FDA Approves 6 Viruses To Treat Meat

A mix of bacteria-killing viruses can be safely sprayed on cold cuts, hot dogs and sausages to combat common microbes that kill hundreds of people a year, federal health officials said Friday in granting the first-ever approval of viruses as a food additive.

www.washingtonpost.com...

This is a first for the FDA, actually using a virus to kill bacteria in proccessed meats.
Other bacteriophages are being considered for approval as a food additives as well.
This is the part that bothers me..........

The viruses are grown in a preparation of the very bacteria they kill, and then purified. The FDA had concerns that the virus preparation potentially could contain toxic residues associated with the bacteria. However, testing did not reveal the presence of such residues, which in small quantities likely wouldn't cause health problems anyway, the FDA said.

It's the word "likely" that I put in bold..........
It means they just aren't sure yet and we get to be the guinea pigs.

OK, so much is wrong with this.

"As long as it used in accordance with the regulations, we have concluded it's safe," Zajac said. People normally come into contact with phages through food, water and the environment, and they are found in our digestive tracts, the FDA said.

How much testing has this gone through, I mean real life testing, the type of accidents humans are prone to? What happens if it isnt used in 'accordance with regs', what then?

Consumers won't be aware that meat and poultry products have been treated with the spray, Zajac added. The Department of Agriculture will regulate the actual use of the product.

Oh, this is the stinger, you have NO choice. The food will not sport a lable indicating that it has been treated with this process. I shall be keeping a watch to see if this will spread to the UK.

It's the word "likely" that I put in bold..........
It means they just aren't sure yet and we get to be the guinea pigs.

No, it means the doctors who researched this are being good doctors. In medicine, you never say something WILL work or WILL cure anything. It's always COULD, SHOULD, LIKELY, etc.

Being definite in a field where nothing is definite is a bad idea.

How much testing has this gone through, I mean real life testing, the type of accidents humans are prone to?

The same amount of testing every other chemical added to meats has gone through, I imagine.

What happens if it isnt used in 'accordance with regs', what then?

the same thing that happens if the other chemicals aren't used according to regulation. It's important to note that bacteriophages are incapable of infecting humans, so the worst thing that could come of this should some of the "bacterial toxins" not be removed properly, is a sore stomach from lysed cells.

Oh, this is the stinger, you have NO choice. The food will not sport a lable indicating that it has been treated with this process. I shall be keeping a watch to see if this will spread to the UK.

So? They don't put labels on the package for every other chemical they've added. Why would they do it for this?

Mariella

Mod Edit: BB Code.




[edit on 25/8/2006 by Mirthful Me]

Originally posted by bsl4doc
It's important to note that bacteriophages are incapable of infecting humans, so the worst thing that could come of this should some of the "bacterial toxins" not be removed properly, is a sore stomach from lysed cells.

OK, answer me this, as Im not a medical doctor and you should be able to educate us in this matter in moments whereas it will take me hours to find this out. They are treating Listeria right? Will they be using a virulent or a temperate phage to do this. You understand why I ask this question right?

So? They don't put labels on the package for every other chemical they've added. Why would they do it for this?

Because it is in good form? Becuase it will give people a choice? Becuase it makes sound practice to lable food with any and all additives, especially with an experiment like this... They are not lableing it because they dont want people NOT buying the products.

I don't see the problem as long as the bacteriophages never acquire a taste for something besides listeria. If they start consuming healthy bacteria, we're in serious trouble.

I don't know what the actual risks are, of this happening. I've got to do some more reading on the way bacteriophages pick their victims. I don't know if they even have the mechanisms necessary to destroy things besides listeria.

If they do what they're supposed to do, no harm should come of this. But, when was the last time we saw nature doing just what it was supposed to do? I'm not saying that we should shun technology and not use bacteriophages (they really are nifty), but we have to be vigilant, lest we open up yet another Pandora's box with medical science.

If you want to avoid it, then buy Organic. That's one food that you know what's in it. No messing around there. Jeez, you really can't trust the american government can you? I'll also be looking for "Canadian" products too since this seems to only affect products produced in the US.

it depends, if these bacteriophages are simply naturally occuring species, it's as a natural as it gets, heck, these 'phages occur in the wild, chances are a slight percentage of meat products already contains naturally occuring strains, seeing as bacteriophages tend to accompany their prey.

don't know, if it's FDA approved, it might as well be a show to scare people so they won't use bacteriophages as a treatment option. hard to tell at this time, imho.


PS: anyone can isolate phages, all you need is a culture of the target germ, then add material from biologically diverse sources (essentially dirt), if the target germ dies, you found your remedy, it's not complicated at all, although patience is required unless you're lucky.

Originally posted by Long Lance
PS: anyone can isolate phages, all you need is a culture of the target germ, then add material from biologically diverse sources (essentially dirt), if the target germ dies, you found your remedy, it's not complicated at all, although patience is required unless you're lucky.

Wow, that is incredibly wrong. I'm glad you're not in the lab at my hospital =).

The fact that a bacterium dies when mixed with dirt and other "biologically diverse sources" is due to any number of causes. It could be pH, hydrostatic forces, lysozymes in the soil, other bacteria, organics molecules, etc.

Hardly a way to isolate bacteriophages.

Mariella

mixing? sure not, you have to inoculate your culture with minimal amounts of contaminant. 'adding' does not mean adding large quantities. btw, i'm glad i'm not working in your lab, too

More bacterial and viral microbes? I thought I had enough parasites in my intestines as it was, now we are going to have more added to our food.

Hmm, never thought I would say this, but this omnivore may turn vegitarian...nah I'll just kill my own food more often now thats all. Venison any one?

Originally posted by ADVISOR
More bacterial and viral microbes? I thought I had enough parasites in my intestines as it was, now we are going to have more added to our food.

Hmm, never thought I would say this, but this omnivore may turn vegitarian...nah I'll just kill my own food more often now thats all. Venison any one?

For the 100th time...

Bacteriophages cannot infect cells of any sort. They are biologically geared to infect bacteria only.

Mariella