Monthly Archives: August 2014

Delhi high court backs rules for safe street food

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Sale of street food in the capital is set to change for the better, due to intervention of Delhi high court.

dehli.street.foodTrimmed fingernails, gloves, aprons and headgear for the vendor and clean vending carts and containers with separate cloths for wiping hands and cleaning surfaces are some norms set in food safety and standards regulations, which have been backed by the high court.

Formulated by the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India in 2011, the rules were revived by the court earlier this week while hearing a challenge to public notices issued by the corporations for regulating sale of cut fruits and sugarcane juice by street vendors.

“After going through the various Acts and regulations (on food safety and street vendors), we are of the view that the public notices issued by the municipal corporations of Delhi need not be in place in view of the fact that specific provisions have been made with respect to maintenance of safety and hygiene of food. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and its officers are fully empowered to ensure street vendors follow the prescription of law,” a division bench of Justice B D Ahmed and Justice Siddharth Mridul had noted in the hearing held on Wednesday.

44 kids sickened: Ottawa Chinese food takeout fined in summer camp food poisoning

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A west Ottawa restaurant has been fined by Ottawa Public Health after rice it served made dozens of people sick and sent six children to hospital from a summer camp.

Lotus Chinese Food TakeoutParamedics were called to St. Cecilia School the afternoon of July 31 after several children and adults from the Tian Tian Chinese Summer Camp reported feeling ill.

Six children suffering from vomiting, dizziness and diarrhea were taken to hospital with suspected food poisoning. They were all released later that day.

Ottawa Public Health said in a statement Friday they inspected three restaurants that provided food for the camp that week. Two of those restaurants passed but the third, Lotus Chinese Food Takeout on Fallowfield Road, did not.

After interviewing more than 90 people from the camp, Ottawa Public Health said a total of 44 people felt sick after eating a fried rice dish from Lotus.

Analysis showed the presence of Bacillus cereus, a bacterium that releases toxins causing symptoms reported by those who got sick, in the rice and a noodle dishes from Lotus.

3 dead, 16 sick from Vibrio in Florida

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A newly reported Vibrio vulnificus case in Charlotte County, Florida, the county’s third case, brings the states total to 16, according to the latest numbers released from the Florida Department of Health today.

SUN0705N-Oyster7The total number of fatalities reported in the state remains unchanged at three. 

People can get infected with Vibrio vulnificus when they eat raw shellfish, particularly oysters. The bacterium is frequently isolated from oysters and other shellfish in warm coastal waters during the summer months. Since it is naturally found in warm marine waters, people with open wounds can be exposed to Vibrio vulnificus through direct contact with seawater. There is no evidence of person-to-person transmission of Vibrio vulnificus.

Vibrio vulnificus is a rare cause of disease, but it is also underreported. Between 1988 and 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received reports of more than 900 Vibrio vulnificus infections from the Gulf Coast states, where most cases occur. In 2013, Florida reported a total of 41 V. vulnificus cases, including 12 deaths.

247 sick in UK and it is an egg problem: Salmonella outbreak across Europe may be caused by single batch of eggs

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The national salmonella outbreak which has struck down nearly 250 people across Britain could be traced back to a single source of eggs, health investigators have said.

egg.dirty.feb.12Earlier this month, three hospital patients affected by the salmonella outbreak in Birmingham died. But the infection was not cited as a contributing factor on the death certificates of two patients and the coroner’s report on the third patient has not yet been delivered.

Health officials said there have been 158 cases reported in the past week alone – since August 15 – but said these are not new infections but historical cases and that the reporting of new infections had in fact slowed down.

The UK Food Standards Agency decided to remind caterers to:

• keep eggs away from other foods, when they are still in the shell and when you have cracked them open;

• don’t use damaged or dirty eggs;

• be careful not to splash raw egg onto other foods, surfaces or dishes;

• if you are breaking eggs to use later (sometimes called ‘pooling’) keep the liquid egg in the fridge and take out small amounts as needed;

• use all ‘pooled’ liquid egg on the same day and don’t add new eggs to top it up;

• cook eggs and foods containing eggs thoroughly (piping hot?);

• use pasteurised egg for raw or lightly cooked foods;

• always wash and dry your hands thoroughly after touching eggs or working with them;

• clean food areas, dishes and utensils thoroughly and regularly, using warm soapy water, after working with eggs (doesn’t have to be warm, just soapy); and,

• serve egg dishes straight away, or cool them quickly and keep chilled

In Denmark, food authority Fødevarestyrelsen has ordered Hedegaard Foods to recall eggs and a number of egg-based products following the discovery of Salmonella in some of its goods. 

According to a Fødevarestyrelsen statement, the company found the bacteria in cages during its own inspections at a farm in Grindsted in central Jutland.

Pasteurised egg products made by the company are also being recalled as Salmonella can survive pasteurisation.

Listeria fears prompt meat recall in Sweden

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Tulip Food Company, which sells its meat products in both Denmark and Sweden, announced a recall of its Danish deli meat products on Friday after finding traces of listeria in portions of meat sold in Sweden.

2eb1ea2e55248a2b0bd20c0697e907e16ac21e40bbd998668014044d2c666427The company specified that the discovered amounts were miniscule, but that it was exercising caution.

“Listeria can grow in a product and even a very small amount can turn into a risky amount before the meat expires,” Michael Larsen, quality manager at Tulip Food Company, said in a statement.

The recalled products are Shächter Luftikus, Shächter Bauernskinka, Tulip Kokt Skinka, and Tulip Rökt Skinka, all in 500 gramme packages produced between August 7th and August 20th.

Contaminated meat has killed 13 people and caused at least 24 infections in Denmark, The Local Denmark reported. 

You’re not a fan of washing? I’m not a fan of Salmonella; 220 sickened and Australia still has an egg problem

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In Feb. 2014,  the Victorian Department of Health blamed Green Eggs for a Salmonella outbreak in Melbourne and issued a health alert for the company’s raw eggs.

garlic.aioli_-300x300-300x300At least 220 people were sickened.

Science more that soundbites is what is needed on this issue.

The loss of 70 per cent of its business forced the Great Western company to shed staff and send their eggs to Melbourne for washing.

Owner Alan Green says the saga has cost the family-owned company hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“We lost 70 per cent of our market in 24 hours,” he said.

“We’ve got 40 per cent of that back and we’re now working rapidly on the other 30.”

The business has 33,000 chooks, which produce eggs for restaurants in Melbourne and farmers markets across Victoria.

The Department of Health has repeatedly said it’s confident Green Eggs was linked to a salmonella outbreak at two restaruants.

The farm was initially quarantined, with the department ordering the company to wash its eggs.

The couple has since, reluctantly, purchased an egg washer.

They wash their eggs prior to grading and packaging.

“Washing can be positive because it now eliminates any bacteria on the egg whatsoever,” Mr Green said.

“If done incorrectly, then washing won’t add bacteria but it can allow bacteria to get back in.

“It won’t happen during the washing because of the chlorine level in the washing water but it can get in later if the egg isn’t treated properly after washing.

“We’ve had to do it, not wishing to do it, but having done it we’ve now endorsed it and we’re doing everything we can to not only reach that level but go beyond it.”

Mr Green says all eggs in the United States must be washed, while in the UK egg producers are banned from washing eggs.

“We’re now vaccinating all our birds, which is what’s required in Europe and England.

“…we’ll be leaders in the small production field – there’s already big operators washing eggs.

“Does that mean everyone washing? I’m not a fan of washing.”

A table of raw egg related outbreaks in Australia is available at https://barfblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/raw-egg-related-outbreaks-australia-3-3-14.xlsx.

Austin, TX Whataburger food handler diagnosed with hepatitis A

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If I were a food business owner I’d be worried about hepatitis A. Individuals can shed the virus without showing symptoms and even a Hep A positive handwashing superstar will result in lineups outside the business or at the health department while patrons get their post-exposure shots.images-7
Authors of a 2000 Journal of Food Protection  paper on the cost effectiveness of vaccinating food handlers arrived at the conclusion that the public health benefit of vaccinating for hep A doesn’t equal the costs – but doesn’t factor in all the bad publicity, hassle and incident management costs.
According to KXAN, an Austin outlet of Whataburger the famed Texas fast food chain is going through the crisis stuff right now – and it will cost them business even without patrons getting sick.
Health officials are wanting to alert the public about possible hepatitis A exposure at a Whataburger in Central Austin. A restaurant employee there at the 2800 Guadalupe St. location has been diagnosed with the hepatitis A virus.
 
While health officials say transmission of the infection to customers is not likely, the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department is recommending people contact their doctor if they ate at that specific Whataburger between Aug. 7 and Tuesday and fit the following criteria:
  • are 75 years old or older
  • are immune-compromised
  • have chronic liver disease or have had a liver transplant
  • have clotting-factor disorders
  • are experiencing hepatitis A symptoms
A bit out of the norm; the usual public health response is to administer protective post-exposure IgG shots to all.

Maybe ServSafe sucks? University of Georgia food services takes precautions after receiving poor health scores during spring semester

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After receiving two low scores for dining hall health inspections last spring, University of Georgia Food Services is taking extra health and safety precautions to begin the new school year.

u.georgia.food.service“We take food safety very seriously in the department,” said Bryan Varin, associate director of meal plan operations at UGA. “It’s something we focus a lot of time and energy on.”

All employees are required to complete a food safety course called ServSafe provided by the National Restaurant Association, Varin said.

“We go through intensive training with our managers, full-timers and student employees as well,” he said. “We’re constantly monitoring our practices, making improvements where we see that they need to be, reinforcing policies that we currently have that work. So it’s very important to us to stay on top of this and to constantly monitor and train and follow-through with employees and ourselves to make sure we’re doing the right thing.”

South Australian restaurant fined for breaching food safety code by having rodent droppings

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The owners of Garam Masala Indian Cuisine, Dernancourt, today pleaded guilty in the Holden Hill Magistrates Court to three counts of failing to comply with a requirement of the food standards code.

Garam Masala Indian Cuisine, DernancourtA further 17 counts of the same charge were dropped.

In sentencing today, Magistrate Cathy Deland said the restaurant had made some efforts to exterminate the pest problem but failed to ensure they did not return.

“The offences are serious and I have no doubt there was significant public concern, and general health concerns, over the conditions in the restaurant,” she said.

The court had earlier heard the owners of the restaurant were looking to sell the business after a drop in revenue caused by the negative publicity surrounding the case.

Magistrate Deland fined Garam Masala $5000 plus court and prosecution costs.

We’ve never made anyone sick: UK pub defends catering business after £8,000 fine

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A pub landlord has defended his catering business after they were fined nearly £8,000 for failing to ensure their food was safe.

Nettleton Bottom - Golden HeartCatherine Stevens and David Morgan, who run the Golden Heart Inn in Nettleton Bottom, near Cheltenham, have admitted they made food available to customers which was “injurious to health”.

The caterers had provided Indian-style food and drink for a ‘Bollywood’ event in May 2013 at the Birdlip and Brimpsfield Cricket Club, in aid of the Great Western Air Ambulance Service.

Around 165 people had attended the event, and nearly 70 people complained to Cotswold District Council about having food-poisoning symptoms the following day.

Appearing at Cheltenham Magistrates Court on Monday, the pair pleaded guilty for failing to implement adequate food safety procedures for the catering business.

They were fined £3,5000 each, and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £120 and costs of £375 each, a combined total of £7,990 in total.

About 165 people had attended the day’s event.

Yesterday, Mr Morgan told the Echo it had been an isolated incident, and safety measures have since been put in.

He added: “It was an isolated incident and something we deeply regretted.

“It was also 15 months ago, and we have since had all the paper work and measures put in place.

“The pub also had a five-star hygiene rating until January this year, which had to go to three-star because of this incident.

“We’ve been here for around 20 years, and have served around 500,000 meals, without any problems.

“This was one of those horrible incidents that happens some times, as with all businesses. We do regret it.”