European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 2, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday june 2, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 3aafes sold meats after contamination continued from Page 1 genes eventually was traced to a High tech meat Slicer. The machine a euro Slicer manufactured by Dixie Union Terpac Kings a Mph of West Germany was purchased in july 1988 for $207,000. Cato said that the machine was so Complex that proper cleaning could not be guaranteed. However an executive with the manufacturing firm voiced Surprise at the cafes decision. A there Are thousands of these machines in Europe and in be never heard of a shutdown for this reason a said Helmut Gus Pemeyer director of administration for Dixie Union. The firm is in Kempten just North of Munich. Careful maintenance of these types of machines is mandatory he said including removing parts during cleaning. A you just can to take a bucket full of water and dump it Over a machine and expect it to be clean a he said. Cato however said that on one occasion the Slicer was dismantled and thoroughly cleaned and yet the next test was positive for listeria. Gus Pemeyer said he Learned of a fest problem from the stars and stripes. Cafes he said never contacted the company to discuss the meat Slicer. Also he said cafes never responded to a letter Dixie Union sent to All clients in March informing them of the availability of a special training and information program focusing on the cleaning and maintenance requirements of its machine. Officials at 7th medical come said they initially recommended Only class ii recalls because under their guidelines the contamination did not pose a serious threat to the health of Consumers. A a Normal healthy person would probably not have any problem and certainly we did no to hear of any a said chief warrant officer 3 Michael Killian of the medical commands veterinary services. Listeria Monocyte genes is a slow growing bacterium. Killian said that it can take 10 Days before a test Sample discloses contamination. In the time Between taking a Sample and getting the results cafes typically was producing and Selling More than 1,000 pounds of Bologna and 10,000 pounds of pork shoulder. Listeria Monocyte genes can cause flu like symptoms and in some cases meningitis encephalitis or a coma. It. Col. Robert Mccaskill a staff veterinarian with the medical command said the bacteria a is very common to the environment a thus difficult to Trace to its source. A a it a a problem other food processors have been facing Over the last several years a Mccaskill said. According to information provided by cafes Europe the source of contamination eluded officials for three months a dec. 19 a after two years of monthly testing 7th for some bacteria can be deadly listeria Monocyte genes is an a a insidious microbiological organism that kills More than 400 people each year in the United states according to Jim Green a spokesman for the . Department of agriculture in Washington. When ingested by humans it causes an illness called Lister Osis Only recently identified As a food borne malady. The bacteria Start in animals and move through the food Chain. Only High heat or the process of pasteurization will kill the Bug Green said. It was first identified in 1981 after an outbreak in Canada. The source of the illness was traced to a Brand of coleslaw made from cabbage that had been fertilized with manure from sheep that were infected with the microorganism. Green works for the department s division of food safety and inspection which employs 7,500 inspectors and 1,200 veterinarians who test meat products at 7,000 processing plants in the United states. A similar though smaller function is handled by the 7th medical come in Europe. It was Only recently discovered that the bacteria will grow at refrigerator temperatures Green said. That resulted in 1987 in an expanded and now routine testing program by his Agency. That same year cafes Europe requested 7th medical come to initiate testing for listeria Monocyte genes. When the agriculture department gets a positive test a almost always Well Issue a class i recall a Green said. A class i recall is issued to the general Public. A class ii recall involves removal of products from shelves but does not include a warning to the Public. Green said that the Only exception for listeria contamination occurs when a we re pretty confident that the product did t get into the retail Chain. If there is any doubt a the Agency issues a Public recall he said. Green said that the National centers for disease control in Atlanta regularly tracks cases of Lister Osis. A there May be about 1,600 cases of Lister Osis with 415 deaths occurring yearly a he said. A the average death rate is 200 to 300 per 1,000 cases of Lister Osi higher than for  while Normal healthy adults Are not at risk the elderly infants pregnant women and others with suppressed immune systems Are vulnerable. That includes those seriously ill w Ith diseases such As pneumonia or aids. The symptoms initially resemble flu but can Lead to complications such As meningitis encephalitis or the death of an unborn infant if the Mother is infected. Green says that Consumers can protect themselves by taking the following precautions a avoid raw  milk and other Dairy products. A strictly observe sell by or use by dates stamped on food products. A keep products refrigerated at All times. While listeria will grow at Low temperatures refrigeration slows it Down. A thoroughly reheat Frozen or ready to eat meat products. A Steve Taylor medical come gets its first positive culture for the bacteria in pork shoulder picnic luncheon meat. A class ii recall follows along with a review of a fest meat Plant operations. Weekly testing begins. A Jan. 10 and 16 a two More positive cultures on pork shoulder meats and two More class ii recalls. The 7th medical come creates a task Force of its veterinary services and medical labs cafes Europe and the meat Plant Quality Assurance office. A feb. 26 a another positive culture on pork shoulder meats and the first Public recall alerting customers to the potential problem. A March 16 a the final positive culture the first on a fest Bologna results in another Public recall. This time the problem is traced to the new meat Slicer. A March 19 a cafes Europe quits the ready to eat meat business. Cato said officials first thought that the source of contamination was the bulk meal delivered to the processing plan. Further testing however showed that not to be the Case. As part of their procedures technicians tested the bulk meat the finished products and the entire Plant environment. C Ato said. Mccaskill said that listeria Monocyte genes has come to the attention of the food Industry in the last 10 years it was not considered a problem until a 1485 outbreak in California in a mexican style cheese product. The . Department of agriculture put the death toll in that incident at 40. Although some news accounts said 64 died in in six states. Quot that caused a hard look at meat and Dairy products and the Way they Are  Mccaskill said. The bacteria is not transmitted through the air. But on particles of dust or dirt and thrives at temperatures common to refrigerated foods he said. Toxic Levels of the bacteria have not been established. Cafes Europe. However has said the . Agriculture department recommends a Zero level in Lood. Cato said that other products prone to listeria contamination. Such As Dairy products have not tested positive and continue to be produced by cafes. West Germany bans British beef Paris apr West Germany joined France Friday in Banning British beef imports because of the a mad cow disease that has killed thousands of cattle and prompted Many britons to shun the meat. However the european Community offered a helping hand to Britain a cattle Industry by offering to buy 20,600 tons of meat. British officials say the beef poses no threat to people who eat it. That country a meat and livestock commission accused the West germans of responding to fears about a flood of cheap British beef rather than concern for Public health. Britain made similar charges thursday about the French ban. France which normally purchases More than half of Britain a exported beef imposed its ban wednesday. French officials said some meat might be tainted by the so called mad cow disease or Bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Ting to not to of me Case As Pari of Meir pipe Cubics in vim it my a Isumu we. Dancing tornadoes ravage parts of Texas City without touching Down Spearman Texas apr three there were still tornadoes dancing to take shelter and prevented injuries Spearman Texas apr three funnel Clouds did no to quite touch Down but caused $5.5 million Worth of damage to the downtown area and a residential Section of this Panhandle town in 30 minutes. They were among 10 twisters spotted in the area thursday night said state trooper Wayne Beighle of Amarillo. No injuries were reported but about 80 percent of the City was blacked out and phone service was spotty until Friday morning. A we were up there until 1 a.m., and there were still tornadoes dancing around. They were All Over the  Beighle said. A none touched the ground a they were hovering just above the ground but that was enough to do the  ten Mobile Homes and 10 houses were reported destroyed Beighle said. Some of the Mobile Homes were a smoothed off to the  mayor Burl Buchanan said. The mayor estimated that 5 percent of the town of 3,500 had property damage. He said Early warning gave people time to take shelter and prevented injuries. Quot it could have been a lot  he said. A Church was demolished and a Barbecue restaurant was seriously damaged. The storm a blew the porch off and blew it Back on top of the building. It just hipped it up and Laid it up on top of the  Buchanan said. Many Homes had damaged windows and roofs and some Power lines were reported Down. Buchanan said tree limbs and one Mobile Home needed to be cleared from streets to make them passable. School official in sex investigation quits Heidelberg a amps a a Heidelberg school administrator has resigned following the Start of an investigation into his alleged sexual misconduct with a child. . Harrison education program manager at Heidelberg Middle school was placed on administrative leave May 8 pending the outcome of the investigation. He subsequently submitted a letter of resignation. Heidelberg Community officials and Law enforcement agencies Are probing an alleged incident involving a boy in Flar Rison a Home on april 12. No criminal charges have been filed. Officials with the overseas school system said Friday that Harrison a whereabouts is unknown. As education program manager. Harrison was responsible Tor logistics discipline and curriculum matters at the school