San Diego

  • Lifesoy sucks at food safety so FDA shuts them down

    Posted: June 7th, 2010 - 12:34pm by Doug Powell

    Lifesoy Inc., a San Diego-based manufacturer of ready-to-eat soy products cited by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for preparing, packing, and holding articles of food under insanitary conditions, has entered into a consent decree of permanent injunction in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

    The consent decree requires Lifesoy to stop manufacturing and distributing food products until the company registers with the FDA and complies with federal laws regarding sanitary practices.

    Lifesoy made sweetened and unsweetened soy milk, fried tofu, fresh tofu, soybean pudding, and other soy products for human consumption. The government’s complaint further alleges that Lifesoy did not hold and store the foods under proper refrigeration conditions to prevent the growth of microorganisms.
     

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    Food Safety Policy  |  0 Comments
    food safety, GMP, lifesoy, San Diego, soy, Temperature
  • Hepatitis A illnesses linked to San Diego Chipotle now at 12

    Posted: April 24th, 2008 - 9:53pm by Doug Powell

    The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) reports six additional cases of Hepatitis A linked to possible exposure at a Chipotle restaurant in La Mesa, bringing the total number of cases to 12.

    The County recommends that individuals who dined at the restaurant between March 1 and April 22, 2008 -- and are symptomatic for Hepatitis A -- see their physician to be screened for the illness.

    Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County of San Diego Public Health Officer, said,

    “Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable illness. The key to prevention also includes appropriate and frequent hand-washing."

    Monty Moran, president and chief operating officer of Chipotle, said,


    “We continue to partner with the County of San Diego as they investigate the cause of this illness. Employees tested to date have been negative for Hepatitis A. Our restaurant has received ‘A’ ratings in all five inspections in the last five months.”

    Keep poop out of food. Wash your damn hands.


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    Hepatitis A  |  2 Comments
    Chipotle, San Diego
  • San Diego Chipotle linked to hepatitis A outbreak

    Posted: April 23rd, 2008 - 4:21pm by Doug Powell

    The San Diego Health and Human Services Agency and County Department of Environmental Health are investigating six cases of hepatitis A linked to a La Mesa Chipotle restaurant. …

    Hepatitis A is a result of poor hygiene. Health officials say that victims are exposed when an individual consumes water or food contaminated with the stool of someone with the virus.

    These hepatitis A cases are a weekly occurrence in the U.S. A food worker parties in Mexico or the Dominican or Honduras, where hepatitis A is endemic. Food worker comes home, is fine for two weeks, then spends the next two weeks crapping out virus. And unless food worker  is really diligent about handwashing, she's spreading virus-containing poop on food -- especially fresh produce or salads. After four weeks, food worker turns yellow and goes to the doctor where a diagnosis is made. Then the clinics start. In this case, a food worker has not been identified as the source -- yet.

    Get vaccinated for hepatitis A. And dude, wash your damn hands.
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    Chipotle, San Diego
  • Fancy food isn't safer food: San Diego edition

    Posted: March 2nd, 2008 - 4:24pm by Doug Powell

    The San Diego Union Tribune has a couple of stories today on restaurant inspection, one with the headline, Not-so-fine dining cited at many top restaurants.

    When it comes to dining out, an analysis by The San Diego Union-Tribune found that pricier doesn't always translate into safer.

    County inspection records for 103 of San Diego's most popular, top-rated and most expensive restaurants show that 50 percent have been written up for at least one major food-safety violation in the past two years.

    Unfortunately, the story doesn't analyze how that rate compares with other restaurants in San Diego.

    The story does note it's hard to pinpoint exactly how much of a risk health code violations pose to diners.

    When inspectors found water that wasn't hot enough in restrooms, as was the case twice in the past two years at Island Prime on Harbor Island, they couldn't say whether food handlers spread bacteria as a result of it.

    Except that water temperature is not a factor in hand cleanliness. Flowing water, soap and paper towel are important for effective handwashing.

    At The Lodge at Torrey Pines, which has maintained scores of 92 or higher in the past two years, chefs conduct hour-long safety inspections each week using the county's measurements.

    “I truly believe it comes down to pride and culture and good behavior that's reinforced by good management,” said Bill Gross, the lodge's food and beverage director. “It starts at the top.”

    That I can agree with. Creating and nurturing a culture that values microbiologically safe food, when purchasing and preparing, serving and storing, will help reduce the number of people who get sick from food. Even fancy food.

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    Food Safety Policy, Restaurant Inspection  |  0 Comments
    Culture Of Safe Food, San Diego