Penn State Ag Sciences Newsline -- May 5, 2009
Penn State food safety expert says nation's food supply safe from H1N1 flu (:52)
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Suggested Intro:
AS THE NATION DEALS WITH THE OUTBREAK OF H1N1 FLU, SOME CONSUMERS AREN'T SURE IF PORK IS SAFE TO EAT. A FOOD-SAFETY SPECIALIST IN PENN STATE'S COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES IS READY TO DISPEL THE CONFUSION. GARY ABDULLAH HAS THE STORY:
Story:
(:16) THE H1N1 VIRUS, WHICH WAS FIRST IDENTIFIED IN MEXICO, HAS ITS ORIGINS WITH SWINE, WHICH MAY BE WHY EARLY NEWS STORIES REPORTED A NATIONWIDE DECLINE IN PORK CONSUMPTION. BUT PENN STATE FOOD-SAFETY SPECIALIST MARTIN BUCKNAVAGE EXPLAINS THAT THE VIRUS ISN'T SPREAD THROUGH HAM, BACON OR ANY OTHER PORK PRODUCTS :
Bucknavage Actuality:
(:17) "IT'S A RESPIRATORY ILLNESS, AND JUST LIKE ANY OTHER FLU VIRUS, IT'S NOT TRANSMISSIBLE THROUGH FOOD -- IT'S PASSED FROM PERSON TO PERSON, USUALLY THROUGH SNEEZING OR COUGHING. IT REALLY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH PORK -- IN FACT I HAD PORK PATTIES LAST NIGHT AND IT WAS JUST FANTASTIC. AND I KNOW THERE WAS NO WAY WE WERE GONNA GET INFLUENZA VIRUS FROM IT."(:17) BUCKNAVAGE SAYS SINCE THE SO-CALLED SWINE FLU IS NOT A FOODBORNE ILLNESS, FOOD MANUFACTURERS' BIGGER CONCERN WILL BE KEEPING THEIR WORKFORCE HEALTHY AS THE OUTBREAK RUNS ITS COURSE. FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION, CHECK PENN STATE' S COLLEGE OF AG SCIENCES WEB SITE, AT AG-SCI DOT P-S-U DOT E-D-U. I'M GARY ABDULLAH.
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