? I would not approach it that way. I think that right now, you know, I really want to label a specific food for being risk cures than the other ones. If you're eating oysters or things of that nature here that are raw in nature, then maybe the likelihood might be higher. But again, I would refrain from labeling a food more susceptible than another one because I feel like our food supply system is quite safe, especially by the number of servings that we have provided every day. Quick follow-up question of that. You've been generous with your time. And I know we need to get out here. But we had a text or text in to say, "Can you tell if the E. coli is from human or from cow manure or something like that? And does it matters? Does it still make you as sick or is it still dangerous?" Well, I think that generic E. coli is an organism that, for the most part, will not get anybody sick. It will be something that if you're traveling, maybe you might catch it or think of the nature. This E. coli, specifically E. coli, 1.57, is a pathogen within the group of E. coli that can get us quite sick. If we sequence the organism, then we will be able to determine many things as to the origin of the organism and those scenarios. So I just want to make sure that we understand that generic E. coli in itself will not be one organism that gets us sick. It's this specific pathogen within the group of E. coli that are the ones that we have to be aware of and, obviously, E. coli, 1.57, in general, have been associated with intestinal tracts of animals. CSU associate professor in food and fresh produce safety, it's Dr. Eduardo Gutierrez Rodriguez. Thank you so much for your time this morning. There's only one feeling like knowing your banker personally, like growing up with a bank you can count on, like being sure what you've earned is safe, secure, and local. There's only one feeling like knowing you're supporting your community. You deserve more from a bank. You deserve an institution that stood strong for generations. Bank of Colorado, there's only one. Your FDIC. [MUSIC PLAYING]