Eight Seattle area hospitals have promised to change their food to make it healthier for patients, staff and visitors, including a commitment to local food.

That’s according to a blog post at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, which also notes the hospitals signed a Healthy Food in Health Care Pledge.

Holly Freishtat, Sustainable Food Specialist for Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, says,

"Hospitals are changing the culture of food in healthcare by sourcing local produce, hormone-free milk, meat without hormones or antibiotics, sustainable seafood and through hosting farmers' markets, community- supported agriculture boxes for employees."

What's missing is any discussion about the microbiological safety of, especially, fresh local produce.

As more producers and suppliers adapt to meet the demand for local produce, here are some basic questions:

• where is the farm located

• what type of fertilizer is used;

• what is the water source and how frequently is it tested; and,

• is the produce harvested, stored and transported safely, by staff who practice outstanding personal hygiene.?

Beyond the questions, the real challenge, as I've said many times before, is,

"Whether your food comes from down the street or around the globe, you want to verify that producers and processors are actually doing what they are supposed to be doing."

How about sourcing food from the place that can boast the fewest number of sick patrons?

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Some 50 attendees at the world's leading feminist science fiction convention. WisCon32, which rocked Madison, Wisconsin's Concourse Hotel May 23-25, 2008, were stricken with symptoms similar to those of stomach flu.

Officials with Dane County and the Madison Public Health Department think some attendees might have been exposed to the illness before the convention since they developed symptoms so soon after arriving. The sick ones may have then infected others through personal contact and shared access to food.

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Five people have been struck down with Hepatitis A in an outbreak traced to Zanzibar Cafe on Latrobe Street in Melbourne's city centre.

Victoria's Department of Human Services said the outbreak has been linked to a food handler who also worked part time as a cleaner.

A 65-year-old man from Doncaster, a 32-year-old woman from Reservoir, a 51-year-old man from East Malvern and a 54-year-old man from Aspendale were among those affected. The department was notified of a fifth case on Friday afternoon.

An extensive clean up of the cafe had been carried out under the supervision of Melbourne City Council.

Hepatitis A is found in feces of the infected person and can be spread by direct contact with food, beverages or crockery.

Dude wash your damn hands. And don't eat poop.

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Following this morning's report of a new European study demonstrating the potential for internalization of Salmonella in produce, Ben Chapman pulled together the following notes on the topic.

Irrigation water containing raw sewage or improperly treated effluents from sewage treatment plants may contain hepatitis A, Norwalk viruses, or enteroviruses in addition to bacterial pathogens such as E.coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp. and Shigella spp. (Beuchat, 1998).

Produce can also be contaminated with pathogens due to internalization of pathogens both through the root system and flesh or stem scars. Evidence of infiltration of bacteria into vegetables is reported in several articles (Bartz 1982; Bartz and Showalter 1981; Burnett et al., 2000; Seo and Frank 1999; Zhuang et al., 1995). Clear evidence exists to conclude that pathogens can be incorporated into fresh produce. So far, this evidence is based on laboratory experiments, not actual real world situations. Past research suggests that pathogens can enter lettuce plants through its roots and end up in the edible leaves. Small gaps in growing roots through which plant pathogens infect tissue may also allow E. coli entry (Solomon et al, 2002b; Warriner et al., 2003a, Warriner et al., 2003b).

The uptake of Salmonella spp. by roots of hydroponically grown tomato plants has been shown. Within one day of exposure to a high concentration mixture of Salmonella spp. pathogen cells were found in the hypocotyls, cotyledons, stems and leaves of young plants; though whether fruit is affected is not known at this time (Guo et al., 2002).

Solomon and colleagues (2002a) discovered that the transmission of E.coli O157:H7 to lettuce was possible through both spray and drip irrigation. They also found that the pathogen persisted on the plants for 20 days following application and submerging the lettuce in a solution of 200ppm chlorine did not eliminate all viable E.coli O157:H7 cells. This suggests that irrigation water of unknown microbial quality should be avoided in lettuce production (Solomon et al., 2002a).  In a follow-up experiment, Solomon and colleagues (2002b) explored the transmission of E. coli O157:H7 from manure-contaminated soil and irrigation water to lettuce plants. The researchers recovered viable cells from the inner tissues of the lettuce plants and found that the cells migrated to internal locations in plant tissue and were thus protected from the action of sanitizing agents These experiments demonstrated that E. coli O157:H7 can enter the lettuce plant through the root system and migrate throughout the edible portion of the plant (Solomon et al., 2002b).

The risk of contamination of produce due to Salmonella spp. was found to be increased when soil and water were present, and that soil and water actually act as reservoirs of the pathogen. Xuan and colleagues (2002) found that soil and water were factors in the infiltration of salmonella into the tissues of tomato. This supports the theory that preharvest contact with contaminated soil or water increased the contamination potential by certain pathogens and can lead to problems in pathogen removal and the efficacy of sanitizers.

Flesh scarring can provide a suitable environment for pathogen growth, and decreases the value of employing sanitizers, either in the packing shed or by consumers (Xuan et al., 2002).

The uptake of Salmonella spp. by roots of hydroponically grown tomato plants has also been shown. Within one day of exposure to a high concentration mixture of Salmonella spp. pathogen cells were found in the hypocotyls, cotyledons, stems and leaves of young plants; though whether fruit is affected is not known at this time (Guo et al., 2002).

In a 2006 review, Vectors and conditions for preharvest contamination of fruits and vegetables with  pathogens capable of causing enteric diseases,  Larry Beuchat of the Center for Food Safety and Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of Georgia, concluded:

"Manure, manure compost, sewage, sludge, irrigation water, and runoff water represent
avenues for introduction of pathogenic bacteria, parasites, and viruses to soil in which
fruits and vegetables intended to be eaten raw are grown. Pathogens vary in their
ability to survive in soil amendments and in soil. Inactivation rates and persistence in
soil are also influenced by soil type, rainfall, temperature, and agronomic practices.
Some pathogens can survive in soil for periods of time exceeding those needed to grow
plants from seeds or seedlings to the point of harvest. Pathogens originating from
preharvest environments may contaminate the surface of produce and evidence is
mounting that contamination of internal tissues can also occur. Prevention of
preharvest contamination of fruits and vegetables is an essential part of a systems
approach focused on applying interventions designed to achieve delivery of
microbiologically safe produce to the consumer."

References

Bartz, J.A. 1982. Infiltration of tomatoes immersed at different temperatures to different depths in suspensions of Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora. Plant Disease. 66:302-305.

Bartz, J.A., and R.K. Showalter. 1981. Infiltration of tomatoes by aqueous bacterial suspensions. Phytopathology. 71: 515-518.

Beuchat, 2006. Vectors and conditions for preharvest contamination of fruits and vegetables with  pathogens capable of causing enteric diseases. British Food Journal 108 (1): 38-53.

Beuchat, L.R. 1998. Surface decontamination of fruits and vegetables eaten raw: a review. WHO/FSF/FOS/Publication 98.2. World Health Organization. Geneva. 49pp.

Burnett, S.L., Chen. J. and Beuchat, L.R. 2000. Attachment of Escherichia coli O157:H7 to the surfaces and internal structures of apples as detected by confocal scanning laser microscopy. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 66: 4679-4687.

Guo, X., van Iersel, M. W., Chen, J., Brackett, R. E. and Beuchat, L. R. 2002. Evidence of association of salmonellae with tomato plants grown hydroponically in inoculated nutrient solution. Applied  Environmental Microbiology. 68: 3639-3643.

Hedberg, C.W., Angulo, F.J., White, K.E., Langkop, C.W., Schell, W.L., Stobierski M.G., Schuchat, A., Besser, J.M., Dietrich, S., Helsel, L., Griffin, P.M., McFarland J.W. and Osterholm M.T. 1999. Outbreaks of salmonellosis associated with eating uncooked tomatoes: implications for public health. Epidemiology and Infection 122: 385-93.

Seo, K. H., and J. F. Frank. 1999. Attachment of Escherichia coli O157:H7 to lettuce leaf surface and bacterial viability in response to chlorine treatment as demonstrated by using confocal scanning laser microscopy. Journal of Food Protection.  62: 3-9.

Solomon, E. B., Yaron, S., and Matthews, K.R. 2002b. Transmission of Escherichia coli O157:H7 from contaminated manure and irrigation water to lettuce plant tissue and its subsequent internalization. Applied Environmental Microbiology. 68: 397-400.

Solomon, E.B., ,Potenski, C.J. and Matthews, K.R. 2002a. Effect of irrigation method on transmission to and persistence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on lettuce. Journal of Food Protection. 65: 673–676.

Warriner K., Ibrahim F., Dickinson M,. Wright C. and Waites W.M. 2003a. Internalization of human pathogens within growing salad vegetables. Biotechnology & Genetic Engineering Reviews.  20: 117-134.

Warriner K., Ibrahim F., Dickinson M,. Wright C. and Waites W.M. 2003b. Interaction of Escherichia coli with growing salad spinach plants. Journal of Food Protection. 66: 1790-1797.

Xuan, G., Jinru, C., Brackett, R.E., Beuchat, L.R. 2002. Survival of salmonella on tomatoes stored at high relative humidity, in soil, and on tomatoes in contact with soil. Journal of Food Protection. 65: 274-279.

Zhuang, R.-Y., Beuchat, L.R. and Angulo. F.J. 1995. Fate of Salmonella montevideo on and in raw tomatoes as affected by temperature and treatment with chlorine. Applied Environmental Microbiolology. 61: 2127-2131.

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Scientists and journalists have a couple of things in common -- at least that's what I was told all those years ago.

Both require the ability to ask the right question. And both have to sell the same idea at least three times to make a living.

Yesterday, Bob Brackett, senior vice president and chief science and regulatory affairs officer for the Grocery Manufacturers Association, wrote in the Denver Post that "no other country in the world can claim a safer food supply than the United States."

Except that a couple of Canadian researchers at the University of Regina have done just that, issuing a report last week which purports to rank 17 industrialized countries.

The problem is, based on what is publicly available, it's impossible to tell how countries were ranked on various scores.

For example, the report says,

"Canada would be considered as one of the world’s leading countries in relation to consumer affairs in food safety. In terms of incidences of reported illness by food-borne pathogens, Canada is (in) the normal range since it has the incidence between 5,000 and 15,000 per 100,000 persons. Even if Canada has more incidences, it has a decreasing trend of late, which means that all levels of the government had begun to control the situation."

Based on a population of just over 33 million, that means 1.65 -- 4.95 million reported illnesses by foodborne pathogens, I'm assuming per year. Nowhere near that many cases of foodborne illness are actually reported. And the best guess on the actual incidence of foodborne illness in Canada is 11-13 million cases per year, slightly higher that the World Health Organization's estimate of 30 per cent of citizens in developed countries getting sick from the food and water they consume each year.

The report authors also claim,

"Canada was also rated as a 'progressive' country based on its food safety education programs for consumers. Unlike other countries, the level of cooperation among the different levels of government in the country is significant and most programs target all segments of the population."

Apparently, no effort was made to assess whether such information was accurate.

Canada finished fifth, and the U.S. came in seventh. The United Kingdom had the highest ranking of the 17 countries studied. Make mine piping hot.

Who has the safest food in the world? Wrong question.

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A couple of what appears to be staff-related Salmonella outbreaks have occurred in the past month in Princeton, New Jersey and Norwalk, Ohio.  Reports of both outbreaks suggest that poor hygiene amongst staff led to over 100 total cases.  No food source has been identified in the Ohio outbreak, but it is suggested that shredded cheese was prepared by a food handler who was shedding Salmonella.

These outbreaks are also the stories we have concentrated on in today's iFSN food safety infosheet.  Click here to download the infosheet.

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As I wrote in Nov. 2005, I'm convinced my mother tried to kill me through foodborne illness.

Not intentionally, of course. But twice a year, on average while growing up, I'd spend a couple of days on the couch, passing liquid out of both ends, while mom comforted me with flat ginger ale, crushed ice (we even had one of those kitchen necessities -- an ice crusher, in groovy pink, suitable for early 1970s suburbia) and soothing words like, "It's just the flu honey, you'll feel better soon."

Now, British researchers who searched the scientific data for evidence that flat soda pop -- a home remedy for diarrhea and vomiting passed down from generation to generation -- prevents dehydration in children with gastroenteritis have reached a conclusion: No.

According to their report in this month's issue of Archives of Disease in Childhood, biochemical analyses "clearly show" various carbonated drinks contain low levels of sodium and potassium, and far more sugar than oral rehydration solutions. Cola contained up to seven times the amount of glucose the World Health Organization recommends for oral rehydration.

"Carbonated drinks, flat or otherwise, including cola, provide inadequate fluid and electrolyte replacement and cannot be recommended."

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A report for the U.K.'s Highland Council documented more than 160 food hygiene complaints that were investigated by officials last year, including one claiming a caterpillar was found in vegetables served at a table and another claiming to have found a fly in a frozen baguette.

The report by principal food safety officer Alan Yates also reveals that officials sent 1,168 warning letters to establishments alerting them to contraventions of public health legislation.

The report also shows officers carried out 2,958 visits across the north in connection with food hygiene, and 826 in connection with food standards – the composition and labelling of food.

The report comes as the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has proposed a UK-wide system to grade the hygiene of restaurants, cafes, supermarkets and other food outlets.

The results would be displayed on doors or windows, as well as on a website to allow consumers to check ratings, in an effort to improve standards and cut food poisoning.

The agency believes a national scheme is needed to replace the plethora of "scores on doors", with nearly half the 435 local authorities already having or being about to introduce their own systems. In some areas, consumers and the media have had to use freedom of information legislation to find out the verdict of hygiene inspectors.

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Anyone see the Memorial Day edition of the Today Show? Amy and I are set up in an apartment in Montreal and the channel selection is limited, so it was on in the background.

Apparent BBQ guru John Willoughby (right) was on, preparing Grilled cowboy steak with barbecued leeks and wholegrain apricot mustard. The video is available for viewing at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/24828622#24828622.

Willoughby shows how simple it is to cross-contaminate -- directly or indirectly --  and to remain completely unaware of the transfer of potentially dangerous microorganisms from raw meat to hands and tongs, and back to cooked meat and clean plates.

Cross-contamination is simple -- and it happens everyday on TV, in food service and in the home. One approach may be to think like a microorganism -- be the bug -- and take steps to contain the bug, without going all Howard Hughes.

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Paris. Nicole. Lindsay.

Nick. Kid. Hugh.

A donkey.

In an apparent logical extension of the latest Hollywood fad of acting like an ass and doing time, Blacky the donkey was incarcerated for three days in a Mexican jail that normally holds people for public drunkenness and other disturbances after biting and kicking two men near a ranch outside Tuxtla Gutierrez, the capital of the southern state of Chiapas.
 
Blacky was freed last week after its parents owner paid a fine of $36 and the $115 hospital bill of the men, who suffered bites to the chest and a broken ankle. Authorities say the owner must also pay $480 to each man for missed work days.

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The Sydney Morning Herald reports that organized crime in Australia is targeting mud crabs, prawns and barramundi to fuel an illicit domestic seafood market.

A study by the Australian Institute of Criminology warns that thieves - including bikie gangs - are exploiting  national parks in New South Wales by using illegal divers and families using the guise of indigenous hunting.

Oyster theft is so well organised that thieves use lifting equipment on vehicles to steal whole racks from farms, the report says.

The report says that while the main market for abalone and shark fin is Hong Kong, there is "an extensive illicit Australian market for these other species. The market includes clubs, restaurants, hotels, fish and chip shops."

The study was prompted by research showing there had been growth in organised crime involving abalone and rock lobster, and an increase in criminals using the industry to launder money and make drugs at aquaculture farms.

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Cosmetic surgery for dogs is real and lucrative business.

Now, for the first time, liposuction is available outside Germany at the University of Sydney's new $2.3 million Canine Teaching Hospital, which opened last week.

The university's associate professor in small animal surgery, Geraldine Hunt, introduced the technology here two years ago, and has so far performed the procedure, which can cost about $2000, on 15 dogs.

However, Dr Hunt urged owners to review their pets' exercise and diet regime before considering any surgical procedures.

"I would have to be very careful about whether to recommend it for cosmetic reasons. It is much more responsible to look at what is in the best interests of the dog."

The story also says that owners were asking for testicular implants for their pooches, most often so they could compete in dog shows, be exported for sale overseas or to negate a prostate problem.

But, occasionally, people requested the $400 procedure — which excludes the cost of the implants in small, medium and large — for the sake of appearances.

Randwick Veterinary Hospital's Andrew Herron said,

"I would definitely be counselling these people that this is a cosmetic procedure and they'd have to give me a pretty good reason to do it. If it was to show off down the park, I'd probably suggest I take them from him and put his in the dog."

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With Memorial Day on the horizon, people are gearing up for summer fun.  As the weather warms, people are anxious to start partaking of warm weather activities, including jumping into the nearest swimming pool. 

Before making that splash into swimming pool waters, we all need to be advocates for a splash of a different kind….the sudsing, scrub and splash of good handwashing…and we all need to make this an essential component of recreational water activities.

Outbreaks from recreational water are more common than we would like, and are especially more common than the average swimmer realizes.    Trace amounts of fecal bacteria can be carried into the pool by our hands as well as by our bottoms.  Chlorine kills germs, but it doesn’t work right away – it takes time.  In fact, without good hygiene practices, even the best-maintained pools can spread illness.  Poop and pools do not mix.

Standard signage at public pools often includes the rule:  “Shower before entering.”  Shouldn’t we also include the rule:  “Wash hands before entering pool?”    Good handwashing practices help prevent so many outbreaks, and we need to keep reinforcing the need to make handwashing as much a part of our daily lives as eating, sleeping, and –yes – having fun in our swimming pools.

Think healthy.  Be healthy.  Wash your hands!

May 19-25 is Recreational Water Illness Prevention Week 2008.  You can find additional information at www.healthyswimming.org
--
Michéle Samarya-Timm is a Health Educator for the Franklin Township Health Department in New Jersey.  

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Amy and I are leaving this afternoon for Canada for a month, to do some research in Quebec and play some hockey. We could go camping -- but we won't. I've become like Ben's mom, whose idea of camping is when the hotel doesn't have air conditioning.

But for millions of others, this Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of camping season. For Canadians, the season usually starts with the Victoria Day weekend (May 19, 2008) and is characterized by drunk students freezing their assess off in pouring rain. This year was no different.

Camping can either be a flurry of fun and adventure, or a miserable few days of getting sick in the bushes and being dehydrated.  Every summer, thousands of people set out on these camping adventures, and every summer, many become stricken with foodborne illnesses or a parasitic infection.  Some of the most common culprits include norovirus, E. coli O157:H7, Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia duodenalis. 

Such illnesses are not limited to the occasional outdoor excursion; there are many recorded outbreaks at children’s summer camps.  In 2007 norovirus struck down dozens of children and staff members in Three Rivers, MI at a local summer camp.  Such outbreaks are not new; in 1994 E. coli O157:H7 infected multiple people at a summer camp in Virginia.  Since children are more susceptible to these illnesses than adults, it’s especially important that when camping with children care is taken to prevent infection.

Basic camping food safety is similar to kitchen food safety:

• keep meat in the cooler below 40°F;
• store the food in a large cooler, in the shade and away from the campfire;
• when cooking meat, try to use disposable utensils and if metal utensils are used, sterilize them in the fire; and,
• use a tip sensitive digital thermometer.

Never drink untreated water; even the cleanest looking streams can contain harmful parasites.  There are a couple of options for treating water: boiling and filtration.  Bringing a metal cup along to boil water in is the easiest and most effective method.  Bring the water to a rolling boil, and let it boil for at least one minute.  If you’re in the mountains or higher elevations, it’s best to boil for several minutes.  Higher altitudes lower the boiling point of water.

If boiling is not an option, then a filter will suffice.  Make sure to purchase a filter with a pore size of 1 micron absolute or smaller.  This method works best in combination with water tablets.  Water tablets also help to remove some sediment. The tablets may leave a slight aftertaste, so bringing orange juice crystals or a powdered drink along may help to stifle it.

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Baskin Robbins is offering free soft serve ice cream to expectant mothers on May 21, 2008, in California, Chicago, New York, Nashville, and El Paso, Texas. It's apparently the beginning of a national roll-out of soft serve ice cream at Baskin Robbins.

I have no idea why they targeted expectant moms, or why they recruited a pregnant Tori Spelling as spokesthingy.

Andrew Reece and I did some quickie research and found the Australians, in particular, may have a problem with this promo.

Soft serve ice cream is on the Australian list of foods pregnant women should avoid. Sanitation with the equipment appears to be an on-going problem.

A 1996 study in Sydney, Australia found 49 of 86 samples of soft serve to have dangerous bacteria levels. Another study in Wisconsin in 2003, found 15 of 22 local soft serve machines at retail food service establishments to have dangerous levels of coliforms and other bacteria. In 2006, Iowa also found a high level of soft serve machines (23%) in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls area to have dangerous levels of coliforms and other bacteria. Regular cleaning of machines with soap and sanitizer could reduce the number of bacteria found on the soft serve machines.

Poor hygiene can lead to the spread of foodborne illness through soft serve ice cream. Soft serve ice cream is typically kept at a higher storage temperature than frozen ice creams, which could lead to increased bacterial growth. Ice cream is high in moisture and protein content, which is favorable for bacteria to grow. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has its own publication warning of such risks.

The risk appears minimal with good sanitation -- although our research was limited and forced by time constraints. A reader asked, would I take my pregnant wife for free B&R soft serve ice cream?

No.

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U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer has just announced plans to ban all downers from the meat supply.

Parts of his statement are below:

One day after I was sworn in as Secretary of Agriculture, I learned of the illegal acts of inhumane handling that took place at the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company in Chino, California. I immediately called upon the Office of the Inspector General and the Food Safety and Inspection Service to determine how this happened and what could be done in the future to ensure that animals are treated humanely.

The 60-day enhanced surveillance period concluded on May 6 and while we are still analyzing those results, today I am announcing that USDA will begin working on a proposed rule to prohibit the slaughter of all disabled non-ambulatory cattle, also know as "downer cattle." In other words, I am calling for the end of the exceptions in the so called "downer rule."

Last year, of the nearly 34 million cattle that were slaughtered, under 1,000 cattle that were re-inspected were actually approved by the veterinarian for slaughter. This represents less than 0.003 percent of cattle slaughtered annually. As you can see, this number is minimal.

The current rule, which focuses on cattle that went down after they have already passed pre-slaughter inspection, has been challenging to communicate and has, at times, been confusing to consumers.

To maintain consumer confidence in the food supply, eliminate further misunderstanding of the rule and, ultimately, to make a positive impact on the humane handling of cattle, I believe it is sound policy to simplify this matter by initiating a complete ban on the slaughter of downer cattle that go down after initial inspection.

FSIS will draft a proposed rule to remove the exception that allows certain injured cattle to proceed to slaughter. This action is expected to provide additional efficiencies to food safety inspection by removing the step that requires inspection workforce to determine when non-ambulatory cattle are safe to slaughter.

The decision to ban all non-ambulatory cattle from slaughter will positively impact the humane handling of cattle by reducing the incentive to send marginally weakened cattle to market.

Cattle producers, transporters and slaughter establishments alike will be encouraged to enhance humane handling practices, as there will no longer be any market for cattle that are too weak to rise or walk on their own.

Animal welfare shouldn't be a downer.

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Another blast from the past, with iFSN's Andrew Reece editing together some old video on food safety in the Ontario processing vegetable industry. Newbie student Ben Chapman worked the camera and provided some narration, as we toured farms and processing facilities in Ontario.

Posers like Gordon Ramsey can gas on all they like about the political food flavor of the day, producers and processors supply the bulk of food ingredients that are a cornerstone of a healthy and abundant diet.

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A Chinese restaurant in Changchun city has been criticized for keeping 20 fancy carp in an over 12-foot-long urinal trough in the mens' bathroom.

The restaurant says the fish are not in any danger and that the water is running and staff change the water at least twice a day and add oxygen into the water much like a regular fish tank.

The restaurant's owner adds the fish are just an attraction and not used in dishes.

Guests say they're surprised to see the fish swimming in the trough which has a sign saying, "Please urinate here" above it.

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Children's playgrounds have been shut on Sydney's northern beaches after a rare form of salmonella normally linked to tropical fish made dozens of toddlers seriously ill.

Authorities are now trying to figure out how sand used in at least two popular kids' playgrounds has become contaminated.

The rare bacteria strain - salmonella paratyphi bio var java - has been linked to 23 cases of children struck down with severe vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach pain.

Tests have revealed the sand at both the Winnererremy Bay and South Avalon playgrounds are contaminated.

But health officials cannot rule out other playgrounds along the peninsula being affected. They are waiting for test results on other play areas.

Northern Sydney Central Coast Area Health Service's public health physician Michael Staff said,

"In the past there have been cases of humans becoming sick from it when they have contact with their tropical fish tanks. But to our knowledge this is the first time in Australia a playground has been shut because salmonella is in the sand."

The source of the contamination is not known, but the pathogen is generally carried by certain species of birds and aquarium fish.




















(from http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23710202-5005941,00.html)

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I'm all for restaurant inspection disclosure, in a variety of ways -- colors, letters, numbers, smiley faces -- but a Clean Crab?

The Baltimore Sun reports that the Health Department would like to use the Clean Crab award, the image of a meticulous crab, hung perhaps at a restaurant's threshold, to alert people to Baltimore's most sanitary dining establishments.

Olivia Farrow, the city's assistant commissioner for environmental health, said,

"The consumer should know. We just wanted to try and really empower consumers."

But a Clean Crab?

Joe Edwardsen, owner of Joe Squared Pizza and Bar on North Avenue, said,

"Crabs are nasty. Crabs are disgusting. You don't see raw crab sushi out there, do you?"

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The Princeton Packet reported yesterday that a Salmonella outbreak that began in late April has hit at least 28 people, with over 70 more reporting illnesses. 

A school official said that the latest date of onset of symptoms for the confirmed cases is May 2, which was before Princeton took its intervention measures to close the Mexican and salad food stations and remove some food foods at its largest dining facility on campus — the Frist Campus Center.

This outbreak was the inspiration for this week's infosheet, which can be downloaded here.

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Antony Worrall Thompson, a UK celebrity chef whom Gordon Ramsey once called a Teletubby back in 2005, was criticised by environmental health officers after a barbecue at one of his gastro pubs.

Inspectors from South Oxfordshire district council objected to a counter that was made from unsealed paving stones, a potential breeding ground for germs, and a missing floor tile near the barbecue.

Vanessa Ong, the environmental health officer, said surfaces must be made from materials that are "smooth, washable, corrosion resistant and non-toxic" and floors must be maintained in a sound condition and be easy to clean and disinfect.

Worrall Thompson said the paving stone counter was purely decorative and had since been sealed, adding

"Everything had been done properly before we opened. They came round when it wasn't in operation and then they put this on their website. I'm a little incensed and I will be having words with the council."

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The families of the 150 sickened and one killed in the 2005 E. coli O157 outbreak in Wales told a public inquiry today it was "galling" that lessons from other outbreaks were not learned and that the events caused "lasting and untold harm" to many families.

Mark Powell QC (no relation but a fine Welsh name), representing the families, said warnings had not been heeded following an E.coli outbreak in Scotland between 1996 and 1997 which left 21 elderly people dead.

"It is galling to the families that many of the observations the Sheriff's inquiry, with the substitution of the name of Tudor for that of Barr, the butcher involved in that outbreak, could be written about the 2005 outbreak. Much of what was said then could equally be said now."

The inquiry, chaired by Professor Hugh Pennington, who also chaired an inquiry following the 1996 outbreak in Scotland, is hearing final submissions on Wednesday and Thursday.

It was as if the report following the Scottish outbreak was never written, he told Professor Pennington, adding, "The families are determined that in 10 year's time, the same might not be said of your inquiry."

The inquiry’s findings and any recommendations are not expected to be published until later this year.

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The Wall Street Journal reports that in South Korea, soup or stew made with the meat of dogs is called "sweet meat" or "healthy soup."

But dog meat has recently been linked to a spate of salmonella and staph infections, drawing the attention of authorities -- and bringing a long-simmering cultural dispute to a boil.

Though dog meat is officially banned in Seoul, enforcement is lax. It is served by an unsupervised industry of small farmers, butchers and mom-and-pop restaurants.

In March, Seoul's food-safety office tied some salmonella cases to dog meat. Concerned, officials proposed designating dogs as "livestock," which would subject the meat to rules on sanitation. While there's no timetable for a final decision, the agency is now making a formal survey of handling methods at restaurants known to serve dog.

People in the dog-meat industry worry their costs will rise under new regulations, weakening demand and tightening the squeeze on a business that's already got an image problem.

Outside the capital, there are no restrictions on dog meat. A large outdoor market in the suburb of Moran, 20 miles south of central Seoul, is one of the centers of the trade in South Korea. About a dozen butchers line a row at the market, with a shop that sells herbs and spices for the stew at the end. The smell of butane, used to fuel burners to remove fur from dog carcasses, hangs over the market. Some butchers also sell goat, goose and chicken.

This in the country that is being gripped by Internet-fueled rumors about the safety of U.S. beef.

Our dog, Sadie, who likes to sit propped up, objects.

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If you're like me and like your seafood as long as it doesn't taste too much like fish, then maybe a new ice cream called Maricream, developed by India's Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) and containing fish flesh, cream and sugar, is for you.

CIFT director K Devadasan told The Economic Times that cooked cuttle fish is used in the ice cream because cuttle fish has white flesh and it has far less fishy smell, thus blending well with other ingredients. It can also be substituted with squid which displays similar properties.

And since I'm watching the Simpson's, Mmmhhhhh, squid ice cream.

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Health officials have determined that the death of a passenger on a VIA train in Canada and the
illness of  another six passengers are not related.

Federal, provincial and local public health officials say there is no evidence of an infectious disease
outbreak in connection with the death of a passenger on a VIA train en route today from Vancouver to Toronto. Lab results so far are all negative for the flu and other respiratory illness.

The train is expected to resume its journey later today.

And that makes Charlie happy.

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Earlier this week, Neil Young unveiled his long-awaited Archive project on Blu-Ray Disc at the Sun Microsystems JavaOne conference in San Francisco.

Yesterday, San Francisco public health officials warned of an outbreak of norovirus that has sickened several people who were attending or working at conferences at the Moscone Center between April 30 and May 8, 2008.

As Caroline McCarthy noted in her story,

"To clarify, this is a virus that makes you barf and gives you diarrhea. It's not the kind of virus that sends Viagra-pitching e-mails to all your friends or treats you to a Rick Astley sing-along every time you turn on your computer."

Further information on noroviruses can be found at the Department of Public Health Web site at http://sfcdcp.org/norovirus.cfm.

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Newsday is reporting that the number of confirmed cases of salmonella at Princeton University has increased to 22 confirmed cases -- 20 students and two staff.

Health officials have been investigating more than 70 other cases of stomach problems at the school that may be related to the bacteria.

No source has been determined. But a salad bar and a Mexican food station at the campus center's dining facility remain closed as a precaution.

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Or maybe they don't care; it's an excuse to use a trashy photo.

But a grand jury report released Thursday says that Orange County could better protect people from food poisoning and other dining dangers by requiring restaurants to post letter grades based on their health inspections.

Almost every other county in Southern California has already adopted “A-B-C” restaurant grades, according to the grand jury report. Los Angeles County created its grading system ten years ago and saw hospitalizations caused by bad food fall by nearly 30 percent in the first 3 years, the grand jury noted.

Those results remain contentious. But public disclosure does lead to some sort of public discussion, and perhaps, contributes to a culture of microbiologically safe food.

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When Amy and I were in France last year, I was struck by how all of the toilets were contained rooms and the sinks for handwashing were located with the shower and bath in a separate room, and wondered if this was the best design.

Sally Bloomfield, honorary professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, has similar wonderings about bathroom layout and has criticized Norwegian Cruise Lines for ditching cabin bathrooms in favor of separate basin and toilet cubicles.

“Norovirus spreads by person-to-person contact and through contact with surfaces that have been touched by people carrying the bug. Everyone should wash their hands as soon as they have been to the toilet and the toilet area should be designed to encourage that. That means putting the sink by the toilet.”

A spokesman for NCL said,

“Having the basin outside the commode gives guests more space within the bathroom and allows guests the ability for one to shower while the other is using the sink.”

Which is why apartments like the one we stayed at in Paris are designed such, but is it best to control disease transmission?

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The number of confirmed salmonella infections at Princeton University has risen to 16, including 15 students and one staff member, and while the source is not known, the University has decided to switch produce suppliers and has temporarily closed the Ole and Saladology stations in the Frist Gallery, where many students and staff dine.

Princeton Regional Health Department officer David Henry said Salmonella can be carried in uncooked food, including produce.

In a fine example of finding a factoid on the Interwebs and using it in a meaningless manner, the story says,

Salmonella bacteria have in recent years grown resistant to certain antibiotics that have been used to promote growth in livestock, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If they've pulled items, it's probably the produce.

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Donga.com reports today that web scare stories around mad cow disease risks in South Korea are targeting children. Recent beef trade agreements with the U.S. have reportedly led to the use of text messages, youtube and website discussing the risks directed at children:

A fourth-grader in the second-largest port city of Incheon got two text messages from her friend two days ago. They said, “President Lee Myung-bak sold the Dokdo islets” and “Korea will fall into ruin if we import U.S. beef.” The student’s parents said they were flabbergasted that one of their daughter’s friends sent these groundless accusations now spreading through the Internet.

A picture diary titled “Mad Cow Disease” reportedly written early this month by an elementary school student is in wide circulation on the Web. One reply to the diary written by a teacher commends the child, saying, “How did you know this, from TV? The president seems to be inferior to OO.”

Scores of unsubstantiated scare stories are rapidly spreading even among children through the Internet and mobile phones. The distorted and exaggerated data is corrupting young children who believe them as true and use them as a basis for activism.

Internet homepages are targeting children through major Web portal sites such as Yahoo! Korea`s Ggureogi and Junior Naver.

Certain stories are believed to have been fabricated by adults posing as children to promote the notion that government policies pose a risk to children’s health.

Vicious attacks on the government are going beyond the spread of groundless rumors. Some present action plans and guidelines, urging students and people to skip school or boycott food brands for a certain period.

One such guideline is, “A Conversation between Dad and Daughter,” which urges the girl to ask her father, “I am extremely worried about mad cow disease. Please assure me by showing me logical and scientific evidence showing the safety of U.S. beef.” “Children, if you are too young to join politics, one way to express your opinion is to stir up your parents,” it said, reflecting an ulterior political motive.

Here's YouTube clip that I just dug up that appears to be a song about the dangers of mad cow and U.S. beef. I don't know Korean, so I'm not too sure. 





Interesting to me, and not unique move for activism -- we encountered many messages and images targeted at children at the biojustice event back in 2002. Doug has posted images depicting the use of children in the raw milk debate.   I've personally been part of something like this: I'm not sure where I learned it (maybe one of those fantastic Star Wars public service announcements in the 80s?) but I saw something that led me to perform an anti-smoking monologue and break one of my grandfather's cigarettes when I was about 7.  Apparently my performance was moving enough to lead to him quit soon after.

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The Western Mail in Wales reports the National Assembly’s Enterprise and Learning Committee has found education funding is so complicated schools are missing out on vital cash for basic facilities like clean toilets and classrooms as a result.

It is calling on the Education Minister Jane Hutt to lift the “funding fog”, and also wants the Assembly Government to carry out an immediate survey of all school toilets.

Sharon Mills, of Deri, near Bargoed, whose five-year-old son Mason died after contracting E. coli, said,

"We are living in the 21st century, yet many school toilets are like something from the dark ages."

Although it is believed the Deri Primary School pupil contracted the food poisoning bug through infected meat, many of the 150 people – most of them school children – who were struck down two years ago contracted the illness from people who were already infected. Promoting good handwashing habits is seen as one of the best ways of preventing disease.

But an inquiry by leading Welsh health experts found that a failure by many schools to provide basics such as warm water and soap for children to wash their hands after using the toilet encouraged the bug to spread.

Mother-of-two Pam Sacchi, of Bridgend, whose son Daniel, now 14, was hospitalised after contracting E.coli in 2005 when he was 12, said:

“I still have parents coming up to me, complaining their children don’t have soap to wash their hands with in their school toilets. This should not be happening and something needs to be done. I realise there are sometimes funding shortfalls but the health of our children must come first.”

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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Two women were hospitalised after a New Zealand cafe mistakenly served dishwashing liquid as mulled wine.

The Southland Times newspaper reported that Chico's Restaurant Ltd in the mountain resort of Queenstown on South Island pleaded guilty to a charge of selling food containing extraneous matter -- the chemical sodium hydroxide -- that caused injury.

An investigation showed the two liquids had been mixed up after 20 litres of dishwashing liquid was delivered in a container formerly used to hold Mountain Thunder mulled wine.

Under New Zealand's no-fault accident law, victims do not sue for damages. Instead, treatment costs and income loss are met by the nation's Accident Compensation scheme.

The company will be sentenced next month and faces a possible fine.

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A blogger writes,

"Apparently my favorite past-time of licking amphibians and reptiles is a health risk. Thus, it has to end."

Meanwhile, Dr. Raghavendra Rao writes that Jose, 16 months old, was brought to a health clinic by his mother. He had painful mucous stools and cried with each bowel movement.

The stool culture report eventually came back; it grew Salmonella group C2.

Having known that this infection usually comes from animals, I inquired the mother whether she had any pets at home. “No dogs or cats,” she said, “but my other son has a small turtle. He plays with it, takes it out of water and puts it back.”

“Give the turtle away,” I advised the mother.

When I was growing up, turtles were inexpensive, popular, and low maintenance, with an array of groovy pre-molded plastic housing designs to choose from. Invariably they would escape, only to be found days later behind the couch along with the skeleton of the class bunny my younger sister brought home from kindergarten one weekend.

But eventually, replacement turtles became harder to come by. Reports started surfacing that people with pet turtles were getting sick. In 1975, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned commercial distribution of turtles less than 4 inches in length, and it has been estimated that the FDA ban prevents some 100,000 cases of salmonellosis among children each year. Maybe I got sick from my turtle.

Maybe I picked up my turtle, rolled around on the carpet with it, pet it a bit, and then stuck my finger in my mouth. Maybe in my emotionally vacant adolescence I kissed my turtle. Who can remember?

I stopped too.

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Health Inspections.com reports that on a recent health inspection, Chef Emeril Lagasse's Miami restaurant was hit with 13 critical violations that could make customers sick.

The restaurant was cited for violations such as foods at dangerous temperatures, hygiene violations, and foods not stored properly.

The television program Inside Edition found that restaurants connected with many famous TV chefs have significant health violations.

Inside Edition even video taped mice running freely at BLT Fish in Manhattan, operated by Laurent Tourondel who has appeared on the Iron Chef television program.

I'm not surprised. A 2004 paper we published based on 60 hours of detailed viewing of television cooking shows found that an unsafe food handling practice occurred about every four minutes, and that for every safe food handling practice observed, we observed 13 unsafe practices. The most common errors were inadequate hand washing and cross-contamination between raw and ready-to-eat foods.

Among the violators:

Anthony Bourdain: The restaurant Les Halles in Coral Gables, Florida was shut down by inspectors 3 times since 2006 for dangerous violations. In the last inspection, the inspector noted 30 fresh rodent droppings on a baking rack.   Bourdain is the 'chef-at-large' for the restaurant.

Mario Batali: His "Spotted Pig" restaurant in New York was found to have mice and insects. On two prior inspections, there were a high number of critical violations that required inspectors to come back for follow-ups.

Wolfgang Puck: At his Spago Café in Vegas, nasty employee lockers were found to have roaches. There were also violations for a dirty food slicer, foods at the wrong temperature, and employees not washing properly because of a lack of soap.

Celebrity Chef Todd English has the worst record of the TV cooks. His three Boston restaurants have consistently failed inspections. One of them, known as Kingfish Hall, has failed five inspections since January of 2007.

Paula Dean's restaurant "Lady and Son" in Georgia had consistently high scores on health inspections.

The Inside Edition story on celebrity chefs who don't quite make the grade is available at:

http://healthinspections.com/video.cfm?bWVkaWFJRD0zOA==

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An army of self-styled Guerrilla Gardeners is growing across the world, fighting to transform urban wastelands into horticultural havens.

The handbook, On Guerrilla Gardening, by Richard Reynolds, defines the activity as "the illicit cultivation" of someone else's land.

"Land is a finite resource, and yet areas like this are not being used. That seems crazy to me. And if the authorities want to get in the way of that logic, then we will fight them, but peacefully, showing them what we can achieve with plants. … Scattering seeds is the easiest way to guerrilla gardening. You do not even have to stop moving to do it."

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The families of the E. coli victims in the 2005 outbreak in Wales believe the public officials charged with protecting their families failed in their duty, but that butcher William Tudor “motivated by greed and profit bears the principal responsibility for the outbreak."

Bridgend County Council responded by saying it made a "reasonable" decision to allow William Tudor, the Butcher of Wales,  to use one vacuum-packing machine for both cooked and uncooked meat and that the rules on the issue were "unclear."

The BBC reports that Bridgend council do accept that there were deficiencies in the way its officers worked with the factory to introduce a hazard assessment plan, but it says that the government had intended the scheme to be introduced on a "softly softly" basis.

It also says that Mr Tudor's "undoubted attempts at deceit" gave their officers the impression that he was a "competent and informed food operator."

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Eyewitness News in Sanford, Florida discovered a popular fast food restaurant, Checker's. that's accused of storing food on the floor inside the men's restroom. The food that was left on the floor in the restroom was just one of several critical violations health inspectors found at a Checkers location in Sanford.

Employees at the Checkers store on South French Avenue at West 15th Street apparently decided it was okay to store buns for their hamburgers inside a not-so-clean men's room.

Tuesday, it appeared they had changed the policy, but not before racking up a dozen health code violations.

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