FSnet Aug. 7/08

BARFBLOG: Guess Who? Guelph food safety needs more than press releases

RHODE ISLAND officials warn of possible food contamination

MINNESOTA: Chips transmit illness at wedding reception in Rochester

UK and IRELAND: Killer bout of salmonella linked to ready-made sandwiches

NEBRASKA: E.coli investigation continues

US CDC: Investigation of outbreak of infections caused by salmonella Saintpaul

BLOG: Salmonella fears shut The Tavern, raise health issues

MINNESOTA: Salmonella illness linked to Roseville restaurant

NEW ZEALAND: Hep-A howlers

ILINOIS: Restaurant report cards

GEORGIA: Super low score at the Super Grand Buffet

Eight may have contracted shigella after OREGON Country Fair

UK: St Helens restaurant owner pleads guilty to 26 food safety offences

US: William Marler: American food safety system a ''Train Wreck''

CALIFORNIA firm recalls ground beef products due to possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination

NEW ZEALAND: New rules for raw milk products considered

ONTARIO: Health Canada: Don't drink raw milk

Dirty dining: Restaurants need food safety letter grades, says CSPI

FEDERAL REGISTER: National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods; Re-establishment

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BARFBLOG: Guess Who? Guelph food safety needs more than press releases
07.aug.08
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/2008/08/articles/food-safety-communication/guess-who-guelph-food-safety-needs-more-than-press-releases/index.html
I got a haircut yesterday.
There was some XM Satellite classic rock station on in the background, so I got to expound yet again about the Journey effect, Fargo Rock City and bad radio music in the Midwest, and Canadian bands who had made it big (a song by The Guess Who came on; I spoke with Burton Cummings on an airplane a few years ago, and was able to quip about Randy Bachman's stomach surgery as he was sitting in with the band on Letterman the other night; Bachman and Cummings never registered the band's name, The Guess Who, so some posers tour under that name, much like the people that operate under the Food Safety Network at the University of Guelph cause I didn't bother to register the name).
I had just posted a blog about the E. coli O157 outbreak at the University of Guelph, and was all chatty about that, so I said to my hair person, Virginia, if you made 6-figures running some aspect of a university, and 20 people got sick from eating in one of your food service outlets, what would you say?
I'd say I was sorry.
Me too.
The university paid someone six figures to wordsmith,
"The University regrets any inconvenience or concerns this situation may have caused."
The U of G community was shaken up by the serious outbreak of E. coli on campus, said Chuck Cunningham, U of G's director of communication and public affairs.
"It's a surprise and a shock to us that this has happened," he said.
Steps have been taken to ensure that food operations on campus are safe, Cunningham said, adding that he bought a salad from a university cafeteria for lunch yesterday.
"It seemed to me like it was business as usual," he said.
Wow. Maybe you can sell me a used car or some life insurance while you're at it (and this unnecessarily disparages used car and life insurance sales thingies);.
Meanwhile the President of the University had a meeting with chairs and deans at noon yesterday to provide an update on what the university calls, the E. coli situation. That's a lot of salaries sitting around a table. About one for every victim with explosive diarrhea.
Stop with the platitudes and fix the situation. Start by looking at suppliers, follow through to employee handling, handwashing policies and whether sick employees are pressured to work. This ain't rocket surgery.
A press release from the University said yesterday that,
"Although health officials said it's unlikely that the source of the outbreak will ever be identified, they believe it's an isolated incident."
How do they know it's an isolated incident if the source of the outbreak is never identified?
The press release also states that information about E. coli is available through the Ontario Ministry of Health.
Doesn't the University of Guelph have some food safety group that bills itself as a "Reliable Information Source" and runs a phone line to answer food safety questions? I must be having a Guess Who moment again.
http://www.uoguelph.ca/news/2008/08/public_health_i.html
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/2008/08/articles/food-safety-communication/20-sick-with-e-coli-at-guelph-doesnt-anyone-say-theyre-sorry-anymore/index.html
http://news.guelphmercury.com/article/364401
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/2008/08/articles/food-safety-communication/the-journey-effect-and-why-i-dont-get-invited-for-dinner/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fargo_Rock_City
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guess_Who
http://news.guelphmercury.com/article/364401



 
RHODE ISLAND officials warn of possible food contamination
07.aug.08
WPRI 12
The Associated Press
http://www.wpri.com/Global/story.asp?S=8801774&nav=F2DO
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Rhode Island public health officials are warning consumers to discard all food prepared at an East Greenwich gourmet shop because it may be contaminated with the norovirus.
The state health department says all prepared food bought at Greenwich Bay Gourmet between last Friday and Tuesday should be thrown out.
Rhode Island state officials became aware of the problem after nearly half the guests at a weekend function became ill.
The store cooperated fully with the investigation and has taken appropriate actions.
Norovirus is a common stomach illness that causes nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.



 
MINNESOTA: Chips transmit illness at wedding reception in Rochester
07.aug.08
Post-Bulletin
Jeff Hansel
http://news.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=2&a=355280
More than 20 people at a Rochester wedding reception got sick after eating chips Friday night that were contaminated with norovirus, possibly from fecal matter.
"Initial reports came through from a member of the wedding party itself, indicating ... a number of people being ill," said Kari Etrheim, public information officer for Olmsted County Public Health.
The illness spread after an infected guest grabbed handfuls of chips at the reception hall, Etrheim said.
"Most likely the chips were contaminated from someone in the party," epidemiologist Larry Edmonson said. The chips were "statistically implicated," he said.



 
UK and IRELAND: Killer bout of salmonella linked to ready-made sandwiches
07.aug.08
Daily Mail
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1042472/Killer-bout-salmonella-linked-ready-sandwiches.html
A salmonella outbreak which may be linked to ready-made sandwiches has struck down 80 people, killing one, it has emerged.
The outbreak has mainly affected young adults throughout the UK and Ireland, although a 12-month-old child is known to have fallen ill.
A woman in her late 70s died at home last month, a few days after being discharged from the Royal Liverpool Hospital.
A spokesman confirmed that salmonella infection was a contributory factor in the death.
Some 68 of the cases are said to have occurred in England, Wales and Scotland.
The others are centred on the Republic of Ireland.
Food watchdogs say the source of the outbreak is not yet known, but last night the FSAI said: 'The FSAI is advising food outlets providing ready-to-eat sandwiches to be particularly strict in adhering to best hygiene practices.
'It reminds retailers of the importance of ensuring that hot sandwiches must be thoroughly cooked before serving to the consumer.
'It also reiterates the need for strict procedures to be followed at all times to avoid cross contamination between raw and cooked foods.'
If the contamination is traced back to ready-made sandwiches, it will put a question mark over hygiene and safety standards in the industry.



 
NEBRASKA: E.coli investigation continues
01.aug.08
York News-Times
Melanie Wilkinson
http://www.yorknewstimes.com/news/x1542105250/E-coli-investigation-continues
York, NE -- Local health officials have released some new information regarding the investigation that continues to be underway in York, regarding an outbreak of E.coli.
Vicki Duey, executive director of the Four Corners Health Department, says investigators have now interviewed 70 people who ate food at a specific event that was held in York. Of the 70, 28 indicated that they fell ill after consuming barbecued pork sandwiches. Five cases of E.coli were confirmed, with two people requiring hospitalization. "There is no evidence at this time to relate these illnesses to food served by a restaurant or licensed caterer," Duey said. "The food preparation process may have contributed to the contamination. Because there have been no other related E.coli cases in the region, officials are focussing on this one-time event." Officials have yet to release information regarding the actual source of the contaminated food.



 
US CDC: Investigation of outbreak of infections caused by salmonella Saintpaul
06.aug.08
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/saintpaul/
CDC is collaborating with public health officials in many states, the Indian Health Service, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate an ongoing multi-state outbreak of human Salmonella serotype Saintpaul infections. An initial epidemiologic investigation in New Mexico and Texas comparing foods eaten by persons who were ill in May to foods eaten by well persons identified consumption of raw tomatoes as strongly linked to illness. This was a strong epidemiologic association, and tomatoes from that time period remain under investigation. After the public warning concerning tomatoes on June 7, cases continued to occur, though at a lower rate.
A similar but much larger, nationwide study comparing persons who were ill in June to well persons found that ill persons were more likely to have recently consumed raw tomatoes, raw jalapeño peppers, and raw cilantro. These items were commonly, though not always, consumed together, so that study could not determine which item(s) caused the illnesses.
After the first case-control study was conducted, clusters of infection were detected that were associated with specific restaurants. Most clusters involve fewer than 5 ill persons. As of July 1, three large clusters were investigated. In one, illnesses were linked to consumption of an item containing raw tomatoes and raw jalapeño peppers. In the other two, illnesses were linked to an item containing raw jalapeño peppers and no other of the suspect items. More recently, three additional large clusters were investigated. Detailed investigations of these clusters indicate that jalapeño peppers do not explain all illnesses. In two of these investigations, illnesses were linked to an item containing raw serrano peppers and raw tomatoes, but not jalapeño peppers. In the third, illnesses were linked to an item that contained raw jalapeños and tomatoes. Other clusters are still under active investigation.
These epidemiological studies indicate that more than one food vehicle is involved in this outbreak. No one food item can explain the entire outbreak. By themselves, tomatoes cannot explain the entire outbreak, nor do jalapeño peppers explain all the clusters. Although rare, there have been outbreaks in the past in which more than one food source has been implicated.
At present, information indicates that jalapeño peppers and serrano peppers grown, harvested, or packed in Mexico are the cause of some clusters and are major food vehicles for the outbreak. Although tomatoes currently on the market are safe, raw tomatoes consumed early in the outbreak are still under investigation. The outbreak strain Salmonella Saintpaul has been isolated twice from jalapeño peppers and once from serrano peppers. These foods were sampled as the result of traceback investigations based on the epidemiologic investigations of clusters.
An FDA laboratory detected the outbreak strain Salmonella Saintpaul in a sample of a jalapeño pepper obtained from a distribution center in McAllen, Texas. The distributor is working with FDA to recall the contaminated product in the United States. The peppers were grown in Mexico.
An FDA laboratory detected the outbreak strain Salmonella Saintpaul in a sample of a serrano pepper and an agricultural water sample collected on a farm in Mexico that supplied peppers to the distribution center in McAllen, Texas. Results from the FDA laboratory therefore confirm that this outbreak was caused by at least two produce items, raw jalapeño and raw serrano peppers.
In addition, the Laboratory Services Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment detected the outbreak strain Salmonella Saintpaul in a jalapeño pepper provided by an ill individual. The state health department is working with the FDA to determine the origin of the jalapeño pepper.
Since April, 1348 persons infected with Salmonella Saintpaul with the same genetic fingerprint have been identified in 43 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada. These were identified because clinical laboratories in all states send Salmonella strains from ill persons to their State public health laboratory for characterization. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (5 persons), Arkansas (21), Arizona (57), California (12), Colorado (16), Connecticut (5), Florida (4), Georgia (40), Idaho (6), Illinois (117), Indiana (21), Iowa (2), Kansas (21), Kentucky (2), Louisiana (3), Maine (1), Maryland (38), Massachusetts (29), Michigan (26), Minnesota (21), Mississippi (2), Missouri (20), Montana (1), New Hampshire (5), Nevada (14), New Jersey (16), New Mexico (108), New York (39), North Carolina (28), Ohio (10), Oklahoma (38), Oregon (11), Pennsylvania (13), Rhode Island (3), South Carolina (2), Tennessee (10), Texas (508), Utah (2), Virginia (31), Vermont (2), Washington (18), West Virginia (1), Wisconsin (13), and the District of Columbia (1). Five ill persons are reported from Canada. Four appear to have been infected while traveling in the United States; the travel status of the fifth ill person is unknown.
Among the 1311 persons with information available, illnesses began between April 10 and July 19, 2008, including 59 who became ill on July 1 or later. These numbers include those with estimated onset dates as well as those with reported onset dates. The latest reported onset date is July 19. The latest estimated onset date is July 19. Patients range in age from <1 to 99 years; 50% are female. The rate of illness is highest among persons 20 to 29 years old; the rate of illness is lowest in children 10 to 19 years old and in persons 80 or more years old. At least 262 persons were hospitalized. A man in his eighties who died in Texas from cardiopulmonary failure had an infection with the outbreak strain at the time of his death; the infection may have contributed to his death. A man in his sixties who died in Texas from cancer had an infection with the outbreak strain of at the time of his death; the infection may have contributed to his death.
The outbreak can be visually described with a chart showing the number of persons who became ill each day. This chart is called an epidemic curve or epi curve. Please see Interpretation of Epidemic Curves During an Active Outbreak. It shows that the number of persons who became ill peaked during May and decreased in June. The average number of persons who became ill between June 1 and June 7 was 36 per day. The average number of persons who became ill between June 11 and June 18 was 21 per day. The average number of persons who became ill between June 19 and July 3 was 12 per day. The outbreak appears to be ongoing, but with fewer new illnesses reported each day. Illnesses that occurred recently may not yet be reported due to the time it takes between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported. This takes an average of 2-3 weeks. Please see the Salmonella Outbreak Investigations: Timeline for Reporting Cases for more details regarding the 2-3 week time period.
Only 6 persons infected with this strain of Salmonella Saintpaul were identified in the country during April through June of 2007. The previous rarity of this strain and the distribution of illnesses in all U.S. regions suggest that the implicated food is distributed throughout much of the country. Because many persons with Salmonella illness do not have a stool specimen tested, it is likely that many more illnesses have occurred than those reported. Some of these unreported illnesses may be in states that are not on today's map.
Health officials have worked continuously since late May to investigate this outbreak. The CDC call center was utilized with >200 additional staff, and CDC has sent 39 people to the field, which includes seven Epi-Aid investigations, to work with other public health officials. The overall Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak investigation is complex and difficult. One difficult aspect is that people often have difficulty remembering exactly what foods they ate, and remembering specific ingredients in those foods is even more difficult. Although laboratory testing of foods might help identify the source, perishable foods that were consumed by ill persons are often not available to test. When food items are mixed together and consumed in the same dish, all the items may be statistically linked to illness. In that case, determining by statistical means which item caused the illness can be difficult or impossible. Tracing suspect produce items back to processors and growers is an integral part of the effort to identify a single source and a possible means of contamination.



 
BLOG: Salmonella fears shut The Tavern, raise health issues
06.aug.08
The Hook
Dave McNair
http://www.readthehook.com/blog/index.php/2008/08/06/salmonella-fears-shut-the-tavern-raise-health-issues/
The place where "students, tourists, and townpeople" meet, The Tavern, a venerable breakfast joint on Emmet Street, voluntarily shut down temporarily amid an investigation by the health department after at least a dozen people were sickened by what appears to be salmonella, NBC29 reported last week.
Indeed, we spoke to Tavern owner Shelly Gordon, who confirmed there were "several" suspected cases of salmonella poisoning at his restaurant and that he had voluntarily shut down his restaurant on July 25 pending the completion of an investigation by the Thomas Jefferson Health District. He also says he has been busy re-educating his employees about healthy food-handling practices.
"After this is over, we'll be the most compliant restaurant in Charlottesville," said Gordon. "But right now we're not." Gordon also said he hoped to be open by Thursday.
That might be wishful thinking.
According to Jeff McDaniel, an Environmental Health manager for the Thomas Jefferson Health District, so far there have been 16 reported cases of salmonella poisoning, 10 confirmed.
Currently, we are in the midst of a multistate salmonella outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with 31 ill persons in Virginia reported. The CDC is still investigating the source of the contamination, believed to be raw tomatoes, raw jalapeño peppers, and raw cilantro. But the CDC reports that "no one food item can explain the entire outbreak." Indeed, no matter what the source is, the FDA also warns that improper food handling and sanitation procedures allow the contamination to spread.
Although health officials are refusing to discuss The Tavern's case until their investigation is complete, inspection records show that 68 "critical violations" have been handed out to The Tavern since January 2003, including 13 during a single inspection last summer. In addition, many of those were "critical repeat" violations, meaning the Health Department had already asked them to comply. To put that in perspective, Mel's Cafe on West Main has had 4 critical violations since 2003, Orzo has none since 2006, and Golden Corral has had 23 since 2003.
Critical violations are defined as being "more likely than other violations to directly contribute to food contamination, illness, or environmental degradation." They include poor hand-washing procedures, not properly washing equipment and utensils, and leaving food out, violations for which the Tavern has been repeatedly cited. These violations, according to the Health Department's website, "can create environments that cause bacteria to grow and thrive, which puts the consumer at risk for food-borne illness."
And as the Health Department's website states, a restaurant can be "closed due to accumulation of repeat, continuing, and flagrant violations of the regulations that could lead to food-borne illness."
Still, we might not want be so quick to single out The Tavern. The restaurant received 4 critical violations during a recent inspection, an alarming number it would seem…until you spend some time browsing through the Health Department's inspection records.
Not only does that number of violations appear to be routine, you might be surprised who receives them. For example, Whole Foods Market was cited for 5 critical violations in January and 7 the year before, meanwhile Golden Corral just down the road only had 1 in October last year. The Shebeen had 9 in May, Martha Jefferson Hospital had 4 last December, HotCakes had 8 in May, the Bluegrass Grill had 4 in June, Bang had 6 in May, Michael's Bistro had 11 in May, and even Bodo's received 2 in July.
Oddly enough, many of the fast-food restaurants in town appear to have more acceptable records, as well as stand-outs like Mel's and Orzo, but more likely than not your favorite home-grown restaurant has more violations than you'd think.
Of course, that's as it should be, as the Health Department is there to keep restaurants on their toes. Routine inspections always come with a follow-up inspection, and more often than not, the violations appear to go down on that second visit.
With only 6 field staff monitoring 800 establishments, McDaniel says the Department is not able to do inspections "as often as we like." Still, he says officials manage to visit most establishments twice a year, even though they're only mandated to do it once.
By and large, McDaniel says that local restaurant owners are eager to comply, given the considerable cost of having to discard food and the risk being shut down, and that the health department works to help restaurants comply. Still, he says, it's the restaurant owner's responsibility to put the proper procedures in place to avoid violations.
"A restaurant owner has a huge chore to manage these risks," says McDaniel. "It's alot to prepare great cuisine, plus make sure your employees follow procedure. Some restaurants are more successful than others."



 
MINNESOTA: Salmonella illness linked to Roseville restaurant
06.aug.08
KAALtv
Nicole Muehlhausen
http://kaaltv.com/article/stories/S536807.shtml?cat=10728
New answers came Wednesday in a salmonella outbreak that sickened at least 27 people in Minnesota.
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS has learned the victims all have something in common: They ate at the same restaurant.
State health officials said The Good Earth restaurant in Roseville was very unlucky. They did nothing wrong and it was pure chance they received a shipment of tainted jalapeno peppers.
Between June 13 and June 22, 27 people reported cases of salmonella to the Department of Health. Investigators were able to determine 20 were patrons and seven were Good Earth employees.
In fact, the cases match the strain of bacteria that has made more than 1,200 people sick in 43 states and Canada.
The FDA has linked the outbreak to a Mexican farm, but is still asking people to avoid eating raw jalapeno peppers and any foods that contain them.
The state said The Good Earth fully cooperated with the investigation. The restaurant's manager said jalapeno peppers have been taken off the menu.



 
NEW ZEALAND: Hep-A howlers
07.aug.08
Scene.co.nz
Frank Marvin
http://www.scene.co.nz/content/queenstown/date/aug08/070808/6913/hep-howlers.aspx
Queenstown doctors left a hepatitis-A carrier on the loose for 10 days without alerting public health authorities.
No doctors are named but the indictment forms part of the public record of Queenstown's hepatitis-A scare in May.
The 21-year-old Korean waitress is thought to have already been infected with the contagious disease when she came back to Queenstown on April 7 after a trip home.
Returning to work at the Copthorne Hotel on April 11, she stopped on May 4 feeling unwell.
But from April 11 to May 4, the unwitting carrier had worked normally, mainly in the breakfast buffet serving up to 300 people daily.
As the public dossier puts it, she carried platters from the kitchen to the buffet, placed fruit on bowls, set out bread, croissants, buns and danishes – and laid tables with cutlery and glasses.
After feeling unwell, says Public Health South (PHS), the waitress visited a GP not once, but three times between May 6-12 – yet her hepatitis-A went undetected.



 
ILINOIS: Restaurant report cards
07.aug.08
The News-Sun
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/news/1096080,5_1_WA07_RESTINSPECT_S1.article
The News-Sun report on Lake County Health Department restaurant inspections for the week of July 21 to July 25. The total number of inspections for the week was 67.
The following facilities failed inspections for violations deemed critical by the Health Department. *denotes repeat violation.
Jalapeno Produce and Market , 381 Rollins Road, Round Lake Beach. Routine inspection July 25. Moldy vegetables and other produce items observed. Cheese on top of deli meat display case at 60 degrees. Employee drink bottle in deli meat display case on top of food. No hot water available at the meat cutting room handwashing sink*. Air gap eliminated by placing foil on the drain piping at the utensil washing sink. No handwashing sink available in the front of the store where smoothies are being prepared*. Several flies observed in the produce preparation area. Soap and other cleaning agents stored on shelf with spices in the meat-cutting area.* No certified manager present at time of the inspection.*
Pine Garden , 1121 Milwaukee Ave., Riverwoods. Routine inspection July 23. Employee observed re-using single-use gloves; employee observed touching the floor with gloved hand, and then not washing hands and changing gloves; employee observed changing gloves without washing hands. Cook observed handling raw meat and then not washing hands.* Raw eggs stored above onions in walk-in cooler.* Dishwasher sanitizing rinse had no sanitizer present.*
Re-inspection July 30. All critical violations corrected.
Best Hunan , 700 N. Milwaukee Ave., Vernon Hills. Re-inspection July 25. Numerous live and dead adult and nymph cockroaches throughout facility.
For more information on the Health Department's inspection process, visit: www.co.lake.il.us/health/ehs/food.asp .



 
GEORGIA: Super low score at the Super Grand Buffet
04.aug.08
HealthInspections.com
http://healthinspections.com/articles.cfm?YXJ0aWNsZUlEPTEzMg==
It's a record low sanitation score for the state of Georgia: a failing grade of 15.
It happened at the Super Grand Buffet, a Chinese eatery in Duluth.
Inspectors found 25 serious violations that could make customers sick on July 23rd. The restaurant closed to clean-up and re-opened on the 29th.
Among the many violations:
-Dishing out soup from a container with three dead flies.
-Employees did not sanitize dishes
-Preparing food without gloves
-"Filth" in the ice machine
-Chicken and shrimp sitting out to thaw at room temperature.
-Foods held at improper temperatures which can allow bacteria to grow.
Healthinspections.com contacted the restaurant. An employee referred us to the owner, who did not answer her phone.
The Super Grand Buffet has an up and down history of good and bad grades.



 
Eight may have contracted shigella after OREGON Country Fair
07.aug.08
The Associated Press
http://www.democratherald.com/articles/2008/07/30/news/local/5loc12_countryfair.txt
EUGENE -- Health officials now say as many as eight people may have contracted the bacterial illness shigella at the Oregon Country Fair near Veneta.
Previously, only two cases had been linked to the fair, according to public health nurse Martha DeBroekert.
Shigella typically is spread when people don't wash their hands after using the bathroom and then prepare, serve or eat food. It is characterized by acute diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever, sometimes accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
To be considered part of the outbreak, people had to have been sick with diarrhea lasting more than 48 hours, attended the fair between July 10-13 and fallen ill between one and four days after attending the fair.



 
UK: St Helens restaurant owner pleads guilty to 26 food safety offences
07.aug.08
24dash.com
http://www.24dash.com/news/Communities/2008-08-07-St-Helens-restaurant-owner-pleads-guilty-to-26-food-safety-offences
A St Helens restaurant owner has pleaded guilty to 26 food safety offences and admitted to not keeping his kitchen clean following food hygiene inspections by council Environmental Health officers.
Jeffrey Wood of Duke's Bistro, Duke Street, was sentenced to a Community Penalty Order which involves him doing 150 hours of unpaid work and was ordered to pay £250 towards costs.
Appearing at St.Helens Magistrates' Court, Wood, who lives in Duke Street, admitted failing to keep the kitchen clean, having foods unfit for human consumption, storing foods where they could be contaminated, stocking foods past their 'use by date' and failing to have a food safety management system in place.
Environmental Health Officers gave Wood advice and guidance on how to improve, but they were so seriously concerned about the standards found during the inspection that they felt they had no choice other than to prosecute.
Wood was also given a Prohibition Order, which prevents him from managing a food business again. This is the second time the business has been prosecuted by the Council for food hygiene offences, the first being in January 2005. The restaurant closed in March.
Councillor Carole Kavanagh, St Helens Council's Executive Member for Environmental Protection, said: "It is never good to see a local business being prosecuted, but we hope this case provides an example to others that breaches in regulations, particularly when they put the health and well being of others at risk, will not be tolerated in the Borough."



 
US: William Marler: American food safety system a ''Train Wreck''
07.aug.08
Marler Clark
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/william-marler-american-food-safety/story.aspx?guid=%7B15C57501-DA3B-4D4C-98E4-AC64ECF97540%7D&dist=hppr
SEATTLE (BUSINESS WIRE) -- In just a year and a half, the American meat industry has experienced a whiplash of beef recalls. 40 million pounds of meat tainted with highly toxic E. coli O157:H7 has been publicly recalled, up by a staggering factor of two hundred from the 2006 amount of only 181,900 pounds.
"This is beyond the 'wheels coming off' of the meat supply system," said food borne illness attorney William Marler. "It's the entire train in a tangled heap. And the people caught in the train wreck are you and me and all of our neighbors. When reports say that there is a one in 400 chance that the package of ground beef you pick up at the supermarket will be tainted with a lethal bacterium, the food safety system is no longer functioning, and immediate, radical steps must be taken."
In more than thirty recalls ranging from a few hundred to millions of pounds, the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) has deemed E. coli contaminated meat a class I (one) health hazard to consumers. (A class I recall involves a health hazard situation in which there is a reasonable probability that eating the food will cause health problems or death.)
"There are many theories as to why there has been such an unprecedented jump in E. coli," said Marler. "It could be regulatory complacency, better reporting, or immigration sweeps that have left slaughterhouses empty of skilled workers. Global warming may be spreading fecal dust. High oil prices may have led to an E. coli-producing diet for cattle. The microbe itself may even be evolving to elude capture. Another possibility is that the higher costs of slaughterhouse inputs (beef cattle) have collided with retailer's low price pressures on outputs (hamburger) from those same slaughterhouses. These ideas need investigation and research, so that real change can begin."
To advance that change, Marler reached out to the food safety community and asked for ideas from experts, scientists, regulators, and food agency brass. He distilled the volumes of submitted suggestions into ten action items (full text can be found here):
-Improve surveillance and reporting of bacterial and viral diseases.
-Require real training and certification of food handlers at restaurants and grocery stores.
-Stiffen license requirements for large farm, retail, and wholesale food outlets.
-Increase food inspections.
-Reorganize federal, state, and local food safety agencies to increase cooperation and reduce wasteful overlap and conflicts.
-Establish tax credits for companies with good food safety records, and greater legal consequences for sickening or killing customers with tainted food.
-Use our technology to make food more traceable.
-Promote university research.
-Improve consumer understanding of the risks of food-borne illness.
-Provide Presidential leadership on a topic that impacts every single one of us.
"There are a lot of very smart, very dedicated professionals in the food safety community," Marler concluded. "They have spent their careers working toward a better food supply, and that collective knowledge is available to design and implement change. We need our leaders to get on board, and get the food safety train back on track."
BACKGROUND: Marler Clark has represented thousands of victims of foodborne illness outbreaks since 1993. The firm's attorneys have litigated high-profile food poisoning cases against such companies as ConAgra, Wendy's, Chili's, Chi-Chi's, and Jack in the Box. Marler Clark currently represents thousands of victims of outbreaks traced to ground beef, peppers, pot pies, spinach, and peanut butter, as well as other foods. For further information contact Mary Siceloff at msiceloff@marlerclark.com or (206) 719-4705, or visit www.MarlerClark.com.



 
CALIFORNIA firm recalls ground beef products due to possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination
06.aug.08
USDA Food Safety Inspection Service
Laura Reiser
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_027_2008_Release/index.asp
WASHINGTON -- S&S Foods LLC., an Azusa, Calif., firm, is recalling approximately 153,630 pounds of frozen ground beef products because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.
The following products subject to recall include:
*30-pound boxes of "742798 MFST, 100% GROUND BEEF BULK, 80/20, 1LB. BRICK."
These boxes of frozen ground beef products bear the establishment number "EST. 20375" inside the USDA mark of inspection, and a case code beginning "06238" ink-jet printed on the side of the box. This product was intended for food service and institutional use and not for direct retail purchase.
The problem was discovered through a joint epidemiological investigation by FSIS and the Virginia Department of Health as well as product testing by the Virginia Department of Health.
These ground beef products were shipped to distribution centers located in Milwaukee, Wis., and Allentown, Penn.
E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in the most severe cases, kidney failure. The very young, seniors and persons with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness.
FSIS has received 11 reports of illnesses associated with consumption of this product. Anyone with signs or symptoms of foodborne illness should consult a medical professional.
Consumers with questions about the recall should contact Keith Dunning at (626) 625-2039. Media with questions should contact Jeff Grohs, company Vice President of Business Development at (626) 625-2039.
Consumers with food safety questions can "Ask Karen," the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.



 
NEW ZEALAND: New rules for raw milk products considered
07.aug.08
New Zealand Food Safety Authority
http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz/publications/media-releases/2008/2008-08-07-raw-milk.htm#4579
The New Zealand Food Safety Authority is proposing a framework that would allow a wider variety of raw milk products to be sold and produced in New Zealand.
Currently food regulations only allow a narrow range of raw milk products to be imported and sold. These are three particular hard and very hard Swiss cheeses, extra-hard Parmesan style grating cheeses and the semi-hard Roquefort cheese. NZFSA's proposed framework for the manufacture, importation, sale and export of raw milk products would allow for the manufacture and sale of raw milk products that have been produced to an acceptable level of microbial safety from a number of milking animals including cow, goat, sheep, buffalo, horse and camel. Under this framework it is expected that not all raw milk products will be allowed to be manufactured or imported into New Zealand. For example, general sale of raw drinking milk is not expected to be permitted, although the existing allowance for up to five litres of raw milk to be purchased for personal consumption from the farm gate would stay in place.
The proposal is detailed in an NZFSA public discussion document, with submissions closing on Tuesday, September 30.
Director of Standards Carol Barnao says the new raw milk products framework, if implemented, would address the concerns of some cheese producers, who are unhappy with what they see as an uneven playing field that currently allows importation of raw milk cheeses made overseas while domestic manufacturers cannot make their own equivalent products.
"NZFSA believes it is possible for some raw milk products to be manufactured and sold in New Zealand and equivalent products to be imported here, by ensuring they are made from milk produced under particularly stringent conditions of animal health, and by following appropriate processing hygiene and controls," Carol says. Only products that are assessed to achieve an acceptable level of microbial safety for the general population would be permitted under the new framework.
Raw milk products are inherently higher risk foods than pasteurised products, because they have not undergone enough heat treatment to kill pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes and E-coli, which can cause foodborne illness. Products with high moisture levels can support the survival and growth of these pathogens and internationally illness caused by high numbers of Listeria monocytogenes and E-coli have been traced back to raw milk products.
Carol says the proposed framework is based on risk assessments of the hazards associated with raw milk products and how these could be managed. "Letting more raw milk products onto the market would mean striking a balance between ensuring the safety of our food while giving consumers the right to choose."
Under the proposed framework raw milk products would be categorised according to the risks they present. Examples of products that could be in category one would be those products that pose no greater food safety concerns than pasteurised cheeses, such as the extra-hard grating, Parmesan-style raw milk cheeses. Category two would contain products that are low risk for the general population but may post a higher risk for vulnerable consumers, such as Roquefort. Risk management strategies would be put in place to manage those risks, including public awareness campaigns and further requirements for production. Category three would cover those raw milk products that cannot currently be produced to an acceptable level of safety for the general population.
Carol says the framework recognises that some raw milk products can be produced so they pose low risk for all consumers or low risk to the general population, but also that vulnerable consumers are more at risk of falling ill from some raw milk products. These vulnerable consumers include babies and toddlers under three, the frail elderly, expectant mothers and those whose immune systems may be weakened. The new rules would include strategies to mitigate risks for these vulnerable consumers by making them aware that raw milk products can pose a higher risk than traditional, pasteurised products. Raw milk products would be labelled so these vulnerable groups can avoid them.
If the framework is progressed, a second round of consultation is scheduled to be carried out in 2009 on the specific details.
The raw milk discussion document can be found on NZFSA's website at www.nzfsa.govt.nz and hard copies can be ordered from NZFSA's helpline: 0800 693 721.



 
ONTARIO: Health Canada: Don't drink raw milk
06.aug.08
United Press International
http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2008/08/06/Health_Canada_Dont_drink_raw_milk/UPI-45111218065691/
OTTAWA -- Although raw milk is not allowed to be sold in Canada, people have become ill after drinking raw milk when visiting farms, health officials say.
Some may perceive raw -- unpasteurized -- milk as having health benefits, but Health Canada warns any possible benefits are far outweighed by the serious risk of illness from drinking raw milk.
Several different kinds of bacteria that can be found in raw milk -- Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria -- have been linked to food-borne illnesses with symptoms ranging from fever, vomiting and diarrhea to life-threatening kidney failure, miscarriage and death. Children, pregnant women, the elderly and individuals with compromised immune systems are particularly at risk, the health officials say.
Canadian Food and Drug Regulations require all milk available for sale be pasteurized – a process which kills the organisms that cause disease while keeping the nutritional properties of milk intact.
Raw milk cheese is allowed for sale and considered safe because the manufacturing process for cheese helps to eliminate many pathogens found in raw milk, Health Canada says.



 
Dirty dining: Restaurants need food safety letter grades, says CSPI
07.aug.08
Center for Science in the Public Interest
http://cspinet.org/new/200808071.html
WASHINGTON -- In Atlanta, chicken salad stored at a balmy 50 degrees. Inadequate hand washing in Boston. Mouse droppings in a Minneapolis ice machine. A live roach scampers across a Pittsburgh cutting board. These are some of the gory details uncovered in an analysis by the Center for Science in the Public Interest of 539 restaurant inspection reports from 20 cities. Two-thirds of restaurants had these and other high-risk food safety violations.
Today CSPI, the nonprofit nutrition and food-safety watchdog group, is calling on state and local governments to require restaurants to display food safety letter grades in their front windows. Letter grades have been used in Los Angeles county restaurants for the past 10 years, and that popular measure is credited with reducing the number of hospitalizations due to foodborne illness. Las Vegas and St. Louis have adopted similar measures recently.
Over 40 percent of the outbreaks of foodborne illness were linked to restaurant foods, while only 22 percent were linked to food prepared in private homes, according to CSPI's Outbreak Alert! database. CSPI's new review of restaurant inspection reports, which typically covered 6- or 12-month periods, found that 26 percent of restaurants surveyed had contaminated food contact surfaces; 22 percent had improper food holding temperatures, and 16 percent had inadequate hand-washing by employees. Thirteen percent of restaurants had rodent or insect activity documented in their inspection reports.
"A letter grade in the window has proven to be one of the most powerful incentives for restaurants to perform well on inspections," said CSPI staff attorney Sarah A. Klein. "Who wants to eat at a 'C' restaurant if a restaurant next door gets an 'A'. Unfortunately, in many of the cities we looked at, not only are there are no letter grades, but the actual inspection reports are nearly impossible for citizens to obtain or understand."
In Pittsburgh and Washington, DC, restaurant inspection reports are only made available when consumers lodge written requests under those jurisdictions' Freedom of Information Acts. In some cases, CSPI researchers had to make several requests, by mail and telephone, and wait six months to receive the requested reports. In Atlanta and San Francisco, restaurateurs are at least required to keep the most recent inspection report on hand and show it to anyone who asks. Boston, Chicago, Denver, and Philadelphia are beginning to post inspection reports or scores online, but few consumers dig down into their city or county health department's web site before going out for a sandwich.
CSPI began its review by asking 20 cities for 30 inspection reports each, distributed among equal numbers of high-end, medium-range, and fast-food restaurants. CSPI then ranked the cities by assigning a weighted score depending on the severity of the violations it found. Austin, Boston, Milwaukee, Colorado Springs, and Kansas City had the highest weighted score. St. Louis, Seattle, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Tucson were the five with the lowest. Of course, these cities all have varying inspection protocols and complete their reports with varying degrees of detail. And some cities (Austin and Milwaukee, for instance) reported more severe violations, but those cities have a smaller number of food establishments per inspector, indicating that inspectors might be able to be more thorough.
Though rats and roaches are the most unappetizing violations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention counts improper holding temperatures, lack of hand washing, improper cooking, contaminated surfaces, and unsafe food sources as the top disease-related factors. Improper hand washing, which might be indicated by a lack of hot water at a sink, can spread Hepatitis A, Shigella, or norovirus to diners. Foods not held at the proper temperature can foster the growth of dangerous bacteria such as Clostridium perfringen or Staphylococus aureus. Salmonella or E. Coli O157:H7 can sicken diners when meat or poultry is undercooked, or when raw foods are placed on unclean food surfaces.
"The results of our grading system in Los Angeles have been very positive, with improved restaurant sanitary practices, reduced rates of severe food-borne illness, and high consumer confidence in this key public health regulatory system," said Dr. Jonathan Fielding, director of public health for Los Angeles County. "We appreciate the work of CSPI to encourage greater adoption of this important food safety improvement that can benefit everybody who eats out."
Besides recommending that cities and states adopt the posting of inspection grades, CSPI says the Food and Drug Administration should revise its model food code to include easy-to-understand inspection forms and grading cards. State and local governments use the model food code as the basis for their restaurant inspection practices.
"Americans are eating outside the home and entrusting their health to restaurant workers more than ever before," said Klein. "We want to work with state legislators, city councilors, and public health officials around the country to implement these consumer-friendly letter grades. They'd go a long way toward preventing unnecessary illnesses."



 
FEDERAL REGISTER: National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods; Re-establishment
07.aug.08
Federal Register Volume 73, Number 153
Page 45937
DOCID:fr07au08-31
AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of re-chartering of Committee.
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, this notice is announcing the re-chartering of the National Advisory
Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) by the
Secretary of Agriculture on June 5, 2008. The Committee is being renewed in cooperation with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The establishment of the Committee was recommended by a 1985 report of the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Food
Protection, Subcommittee on Microbiological Criteria, ``An Evaluation of the Role of Microbiological Criteria for Foods.'' The current charter for the NACMCF is available for viewing on the NACMCF homepage at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/About_FSIS/NACMCF/index.asp.
 


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