FSnet AUg. 21/08 -- II
ONTARIO: Do
not eat any 'unidentifiable' meat, public health official
says
ONTARIO:
Outbreak highlights misguided Conservative food safety cuts
WASHINGTON,
DC: F.D.A. allows some irradiation
US: FDA
announces final rule amending the food additive regulations
to allow for the irradiation of fresh iceberg lettuce and
fresh spinach
NORTH
CAROLINA: Complaints of illness spark investigation of
Lexington barbecue restaurant
CALIFORNIA:
Sick woman's family has retained lawyer
Subculture
goes beyond organic
US: Fresh
tomato industry shaken by FDA salmonella link, seeks answers
NEW YORK:
Class action lawsuit filed against waterpark
KANSAS:
Researchers study link between E. coli and distillers'
grains
ARKANSAS:
Several El Dorado restaurants undergo health inspections
CALIFORNIA
Department of Public Health warns consumers not to eat Lucky
Country Aussie Style Soft Gourmet Licorice Black Candy
AUSTRALIAN
Quarantine and Inspection Service updates its border testing
of imported seafood
NEW ZEALAND
Food Safety Authority management of tutu toxin in honey
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ONTARIO: Do
not eat any 'unidentifiable' meat, public health official
says
21.aug.08
Canwest News Service
Linda Nguyen
http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=740138
OTTAWA -- One death in Ontario has officially been linked to
a food-borne bacterial outbreak spreading across the country
and at least three others are, according to these stories,
under investigation.
Ontario's associate chief medical officer of health, Dr.
David Williams, said Thursday he expected more listeriosis
cases to be reported in the coming weeks, but he refused to
give an exact number of deaths being investigated, saying
the cases may still be classified as "probable or suspect.
Right now, we only have one death that is confirmed to meet
the criteria and in the physician's perspective was the
underlying cause of death. I am expecting more (listeriosis)
cases to be reported."
The single death was of an elderly person in Hamilton, Ont.,
whose identity was not released.
Most of the confirmed cases are in the province of Ontario,
where Dr. Williams told people to throw out any processed
sandwich meats that they were unsure about.
"I advise you not to eat any unidentifiable ready-to-eat
meat," Dr. Williams said at a news conference.
The province has been confirmed that three other
Toronto-area deaths are being investigated where listeria
may have been a contributing factor.
Authorities are looking into 38 suspected listeriosis cases,
said Williams.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says it could
take weeks to determine if there is a connection between the
outbreak and tainted meat products from a Toronto processing
plant involved in a massive recall.
Although small traces of the potentially deadly bacterium
Listeria monocytogenes have been discovered in some of the
23 varieties of deli meats being recalled by Maple Leaf
Consumer Foods, the CFIA said Thursday it has yet to be
determined if that strain is the same as the one associated
with the fatal outbreak that also has sickened at least 17
other people this year.
"We're going to try to identify the strain that is making
people sick," the CFIA's Garfield Balsom said. "How exactly
long that will take is very hard to tell right now."
Brian Evans, executive vice-president of CFIA, told
reporters in Ottawa the agency may have answers by Saturday.
"We don't close the door on any . . . possibilities," he
said, citing other foods commonly known to be linked to the
bacteria, namely soft cheeses and unpasteurized milk.
While the investigation continues, Maple Leaf Foods,
Canada's biggest food processor, has temporarily closed its
north Toronto meat processing plant and has initiated
special sanitation procedures there.
Canada's agriculture minister Gerry Ritz was cited as saying
Maple Leaf and government officials have taken apart the
plant's equipment for a "forensic inspection. We're
assessing Lines 8 and 9 within that Maple Leaf plant. If the
inspector happened to be standing in Line 7, he wouldn't
have caught anything, anyway. I think that we will get to
the bottom of this," said.
But he warned that the investigation was complex, noting
some of the contaminated meat samples were found in
sandwiches, and that the organism could have come from
counters where the deli meats were served.
"You have bread, butter, mayonnaise, lettuce, cheese, and
the meat that's in question ... so they're still trying to
analyze what component of that may have been the problem,"
Mr. Ritz told reporters.
The majority of those who fell ill across the country are
believed to have eaten the same food in nursing homes and
hospitals in July, the Public Health Agency of Canada said.
The average age of those who fell ill was 65 years.
Dr. Williams credited the discovery to a "live time"
reporting system implemented after the SARS crisis. Usually,
four or five possible listeriosis cases are reported each
month across the country. By the end of July, there had been
eight or nine.
Inspectors with the food agency discovered a possible link
between the meats and the bacterial outbreak at the end of
July.
On Aug. 16, a recall was issued for roast beef and corned
beef processed at the Maple Leaf Foods plant and sold under
the brand Sure Slice.
Wednesday's expansion of the recall to 21 further varieties
was deemed voluntary because no link to listeria has yet
been proven. Those products were, however, processed on the
same two lines as the products affected by the original
recall.
Dr. Williams defended the amount of time it took for health
officials to issue a public recall, stating, "If we take the
(bacteria) cases in the States with tomatoes and the
jalapeno peppers, it took about six months (for them) to
nail it down. The fact that we were able to go forward with
a probable cause in two and a half weeks with a recall, with
a very small number of cases really shows how we were able
to move so quickly on the matter. It's very intense
detective work."
Consumers do not need to throw away other foods that may
have been in the vicinity of the suspect meats because the
levels found in the products were "microscopic," Mr. Balsom
said. "That would be a little bit of an overkill from my
perspective. That would be overly cautious."
A spokeswoman with Quiznos Subs Canada said that although
they use Maple Leaf Foods, they are not affected by the
recall because their meat is not supplied by the plant that
has been closed in Toronto.
Even so, individual sub shops have reported a decline in
business since the deli meat recall was upgraded Wednesday.
"At the end of the day, it (this recall) could happen to
anybody and fortunately, it didn't happen to us," said
Quiznos spokesman Kyle Holmes in Toronto. "Recently, we had
a tomato recall and our tomatoes were not affected at all
but it was still bad publicity. People are hypochondriacs.
Even though we are not affected by this at all, it will
undoubtedly have a bad impact on us."
ONTARIO:
Outbreak highlights misguided Conservative food safety cuts
21.aug.08
Liberal.ca
http://www.liberal.ca/story_14286_e.aspx
OTTAWA -– This week’s wave of food recalls serves as a
warning that the Conservative plan to make cuts to Canadian
Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is not only misguided, but
puts the health and safety of Canadians at risk, Liberal
critics Dr. Carolyn Bennett and Wayne Easter said today.
“This outbreak is a wake up call to the Conservatives that
their plan to cut programs at the expense of food safety has
the potential to jeopardize the lives of Canadians,” said
Dr. Bennett, Liberal Public Health Critic. “How can this
government even suggest cutting back on food inspection at a
time when Canadians are getting sick from the food they’re
putting on their table.”
Yesterday, Maple Leaf Foods Inc. announced the recall of
more than 20 meat products, and temporarily shut down their
factory in Toronto where they were packaged after one person
has died, and at least 16 more have become ill.
Earlier this week, after two days of meetings of the
Standing Committee on Agriculture, the Conservative
government has yet to reveal the contents of its secret plan
to cut, among other things, BSE testing and Avian influenza
preparedness, as well as the downloading of inspection to
industry, and the elimination of the approvals system for
companies to prove the accuracy of their labels.
“Canadian farmers and consumers need to be able trust their
government to ensure the safety of the food supply,” said
Mr. Easter, Liberal Agriculture Critic. “Canadians remember
all too well the tragedy of Walkerton and the inspection
failure at the Aylmer (Ontario) meat plant under the Mike
Harris government. It looks like some Harrisite ministers
have brought the same ideology to Ottawa. Reducing our food
inspection capacity threatens public safety and the very
survival of our agricultural sector. Why can’t the
Conservatives understand this?”
WASHINGTON,
DC: F.D.A. allows some irradiation
21.aug.08
New York Times/ McClatchy Newspapers
Gardiner Harris
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/22/health/policy/22spinach.html?ref=policy
Michael Doyle
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/244/story/49758.html
WASHINGTON -- The government will allow food producers to
zap fresh spinach and iceberg lettuce with enough radiation
to kill bugs like E. coli and salmonella that for decades
have caused intermittent widespread illness among consumers.
It is the first time that the Food and Drug Administration
has allowed any produce to be irradiated at levels needed to
protect against illness.
Robert Brackett, chief scientist for the Grocery
Manufacturers Association, which petitioned the agency in
2000 to allow manufacturers to irradiate a wide variety of
processed meats, fruits and vegetables and prepared foods,
was quoted as saying, “This is probably one of the single
most significant food safety actions done for fresh produce
in many years.”
In 2007, the trade association amended its petition to cover
just spinach and iceberg lettuce after disease outbreaks and
nationwide recalls of the products caused terrible losses
among growers. The F.D.A. granted the amended petition
Thursday.
Patty Lovera, assistant director of Food and Water Watch,
was quoted as saying, “It’s a total cop-out. They don’t have
the resources, the authority or the political will to really
protect consumers from unsafe food.”
Ms. Lovera said that irradiation could lower foods’
nutritional value, ruin their taste and create unsafe
chemicals.
It is unclear how widespread the irradiation of fresh
spinach and iceberg lettuce will be. Some food-safety
advocates said irradiation could wilt fresh produce, but Mr.
Brackett said food producers had overcome this problem,
stating, “There are companies that have been able to do this
without obvious quality deficit.”
Caroline Smith DeWaal, the food safety director for the
Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nutrition and
food-safety advocacy group, was quoted as saying, "We don't
have much concern about the safety of irradiated foods, but
there are simpler steps that can be taken,” and that
irradiation is a costly "end of the line technology" that
should be accompanied by safer produce-handling measures at
the farm level.
US: FDA
announces final rule amending the food additive regulations
to allow for the irradiation of fresh iceberg lettuce and
fresh spinach
21.aug.08
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a final
rule today amending the food additive regulations to provide
for the safe use of ionizing radiation for the control of
foodborne pathogens and extension of shelf-life in fresh
iceberg lettuce and fresh spinach. FDA has determined that
this use of ionizing radiation will not adversely affect the
safety of the food.
This final rule is a partial response to a food additive
petition (FAP 9M4697) that had been filed by The National
Food Processors Association (now the Grocery Manufacturers'
Association) on behalf of The Food Irradiation Coalition. In
2007, the petitioner requested a response to a part of the
original scope of the petition while the remainder would
remain under review. Specifically, the petitioner requested
a response to amend the food additive regulations to provide
for the safe use of ionizing radiation for the control of
food-borne pathogens and extension of shelf-life in fresh
iceberg lettuce and fresh spinach up to a maximum absorbed
dose of 4.0 kilogray (kGy).
This final rule will permit the irradiation of fresh iceberg
lettuce and fresh spinach to a maximum absorbed dose of 4.0
kGy, which is effective in reducing microbial pathogens that
have been associated with these crops in the past.
There will be a 30-day period for submitting objections or a
request for a hearing to Docket No. FDA-1999-F-2405]
(formerly 1999F-5522). Electronic objections may be
submitted to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at
http://www.regulations.gov or written submissions may be
sent to the Dockets Management Branch (HFA-305), Food and
Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1061,
Rockville, MD 20852.
Additional information regarding the final rule is available
by contacting Dr. Lane A. Highbarger, Center for Food Safety
and Applied Nutrition (HFS-255), Food and Drug
Administration, 5100 Paint Branch Pkwy., College Park, MD
20740, 301-436-1204.
NORTH
CAROLINA: Complaints of illness spark investigation of
Lexington barbecue restaurant
21.aug.08
Winston-Salem Journal
Fran Daniel
http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2008/aug/21/complaints-illness-spark-investigation-lexington-b/
LEXINGTON -- The Davidson County Health Department is
investigating after more than 10 people reported that they
got sick from eating at the Barbecue Center at 900 N. Main
St. in Lexington on Friday.
The people complained of gastrointestinal symptoms such as
nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhea, said John
Hendren, the environmental-health supervisor for the
Davidson County Health Department.
The department has taken samples from the people who said
they were sick and sent the samples to the N.C. State
Laboratory of Public Health. A report is expected by Monday.
Cecil Conrad, the manager of the family-owned restaurant,
said that restaurant officials are working with the health
department to find out what happened. He said that
restaurant staff have identified a short time period Friday
for when they think the health problems could have been
caused.
"We want to get to the bottom of this and we've taken steps
to double check our procedures and reviewed our hand-washing
with employees, just the basics to prevent this from
happening again," he said.
CALIFORNIA:
Sick woman's family has retained lawyer
21.aug.08
The Daily Triplicate
Nicholas Grube
http://www.triplicate.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=9873
The family of the Crescent City woman who became severely
ill after drinking raw milk from Alexandre Family EcoDairy
Farms has retained attorney Bill Marler, of Seattle, who was
quoted as saying, "There's no clear indication of when she's
going to be released and if she's going to be released. At
this point one of the long-term impacts is that she may
never be able to function. She may be bed-ridden and on a
ventilator for the rest of her life."
Tardiff developed a form of Guillaine-Barré syndrome shortly
after she showed symptoms associated with campylobacter, a
bacteria commonly found in domesticated animals. She is one
of 15 people who may have contracted campylobacter after
drinking raw milk, according to the Del Norte County
Department of Public Health.
So far only three of these cases have been confirmed.
Marler said he will not make a decision on whether or not to
file a lawsuit against Alexandre EcoDairy until he has seen
all the documentation pertaining to his client.
"We have not received all the health department records, we
have not received any of the medical records and we have not
seen any of the purported liability waivers," he said.
Subculture
goes beyond organic
21.aug.08
The Daily Triplicate
Nicholas Grube
http://www.triplicate.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=9874
Ariella Wilber always told her friends that if Alexandre
Family EcoDairy Farms ever ended its raw milk program that
she would buy a goat the next day to replenish her stock.
In one way she made good on her promise — she bought a goat
— although it took a little longer than she expected.
About a week and half ago, Wilber purchased a white Saanen
dairy goat named Pearl to replace the raw milk she once
received from Alexandre.
"I feel like I took a trip back 100 years," Wilber said with
a laugh as she strolled toward Pearl with a stainless steel
bucket used to catch milk from the goat's bloated udder.
Pearl provides Wilber and her family about a gallon of raw
milk each day, half in the morning, half at night. This is
enough to end their drought; the Wilbers used to buy about
six gallons of raw milk per week from Alexandre, nearly $150
a month habit.
"It's like gold to us," Wilber said Tuesday morning shortly
after she finished milking Pearl.
She is just one of many people in Del Norte County who are
seeking alternative sources of raw, unpasteurized milk since
the dairy voluntarily shut down its program due to an
outbreak of the bacteria Campylobacter that may have
infecting up to 15 people who drank the milk.
They are part of a growing subculture formed around the
presumed health benefits of consuming milk that comes
straight from the udder.
US: Fresh
tomato industry shaken by FDA salmonella link, seeks answers
21.aug.08
Western Farm Press
Cary Blake
http://westernfarmpress.com/vegetables/fresh-tomato-0821/
While tomato growers finally have been largely absolved of
any association with the widespread salmonella outbreak, the
six weeks it took for the federal government to clear U.S.
tomatoes surely makes growers feel like they have been
wronged. After all, the false alarm losses have so far added
up to $100 million-plus due to lower prices and reduced
demand resulting in some fields plowed out.
California fresh tomato growers dodged the worst impact of
the salmonella issue since fresh tomatoes were not yet on
the market when the FDA first found the bacteria.
This latest nationwide food-borne illness scare with
tomatoes echoes back to the E. coli spinach panic of 2006
when what turned out to be one harvest from a single field
of spinach literally destroyed the spinach market overnight
from which the industry has yet to fully recover.
Western Growers, a trade association whose California and
Arizona members grow, pack, and ship half of the nation’s
fresh produce, estimated losses to the spinach industry at
about $100 million.
U.S. tomato growers hope what has happened to them is not a
repeat of past history. Tomato growers hope in two years
from now they are not still trying to regain consumer
confidence.
“California fresh tomato growers are not nearly as
devastated as our counterparts were in Florida or Mexico
from this outbreak,” said Ed Beckman, president, California
Tomato Farmers, Fresno, Calif.
Members of the California Tomato Farmers produce eight out
of every 10 fresh tomatoes in California from June to
November on about 250 ranches located from Sacramento County
in the north to San Diego in the south.
“The end result is that (FDA) warnings went out and the
response by a number of tomato customers was the panic mode
and tomatoes were pulled off store shelves and menus,”
Beckman said.
“The salmonella-tomato issue is no different than a natural
disaster,” Beckman said. “Growers had no say in this issue
and there have been substantial losses across the country.
We appreciate the members of Congress who are stepping
forward to provide some measure of restitution.”
California farmers grow tomatoes for the fresh and
processing markets. The wide majority of California’s tomato
production is for processing. According to NASS, 296,000
acres produced 12 million tons of processing tomatoes last
year valued at $849 million. While California is the
nation’s largest processing tomato producer, China is the
world’s leader followed by the U.S.
How has the FDA-salmonella issue affected greenhouse-grown
tomatoes? Eurofresh Farms based in Willcox, Ariz., is the
largest grower of greenhouse tomatoes in North America. The
company plans to produce 200 million pounds of fresh
tomatoes this year on 318 acres at their facilities in
Willcox and Snowflake, Ariz.
“In the short-term we’ve seen little to no effect probably
because all of our products are marketed in clusters or on
the vine,” said Eurofresh CEO Dwight Ferguson. More than 70
percent of Eurofresh’s production is pre-sold through
programs and contracts ranging from three months to one
year.
“In the longer term we’re a little wary that consumers may
have lost confidence in tomato purchases,” Ferguson said.
NEW YORK:
Class action lawsuit filed against waterpark
21.aug.08
Capital News 9
http://capitalnews9.com/content/top_stories/122442/class-action-lawsuit-filed-against-waterpark/Default.aspx
QUEENSBURY, N.Y. -- An Albany law firm has filed a class
action lawsuit against the Six Flags Great Escape Lodge and
Indoor Waterpark in Queensbury.
More than 600 people reported gastrointestinal illness to
health officials after visiting the indoor waterpark in
March.
The state Health Department determined the outbreak was a
norovirus. After investigating the outbreak, the Health
Department required that Six Flags implement infection
control measures, including cleaning and disinfecting the
waterpark, hotel and food service operations.
The class action suit alleges that Six Flags failed to
implement, monitor and ensure proper sanitary conditions and
safeguards at the park.
The suit further alleges a failure to adequately warn guests
of the outbreak, saying they should have temporarily shut
down to properly disinfect and sanitize the park to prevent
further infections.
Anyone interested in participating in the class action suit
should contact the Dreyer Boyajian law firm at
1-800-INJURYLAW.
KANSAS:
Researchers study link between E. coli and distillers'
grains
21.aug.08
Kansas State University
T.G. Nagaraja
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-08/ksu-rsl082108.php
MANHATTAN, KAN. -- A research team headed by Kansas State
University E. coli O157:H7 expert T.G. Nagaraja has been
tapped by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study both
the connection between feeding distillers' grains and E.
coli 0157:H7 in cattle and several strategies to reduce the
presence of the naturally occurring pathogen in the animals.
The group has received a $939,220 National Research
Initiative in Food Safety grant. Nagaraja, a university
distinguished professor of microbiology, said the issue of
meat safety is receiving full attention from both
researchers and the meat industry and is being addressed.
"This research project will greatly enhance our
understanding of the exact relationship between dietary
distillers' grains and E. coli 0157:H7 in cattle, as well as
provide us with an opportunity to look at novel ways to
mitigate the potential risks of feeding this valuable
co-product," Nagaraja said.
Distillers' grains are a byproduct of ethanol produced from
cereal grains that are used in cattle feed. They are rich in
fiber, energy and protein.
The research team will look at ways to reduce the amount of
E. coli O157:H7 present, such as administering a probiotic,
an experimental vaccine and feeding brown seaweed, a plant
shown to have an effect in reducing E. coli O157:H7
prevalence in cattle. In addition, they also will study
whether feeding varied amounts of the distillers' grain or
making it dry or wet has an effect on the prevalence of E.
coli O157:H7 detected in the feces.
Along with Nagaraja, the research team includes K-State
professors David Renter, Mike Sanderson and Dan Thomson, and
doctoral student Megan Jacob.
The grant builds upon the long history of K-State
researchers focusing on food safety. An example of that work
that has direct application to the consumer comes from meat
scientist Melvin Hunt.
"Despite care in food processing and provision, there is a
possibility that food can become contaminated with
potentially harmful bacteria," Hunt said. "Occasional
recalls of potentially contaminated ground beef in recent
years are a sign that safety checks are working -- hamburger
lovers do not need to give up their favorite food."
Consumers need to be mindful that recommendations for
cooking ground beef have changed. Generations have been
brought up to think that when ground beef browns, it's
cooked. That's no longer true, Hunt said.
In the mid-1980s, K-State meat science researchers were
asked to study the possibility of reducing the percentage of
fat in ground beef without compromising taste and texture.
As the K-State researchers studied ground beef with
differing proportions of fat, they observed how the meats
cooked and noted that some ground beef browned prematurely,
before it had reached the safe-to-eat temperature of 160 F.
The color of meat depends on the oxygen in the muscle cells,
Hunt said. As an example, he explained that fresh ground
beef is bright red because oxygen is incorporated into the
meat as it is ground. As the meat ages, it loses oxygen,
which causes the color to change. The oxygen in the muscle
is carried by myoglobin, which is similar to hemoglobin that
carries oxygen in humans.
Observations during the study prompted researchers to
recommend that temperature -- not color -- should be used as
a test for doneness, Hunt said.
In a restaurant, consumers are advised to order a ground
beef patty cooked to at least medium, or 160 F. At home,
they are advised to check end-point temperature with a meat
thermometer.
"Using a meat thermometer is the only sure way to tell if
meat is properly cooked," Hunt said.
The K-State researchers are among the more than 150 K-State
experts working in the arena of food safety, animal health
and agricultural health. More than $70 million has been
dedicated to research in these areas since 1999.
ARKANSAS:
Several El Dorado restaurants undergo health inspections
21.aug.08
El Dorado News Times
Jamie Davis
http://www.eldoradonews.com/news/localnews/2008/08/21/several-el-dorado-restaurants-undergo-he-90.php
Several Union County restaurants have received recent health
inspections, said Ashley Nale, Arkansas Department of Health
environmental health program specialist for the Southwest
Region.
Ryan’s Family Steakhouse, 2740 N. West Ave., was inspected
June 9. The restaurant was cited for a failure to follow
good hygienic practices by preventing the presence of
uncovered drinks in the food preparation area. The violation
was corrected while the inspector was on site.
The eatery was also cited for failing to prevent
contamination of food by having adequate handwashing
facilities. The violation stemmed from the inspector’s
discovery that paper towels were not present at the
handwashing sink. The violation, which was a repeat offense,
was corrected while the inspector was on site.
Two violations were noted in the category of potentially
hazardous food time and temperature, according to the
report. Ryan’s management was advised that foods must be
reheated to 165 degrees or higher, and that the cold foods
bar must maintain foods at 41 degrees or less. Both
violations were corrected while the inspector was on site.
Ryan’s was cited for a failure to follow proper food
identification procedures. The inspector noted in the report
that “all food products must be labeled with their common
name.” The violation was corrected while the inspector was
on site.
Ryan’s management was also advised that all wiping cloths
should be stored in the appropriate mixture of sanitizer and
water. The violation was corrected in the presence of the
inspector.
The restaurant was cited for failing to use gloves properly.
The inspector wrote in the report that management was
advised that “all employees must wash hands prior to glove
use.”
Two citations were noted in the category of physical
facilities. The inspector noted that plumbing at a
handwashing sink and a faucet needed repair and tiles in the
kitchen needed to be replaced.
A follow-up inspection of Ryan’s occurred on June 13. The
report indicated that the appropriate repairs had been made
to the facility and that the restaurant was in compliance
with health regulations.
Chick-A-Dilly’s No. 2, 1201 W. Hillsboro, had a routine
inspection on June 3. No critical violations were found at
the establishment, although two citations were noted in the
category of good retail practices.
The eatery was cited for a failure to prevent food
contamination by preventing the presence of insects or
rodents. The citation stemmed from the inspector’s
determination that the restaurant “needs better fly
reduction” methods.
The second citation stemmed from the inspector’s
determination that the “sanitizing solution was a little low
in chlorine.” The violation was corrected while the
inspector was on site.
A follow-up inspection was not required.
San Juan’s Mexican Grill was inspected May 27. The inspector
found that the restaurant had failed to prevent
contamination by hands by having adequate handwashing
facilities present. The offense, which was a repeat
violation, stemmed from the lack of soap and paper towels at
the employee handwashing sink.
A follow-up inspection for San Juan’s was not required.
Pizza Hut, 337 N. Hillsboro, was inspected May 9. The
restaurant was cited for a failure to follow good hygienic
practices after the inspector found open and uncovered
drinks in the food preparation area. The violation was
corrected while the inspector was on site.
Pizza Hut’s management was also advised of the proper cold
holding temperatures for cold foods. The temperatures were
corrected while the inspector was present.
In the category of utensils and equipment, the inspector
found that a cutting board was “too deeply scratched” for
restaurant use and needed to be replaced. A second citation
in this category resulted from the discovery of “slime
build-up on (the) ledge of the ice maker” and a need to
clean the inside lid of the ice maker.
A follow-up inspection for Pizza Hut was not required.
Nale said that the El Dorado Golf and Country Club requested
and received a training seminar on health codes and
regulations after its last inspection. The training session,
held April 16, was attended by two employees and included
instruction on personal hygiene cross-contamination, proper
cooking, cooling and holding, reheating, illness reporting
requirements and symptoms prohibiting work. Also discussed
was the appearance of the El Dorado Country Club’s
inspection report in the El Dorado News-Times.
The News-Times will publish the inspection reports of other
area restaurants as they become available.
CALIFORNIA
Department of Public Health warns consumers not to eat Lucky
Country Aussie Style Soft Gourmet Licorice Black Candy
21.aug.08
California Department of Public Health
Suanne Buggy or Lea Brooks
http://ww2.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/news/Pages/NR2008-45-LuckyCountryAussieLicorice.aspx
SACRAMENTO –- Dr. Mark Horton, director of the California
Department of Public Health (CDPH), today warned consumers
not to eat Lucky Country Aussie Style Soft Gourmet Black
Licorice candy after tests by CDPH found elevated levels of
lead.
(See front and back photos of candy.)
Lucky Country Aussie Style Soft Gourmet Black Licorice was
distributed to Costco stores throughout California. It has
been recalled by the manufacturer, Lucky Country Inc. of
North Carolina.
Lucky Country Aussie Style Soft Gourmet Black Licorice candy
comes in a plastic bag measuring 8 1⁄2 inches tall by 8
inches across. The front of the bag contains the words Lucky
Country AUSSIE STYLE SOFT GOURMET in white writing with a
red background and the words LICORICE BLACK in white writing
on a black background. The package also contains the words
ALL NATURAL in black writing inside a yellow star and a
picture of a yellow kangaroo. The bag of candy has a net
weight of 1.5 pounds or 680 grams. The bag contains
approximately 68 individual pieces of licorice. Each piece
of licorice is approximately 1 inch long by 3⁄4 inch wide
and is twisted in shape.
Recent analysis of this candy by CDPH determined that the
product contained as much as 0.15 parts per million (ppm) of
lead. California considers candies with lead levels in
excess of 0.10 ppm to be contaminated.
Consumers in possession of Lucky Country Aussie Style Soft
Gourmet Black Licorice candy should discard them
immediately. Pregnant women and parents of children who may
have consumed this candy should consult their physician or
other health care provider to determine if medical testing
is needed.
Consumers who find Lucky Country Aussie Style Soft Gourmet
Black Licorice candy for sale are encouraged to call the
CDPH Complaint Hotline at 1-800-495-3232.
For more information about lead poisoning, consumers are
advised to contact their local childhood lead poisoning
prevention program or local public health department.
Additional information and a list of local childhood lead
prevention programs is available at
http://ww2.cdph.ca.gov/programs/clppb/Pages/default.aspx.
AUSTRALIAN
Quarantine and Inspection Service updates its border testing
of imported seafood
20.aug.08
Food Surveillance News - Winter Edition
Food Standards Australia New Zealand
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/newsroom/foodsurveillancenewsletter/winter2008.cfm
Background
The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS)
tests imported seafood for the presence of antimicrobial
chemicals at the rate of 5% of consignments to monitor
compliance with the Australia New Zealand Food Standards
Code (the Code). This testing program is in addition to
testing for food classified as “risk” by Food Standards
Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). The rates of inspection of
risk food and for compliance monitoring are prescribed by
the Imported Food Control Act 1992.
AQIS has tested imported prawns for nitrofurans and
chloramphenicol since 2003. In 2005, AQIS introduced testing
for malachite green as part of the routine sampling of
imported aquaculture fish. In the 2006 calendar year,
imported seafood tested for these antimicrobial compounds
showed above 95% compliance with the Code.
Testing imported seafood for the above chemicals was
introduced following information from domestic findings,
including a number of Australian surveys that detected
antimicrobial chemicals, such as:
* A 2005 FSANZ-led national survey of chemical residues in
aquaculture fish which tested for a range of veterinary
residues such as nitrofurans, chloramphenicol,
sulphonamides, tetracyclines, penicillins, macrolides, and
quinolones, and also for polychlorinated biphenyls and a
number of heavy metals. This survey found that residues of
these veterinary chemicals in aquaculture fish were
generally compliant with the Code except for residues of
malachite green and/or its metabolite leuco-malachite green
in some domestically produced finfish and imported seafood.
* A 2005 survey in South Australia which detected low levels
of chloramphenicol in some imported crab meat.
In 2006, there were concerns that other chemicals may be
present in seafood, particularly in farmed seafood, and
testing would need to be broadened to cover other chemicals.
Of particular concern was the possible occurrence of
veterinary compounds that are of critical importance in
human medicine.
To investigate whether new chemicals needed to be added to
the testing program, AQIS conducted a snapshot survey of
antimicrobial and pesticide chemicals in imported seafood.
AQIS has reviewed its antimicrobial screen applied to
imported seafood.
In September 2007, AQIS decided to add, for a trial period
of six months, three additional antimicrobial chemicals
(fluoroquinolones, quinolones and penicillin) to its
existing screen for imported seafood, which tested for
nitrofurans and malachite green. This testing occurs under
the random surveillance program in which it randomly tests
5% of imported seafood.
AQIS introduced the extra three chemicals following its
small survey of chemical residues in imported seafoods,
which it carried out between 2006 and 2007 (see Food
Surveillance News Spring 2007).
The purpose of the 2006/07 survey was to provide a snapshot
of chemical residues in imported seafood to check if the
testing program was up-to-date. It found one or more
antimicrobial chemicals in some imported seafood, prompting
AQIS to test for the additional antimicrobials over the next
six months to gather more information.
After the six months additional testing on imported
seafoods, AQIS reviewed the test data. In those six months,
AQIS has conducted 522 tests, with seven detections of an
antimicrobial chemical (Table 1).
The seafood tested included fish (barramundi, basa, cod,
eel, mackerel, marlin, red emperor, salmon, trout, tuna,
whiting and other species), lobsters, crabs and prawns.
These foods were sourced from Argentina, Chile, China,
Denmark, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niue, Norway, Papua New
Guinea, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan,
Thailand, United States and Vietnam.
Table 1: Summary of failed tests
The Result
After six months of testing under the broadened
antimicrobial screen, there had been no detections for
penicillin or quinolones. As a result, AQIS removed these
chemicals from the antimicrobial screen. It will continue
testing imported seafood products for fluoroquinolones,
nitrofurans and malachite green.
NEW ZEALAND
Food Safety Authority management of tutu toxin in honey
20.aug.08
Food Surveillance News - Winter edition
Food Standards Australia New Zealand
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/newsroom/foodsurveillancenewsletter/winter2008.cfm
The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) hopes to
establish regulatory limits for tutin and its derivative in
honey later in 2008.
The authority has been working towards implementing
regulatory limits since tracing the cause of illness of 22
people over Easter 2008 to comb honey contaminated with
tutin and its derivative hyenanchin. Tutin has not been
identified in any other sources, however its derivative,
hyenanchin, has been detected at low levels in some of
NZFSA’s residue monitoring programme samples. This presence
of hyenanchin is not known to be associated with illness.
The presence of tutin in honey was identified as part of the
NZFSA’s routine residue monitoring program. There have been
no further illnesses over the past three months from
contaminated honey, indicating that the issue has been
contained.
Tutin, a picrotoxin, is a naturally occurring toxin found in
honey. The toxin is produced as a result of bees gathering
honeydew secreted by bugs feeding on sap of the poisonous
‘tutu’ plant (Coriaria arborea). The toxin has no effect on
bees and honeydew honey is chemically very similar to floral
honey and cannot be distinguished by taste, sight or smell
from other non-toxic honeys. The toxin cannot be degraded by
any heating or processing of honey. The toxins are believed
to be very stable, and poisoning cases have resulted from
people eating honey that was several years old.
Both comb honey and extracted honey from the tutu plant can
be poisonous. Comb honey poses a greater risk because it is
eaten directly off the comb, increasing the chance of
consuming honey with a high concentration of tutin.
Extracted honey is often bulked or blended with other honey
thereby reducing the concentration of toxin.
To produce honey that may result in adverse effects, all of
the following conditions are required:
• Concentrations of numerous tutu bushes
• High numbers of vine hoppers
• Hot dry weather to allow the honeydew to build up on the
tutu (rain can wash it off).
• An absence of more attractive food sources for bees,
usually caused by drought.
• Presence of honey bees (Apis mellifera) being managed for
honey production.
Tutu is widely distributed throughout New Zealand,
particularly along stream banks and in regenerating native
scrub. It historically occurs primarily in the Coromandel
Peninsula, Eastern Bay of Plenty (EBOP) and the Marlborough
Sounds, although it is possible it could occur elsewhere.
Test results from the honey incident in March 2008 confirmed
that the suspected tutu toxins and its derivative
hyenanchin, were present in comb honey from the Coromandel
Peninsula. The test results combined with the symptoms
reported were consistent with acute poisoning from tutin and
hyenanchin. Some products potentially containing toxic comb
honey of the Wentworth Valley and Moana Point brands are
still unaccounted for. Consumers should check if they have
any of these brands of Projen Apiaries comb honey and, if
so, to hand them in to their nearest public health unit.
Exposure to honey that may result in adverse effects is
rare. Prior to the March 2008 incident, the last recorded
case from commercial honey was in 1974 involving 13
patients. There have been nine cases since 1974 with the
last known poisoning occurring in 1991 in the EBOP area. Two
poisonings have been caused by comb honey produced by hobby
beekeepers in the Marlborough Sounds in 1982 and 1983 and
the highest levels of tutin ever measured in honey were
produced in this area.
Exposure to honey containing this naturally occurring toxin
can produce symptoms such as vomiting, delirium, giddiness,
increased excitability, or in more severe cases stupor, coma
and violent convulsions. Despite exposure to honey
containing this toxin being rare, it is generally accepted
that as little as one teaspoon (approximately 10 ml) of
unblended honey can have a severe effect on the human
nervous system.
NZFSA is compiling data obtained from the medical
examinations of affected people and is trying to determine
the level of tutin toxin that can be present in honey
without causing symptoms or illness in the consumer. In
addition, NZFSA is attempting to purify the toxins to
understand and determine the level at which acute toxicity
symptoms occur. When purified sources are available, the
option for commercial testing of honey as part of the
ongoing management of these substances will be possible.
Until then, NZFSA will continue using the available animal
toxicity data. These data will help NZFSA to establish
regulatory levels later this year. NZFSA will also continue
to work with bee keepers to expand general knowledge of
honey contaminated with tutin toxin.
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
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For more information about the FSnet research program,
please contact:
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associate professor
dept. diagnostic medicine/pathobiology
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS
66506
cell: 785-317-0560
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http://www.foodsafety.ksu.edu
archived at
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