As raw milk pushers protest in Washington, D.C. today, Kansas is delving into some kind of Learning Annex approach to promote the stuff.

A course being offered at UFM Community Learning Center in Manhattan (the Kansas one) declares,

“Unpasteurized, farm-fresh milk is Mother Nature's most perfect food. During this class, you will discover the differences between pasteurized and unpasteurized milk, the political history of raw milk in America and in Kansas, and how to find quality sources of raw milk for you and your family. … this class is essential for all people who want a healthy lifestyle.”

Some background: What appears to be the local version of the he-man-woman-haters club, the University for Man, was founded in Manhattan in 1968. Being progressive, the group changed its name in the early 1990's to University for Mankind. In 1999, the words were eliminated, but the initials UFM were kept and additional explanatory words, Community Learning Center were added. The official name is now, UFM Community Learning Center.

The class on raw milk is being taught by Stephanie Schiefelbein, who apparently works in the library at Kansas State University, and is active with the usual groups of raw milk pushers, and Deane Lehmann (disclaimer: UFM is a community learning program that contracts with nonprofessional community instructors).

In Kansas, dairies may only sell raw milk on the farm. The transaction must be on the farm and it must be between the dairyman and the consumer. Advertising raw milk sales is prohibited except on the farm premises. The milk container must be labeled as "raw" or "unpasteurized-ungraded" milk. The Kansas Department of Agriculture advises consumers to not consume raw milk and dairy products because they may contain pathogenic bacteria that can make them sick.

The UFM course is hucksterism. In the interests of educational discussion, will outbreaks of foodborne disease related to raw milk be thoroughly covered?

A table of raw milk outbreaks is available at http://bites.ksu.edu/rawmilk.
 

That Kansas turkey church dinner outbreak mentioned in today’s USA Today was probably caused by Clostridium perfringens, highlighting the need for proper cooling after cooking and sufficient reheating.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and City-Cowley County Health Department, with assistance from the Kansas Department of Agriculture and the cooperation of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Arkansas City, have been conducting an investigation of a foodborne illness outbreak associated with the Sacred Heart Turkey Dinner that was held on the evening of November 8.

Since that date, 179 people individuals who attended this event have reported becoming ill, with one requiring hospitalization. Preliminary results from initial testing indicate that the illness is due to exposure to toxin produced by bacteria called Clostridium perfringens; however, further results are still pending.

Many Clostridium perfringens outbreaks are associated with inadequately heated or reheated beef, turkey or chicken, allowing the bacteria to multiply to high levels. Once eaten, the bacteria produce a toxin that can lead to illness.

Incubation period, or the time from eating a contaminated food to onset of symptoms, is usually about six to 24 hours; however, this can vary depending on the amount of bacteria present.
 

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and City-Cowley County Health Department, with assistance from the Kansas Department of Agriculture and the cooperation of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Arkansas City, are conducting an investigation of a possible foodborne illness outbreak associated with the Sacred Heart Turkey Dinner that was held on the evening of November 8.

Since November 8, at least 22 individuals have reported becoming ill; symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping. Follow-up investigations are ongoing, but preliminary information suggests that the illnesses among these individuals are associated with attendance at or consumption of food from the turkey dinner. No other common links have yet been identified.

At this time, no specific foods have been identified as the potential source of illnesses. As a precaution, KDHE is recommending that no food that was prepared for this dinner is consumed. Any food left over from the event should be discarded to reduce the potential of further illness.

To aid in the investigation and potentially identify the source of the outbreak, KDHE is conducting an online survey that can be accessed at:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SacredHeartDinner

On Aug. 17, 2010, the Kansas Department of Agriculture's Division of Food Safety and Lodging inspected Mr. K's Cafe, located at 3901 Vanesta in the Grand Mere district, and cited them for seven critical violations including improper cold holding temperatures, improperly storing chemicals above food preparation areas, and improperly cleaning and sanitizing food contact surfaces.

Details reveal Mr. K's was cited because mold was found in the ice machine, the meat slicer and tomato slicer weren't cleaned properly and were found with bits of dried food on them, pretty much all the food in the cooler was stored at a temperature of 50 degrees F, and butane fuel was found stored over their food prepping areas.

On Aug. 19, KDA visited the Chinese Chef restaurant located at 2704 Anderson Avenue. The establishment was cited for ten critical violations including failure to properly wash and sanitize hands, improperly cleaning and sanitizing food contact surfaces, improper cold holding temperatures and improperly disposing of sewage and waste water.

In the walk-in cooler, raw chicken was being stored over cooked fried chicken tubs; a majority of the rice that was prepared and stored in the same walk-in cooler had an average temperature of 66 degrees.

On Aug. 27, Mr. Goodcent's Subs and Pastas was inspected and cited for seven critical violations, including improper cold holding temperatures, improperly storing chemicals near food preparation areas, and improperly marking dates on food packages; sliced tomatoes and tuna salad were stored in a cooler at almost 60 degrees.