Guest guest Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 > Sunday, August 20, 2006 10:26 AM CDT > > FDA approves viruses for treating food > > By Associated Press > WASHINGTON, D.C. -- 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. > > The combination of six viruses is designed to be > sprayed on ready-to-eat > meat and poultry products, including sliced ham and > turkey, said Vazzana, > president and chief executive officer of > manufacturer Intralytix Inc. > > The special viruses called bacteriophages are meant > to kill strains of the > Listeria monocytogenes bacterium, the Food and Drug > Administration said in > declaring it safe to use on ready-to-eat meats > prior to their packaging. > > The viruses are the first to win FDA approval for > use as a food additive, > said Zajac, of the regulatory agency's > office of food additive safety. > > The bacterium the viruses target can cause a > serious infection called > listeriosis, primarily in pregnant women, newborns > and adults with weakened immune > systems. In the United States, an estimated 2,500 > people become seriously ill > with listeriosis each year, according to the > Centers for Disease Control and > Prevention. Of those, 500 die. > > Luncheon meats are particularly vulnerable to > Listeria since once purchased, > they typically aren't cooked or reheated, which can > kill harmful bacteria > like Listeria, Zajac said. > > The preparation of bacteriophages - the name is > Greek for " bacteria-eater " - > attacks only strains of the Listeria bacterium and > not human or plant cells, > the FDA said. > > " 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. > > 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. > > 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. > > " The FDA is applying one of the toughest food-safety > standards which they > have to find this is safe, " said Caroline > DeWaal, director of food safety > for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a > consumer advocacy > group. " They couldn't approve this product if they > had questions about its safety. " > > Intralytix, based in Baltimore, first petitioned the > FDA in 2002 to allow > the viruses to be used as a food additive. It has > since licensed the product to > a multinational company, which intends to market it > worldwide, said > Intralytix president Vazzana. He declined to name > the company but said he expected it > to announce its plans within weeks or months. > > Intralytix also plans to seek FDA approval for > another bacteriophage product > to kill E. coli bacteria on beef before it is > ground, Vazzana said. > > Scientists have long studied bacteriophages as a > bacteria-fighting > alternative to antibiotics. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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