Bizarre: this virus-filled spray kills poop bacteria in your food

One of our biggest nightmares is getting food poisoning. We instantly stress out when we see headlines like ‘Poop bacteria found in Jumbo spinach‘ and ‘Albert Heijn warns of poop bacteria in Spanish cheese‘. Now American scientists have found a solution that significantly reduces the risk of food poisoning. They developed a virus-filled spray that reduces the amount of bacteria on food. 

We can add this option to the list of things we can do to prevent food poisoning. Or is such a spray actually a bit pointless?

Viruses that disable poop bacteria

More specifically, it is a virus spray that disables poop bacteria, or E. coli bacteria. E. coli bacteria naturally occur in our intestines. In principle, such bacteria do not do much harm. In fact, they protect us from other harmful bacteria. But some types of E. coli bacteria are harmful to us. They can cause a foodborne infection. And that is no fun, because it often means hanging over the toilet feeling terribly nauseous and being unable to keep anything down. From either end, so to speak.

1 million fewer bacteria

But the solution is here, if American biomedical technologist Lei Tian and her team are to be believed. They went into the lab and developed a gel and a spray full of viruses, also known as phages, that reduce the number of E. coli bacteria on raw vegetables, raw dairy products and raw meat. They reduce it significantly, by a factor of no less than 1 million. Bizarre! Using phages to reduce bacteria is not a new idea, by the way. This method has long been approved in the American food industry. But the fact that we might be able to use such a phage spray at home is new.

An ideal household product…

The researchers involved are incredibly enthusiastic about the spray. They see it as the ultimate way to make food much safer. The gel and spray could even disable bacteria that end up in your intestines. We do not need to worry that the product is bad for us: it is completely biodegradable. Another advantage: the product is also extremely useful for hospitals. It could be a perfect alternative to antibiotics. Some bacteria are resistant to antibiotics, making them difficult to kill. These bacteria are not resistant to phages. What is more, phages do not cause collateral damage in your body. A very interesting solution indeed.

… or maybe not?

Not all scientists share the enthusiasm about the phage gel and spray. Microbiologist Mariel Pikkemaat sees three obstacles. First, she emphasizes that phages could conceal a lack of hygiene in production facilities. This is an important reason why using phages in various industries is not yet permitted in Europe. The microbiologist also does not consider the product particularly useful. Most people take their food straight from the refrigerator and out of the packaging, then prepare it immediately. As a result, the phage gel or spray does not have any time to work properly. Finally, she believes that people who have never had food poisoning would not even consider bringing such a gel or spray into their home. Why would they? It is just another extra step to take before preparing your food.

It is not yet clear whether and when we will be able to buy phage gel and spray for home use. Would you want to have this product?

Also read:

• 7 things you should do if you have food poisoning
• The best-before date makes me paranoid
• Eww: the average BBQ contains twice as many bacteria as a toilet seat

Source: New Scientist