E. coli Spinach Outbreak Caused by Cows?

Sept. 21, 2006
By Stephanie Bloyd 
e coli, spinach, e coli bacterium, e coli infection
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Contaminated ground water from industrial cattle farms may be responsible for the recent E. coli outbreak caused by tainted spinach.
BRIAN PRECHTEL/COURTESY USDA ARS
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Groundwater contaminated by cattle and used to irrigate spinach crops in California is under suspicion in the investigation of the current E. coli outbreak that has infected more than 100 people, killing one. This particular strain of E. coli, O157:H7, is found in the intestinal tracts of cattle raised on a grain diet, according to a recent New York Times op-ed piece.

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U.S. researchers have found that high-grain diets make E. coli more potent. When cattle are fattened on grain, their digestive tracts become unusually acidic and kill off most of the E. coli. But the bacteria that survive are those that have adapted themselves to an acidic environment. This is a major problem for human health because our first line of defense is the acidity of our own digestive juices. Acid-resistant feedlot bacteria can survive our gastric juices in sufficient number to make us ill.

By contrast, the E. coli from grass-fed cattle remains sensitive to acid and is quickly destroyed in our stomachs. 'Switching cattle from grass to grain to speed their growth has created a lot of unforeseen problems,' says Jo Robinson, grass-fed expert and author of the book Pasture Perfect.

For instance, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE, or more commonly, mad cow disease), has not been found in grass-fed animals. Mad cow is thought to be caused by feeding cattle pieces of brain and nerve tissue from other infected animals. (This practice was abolished in the United States in 1997.) When humans consume meat from animals with mad cow disease, they risk contracting its human form ? Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. Mad cow disease has not been found among grass-fed animals because they exclusively eat forage materials.

For more on grass-fed beef, read Better Beef. And you can learn more about factory farming by watching The Meatrix, an award-winning online video.

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  • ELLEN Ussery 9/25/2006 12:00:00 AM

    Even if E coli 0157:H7 does exist in wild animals, the fact
    remains that feeding cows grain promotes it and that grass feeding
    does not. Jim Russell a USDA microbiologist on the faculty at
    Cornell found that by putting a grain fed cow on grass for a few
    days prior to slaughter reduces the E-coli 0157 by at least 80%. No
    one disputes that feed lot cows produce a huge concentrated source
    of this dangerous bacteria. It is also a fact that this area has
    had 20 outbreaks of E-coli in the last 10 years. And that most of
    the rivers in the area are frequently found to be contaminated.
    Some relatively recent change in the environment of this location
    must be the cause. The other issue to be faced is that all the
    efficiencies of scale that enable us to have cheap, convenient
    produce are exactly what make it so easy to create a widespread
    disaster.So buy local, seasonal and grassfed and you can change the
    world one mouthful at a time.

  • PAT Ruggiero 9/23/2006 12:00:00 AM

    DHalgrimson asked where to buy natural animals. I assume the
    reference is to buying natural *meat*. Check the
    website:www.eatwild.comto find information on where such products
    are sold in your area.Pat

  • MICHELLE SMITH 9/22/2006 12:00:00 AM

    When on the Big Island of Hawaill I buy my beef at the Parker
    Ranch Store because it is range fed beef. The grass is an African
    Kuokuu Grass that mainly grows above the ground. Sad to say the
    beef taste like grass but considering the risks, grass taste just
    fine. Whether we are talking about grain feeding for larger cows,
    the use of sodium nitrates to make rotton meat look good, using
    high fructose corn sryup and hydronated vegitable oils in drinks
    and food because they are cheap; the common denominator is greed
    and until we the people demand healthy alternatives by not buying
    these poisions they will continue to used. Sadly not everyone knows
    this or has the $. One arm of the FDA warned us about the dangers
    of these ingredents but our government did not heed the warnings
    and took $ from the food producers; taking care of themselves not
    the people because of greed,Greed GREED! p.s. they did the same
    thing with Drug Industry and doctors know it but most are greedy
    too and prescribe harmful medicines to adults and
    children.

  • DARRELL Halgrimson 9/22/2006 12:00:00 AM

    Where do you think would be the best place to buy natural
    animals?

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