Consumer Reports: Ground Turkey Rife With Germs
(NEWSER) – It's a safe bet that any ground turkey you buy at the supermarket is laden with potentially dangerous bacteria, says Consumer Reports. Its first report on turkey meat gets off to a happy start by noting that "more than half of the packages of raw ground meat and patties tested positive for fecal bacteria." The magazine tested for five organisms—enterococcus, E. coli, staphylococcus aureus, salmonella, and campylobacter—and at least one showed up in 90% of the 257 samples, reports CBS News.CR says most of the contaminants it found were resistant to common antibiotics and blamed the overuse of drugs in feedlots. Products labeled "organic" or "no antibiotics" fared much better in this area, and the magazine encouraged their use.
The turkey-meat industry is lashing back at what it calls a "misleading" and too-small study. Of the contaminants found, it writes, "the two most prevalent, enterococcus and generic E.coli, are not considered sources of foodborne illness." It also notes that only 5% of the samples tested positive for salmonella, adding: "This is borne out by more extensive government testing, which finds almost 90% of all ground turkey and 97% of whole turkeys are salmonella-free." At the Wall Street Journal, Tom Gara isn't exactly bowled over by that argument. "You know it’s a tough news day when an industry association boasts its product is almost 90% salmonella-free."
The turkey-meat industry is lashing back at what it calls a "misleading" and too-small study. Of the contaminants found, it writes, "the two most prevalent, enterococcus and generic E.coli, are not considered sources of foodborne illness." It also notes that only 5% of the samples tested positive for salmonella, adding: "This is borne out by more extensive government testing, which finds almost 90% of all ground turkey and 97% of whole turkeys are salmonella-free." At the Wall Street Journal, Tom Gara isn't exactly bowled over by that argument. "You know it’s a tough news day when an industry association boasts its product is almost 90% salmonella-free."
Placenta May Hold Autism Clues
STUDY SUGGESTS FOLDS AND CREASES POINT TO HIGHER RISK
(NEWSER) – A new study suggests that doctors can gauge a newborn's chances of developing autism by looking at the baby's placenta, reports USA Today and theNew York Times. The more unusual folds and creases it has, the greater the risk. The study looked at 217 placentas from a mix of high-risk and low-risk babies, and found that placental folds were much more common in the high-risk infants—those with a family history. "It's quite stark," says one of the study's authors, noting "clearly there's something quite different about them."
The subjects in the study are now between ages 2 and 5, and researchers won't know for another year or so whether they will develop autism or other developmental problems. "It would be really exciting to have a real biomarker and especially one that you can get at birth," says one autism researcher not connected to the study. One potential change would be that kids identified as high risk could get behavioral therapy early.
The subjects in the study are now between ages 2 and 5, and researchers won't know for another year or so whether they will develop autism or other developmental problems. "It would be really exciting to have a real biomarker and especially one that you can get at birth," says one autism researcher not connected to the study. One potential change would be that kids identified as high risk could get behavioral therapy early.