Tag Archives: Public Health

The first rule of public health? CYA

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I say the first rule of public health is, don’t eat poop.

And have fewer sick people.

Bureaucrats say the first rule of public health is, cover your ass (no, not like that) so that the department comes out smelling all pretty and not like poop.

So after 21 people die and a bunch more got sick from listeria in Maple Leaf deli meats, what do Canadian bureaucrats focus on? Covering their asses.

The heads of three federal agencies pivotal to last summer’s listeriosis crisis (right, not exactly as shown) want a damning report by Ontario’s top public health official "clarified and corrected."

The most senior officials at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada demanded the revisions in a recent letter to Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s acting chief medical officer of health.

Williams also noted that almost a month elapsed between the first listeriosis death last summer and a widespread recall of suspect Maple Leaf deli meats.

The letter suggests that criticism is unfair.

The he-said-she-said may be mildly entertaining for bureaucrats– in both official languages —  but does nothing to ensure that fewer people barf in the future.

Instead, the federal triumverate of see-no-evil, hear-no-evil, speak-no-evil could focus on:

• making listeria test results public in a timely manner;

• providing compelling information to at-risk populations, especially pregnant women and old folks, that maybe they shouldn’t be eating products at risk for listeria contamination (cause Michael McCain says it’s everywhere); and,

• provide clear guidelines on how outbreaks of foodborne illness are investigated and at what point sufficient evidence exists to warn the pubic.
 

Michele Samarya-Timm Health Educator of the Year

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Jersey represent.

Barfblogger and Franklin Township Health Department health officer Michele Samarya-Timm (right, not exactly as shown) has been crowned handwashing queen and Health Educator of the Year by the New Jersey Society for Public Health Education.

Patti Elliot, acting director for the Franklin Township Health Department said,

"Michele’s enthusiasm for the field of public health is surpassed by no one.”

Samarya-Timm is the only health educator to receive the professional distinction of Diplomate in the American Academy of Sanitarians and has been recognized as an emerging public health leader by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.

In Franklin, Samarya-Timm established a model of the CDC’s "It’s a SNAP!" handwashing program, created a youth-based pandemic preparedness/handwashing program, and a handwashing/hygiene and illness reporting program for food handlers.

On a national level, Samarya-Timm works with the Food and Drug Administration, United States Department of Agriculture, the CDC and other agencies on establishing timely food safety and food outbreak information to consumers.

 

ROB MANCINI: It’s Environmental Public Health Week in Canada – this week

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Public health inspector and Kansas State graduate student Robert Mancini of Winnipeg (former co-host of the television series Kitchen Crimes, right, pretty much as shown), writes that Environmental Public Health (EPH) Professionals such as Public Health Inspectors and Environmental Health Officers are empowered under legislation to protect the health of the public.

In carrying out their duties, EPH Professionals interact directly with the public, industry, and various agencies to ensure that Canadians are protected from health risks such as: infectious diseases, chemical contaminants, and physical hazards. EPH duties include inspections, consultations, health education, surveys and research, complaint investigations, risk assessment, risk management and enforcement work.  EPH Professionals safeguard the environment and health of Canadians by providing services in the following areas:
 
-water quality,
-air quality,
-food safety assurance,
-communicable disease control,
-housing standards/conditions,
-recreational facilities,
-disease injury and prevention,
-waste water management systems,
-emergency planning and response,
-land remediation and development issues,
-institutions and care facilities,
-public policy development,
-occupational health and safety,
-pollution control and solid waste management,
-tobacco control,
-quality control/assurance
 

Is Diet Coke Plus really a plus?

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It’s no secret.  The obesity epidemic is still raging in the United States.  Documentaries such as Super Size Me and TV shows like Big Medicine have helped to bring the public’s attention to the obesity problem in the US, but there is still a long way to go to encourage consumers to adopt proper eating habits and exercise regiments.

There have been quite a few fad diets out there that guarantee the latest “quick fix” for a spare tire around the waist or love handles.  The health food market has also exploded with new products offering few calories and added vitamins and minerals.  Consumers are also looking for products not only to help them lose weight, but also stay healthy by consuming products, like functional foods, to help prevent cancer.  Functional foods, any fresh or processed food claiming to have a health-promoting and/or disease-preventing property beyond the basic nutritional function of supplying nutrients, are also being researched and developed by many scientists.

Functional foods are fast becoming a part of everyday life.  Two-thirds of adults made an effort to buy more fortified foods in 2006 – up 17% over 2005. One-third of young adults age 18–24 regularly drink energy beverages, and more than half of mothers of preteens bought organic foods last year.
With the majority (69%) of Americans pursuing a preventive lifestyle and 27% taking a treatment approach, not surprisingly, products that offer specific health benefits that make it easier for consumers to address their individual needs are enjoying explosive sales growth.

How does the market classify whether or not a food is considered functional food? The FDA regulates food products according to their intended use and the nature of claims made on the package. Five types of health-related statements or claims are allowed on food and dietary supplement labels:
http://www.ific.org/nutrition/functional/index.cfm
    * Nutrient content claims indicate the presence of a specific nutrient at a certain level.
    * Structure and function claims describe the effect of dietary components on the normal structure or function of the body.
    * Dietary guidance claims describe the health benefits of broad categories of foods.
    * Qualified health claims convey a developing relationship between components in the diet and risk of disease, as reviewed by the FDA and supported by the weight of credible scientific evidence available.
    * Health claims confirm a relationship between components in the diet and risk of disease or health condition, as approved by FDA and supported by significant scientific agreement.

Could junk food be advertised with health claims?  Diet Coke Plus was introduced in 2007 by The Coca-Cola Company as an alternative to Coca-Cola Classic.  The ingredient list includes the following added vitamins and minerals: magnesium sulfate (declared at 10% of the Daily Value (DV) for magnesium in the Nutrition Facts panel), zinc gluconate (declared at 10% of the DV for zinc), niacinamide (declared at 15% of the DV for niacin), pyridoxine hydrochloride (declared at 15% of the DV for vitamin B6), and cyanocobalamine (declared at 15% of the DV for vitamin B12).

Diet Coke Plus has just come under fire for using the word “plus” in their product name.  According to the FDA, Diet Coke Plus is “misbranded … because the product makes a nutrient content claim but does not meet the criteria to make the claim.” Muhtar Kent, the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Coca-Cola Company received a warning letter from the FDA last week detailing regulations for using the word “plus” and Diet Coke Plus’ abuse of the word, along with the statement that the “FDA does not consider it appropriate to fortify snack foods such as carbonated beverages.”

I’ll be honest; I’ve bought Diet Coke Plus at the grocery store.  I might’ve been trying to rationalize my caffeine addiction.  It said Plus, it must be ok to drink.  If they ever come out with an Organic Coke I’m sure people will be clamoring to buy it, supposing that it will be “all natural”.

The FDA has allowed Coke 15 days to prepare a letter detailing the actions that Coke plans to take in response to the warning letter, including an explanation of each step being taken to correct the current violations and prevent similar violations.  “We take seriously the issues raised by the FDA in its letter,” Coke spokesman Scott Williamson said in a prepared statement.  “This does not involve any health or safety issues, and we believe the label on Diet Coke Plus complies with FDA’s policies and regulations. We will provide a detailed response to the FDA in early January."

Restaurant sinks are not bathtubs

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An Ohio man is in hot water for taking a hot bath in a Burger King bathtub. The video shows a man sitting in the sink, while other employees look on laughing. At one point the employee with the camera goes to ask the manager if she wants to come watch. The manager declines, but also fails to take any action. The video was then posted on Myspace. The fast food restaurant has fired all employees involved. They added that the sink was sanitized twice and all utensils were thrown out. Health officials are working with prosecutors to see if charges will be filed. However the health department has declined to issue any fines. If bathing in a kitchen sink isn’t worth a fine, what is?

The video contains some not safe for work language.
 

Burger King Employee Takes Bath In Sink – Watch more free videos

Raw milk and crypto in pools — policy choices and public health

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Information about risk — specifically the microbiological risks in food and water — needs to be rapid, reliable, relevant and repeated. Often those with the most information and the most credibility in an outbreak situation are the local medical officers of health, or some other government-type.

And they often don’t say much.

But there are examples of officials doing their jobs and being accountable to the public they serve. In the aftermath of the first case of homegrown bovine spongiform encephalopathy in Canada in May, 2003, Brian Evans, the chief veterinarian for the government of Canada, did an excellent job of explaining here’s what we know, here’s what we don’t know, here’s what we’re doing to find out more, and whatever we find out, you’ll hear it from me first.

Two public health officials have stepped out in the past two days and offered their analysis on a couple of persistent health risks: raw milk and parasites in swimming pools.

Yesterday, Dr. Stephen Ostroff, director, Bureau of Epidemiology, Pennsylvania Department of Health, wrote in the Lebanon Daily News that,

"In light of recent discussions pertaining to raw-milk health issues, the Pennsylvania Department of Health continues to advise consumers that raw milk is an inherently unsafe product regardless of how it is produced. While the permitting process unquestionably enhances the safety margin of raw milk, and we strongly endorse this program, it is not a substitute for milk pasteurization.…

Last year, an outbreak of salmonellosis due to consumption of raw milk sold in south-central Pennsylvania produced 29 illnesses. Sadly, many of the victims were children who had no choice in the kind of milk their parents purchased for them. Indeed, the department is currently investigating another raw-milk-associated outbreak of campylobacter infections. So far, more than 54 illnesses have been reported.

While standard hygiene and production practices can reduce the risk from consuming raw milk, they simply cannot eliminate it. In a 2006 survey of Pennsylvania dairy farms, pathogens were found in 13 percent of bulk tank raw-milk samples. Therefore, the department believes it is necessary to warn consumers about the risks associated with raw milk and to urge persons with immune disorders, pregnant women and young children to avoid consuming this product in the interest of protecting the public’s health."

Today, David N. Sundwall, executive director of the Utah Department of Health, wrote in The Salt Lake Tribune that,

"The UDOH, along with our partners at Utah’s local health departments, carefully considered whether to restrict young children from pools. Young children are more likely to become ill from crypto and more likely to leave poop in the pool. While it might seem like common sense to ban them, we cannot say that they caused the outbreak or that banning them would prevent another one.
Children have been swimming in public pools in Utah in past years when outbreaks didn’t occur. To our knowledge, no state bans children from public pools. Older children and adults, who have control of their bowels when healthy, are also susceptible to "leaking" if they swim with diarrhea.

We chose to continue to allow children to swim with swim diapers and waterproof swim pants. We believe this will help prevent contamination of the pool, but it isn’t foolproof.

Parents of young children need to act responsibly and with common sense. They need to monitor their children and give them frequent potty breaks. Most important, they need to keep them out of the pools when they are ill with diarrhea and for two weeks afterward.

The UDOH takes seriously its responsibility to protect people from health threats like cryptosporidium. After last summer’s outbreak, we considered multiple measures to help prevent a recurrence this summer. Preventing crypto transmission will require a combination of changes at pools and changes in behavior."

Both Ostroff and Sundwall are too be commended. You may not agree with what they say, but at least you know why they came to the positions they advocate. Public health types, please speak out.

In the name of science: women wanted to eat chocolate for a year

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Scientists in the UK are seeking 150 women to eat chocolate every day for a year in the cause of medical research.

The trial, at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, eastern England, will test whether a natural compound found in cocoa, the main ingredient of chocolate, could cut the risk of heart disease among women with diabetes.

A Belgian confectionist has created the special chocolate bar containing high levels of flavonoids — a plant compound that has been shown to reduce heart risk factors — to be used in the experiment. Soy, another natural source of flavonoids, has also been added to the bar.

Participants, who must be postmenopausal women under the age of 70, will have their risk of heart disease tested on five occasions during the year to see whether change occurs.

Nurse? Did you wash your hands?

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The Irish Hospital Consultants Association plans to protest to the HSE about its current advertising campaign asking patients to ask health professionals whether they have washed their hands.

Irish Health reports that the campaign has met with a mixed reaction from the public, judging by the latest irishhealth.com viewers’ poll results. One viewer says she has even complained to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission about the advertising campaign. (To view the full results and comments click on…http://www.irishhealth.com/poll.html?pollid=423 )

HSE Assistant National Director for Health Protection Dr Kevin Kelleher said evidence shows that hand hygiene is the single most effective defence against the spread of MRSA.

Donal Duffy, Assistant Secretary General of the IHCA, told irishhealth.com,

"They (consultants) find it gratuitously insulting, given that the campaign effectively accuses consultants of not washing their hands."

Janette Byrne of the Patients Together organization, said,

"If you are feeling very sick it would be difficult to have the worry of asking staff about their hand hygiene. We  feel that the full responsibility for this should be placed on hospital staff, and it is not fair to put this burden on the patient. … Many people would struggle to confront a doctor or nurse on this issue and we feel the campaign is very much a case of the HSE passing the buck."

What to do if food has made you poop or barf

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An employee at the Kansas State College of Veterinary Medicine brought me a present the other day: a bag of salad that apparently had a big wad of mud in it. Or was it poop? Smelled like mud.

She wasnt sickened by the food, but if you think a specific food has made you sick, here’s what to do:

• go to the doctor if necessary;

• keep the food, in the fridge or freezer if necessary; and,

• contact your local health department.

Bill Marler’s got some more specific guidelines here.

Health Canada pulls holiday recommendations from its ass

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Health Canada says that 11 to 13 million of Canada’s 33 million people will get sick from food each year.

But,

"You can help reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses for your family and friends during the holiday season by following some basic food safety tips."

If it’s basic, why are so many people getting sick?

The Canadians at least have it right by saying,

"If cooking a turkey for a holiday meal, use a digital food thermometer to make sure it is cooked properly."

That’s so much better than the Brits and the Irish.

But then, Health Canada says,

"The temperature of the thickest part of the breast or thigh should be at least 85 degrees C (185 degrees F)."

No one knows where this recommendation comes from. In the U.S., the recommendation is 165 F, and anyone can figure out where it came from. Apparently no one asks such questions in Canada.