Ethnic restaurant in Sydney fined $85,000

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Douglas Powell

The Crow’s Nest, an Indian and Pakistani cuisine restaurant in North Sydney, has been fined $85,00 for more than 15 different food safety violations that took place between 2011 and the present date.

Mike Stewart of Australian Food Safety News writes this type of fine is considered the worst that could be given, used only when the types of violation are so serious that they truly put public safety at risk.

Some of the violations that the restaurant was found guilty by the North Sydney Food Council for included:

• serious cockroach infestation;

• no hot water available in kitchen;

• walls, floors, and shelves were covered in grease and grime, creating food safety concerns as well as fire hazards;

• food was being stored in broken containers;

• chopping boards were not being cleaned properly; and,

• refrigerators were not functioning properly or were not sealed to keep cold air in.

The owner of the Crow’s Nest indicates that more than $40,000 have been poured into reconstruction and maintenance to ensure the restaurant is no longer in violation. Additionally, the owner indicated that the exterminators visit every six weeks now to ensure that roaches are completely eradicated from the location.

5 sick, 1 dead from Listeria in pastries in Sydney hospitals

Posted on April 20, 2013 by Douglas Powell

A batch of dodgy profiteroles are being blamed on a listeria outbreak that could have spread across 13 public hospitals in Sydney.

Who writes like that? Apparently Australians. Dodgy means suspect, a profiterole is some sort of pastry (right).

The NSW Department of Health says that so far three patients, including a terminally ill man at Campbelltown Hospital who has since died, have tested positive for listeriosis.

The two other patients, one from Concord hospital and another from the Royal Prince Alfred are responding well to treatment.

The profiteroles which were made by Rich Products Australia have since been withdrawn from all patient meals.

An investigation into the outbreak which is believed to have occurred between mid-March and April 16 is ongoing.

Frog found in bag of Aussie salad

Posted on March 5, 2013 by Douglas Powell

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Sydneysider Ben Mulligan has branded Woolworths’ claim that the salad he bought was “washed and ready to eat” as all “LIES!!!” after he says he found an amphibian friend alive in the bottom of the bag.

Mr Mulligan took photographs of the frog inside the pre-packaged Aussie salad and posted them on the supermarket chain’s Facebook page on Monday night.

“It appears that you forgot to list FROG on the ingredients of your pre-packaged salads, Woolworths,” Mr Mulligan wrote to Woolworths.

“This is disgusting. I ate some of this salad. I could DIE! This poor frog. Wait until PETA hear about this.

“I feel disgusted… disgusted, and still hungry, Woolworths. I bought the salad for me to eat. Not for a FROG to eat. The frog didn’t pay for this salad.”

Within a day of being posted online, the photographs had been shared more than 650 times on Facebook and had attracted nearly 2000 comments.

When contacted, Mr Mulligan said he was discussing the matter with Woolworths and couldn’t comment immediately.

In a statement, a Woolworths spokesperson said the company was investigating the incident.

Norovirus hits Raleigh NC, let the barfing begin

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Ben Chapman

Ben Raymond is an MS student at North Carolina State University focusing on food safety through social media, barf banter, and creating new foods. The kind that won’t make you barf.

Raymond writes:

I really hate puking; the thought makes me cringe. I may be in trouble, because not only did Ben and his family have noro, now it looks like a new(ish) variant of norovirus has hit North Carolina. Norovirus one, you zero is a website for self-declaring a virus-induced barf fest. Based on the number of reports from Raleigh, I’m doomed to add myself to this repository of misery soon. The Raleigh News and Observer reports seven confirmed cases in the area; coupled with a whole lot of unreported cases of hugging the toilet only to quickly turn and let loose from the other end. A gruesome mental image, but as anyone who has ever had the so-called stomach flu, it is nasty.

The new variant is named Sydney after the Australian city. A new variant of the genotype GII.4 the super mutating kind of norovirus, appears every few years. There are lots of different noro genotypes, but the GII.4 variant has been the main culprit for widespread outbreaks since 2001. New strains make people barf the world over and then mutate yet again to repeat it all once more.

Resistance to noro infections is not well understood, but GII.4 evolves to escape both acquired and innate immunity. In human challenge studies participants have been re-infected with the same strain, though this was using a rather large infectious dose. Most infections cause diarrhea and vomiting for an exciting 24-60 hours and then subside without the need for medical attention. However, populations such as those in nursing homes facilitate a rapid spread, and the population is more susceptible to prolonged illness with serious consequences.

Infected individuals can shed virus particles for three weeks after symptoms subside. The best defense is to wash your hands often and thoroughly. There are sanitizers on the market that will inactivate noro but that convenient alcohol goop isn’t going to cut it this time. Alcohol-based sanitizers are effective against permeating bacterial cell walls (and blowing them apart); but norovirus doesn’t have a cell wall so inactivation isn’t going to happen. Risk-reduction comes from the mechanical act of wash/rinse/dry which removes the virus from hands.

Don’t make others barf, vomit into your elbow; norovirus control strategies

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Douglas Powell

“Norovirus is much more contagious than people think,” said Doug Powell, professor of food safety at Kansas State University. “In the past, we’ve seen multiple outbreaks in group settings like cruise ships, care facilities, university residences, schools, sporting teams and restaurants. It’s a massive amount of barf.”

Even those who clean up vomit have to be especially careful because viral particles are dispersed in the air, Powell said.

“Many people say they routinely wash their hands, but even in an outbreak situation, observational research shows they really don’t,” Powell said. “And it’s not enough to say, ‘Wash your hands.’ There needs to be access to proper hand-washing tools — vigorous running water, soap and paper towels — as well as compelling behavioral messages, like ‘Don’t make others barf,’ to get people to wash their hands.”

Powell includes more information about the current norovirus outbreak on his blog:https://barfblog.com/categories/norovirus/.

Norovirus outbreak hits Voyager of the Seas passengers in Sydney Harbor

Posted on November 23, 2012 by Douglas Powell

Boarding of the mega liner Voyager of the Seas was thrown into chaos today following an outbreak of a gastrointestinal illness thought to be norovirus.

Queues at the Overseas Passenger Terminal in Sydney stretched hundred of metres as frustrated cruisers were left waiting for hours under an unforgiving early afternoon sun – many unaware of the cause of the delay.

Passengers had to fill out forms revealing whether they had recently suffered from gastro or flu-like symptoms. Those who ticked ‘yes’ were taken aside for medical check ups.

”In an abundance of caution we are conducting some enhanced cleaning onboard the ship and within the cruise terminal … To help prevent any illness from affecting your cruise,” said a statement from owners Royal Caribbean.

But many passengers said they were not informed of the outbreak or the reason for the delay.

Dead rat restaurant is fined $97,000 in Sydney

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Douglas Powell

Speak softly and carry a big stick seems to have been adopted by New South Wales.

An Indian restaurant in Sydney’s Kings Cross has been fined almost $100,000 after inspectors found a dead rat and cockroaches in the kitchen.

An inspection last December following a customer complaint found rat feces, food stored on the floor, accumulated dirt, grease-encrusted equipment and a large dead rat behind a garbage bin.

The City of Sydney launched legal proceedings against the restaurant, alleging the owner had failed to maintain clean, sanitary and hygienic conditions as required by the Food Act.

The owners of the Kings Cross takeaway pleaded guilty in court to 13 counts of failing to comply with the Food Standards Code.

City of Sydney CEO Monica Barone said most Sydney food businesses delivered high standards of hygiene and food safety.

“The outcome of this case should serve as a warning to food businesses who don’t follow the rules and who put people’s health at risk,” she said.

The restaurant was fined $97,500, or $7500 for each of the 13 offences.

Name and shame holds Australian food service publicly accountable

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Douglas Powell

There are a lot of problems with any restaurant inspection disclosure system like name and shame, along with the scores on doors program, being used by the New South Wales Food Authority or any jurisdiction.

But the Primary Industries minister Katrina Hodgkinson, gets it right when she says, "This sends a clear message that businesses, regardless of how big or small, will not escape being publicly named if they fail to comply with food safety regulations. The public has the right to know who the offenders are, especially when the majority of restaurants and retailers do meet the high food standards required in this state."

The challenge is to make such systems better.

(NSW is in Australia and includes Sydney.)

According to AAP, a NSW McDonald’s and a Sumo Salad fast food outlet are among the latest additions to the name and shame register for breaching hygiene rules.

Domino’s Pizza in Cambridge Park, Penrith, Pizza Hut in Orange, the McDonald’s in Yass and Sumo Salad in Macquarie Park made the list due to a lack of hygienic cleanliness standards.

Coles Express in Willoughby was also placed on the list for selling out of date products.

Businesses face fines of up to $1,320 for hygiene related offences.

Hepatitis A warning for Sumo Salad eaters in Sydney

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Douglas Powell

A health warning has been issued for those who have consumed food from Sumo Salad in the Sydney CBD following the diagnosis of Hepatitis A in an employee.

People who have eaten from the Kent St store between July 19-26 are being urged to seek out the Hepatitis A vaccine.

Those who bought food from the outlet between July 11-18 are encouraged to visit their GP if they begin to develop any symptoms including poor appetite, abdominal discomfort, jaundice and dark urine.

The individual employee, who contracted the virus while overseas. is no longer working in the store.

Food safety fun in Sydney

Posted on June 22, 2012 by Douglas Powell

Food safety auteur and Billy Connelly look-alike until-he shaved everything off for charity last month, Julian Cox, met up with Sorenne and I to swap tales at the University of New South Wales in Sydney.

Sorenne asked “where are the whales?”

While Amy was off doing her French professoring thing, Julian, a frequent visitor to Manhattan over the years for the rapid methods course (note the Kansas State T-shirt) and I pitched ideas for international food safety ~~domination~~ collaboration and posed for pictures. The last time we had a pic together we were both in loud shirts at IAFP somewhere and much younger. And Julian wasn’t Dr. associate dean (education) in the faculty of science at UNSW; but he has maintained his fashion sense.

When Sorenne wasn’t hustling UNSW students at pool at the Roundhouse, she fit right in, staring at her handheld device.

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