Deadly treats, or prefer to remain silent producers
The world produces as many different food products. And their manufacturers are not always interested in the fact that we knew their true composition and origin. Meanwhile, some familiar products with market stalls and supermarket shelves are fraught with mortal danger, and we know about it only when trouble comes.
In may 1981 in working-class suburbs of Madrid, there was an outbreak of a strange disease. Massively patients complained of symptoms similar to symptoms of bronchitis or SARS, and doctors treated their most conventional antibiotics.
But the medication didn't help and soon manifested more severe symptoms — increase in blood levels of leukocytes, pulmonary edema, severe muscle pain and skin rash. In this phase, among the cases appeared first died. Those that survived began to suffer from liver damage, arthritis, subcutaneous edema, and persistent diarrhea.
Later would come the chronic stage, with thickening of the skin, joint contractures, weight loss, and muscle spasms. Biopsy showed all these patients inflammation with infiltration of eosinophils, lymphocytes, neutrophils and histiocytes. Sometimes it all passed in necrosis and sometimes atrophy with endomysial fibrosis.
Started as bronchitis, the disease killed people or made them persons with disabilities, depriving them of the limb mobility and doomed to constant unbearable pain. The causative agent could not find, but was able to identify several important patterns.
In the first place was evident that the disease was localized to specific geographic areas. People can hurt their families, as neighbors, with whom they communicated, stay healthy. It so happened that the family remained members whom the disease did not take, when others were sick.
The illness did not distinguish people by gender, race and way of life — it seemed that she chose his victims randomly within a certain area. But a month later, when the number of cases already in the hundreds, physicians at Children's hospital of the infant Jesus found an interesting pattern.
All patients were United by one common feature — their menu. More precisely, rapeseed oil, which they ate. However, oil was not the food, and industrial. In order to save people from wanting something on it to cook, producers denatured and added aniline dye. Unusual color and a disgusting taste to discourage the use of the product for other purposes.
Manufacturer of oil was the company RAPSA, and his training before delivery to the market has made a firm RAELCA. Then the fun begins. Product is for industrial use went to Seville, where the company ITH cleaned it from aniline and sold under the guise of olive wholesale quantities.
Oil almost did not come in large shops and went to the small shops, street vendors "farm products". Thanks to these machinations, the manufacturer has received triple the profit, and the sellers were happy to buy olive oil at a fantastic price.
Unexplained epidemic was a mass poisoning toxic compounds from the oil that it was impossible to completely remove from the product. The disease called "syndrome of toxic oil" and combat power immediately took serious measures.
Toxic oil was withdrawn from the population and sellers, but instead issued a high-quality olive oil. It seemed that all ended more or less well, because victims could be much higher. But this case had serious consequences, as laid the Foundation stone of consumer distrust of the food industry.
The story did not end there, as it was necessary to find out what caused a severe poisoning. Laboratory studies showed the presence in oil substances PAP (3- (N‑phenylamino) ‑1,2‑PROPANEDIOL), 1,2‑valeolog ester of PAP (abbreviated OOPAP) and 3‑ololololo ester of PAP (abbreviated OPAP), each of which could be dangerous to humans.
All of these compounds began to introduce the experimental mice, but unexpectedly it turned out that neither separately or in various combinations with each other, they did not become sensitive laboratory rodent poison. It was weird and "rape thing" began to acquire the rumors and speculation.
The result was that the government of Spain and who was accused of fraud and conspiracy. Officially "toxic oil syndrome" has claimed the lives of 600 people, but according to other sources, have died from poisoning 1,200 people and more than 20,000 suffered serious health problems. Despite the fact that it took almost 40 years, the real causes of the disease have not been established.
In the late spring of 2011, the part of Europe was hit by a strain of E. coli O104:H4 that cause people severe bloody diarrhea. The epidemic has led to the fact that Russia has refused to import from Germany and Spain first, the vegetables, and then berries.
The so-called "patient zero" of the epidemic was the man from the German city of Aachen, applied to the clinic on may 1, 2011 with complaints of bloody diarrhea. Then the number of cases is beginning to grow rapidly, and by 16 may, it was recorded more than 100 cases of the disease.
Majority of sick people lived on the territory of the five German States of Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen, lower Saxony and Mecklenburg, Pomerania. All cases from other regions of Europe went to these areas, located in the Northern part of the country.
Soon, the number of cases was in the thousands. 3000 cases were reported in Germany and another 1,000 among residents of other countries. In 88% of cases, sick people over the age of 17 years and the average age of the victims was 42 years. Deaths were recorded among patients older than 74 years.
To combat the pandemic has joined world-renowned Robert Koch Institute, which experts very soon found that the causative agent was Escherichia coli coli O104:H4. The source of the infection was also discovered they were cucumber, imported from Spain.
27 may 2011, the German authorities announced about the danger of the Spanish agricultural products, and a special Commission has identified two problematic greenhouses in Spain, where, presumably, there were suspicious cucumbers. But research has shown unexpected results — the bacteria was not in soil samples from Andalusia, nor in the vegetables.
In this regard, it has been suggested that coli E. coli O104:H4 got on products somewhere on the way to Germany. The investigation began, the results of which were announced on 31 may 2011. Experts said that the supply chain was so confusing that to figure out where and how on Spanish cucumbers could get the bacteria is not possible.
Spain immediately cheered and the Secretary of state of Spain for European Affairs, Diego Lopez Garrido made an official statement, which begins with the words, "You can't ascribe the origin of this disease in Spain".
At this time scientists found a new suspect, this time on the territory of Lower Saxony. It turned out to sprouts, which are traditionally eaten in many German families. It was also found that similar symptoms were the inhabitants of the French Bordeaux. It turned out that it is also a strain of E. coli O104:H4, but not whether the French nor the Spanish cucumbers or sprouted beans.
Common product that is used and in Lower Saxony in Bordeaux was fenugreek seeds imported from Egypt. Them germinate, and then used in salads in combination with other vegetables. In Egypt, of course, denied everything, and the Minister of agriculture in the country has called the allegations who lies and manipulation.
In the end, the seeds from the sale of seized and everything stopped. After that, no analyses of seeds on the soil samples, which are ready to grant Egypt, no one was interested. The problem associated with "fecal contamination" of the Egyptian farms, a scapegoat was found in Europe, everything calmed down. The real picture of the development of events is still unknown, as the direct perpetrator of the incident.
In 2008, serious problems began at the other end of the world — China. There has erupted a so-called "Chinese milk scandal." It all started with the fact that on 16 July 2008, when just sixteen children from Gansu province almost simultaneously came to the clinic with a diagnosis of kidney stones.
They were mostly infants, whose parents were fed artificial milk formula produced by Sanlu Group CO. Ltd from the city district of Shijiazhuang. The manufacturer was considered a leader in the production of baby food in the budget segment and its products are exported to different regions of the country.
Initiated by the Chinese government check was shocked, as the company added in a mixture of chemical melamine, which is not water soluble and therefore not excreted from the body. Began large-scale testing companies contain milk products, which showed that adds melamine in milk 21 company in the country, including several of the state.
It has been estimated that the incident with 16 kids of Gansu was just a drop in the ocean. Just from supplements injured more than 300 thousand people. Six children died from kidney failure, about 54,000 children were hospitalized with kidney failure of varying severity.
But why add in the milk that carries a risk? The answer is simple — melamine allows you to raise the protein content in the product with minimal cost. Formally, the goods match stated on the label characteristics and were considered non-hazardous.
The melamine is non-toxic compound, but with constant use, accumulates in the body and can cause the deposition of stones in the kidney and, rarely, malignant neoplasms. "The Chinese milk scandal" rocked the whole world, causing a serious blow to the reputation of Chinese manufacturers. 11 countries completely refused the products from China containing milk.
For this he had someone to answer and the guilty are punished. Two people were executed, one escaped the death penalty (in China it often is), and two have gone to jail for 15 years. In addition, the Director of the office for quality supervision and seven members of his Department were dismissed without the right in the future to occupy positions of responsibility.
No sooner processes in the dairy business, in October 2008, melamine was discovered in eggs. It turned out that as a protein feeding were added to the food of birds. Alleged violation of Director of one of the factories for the production of dairy products, is located in Shanxi province. Again started the investigation and "landing" of the perpetrators. The Director initiated the "egg scandal", was killed by unknown in 2012 at the age of 44 years.
If from the time of the rape epidemic took a long time, the scandals with cucumbers and milk occurred relatively recently. Despite this, few people know the circumstances of these cases, who had people's lives and health. These cases are all somehow forgotten, and I try to mention them as little as possible.
Food manufacturers use a variety of additives, which are formally considered to be harmless, but it can put your health in serious damage.
Keywords: The China health & medical | Germany | Milk | Toxins | Investigation | Epidemic | Oil | Proteins | Bacteria | Food | Supplements | Longreads