Aramark, another food safety gift: Bills would require food safety inspections for Mich. prisons

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Douglas Powell

When I was in prison, no one thought much about food safety. There was a cannery, and inmates prepared food, made pruno, and extracted revenge, I guess.

Prison kitchens in Michigan managed by contractors would be required to have food safety inspections under recently introduced bipartisan legislation.

Democratic Rep. John Kivela and Republican Rep. Ed McBroom announced the legislation Wednesday. It comes in response to recent news that inmates at a Jackson-area prison found maggots in a food preparation area.

Philadelphia-based Aramark Correctional Services operates Michigan’s prison food services as part of a three-year, $145 million contract.

The legislation would make prison kitchen facilities subject to the same routine food safety inspections that are required for other food establishments in Michigan. The contractor would have to pay for the inspections.

McBroom says it seems reasonable that prison kitchens “face the same strict inspections as required by any kitchen serving the public.”

13 sickened: Handwashing is never enough and why I’m wary of animal displays: Crypto outbreak contained in Michigan

Posted on March 27, 2015 by Douglas Powell

An outbreak of cryptosporidiosis at the Centreville High School agriculture program sent one student to the hospital and infected 12 others, according to Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency.

The outbreak is contained and the hospitalized student has been released.

The outbreak came in early March in the co-op vet/ag science program run through St. Joseph Intermediate School District and involving students from throughout the county, according to Rebecca Burns, environmental health director.

The parasite is commonly found near calves, Burns said the health agency identified the calf program as the source.

“The school is all in to make sure this doesn’t happened again,” Burns said. “The problem was traced to poor hand-washing.”

Burns said there was hand sanitizer in the barn, but that alone is not enough.

“Nothing beats soap, water and friction to get rid of the parasite,” she said.

Two other major outbreaks of crypto were reported in the tri-county health district since 2011. In Hillsdale County in 2012, 28 people were infected at a pool party. In 2011, a Quincy firefighter was hospitalized and 19 others infected while fighting a fire at a calf barn. Firefighters used water from a pond nearby to extinguish the blaze.

Roadkill is his only red meat

Posted on March 10, 2015 by Douglas Powell

In its continuing quest for food porn, NPR quotes Jeff Potter as saying, “Last autumn, my brother phones on his way home from the grocery: ‘I was driving to the store and there wasn’t a deer in the road, but on the way back there was, so it’s gotta be fresh!’ “

Potter, who lives in exurban Lansing, Mich., was busy processing mail orders for his outdoor sports business, but he knew he had to act fast or someone might beat him to it. He spread a tarp in the back of the family minivan and raced to the scene, where he found a young doe on the shoulder of the road. He pulled the deer into the van, then called the police for permission to take it home. To eat.

Potter is a 53-year-old father of two who operates Out Your Backdoor, a website dedicated to “indie” outdoor culture. He has hunted, fished, biked and skied around Williamston, Mich., his whole life. Today it’s much less rural than it was when he was a kid, but “there’s still this tremendous amount of interstitial space that deer thrive in,” he says. And during the fall mating season, when the animals start getting frisky, “there are tremendous numbers of car-deer accidents around here.”

Potter is known among his friends and family for collecting roadkill of all species: deer, pheasant, turkey, rabbit, squirrel. They call him when they spot felled critters by the roadside, and he serves stews and roasts made from them at family dinners and large dinner parties. How do his guests rate the meals? So far, he says, he’s “batting 1,000.” Roadkill venison makes up the near totality of the red meat his family consumes. And no one’s ever gotten sick.

Not that he knows of.

Hepatitis A vaccines work: Michigan, 2013

Posted on February 20, 2015 by Douglas Powell

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infections among persons with developmental disabilities living in institutions were common in the past, but with improvements in care and fewer persons institutionalized, the number of HAV infections has declined in these institutions. However, residents in institutions are still vulnerable if they have not been vaccinated.

On April 24, 2013, a resident of a group home (GH) for adults with disabilities in southeast Michigan (GH-A) was diagnosed with hepatitis A and died 2 days later of fulminant liver failure. Four weeks later, a second GH-A resident was diagnosed with hepatitis A. None of the GH-A residents or staff had been vaccinated against hepatitis A. Over the next 3 months, six more cases of hepatitis A were diagnosed in residents in four other Michigan GHs. Three local health departments were involved in case investigation and management, including administration of postexposure prophylaxis (PEP). Serum specimens from seven cases were found to have an identical strain of HAV genotype 1A.

This report describes the outbreak investigation, the challenges of timely delivery of PEP for hepatitis A, and the need for preexposure vaccination against hepatitis A for adults living or working in GHs for the disabled.

CDC MMWR 64(06);148-152

Susan R. Bohm, Keira Wickliffe Berger, Pamela B. Hackert, Richard Renas, Suzanne Brunette, Nicole Parker, Carolyn Padro, Anne Hocking, Mary Hedemark, Renai Edwards, Russell L. Bush, Yury Khudyakov, Noele P. Nelson, Eyasu H. Teshale

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6406a4.htm?s_cid=mm6406a4_x

2 sick with E. coli from raw milk in Michigan

Posted on May 17, 2014 by Douglas Powell

Two people in West Michigan, including a 6-year-old child, contracted a strain of E. coli after drinking raw milk from a cow share program.

According to a press release from the Kent County Health Department, a 31-year-old Muskegon County women and a 6-year-old from Kent County became sick after drinking raw milk from an Ottawa County cow share program.

Both of these cases were reported in March and April of this year.

5 sick: Michigan investigating E. coli O157 illnesses

Posted on May 14, 2014 by Douglas Powell

The Michigan Department of Community Health and Agriculture & Rural Development, along with several local health departments, are investigating a cluster of recent illnesses due to E.coli.

At least 5 illnesses have been confirmed and three people have been hospitalized.

Early information suggests undercooked ground beef eaten at several different restaurants in multiple locations is most likely the source. The state is working with the health departments and the USDA to determine the source of the ground beef and how widely it was distributed.

“E. coli O157 illnesses can be very serious or life-threatening, especially for young children, older adults, and people who are immunocompromised,” said Dr. Matthew Davis, Chief Medical Executive at the MDCH. “Whether you cook at home or order in a restaurant, ground meats, including ground beef, should always be cooked thoroughly to the proper temperature.”

Health department says Bonicki’s outbreak could have resulted from improper food storage

Posted on April 12, 2014 by Douglas Powell

The Michigan Department of Community Health reports that an outbreak of foodborne illness at Bonicki’s Sports Bistro, could have resulted from improper food storage.

In a news release Friday morning, April 11, the health department officials said the investigation at Bonicki’s at 1891 East Apple Ave. turned up the presence of Clostridium perfringens, a common bacteria that can cause foodborne illness.

The bacteria is found throughout nature but “typically causes illness when foods are served after improper storage or held at inadequate storage temperatures,” according to the health department.

Bonicki’s General Manager Karen Mead responded to the news with a prepared statement.

“We, the Bonicki’s family, apologize for the recent event,” she said. “We would like to thank the community, our loyal customers and the Muskegon County health department.”

On Friday, Ken Kraus, health officer at Public Health-Muskegon County, called the incident a teachable moment for others in the food service industry.

“We are relieved to know the cause and are working with the restaurant to improve their food storage practices,” he said in a news release. “While it may take a bit more effort, following proper food cooling and storage procedures is an important part in preventing foodborne illness.”

Over 300 report Norovirus symptoms linked to Japanese steakhouse in Michigan

Posted on April 8, 2014 by Douglas Powell

With more than 300 people now reporting symptoms consistent with norovirus linked to the Wild Chef Japenese Steakhouse in Michigan, public health types have now said it’s safe to reopen.

Ottawa County Public Health spokeswoman Kristina Wieghmink said the department is still awaiting laboratory results to determine what the cause of outbreak was. Results are expected in the next few days.

“Media coverage and public response has aided in data collection and has contributed greatly to the investigation of this event,” Wieghmink said.

Wild Chef met a series of requirements before it was allowed to reopen, including cleaning and disinfecting of all of its equipment, floors, walls and ceilings. It also has developed new written policies and procedures, and provided staff training on proper washing of hands, food preparation, use of gloves and reporting of illnesses, Wieghmink said.

E. coli O157 in Michigan cider in 2012 leads to conviction

Posted on February 22, 2014 by Douglas Powell

After nearly two years of investigation and legal action, James Ruster, owner of Mitchell Hill Farm in Ellsworth, was sentenced Feb. 18 for one felony violation of Michigan’s Food Law, the first felony conviction under this law.

Ruster pled guilty to willful misbranding and adulteration of food products and was sentenced to 14 to 48 months in prison plus fines and court costs.

“It’s paramount that we maintain the safety of Michigan’s food and agriculture products. Ruster showed a blatant neglect for not only the safety of his food products, but the health of his customers. It’s tragic that people were so greatly impacted by his willful disregard for food safety rules and regulations,” said Jamie Clover Adams, MDARD director.

Clover Adams stressed this incident in no way reflects the integrity and food safety record of apple cider producers who are licensed and use good manufacturing practices (GMPs) to produce safe, wholesome cider.

“No foodborne illness outbreaks have been associated with cider producers following the GMPs or meeting the requirements of the law. Michigan’s apple industry as a whole works closely with regulators to make sure production practices use the best science available to keep products safe,” Clover Adams said. “It is unfortunate that it takes a case like this to point out the potential for harm from producing food items in an unsafe manner.”

A MDARD food inspector investigated a consumer tip that Ruster was selling apple cider at a local farmers market in October 2011. Mitchell Hill Farm had been previously licensed as a maple syrup producer, but it was not approved to produce cider. After repeatedly being informed that he wasn’t meeting safe cider production standards, Ruster continued to make and sell cider.

MDARD received notification of an outbreak associated with Ruster’s cider on Nov. 6, 2012. Subsequent investigation by the Health Department of Northwest Michigan, MDARD and the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) determined the improperly processed cider caused an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak putting four individuals in the hospital, including two children. Several individuals affected by the outbreak continue to report symptoms today, more than a year after consuming the cider.

32 sickened in Mich. Salmonella outbreak; no exact cause though raw eggs likely; restaurant owners ‘deeply disappointed’ in report

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Douglas Powell

The final report on the salmonella outbreak that affected at least 32 residents in Muskegon and Ottawa counties last year, according to Michigan Live, lists no precise reason for the incident.

The 68-page document released by Public Health-Muskegon County this month formed nine hypotheses and suggested raw eggs, cross contamination or poor food handling were likely the cause of the outbreak that affected patrons and employees at Pints & Quarts Pub and Grill and C.F. Prime Chophouse and Wine Bar between Oct. 30 and Nov. 2.

Investigators said the restaurants’ salads — including those with grilled chicken — and Pints & Quarts’ Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps appetizer were strongly associated with the illness.

The epidemiological investigation began on Nov. 8 and included a case-control study to determine the extent of the outbreak, the associated risk-factors and the necessary steps to control and prevent further infection.

The department interviewed 121 people. Nearly 60 people represented either confirmed cases or probable, unconfirmed cases and about 60 more represented the study’s “controls,” — those who dined out but did not get sick during the four-day exposure period.

The owners of the Roosevelt Park-based, Harris Hospitality-owned eateries said in a statement on Friday, Jan. 24 that they were “deeply disappointed” by the report’s findings.

Restaurant manager and owner Andy Harris said the company reviewed the document “in great detail” and characterized it as “repeatedly critical” of its policies and procedures leaving the reader with the impression that it did something wrong to make people sick.

Harris said management was frustrated the agency could not pinpoint a precise origin of the outbreak and said it should have concluded that raw eggs were to blame.

“We deeply regret that anyone was made ill eating at one of our restaurants,” Harris said. “However, the fault lies with the use of already-contaminated eggs and not with any of our food-handling practices or procedures.”

Restaurant spokeswoman Mary Ann Sabo said she did not know the name of the supplier.

The final report noted that raw eggs were used in the restaurants’ original Caesar and Citrus salad dressings and its béarnaise sauce, a classic French condiment made with butter and spices. Harris said the company has since modified the salad dressing recipes to exclude eggs.

The restaurants are allowed to use the raw eggs in condiments under the Michigan Modified Food Code of 2009 and its menus had noted the risks associated with consumption, he said.

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