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(after foods had been cooked or before they had been served and consumed), the C. perfringens outbreaks may have been caused by inadequate cooling or heating of the chili. On the other hand, in the outbreaks associated with refried beans (8% of total Mexican foodborne illness outbreaks), the major causative agent was C. perfringens (595 illness cases), while other causative agents were Salmonella (58 illness cases), Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Norovirus (28 illness cases). Refried beans are highly viscous and very difficult to heat and cool. If a safe heating/reheating or cooling method can be developed and disseminated to operators, there is potential to eliminate outbreaks associated with microorganisms in this particular food. As for guacamole and salsa, the major microorganisms of concern are Salmonella, Campylobacter jejuni, Shigella, S. aureus and Norovirus. Contamination with these microorganisms typically results from cross contamination from raw materials, workers, or other aspects of the environment. Guacamole and salsa are typically served raw and require a great deal of handling during preparation. Therefore, the precautions for preparation of these foods would be slightly different from those for refried beans. Salsa, refried beans, and guacamole are primary ingredients or side dishes for many Mexican dishes, such as tacos, burritos, fajitas, and enchiladas. Addressing specific food safety issues for these primary ingredients would help reduce the risk for “multipleingredient” foods, which are frequently implicated in outbreaks. In summary, in the past 16 years the number of Mexican food-associated outbreaks reported to the CDC has increased. These data suggest that Mexican cuisine is often susceptible to foodborne pathogen contamination. The majority of Mexican food-associated outbreaks occurred in restaurants or delicatessens. The majority (> 50%) of foodborne illnesses associated with Mexican foods were attributed to unknown pathogens, but when causes were known, Salmonella, Clostridium spp., Shigella spp., Staphylococcus and E. coli were the pathogens most commonly associated with the outbreaks. While the findings about Salmonella and E. coli reflect general trends reported by the CDC (3, 13), illness caused by Clostridium spp. was more common among outbreaks associated with Mexican foods. Many dishes in Mexican cuisine are prepared by combining multiple food items, including meat and meat products, fresh produce, and dairy products; these food products are all susceptible to contamination during the chain of production. Another concern is that most Mexican dishes combine cold raw items and cooked warm items, increasing the likelihood of bacterial growth. Based on this study, two main factors affect foodborne illnesses associated with Mexican foods: handling practices and risks associated with specific foods. These factors may vary by region depending on such factors as differences in cultures, diets and local conditions. Evaluating the epidemiology information for Mexican foods in the US provides a starting point from which to address the increasing number of outbreaks associated with this type of cuisine. This type of information may be useful for operators of Mexican restaurants. Further observational research is needed to identify actual food handling practices among Mexican food vendors and restaurant operators in order to develop science-based guidelines and culturally appropriate materials for food handlers and vendors. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. REFERENCES 1. Berstein, R. 2007. Minority population tops 100 million. US Census Bureau, News Room. Available at http://www.census.gov/PressRelease/www/releases/archives/ population/010048.html. Accessed 24 May 2008. 2. Center for Science in the Public Interest. 2007. Outbreak alert. Available at http://www.cspinet. org/foodsafety/outbreak_alert.pdf. Accessed 24 May 2008. 3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2008. Foodborne outbreaks response and surveillance unit. Available at http:// www.cdc.gov/foodborneoutbreaks/ outbreak_data.htm. Accessed 13 April 2008. 4. Dwyers, S. 1998. Delicious diversity. Available at http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m3289/is_n6_ v167/ai_20897147. Accessed 15 May 2007. 5. Geisler, M. 2007. Ethnic foods market profile. Agricultural Market Re12. 13. 14. 15. source Center. Available at http:// www.agmrc.org/markets__industries/food/ethnic_foods_market_ profile.cfm. Accessed, 29 October 2008. Labensky, S. 2000. The PrenticeHall Dictionary of Culinary arts. 2nd Edition. Prentice Hall. Long-Solis, J., and L.A. Vargas. 2005. Food culture in Mexico. Greenwood Press, Westport, CT. Mauer, W. A., J. B. Kaneene, V. T. DeArman, C. A. Roberts, R. Miller, L. Pong, and T. E. Dickey. 2006. Ethnic food safety concerns: an online survey of food safety professionals. J. Environ. Health. 68(10):32–38. Mead, P. S., L. Slutsker, V. Dietz, L. F. McCaig, J. S. Bresee, C. Shapiro, P. M. Griffin, and R. V. Tauxe. 1999. Food-related illness and death in the United States. Emerging Infect. Dis. 5(5):607–625. Mills, S. 2000. A cultural melting pot. Available at http://www.restaurant.org/rusa/magArticle.cfm? ArticleID=398. Accessed 24 May 2008. National Restaurant Association. 2007. Consumer demand for ways to fit quality meals into hectic schedules shape restaurant trends in 2008, according to National Restaurant Association. Available at http://www.restaurant.org/pressroom/pressrelease.cfm?ID=1537. Accessed 24 May 2008. National Restaurant Assocication. 2005. News release: Demand for ethnic and international foods reflects a changing America. Available at http://www.restaurant.org/pressroom/print/index. cfm?ID=1073. Accessed 24 May 2008. Olsen, S. J., L. C. MacKinnon, J. S. Goulding, N. H. Bean, and L. Slutsker. 2000. Survillance for foodborne disease outbreaks in the United States, 1993–1997. Morb. Mortal. Weekly Rep. 49(SS-1):1–62. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/ preview/mmwrhtml/ss4901a1.htm. Accessed 15 January 2008. Paschel, J. 2007. Globalization of food preferences. Food Technol. 2:32–39. Roseman, M. G. 2006. Changing times: Consumers’ choice of ethnic foods when eating at restaurants. J. Hospitality Leisure Marketing. 14(4):5–32. APRIL 2009 | FOOD PROTECTION TRENDS 209

Food Protection Trends - April 2009

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