Agence France Press reports today that squirrel eaters in the U.S. state of New Jersey have been told that the bushy-tailed rodents are likely safe to eat, after earlier being advised the unlikely delicacies could contain toxic metals.

The Environmental Protection Agency said earlier this year it had discovered high levels of lead in a squirrel taken from near a waste dump in the Ringwood area and advised people to eat the rodents no more than twice a week.

Officials have now said the test results were an error.

The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife describes squirrel as "good table fare," offering recipes for squirrel chowder, stew and barbecue.

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We had our first, monthly, Food Science Café, last night, and while numbers were small, I still believe that, if you build it, they will come.

As long as it's useful.

Adrianna Deweese of the Kansas State Collegian wrote that Douglas Powell, scientific director of the International Food Safety Network at K-State, said the purpose of the monthly discussions is to talk about food safety and science in a different setting than a classroom.

Powell showed his meat thermometer to those in attendance, and said it is important to get a digital, instant-read, tip-sensitive meat thermometer, which costs about $12.

"Lots of people use it for whole birds or roasts, but I think it's more important actually for the burgers and the ground beef," Powell said. "Ten years ago I would have never used one, but now I feel naked when I don't - I feel vulnerable."

When he is asked at a restaurant how he would like his hamburger cooked, Powell said he responds he would like it "160," meaning he would like it cooked to 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Food color often is a poor indicator of when it is properly cooked, Powell said. K-State food-safety research has found about 25 percent of tested hamburgers turned brown before they reached a safe temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit, he said.

"We're always just trying to find one way to put information out and take information in," he said. "We're just always trying to find new ways to get it out there so we have fewer sick people."

The network also has several blogs at www.donteatpoop.k-state.edu and
barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu. Powell also wore a T-shirt Monday night that said "ne mangez pas de caca," which is French for "Don't eat poop."

"It's had more effect than anything else," Powell said of the message.

Angela Dodd, senior in food science, was quoted as saying Food Science Café discussions are

"a great way for students to become aware of what's going on in the media about food safety. Food pertains to everybody, and it's a part of everybody's life."

I didn't really like the long table set-up. Next month, we're probably going to do it in the on-campus bowling alley. Only place to get a beer at K-State.

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This week in the podcast we look at:

• Hepatitis A in Calgary
• More beef recalls
• Salmonella in Georgia

iFSN podcast 10.26.07

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The multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections linked to the Topps Meat Company has been traced back to a defunct Alberta company that apparently provided beef trim to Topps.

At this point, there is just (collaborative -- ha) competing press releases from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Americans say,

that on October 25, the CFIA provided FSIS with PFGE patterns, or DNA fingerprints, from tests of beef trim from a Canadian firm, Ranchers Beef, Ltd., Canadian establishment number 630. This firm provided trim to the Topps Meat Company. While the firm, which had been located in Balzac, Alberta, ceased operations on August 15, 2007, some product remained in storage and was collected and tested by CFIA as part of the joint investigation of the Topps recall and as part of CFIA's own investigation into 45 illnesses in Canada from E. coli O157:H7.

Today, PulseNet provided verification to FSIS that this PFGE pattern matched those from patients who were ill and from positive tests conducted by the New York Department of Health on product (both intact packages and open packages from patients' homes) that was later recalled by the Topps Meat Company on September 29. PulseNet is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) searchable database of all PFGE patterns from patients and food products in the United States.

As of October 26, CDC reported 40 illnesses under investigation in 8 states, with 21 known hospitalizations. The latest onset of illness is September 24, 2007. This summer was the first time this rare PFGE pattern had been seen in North America.

The Canadian version said that

 the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) are currently investigating possible linkages between E. coli cases that occurred earlier this summer in Canada.  The Canadians didn't even mention the company. Might be bad for business -- except the company is already defunct.

The investigation is examining 45 cases of E. coli O157:H7 that were found in New Brunswick, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Ontario and British Columbia. These cases were previously reported from July to September, 2007. As a result of these cases, eleven people were hospitalized and one elderly individual died.

There are lots of questions here. My guess is that CFIA didn't figure the cases were linked till someone uploaded the PFGEs to PulseNet -- run by the Americans -- and the Americans said, uh, you've got an outbreak linked to the same source. And the only reason CFIA went public today, at it's usual 6 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, when lots have people have gone off for the weekend, is because the Americans said we're going public. We have too. Canada doesn't. 45 sick people linked and 1 dead and this is the first public comment from CFIA. Hopeless.

But maybe I'm wrong. I look forward to thorough public disclosure from CFIA.

And of course, CFIA had to go and say,

Canadians are reminded that a number of simple steps should be taken when cooking with ground beef to reduce the likelihood of E. coli. Specifically, thoroughly cooking the meat and using safe handling practices can reduce the risk of illness.

Food safety isn't simple, or there wouldn't be so many sick people.

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That's the snappy name the U.K. is using for restaurant inspection disclosure across the entire country.

For instance, one story reports that food hygiene standards at more than 60 catering outlets across Bradford district, UK, have been graded very poor and their staff had "little or no appreciation of food safety."

The results released and posted on the website www.scoresonthedoors.org, give each outlet a grading of between none and five stars.

The story notes that the prestigious Ilkley Golf Club in Nesfield Road, where top golfer Colin Montgomerie learned to play and names former European Ryder Cup captain Mark James as an honorary member, was among those retaurants given no stars -- the lowest ranking possible.

The council's grading system defines no stars as a performance level very poor' and that club staff show "a general failure to comply with legal requirements" and "little or no appreciation of food safety."
Inspectors also found that there was "little" confidence in management.

Ratings for all the catering outlets the inspectors visited are available at www.scoresonthedoors.org.uk.

We're all for restaurant inspection disclosure, not because it necessarily enhances the microbial safety of food, but it does contribute to a food safety culture.

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A food handler at a McDonald's restaurant in Calgary, AB was diagnosed with hepatitis A this week, resulting a risk of exposure to thousands of customer who ate there between October 1 and 23.
There has been a bunch of coverage locally and nationally.  While watching Canada AM this morning I caught this on the Crawl; "Thousands exposed to Hep A at Calgary McDonald's" The Calgary Herald, and Calgary Sun both covered the story today. 

From the Herald:

Ron Thompkins, who drives a semi-trailer truck in the area and eats at that McDonald's almost everyday, plans to get vaccinated. "This really sucks," he said, explaining that he's concerned about the cleanliness of McDonald's in general. "The bathrooms are very dirty. The toilets are filthy. It needs to be cleaned more."

I think it's interesting that Thompkins brings up that he's concerned about how often the bathrooms are cleaned, and still eats at the McDonald's almost every day. I'm not surprised, likely the safety of the food at this location was never in question for Tompkins until the hep A news hit -- that's an assumption I'm making based on him eating there often. Now he's been told about the risk and he's voicing something he noticed but didn't think was a problem.  This is one of the problems food safety communicators face -- though around 1 in 4 people get sick each year,  events like these are still quite rare, and only when they occur do some individuals (consumers, staff, managers) really take notice.

For today's iFSN infosheet sheet, we used the story as the hook, and focused on what food handlers can do.  Hep a is more problematic for businesses than other pathogens because staff can have and pass on the virus without showing symptoms, and even if the food handler is a handwashing superstar you are going to have a line up outside your restaurant (or at the health unit/clinic) while patrons get their post-exposure shots.  So maybe the answer for some businesses is to require (and possibly pay for) hep A vaccines for food handlers.  Staff turnover, lack of protection from other bugs and the cost are problems, but vaccinations may be worth requiring to keep your company out of the newspaper.

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I don't.

But for those who do, Health Enterprises, Inc. is launching the UV Toothbrush Sanitizer
which uses ultraviolet light to kill 99% of the germs and bacteria that incubate on a toothbrush including E. coli, Salmonella and Streptococcus.

In case you missed the claim to fame, Brendan Leonard, senior director of sales and marketing at Health Enterprises said,

"We introduced the UV Toothbrush Sanitizer to help keep people healthy by killing 99% of the germs and bacteria that incubate on a toothbrush, including E. coli, Salmonella and Streptococcus. This is especially important during the fall and winter as this product can help kill the germs that make people sick."

The 99 per cent reduction claim is a nice marketing concept for those who forgot intro biology and the logarithmic growth of bacteria.

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MSNBC got “Health” magazine senior editor Frances Largeman-Roth to identify the 12 germiest places you’re likely to encounter during an average day.

Lists make nice water cooler chatter, like the top 25 Canadian albums (and Canadians are still apologizing for Bryan Adams and Celine Dion), but some references would bolster the credibility of the germy list. And what is germiest?




 
1. Your kitchen sink
2. Airplane bathrooms
3. A load of wet laundry
4. Public drinking fountains
5. Shopping cart handles
6. ATM buttons
7. Your handbag
8. Playgrounds
9. Mats and machines at health clubs
10. Your bathtub
11. Your office phone
12. The hotel-room remote control

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According to a media release on the New South Wales Food Authority website, the Iemma Government has issued a warning for consumers not to drink raw or unpasteurised milk marketed as pet food or for “cosmetic” use as it is a potential health hazard.

Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald was cited as saying that the NSW Food Authority had received complaints from the public that rogue retailers are selling deceptively labelled unpasteurised milk as a product fit for human consumption.

“To put it simply, any dairy products labelled as ‘pet food’ or ‘for cosmetic use’, have not been through the Food Authority’s stringent food safety management programs and I would urge consumers not to buy them,” Minister Macdonald was quoted as saying.

The Iemma Government through the NSW Food Authority is currently investigating reports of several retailers illegally selling raw milk for human consumption. The sale of these types of raw dairy products for human consumption is illegal in Australia. The Food Act provides penalties of up to $275,000 for the sale of unpasteurised milk. A similar warning was issued in September by Dairy Food Safety Victoria when it found some retailers in that State were engaging in the same practice.

For a summary of raw milk outbreaks click here.

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According to icWales, the best source for Welsh news, the latest food fad to hit Wales is... RAW milk.

Sold in green-topped bottles, farm shops in Wales are said to be reporting a sharp increases in sales.

Steve Oultram, who owns Newbridge Farm Shop in Ewloe, was cited as saying that his family had been selling raw milk for more than 50 years, but had noticed that it had become more popular recently.

He was quoted as saying, “There’s no doubt that the demand for raw milk is increasing all the time as more people are made aware of it. We have people coming here from considerable distances ... We’ve even started sending it out through mail order because of the demand.”

Mr Oultram was further cited as saying that some of his customers had used the milk to help them combat illnesses. “One person who used to come to us had quite an advanced cancer. She said that the milk was helping so much that she wasn’t having to take as much medicine. And another guy has been buying it for his son who has bad eczema, and he’s said that it’s made a tremendous difference.”

The story notes that there have been reports raw milk could be banned in Wales and England – as it has been in Scotland for more than 20 years. Legislation introduced in January this year means that Welsh retailers of raw milk must now have a licence, as well as carry a warning on the bottle that the milk is not pasteurised. Also, they are also forced by the Food Standards Agency to have a sample of the milk tested every three months to check that it contains no harmful bacteria.

With proper testing, it may be possible to offer a safe, unpasteurized product to the consuming public. But the onus is on producers to show the rest of us that data. Adults, do whatever you think works, but please, don't impose your dietary regimes on your kids. For a summary of raw milk outbreaks click here.

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Aftenposten reported Friday that two patients at the National Hospital in Oslo, Norway, died as a result of an infection linked to listeria and another 12 have been sickened since Oct. 1.

Hospital officials were cited as saying the source of the bacteria has not yet been pinpointed, but they said it may have come from contaminated cold food, possibly cheese. All refrigerated food at the hospital has been discarded, but officials said new cases may still arise as the bacteria's incubation period can last for up to a month.

Pregnant women, newborns and adults with weakened immune systems are especially susceptible to listeria. A recent Australian study found that over half of expectant mothers received no information about the risks associated with listeria and certain foods.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommendations for persons at high risk, such as pregnant women and persons with weakened immune systems, includes:

-Do not eat hot dogs, luncheon meats, or deli meats, unless they are reheated until steaming hot.

-Avoid getting fluid from hot dog packages on other foods, utensils, and food preparation surfaces, and wash hands after handling hot dogs, luncheon meats, and deli meats.

-Do not eat soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, and Camembert, blue-veined cheeses, or Mexican-style cheeses such as queso blanco, queso fresco, and Panela, unless they have labels that clearly state they are made from pastuerized milk.

-Do not eat refrigerated pâtés or meat spreads. Canned or shelf-stable pâtés and meat spreads may be eaten.

-Do not eat refrigerated smoked seafood, unless it is contained in a cooked dish, such as a casserole. Refrigerated smoked seafood, such as salmon, trout, whitefish, cod, tuna or mackerel, is most often labeled as "nova-style," "lox," "kippered," "smoked," or "jerky." The fish is found in the refrigerator section or sold at deli counters of grocery stores and delicatessens. Canned or shelf-stable smoked seafood may be eaten.

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Aftenposten reported Friday that two patients at the National Hospital in Oslo, Norway, died as a result of an infection linked to listeria and another 12 have been sickened since Oct. 1.

Hospital officials said the source of the bacteria has not yet been pinpointed, but it may have come from contaminated cold food, possibly cheese. All refrigerated food at the hospital has been discarded, but officials said new cases may still arise as the bacteria's incubation period can last for up to a month.

Pregnant women, newborns and adults with weakened immune systems are especially susceptible to listeria. A recent Australian study found that over half of expectant mothers received no information about the risks associated with listeria and certain foods.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommendations for persons at high risk, such as pregnant women and persons with weakened immune systems, includes:

-Do not eat hot dogs, luncheon meats, or deli meats, unless they are reheated until steaming hot.

-Avoid getting fluid from hot dog packages on other foods, utensils, and food preparation surfaces, and wash hands after handling hot dogs, luncheon meats, and deli meats.

-Do not eat soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, and Camembert, blue-veined cheeses, or Mexican-style cheeses such as queso blanco, queso fresco, and Panela, unless they have labels that clearly state they are made from pastuerized milk.

-Do not eat refrigerated pâtés or meat spreads. Canned or shelf-stable pâtés and meat spreads may be eaten.

-Do not eat refrigerated smoked seafood, unless it is contained in a cooked dish, such as a casserole. Refrigerated smoked seafood, such as salmon, trout, whitefish, cod, tuna or mackerel, is most often labeled as "nova-style," "lox," "kippered," "smoked," or "jerky." The fish is found in the refrigerator section or sold at deli counters of grocery stores and delicatessens. Canned or shelf-stable smoked seafood may be eaten.

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Tracy Hughes has a bone to pick with television shows.

People rarely wash their hands

Hughes writes in British Columbia's Salmon Arm Observer that,

on medical dramas, you almost never see hand-washing unless it is a top-notch surgeon scrubbing up before he goes into the operating room and a nurse whispers some tragic secret to him just before he has to complete the first-ever super-duper, resection of the quadruple nerve -ending bypass.

What really gets Hughes is the number of scenes that place characters in washrooms and they don’t wash -- even after they use the toilet.

I agree. When we looked at TV chefs a few years ago, very few washed their hands. There was a food safety infraction on average every four minutes.

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CBS News did a puff piece tonight on probiotics and somehow equated the beneficial bacteria in fermented products like yoghurt with the bacteria found in raw milk. I'm not sure salmonella, campylobacter, listeria and E. coli O157:H7 would count as probiotics.


 I'm not sure the kids sickened in all the outbreaks linked to raw milk would think they got a load of beneficial bacteria.

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David Novak, the 54-year-old chairman, chief executive officer and president of Louisville, KY-based Yum! Brands said in a Restaurants and Institutions Q&A that the take-away lesson in his new book, Education of an Accidental CEO: Lessons Learned from the Trailer Park to the Corner Office, that

"the key to growing is to be an eager learner. One cutting-edge difference in the best leaders I’ve been around is that they truly are avid learners."

Novak also says that, "There’s no way you can achieve success without knowing your stuff."

Dude, you serve food in 5,000 KFCs, 5,000 Taco Bells and 7,000 Pizza Huts in the U.S.. You also stress the Yum culture. When you were asked, What can kill a culture? you responded,

"It’s people saying one thing and doing something different. That’s what’s death."

Especially when it comes to food safety. Taco Bell's performance in the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak last fall involving lettuce -- no, it wasn't the green onions -- raises questions about how well Taco Bell knew their food safety stuff, and restaurant inspection results like this Pizza Hut in Witchita, KS, wonder how much people are saying one thing and doing another.

Novak says,

"The biggest thing I think we did in making our company come alive was to train people on our How We Work Together Leadership Principles [customer focus, belief in people, recognition, coaching and support, accountability, excellence, positive energy and teamwork]. We developed a comprehensive training program that we rolled out around the world. We put process and discipline around culture."

How about food safety culture?

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Despite being universally panned by critics and avoided by moviegoers, I finally saw Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector while editing news the other night. Sure it's terrible and deserves its #87 ranking in IMDb's Bottom 100, but it has some food safety moments.

When Larry's partner, Amy Butlin, asks,

"How did you become a health inspector? I mean working for the government, it sounds so exciting?"

Larry responds:

"Well, I gotta tell ya, Keepin people from blowin' chunks and crappin' on themselves is pretty much all I've ever been good at. I mean, no one really knows the responsibility I carry around."

Favorite line? After ingesting some tainted food, Larry proclaims:

"My stomach ain't felt this bad since I got the fish sticks out of the vending machine at the Phillips 66."

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US Food Safety and Inspection Service is co-hosting a public meeting on non-O157 E. coli tomorrow.

FSIS's press release from October states: "Currently only one strain, E. coli O157:H7 is considered an adulterant in meat. The CDC has reported an increase in the number of non-O157:H7 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections from 2000 to 2005. Outbreaks from these organisms have been reported in the U.S. since 1990, and foodborne exposures have been suspected in many of these outbreaks.
The purpose of the meeting is to solicit input from academia, consumers, other public health and regulatory agencies and industry on the issue of whether non-O157:H7 STECs should be considered to be adulterants as E. coli O157:H7."

This meeting strikes me as a cool thing -- publicly discussing whether to increase the adulterant list in an open and transparent way.  This meeting has led to us to pull together a selection of non-O157 outbreaks (not just the STEC ones), which can be found below, and the USDA has posted a table of 13 non-O157 STEC outbreaks (page 40), which we have reproduced below.

Wonder how the conagra pot-pie outbreak recall/non-recall would have played out had strains of Salmonella been declared adulterants, or if the Topps outbreak driven recall would have changed if  E. coli O157:H7 wasn't an adulterant.

For barfblog readers in the D.C. area the public meeting will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2007, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the George Mason University Arlington campus, 3401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 244, Arlington, Va., 22201.

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The first monthly Food Science Cafe will be 7-9 p.m. Monday, Oct. 29, at the Bluestem Bistro, 1219 Moro, in Manhattan's Aggieville district.

Everyone is invited to attend this public conversation about food safety, hosted by Douglas Powell, K-State associate professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology and scientific director of the International
Food Safety Network.

"Food safety affects all of us from farm-to-fork," Powell said. "People can come in grab a coffee or other beverage and just chat about their concerns. The first Food Science Cafe will also give me an overview of what the community is concerned about in order to better plan speakers for the next gatherings. The Food Science Cafe will be an opportunity to
learn, have fun, meet new people and have an enjoyable evening; that's really what it's all about."

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Magna Medical Services (MMS) is pumping out the press releases following high profile outbreaks.  These dudes have been around for a while, and usually after every outbreak they fire out something about testing your food with their high-powered testing.  Today's says:

With the recent string of food recalls, food and health retailers are scrambling to offer instant food testing kits for E.coli and Salmonella manufactured by Magna Medical Services, Inc. MMS Quick Results Food Testing Kits are home food test kits for E.coli and Salmonella.
“Retailers will be able to sell home kits for E.coli and Salmonella to clients that need to quickly check their food areas and food products for possible bacteria outbreaks,” says Robert Greene, General Manager for Magna Medical Services, Inc “This is a product that should be right next to every home first aid kit.

They also put out releases following the 2006 spinach-linked E. coli O157:H7 outbreak, and another that cites "recent E. coli outbreaks that have affected the Northeastern United States" back in January.  Seem to be capitalizing on public interest in food safety, but I have lots of questions about the product.

Does this product even work (and how would we know)?
Where is the data (because it's not on their website)?
How sensitive is it? 
What's the utility of using quick strips on food in your home? 
How do you sample food in your house?
What would happen if a firm,or a temporary food stand, or my mom used these strips, the results showed no contamination, and the food still resulted in an outbreak?

Maybe it's a good tool, but without some of these questions answered I file MMS into the huckster category, capitalizing on food safety hysteria. Maybe MMS have some good answers, and I welcome any comments on this product here on barfblog.

Some of my food microbiologist friends are struggling with figuring out the best way to use traditional, labour-intensive methods of sampling different foods (especially produce) and there are disagreements on sample preparation. Seems MMS has got it all figured out.  And only for "less than $4 USD"

I think what MMS is trying to sell is a magic bullet -- test with our strips and you can be sure about your food.  And without the data, I'm not sure they can say that, I don't believe that there are magic bullets in food safety, it's not that simple.

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The Manhattan -- Kansas, that is -- Mercury today looked into ongoing problems at local schools and the continuing spread of staph infections.

The Riley County Health Department found that a couple of schools, including MHS West, lacked soap and paper towels.

So I wrote this to the local paper:

Proper handwashing is the most effective way to control the spread of infectious diseases, including avian influenza, norovirus, and the staphylococcus apparently running through Manhattan High School's west campus (Taking the temperature of problems in the West Campus building, Oct. 14/07

But proper handwashing requires access to the proper tools.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimates that up to 25 per cent of the 76 million annual cases of foodborne illness in the U.S. could be eliminated with proper handwashing.

Based on the available evidence, proper handwashing consists of:
• wet hands with water;
• use soap;
• lather all over hands by scrubbing vigorously, creating friction, reaching all areas of the hands, wrists and between fingers;
• rinse hands; and,
• dry hands, preferably with paper towel.

Studies have concluded that dangerous bacteria could survive handwashing with soap and water if hands were not dried thoroughly with paper towels. The friction created when drying hands with paper towel removes additional microorganisms.

Last month, the Western Mail in Wales stated that the conditions in some Welsh schools, outlined in the final report of an E. coli O157 outbreak in 2005 that left a five-year-old dead and over 100 sick, would shame the Third World, adding, "It’s time to ensure children are not placed in environments which are breeding grounds for disease … to tolerate a situation where schools do not have toilet rolls, soap or hot water is reprehensible."

Similarly, lack of soap and paper towels exacerbated the effects of a norovirus outbreak that sickened over 150 students at a university residence in Ontario in 2006.

Age and the demands of modern education are no excuse for providing the basic tools for sanitation.

Proper handwashing begins with access to proper tools. That is why soap and paper towels are a necessary requirement for any public bathroom.

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The Scotsman is reporting that trials in a Scottish hospital have shown patients suffering from Clostridium difficile infections can be cured using human faeces -- a 'donor stool' administered via a tube through the nose into their stomach.

Clostridium difficile is a particular problem among patients who have been prescribed strong antibiotics as they also wipe out the so-called 'friendly' disease-fighting bacteria in the intestine. Faecal 'transplants', as they are known, are believed to restore the bacteria to levels at which they help the recovery process.

Doctors involved in the trials admit there are "obvious aesthetic problems" in the treatment, which involves patients ingesting a liquidised sample of faeces from a partner or close relative.

Despite the positive results, doctors stress that they still regard the faecal transplant as a "last resort" because it is cumbersome and the idea of is unpleasant.

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This week in the podcast we highlight:

• Pot pie - Salmonella recall
• Listeria - Chicken recall
• Fighting food borne illness
• Salmonella and lettuce

iFSN podcast 10.12.07

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There are hundreds of frozen products available at retail containing potentially hazardous food; some are fully cooked; some aren't.

This is one example. The Kroger Chicken Kiev label states it's "Microwavable," but also says, UNCOOKED; Keep Frozen; Cook to an Internal Temperature of 165F as measured by a thermometer."

On the back, the microwave instructions say the time estimates are for a 1,000 W microwave, which is more specific than the high, medium or low on the ConAgra Banquet pot pies. I found out our microwave is 1150 W, but don't know if that is high, medium or low.

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My wife Amy says she ate a lot of pot pies growing up in Montana and "they were always frozen in the middle."

Kids come home from school, are told to fend for themselves, grab something from the freezer, pop it into the microwave, and sometimes, instant gratification.

People have been eating frozen pot pies for a long time and haven't gotten sick.

But somehow, a whole pile of poop  -- that's where salmonella comes from -- got into the batch of ConAgra Banquet turkey and chicken pot pies with the code P9 on the side panel.

It was either a failure to cook the meat, or it was in the potatoes or carrots or flour. Poop is everywhere. It should not be eaten; unless it's cooked.

Until last night, when ConAgra finally recalled all pot pies produced at its Missouri plant, the company insisted it was up to consumers to cook that poop.

But are consumers really the ones who are supposed to be responsible here?

Stephanie Childs, a spokesperson for ConAgra, says that as long as consumers follow the instructions on the package, Banquet brand frozen pot pies are safe to eat.

Amy questions that. So do the 152 people across the U.S. confirmed with Salmonella linked to the ConAgra pot pies. With that many sick people, of which 20 required hospitalization, there were probably thousands of people barfing or planted on the porcelain throne because they could not figure out how to follow the simple instructions to make the poop safe.

So I gave it a try.

The details are available at:
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/2007/10/articles/food-safety-communication/cooking-a-frozen-pot-pie-in-a-microwave/

The short version is, the cooking instructions, for me, in one trial, failed to yield a safe internal temperature of 165F; the pie only got to 148F. That's not safe. If salmonella was there, it would make me poop.

ConAgra was somehow allowed to blame consumers for several days -- if not months -- for the poop in their pot pies.

Now ConAgra says it is going to rewrite its cooking instructions on its pot pie packaging -- something that should have done before 152 people started barfing.

But why just pot pies? There is a cacophony of frozen, raw or cooked products available in the supermarket freezer section, and there have been several outbreaks of foodborne illness related to those products containing raw ingredients.

In 2006 the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued guidelines requiring companies to clearly label uncooked products and include a statement such as "must be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F as measured by use of a thermometer" in a prominent spot on the package.

But it's still confusing. Raw, frozen, chicken strips, for instance, are sold side-by-side with fully cooked, frozen chicken strips. Kids looking for an after-school snack may not read the label instructions before popping something in the microwave. And telling consumers to cook out the poop may not be the best marketing strategy.

Frozen products like nuggets, strips and pot pies should only contain fully cooked ingredients.

Douglas Powell is scientific director of the International Food Safety Network at Kansas State University.

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Kent Sepkowitz, a physician in New York City who writes about medicine, writes in Slate.com that,

"… one year ago, the now-famous E. coli outbreak arising from contaminated spinach rattled the natural-food industry and gave carnivores a moment of schadenfreude. The story had the heartbreaking elements we have come to dread: A young child eats something mundane and dies a horrid death. Boom, gone. I have (unsuccessfully) treated one such case and rate it as perhaps the most chilling moment of my career.

"With every outbreak, the same question sounds: Why can't we keep the food chain clean? … The best response to E. coli and the other pathogens that cause food poisoning is to recognize, humbly, that we can get the food supply almost perfectly clean, but never completely. There's just too much crap out there: human crap, horse crap, cow crap, pig crap. In the feces of these and other animals are trillions of infectious agents (bacteria, viruses, fungi, worms, and everything else that upsets the stomach). Try as we may to contain the mess, we can never win. Pig dung fouls rivers; cow crap seeps into water tables; human shit kicks back every time heavy rains overwhelm a sewage system's filtration capacity. …

"Rather than frantically throwing money at new ways to eradicate the pathogens that reside in shit, we should fund the boring scientists who focus on untangling the intricacies of the gut's immune system. Labs, answer this: How much shit can we safely eat and, as importantly, how much must we eat to remain healthy?"

While there is some truth in the doctor's comments, humans just aren't smart enough to figure out who is genetically susceptible to the various nasties out there. Maybe the population's immunity can be increased by exposure to some cryptosporidium or salmonella or whatever, but individuals are gonna die. We're gonna lose a few. And we don't know who those few are.

So while we're figuring that out, we have a responsibility to use the science we know to reduce the number of people who get sick from the food and water they consume. And don't eat poop.

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While introducing a Senate motion to block the movement of older Canadian cattle into the U.S., U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) couldn't help himself and played the "safest meat in the world" card.

"American beef is the safest in the world, but increased importation of higher risk Canadian beef and cattle would undermine the confidence of our trading partners and cause further damage to our domestic beef industry."

Observers said it was doubtful the motion would pass.

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The Toronto Star reports that Alex James, 39, bassist with British supergroup Blur and who once billed himself as "the second drunkest member of the drunkest band in Britain," is talking British cheese.

James was quoted as telling The Independent last week that cheese is the new cool, adding,

"The music business is a sinking battleship. It is a complete contrast to the food industry, which is just so buoyant. You simply cannot make a food that is too posh or too expensive."

James' journey through the careful art of curdling milk is the subject of The Cheese Diaries, a series of videos undertaken for The Guardian (and viewable online at YouTube) in tandem with connoisseur Juliet Harbutt, one of Britain's foremost cheese experts.

Harbutt, who occasionally gives lectures on cheese in France, was further quoted as saying the British revival is sometimes galling to Gallic sensibilities "because the French are still totally confident that they invented cheese and are the only ones who make it properly. I enjoy reminding them that they learned it from the Romans, just as England did."

WoooooooooHoooooooooo

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Researchers report in the latest Australian and New Zealand Journal of Health that in a survey of 586 women attending antenatal clinics in one private and two major public hospitals in New South Wales between April and November 2006, more than half received no information on preventing Listeria.

It's long been government advice that pregnant women should avoid soft cheeses, smallgoods, raw seafood and pre-prepared vegetable salads such as coleslaw because of their potential to contain the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes.

Listeria can produce a toxin that crosses the placenta and can cause miscarriages.

Lead researcher Dolly Bondarianzadeh, from the University of Wollongong's School of Health Sciences, said,

"In my experience, food was not high on the list of health risk topics for doctors, nurses and midwives to discuss with clients. Our results show that when it comes to food, women who have enough information and knowledge from a trusted source change their eating behaviour."

"Health professionals who deal with pregnant women should all be raising the importance of educating women about food safety in pregnancy."

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommendations for persons at high risk, such as pregnant women and persons with weakened immune systems, includes:

-Do not eat hot dogs, luncheon meats, or deli meats, unless they are reheated until steaming hot.
-Avoid getting fluid from hot dog packages on other foods, utensils, and food preparation surfaces, and wash hands after handling hot dogs, luncheon meats, and deli meats.
-Do not eat soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, and Camembert, blue-veined cheeses, or Mexican-style cheeses such as queso blanco, queso fresco, and Panela, unless they have labels that clearly state they are made from pastuerized milk.
-Do not eat refrigerated pâtés or meat spreads. Canned or shelf-stable pâtés and meat spreads may be eaten.
-Do not eat refrigerated smoked seafood, unless it is contained in a cooked dish, such as a casserole. Refrigerated smoked seafood, such as salmon, trout, whitefish, cod, tuna or mackerel, is most often labeled as "nova-style," "lox," "kippered," "smoked," or "jerky." The fish is found in the refrigerator section or sold at deli counters of grocery stores and delicatessens. Canned or shelf-stable smoked seafood may be eaten.

The USDA risk assessment for listeria is ready-to-eat foods is available here

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FRPubs/97-013F/ListeriaReport.pdf

and one from the World Health Organization is here.

http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/micro/mra_listeria/en/index.html

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Some students groups are upset after the University of Nebraska at Omaha banned the sale of homemade baked goods on campus.

UNO officials said the ban was put in place due to concerns about food allergies and contaminated food, although there had been no reports of contamination.

While such bans, along with similar attempts to inspect church pot-lucks and other community-based initiatives may seem heavy-handed, the potential for sick people and subsequent liability cannot be ignored.

Anyone who serves, prepares or handles food, in a restaurant, nursing home, day care center, supermarket, local market or yes, even  for a bake sale, needs some basic food safety training. And health inspectors are there to provide some minimal oversight.

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The Black Eyes Peas need new caterers, or food poisoning works as an excuse for celebrities just like mere mortals.

First, Peas rapper, Taboo, was sent to hospital with food poisoning Sept. 13, 2007 in Stockholm.

Perez Hilton reports that last night, lead singer Fergie was noticeably absent from the group's show in El Salvador.

The group’s singer did come out briefly in sweats, a cap and dark sunglasses (left, exactly as shown) and told the crowd that she ate some bad seafood and was not well. She sang one song and back to the vomitorium.

The band has already said they will make it up to the Salvadorian people with another concert real soon.

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A previous post generated several responses, but this is too big to post as a response.
So it's a blog post on its own.

I have been asking Health Canada politely for a decade how they determine consumer recommendations for preparing poultry. What is the best way to thaw poultry? How do they determine the safe end-point internal temperature? What references do they use? (This discussion, like the original Health Canada press release, is specific to consumer practices in the home, not in food service).

I've never received an answer.

So when Health Canada issues press releases saying consumers should do this and not do this, I wonder, what is that based on?

In the U.S. in 2006, the recommended end-point cooking temperature for all poultry was lowered to 165F from the previous 180F. This was based on recommendations by the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods. Where the 180F recommendation came from , no one really knows. Diane Van, manager of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline, was quoted as saying in a Nov. 2006 L.A. Times story about the old 180F advice, "I've looked all over and I really have no idea. I think it happened sometime back in the 1980s, but I don't know what it was based on."

At least that's honest.

In Canada, the Health Canada recommendation for whole poultry is 185F. How was that temperature decided? Are there peer-reviewed journal articles that were used to develop that recommendation? Do bacteria behave differently north of the 49th parallel?

Health Canada says in its Canadian Thanksgiving press release that consumers should,

Use a food thermometer, and cook turkey until the temperature of the thickest part of the breast or thigh is at least 85ºC (185ºF).

A Health Canada press release dated June 21, 2007 says,

Traditional visual cues like colour are not a guarantee that food is safe. Don't guess! (Use) a digital instant-read food thermometer to check when meat and poultry are safe to eat.

Yet a search of the Health Canada website today brought up a suggested dinner recipe that says,

Hot and spicy! Cook boneless chicken strips in a skillet until juices run clear and meat is browned.

Given such inconsistencies, and the utter lack of accountability, why would consumers be expected to blindly follow what some governmental agency proclaims?

Twenty dollars is too much to view the thawing recommendatinos paper. It's below. I can e-mail it as an attachment if you contact me directly. I'll respond to the questions about staph in another post.

And in the Sunflower Bowl this afternoon, Kansas State (ranked 24, but not for long) lost to University of Kansas 30-24.

Lacroix BJ, Li KW, Powell DA. 2003. Consumer food handling recommendations: is thawing of turkey a food safety issue? Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research, 64(2): 59-61.

Comparison of findings for thawing turkey and consumer food handling recommendations: is thawing of turkey a food safety issue?   
Lacroix, B. J., Li, K.W.M. and Powell, D.A.
Abstract
While it is important that dietitians and other health or food professionals provide consistent messages to the public about food safety, it is equally important that the information be evidence-based. Conflicting recommendations are evident when both consumer publications from food safety advisory groups and the scientific literature are reviewed. In addition, there are caveats attached to the various methods. The presence of pathogens, spoilage microorganisms and contamination of the work area are the major concerns in thawing turkey. While several methods including thawing on the counter at ambient temperatures can be employed for thawing turkey, however, it is adequate cooking, validated with a meat thermometer, that is the more critical step. Based on these findings, it is difficult for food and health professionals to provide clients or consumers with clear, consistent, evidence-based messages.  Further research is required to corroborate best practices in a kitchen setting. This paper is of interest to professionals who counsel clients at high-risk for foodborne illness or consumers about safe preparation of foods such as turkey
 Comparison of findings for thawing turkey to consumer food handling recommendations: Is thawing of turkey a safety issue?
Introduction
Inadequate thawing of turkeys, coupled with undercooking was found to be an important factor in many salmonellosis outbreaks (1). Health Canada reports 10,000 - 30,000 actual cases annually of foodborne illness with an estimated number of two million (2, 3). Confounding these estimates is underreporting - acknowledged to be as many 100 unreported cases for each one reported (4). Because Canadians purportedly eat turkey more than once a month (5), there is the potential for mishandling. Canadians also vary in what is deemed safe: in a 1998 study (6), most (87%) thought that thawing turkey in the refrigerator was safe while 5% thought it unsafe and another 57% considered thawing at room temperature to be an unsafe practice while 29% considered it safe.
Pathogens, spoilage microorganisms and contamination of the food preparation area are the major food safety concerns.  There are six methods of thawing, each with it’s own caveat. (Due to space restrictions, not all methods are discussed).
The purpose of this report is to document inconsistencies in home thawing recommendations for turkey and refute the importance placed on these recommendations.
Food Safety Issues
Pathogenic microorganisms associated with turkey include salmonella, campylobacter, staphylococcus and Listeria (7); however, thorough cooking eliminates most pathogens (1).  While not expected to grow in raw turkey (1, 8, 9), staphylococcus when present is generally the consequence of handling by an infected person and illness results because heating will not destroy toxins produced (9). Clostridium perfringens may be of concern because spores, if present in the dressing can survive roasting temperatures and their outgrowth in mishandled stuffing and meat cause foodborne illness (10).
In 1968, the United States Department of Agriculture (11) concluded that ambient air temperature thawing was satisfactory as long as precautions were taken (which were not stated). Beneficial effects of insulating overwraps were also noted. Lee (1) recommended that smaller turkeys, 4.7 kg (10 lb), be thawed at room temperature 23-27ºC (73-80ºF) on the counter no more than 12 hours and a maximum of 18 hours for 11.9 kg (26 lb) turkeys. Even better results were achieved when turkeys were wrapped in 8 sheets of newspaper for 18-20 hours on the counter. The Argentinean experience concluded that thawing chickens at ambient temperatures of 22ºC (72ºF) for 14 hours or less (to an internal temperature of 4.4ºC/40ºF, 3.5 cm/11/3 in. within the breast) was a safe procedure (12).
A longer time is required to thaw turkeys in the refrigerator where the temperatures may vary (12). Consequently, growth of pseudomonas spoilage bacteria (12) causing changes in odour, texture, colour and sliminess may result (9). The possibility of such changes is greater if other directions suggesting 26-33 hours/kg (12-15 hours/lb) for meat/poultry were followed (13). 
A further concern is bringing pathogenic microorganisms into the kitchen that could lead to contamination of surfaces (1) and further cross contamination.
Recommendations
Lee (1) stated that thorough cooking of an unstuffed turkey to 82ºC/180ºF should result in little risk if thawing was complete as any pathogenic vegetative cells present would be destroyed, as well as make it esthetically pleasing. It is presumed that the thawed turkeys will most likely be roasted in an oven.
The current recommendations on thawing poultry developed by different agencies in Canada are similar (5, 13, 14), in that they adamantly state not to thaw at room temperature, (and comment to cook immediately if thawed in the microwave). It is not clear whether these recommendations are based on scientific data or simply someone’s best guess as no references are provided.
Recommended methods such as the use of standing water (5, 14, 15) have not been tested, and the experimental method of running water (1, 12) is not generally recommended in Canada although it is mentioned for “a more rapid thaw” (13), rather than a tested method. However, no one has addressed the large volumes of running water used or the contaminated wastewater that results.
Conclusion   
This paper briefly summarizes the literature currently available for in-home thawing  of               poultry (1, 11, 12).  The studies cautioned about drawing conclusions from direct comparisons because of small sample sizes - often only a single bird per treatment.
As the justification for current thawing recommendations appears inadequate, the question becomes is the emphasis on thawing turkey at refrigerator temperatures warranted. Providing the caveats have been heeded, the need is to cook turkey thoroughly and validate with a meat thermometer. If not completely thawed prior to cooking, adequate end-point temperatures for safety will not be reached within the recommended time given for roasting thawed or fresh turkey. Further, recommended endpoint temperatures vary (1, 8, 14), as do the locations for taking the temperature, all of which may cause confusion for consumers.  There is no information available on how long to cook partially thawed turkey. However, partial cooking of turkey is to be avoided under all circumstances as this could provide ideal conditions for pathogen growth. Further research is necessary to validate best practices in a home kitchen setting. Based on these findings, it is difficult for food and health professionals to provide clients or consumers with clear, consistent, evidence-based messages.  
Relevance to practice
Turkey, a delicious and nutritious low-fat food choice recommended by many dietitians (10, 16), need not be the source of foodborne illness if handled properly and cooked adequately.  Dietitians in the role of highly credible educators on issues related to food and water safety (17) need to emphasize the use of a meat thermometer to validate temperatures for various foods. Because of the extent of conflicting information dietitians should make it a priority to work with various stakeholders to develop and validate best practices for handling foods such as turkey safely. In future, greater emphasis should be placed on the time-temperature relationships in thawing rather than the place thawed. In order to provide consumers with clear, consistent information based on science, additional evidence is needed for alternative thawing methods, dealing with partially thawed turkey, thermometer placement within the turkey,  consistent endpoint temperatures and the estimated times to reach them.
Sidebar 1
Methods of thawing poultry at home
1) at ambient temperatures on the counter without an overwrap
2) on the counter with an overwrap (or paper bag)
3) in the refrigerator
4) under running water
5) in standing water and changing the water at various intervals
6) in the microwave
     
References
    1.     Lee M. Methods and Risks of Defrosting Turkeys. Environ. Health Rev. 1993;(Winter):96-100.
    2.      Health Canada. Health Canada Policy - Food Safety Assessment Program. Available from http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/food-aliment/fsa-esa/e_policy.html; accessed 13 April 2002.
    3.    Health Canada. Policy Development for Raw Foods of Animal Origin.. Available from http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/food-aliment/mh-dm/mhe-dme/rfao-aoca/e_rfao.html; accessed 13 April 2002.
    4.     Farber JM, Todd ECD. Safe Handling of Foods. New York: Marcel Dekker; 2000. 552p.
    5.    The Canadian Turkey Marketing Agency. How to thaw and prepare…/Did you know... Available from http://www.turkeytuesdays.ca: accessed 13 April 2002.
    6.     Canadian Food Inspection Agency. 1998 Safe Food Handling Study, a Report for Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Environics Research Group Limited. Available from http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/publications/1998environics/study_texte.shtml; accessed 13 April 2002.
    7.     Consumer Education and Information. Food Safety of Turkey ... from Farm to Table. Food Safety Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Available from http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/pubs/focustky.htm; accessed 13 April 2002.
    8.     Snyder OP. HACCP and slow-roasting turkeys. Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management (HITM). Available from http://www.hi-tm.com/Documents/Turkey.html; accessed 13 April 2002.
    9.     Ray B. Fundamental Food Microbiology. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press; 1996. 516p.
    10.     Eckner KF, Zottola EA, Gravani RB. The microbiology of slow-roasted, stuffed turkeys. Dairy Food Sanit.1988;8(7):344-7.
    11.    Klose AA, Lineweaver H, Palmer HH. Thawing Turkeys at Ambient Air Temperatures. Food tech 1968;22:108-12.
    12.     Jimenez SM, Pirovani ME, Salsi MS, Tiburzi MC, Snyder OP. The Effect of Different Thawing Methods on the Growth of Bacteria in Chicken. Dairyfood environ sanit 2000;20(9):678-83.
13.        Canadian Partnership For Consumer Food Safety Education. Fight BAC! Go to Consumer Centre, Tools. 1998. Available from http://www.canfightbac.org/english/class/chilloute.shtml; accessed 13 April 2002. Copies of the Chill Out brochure can also be ordered from the Beef Information Centre from http://www.beefinfo.org, accessed 13 April 2002.
14.     Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Food Safety Facts for Turkey. Available from http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/foodfacts/turkeye.shtml: accessed 13 April 2002.
15.     It’s your health. Let's Talk Turkey. Health! Canada Magazine December, 2000. Also available from http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/food-aliment/mh-dm/iyh-avs/e_let_s_talk_turkey.html; accessed 13 April 2002.
16.        Manitoba Turkey Producers. Nutrition. Available from http://www.turkey.mb.ca/nutrition.html; accessed 29 May 2002.
17.     Ingham S, Thies ML. Food and Water Safety - Position of ADA. J Am Diet Assoc 1997;97:184-9. Available from http://www.eatright.com/adap0297.html; accessed 13 April 2002.

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Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., apparently ignored my plea for a moratorium on the "we have the safest food in the world" comments unless some data was provided.

Go figure.

The Billings Gazette cited Rehberg as saying Wednesday that U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab has assured him that the Bush administration will not push a free-trade agreement with South Korea until the country opens its market to U.S. beef.

Rehberg said the country was using "false arguments" to keep its markets closed.

"We have the safest meat products of any country in the world."

Bland blanket statements serve only to amplify rather than mollify consumer concerns.

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Florida Today reports that Cocoa Beach could become the first beachside community in Brevard County, Florida, to allow restaurant patrons to bring their dogs to dinner (instead of leaving them outside in the rain, left).

Tonya Morgan, general manager at The Surf, which brought the request for the ordinance before the commission, said, "We thought that dogs were allowed on the patio. We never realized that we were breaking the law.”

Morgan said they wanted to legally do what they had already been doing at the request of customers, who come to the restaurant patio area with their dogs.

The commission voted 4-1 in favor of the measure. Councilman Ken Griffin, the lone dissenter, said, "I oppose this. I wasn’t raised up eating with dogs."

Doggie dining has pros and cons. The Florida state guidelines seem like a reasonable compromise.

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If Canadian cattle or chickens or pigs get sick, the public is told all about it. If Canadian people get sick, not so much.

Like the salmonella in fruit salad outbreak from summer 2006, in which 41 culture-confirmed Salmonella serotype Oranienburg infections were diagnosed in persons in 10 northeastern U.S. states and one Canadian province. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports in a summary report today that the culprit was likely cantaloupe, served in fruit salad in health care facilities.

As Ben Chapman and I have written (left, not exactly as shown) it's not the first time Canadians have been told about food safety problems in Canada by U.S. authorities. But you know all those folks at Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada and that Canadian Food Inspection Agency are very important and busy people.

But there are a couple of areas where Canadians shine.

Hundreds can be sickened by food in Canada -- like the 650 sickened in southern Ontario in fall 2005 by Salmonella in fresh sprouts -- and no one will get sued. Sicken a Canadian's pet, like with the melamine-contaminated pet food earlier this year, and Canadians are first in the lawsuit line.

But Canada's real strength is beer.

Canadian Press reports today that Labatt breweries has solved the mystery of how some tainted bottles of Stella Artois were served to customers in Toronto and Kamloops, B.C.

Labatt corporate affairs vice president Neil Sweeney says the company created several displays for the beer and one of its suppliers filled the display bottles with concentrated alcohol.

Sweeney says, after speaking with thousands of bar owners across the country, Labatt discovered that some of the displays had been dismantled and the bottles placed behind the bars and eventually served to customers.

Labatt and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency warned consumers in July about cases of suspected tampering after ethanol was found in bottles of Stella Artois beer.

Several people drank some of the ethanol, although no one became ill.

Sweeney says settlements have been negotiated with some of the customers but he is not revealing how much compensation has been paid.

Oh, and at the wine and cheese festival at Disney in Orlando on the weekend, Amy and I went to the Canadian booth, where they were serving Labatt's Blue.

I said to the Canadian behind the tap, "Blue is the best we can do?"

He directed me to another stand that at least had Moosehead.

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As Kansas State (24) prepares to host University of Kansas Saturday morning in college football action, here's hoping the locals are better hosts than the women at KU's Pi Beta Phi sorority.

Apparently, the fathers of the gals will soon be receiving “I survived Pi Phi Dad’s Day 2007” T-shirts.

The Lawrence Journal-World  reports that some of the dads and many of the women of Pi Beta Phi came down with an unknown illness during the Sept, 22 event at KU.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is investigating and, as yet, hasn’t found a source of the illness. The probe has included Vermont Street Barbecue, Abe & Jake’s Landing and the sorority’s kitchen, but it could expand further.

KDHE spokesman Joe Blubaugh said the number of people who were potentially exposed — up to 240 — complicates the investigation.

Meg Stewart, Pi Beta Phi president, said the sorority was grateful the illness wasn’t worse. She said a few members were sent to a hospital.

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Extra-hot bird's eye chilies that had been left dry-frying at the Thai Cottage restaurant sparked road closures and evacuations in central London after passers-by complained that a chemical emanating from a Thai restaurant was burning their throats.

Associated Press reported that the London Fire Brigade sent a chemical response team, closed off roads, sealed buildings and donned special breathing masks to ferret out the source of the acrid smell as onlookers coughed.

A police spokesman said that no one was arrested, adding, "As far as I'm aware, it's not a criminal offense to cook very strong chili."

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iFSN proudly presents...... podcasts! We will now be running weekly podcasts that will focus on hot topics that week in food safety. Soon enough we should be able to upload these to iTunes, but you can get the first one right here at barfblog.

Enjoy!

iFSN podcast #1

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Those Chinese learn fast.

No sooner had I posted about a USDA official proclaiming that the U.S. had the safest meat supply in the world as 25 were barfing from E. coli O157:H7, then China jumped into the fray, borrowing a page from the US, Canadian, British and Kiwi (and lots of other countries) playbook.

Zhong Yuhua, the general manager, Fusheng Food Co., was quoted as telling reporters who were invited on a government-organized tour of three food exporters in Shandong province, southeast of Beijing that,

"I am very confident in saying our food is excellent and the safest in the world."

The story says that Fusheng is part of a Chinese food industry elite of export-oriented companies that, often with foreign help, have improved quality to meet import standards in Japan, the United States and elsewhere.

I don't believe any of youse. How about a moratorium on, "We have the safest food in the world," until someone publishes some meaningful comparative data in a peer reviewed journal. Or at least back the statement up with some data. Anything. Bland blanket statements serve only to amplify rather than mollify consumer concerns.

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