Mr. Eva Longoria, professional basketball player Tony Parker, missed San Antonio's game against Houston on Friday night because of what was thought to be foodborne illness.

Parker missed the morning shootaround and remained ill in the hours before the game.

Meanwhile, the U.K. Tottenham Spurs' Champions League bid is in danger of being derailed by a sickness bug - again.

Boss Harry Redknapp said,

"We had a few down with it the other day. Vedran Corluka had the virus and Wilson Palacios was not feeling great with it either. We closed down the training ground and although we trained there, everything else is off limits - the offices and the cafeteria. There will be no food or anything. We just got out on the pitch and got out of there. Other than that it's closed down completely.

Four years ago Spurs were set to finish in the top four under former boss Martin Jol until the squad was caught up in Lasagnegate.

Ten players were affected by illness before their final match at West Ham and although club officials at first blamed a dodgy lasagne it later transpired they had been affected by a norovirus.

Some federal food safety thingy decided he just had to tell me how disappointed he was because I ran the don’t-kiss-frogs-and-salmonella story and the U.K. version that linked it to a Disney movie, The Frog and the Prince.

“Your non-apology for your role is (sic) amplifying the ‘far-fetched, but sorta fun’ story makes me wonder how serious you are about your posts and your role in our public health community.”

Who is ‘our?’ Writing 101 mistake.

And dude, join the end of the line. Lots of people are disappointed with me.

The headline of the blog post was, Don't kiss frogs or turtles, whether it’s in a Disney film or not. And with a new report from CDC, let me reiterate, don’t kiss turtles.

On September 4, 2008, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) and the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PADOH) notified CDC of an outbreak of possible turtle-associated human Salmonella Typhimurium infections detected by identifying strains with similar pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns in PulseNet. Turtles and other reptiles have long been recognized as sources of human Salmonella infections (1), and the sale or distribution of small turtles (those with carapace lengths <4 inches) has been prohibited in the United States since 1975 (2,3). CDC and state and local health departments conducted a multistate investigation during September--November 2008. This report summarizes the results of that investigation, which identified 135 cases in 25 states and the District of Columbia; 45% were in children aged ≤5 years. Among 70 patients with primary infection, 37% reported turtle exposure, of which 81% was to small turtles most commonly purchased from street vendors. A matched case-control study showed a significant association between illness and exposure to turtles (matched odds ratio [mOR] = 16.5). Increasing enforcement of existing local, state, and federal regulations against the sale of small turtles, increasing penalties for illegal sales, and enacting more state and local laws regulating the sale of small turtles (e.g., requiring Salmonella awareness education at the point-of-sale), could augment federal prevention efforts. …

This S. Typhimurium outbreak is the third multistate, turtle-associated Salmonella outbreak in the United States since 2006. Before 2006, no large multistate turtle-associated Salmonella outbreaks were identified. One reason for this apparent increase might be PulseNet, which has improved the ability to detect multistate outbreaks. Increased pet turtle ownership in the United States also might contribute to the recurrent outbreaks: the proportion of households in the United States owning pet turtles doubled during 1996--2006, from 0.5% to 1.0% (4). Together, the three recent Salmonella outbreaks account for 258 laboratory-confirmed cases of salmonellosis (5--7) and many more unreported illnesses likely occurred. As with past outbreaks, most ill persons reporting turtle exposure were exposed to turtles with shell lengths <4 inches; these turtles were mainly acquired from flea markets, street vendors, and souvenir shops. The case-control study found a significant association of Salmonella infection with turtle exposure; however, 63% of primary cases in the outbreak had no knownturtle exposure, and 60% had no reptile exposure. This might have resulted, in part, from failure to recall a turtle exposure. Parents or guardians were interviewed as proxies for young children and they might have been unaware of their child's turtle exposure outside of the home. In addition, certain patients might have had unknown indirect turtle exposure through environmental cross-contamination or unrecognized person-to-person transmission or have been sporadic or background cases.

There’s really nothing like high school cafeteria Jell-O – especially if that Jell-O mix has mouse poop in it or near it.

That’s exactly what was found as the kitchens at James Buchanan High School and Middle School in Pennsylvania failed the most recent health department inspections, with the state citing mouse droppings near food and other violations.

Both schools were cited for not having an adequate space for employees to wash their hands. Mouse droppings were found in both locations.

Justin Flemming, spokesman for the Department of Agriculture, said the droppings were a small amount in a contained area. In the report at the middle school it states open bags of Jell-O mix were "adulterated" by the droppings.

Tuscarora Business Manager Eric Holtzman said, however, that the mixes were in sealed bags that were contained in a box. Holtzman said the droppings were in the box but were not found in the bags of mix.

"Mice in the country are a problem," said Gertrude Giorgini, who operated the kitchen for Tuscarora for 23 years before retiring eight years ago.

Giorgini also questioned the district's decision hiring a food management company, rather than keep food services in house. She said that many management companies won't keep as close of an eye on food safety and cleanliness at a facility as people who are employed by the school district.

"You never want to be written up by the Board of Health," Giorgini said.
 

The Canadian women’s hockey team celebrated their gold medal last night by returning to the ice after the television cameras went elsewhere to guzzle Molson Canadian beer, smoke cigars and compete in would-be drunk Zamboni driving contests.

I miss hockey.

The International Olympic Committee will be investigating, but the bonding displayed by the Canadian women is exactly what I imagine was going on last Friday as the aging Guelph professors’ hockey team finally broke the 5-year Powell curse and again won the annual faculty tournament, this time without me in net.

It’s been a week of nostalgia and new opportunities. Sold my house in Guelph (closes Tuesday) along with all the leftover crap and bad memories (after my friend Steve retrieves the good stuff this afternoon). Meanwhile, Chapman gave a talk in Dubai (see below) while I was giving a talk in New Zealand (by video) with students scattered around the globe and Amy about to embark on a year-long sabbatical. I like the global village stuff, with a solid base in Manhattan (Kansas).

Still miss hockey, especially the coaching.

Steve Keough, a spokesman for the Canadian Olympic Committee, said the COC had not provided the alcohol nor initiated the party, adding,

"In terms of the actual celebration, it's not exactly something uncommon in Canada.”

After Jon Montgomery won a gold medal for Canada in skeleton, he walked through the streets of Whistler guzzling from a pitcher of beer that he gripped with two hands.

Beyond Food Inspections- What Motivates Food Businesses to Ensure Food Safety
22.feb.10
Dubai International Food Safety Conference
Ben Chapman
Inspection has historically been the most prevalent performance measurement used by the food service industry. It is assumed by many that achieving positive inspection results provide motivation to business operators to implement foodborne illness risk-reduction practices. In reality, there are other factors driving risk reduction including risk of being linked to an outbreak; poor reputation; and, the threat of litigation. Weekly food safety infosheets (www.foodsafetyinfosheets.com), focusing on motivating factors are used as a practice-changing tool by many firms in the retail and foodservice industry. Food safety infosheets have been designed to impact the actions of food handlers by utilizing four attributes culled from education, behavioural science and communication literature: surprising messages in communication; putting actions and their consequence in context; generating discussion within the target audiences’ environments and using verbal narrative, or storytelling, as a message delivery device. While many training packages exist, seldom are evaluated for behavior change impacts. Of those that are evaluated, the majority of evaluations are based on self-reported data which are wrought with problems of reliability and literature shows that while food handlers may report the intent to perform safe food handling practices, actions are not always realized. Given the discrepancies between inspection results, individuals’ recall and actual behaviours, a focus on the results of observational studies will be provided. This workshop will provide you with tools to help identify and manage food safety risks in food service and support a culture of food safety in your business.

When Chapman first got a blackberry, he e-mailed me and proudly proclaimed, “I’m in the bathroom” (but not exactly like that).

Others I know spend hours on the toilet with their iPhones. Me, I just take my computer – need that full keyboard.

But for others looking to while away the time and improve their golf game, then this may be for you.

It’s the Potty Putter.

There’s also the bizarrely named, Tea Time Toilet Potty Puter, “for that person in your life that takes their time” and the “Piddle Poop n Putt – Potty Putter."

Maybe it’s time to get back to the family compound in Newport, Wales.

Health officials in Newport are investigating eight cases of salmonella at the city's Royal Gwent Hospital.

A hospital spokesman said it was not yet clear whether those suffering from the bacterial infection had caught it in the community or in hospital.

GPs in the area have been contacted to alert them to the possibility the bug may be present in the community.

Salmonella is usually associated with eating contaminated foods. The eight people are said to be recovering well.

Some showed symptoms of the illness when they came into hospital but others did not, the spokesman said.

Twelve people have been hospitalised with listeria infections, nine of them having become ill after eating deadly Quargel cheese produced by Styrian firm Prolactal GmbH.

The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) also reported today that a 57-year-old man became the seventh person to die from eating the tainted cheese. The previously known deaths -- four Austrians and two Germans --occurred in 2009.

AGES said that all infections occurred before Prolactal's tainted cheese was taken off supermarket shelves on January 23.

Health authorities have struggled to link the listeriosis deaths to Prolactal's cheese, because the cases occurred only sporadically and the disease has a long incubation period.

A Prolactal spokesman said,

"A comprehensive investigation that will determine the cause of the contamination is our highest priority."

The firm said it had received more than 500 calls as of Wednesday last week on the hotline it set up for concerned consumers on 0800-201080.

The relatives of the six people who died are planning to sue Prolactal.

According to a Eurosurveillance report earlier in Feb., approximately 16 tons of Quargel per week are produced by the Austrian manufacturer. Fifty-three per cent of the product is exported to the German market and small amounts to the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia. This cheese is made of curdled milk, which ripens after addition of starter cultures for one day at 28°C, and after being sprayed with Brevibacterium linens for another two days at 14°C. The shelf life after packing and marketing is two months.

The United States Department of Justice announced yesterday that Yini De La Torre, 19, Shawnee, Kan., pleaded guilty to putting poison in salsa served to patrons at Mi Ranchito restaurant in Lenexa, Kan.

She pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to tamper with a consumer product. In her plea, she admitted that while working as a waitress at the Mi Ranchito restaurant in Lenexa she twice added Methomyl-based pesticide to salsa she prepared.

On Aug. 11, 2009, during the lunch rush, 12 diners at Mi Ranchito suffered nausea, abdominal cramps, weakness, sweating and chest discomfort after eating salsa. On Aug. 30, 2009, during dinner, approximately 36 patrons of Mi Ranchito suffered similar symptoms after eating salsa. Some of the customers were transported to the hospital. The poisoned patrons ranged from young children to senior citizens, some of whom suffered from medical conditions that were aggravated by the poison.

In her plea, De La Torre said her husband and co-defendant Arnoldo Bazan worked for a Mi Ranchito restaurant in Olathe until June 27, 2009. Bazan believed the owner of the Mi Ranchito chain was responsible for Bazan being suspended from employment and the theft of Bazan’s vehicle. Bazan hatched a plot with De La Torre to get even with the owner of the restaurant by poisoning the patrons of Mi Ranchito. During July 2009, the owner of the Mi Ranchito restaurant reported to the Overland Park Police Department that Bazan was stalking him. On Aug. 7, 2009, a message was sent to the restaurant’s Web site threatening harm if Bazan’s vehicle were not returned. On Aug. 28, 2009, before the second poisoning incident, Bazan sent word to the owner of the restaurant through a family member that “the worst is yet to come.”

While Lenexa police were investigating the poisoning, Bazan told Da La Torre not to speak with investigators or she would suffer physical harm. The Johnson County Health Department collected samples of food from the restaurant as well as blood and urine samples from the patrons who became ill. A Food and Drug Administration lab found Methomyl in the salsa. A laboratory at the University of California - Davis found Methomyl in the samples from the patrons.

Methomyl is a highly toxic compound introduced in 1966 as an insecticide for treatment of vegetable, fruit and field crops.

As a result of the poisoning incidents, all six Mi Ranchito restaurants suffered reduced income. The Mi Ranchito in Lenexa saw sales for September and October 2009 decline by approximately $250,000.

De La Torre is set for sentencing May 18, 2010. Bazan is awaiting trial.

Canada’s feeble attempt to move on in men’s Olympic hockey play tonight is not so much about hockey, and more about a titan clash between the world’s two greatest beer-drinking nations.

And what is beer?

Professional golfer Tiger Woods and Japanese automaker Toyota are both struggling under the media spotlight to repair their damaged public images and resorting to public statements and advertizing. But communications alone is never enough when faced with a risky situation – it’s the combination of risk assessment and management, along with communications, that helps individuals, corporations and governments regain trust and public favor.

New research from a team led by Dr. Doug Powell, an associate professor of food safety at Kansas State University and published in the journal, Public Understanding of Science, further validate the idea that words alone are never enough when managing a food safety crisis – actions are also important.

The authors examined two incidents of dioxin contamination of food in Belgium and the Republic of Ireland in 1999 and 2008, respectively. In both cases, dioxins reached the food supply through the contamination of fat used for animal feed. The food and agricultural industries connected to each incident relied on crisis management activities of federal governments to limit adverse public reaction.

In 1999, the Belgian government delayed communicating with the public and other European agencies about possible risks, failed to acknowledge perceived risks with dioxin-laden feed, and ultimately suffered huge economic losses, a damaged food industry and deterioration in public confidence.

In the winter of 2008, the Republic of Ireland faced a similar dioxin-in-animal-feed crisis and, unlike the Belgian response, promptly communicated with the public, and acknowledged perceived risks by mandating that all pork products released for sale were to carry a special label to indicate they had no association with the potentially contaminated feed.

“Prompt communications with the public, acknowledgement of both real and perceived risks, and control of stigma surrounding a hazardous incident are important factors in effective crisis management,” said Powell. “The Irish government succeeded by not only saying the right things, but by removing potentially contaminated product from commerce in a timely manner. Actions and words must be consistent to manage any crisis and garner public support.”

Abstract below:

Government management of two media-facilitated crises involving dioxin contamination of food
23.feb.10
Public Understanding of Science
Casey J. Jacob, Corie Lok, Katija Morley, and Douglas A. Powell
http://pus.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/0963662509355737v1
Abstract
Incidents become crises through a constant and intense public scrutiny facilitated by the media. Two incidents involving dioxin contamination of food led to crises in Belgium and the Republic of Ireland in 1999 and 2008, respectively. Thought to cause cancer in humans, dioxins reached the food supply in both incidents through the contamination of fat used for animal feed. The food and agricultural industries connected to each incident relied on crisis management activities of federal governments to limit adverse public reaction. Analysis of the management of the two crises by their respective federal governments, and a subsequent review of crisis management literature, led to the development of an effective crisis management model. Such a model, appropriately employed, may insulate industries associated with a crisis against damaged reputations and financial loss.
First published on February 5, 2010
Public Understanding of Science 2010

Ernestine Jamison cooks vegetables for her four children every night in their north Houston apartment.

But when she opened a bag of Pictsweet frozen cut green beans last month, she found more than just green beans.

The Jamison family believes the green and black frozen object nestled in their dinner was a severed snake head.

Jamison called Pictsweet, and they offered her $150.

But she wasn’t looking for money and turned it down.

A letter sent by the company’s insurance provider to Jamison claims Pictsweet “is not responsible for this accident,” and they are “denying liability.”

The company also claims it wasn’t a snake head at all. They say it was a frog head. “But it's still gross whether it's a frog or snake,” said Jamison.
 

Twice now I’ve provided food safety talks to groups of U.S. military personnel from Fort Riley about to be deployed to Afghanistan to work on rebuilding projects. I always feel goofy because there are many in the audience who know far more about such safety matters than I do. And since arriving in Manhattan (Kansas) four years ago, I’ve gotten to know a number of food-safety types based in the military. They’ve got some awesome stuff and people.

So when I read in Stars and Stripes that people shouldn’t be too fearful of food products grown and manufactured in Japan and sold on U.S. military bases, like Camp Kinser in Okinawa, I’ll go with believing.

According to the story, the Army is setting up two laboratories — on Camp Kinser and on Camp Zama in mainland Japan — to perform more intensive testing of foods and beverages.

Two instructors from the Army Veterinary Science’s Food Safety and Defense Branch at Fort Sam Houston in Texas recently spent three weeks at Camp Kinser training lab technicians and managers to "rapid test" a variety of items.

Part of the Army mission is to protect troops from any possible threats posed by terrorists, who might see the food supply as an easy target, said Lt. Col. Margery Hanfelt, a special projects chief with the Department of Veterinary Science.

"Just to know that we have these capabilities to test right away is a deterrent," she said.

The Veterinary Service provides inspections for the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and other Defense agencies. The Air Force has its own inspectors.

Inspectors — Army personnel and Japanese civilians — inspect all local vendors and the food served on the bases. There are about 55 inspectors throughout Japan, 15 of them on Okinawa.
 

Mark Tijssen, a major in the Canadian Forces, belongs to a group of churchgoers who butcher their own meat to, as they say, ensure its safety.

Apparently, Tijssen's house had been under surveillance for several days last November before officers from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ottawa police stopped a car leaving the property and confiscated 18 kilograms of pork. Tijssen and a friend had jointly bought a pig and slaughtered it.

Now, Tijssen will appear in court next month to face charges of running an unlicensed slaughterhouse, failing to have an animal inspected both before and after slaughter, and distributing meat. If found guilty, Tijssen could face up to $100,000 in fines.

In the Canadian province of Ontario, it is permissible to butcher an animal if the food is for the person's own family and none of the meat leaves the property where it was butchered. This allows farmers to raise their own food. It is against the law, however, to distribute the meat to anyone else.

Ron Doering, an Ottawa lawyer and former president of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, told the Ottawa Citizen Ontario's rules on butchering and distribution of meat for personal use go far beyond those of other provinces. Saskatchewan, for example, has no provincial regulation and Newfoundland and Labrador has few regulations, while Quebec and British Columbia more closely resemble Ontario's inspection regime.

Tijssen said he has butchered his own meat for years and cuts food costs by occasionally buying and butchering animals with a group of friends from his church. The members also have little faith in the safety of commercial meat products.

Brent Ross, a spokesman for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said the ministry moderates its enforcement of meat handling rules for religious or ethnic reasons, for example, when Muslims slaughter animals for religious reasons.

Tijssen and his friends from Faith Anglican Church say religion plays no part in their butchering practices. They just want economical and safe meat.
 

One of my daughters is planning a trip to the Dominican Republic with a bunch of her friends to celebrate the end of high school.

I told her she had to get vaccinated for hepatitis A, and to be careful with what she ate.

The Northampton Chronicle & Echo reports this morning that piles of vomit, cockroaches in bedrooms and inedible food are among a litany of allegations raised by a group of Northampton (U.K.) holidaymakers in a High Court claim against tour operators First Choice.

Five groups from the town are suing the firm over an alleged "holiday from Hell" in the Dominican Republic, which they say led to them suffering food poisoning.

More than 400 holidaymakers are claiming about £3 million in damages in total, with allegations including faeces in the swimming pool, "stone-cold" food, flies and birds being allowed to pick at the buffet, and a hotel which smelt of sewage.

Claimants allege they suffered acute gastroenteritis following their stay at the all-inclusive four-star Bahia Principe Hotel in San Juan in the summer of 2007.
 

Seven more people have been diagnosed with E coli following an outbreak at a primary school – while staff prepare to re-open for classes next week.

Eleven people from Feltham Hill Infant and Nursery School, in Bedfont Road, Feltham, have been confirmed with the bug – along with one pupil from the nearby Feltham Hill Junior School.

Parents criticised the Health Protection Agency (HPA) for not closing the junior school – which is on the same site – after it shut the infant school on February 3.

A spokeswoman for the HPA said: “This junior school pupil was excluded from school on February 3 when a sibling had symptoms. There is no case of onward transmission at the school.”

Parents were asked to destroy any exercise books that have been at home since January, and throw away all water bottles and book bags.

Movie director Kevin Smith, known for the witty and obscene dialogue in movies he’s penned like Clerks, Chasing Amy and Dogma, was deemed a flight risk by a Southwest airlines pilot last weekend and ordered off the plane.

"I know I'm fat, but was Captain Leysath really justified in throwing me off a flight for which I was already seated?" he ranted through his Twitter account to over 1.6 million followers.. "Again: I'm way fat... But I'm not THERE just yet. But if I am, why wait til my bag is up, and I'm seated WITH ARM RESTS DOWN.”

Smith posted this pic of himself (above, right, exactly as shown) puffing out his cheeks and captioned it, "Look how fat I am on your plane! Quick! Throw me off!"

Another emerging issue on airplanes is those travelling with small pets.

An editorial in the current issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal notes that air travel has become increasingly difficult, with tightened security restrictions and a decreased number of services. But now Air Canada is adding to the difficulty by allowing small pets to travel airplane cabins.

Pets can be accommodated comfortably and safely in airplane cargo holds, which is where they belong. Airlines must choose to put the needs of their human passengers first, or be forced to do so.

Flying should not include avoidable health risks, especially, for passengers with allergies to pets. Many people with allergies to animals will have a reaction when they're trapped in an enclosed space, often for hours.

The Canadian Transportation Agency ruled that people allergic to nuts should be considered to have a disability under the Canada Transportation Act and must therefore be accommodated. The agency is now receiving passenger complaints about pets on airplanes and considering whether those with allergies to pets should also be considered as having a disability. Such a finding would force Canadian airlines to safeguard passengers with pet allergies.
 

On Jan. 7, 2010, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a summary report regarding on a Multistate Outbreak of Human Salmonella Typhimurium Infections Associated with Aquatic Frogs --- United States, 2009.

During April--July 2009, the Utah Department of Health identified five cases of Salmonella Typhimurium infection with indistinguishable pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns, predominantly among children. In August,
CDC began a multistate outbreak investigation to determine the source of the infections. This report summarizes the results of this ongoing investigation, which, as of December 30, had identified 85 S. Typhimurium human isolates with the outbreak strain from 31 states. In a multistate case-control study, exposure to frogs was found to be significantly associated with illness (63% of cases versus 3% of controls; matched odds ratio [mOR] = 24.4). Among 14 case-patients who knew the type of frog, all had exposure to an exclusively aquatic frog species, the African dwarf frog.

On Feb. 1, 2010, the U.K. Daily Express published its version of the story, saying kids were getting sick kissing frogs by copying the Disney movie, The Princess and the Frog. I knew it was far-fetched, but sorta fun and published an edited version as a barfblog post.

A couple of readers took me to task, but the original CDC report was solid. Leave it to Bill Keene, senior epidemiologist with the Oregon state Public Health Division, to wrap things up.

The outbreak has spread like the plague across the U.S. since the release of Disney's film, "The Princess and the Frog," according to news reports and bloggers from Britain to Japan.

Problem is the story, which was fabricated from a whimsical quote in The Oregonian and on Oregonlive.com in December, is not true.

But the basic facts in that Oregonian story -- 50 sickened, including many young girls, by salmonella traced to frogs -- were just too good not to spin into a Internet sensation based on a quote by William Keene.

Keene said, cracking a verbal smile, that it's not a good idea to kiss frogs, which carry salmonella.

But there is no evidence that girls are smooching the amphibians after seeing the movie.

"This is a totally mythical story," Keene said. "But it's funny so it's being picked up."

From the sensationalist Daily Express in Britain, which appears to have spun out the first story, the warning has fired up news sites, chat rooms and bloggers from Europe to Asia.
 

I hate when I come up with a smart answer long after the opportunity has passed.

A barfblog reader nudged me yesterday regarding the Consumer Reports oh-my-god-there’s-bacteria-in-salad story to say,

“We had a good laugh at the CR story. Note how they merely pointed out that there were bacteria on the ‘RTE’ products they tested. They didn't bother to find out that---uh oh---they don't really wash off if you put them under the tap. I tell people not to waste their time; I never wash unless there is gross dirt or debris, and that is only to avoid chipping a tooth.”

Dooh. I knew that. Washing really doesn’t do much when it involves fresh produce. And if Consumer Reports really wanted to validate their study – and their advice to rewash bagged salad, which is still being repeated ad nauseum – they would have washed bagged salad and then run the same tests for bacterial presence.

Somewhere in the deep, dark recesses of my brain there was some recollection of this because, as I told Darla Carter of the Courier-Journal of Louisville, Kentucky, the study was “almost useless to consumers.”

“I can find indicator organisms almost anywhere, so what? … Indicator organisms generally aren't going to make you barf.”

Powell said washing bagged salad has no proven value and poses the risk of cross-contamination.

“They're giving advice that's contrary to what is generally accepted,” he said.
When it comes to ensuring the safety of problematic produce, such as leafy greens, tomatoes and cantaloupe, “the focus has to be on the farm and then all the way through the system,” Powell said. “Prevention is much better.”

And washing doesn’t do much. If only I’d said that at the time.
 

What better way to celebrate World Cat Day on Feb. 17 (tomorrow, who knew?) than to suggest recipes to prepare the other white meat for deliciousness.

ANSA.it is reporting that the co-host of a popular Italian daytime cooking show was suspended on Monday for extolling the delights of cat meat during an episode last week.

Beppe Bigazzi, a food expert on La Prova del Cuoco (The Cooks' Challenge), enraged animal rights experts around the country when he gave advice on preparing ''tender, white cat meat'' in a portion of the show usually reserved for advice about nutrition.

The Italian Animal Protection Agency said they were ''satisfied'' with the timeliness of Bigazzi's suspension in view of World Cat Day on February 17.

While cat meat is illegal in Italy, it is a popular winter dish throughout China and much of Southeast Asia.
 

I have no idea who runs food safety at Kellogg, but what is going on?

Kellogg uncritically accepts a BS audit of Peanut Corporation of America and is forced to recall hundreds of peanut pasty cracker thingies, their CEO testifies in Washington – with a straight face – that the federal government needs to do better on food safety, and on the same day, today, that Kellogg sponsors a Supermarket News Internet bit about how industry can’t wait for government on food safety steps, U.S. food safety regulators made public a January warning letter to Eggo waffle maker Kellogg Co in which they said the company had not gone far enough to address food safety violations at its Atlanta frozen food plant.

Reuters reports tonight that in October 2009 Atlanta plant inspection found bacterial contamination and sanitation violations such as improper handling of trash and food, and insufficiently sanitized equipment, the FDA said.

The FDA's letter, dated Jan. 27, comes after the Georgia Department of Agriculture found Listeria bacteria in Eggo Buttermilk Waffles on Aug. 31.

Kellogg's plant had "significant deviations" from the manufacturing practices for food manufacturers and Kellogg's response so far had not addressed the violations, the agency wrote.

Kellogg said on Tuesday it has fully addressed all of the violations and that its response to the FDA letter would be filed shortly.

What are they waiting for? An auditor’s report?
 

Media outlets in New York and London-lite (the Ontario version) are clamoring for improvements in restaurant inspection disclosure.

The job is easier in New York, because, as reported by nyunews.com, the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene announced that beginning in July of 2010, restaurants in NYC will be required to display their health inspection letter grade so that it is highly visible to customers.

While gaining support from a number of people who believe the system will promote cleanliness and limit foodborne illnesses, many believe the system will be an unnecessary burden on the restaurant community. The following are reactions from managers and employees of several local restaurants.

Randy Richmond of the London Free Press writes that posting restaurant inspection results online will weed out unhealthy operations and protect the public, several local eatery owners say.

It would be better, though, if London could afford more inspectors to ensure more frequent checks, added one owner.

In New York, managers such as Elias Bourakac of Bully's Deli said,

"I'm for it. The inspection goes through the Health Department. We passed it, we did very good. No problems, no violations."

Frank Berascha of Famous Famiglia said,

"We had almost 90 percent last year. Everything is perfect. I would have no worries."

In London-lite, the health unit is expected to announce Thursday that it will start posting inspection results online and that’s fine by restaurateurs contacted by The Free Press.

Vanessa Willis, co-owner of the Church Key said,

"I think that's exactly how it should be done. I think the community has the right to know what restaurants are working properly and what ones are not."

Felipe Gomes, owner of Aroma said conscientious eatery owners spend thousands of dollars on equipment, supplies and training to keep operations safe and healthy, and those who cut corners should be exposed, adding, "You are dealing with the health and safety of people."
 

Some punk in Calgary may be running around with, as the Edmonton Sun says, “a box of pins and a brain half as sharp” after the Calgary Co-op brought in police for the second time in a month over what appears to be food tampering.

Oscar Chaves of New Bedford, Mass., claims he ended up in hospital after allegedly biting into a metal needle in the middle of his Burger King Double Whopper.

Food service and retail is a tough business, one that is prone to fraud, allegations and errors.

The man with the Whopper called Burger King to ask them to pick up the more than $15,000 in medical bills that he accrued. He says someone told him that they'd get back to him in two days. That was more than a year ago, and he's still waiting.

In mid-Jan., the Co-op found sewing needles, pins and buttons found in juice bottles, cheese and bread. This time, it’s a tub of margarine with a pin-sized hole pierced straight through the lid, plastic safety film and deep into the food inside.

Rigorous food safety programs, verification and even video documentation can help anyone in the farm-to-fork food safety system improve their operations and defend against malicious attacks.
 

As a veterinary student at Kansas State University, I hear quite a bit about the growing demand for food animal veterinarians. With the increasing cost of tuition for vet school, it’s understanding that many of my colleagues are choosing to specialize in small animal medicine to help pay off school loans. But the looming threat of agroterrorism, emerging diseases and heightened food security shows an increased demand for food animal vets.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) reports, Only about 17 percent of veterinarians work in food supply, including practicing veterinarians and veterinarians working for governmental and corporate organizations. This is in contrast to the turn of the 19th century, when virtually every veterinarian was a food supply veterinarian. Moreover, research forecasts a shortfall of 4-5 percent per year in the ranks of food supply veterinarians.

Philip Lowe, from the Centre for Rural Economy at the University of Newcastle, has said the proportion of time vets in private practice spent treating animals used for food halved between 1998 and 2006 – due in part to the fact most vets run their own businesses, and pet owners have proved a more sustainable and lucrative source of income than farmers.

The Washington Post reports in tomorrow’s edition that federal officials say 225 people in 44 states and the District of Columbia are thought to have been sickened by Salmonella in imported black pepper used in the preparation of salami and other types of Italian sausage made by a Rhode Island company.

Daniele International recalled 1.2 million pounds of ready-to-eat salami on Jan. 22, after state health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked the outbreak to the company's products. Daniele expanded the recall on Feb. 4 to include 23,754 additional pounds of salami products. Of those who fell ill, an estimated 26 percent have been hospitalized, officials said. No deaths have been reported. Victims of the outbreak range in age up to 93 years old, with a median age of 39. More than half, or 53 percent, have been male.

This is the second time in less than a year that an outbreak of Salmonella illness has been linked to pepper. Last March, 42 people fell ill after eating tainted white and black pepper sold by Union International Food of California.

The salami, sopressata and other products were packaged under Daniele as well as the Boar's Head and Black Bear of the Black Woods brands and were sold by several national chains, including Costco, Walmart and online through Amazon.com.

The outbreak began in July and is ongoing. Because the product has a shelf life of one year, federal health officials are concerned that the products remains tucked away in home freezers and pantry shelves.

Last month, officials at the Rhode Island Department of Health said they thought the contamination was caused by tainted black pepper that was used to coat the salami. Tests showed that the same strain of Salmonella involved in the outbreak was present in two open containers of black pepper at Daniele's plant in Burrillville, R.I.

State officials said Daniele used two suppliers, Mincing Oversees Spice and Wholesome Spices, which both bought imported black pepper. Samples of pepper from both distributors tested positive for Salmonella, according to state health officials.

"This outbreak only underscores the importance of closely monitoring food that is imported from other countries as they may not have the same food safety standards as we do," David R. Gifford, the state's director of health, said in a statement.

While the Department of Agriculture regulates salami, the Food and Drug Administration oversees black pepper and other food additives. An FDA spokesman said the agency does not know where the pepper originated and that its joint investigation with USDA continues.

Daniele, which has suspended salami production, said in a statement it has changed its spice suppliers and will now use only irradiated pepper, which undergoes a process designed to kill bacteria.

A list of the recalled products can be found at www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_006_2010_Release/index.asp

Tomorrow’s USA Today talks about the new school lunch rules coming from the U.S. Department of Agriculture by this summer (sorry, kids already in school).

USDA official Craig Morris told program suppliers at a National Meat Association conference here last week that much work remains to ensure that food purchased for the National School Lunch Program — in particular, ground beef — is "as safe, wholesome and high quality" as the best commercial products.

Beef industry representatives here said they could adapt to the new standards but pressed the USDA to move fast so they know what changes will be required.

The new standards follow a USA TODAY investigation that revealed that beef bought by the USDA for school lunches is not tested as rigorously for bacteria and pathogens as beef bought by many fast-food chains. The newspaper also reported that some food producers have been allowed to continue supplying the school lunch program despite having poor safety records with their commercial products.

But as I like to harp, the big news, repeated in the USA Today story, is that Cargill and a company it owns, Beef Packers, are trialing the use of third-party video audits not just for animal welfare but to enhance food safety systems.

However, the third-party bit really doesn’t matter -- haven’t there been enough outbreaks involving third-party audited farms and facilities? Just create a credible and transparent system to enhance consumer and buyer confidence. And don’t wait for the government to do it.
 

There’s a scene in the fabulous 2003 movie, Almost Famous, where the band gets new T-shirts, and only the lead guitar player is discernable in the group pic – the rest of the band are the out-of-focus guys.

The bass player, tired of the band angst, says, “I just want to go get some barbeque.”

And why not. The fictional band is in real Topeka (Kansas).

But Kansas BBQ may not be all it should be. LC's Barbeque in Kansas City, Missouri, has been shut down for 12 critical health code violations, leaving the city without one of its longtime favorite for barbeque.

In its report, the Kansas City health department noted violations like handwashing procedures, pest issues and sanitation problems. Among the most damaging violations were the pest issues.

The health department's report stated, "Food was not seen as safe, unadulterated and /or honestly presented."

The report said inspectors found a loaf of bread that had been chewed through by a rodent.
 

Amy started barfing about 10 p.m. Thursday night. Daughter Sorenne woke up about 6 a.m., covered in barf. I felt fine, did laundry and chores, fed Sorenne some stuff about 9 a.m. before I had to go give a lecture to the third-year Vet class.

She projectile vomited all over me.

Emma the excellent babysitter showed up at 9 a.m., I did my talk about barfblog, smelling like baby barf, and came home and took care of things.

About 11 p.m. Friday night, I started barfing.

We had friends over for dinner Thursday night, but they seem fine, so probably something we ate earlier in the week. There was perhaps some dodgy seafood, but I cooked it thoroughly, verifying the results with a tip-sensitive digital thermometer.

There are so many unknowns with foodborne illness it’s amazing anything gets linked back to an original source.

There was a lot of barfing at the four-star Los Gigantes Hotel – a property exclusive to Thomson on an island belonging to Spain on the west coast.

The U.K.Telegraph reports it is alleged that Thomson failed to ensure proper hygiene standards were enforced and did not provide adequate assistance or information as to the severity of the outbreak.

Thomson said in a statement:

"In January, an independent hygiene consultant confirmed that the hotel was operating to the highest standards and concluded that a viral agent was the most probable cause of any illness. The hotel has adopted procedures set by its own consultants and local government. The hygiene consultant witnessed these and has advised that they appear to follow good practice. There is advisory documentation on personal hygiene in bedrooms and sanitising gel stations are located in the main restaurant."

Thomson said that normal booking conditions will continue to apply, therefore amendments to holidays at the hotel will be subject to charge.

That’s a polite way of saying, screw you, sickies.
 

WRAL is reporting that 5 students have been hospitalized and more than 150 students fell ill after eating a common meal on Friday February 12.  All of the ill were attending a YMCA leadership event at the Raleigh Sheraton and attended a banquet at the Raleigh Convention Center.

Some attendees reported stomach discomfort, vomiting and diarrhea early Saturday morning, Perry said. As the reports increased, conference leaders called emergency personnel.

Most of the sick students were isolated, treated and returned to conference activities, Perry said. By early afternoon, about 150 students had been treated. Five had to be taken to the hospital.

Students came from across the state to attend. Conference leaders called the parents of students who got sick, and some parents had started to arrive at the Sheraton by Saturday afternoon. Organizers have provided a phone line at 1-800-834-2105 for concerned parents to call for more information.

“At this time, we don’t know the cause of the illness,” said Wake County EMS Medical Director Brent Myers. “We are working with the Wake County epidemiological team to investigate the cause of this illness. It is important that parents of the young people attending the conference know that we are taking good care of everyone.”

Perry said food poisoning could be a possibility. All the students attended a banquet at the Raleigh Convention Center Friday night, he said.

Celebrity chef, author and TV host Anthony Bourdain is sorta interesting, but then gets sorta boring -- Hunter S. Thompson-lite.

Everyone’s gaga that he got thespian Bill Murray to sit down for lunch in front of the cameras in a show broadcast last week (I didn’t see it). The promo below has enough teasers.

But what’s really got the foodies going is that Bourdain is launching a setellite radio show Sirius XM's Martha Stewart Living Radio, with one of the stated goals to see how uncomfortable he can make co-host and chef friend Eric Ripert, all while expanding America’s notion of food porn.

"We're going to be doing a segment that we call food porn," he said in a telephone interview, referring to the excessively sumptuous and sometimes sexualized words and photography often used in food media.

"We're going to challenge each other to describe in as purple a language as possible some food we've had. I'm trying to see whether we can expand the food porn genre into radio. And I think we can do it."
 

Listeria is bad news for some folks. The elderly and pregnant women are hit much harder than the rest of the population (with mortality rate for listerosis infections in the elderly somewhere around 20-30%).

I gave a talk earlier this year to a bunch of food service operators and gave a few examples on why Listeria is a problem for certain groups of people, focusing on the Maple Leaf outbreak (In 2008, 43 individuals became ill and 22 died during the outbreak linked to Listeria-contaminated deli meat; the average age of victims was 77).

One of the participants, who had his food handlers’ food safety certification, came up to me afterwards and wanted to know more about Listeria and the elderly. He told me that after running institutional foodservice operations for 20 years he had never really connected how big of an issue Listeria is for him and that he had some responsibility for keeping it out of kitchen. He was really freaked out because his residents had recently demanded he provide them with a sandwich bar. So he did.

Research with foodservice personnel in long-term care/assisted living facilities shows that operators can demonstrate general food safety knowledge and generally good attitude towards food safety. Operators’ concern tended to focus on personal hygiene-related issues and little on Listeria-specific risks such as the avoidance of RTE foods susceptible for contamination and risk reduction practices. Cross-contamination and sanitation issues, specifically with food contact surfaces (including cutting boards and counters) have been shown to be problematic for operators in long term care or assisted living facilities.

This week’s food safety infosheet focuses on Listeria-related risks in the food service kitchen and uses an example of a senior’s program facility in Ohio being shut down. The closure was due to fallout from a Listeria monocytogenes positive sample from a meal served there.

You can download the food safety infosheet here.

Eurosurveillance reports at least 11 linked outbreaks of gastroenteritis with a total of 260 cases have occurred in Denmark in mid January 2010. Investigations showed that the outbreaks were caused by norovirus of several genotypes and by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli. Lettuce of the lollo bionda type grown in France was found to be the vehicle.

From 18 to 20 January 2010, a series of outbreaks of gastroenteritis were reported to Danish authorities. Outbreak investigations were initiated by the Danish food control authority in cooperation with Statens Serum Institut (SSI), the National Food Institute, the Food and Veterinary Administration as well as the medical officers and several clinical microbiological laboratories in Copenhagen. The epidemiological, microbiological and food investigation are still ongoing; here we report on the current status of the investigation of these outbreaks.

The link between lettuce and illness was discovered in the fourth week of January 2010 based on an analysis of five outbreaks. These outbreaks had been reported during week 3 to the regional food control authority, which covers the eastern part of Denmark. As of 8 February, 11 outbreaks have been included in the cluster. A further eight outbreaks in Denmark which are currently under investigation may also be associated with lettuce. Taken together, the 11 outbreaks comprised approximately 480 potentially exposed persons and approximately 260 cases with symptoms of gastroenteritis . The 11 outbreaks all took place in the eastern half of the country (on the islands of Funen and Zealand). Norovirus was initially suspected as the aetiology, but the Kaplan criteria were not fulfilled in all circumstances and attack rates were sometimes higher than expected for norovirus, indicating the possibility of the presence of more than one disease agent.
 

Sarah Mclachlan was soulfully sensuous when she burst on the Canadian music scene in 1991.

Now she’s just boring.

As noted in the South Park movie, Canada has already apologized many times for Bryan Adams.

Just awful.

Maybe Bryan and Sarah had babies and that’s where Nickelback came from.

But, with the Olympic games opening in Vancouver tonight, expect to hear lots of Bryan and Sarah and crap, at least according to the adverts on NBC.

No Sloan, Tragically Hip, Neil Young or even a reformed Guess Who – all decent Canadian contributions to the soundtracks of our lives.

Nope, you’ll hear the tired and true, just like from the Service Employees International Union who sent out a press release yesterday playing the food safety card.

The Service Employees International Union, the nation's largest healthcare union, is raising questions about the safety of food being provided to athletes at the Vancouver Winter Olympics by Sodexo, a global food service contractor based in France who served contaminated meat at a camp in Virginia sickening more than two dozen boy scouts.

The union is calling on Sodexo to provide greater transparency about the origin of the food they will be serving athletes, including: disclosing the primary supplier of the food that they will serve to athletes and whether those companies have had problems with contaminated food; whether the food will come from a "cook and chill" facility or will be cooked and served on-site; and to make the steps they are taking to ensure food safety easily available to the public.

Sure, Sodexo should be able to answer any questions about the origins of its food and safety measures taken, just like the union should clearly state its concerns which seem based on employment rather than microbial food safety.

School children are recovering following a salmonella outbreak in Canterbury, U.K.

Kent News reports that so far, seven cases of Salmonella typhimurium PT U319 have been confirmed by laboratory tests in children living in the Canterbury area. Onset of these cases was mid December-mid January.

A further seven cases are suspected but not confirmed and are being investigated. Onset of the illness in the suspected cases was mid January onwards and links between the two clusters and possible sources of infection are being investigated. All the children affected are recovering.
 

I used to be an even bigger nerd than I currently am. Spending my time focusing on food safety might be considered by some as sexy (the food pornographers) but while in high school I was into a much weirder and unhip hobby -- I built robots. It's not like I hung out alone in the basement messing around with motors and gears; I built robots on my high school robotics team (I hope that makes it a bit cooler). A couple of us even coined a somewhat embarrassing team name, Team PHYRE (PHYRE stands for Port Hope young robotics engineers).

The robot building wasn't entirely aimless, we competed against other nerds in an annual national competition, Canada First. Each participating high school was provided with a few materials and tasked with creating a remote control contraption that would be used to play a game against other teams. The game varied from year-to-year but usually involved collecting/shooting/storing and moving balls or pucks into a goal. Fun stuff. We had 8 weeks to build the robot, but the competition weekend was the big pay-off. A bunch of senior high school students staying in a hotel and getting into various levels of trouble. The most embarrassing part of the story is that the competition weekends still rank high on my list of most memorable experiences.

In a related story, a group of Waterloo region (Ontario) students probably had a memorable extracurricular event weekend recently -- but for more barfblog-worthy reasons. Twenty-five students and two teachers attending DECA, an extracurricular program that gives students hands-on experience in marketing and business, reported symptoms consistient with foodborne illness after the comptetion.

The students stayed at the Toronto Sheraton Hotel in the city’s downtown, where the competition was held.
“We’re still in the early fact-finding mode,” said Brenda Miller, the region’s manager of health protection and investigation.
Public health began investigating on Wednesday (February 11) and has contacted both school boards to find out which schools sent students to the competition and if they have a surge in absenteeism.
One possibility being looked into is the hotel restaurant where many students ate, although Miller stressed there are other potential sources that must be investigated.
“It could be norovirus, but at this point it’s too early to tell,” Miller said.

While there were definitely illnesses associated with the robotics competitions, I'm pretty sure foodborne illness wasn't a likely cause.

In 1184, city leaders in Toulouse, France, introduced some of the first documented measures to oversee the sale of meat: profit for butchers was limited to eight per cent; the partnership between two butchers was forbidden; and, selling the meat of sick animals was forbidden unless the buyer was warned.

By 1394, the Toulouse charter on butchering contained 60 articles, 19 of which were devoted to health and safety.

As outlined by Madeleine Ferrières, a professor of social history at the University of Avignon, in her 2002 book, Sacred Cow, Mad Cow: A History of Food Fears, the goal of regulations at butcher shops -- the forerunners of today's slaughterhouse -- was to safeguard consumers and increase tax revenues. Animals from the surrounding countryside were consolidated at a single spot -- the evolving slaughterhouse, originally inside city walls -- so taxes could be more easily gathered, and so animals could be physically examined for signs of disease.

It's no different today: slaughterhouses are common collection points to examine animals for signs of disease and to collect various levies.

In early 2008, the Humane Society of the United States released video documenting animal abuse at Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. of Chino, Calif., secretly shot by an undercover employee.

That $100-million-a-year company does not exist anymore – brought down by someone using an over-the-counter video recording device.

At the time, I wrote the U.S. Department of Agriculture -- unlike 12th century France -- had access to that same video technology. Producers and processors who say their food is safe should be able to prove it. Producers and processors who say they treat animals humanely should be able to prove it. Government should be able to use technology to do their jobs.

In April 2008, Dr. Richard Raymond, the then undersecretary for food safety at USDA, told a House subcommittee that USDA had enough food inspectors after hiring more than 190 the previous year and videotaping meat plant operations would be costly and practically difficult to implement, adding, "It's not as simple as a camera," and that the agency was "not stretched too thin."

But when an outbreak or recall happens, the USDA types, or any other regulatory types, don’t lose their jobs. It’s the producers, processors and employees who lose money – and their jobs.

In April 2009, Cargill Beef announced it had implemented a third-party video-auditing system that would operate 24 hours a day at its U.S. beef plants to enhance the company’s animal welfare protection systems. All of Cargill’s U.S. plants were expected to have the program in place by the end of 2009.?

Now Cargill has announced its expanded remote video auditing program will monitor food-safety procedures within processing plants.

Cargill already is using RVA to monitor animal well-being practices and is completing the technology installation at its 10 beef-harvest facilities in North America. Based on the positive results in the animal well-being area, Cargill officials decided to extend the RVA technology to monitor food-safety practices and is piloting that portion of the project at beef facilities in Fresno, Calif. and Milwaukee, Wis.

Mike Siemens, Cargill leader of animal welfare and husbandry, said,

“The early results with our animal welfare program have been terrific and we’re excited to get all the facilities up-and-running on the program. Cargill has been able to use the RVA technology to help increase an already superior compliance rate at its plants to an even higher level. In addition to the positive results on compliance rates, we have observed healthy competition among plants on performance scores, as well as a general theme of collaboration among plants on how to attack specific operational challenges. The ability to share data and video easily is extremely valuable.”

For the food-safety pilot, RVA will be used to review stages within the process where workers clean and sanitize their knives and other equipment.

Additionally, Cargill will apply the technology to monitor dressing procedures to ensure proper techniques are followed to reduce the potential for E.coli and Salmonella contamination.

Angie Siemens, Cargill technical services vice president for food safety and quality, said,

“We’re working to eliminate the opportunity for cross-contamination. We want to have the right steps at the beginning of our process to enhance the efficacy of our intervention technologies later in the process. The major objective of the video auditing application is to design a ground-breaking program that can further reduce the E. coli and Salmonella contamination.”

If bars can figure out how to advantageously use video technology, so can slaughterhouses and processing facilities. Someday maybe even USDA will go beyond the inspection techniques of 12th century France.
 

A study published last year in the International Journal of Food Microbiology shows that people can catch certain diseases (trichinosis, pentastomiasis, gnathostomiasis and sparganosis) by eating the meat of reptiles such as crocodiles, turtles, lizards or snakes (or iguanas, right).

Simone Magnino, lead author of the study and a researcher for the World Health Organization (WHO), told the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology that,

"The clearest microbiological risk comes from the possible presence of pathogenic bacteria, especially Salmonella, and also Shigella, Escherichia coli, Yersinia enterolitica, Campylobacter, Clostridium and Staphylococcus aureus, which can cause illnesses of varying degrees of severity."

This expert says the data about risks to public health are still inconclusive, since there is no comparative information about consuming this meat and the prevalence of pathogens. Also, there are few published research articles about cases of illness associated with consuming reptile meat.

The experts advise people to freeze the meat, just as they would with other foods from animal sources, since this deactivates parasites. Industrial processing and proper cooking (not leaving the meat raw) can also kill off pathogens.

Citation: Simone Magnino, Pierre Colin, Eduardo Dei-Cas, Mogens Madsen, Jim McLauchlin, Karsten Nöckler, Miguel Prieto Maradona, Eirini Tsigarida, Emmanuel Vanopdenbosch and Carlos Van Peteghem. "Biological risks associated with consumption of reptile products." International Journal of Food Microbiology 134 (2009) 163, September 2009.
 

John Prine famously sang in his 1973 song, Please Don’t Bury Me,

Give my stomach to Milwaukee
If they run out of beer

That could also apply to me. But at least my bones should last forever even if the rest of me doesn’t.

The UK Independent reports that a regular pint helps strengthen the bones and prevent fractures in old age (so long as you don't drink too much of it and fall over).

Beer is a significant source of silicon, which is a key ingredient of the diet that helps to improve bone mineral density. The National Institute of Health in the United States says silicon may be important for the growth and development of bones, and beer "appears to be a major contributor" to the amount of silicon in the diet.

The best beers for silicon are the pale malted ales and lagers. Dark bitters and stouts contain lower levels because they are made with roasted barley, which has lower silicon content. Wheat contains less silicon than barley, so wheat beers are poorer sources of silicon.

And wheat beer tasts like crap.

Catherine Collins, a dietician at St George's Healthcare NHS Trust, said: "Beer drinking is not really relevant in terms of bone health. Silica may well contribute to bone health but in a minor way: it is not significant compared with nutrients that we know are essential for bone health and are potentially deficient in the UK diet – such as calcium and vitamin D."

That’s no fun. I’d rather go with David Allan Coe’s, Beer is Good For You.
 

In the fall of 2008, 235 people got sick dining at a Harvey’s fast-food restaurant at a major thoroughfare in North Bay, Ontario, about four hours north of Toronto.

A report by the North Bay and District Health Unit concluded the outbreak was probably caused by raw Spanish onions and poor cleaning of onion slicing machines.

The North Bay Nugget reported Monday that a motion has been scheduled for October for a judge to decide whether a civil lawsuit against Harvey's Restaurant will be certified as a class action.

The story says a judge decides if a lawsuit can proceed as a class action on behalf of a group of people in situations where the case would be too expensive or too complex for one person to sue on his own.
 

People like to eat. People like to eat out. People are interested in how their favorite eateries stack up against others.

It’s a standard story that is being repeated in countries across North America: what restaurants in a region get lousy (and occasionally disgusting) inspections, and what is the best way to make those results available to the public?

The Ottawa Citizen chipped in with a three-part series that wraps up Monday and found 44 per cent of area restaurants and take-out places were cited for a failure to comply with health regulations in the past year.

Since April, Ottawa has made its food inspections available online through a searchable database called EatSafe. Users can type in the name or location of the restaurant to see inspection results (ottawa.ca/eatsafe).

Mike Ziola, president of the Ontario Restaurant Hotel and Motel Association ‘s Ottawa chapter said Ottawa doesn’t need the colour-coded food safety system used in Toronto, where restaurants are required to post a green, yellow or red warning sign based on their most recent inspection, stating,

“Essentially, a yellow is a red. I don’t know why they even have a yellow.”

Oh. Oh. I do. When Toronto introduced it’s system the restaurant association made the same argument and the city hired me to write a report for the pending court case – which never went to court. Yes, a yellow is like a red, but it allows the restaurant to stay open. And no one wants a yellow, so the percentage of greens has increased dramatically.

Same thing in New York. The Times quotes Geoff Kravitz, a spokesman for the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce, as telling the first public hearing Friday considering the city’s proposal to rate restaurant cleanliness with posted letter grades, as saying,

“Letter grades are nothing more than a scarlet letter that will keep people from eating out.”

Any evidence to support that opinion? Have letter grades in Los Angeles kept people from eating out?

The New York State Restaurant Association maintains that letter ratings would encourage bribery and corruption – since the highly public placards would dramatically raise cleanliness ratings’ significance to restaurateurs.

Always a risk, but the best restaurants will embrace the disclosure system and promote their excellent results.

The Times story notes that in Los Angeles, the letter system has been in effect for more than a decade. According to a 2007 study by the county’s health department, 91 percent of the populace likes the letter-grading plan. But one speaker, Robin Werteheimer, said that restaurateurs in New York “are not Los Angeles,” adding that “most of their buildings are not 200 years old, and most of them are not next to empty lots with hundreds of rats. It would be nice if the city would clean up those lots.”

Cleveland has new on-line access to restaurant inspection reports, but some are already demanding information on the door.

The New Brunswick Health Department makes all restaurant inspection report cards available to the public on the provincial government website. They can be found at www.gnb.ca under Food Premises Inspection Results.

The province started posting inspection reports on its website in 2007, mainly as a way for restaurant customers to keep an eye on food service establishments.

In Wisconsin, Nancy Eggleston, Wood County environmental health and communicable disease supervisor, said the state will begin the switch from paper to paperless forms of restaurant inspection records, and counties will have the option of placing the inspections on a Web site to make them easily available to the public.

And that’s just one weekend worth of stories. People like this stuff. No politician wants to say, “you, citizen, can’t have this information.” The challenge is to provide the disclosure results in a fair and meaningful manner.