Food Safety News - Iowa State University Extension
This Iowa State University Extension news feed collects food safety news from across the world to provide the latest information on food safety. This feed is sponsored by the Food Safety Consortium.
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- GEORGIA: Restaurant inspection scores released - (The Northeast Georgian)
Following are the food service inspections for Feb. 21-25 by the Habersham County Health Department's Environmental Health Section. A score of 85 and above is considered passing. Food service establishments are required to post their score sheets in public so that customers can review them. For more information about an inspection, contact the environmental health office at 706-776-7659. Feb. 21 * Dairy Queen, Clarkesville. Inspection time: not listed. Purpose of inspection: not listed. Score: 87; current grade: B. Out of compliance with the following: adequate hand washing facilities supplied and accessible; contamination prevented during food preparation, storage and display; wiping clothes properly used and stored; proper date marking and disposition; food and nonfood surfaces cleanable, properly designed, constructed and used. * Blimpie, 160 A Franklin St., Clarkesville. Inspection time: not listed. Purpose of inspection: not listed. Current score: 100; current grade: A. Feb. 25 McDonald's (Wal-Mart), Cornelia. Inspection time: 9:50. Purpose of inspection: routine. Last score: 95; current score: 97; current grade: A. Out of compliance with the following: Utensils, equipment and linens properly stored, dried, handled; single-use, single-service articles properly stored, used; food and nonfood-contact surfaces cleanable, properly designed, constructed and used; warewashing facilities installed, maintained, used, test strips; physical facilities installed, maintained and clean.
Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:30:00 CST - IRELAND: Top award for Murphy's SuperValu - (The Guardian)
Murphy's SuperValu, Nenagh was one of 180 SuperValu stores to be awarded the Excellence Ireland Hygiene & Food Safety certificates at its annual Quality Awards, demonstrating SuperValu's commitment to rigorous quality standards. The National Hygiene programme, devised by Excellence Ireland Quality Association provides independent verification of the highest standards of hygiene Murphy's SuperValu, Nenagh was one of 180 SuperValu stores to be awarded the Excellence Ireland Hygiene & Food Safety certificates at its annual Quality Awards, demonstrating SuperValu's commitment to rigorous quality standards. The National Hygiene programme, devised by Excellence Ireland Quality Association provides independent verification of the highest standards of hygiene and food safety in the food sector. The National Hygiene and Food Safety Certificates were presented by Mr Trevor Sargent, TD, Minister for Food & Horticulture.
Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:29:00 CST - BRITAIN: Norovirus to blame for hotel sickness - (The Evening Star)
Winter vomiting disease was the cause of the illness suffered by dozens of guests at a dinner at a top Suffolk hotel, it was revealed today. The Hotel Elizabeth Orwell at Felixstowe was given the all-clear - and told the incident was not food-related. Environmental health officers have been carrying out extensive tests on samples from 75 guests and say it was the highly contagious Norovirus which spread rapidly between the guests, causing a severe bout of diarrhoea and vomiting. The outbreak happened after the annual dinner of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, attended by 200 people from the shipping industry from all over the country, with guest speaker former World Cup referee Graham Poll, who did not fall ill.
Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:28:00 CST - WASHINGTON: Panel presses for list of stores in beef recall - (USA Today/Reuters)
WASHINGTON Members of the U.S. Congress were cited as demanding Thursday that federal officials quickly hand over a list of stores that received any beef that was the subject of the biggest meat recall in U.S. history. Richard Raymond, undersecretary of agriculture, was cited as telling Rep. Maurice Hinchey and other members of a House subcommittee that oversees the U.S. Department of Agriculture's budget that it could not release the list for proprietary reasons. Pressed by lawmakers, Raymond said he'd confer with agency lawyers about the panel's request. Hinchey, D-N.Y., warned that if he didn't get a store list by Tuesday, "we're going to start pressing you very hard." The stories explain that two years ago today, the USDA proposed a regulation that would allow the agency to publish a list of stores and restaurants that had received a recalled product. The regulation is under discussion between agriculture officials and the White House, Raymond said. It is in the "very final stages" of being prepared for release, he added. The National Meat Association opposes the USDA proposal.
Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:25:00 CST - NEW ZEALAND: Listeria contaminated food found at third hospital - (TV3 New Zealand)
Chicken sandwiches contaminated with listeria has, according to this story, been found at Auckland's Middlemore Hospital café, the third North Island hospital to be affected in recent weeks. The story says that late last month listeria was found in cold meat at Waikato Hospital, Hamilton and Auckland's North Shore Hospital. Both the earlier cases involved contaminated meat from Leonard's Superior Smallgoods and the company has been forced to shut down all production of ready-to-eat products until it is given the all clear. For the complete news item, please visit http://www.tv3.co.nz/News/Story/tabid/209/articleID/48629/cat/41/Default.aspx
Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:21:00 CST - Quality watchdog: CHINA confident with Olympic food safety - (Xinhua News Agency (China))
BEIJING -- Li Changjiang, head of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), was cited as saying on the sidelines of the ongoing session of the National People's Congress that participants and visitors to the Beijing Olympics in August would have safe food and he wished them "to have a good time here with a good appetite and happy sightseeing tours. The safety of Olympic food will be fully guaranteed." The story says that Li also disclosed that in the ongoing "Good Luck Beijing" test event of Olympic venues, the food safety system has been operating normally, with all the producers, processors and logistics departments under real time surveillance.
Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:34:00 CST - MISSOURI: KC school district closes 3 school cafeterias - (KMBC-TV)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City, Mo., School District was cited as announcing Thursday that is has closed the kitchens at three schools following inspections by the Health Department. This affects Pershing Early Childhood Center, Douglass Early Childhood Center and the Afrikan-Centered Education Sixth Grade Campus. School district officials said the Health Department noted mechanical problems in its preliminary report related to the district's switch from satellite food service to school-based food service. According to a press release, the district switched to school-based food preparation to give students food that was more fresh and less susceptible to food-borne illness. Students at the schools will continue to receive food service while corrections are made.
Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:32:00 CST - US: Notice to readers: ground water awareness week -- March 9-15, 2008 - (MMWR)
Approximately 40%-45% of persons in the United States depend on ground water for their drinking water supply (1-3), and approximately 15% use their own private wells (2). Each year, the National Ground Water Association sponsors Ground Water Awareness Week to stress the importance of protecting ground water and to focus attention on annual private well maintenance and water testing (4). This year, Ground Water Awareness Week is March 9-15. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requirements that protect public drinking-water systems do not apply to privately owned wells (2). Owners of private wells are responsible for ensuring that their well water is safe from contaminants of health concern. Certain contaminants, such as arsenic and radon, can occur naturally in the environment, and their concentration in well water depends highly on the geology of the land around the well (5-8). Other contaminants, such as nitrate, are the result of pollutants from local land use (e.g., application of agricultural fertilizer and runoff from animal feedlots) and problems with nearby wastewater systems. For the complete news item, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5709a6.htm?s_cid=mm5709a6_e
Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:32:00 CST - TURKEY Reports: 700 Turks treated for food poisoning - (USA Today/Associated Press)
ANKARA, Turkey Health authorities were cited as saying that some 700 Turkish children were hospitalized on Thursday for apparent food poisoning. Senior provincial health official Mehmet Caliskan was cited as saying the children were taken to local hospitals in the western province of Balikesir after they began vomiting following lunch that included chicken.
Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:31:00 CST - US: House committee subpoenas Hallmark/Westland CEO - (Meatingplace.com)
The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight voted unanimously Wednesday to subpoena Steven Mendell, CEO of Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co., the company responsible for the largest beef recall in U.S. history. Mendell was invited to testify before the committee at a hearing last week (See Humane Society grilled on not advising USDA about Hallmark on Meatingplace.com, Feb. 26, 2008.), but did not attend.
Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:28:00 CST - US: Schools left in dark after beef recall - (USA Today)
The massive recall of beef last month thrust school cafeterias into "uncharted territory" over food safety, prompting leading food service directors to question whether the federal government's alert system is adequate to keep unsafe food off cafeteria lines. Based on prepared congressional testimony to be delivered today, two officials with the School Nutrition Association are expected to urge the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to update its recall communications system. Delays in getting complete information about the recall of 143 million pounds of beef from the Westland/Hallmark Meat Co. in Chino, Calif., kept school food officials in the dark about details, officials say. "Until all products are properly disposed, we will be traveling uncharted territory in making sure we obtain all information from all sources that are available to us," says Dora Rivas, director of child nutrition for Dallas schools. Rivas says 12 days passed from Feb. 5, the day she heard from the state commodity office about a recall of one type of ground beef, which she pulled, to Feb. 17, the day the USDA announced the full Westland recall. She says it wasn't until Feb. 22 that Dallas knew the full extent of the recall and pulled all of the affected beef.
Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:26:00 CST - CANADIAN consumers wary of food safety: focus groups - (The Ottawa Citizen)
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=e42444e6-c0dd-4e13-b623-ebdb0e87045c A study commissioned by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and based on eight focus group sessions concluded that consumer confidence in the safety of Canada's food supply is "moderate and precarious." The study also found that Canadians are far more worried about the long-term impact of things like pesticides and chemicals in food than they are about traditional concerns such as E. coli and salmonella. The focus group research was conducted in four cities -- Calgary, Toronto, Halifax and Montreal -- by the Montreal public opinion firm Les Etudes de Marché Créatec between Nov. 24 and 29. Its report was posted to a government website this week. A study by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency found Canadians are far more worried about things like pesticides and chemicals in food than they are about such things as E.coli and salmonella. Food safety, the study says, was seen by focus group participants as a "highly relevant and important personal issue for Canadian consumers, dominated by questions, doubts, uncertainties and sometimes fears." The consumer view of food safety in Canada is "favourable, but fragile," the study says. "While the safety of the food supply was thought to fall within acceptable limits, people indicated that anxiety was just below the surface, ready to quickly emerge." Long-term effects from things like pesticides, chemicals, genetically modified organisms, hormones in meat and dairy products, and lingering worries about mad cow disease are of much greater concern to consumers than foodborne illnesses or food poisoning, the study concludes. The report says, "The traditional concerns about food safety appear to have given place to newer, unknown, long-term and more threatening issues" (or Canada is stuck in 1987 -- dp). Focus group participants expressed "many questions, doubts and uncertainties" about the integrity of food inspectors and the efficiency of the food inspection system. "Food inspections directly impacted consumer confidence in food, mainly in a negative way," the study says. Doubts about the integrity of inspectors and the system were highest in the food service sector, followed closely by the food industry as a whole. Overall, consumers had low confidence in imported food, which they view as a "major threat" to the safety of the food supply. People saw globalization as a cause of declining food quality and associated food imports with third-world countries (like California and Florida -- dp) There was also "unanimous concern" about products that use genetically modified organisms because of their unknown cumulative effects on health and on the food supply. The study says a "high level of anxiety emerged about plastics and food containers -- people were puzzled and uncertain about what to do." Consumers also believe meat and poultry contain "harmful and highly hazardous substances added by the food industry," the study says. "The perceived health risks of meat and poultry were long-term, unknown and scary, while short-term risks were seen as acceptable, for now." (when is E. coli O157:H7 acceptable? -- dp) Chemicals, additives and shelf-life extending agents such as preservatives and packaging were perceived as serious health risks, and many questioned the truth of "best before" dates. Also of concern was the use of calorie-cutting substitutes such as aspartame, which was seen by participants to be a carcinogen. Food labels were a source of confusion for consumers, the study found. "Often misunderstood, they created frustration and mistrust." The study advises the government to be proactive in communicating food safety information. "Not doing this and only communicating when there is a problem (i.e. a food alert or recall) gives the impression that the government is reacting and therefore consumer confidence is more at risk." The story says that the Food Inspection Agency will use the study's findings to improve its communications with consumers about food safety, raise awareness of its roles and responsibilities, and inform future public opinion research.
Thu, 06 Mar 2008 12:10:00 CST - GEORGIA: Gwinnett Restaurant scores '13' on health inspection - (WSBTV.com)
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/15504814/detail.html?rss=atl&psp=news A Gwinnett County restaurant has received the lowest health inspection score ever given in that county -- a 13 out of 100. Officials shut down the Mar Y Tierra Family Mexican Restaurant at 521 Indian Trail Road in Lilburn after finding numerous violations. The restaurant was not in compliance when it came to sewage and waste water being properly disposed, adequate hand-washing facilities being supplied and accessible or personal cleanliness according to the report. Health inspectors said they found a bin of raw chicken stored over vegetables that were going to be served without cooking and black mold lining the inside of a cooler.. The restaurant is closed and its license has been suspended. The manager told Channel 2 the restaurant's food is clean. He said they wre having small problems with their freezer leaking and refrigerator not working. The manager also said he believes they got a low score because they weren't aware of the state's new foodservice code.
Thu, 06 Mar 2008 12:09:00 CST - CALIFORNIA: Raw-milk law enforced for 1st time - (Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8472500?nclick_check=1 When California's raw milk dairies learned about new legislation tightening safety standards for their unpasteurized milk and cream, they - alongside passionate raw milk devotees - bitterly lobbied against mandates they believed would destroy their business. Now, according to this story, their fears are starting to be realized. The story says that State agriculture officials have temporarily banned the sale of raw cream from the Organic Pastures dairy in Fresno, citing bacteria levels of up to 150 times the legal limit. They also have warned a Watsonville dairy, Claravale Farm, that it faces a similar ban if its raw skim milk or raw cream fails another inspection. The ban marks the state's first enforcement of the controversial raw milk law that took effect Jan. 1. And it could reignite last year's fierce political and legal battles over its requirement that raw milk meet the same safety standards as pasteurized milk. Mark McAfee, Organic Pastures' founder and owner, along with Claravale Farm, is suing to overturn the law. He says the action will help propel his lawsuit through the courts now that he is facing economic losses. McAfee was quoted as saying, "I was actually looking forward to this day. We're losing $10,000 a week on cream we can't sell." The sales ban on Organic Pastures' raw cream will last until two new cream samples tested within the same week meet state standards. McAfee said those tests were conducted on Sunday and Monday and that he's expecting results soon. The cream that could not be sold is being made into butter to be sold at stores like Whole Foods, which carries Organic Pastures products, McAfee said. The story explains that under the new state law, to avoid a sales ban raw milk dairies must pass three of every five inspections of samples of their milk products, including whole milk, skim milk, cream and colostrum, a type of milk produced by cows for newborn calves. Before Jan. 1, raw milk was tested for dangerous bacteria such as salmonella, but dairies were not required to provide counts of other classes of bacteria. The story notes that from 1998 to 2005, raw milk and cheese were implicated in 39 disease outbreaks nationwide that sickened 831 adults and children, hospitalized 66 and killed one, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Mark Barbieri, manager of the Whole Foods supermarket in Campbell, was cited as saying the temporary ban on Organic Pastures cream would not scare him away from his raw milk habit. California's new raw milk safety standards allow no more than 10 coliform bacteria per milliliter, the same requirement for pasteurized milk. Coliform bacteria include those that aid digestion as well as those that cause disease. Dairy scientist John Bruhn, professor emeritus at the University of California-Davis' Department of Food Science and Technology, was cited as saying their presence is not necessarily a predictor of food-borne illness, but high levels can indicate a sanitation problem. In one raw cream sample taken from Organic Pastures on Feb. 6, the overall bacteria count was 250,000 per gram, with coliform bacteria numbering 1,500 per gram - which Bruhn suggested could indicate a sanitation problem at the dairy. Milk destined for pasteurization, he said, should have less than 50,000 total bacteria per milliliter or gram. In 2006, five children were infected with E. coli bacteria linked to Organic Pastures' raw milk. Some suffered bloody diarrhea; others, kidney failure. The dairy is now facing lawsuits from two families affected by the outbreak. The dairy's raw cream was recalled in September 2007 after listeria was found in a sample, although no illnesses were reported. Then, in November and December, state public health officials investigated reports of a campylobacter bacterial outbreak that sickened five people who drank Organic Pastures raw milk. State epidemiologist Dr. Gil Chavez was quoted as saying, "The link appears suspicious, but it's just not something we can prove. Our message still is that consuming raw milk carries a risk." McAfee was quoted as saying, "I invite (the agriculture department) to keep on sticking me in the ribs because it keeps increasing our sales. It stirs up the grass roots."
Thu, 06 Mar 2008 12:08:00 CST - NOVA SCOTIA: Cockburn here to promote food safety - (The Chronicle Herald)
http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1042207.html http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/2008/03/articles/food-safety-communication/bruce-cockburn-and-food-safety/index.html TRURO Canadian musician Bruce Cockburn comes to Truro on Friday to help kick off the four-day Real Food, Farming and Flowers weekend focused on food security and related issues, both locally and globally. The story says that Mr. Cockburn, who recently returned from a USC Canada trip to Nepal, will also be in Halifax on Saturday night for the Food Sovereignty and Biodiversity event at the Garrison Brewery on Marginal Road. Mark Austin, co-organizer of the Truro and Halifax events, was quoted as saying by phone Wednesday from his home near Truro that, "I believe, as many do right now, we have to find a way to reconnect. Theres a lot of talk about buying locally, growing your own food and supporting farmers markets," with where our food comes from. Along with that, we need to produce food in a sustainable way. In other words, Im not a great believer in industrial farming and processed foods." Mr. Cockburn will discuss farming in Nepal and West Africa when he speaks on Friday during a community gathering from 7 to 9 p.m. at St. Andrews United Church on King Street in Truro. The story adds that events conclude Monday with a seminar entitled Challenges of Organic Integrity in a World of GMOs and Nanotechnology. Pat Mooney, an agricultural biodiversity activist, is featured and the talk begins at noon in Room C24 of the Cox Institute at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College.
Thu, 06 Mar 2008 12:07:00 CST
