FSnet May 5/05
Peters'
makes fresh start after food contamination: Outbreak linked to sick worker
Numerous
Arkansans sick after eating at Benton restaurant
5 in Oregon
stricken with salmonella; traced to Easter chicks
St.
Petersburg woman is latest to file lawsuit over petting zoo infection
British boy
finds snake in cereal box
French
cheeses fall victim to import rules
Sabotage
scare at Kaikoura reservoir
$3,400 fine
levied under Provincial Meat Inspection Act
Food
additives-The Canadian situation
Agency on
alert for undeclared allergens; Unidentified food ingredients can prove fatal
FREE
Food-Safe schools action guide workshop
Canadian
cattlemen: The status quo is not an option
Food
labeling: safe handling statements: labeling of shell eggs
how to subscribe
Peters'
makes fresh start after food contamination: Outbreak linked to sick worker
May 5, 2005
The Calgary Herald
A1 / Front
Sean Myers
A batch of marshmallow milkshake flavouring prepared by an ill employee at
Peters' Drive-In appears, according to this story, to have been the cause of
nine possible cases of E. coli poisoning reported to the Calgary Health Region
this week.
Gus Pieters, owner of the 43-year-old establishment voluntarily close his doors
Tuesday evening to accommodate the investigation, adding, "We shut it down,
sterilized everything, cleaned every wall, threw all the open food away and
started fresh. It's your duty to do this. You can't go and hide it. It can
happen to anyone."
The story notes that Pieters was allowed to reopen his restaurant Wednesday
morning and patrons were soon lined up to buy, as usual.
The outbreak began after a woman, a 25-year veteran employee, contracted E. coli
from an unknown source and continued to work while sick.
She is believed to have handled the flavouring from April 22 to 24, when five
confirmed victims and four suspected victims consumed the shakes.
Dr. Judy MacDonald, the CHR's deputy medical officer of health, was quoted as
saying, "It's a reminder if you're sick with symptoms of diarrhea, stay
home . . . especially if you're working with food preparation. When you look at
E. coli infection, the most likely source is ground beef because it comes from
cattle. However, we know that other foods can be contaminated, and that is what
it's looking like in this situation."
Numerous
Arkansans sick after eating at Benton restaurant
May 2, 2005
KARK4 News
http://www.kark.com
The Arkansas Department of Health was cited as saying that an outbreak of
Salmonellosis in Benton has stricken nine people. There is a link to Cafe Santa
Fe at 178324 Highway I-30, Benton. The Health Department does not believe that
any other area restaurants are affected. The restaurant voluntarily closed its
doors and will reopen after approval from the Health Department to assure that
no possible sources of contamination exists.
5
in Oregon stricken with salmonella; traced to Easter chicks
April 30, 2005
KOIN News
http://www.koin.com
Portland, Ore -- Five Oregon cases of Salmonella have, according to this story,
been identified by public health officials, with the source of the outbreak
being traced to baby chicks from a Washington hatchery.
The story notes that residents in the states of Washington and Idaho have also
been affected, and that some people who were infected reported that they did not
handle chicks directly, but had worked or passed through rooms where chicks were
kept.
Emilio DeBess, a public health veterinarian for the State of Oregon, was cited
as saying that environments can be easily contaminated from bacteria in animal
wastes, according.
DeBess was further cited as saying that the first cases of Salmonella Ohio-a
rare serotype-were identified on April 11, with the most recent cases was
reported on April 26.
St.
Petersburg woman is latest to file lawsuit over petting zoo infection
May 3, 2005
ABC Action News
http://www.abcactionnews.com/stories/2005/05/050503pettingzoo.shtml
ST. PETERSBURG - Diana Walters of Pinellas County has, according to this story,
filed a lawsuit after being infected with E. coli at the Strawberry Festival in
Plant City earlier this year.
The story says that Walters is now home from the hospital, but was cited as
telling Action News reporter Don Germaise that she's afraid she'll never be the
same, adding, "At one point, I knew for sure I was going to die."
Diana's speech is still slurred from her near-death experience six weeks ago.
She spent 16 days in the hospital, including nine in intensive care after
contracting the infection.
The state has linked the outbreak of E. coli infections to a petting zoo that
visited at least three fairs, including the Florida State Fair and the
Strawberry Festival.
British
boy finds snake in cereal box
May 4, 2005
MSNBC
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7734025/
LONDON - Jordan Willett, 5, thought he had found a toy when he tucked into his
breakfast cereal and discovered a two-foot long corn snake inside his box of
"Golden Puffs" his parents had bought from discount store Netto in
Telford, central England.
Willett was quoted as telling the Daily Mail newspaper that, "It was quite
long and popped its head up. I've seen snakes on TV before but never in a box of
cereal."
Netto trading director Clive Cooper was cited as saying on Wednesday the firm
was talking to its suppliers to review procedures and check on its stock,
adding, "This does seem to be a bizarre incident but we are treating it
seriously."
The story says that corn snakes, which feed on mice and birds, are commonly kept
as pets around the world.
French
cheeses fall victim to import rules
May 4, 2005
San Francisco Chronicle
Janet Fletcher
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2005/05/04/FDGBICGTKU1.DTL
According to this story, French cheeses such as Reblochon, Bleu de Gex and
Vacherin Mont d'Or are missing, while the Loire Valley's famed goat cheeses --
Valençay, Sainte-Maure de Touraine and Pouligny-Saint-Pierre, among others --
have lost flavor, retailers say, as producers switch to pasteurized milk for the
cheeses they export to the United States.
The story says that importers, brokers and retailers have conflicting
explanations for the changes, partly because they themselves remain baffled by
the morass of French and U.S. government regulations.
Some, like Cathy Goldsmith and Ursula Schulz of Berkeley's Cheese Board
Collective, speculate that the United States is retaliating against France for
some perceived offense or trade spat. Others believe due to concern over
bioterrorism the Food and Drug Administration is merely ratcheting up
enforcement of existing laws, and that some cheeses, long illegal here but
available, are victims of the increased scrutiny.
Certainly some French cheeses have been sold here with a wink, an unstated
acknowledgement that they did not meet the FDA's 60-day aging requirement for
raw-milk cheeses. Sainte-Maure de Touraine from the highly regarded French
producer Jacquin, a cheese that must be made from raw milk to earn the desirable
AOC (appellation d'origine controlée) status, has been easy to find in Bay Area
shops in recent years, despite the fact that it is typically matured for less
than six weeks. Now it's gone, replaced by a non- AOC version made with
pasteurized milk.
Goldsmith was further cited as saying that sales have dropped as shoppers
familiar with the raw- milk originals notice the difference, adding,
"Customers are disgusted. Some of them say, 'We'll just have to go to
Europe.'"
John Sheehan of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition was cited
as saying that in the 1980s both countries agreed that all soft cheeses from
France would be made from pasteurized milk in plants certified by the French
government following the detection of the harmful listeria bacteria in a sample
of French Brie.
But just what is a soft cheese, and whose definition rules? The story explains
that the French use the Codex Alimentarius, the international food code
promulgated by the United Nations, which defines soft cheese by its moisture
content. But U.S. inspectors have a different playbook.
Sheehan was quoted as saying, "We don't enforce French standards or Codex
Alimentarius. We only enforce American standards."
The U. S. Code of Federal Regulations lists no standard for soft cheese, only
for soft-ripened (such as Brie) and semi-soft. Both definitions permit the use
of raw milk if the cheese meets the 60-day aging requirement. Presumably,
Jacquin, with its raw-milk goat cheese, and producers of raw-milk semi-soft
cheeses such as Reblochon believed they were meeting the letter of the U.S. law.
But, the story adds, last November, the FDA issued a revised statement on soft
cheeses from France, enlarging the category to include semi-soft and
soft-ripened cheeses. This new interpretation effectively requires all such
cheeses to be made in approved dairies from pasteurized milk.
Dealing another blow, the French government agreed that cheeses defined as soft
-- a Reblochon, for example, by the new U.S. interpretation -- would be
considered unsuitable for sale if aged more than 60 days.
Sabotage
scare at Kaikoura reservoir
May 5, 2005
New Zealand Herald
Angela Gregory
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10123933
A Kaikoura, New Zealand reservoir had to be urgently drained yesterday and some
residents warned not to drink town supply water after a contamination scare.
The Kaikoura District Council's emergency management officer, Mike Kennedy, was
cited as saying council engineers and contractors had discovered anti-1080
graffiti and two poison pellets next to a broken manhole cover on the Kaikoura
peninsula reservoir and that it was impossible to tell if any 1080 pesticide was
in the water, but samples were taken for testing in Christchurch last night and
the reservoir was drained.
A second reservoir was now supplying Kaikoura and residents were not at any
risk, he said.
"It would have been all flushed out."
$3,400
fine levied under Provincial Meat Inspection Act
May 4, 2005
From a press release
CALEDON, ON - A Brampton man has been fined $3,400 for slaughtering and
distributing uninspected meat. The charges arose from an investigation by the
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR).
On April 28, Mr. Serafim Martinho pled guilty in the Ontario Court of Justice,
Caledon, to eight charges under the Meat Inspection Act (Ontario).
The Court heard that in December 2004 and January 2005, Mr. Martinho committed a
number of offences, including operating an abattoir without a licence, and
selling meat from an animal that did not receive inspection, contrary to
regulations under the Meat Inspection Act (Ontario). Justice of the Peace
Fayolle fined Mr. Martinho a total of $3,400 for four of the counts, and issued
a suspended sentence for the others.
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food's (OMAF) inspection program is part
of Ontario's food safety system, which maximizes the safety of Ontario food
products by combining educational programs, laboratory support, a comprehensive
legislative framework, and a thorough inspection system. The Meat Inspection Act
(Ontario) provides for the inspection of animals and carcasses in slaughtering
plants, and regulates conditions and methods of operation. These acts are
administered by OMAF and enforced by MNR.
Food
additives-The Canadian situation
May 11, 2005
Guelph Food Safety Seminar Series
The Guelph Food Safety Seminar Series Presents....
Title: "Food Additives-The Canadian Situation"
Speaker: Doug Morrison, Food Specialist, Program Network-Ontario,
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Date: Wednesday, May 11th, 2005
Time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Place: Conference Rooms 1 and 2, 1 Stone Rd W, Guelph (OMAF building)
No registration required
Agency
on alert for undeclared allergens; Unidentified food ingredients can prove fatal
May 5, 2005
The Toronto Star
J5
Beth Marlin
According to this story, potentially dangerous mistakes happen surprisingly
often in the Canadian food industry, though most errors are caught before the
products are distributed to consumers.
Alan Monfette, a technical specialist for the Bureau of Food Safety and Consumer
Protection with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, was quoted as saying,
"The vast majority of undeclared allergens are due to some sort of an error
at the manufacturing or importing level, like a wrong label on the product. …
Companies catch their errors quite often. So they might report it to us, and
we'll log it, but the product is never released, so it's not a hazard to
individuals."
The story says that last year, the agency investigated about 3,400 reports of
undeclared allergens in food products.
All Canadian ingredient labels must clearly list 10 priority allergens -
peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, milk, eggs, fish, soy, sesame seeds, wheat and
sulphites - that can cause severe or life-threatening illness in some
individuals.
Of those 3,400 reports, however, the agency only had to issue allergy alerts or
recall notices on the 105 cases where the product had been distributed to the
public, Monfette says.
According to Anaphylaxis Canada, an estimated 1 to 2 per cent of Canadians live
with the risk of having a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic
reaction - mostly from food. About 90 to 95 per cent of severe allergic
reactions to food are caused by the 10 priority allergens.
Laurie Harada, executive director of Anaphylaxis Canada, was quoted as saying,
"Canada has one of the best alert and recall systems in the world."
FREE
Food-Safe schools action guide workshop
June 25, 2005
CDC/Division of Adolescent and School Health
Saturday, June 25 (9:00am - 3:00pm)
CDC and the National Coalition for Food-Safe Schools' partners have
developed this new resource guide to help with school food safety
strategies. The workshop will help your school become a Food Safe School
utilizing the Food-Safe Schools Action Guide, other resources, and
learning from the experiences of an actual Food Safe School in Rhode
Island. This workshop is being offered in cooperation with CDC/Division
of Adolescent and School Health. There is no charge for this workshop,
however, the size is limited to 50 people. NEHA cannot guarantee that
all registrants will be able to participate in this free workshop, and
will notify those who register after the limit has been reached.
NEHA's Food Safety and Protection program includes 18 sessions, 100+
exhibitions, and a Poster Session. This program provides relevant,
informative, and interesting education that will enable you to:
* Implement strategies for preventing and investigating foodborne
illness outbreaks
* Develop and employ effective food safety training programs for
food establishment employees and the public
* Address ethnic food safety issues through hazard identification
and cultural sensitivity
* Put into action food security plans
* Utilize plan review knowledge to strengthen food safety and
protection programs
For more information about the AEC & Exhibition, and the Food Safety
and Protection program, please visit NEHA's Web site at:
http://www.neha.org/AEC/2005/index.shtml (for NEHA's 2005 AEC &
Exhibition and registration information)
http://www.neha.org/pdf/AEC/2005_FSP_web.pdf (for NEHA's 2005 Food
Safety and Protection Conference & Exhibition brochure as part of the
AEC & Exhibition)
"...of interest to the foodservice industry as well as regulators."
Mary Sandford, Manager, Product Safety and Regulatory, Burger King
Brands, Miami, Florida
Canadian
cattlemen: The status quo is not an option
May 5, 2005
Meatingplace.com
Pete Hisey
Frustrated by court cases that have kept the United States border closed to live
Canadian cattle, a spokesman for the Canadian Cattlemen's Association told The
Financial Times that cattlemen have had enough and will now move full-speed into
increasing slaughter and processing capacity. "We have been on this
roller-coaster ride for the last two years and we've had enough," said John
Masswohl, director of international relations for the CCA. "We can add the
value in Canada and ship the beef ourselves."
Food
labeling: safe handling statements: labeling of shell eggs
May 5, 2005
[Federal Register: (Volume 70, Number 86)]
[Page 23813-23820]
[DOCID:fr05my05-18]
21 CFR Part 101
[Docket No. 2004N-0382]
RIN 0910-ZA23
AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing to amend
the agency's food labeling regulations to permit the egg industry to
place the safe handling statement for shell eggs on the inside lid of
egg cartons if the statement ``Keep Refrigerated'' appears on the
principal display panel (PDP) or information panel. This proposed rule,
if finalized, will provide the industry greater flexibility in the
placement of safe handling instructions on egg cartons, while
continuing to provide consumers with this important information. This
proposed action is in response to numerous requests from the egg
industry.
DATES: Submit written or electronic comments by July 19, 2005. See
section VII for the proposed effective date of a final rule based on
this proposal.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by [Docket No. 2004N-
0382], by any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
Agency Web site: http://www.fda.gov/dockets/ecomments.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments on the agency Web site.
E-mail: fdadockets@oc.fda.gov. Include [Docket No. 2004N-
0382] in the subject line of your e-mail message.
FAX: 301-827-6870.
Mail/Hand delivery/Courier [For paper, disk, or CD-ROM
submissions]: Division of Dockets Management, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm.
1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name
and Docket No. or Regulatory Information Number (RIN) for this
rulemaking. All comments received will be posted without change to
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/default.htm, including any personal
information provided. For detailed instructions on submitting comments
and additional information on the rulemaking process, see the
``Comments'' heading of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this
document.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/default.htm
and insert the docket number, found in brackets in the heading of this
document, into the ``Search'' box and follow the prompts and/or go to
the Division of Dockets Management, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1061,
Rockville, MD 20852.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Catalina Ferre-Hockensmith, Center for Food
Safety and Applied Nutrition (HFS-820), Food and Drug
Administration, 5100 Paint Branch Pkwy., College Park, MD 20740, 301-
436-2371.
Fsnet is produced by the Food Safety Network at
the University of Guelph, and is supported by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada,
Health Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, AGCare, the
Agricultural Adaptation Council (CanAdapt Program), Public Health Division of
the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Infectious Diseases Branch, National
Pork Board, National Restaurant Association, ConAgra Foods, Inc., Public Health
Agency of Canada , Dairy Farmers of Canada, Ontario Cattlemen's Association,
McCain Foods (Canada), Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Food
Safety Division, Food Safety & Security at Kansas State University,
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food, Canadian Animal Health Institute, Council for
Biotechnology Information, Keystone Foods LLC, New Zealand Food Safety
Authority, Pfizer Animal Health, National Food Processor's Association,
Cattlemen's Beef Board and National Cattlemen's Beef Association, Advance
Brands, LLC, National Turkey Federation, McDonald's USA, American Air Liquide,
Dunkin' Brands, Inc., Eli Lilly Canada, Inc., Traincan, Inc., Canadian
Restaurant and Foodservices Association, Canadian Institute of Public Health,
Inspectors Ontario Branch Inc., E.I. DuPont Canada Company, Ontario Agri-Food
Technologies, Feedlot Health Management Services, ABC Research, Tyson,
International Association for Food Protection, Bioniche Life Sciences, Inc.,
Regional Municipality of Peel, Chemical Metrology Group of the National Research
Council, International Food Focus Ltd, 3M Canada, Nestle Canada Inc.,
International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Food, Blue Water
Seafoods, Canadian Livestock Genetics Association, Compass Group Canada,
Canadian Pork Council, New Science Management, Inc., University of Oklahoma
Foundation, Inc., Manitoba Chicken Producers, Developex, City of Vernon, CA, ATD
Waste Systems, Inc., Global Public Affairs, Pitkin County, Colorado and GAP
Consulting.
The Food Safety Network's national toll-free line for obtaining food safety
information: 1-866-50-FSNET (1-866-503-7638).
The Food Safety Network presents a unique opportunity to bring together all
those associated with agriculture and food, to enhance the safety of the food
supply. To provide financial support to the Food Safety Network, please visit
http://www.foodsafety.ksu.edu/donation.html. For information on collaboration
or fee-for-service opportunities, please contact Dr. Doug Powell: dpowell@uoguelph.ca
To subscribe to the html version of FSnet, send mail to:
(subscription is free)
listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca
leave subject line blank
in the body of the message type:
subscribe fsnet-L firstname lastname
i.e. subscribe fsnet-L Doug Powell
(replace fsnet-L with fsnettext to subscribe to the text version)
To unsubscribe to the html version of FSnet, send mail to:
listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca
leave subject line blank
in the body of the message type: signoff fsnet-L
(replace fsnet-L with fsnettext to unsubscribe from the text version)
For more information about the FSnet research program, please contact:
Dr. Douglas Powell
dept. of plant agriculture
University of Guelph
Guelph, Ont.
N1G 2W1
tel: 519-824-4120 x54280
cell: 519-835-3015
fax: 519-763-8933
dpowell@uoguelph.ca
http://www.foodsafety.ksu.edu
archived at: http://archives.foodsafety.ksu.edu/fsnet-archives.htm