The bacteria in our gut – Clostridium Difficile ( C. Diff. )

A gram-positive, anaerobic, and spore-forming rods bacteria which cause the severe infection of colon called pseudomembranous colitis. The illness is characterized by offensive-smelling diarrhea, fever, and aabdominal pain. It can cause toxic megacolon or even fatal.

According to an article published by Centre for Disease Control (CDC), there is a vast increment of people being hospitalized resulted from C. Diff. infection. Feces spores are the spreading medium and it’s hardly killed by conventional cleaners or antibacterial soap.

Besides, when patient take in antibiotic which works against colon bacteria, C.Diff. explodes as it is resistant to them. Virulent strain of C.Diff. is commonly found only after 2000.

Misuse of antibiotics and patients who are older and sicker are factors that cause the rising of C.Diff. infection.

A research is conducted based on more than 36 million annual discharges from non-governmental U.S. hospitals. It is to be concluded that fatal cases account for 2.3 percent or 5,500 death in other word.

Frequency of occurrence and preventive measures of C. Diff. infection are being studied by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology in order to come out with a best solution.

Reference available at CDC publication: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/index.htm

Health risk associated in star fruit!

Fruits always come along with 'healthy' and 'nutritious' in many people's mind. However, kidney failure patient may fell into a state of unconscious if star fruit is being ingested. This is what happened to a dialysis patient who is hospitalised in Intensive Care Unit after consuming star fruit. The news was found in The Star newspaper.

Ingestion of star fruit led to neurological disturbances, including hiccups, mental confusion, and even death! This is due to presence of oxalic acid and the neurotoxic effects of star fruit intoxication in mostly dialysed patients with chronic renal failure.

Say no to synthetic colouring!

Synthetic colourings are being used in food industry extensively. They are commonly found in confectionery products, ice cream, bakery products, cakes, and soft drinks. Foods may seems more colourful and attractive after coated or dyed with those 'rainbows'. However, the long term effect that synthetic colourings jeopardize our body is undeniable!

Recently read the news reported that European countries are urged to ban the use of additives in 'purely cosmetic' ingredients and foods. The colours involved are tartrazine (E 102), quinoline yellow (E 104), sunset yellow (E 110), carmoisine (E 122), ponceau 4R (E 124) and allura red (E 129). Manufacturers are encouraged to suspend the usage of these colouring and seek for alternatives.

Same goes with UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) board who decided to mandate UK manufacturers not to use these colourings and giving advice to parents on intake of synthetic colourings. However, while some industry members agree and support the action , some others claim that voluntary reformulation was underway but forcing could put unnecessary pressure and costs on them.

Representatives from other bodies such as Consumers' Association of Ireland, Friends of the earth, The Danish Ecological Council, the International Obesity Task Force, The Soil Association
and the UK Food Commision said that the Southampton study gives valid reasons to suggest that there is an appreciable risk associated with these colourings. Furthermore, dyes serve no purpose but to colour foods.

In conclusion, renewed calls for European ban on Southampton additives is in need to be implemented. All parties involved should commit their highest cooperation whenever possible in compliance with local legislation.

Article available at: http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/news/ng.asp?id=84636

Trans-fats linked to breast cancer risk in study

'No trans-fat' label is commonly seen on processed food packaging. Issue related to trans-fat has been a lattest concern of WHO. It's claimed that consumption of trans fat increase risk of getting coronary heart disease by raising 'bad' LDL cholesterol and lowering 'good' HDL cholesterol.

Trans-fat is a type of unsaturated fat with trans-isomer fatty acid. Most trans-fats found in food are produced by partially hydrogenating plant oil. The process of adding hydrogen atoms to unsaturated fat make them more saturated. Thus they possess higher melting point and more favourable in extending shelf life of baked products.

From a news I read online, European researchers reported on Friday 11 April that besides clog arteries, trans-fats may raise the risk of getting breast cancer. Women with highest blood levels of trans-fats had about twice the risk of breast cancer compared to women with lowest levels. The only recommendation by researchers in American Journal of Epidemiology is to limit the consumption of processed foods contain trans-fats.

New York and California had banned trans-fats in restaurant foods. Canada and Britain are considering the same regulation and many food companies have dropped them as ingredient.

However, women with higher level of omega-3 fatty acids are found to be more resistant to have breast cancer. Obese women are more susceptible to develope breast cancer than other types of cancer.

Complete article available at http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20080411/thl-uk-cancer-breast-fats-acc9995.html

Food Safety Issue- Botulism

My first time came across this term is during subject FPQA conducted in year 2, knowing that it's related to can food and food safety issue. Recently, I happened to read this article called 'Botulism' in WHO web. Here is the summary of what I learned from the article.

Generally, human botulism is an foodborne intoxication caused by extremely potent toxins preformed in foods which is Bacterium Clostridium Botulinum. Transmission of botulism between human is imposssible. However, wound infections or intestinal infection in infants are exceptional. Type A, B, E and rarely F cause human botulism. Types C, D and E cause illness in mammals, birds and fish. Sporulated form of bacterium is commonly present in soils, aquatic sediments and fish. Under anaerobic conditions, the heat-resistant spores can germinate and toxin is produced by bacterium.

12 to 36 hours after exposure to bacterium, symptoms caused by toxin appears. These are usually include dry mouth,double or blurred vision, difficulty swallowing, muscle weakness, drooping eyelids,difficult breathing, slurred speech,vomiting, urinary incontinence and sometimes diarrhea. Though cases of botulism is low, the mortality rate is high if treatment is not immediately imposed.

Good food preparation practices and hygiene ought to be implemented to prevent outbreak of botulism. Inactivation of the bacterial spores in heat-treatment canned products or by inhibiting growth in all other products may also prevent botulism.

In cosmetic field, bacterium Clostridium Botulinum is used to produce Botox, an injection used for clinical and cosmetic application. Treatment is on one condition that purified and diluted A neurotoxin are being used. Injection of Botox is administered according need of patient. Some side effetcs might occur after the injection.

Article available at: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs270/en/index.html
References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botulism

What is EB and S?

Osteomyelitis

The first day i reported to Ms. Teoh Sok Li, Head of Quality Assurance(QA) Department, she ordered me to assist a QA assisstant, named Yong. End of the day, I didn't do much but intro myself to other staffs in QA. So, it was an ice-breaking day!

Second day, there are chances for me to flip through some documents in QA office. From their daily laboratory card, I can clearly see that sensory assessment, physical test as well as microbe test are being run for certain products.

'EB' and 'S' which appear under microbe test catch my eyes. After verification, i got to know that EB stands for Enterobacteriaceae and S is Salmonella. EB are a large family of bacteria, including many of the more familiar pathogens, such as Salmonella and Escherichia coli. EB are rod-shaped, basically 1.5 micro meter in length. They are facultative anaerobes and possess Gram-negative stains.

Whereas Staphylococcus aureus is a sperical bacterium which cause a range of illnesses from minor skin infections, such as pimples, impetigo, boils, cellulitis folliculitis, furuncles, carbuncles, scalded skin syndrome and abscesses, to life-threatening diseases, such as pneumonia, meningitis, osteomyelitis endocarditis, Toxic shock syndrome (TSS), and septicemia. Illness cause by Staph aureus is usually associated with hygiene aspetc as they are frequently living on human's skin and in nose. About 20-30% of population are 'staph carrier'

References :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staphylococcus_aureus

Photo available at:

http://images.google.com.my/imgres?imgurl=http://thefootblog.files.wordpress.com/2006/11/osteoforefoot.jpg&imgrefurl=http://thefootblog.org/2006/11/&h=417&w=534&sz=30&hl=en&start=4&tbnid=nTkMhBkni8UCXM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=132&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dstaphylococcus%2Baureus%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den

Tropical fruit- Soursop.

Neighboor gave us 2 soursops where the auntie said it's not local but origin from Sabah. Mum stored in fridge for few days and its skin turns black.

Today, i peeled it off while it's cold. The flesh of the fruit consists of an edible white pulp and a core of undigestible black seeds. The flesh's texture is pudding-liked, white in color, and taste like sweet mango! Compared to dragon fruit which contains uncountable seeds, seeds of soursop are kind of frustrated because they are large in size! I cant digest but to spit them out.


After some research done, I had found out that soursop is native to Carribean, Central and South America, and is commonly grown in South-East Asia. It is adapted to areas of high humidity and relatively warm winters, temperatures below 5 °C will cause damage to leaves and small branches, and temperatures below 3 °C can be fatal.


Nutritionally, the fruit is high in carbohydrates, particularly fructose. The fruit also contains significant amounts of vitamin C, vitamin B1 and vitamin B2. People in Caribbean believe that laying the leaves of soursop on a bed below a person with a fever will break the fever by the next morning. Boiling the leaves and drinking as a tea are believed to induce sleep too!

Reference from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soursop

Photo available at: www.britannica.com/ebc/art-7486/Soursop