Lobster feast sickens over 220 in China

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Douglas Powell

More than 220 people were hospitalized after eating lobsters in east Jiangxi Province, a local hospital reported on Friday.

Ruichang city residents who unsuspectingly indulged in a Thursday night lobster feast later suffered from diarrhea, vomiting, and some contracted a fever, said Gong Jinwen, a doctor who treated the sick at Renmin Hospital. Doctors speculate that E. coli could be the cause.

More than 4,000 people attended the lobster shindig, which was part of the city’s government-sponsored lobster festival.

Workers’ ‘squalid’ catering unit in UAE closed after hundreds fall sick

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Douglas Powell

The United Arab Emirates has made food safety a priority, and food service companies have apparently imported some Western-style BS explanations when people barf.

A spokesthingy for a labor camp operated by Abu Dhabi-based Al Jaber Group, told The National.

"The safety of our staff is our utmost priority. … In more than two decades of operation, and serving 150,000 meals a day all over the UAE, this is the first instance of food poisoning at any of our camps."

Not much consolation to the 236 workers who were diagnosed with food poisoning; the catering unit was found to be operating without a licence and under "squalid conditions."

Investigators from the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) have closed down the catering unit at the Habshan Labour Camp after 117 workers were taken to Madinat Zayed Hospital on Saturday and Sunday, and a further 119 were treated on site at the camp.

Inspectors found cockroaches inside the water dispensers and destroyed 675kg of cooked rice which was kept in "unsafe conditions for more than four hours", according to a statement released by ADFCA.

The inspection report stated the camp, which caters for 2,200 workers, was "violating all norms of hygiene and disregarding the health consequences for the labourers."

Cross-contamination – mixing meat, poultry and vegetables, both raw and uncooked, in the same freezer – was apparent, and food products did not have manufacturing details on them, so may have been expired, the report said.

Mohammed al Reyaysa, the director of communications at ADFCA, described the conditions as "shocking" and said "the people behind this disaster will not go unpunished."

1000 workers suffer from food poisoning at Taiwanese show factory

Posted on March 14, 2011 by Douglas Powell

VietNamNet Bridge reports that nearly 1000 workers from a Taiwanese footwear company named HongFu in Thanh Hoa province were hospitalized on March 12 for food poisoning after having lunch at their factory.

The lunch for HongFu’s workers on March 12 included rice, chicken, vegetable and vegetable liquor. Workers said that the smell of the vegetable liquor was weird.

As the number of patients is huge, they were brought to many hospitals based in Thanh Hoa city. A hospital had to use their building that is still under construction to receive patients.

Le Thi Nhung, a worker at HongFu, said at 1 pm, after the lunch, a mass of workers said they had headache, vertigo and vomited. They received first aid at the company’s healthcare room but it was useless. The workers were then brought to hospitals.

By 4.30 pm, nearly 1000 workers were hospitalized while many workers continued to faint. All ambulances in Thanh Hoa province was mobilized to transport workers to hospitals.

840 students suffer food poisoning in Japan

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Douglas Powell

Japan Today reports that 840 elementary and junior high school students have missed class in Iwamizawa, Hokkaido, due to food poisoning after eating school lunch last week.

Health authorities suspect salmonella infection but have yet to determine what made them sick, they said.

The students started exhibiting the symptoms on Friday after eating lunch the previous day which was cooked in the school kitchens for some 3,100 students.

The lunch included potato miso soup, komatsuna leaf salad and Japanese radish with ground meat, the officials said.

Mandy Moore’s fish-induced food poisoning

Posted on January 26, 2011 by Douglas Powell

Singer and actress Mandy Moore returned to Los Angeles last night (right) after a self-described bout of food poisoning due to fish.

Tweeting about the overseas illness, Miss Moore wrote, "Food poisoning is the worst. It will be a long time before I can even look at a piece of fish."

Leslie Nielsen, food safety and lame ducks

Posted on December 2, 2010 by Douglas Powell

Leslie Nielsen is still dead, but the food safety wonks in Washington are keeping the fans in stiches.

The U.S. Senate’s slapstick effort to pass food safety legislation is not going to result in fewer sick people. But it does set a tone, like restaurant inspection grades, that food safety is important, that elected officials may, sorta, be paying attention. And if it gets food safety on The Daily Show, then great.

For those who need reminding, food safety is not at the top of the legislative agenda.

“A food safety bill that has burned up precious days of the Senate’s lame-duck session appears headed back to the chamber because Democrats violated a constitutional provision requiring that tax provisions originate in the House. … The debacle could prove to be a major embarrassment for Senate Democrats, who sought Tuesday to make the relatively unknown bill a major political issue by sending out numerous news releases trumpeting its passage.”
John Stanton, Roll Call

"The bipartisan bill, which would overhaul the nation’s food safety system, still has to go back to the House, so there’s plenty of time to screw it up. … staff members for the leading Democratic and Republican senators on the health committee actually got together and worked things out the way they used to do in olden days. Most of the negotiators were women, and while I am certainly not saying that made a difference, I am, sort of, just saying.
“Oh, my gosh! It’s so important,” said Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “I’m glad I rushed back from our break to work on food safety.”
Gail Collins, The New York Times

“Food Safety Bill will save the lives of thousands”
Environmental Working Group

And to Jon Stewart last night.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c

The Food, the Bad and the Ugly

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

The Daily Show on Facebook

Food poisoning strikes 100 at policing meet in Guyana

Posted on October 18, 2010 by Douglas Powell

Health officials in Berbice, Guyana (that’s on the northern coast of South America) told Stabroek News last night that approximately 100 people attending a police retreat were treated at the New Amsterdam Hospital shortly after lunch was served.

Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, who was present at the event yesterday, told this newspaper last evening that the police were investigating the incident and several persons were questioned.

According to reports, sometime around 1 pm yesterday lunch, which consisted of fried rice and pot roast chicken, was served and shortly after, persons began to complain of abdominal pains while some began to vomit.

Persons at the New Amsterdam Hospital told Stabroek News that the hospital was filled with patients seeking treatment, many persons lay on the floors at the hospital crying out in pain. It was noted that residents in the area had already departed the venue for their homes when they began to experience pains about their bodies.

Don’t poison mom with food on Mother’s Day, even if her cooking made you sick

Posted on May 9, 2010 by Douglas Powell

I’m convinced my mother tried to kill me through foodborne illness.

Not intentionally, of course.

But twice a year, on average while growing up, I’d spend a couple of days on the couch, passing liquid out of both ends, while mom comforted me with flat ginger ale, crushed ice (we even had one of those kitchen necessities — an ice crusher, in groovy pink, suitable for early 1970s suburbia) and soothing words like, "It’s just the flu honey, you’ll feel better soon."

As Lisa Simpson remarked upon hearing about the demise of her cat, Snowball, from her mother, "She lied, she lied."

The worst was when I was 10 or 11. I was playing AAA hockey in my hometown of Brantford Ont., and we were off to an out-of-town game. My parents (bless them) usually drove, but obligations meant I had to get a ride with a friend on the team. About half-way to the arena, I started feeling nauseous. I tried to ask the driving dad to pull over, but it came on so fast, I had to grab the closest item in the backseat, an empty lunchbox.

I filled it.

And more.

Today, New Zealand’s Food Safety Council is promoting its don’t-poison-mum-on-Mother’s Day advice, encouraging inexperienced cooks to ensure they are hygienic and clean if and when they try their hand in the kitchen on Sunday.

"Those wanting the perfect day for Mum may be creating kitchen treats without much experience so it’s important for them to carry out the food safety basics."

Happy Mother’s Day to my mum. And to the mum I live with, we’re going with smoked young goose on the grill, stuffed with apple and citrus, served with champagne and chocolate.

The delicious but dangerous turtle meat of Indonesia

Posted on April 8, 2010 by Douglas Powell

The Jakarta Post reports that a 57-year-old man died and 139 residents of South Pagai Island, in Mentawai, West Sumatra, have been treated for food poisoning after consuming the meat of a leatherback turtle.

Tiolina Saogo, chief of South Pagai public health center, told The Jakarta Post 30 residents had been put under intensive care.

There are frequent deaths from turtle-meat poisoning on the islands off the West Sumatran coast.

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