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Andrew Reece

  • Restaurant sinks are not bathtubs

    Posted: August 12th, 2008 - 2:40pm by Andrew Reece

    An Ohio man is in hot water for taking a hot bath in a Burger King bathtub. The video shows a man sitting in the sink, while other employees look on laughing. At one point the employee with the camera goes to ask the manager if she wants to come watch. The manager declines, but also fails to take any action. The video was then posted on Myspace. The fast food restaurant has fired all employees involved. They added that the sink was sanitized twice and all utensils were thrown out. Health officials are working with prosecutors to see if charges will be filed. However the health department has declined to issue any fines. If bathing in a kitchen sink isn’t worth a fine, what is?

    The video contains some not safe for work language.
     

     


    Burger King Employee Takes Bath In Sink - Watch more free videos

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    Raw Food, Wacky and Weird  |  2 Comments
    Bathtub, Cooking, Critical Violation, Dirty, Fast Food, Hamburger, Public Health, Sink
  • Doug Powell appears on National Public Radio

    Posted: June 14th, 2008 - 2:26pm by Andrew Reece


    Yesterday Doug appeared on NPR Science Friday. The topic was the recent outbreak of Salmonella that has now officially sickened 228 persons in 23 states.
    A podcast of the episode is now available online, and can be heard at this location.
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    Illness, Npr, Outbreak, Podcasts, Tomatoes
  • How to properly cook hamburgers

    Posted: March 8th, 2008 - 2:04am by Andrew Reece

    The best way to make a hamburger is debatable. In my opinion adding Swiss cheese, pickles, onions, and mustard to a burger nearly perfects it. The one other ingredient? Temperature.
    Cooking burgers to 160°F is the only sure way to tell that it is fully cooked. Cooking hamburgers to 160°F kills unwanted microorganisms such as E. coli O157:H7, a deadly ingredient. The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 61 deaths a year from E. coli, and thousands more ill. Ground beef was recalled 19 different times in 2007 for E. coli contamination.
    E. coli O157:H7 loves hiding in the intestines of animals, such as cows. During slaughter, if workers do not follow safe practices it can get onto the cuts of meat. Steaks can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness because any potential for microorganisms exists only on the surface. However, with ground beef the muscle is mixed up and the organisms are spread throughout the meat.
    When cooking, don’t rely on the burger’s appearance to tell if it is done. Many people think a burger that is no longer pink is a done burger. This is not the case as pointed out in many studies (here, here, and here). Sometimes burgers look done well before they hit 160°F.
    To measure the temperature of a burger, go out and buy a tip sensitive digital thermometer. Remove the burger from the grill or stove and insert the thermometer into the side of the meat all the way to the center. Wait until the thermometer reads 160°F before serving. Add the toppings of your choice, and enjoy!

    Podcast 1
    Podcast 2



    References
    Hunt, M.C., O. Sørheim, E. Slinde. Color and Heat Denaturation of Myoglobin Forms in Ground Beef. Journal of Food Science Volume 64 Issue 5 Page 847-851, September 1999.
    http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2621.1999.tb15925.x?prevSearch=authorsfield%3A%28M.C.+Hunt%29

    Ryan, Suzanne M., Mark Seyfert, Melvin C. Hunt, Richard A. Mancini. Influence of Cooking Rate, Endpoint Temperature, Post-cook Hold Time, and Myoglobin Redox State on Internal Color Development of Cooked Ground Beef Patties. Journal of Food Science. Volume 71 Issue 3 Page C216-C221, April 2006
    http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2621.2006.tb15620.x?prevSearch=authorsfield%3A%28M.C.+Hunt%29

    Seyfert, M., R.A. Mancini, M.C. Hunt. Internal Premature Browning in Cooked Ground Beef Patties from High-Oxygen Modified-Atmosphere Packaging. Journal of Food Science. Volume 69 Issue 9 Page C721-C725, December 2004
    http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2621.2004.tb09923.x?prevSearch=authorsfield%3A%28M.C.+Hunt%29
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    E. coli, Thermometers  |  2 Comments
    Bbq, Beef, Cooking, Grilling, Hamburger, Playground, Podcasts, Temperature
  • Safe Food Cafe - Handwashing in the produce industry

    Posted: January 9th, 2008 - 2:32pm by Andrew Reece

    This handwashing and good hygiene video is a few years old. It was produced by one time ifsn-ers Christian and Katija. It is intended for workers in the produce industry, but the handwashing techniques can be applied to anyone that handles food.

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    Handwashing  |  1 Comment
    Fruit, Handling, Hygiene, Produce, Sanitizer, Vegetable
  • Safe Food Cafe - Tailgating Tips

    Posted: January 3rd, 2008 - 12:27am by Andrew Reece


    This video comes from November when the iFSN checked out the food practices performed at a K-State tailgate. Our team didn't win, but it was great to discuss food safety topics with serious grillers and sometimes, serious drinkers.

    Best wishes to the University of Kansas -- not Kansas State -- which is playing in the Orange Bowl tonight in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, against Virginia Tech. It was a magical season for the Kansas Jayhawks until they met that other Big 12 powerhouse, Missouri.

    And for you crazy, KU kids frolicking in the Florida sun, use a digital, tip-sensitive thermometer when sticking it in. Always.

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    Food Safety Culture  |  0 Comments
    Bbq, Beef, Chicken, Cooking, Grilling, Tailgate
  • Safe Food Caf? - Petting zoos and their risk

    Posted: December 12th, 2007 - 9:51pm by Andrew Reece

    The International Food Safety Network’s Safe Food Café campaign has returned with a new video aimed at petting zoos. E. coli outbreaks have been linked to petting zoos in recent years that have resulted in hundreds ill. This has resulted in safety measures being stepped up around the animals. Make sure to stay tuned to The Safe Food Café on YouTube for more reports.





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    Animals, E. coli  |  0 Comments
    Barf, Fair, Outbreak, Petting, Zoo
  • Food Safety on film

    Posted: December 9th, 2007 - 9:28pm by Andrew Reece

    The International Food Safety Network can now be found on YouTube! We’ve posted our first video, which covers the recent E. coli O157:H7 outbreak associated with pepperoni on frozen pizzas. More videos should show up soon, so make sure to subscribe to us on the right side of the video.

    Video Link

    iFSN's YouTube profile



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    E. coli  |  0 Comments
    Barf, Food Recall, Outbreak, Pepperoni, Pizza
  • Mouthwatering burger

    Posted: November 16th, 2007 - 3:52am by Andrew Reece

    Jeffrey Steingarten and Vogue magazine is offering up tips to make the perfect tasting burger. Some of the advice sounds helpful, but I question if all of it is safe.
    Here are a few excerpts:
    “Grind or Else: Steingarten concludes you must either grind your own meat or have a trusted butcher grind it for you, for reasons of taste and safety (or, perish the thought, be sentenced to a life of consuming well-done burgers).”
    While fresh ground beef may have taste benefits, I am not too sure what beef straight from the butcher has to do with safety. In fact, a local butcher in Wales was recently jailed for selling beef contaminated with E. coli. Local does not equate to safe; food can only be as safe as the people that handle and produce it.
    “He explains in painstaking detail all of the ways supermarket ground beef can be contaminated. His solution, if you have any questions about the chopped meat you've just bought: "Drop the meat into a pot of boiling water for a minute, fish it out, and pat it dry….”
    Again, I am not sure how this makes your meat safer. If you drop a clump of ground beef into boiling water, it may kill of any microorganisms on the surface, but no such luck for anything lurking inside. Meat is not done when temperatures around the meat are above 160 degrees Fahrenheit; it is done when the meat itself is 160 degrees.
    “…if you flip a burger or a steak every fifteen to 30 seconds, the outside surface will get nicely browned while the inside stays relatively cool.”
    It is a good idea to frequently flip to avoid a crispy burger, but what is the purpose of keeping the inside ‘relatively cool’? Studies have shown ground beef is fully cooked only when the center of the patty is 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Keeping the inside ‘relatively cool’ (assuming Mr. Steingarten means less than 160) is only increasing the risk of food borne illness. In fact, temperature is not mentioned anywhere in the article.

    Here is my recipe for a perfect tasting burger:
    1.    Mix in some Chipotle Tabasco sauce with the meat.
    2.    Use a sprinkle of seasoning salt right before cooking the burger.
    3.    Flip the burger regularly.
    4.    Top with Pepper Jack cheese.
    5.    Cook burgers to 160 degrees, and use a tip sensitive meat thermometer.

    Once step five is complete, then you have a mouthwatering burger.
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    E. coli, Food Safety Culture  |  1 Comment
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  • New International Food Safety Network Podcast -- Week of 10/26/07

    Posted: October 30th, 2007 - 12:58pm by Andrew Reece

    This week in the podcast we look at:
    • Hepatitis A in Calgary
    • More beef recalls
    • Salmonella in Georgia
    iFSN podcast 10.26.07
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    E. coli, Hepatitis A, Salmonella  |  0 Comments
    Podcasts
  • New International Food Safety Network Podcast -- Week of 10/19/07

    Posted: October 22nd, 2007 - 2:33am by Andrew Reece

    This week in the podcast we highlight:

    • Salmonella - Minnesota
    • Recent lawsuits relating to recent recalls and outbreaks
    • Handwashing
    iFSN podcast 10.19.07
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    E. coli, Handwashing, Salmonella  |  0 Comments
    Podcasts
  • New International Food Safety Network Podcast -- Week of 10/12/07

    Posted: October 13th, 2007 - 5:11pm by Andrew Reece

    This week in the podcast we highlight:

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

    iFSN podcast 10.12.07
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    Salmonella  |  0 Comments
    Podcasts
  • International Food Safety Network Podcast -- Week of 10/5/07

    Posted: October 7th, 2007 - 11:36pm by Andrew Reece

    This week we focus on Listeria monocytogenes and the week that was in food safety news.

    iFSN podcast 10.5.07
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    Food Safety Policy, Listeria  |  0 Comments
    Podcasts
  • Food Safety - Week in review

    Posted: October 1st, 2007 - 6:27pm by Andrew Reece

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

    Enjoy!

    iFSN podcast #1
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    E. coli  |  1 Comment
    Ifsn, Podcasts
  • Heat em up, eat em up... KSU!

    Posted: August 31st, 2007 - 6:35pm by Andrew Reece



    My favorite time of year is here, college football season. My team, the Kansas State University Wildcats kicks off their season Saturday night on the road against Auburn. Even though I won't be traveling to the game I'll still be doing the one thing I love to do before a home game, grilling out. To me, nothing is better than getting in some brats and burgers before walking up to the stadium to cheer on my cats. However, the tailgating scene can get pretty crazy sometimes and food safety may slip some people's minds. Here are some good tips for the tailgating season.
    • Keep cold food in a cooler at less than 40°F (and keep there beers this cold too!)
    • Make sure the different meats are kept wrapped to prevent cross contamination. Making a burger topped with chicken is delicious, but stacking these meats is only acceptable after cooking
    • Cook food to the right temperature
      • Steaks (beef, pork, fish, lamb) - 145°F
      • Ground (beef, pork, lamb) - 160°F
      • Chicken (whole, ground) - 165°F
    • Probably the smartest thing you can have is a meat thermometer. It's the only true and tested way to tell if the food is done, and many are small enough to fit in your pocket. These should be a tailgater's best friend.
    • Hot foods should not be left out for more than 2 hours. As much as you might want to have some food after the game, it is not acceptable to leave the burgers out for all 4 quarters. Put it away and reheat if needed.
                  (source: FDA)


    The post title is a play on a popular chant at K-state games, thus I find it easy to remember to heat my foods to the proper temperatures. Starting next week you can find me at the Bill Snyder Family Stadium cooking, and losing my voice inside the stadium (from about where the picture above was taken).

        Prediction: KSU 21 - Auburn 20
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    Food Safety Policy, Thermometers  |  2 Comments
    Football, Tailgating, Temperature
  • Brewing coffee from cat poop

    Posted: August 20th, 2007 - 1:20pm by Andrew Reece

    I noticed an interesting article today about how some people in Indonesia are using seeds picked from cat droppings to brew their morning cup of Joe.
    According to ITN and Yahoo! News:
    "Makers claim they gather undigested seeds from ripe coffee cherries, that have passed through the stomachs of civet cats and use them to make the drink.
    It has been suggested enzymes in the animal's stomach break down the proteins in the seeds and give them a bitter taste that enhances the flavour."
    They may be right about the poop seeds affecting the flavor, but the safety risk of this practice is high. The filth that these seeds come from could contain E. coli or other fecal coliforms that can lead to health issues. We'll keep an eye on this practice, but I wouldn't be surprised if we hear about a few people getting sick off of this practice. Read the full article here.

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    Wacky and Weird  |  1 Comment
    Coffee, Communication, Poop
  • Concerts cancelled due to food poisoning

    Posted: May 3rd, 2007 - 4:35pm by Andrew Reece

    ***New Food Safety Network Infosheet -- Concerts cancelled due to food poisoning***
    03.may.07
    Food Safety Network
    foodsafetyinfosheets.ksu.edu
    www.foodsafety.ksu.edu
    The newest food safety infosheet, a graphical one-page food safety-related story directed at food handlers, is now available at foodsafetyinfosheets.ksu.edu.
    Infosheet highlights:
    The nationwide Muse and My Chemical Romance tour was brought to a halt this past weekend after band members were struck with food poisoning.
    The bands were in Williamsburg, Virginia last Sunday for a concert at William and Mary college, when 16 members from both bands and crews became severely ill.
    Other risk factors affecting the safety of food include: proper cooking procedures, temperature control during storage, cross contamination, poor hygiene, and purchasing food from unsafe sources.
    Infosheets are created weekly by iFSN and are posted in restaurants, retail stores, on farms and used in training throughout the world. If you have any infosheet topic requests, or photos, please contact Ben Chapman at bchapman@uoguelph.ca
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    Celebrity  |  1 Comment
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  • Rockstars fall ill

    Posted: May 1st, 2007 - 10:28pm by Andrew Reece

    Here is a story from The Flat Hat, which is the newspaper for the College of William and Mary. It involves two popular bands falling ill with suspected norovirus:

    ***MCR falls ill after concert***
    01.may.07
    The Flat Hat (Virginia)
    Brian Mahoney
    http://www.flathatnews.com/news/933/mcr-falls-ill-after-concert
    Last weekend did not end romantically for rock band My Chemical Romance.
    The group was forced to cancel their Sunday night show at the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pennsylvania, after 16 crew and band members fell ill, according to the BJC’s Director of Public Relations Bernie Punt.
    Punt told Penn State’s student newspaper, The Daily Collegian, that members from the opening band Muse also fell ill late Saturday night.
    Jonathan Seiden - The Flat Hat. My Chemical Romance performs for an almost sold-out audience at William and Mary Hall April 28.
    He said that both crew and band members were stricken by “severe food poisoning.”
    “We had a doctor in here all day,” Punt told the Collegian Sunday. “They’re not getting any better.”
    Punt also told The Flat Hat that the band was forced to postpone their May 1 show in Columbus, Ohio due to continued sickness.
    According to Punt, chicken wraps served at the College Saturday had caused the illness.
    The Green Leafe, located on Scotland Street, was the sole caterer of the event, and they also served chicken wraps, Glen Gormley, the owner of the restaurant, said.
    Gormley also said that no one from the band has contacted the Green Leafe, and that he could not confirm if the wraps had caused the illnesses.“I have no idea, I’m not a doctor,” Gormley said. “I know they had to cancel the show. No one contacted me about this.”
    Joe Lowder, the College’s assistant director for student affairs, said that the band had informed him of the cancelation and the illnesses, but he could not confirm that they suffered food poisoning. He also noted that the band and crew members travel in a confined tour bus, which is prone to viruses and contagious diseases.
    Lowder said that both the band and crew ate other food on Saturday, including pizza and a $200 order of Hooters.
    He also contacted an epidemiologist after hearing of the illnesses, and was informed that many factors could have caused sickness, including the Norovirus.
    The Norovirus, which is highly contagious and causes flu-like symptoms, infected dozens of College students last October.
    “Food poisoning, from what [doctors] say, is very hard to pinpoint,” Lowder said.”
    No students reported any illnesses. The Green Leafe catered only to the bands and their crew.
    According to the BJC’s blog on community.centredaily.com, stage crews were assembling sound and lighting when they were informed of the band’s illness.
    “We received word that several of the band members of My Chemical Romance and Muse had taken ill from some food they had eaten hours earlier in Williamsburg, VA,” the blog said.
    “Fans from around the northeast were already in line … waiting anxiously for their favorite band to take the stage.”
    The blog also said that a promoter of the concert had e-mailed the crew of the BJC thanking them for their cooperation and assistance, specifically that of Dr. Doug Aukerman, a physician at Penn State.
    The promoter said that Aukerman was “in effect, running triage” at the venue.
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    Celebrity, Norovirus  |  0 Comments
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