Baby food contains harmful bugs

A survey has found disease-causing microbes in dried baby food products.

A survey has found disease-causing microbes in dried baby food products. Among the bugs found by scientists at the Nottingham Trent University was a bacterium called Enterobacter sakazakii – which can cause fatal meningitis. Although bacterium usually poses little threat, it can be particularly dangerous for premature babies and those with weakened immune systems. The research, reported by New Scientist magazine, stresses the need to prepare baby food hygienically. However, the scientists emphasise that provided care is taken, then the risk to babies is small. A serious outbreak of meningitis at a neonatal intensive care unit in Tennessee in 2001 was traced to a batch of powdered infant formula. But the latest research is the first to detect the bug in dried infant food, although to date there have been no actual cases of infection linked to these products. The Nottingham Trent team carried out an extensive survey of powdered infant formula, dried infant food and milk powder from seven European countries, the US, South Korea and South Africa. They analysed more than 200 samples from 110 different products for the presence of a variety of bacteria. Eight out of 82 powdered infant formula samples contained gut bacteria, as did 12 out of 49 dried infant food samples. Thirteen of the bacterial species they identified, including E. sakazakii, are members of the Enterobacteriaceae, a family associated with gastroenteritis. Storage In a separate study, the team looked at the best ways to prepare and store infant formula made from powder to minimise the risk of infection. They found that the number of bacteria doubled every 10 hours in the fridge, while at room temperature it took just half an hour for numbers to double. Dr Stephen Forsythe, who led the research, said this means that any formula left out overnight could go from containing very few bacteria to harbouring dangerous levels. Therefore if parents prepare the formula in advance they should then keep it in the fridge. He told BBC News Online: “People assume these are sterile products, but they are not, and must be prepared hygienically, following the manufacturer’s instructions. “As long as they are then they should be safe, but the risk increases if you add water and then leave them at room temperature.” (source: BBC Health News, June 2004)