Bad idea: dumpster food to a dinner party

This is why I avoid potlucks: who knows how the food was prepared or, where the food came from.

Like a dumpster.

Someone wrote a lifestyle type at Toronto’s Globe and Mail to say her “brother-in-law is a dumpster diver, only for the thrill of it and not because he needs to. … Things gave cause for concern when his family’s contribution to Christmas dinner was food from a dumpster. Still sealed, mind you, but publicly announced as a terrific find.”

Part of the response: “While there’s no doubt your brother-in-law put some effort into his contribution (effort which may have included being covered in coffee grounds and banana peels, and throwing stinking, steaming, soiled diapers over his shoulder), it’s the ultimate re-gift.

“I would also question whether he’s exposing anyone to health risks with his tossed-out offering. Maggots squirm and writhe around in our waste containers. Sealed or not, it could be spoiled, contaminated, or otherwise compromised. Some things are tossed out for a reason.

“You’re certainly within your rights to politely refuse when someone passes you the dumpster doughnuts.”

Students sickened with E. coli O157:H7 after playing in farm’s mud pit at party

In June 1997, at least seven persons who attended the Glastonbury Music Festival in the U.K. were infected with Escherichia coli O157. A cow belonging to a herd that had previously grazed the site tested positive for the same strain, leading researchers to conclude the most likely vehicle of infection was mud contaminated with Escherichia coli O157 from infected cattle.

??In June 2007, hundreds were stricken and 18 tested positive for campylobacter during the annual Test of Metal mountain bike race in Squamish, B.C.?? Dr. Paul Martiquet, the chief medical officer for Vancouver Coastal Health, said, "This was an outbreak with a high attack rate. Our future advice to the race organizers is to inspect the route prior to the race to ensure it is not littered with animal feces, and not end the race at the horse ring. If there is any horse poop, they have to remove it."

Up to 160 people who attended the Merida Bikes mountain bike Marathon July 5-6, 2008, based on Builth Wells, in Wales, fell ill, and 10 of the riders tested positive for campylobacter. The report described the course as,??“very muddy and contaminated with sheep slurry in certain areas, leading to significant amounts of mud splashing over participants and their equipment. … The most statistically significant risk was the inadvertent ingestion of mud.

Today, the News Star reports three Ouachita Christian School students in Louisiana were admitted to local hospitals late last week with E. coli O157:H7 after attending an end-of-the-year party at a farm and playing in a mud pit.

Dr. Shelley Jones, Region 8 director of the Department of Health and Hospitals, said Tuesday, “The most important thing people can do is properly wash their hands. Parents of other students at the party need to make sure they and their children wash their hands thoroughly.”

Or not party in mud pits on farms.
 

1984: Clean food for Chinese communist officials amid safety scandals

While Chinese officials issue stern warnings and attend high-profile meetings to bolster the country’s abysmal food safety record, some Communist party officials are supplied with clean, safe products, specially grown for them, in something reminiscent of a medieval oligarchy.

??In an article that was taken offline, the Southern Weekend reported last week on a special greenhouse in Beijing. It’s protected by a six-feet high iron fence, and its organic produce goes to Beijing Customs officials.?. And these “special food suppliers” are not limited to Beijing. Their products range from fruits and vegetables to pork and poultry. These suppliers have to comply with strict safety standards before their products can reach the mouths of communist officials.

??For most ordinary Chinese, this is a far cry from how their food is managed. The Chinese regime’s head of food safety Zhang Yong claimed last Friday that the overall situation of food safety was good. He blamed the media for over exaggerating, saying the problems only affect a small part of the public.