FSnet Aug

FSnet Aug. 16/08

CHINA: Food cited in illnesses that hit track team

US: FDA warns consumers not to eat certain mussel products from Bantry Bay Seafood

ONTARIO: Health unit checks E. coli case

WALES: Bug in mud blamed for mountain bikers' illness

BRITISH COLUMBIA: Pool inspection results set to surface online

SWEDISH restaurants soon 'allergy free'

UK: Zero hygiene rating for city restaurant

TEXAS: August 15 Leger's restaurant report card

TEXAS: Restaurant reports

how to subscribe

CHINA: Food cited in illnesses that hit track team
16.aug.08
New York Times
Gina Kolata and Jason Stallman
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/16/sports/olympics/16food.html?_r=2&ref=sports&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
BEIJING -- John Cook, who coaches the runners Shalane Flanagan, Shannon Rowbury and Erin Donohue, was cited as saying several members of the United States track team became ill at the team's pre-Olympic training center in Dalian, about 300 miles east of Beijing, and food poisoning was the likely cause, adding, "When we were in Dalian, a lot of guys got sick — five or six every day."
United States Olympic officials, who had acknowledged concerns about food issues in China leading up to the Games, had brought in a chef, Adam Sacks, from the Denver campus of Johnson & Wales University, to handle food preparations for the athletes training in Dalian. Sacks said about 15 percent of the approximately 150 athletes who trained in Dalian experienced some degree of illness, although he and team medical personnel could not determine the cause.
Sacks was quoted as saying, "We could not deduce that it was food-borne," adding that it was possible that the water used in food preparation was the problem. "The bottled water that we got was expired."
Darryl Seibel, spokesman for the United States Olympic Committee, said the group's medical director, Margaret Hunt, characterized the illnesses as "normal stomach bugs," and that the condition was not considered widespread or out of the ordinary for an international trip. Seibel said the medical staff was not aware of anyone having food poisoning.
Dalian, a coastal town, was chosen by track officials as a distraction-free setting for athletes in the days before the Games. Athletes and staff began arriving in Dalian on July 31; the athletes typically stay there until moving to the Olympic Village in Beijing, where they must spend the four days before their competitions.
Flanagan was among those who became ill, starting on Monday. She could not keep food down and could not even jog, but she recovered in time to compete in the 10,000 meters on Friday night; she broke her American record and won a bronze medal.
Cook said that Sanya Richards, a gold medal favorite in the 400 meters, was among the athletes who became ill. By Saturday morning, Richards was fully recovered, Seibel said.
Some foods in China have been found to be tainted with insecticides and veterinary drugs, and the standards applied to meat here are lower than those in the United States. That prompted the United States Olympic Committee to take precautions against food-borne illnesses before arriving. The group arranged to have tens of thousands of pounds of lean protein shipped to China from the United States.
Seibel said those particular arrangements did not apply to the track team's camp in Dalian, which Cook described as peaceful and a proper setting for pre-Olympic training. But then Flanagan became sick.

top

US: FDA warns consumers not to eat certain mussel products from Bantry Bay Seafood
15.aug.08
Food and Drug Administration
Michael Herndon
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01875.html
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers against eating certain frozen cooked mussel products made by Bantry Bay Seafoods, imported from Ireland, because they may be contaminated with azaspiracid toxins, a group of naturally occurring marine toxins known to cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps.
Azaspiracid toxins are odorless, tasteless, and cannot be destroyed or neutralized by freezing or cooking, including boiling. Individuals who have experienced gastrointestinal symptoms such as those noted above after eating any of the products listed below should consult their health care professional. Symptoms typically occur within hours of consumption and persist for two to three days.
In July, two people in Washington state became ill after eating the company's "Mussels in a Garlic Butter Sauce." FDA tested unopened product from the same production lot and found that it contained the azaspiracid toxins.
Consumers should throw out the following Bantry Bay Seafood frozen cooked products with "Best before end" dates ranging from January 23, 2009, to November 15, 2009:
* Mussels in a Garlic Butter Sauce
* Mussels in White Wine Sauce
* Mussels in Tomato and Garlic Sauce
The "Best before end" dates are displayed on the side of the box in the following format: MM:DD:YY. Products to be thrown out are marked with dates 01:23:09 through 11:15:09.
These products are sold frozen in 1 pound cardboard packages in stores throughout the United States.
The FDA also recommends that retailers and foodservice operators remove these products, and any food in which these products were used as an ingredient, from sale or service.
Azaspiracid toxins were an unknown marine toxin until 1995, when they were identified and linked to an outbreak of foodborne illnesses associated with consumption of Irish shellfish. The toxins have since been identified in other shellfish from the west coast of Europe. They have never been detected in shellfish harvested from U.S. waters.
For more information, please visit the Web site for FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/list.html.

top

ONTARIO: Health unit checks E. coli case
15.aug.08
Owen Sound Sun Times
Scott Dunn
http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1159274
The Grey Bruce Health Unit is investigating how a young girl cottaging in Saugeen Shores with her family became sick from E. coli contamination Aug. 4.
Susan Shular, manager for communicable diseases at the health unit, was quoted as saying, "It looks very much like she will certainly be OK. And we haven't had any more cases," adding that the health unit continues to monitor hospitals for other cases of E. coli infection.
So far officials doubt lake water where the child swam infected her and they have ruled out municipal tap water, health unit manager Lou D'Alessandro said Friday afternoon.
Beaches in Southampton, Port Elgin and Inverhuron were tested for E. coli Thursday because the elementary school-aged child who got sick had been swimming at one of them. He wouldn't say which one, to protect the family's privacy.
The beach water tests came back with "almost near drinking water quality" results. "These beaches are all deemed safe for recreational use," a health unit news release said.
The child contracted the potentially deadly O157:H7 strain. It's the same strain that tainted Walkerton's drinking water in 2000 and killed seven people. The bacteria is often passed to people though oral contact with human feces and undercooked hamburger.
The child's health improved but but then worsened when she developed a serious and rare complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome, which attacks the kidneys, Shular said. But the girl is responding well to treatment in hospital now, Shular said. The child was admitted to hospital some time after Aug. 4 but details about the length of her stay weren't released.
The child's sibling was infected with E. coli too but that person recovered, Shular said.

top

WALES: Bug in mud blamed for mountain bikers' illness
16.aug.08
Western Mail
Madeleine Brindley
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/08/16/bug-in-mud-blamed-for-mountain-bikers-illness-91466-21543515/
A preliminary report revealed that up to 160 people who attended the Merida Bikes mountain bike Marathon based on Builth Wells fell ill, and 10 of the riders tested positive for campylobacter.
The event took place over two days. On July 5, 130 riders took part and the next day, 947.
The symptoms, tiredness, diarrhoea and vomiting and blood in stools, largely affected participants in the event. It is thought that the people were exposed to campylobacter through the muddy conditions.
The National Public Health Service for Wales report said the course was "very muddy and contaminated with sheep slurry in certain areas, leading to significant amounts of mud splashing over participants and their equipment".
The preliminary report, published last night, was quoted as saying, "The most statistically significant risk was the inadvertent ingestion of mud. Drinking energy drinks and eating energy bars from the feed stations was also associated with a significantly increased risk of illness, as was the consumption of other food and drink during the event. This picture is consistent with the widespread contamination of hands and utensils with mud providing a vehicle for infection.
"The nature of this sport means that riding through muddy, agricultural land is unavoidable. The risk of infection from zoonotic organisms such as campylobacter will therefore always be present.
"Clearly the weather conditions on the day of this event compounded the problem by making contamination by mud inevitable."

top

BRITISH COLUMBIA: Pool inspection results set to surface online
16.aug.08
Vancouver Courier
Naoibh O'Connor
http://www.canada.com/vancouvercourier/news/story.html?id=863d3333-1a92-442e-a6f7-1be4977e4571
A technical glitch delayed Vancouver Coastal Health plans to post swimming pool inspection results online earlier this spring, but the problem has been resolved and the information is expected to be public soon.
Personal service establishments (e.g. beauty parlours, barber shops, tattoo parlours) and drinking water system inspection results also will be posted online.
The computer malfunction struck in late April and brought down the authority's six-year-old restaurant inspection site for several months, while preventing new inspection reports from being added. "We made a change to include all these other [inspection results] and somehow, in that change, it threw a switch somewhere and turned the whole thing off," explained Nick Losito, Vancouver Coastal Health's regional director of health protection. "We're back up and running now, so we're just getting it all set up to export."
Information to be available includes a summary of concerns raised during the inspection, what was done to rectify the problems and any further action taken. In Vancouver, public pools and hot tubs are randomly tested a couple times a year to ensure they meet provincial standards.

top

SWEDISH restaurants soon 'allergy free'
14.aug.08
AFP
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hX-Zg7SBjPMuGW1jwzsGYuEDl0sw
STOCKHOLM -- Restaurant-goers with food allergies can soon chow down in Sweden with confidence in eateries bearing 'allergy-free' certificates, Sweden's Asthma and Allergy Association said Thursday.
The certificate will be granted to restaurants whose staff undergo a special training course that will enable them to better advise patrons of their food options and avoid the risk of allergic reactions.
"We have noticed for many years that people suffering from food allergies have a lot of problems when they eat out in a restaurant, and we want to help the restaurants cater to these people," Marianne Jarl, who is heading up the project, told AFP.
One in four adults in Sweden was believed to have some form of food allergy, though serious allergies were rarer, she added.
Mats Hulth, the head of the Swedish Hotel and Restaurant Association, welcomed the initiative.

top

UK: Zero hygiene rating for city restaurant
16.aug.08
Norwich Evening News 24
http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=News&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED16%20Aug%202008%2007%3A13%3A33%3A807
Food inspectors have slammed the poor hygiene standards of a popular Norwich restaurant.
PizzaExpress in the Forum was given a zero rating following a visit from a city council environmental health officer (EHO) team last month which uncovered cleanliness and food safety issues.
But last night a spokesman for the chain restaurant said all the faults had now been dealt with and that they were waiting for the next inspection to record the improvements.
Inspectors found light switches and door handles were "visibly dirty" and that there were "high-level cleaning issues" in a back area where dirt and dust could be seen on a "part height" wall.
The overall view was that "cleaning and maintenance are generally poor and/or a structural problem has risked food safety" leading to a zero star rating out of a possible five, which equates to "bad or very bad".
A PizzaExpress spokesman said: "All issues that the EHO highlighted in their visit were resolved quickly, straight after they were made, however these positive changes may not reflect in the star rating until the council's next visit.
"Food safety is always a priority for the business. We have a dedicated team who constantly subject our restaurants to systematic food safety audits to maintain high standards."
The full report is available to read on the city council's website at www.norwich.gov.uk/intranet_docs/saferfoodawards/starratings.html#p

top

TEXAS: August 15 Leger's restaurant report card
15.aug.08
KFDM News 6
http://www.kfdm.com/news/august_27390___article.html/card_leger.html
This weeks restaurant inspection scores come to us from the Hardin County Health Dept.
Inspector Kellum discovered roaches, flies and mold in some restaurants and is working to help them correct the problems.
Here are the highs and lows in this edition of Leger's Restaurant Report Card.
#1. PIZZA HUT 112 SOUTH MAIN LUMBERTON/GRADE=75
We begin with Pizza Hut in Lumberton.
Inspector Kellum found the bathrooms dirty, the hand sink had black mold build up. The drain was overflowing and the sink stopped up. Pizza trays were dirty and dishes weren't clean and had to be rewashed.
Pizza Hut in Lumberton gets a 75.
#2. SONIC DRIVE IN 1300 SOUTH PINE KOUNTZE/GRADE=89
Now to Sonic Drive in in Kountze. Inspector Kellum found chicken wasn't stored properly and had to be thrown away. Roaches were crawling around and had to be exterminated and there were flies in the kitchen. Sonic Drive In in Kountze gets an 89.
#3. JR. FOOD MART 1240 NORTH 5TH ST. SILSBEE/GRADE=72
The inspector also checked out Jr. Food Mart in Silsbee and found the ice machine dirty, there were flies in the store and thermometers were needed to ensure food temperatures were safe. Jr. Food Mart in Silsbee gets a low 72.
Other scores include Dominos Pizza in Silsbee with an 89, Ro's Seafood in Lumberton with a 90 and the Courthouse Cafe in Kountze with a 97.
Our Blue Ribbon Awards go to the Donut Palace in Silsbee, ABC Kids Day Care in Kountze and Dee Best Chicken Shack in Kountze with perfect scores.

top

top

FSnet is produced by the International Food Safety Network at Kansas State University, and is supported at the Gold Fork level by: Marler Clark.

FSnet is supported at the Sterling Fork level by: CropLife Canada, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs , New Zealand Food Safety Authority, Monsanto Canada, and the Ontario Cattlemen's Association.

Fsnet is supported at the Silver-plate Fork level by: The National Restaurant Association, Unilever, Sholl Group/Green Giant Fresh, Feedlot Health Management Services, McDonald's, and Syngenta Crop Protection Canada.

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/en/donations.php. For information on collaboration or fee-for-service opportunities, please contact Dr. Doug Powell: dpowell@ksu.edu

To subscribe to the html version of FSnet, send mail to:
(subscription is free)
listserv@listserv.ksu.edu
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.ksu.edu
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
associate professor
dept. diagnostic medicine/pathobiology
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS
66506
cell: 785-317-0560
fax: 785-532-4039
dpowell@ksu.edu
http://www.foodsafety.ksu.edu

archived at http://archives.foodsafety.ksu.edu/fsnet-archives.htm