FDA links toxic spinach to California ( UPI 092106)

FDA links toxic spinach to California
By UPI Staff
United Press International
September 21, 2006

WASHINGTON (UPI) -- The search for the source of the 146 cases of E. coli infection from spinach in 23 U.S. states has been narrowed to a single region in California.

Health officials in New Mexico were able to genetically match a bacteria sample found in a bag of spinach to other findings, which narrowed the search for the source, the Washington Post reported.

David Acheson, a senior food safety official with the Food and Drug Administration told a news conference it was a major break.

"Yesterday, we narrowed it to California," he said. "Today, we narrowed it down to three counties. We're hoping to narrow it down to a field and ... to a spinach leaf."

Regardless, in a news release, the agency dealt another blow to the spinach industry, which has already lost an estimated $100 million, officials said.

"FDA advises consumers to not eat fresh spinach or products that contain fresh spinach until further notice," the release said.

The outbreak has killed one person and is suspected in another death, public health officials said.

Copyright 2006 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved

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BSRancher Perspective:

My thoughts on this is that there is a suspect out there that has done the impossible, and made a terrorist attack on that of the Spinach Farmers. Unfortunatly they finally feel that they have found where it started from in a farm down by Fresno, however I still have reservations that it might be part of some kind of terrorist attack, espeically when not even a day later they have milk it is Unpastureized, milk that is effected, however it was less then one day and there was milk that was the poisen that landed children in the Loma Linda Hospital.

Well, I also have some reservations that it was just a coincidence as well espeicially since there has not been another attack since the milk attack. so I might be wrong as I usually am.

BSRanch