Alaska

  • Theatre of the bizarre as North Pole Republican wants to eliminate government regulation of food

    Posted: April 3rd, 2012 - 8:29pm by Doug Powell

    A couple of our Alaskan food safety friends sent along updates on the ban food safety regulation movement in the state legislature that looks more like a Second City improv skit.

    The Mudflats blog reports Alaska State Rep. Tammie Wilson, a Republican from North Pole, who has taken her quest for deregulation to new and unsanitary heights.

    Behold House Bill 202 – Sale of Food by Processors to Consumers. Gone are the days of food inspectors, rules and regulations, requirements for refrigeration, and soap and water. All’s fair at the farmer’s market, no matter what you’re selling.

    Most of Rep. Wilson’s testimony came in the form of a skit where the plot focused only on produce and baked goods. She played a beleaguered farmer, just trying to sell her humble wares at the market, and her aide played an uptight, joyless, and unreasonable inspector from the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

    The ensuing skit involved a lot of food props, and the committee members had also been given samples of peeled and sliced fruit, and cookies. “I do have a knife,” Wilson demonstrated to the audience, “and I will not use it on anyone, I promise.” (Cue a weirdly awkward moment as Wilson’s aide let forth with a too-loud cackle, and the rest of the room sat in uncomfortable silence).

    And thus began the dramatic demonstration. Slicing of tomatoes was not allowed, because that was considered “food preparation.” Orange peeling was forbidden for the same reason. Next, she tried “an apple…one that we know daycares like to do. And I’m sure that they’re able, with no permit or anything, to be able to cut an apple for a snack.” No dice, says the inspector, “And as far as a daycare goes, if you have five or less children, you may cut. Any more than that, you’d be permitted.” (Remember this part for later, because it’s not true).
    But we’re not done yet. Next up – a strawberry. Wilson begins to remove the green top.

    “This may have seemed ridiculous, but you know, it is ridiculous! Do I want to poison anybody? It’s not a good thing to be a Representative and poison your constituents. I just want to put that on the record.”

    The TV cameras were rolling, but there was no audio hookup yet. This happens so people don’t embarrass themselves by saying something stupid into a “hot mic” that they weren’t intending to say in public. In this particular case, that didn’t matter. Behold our food-prepping farmer, who beautifully illustrates the hazards of her own bill during the ten minutes before the meeting started:
    Who could object to dirty cutlery, snotty carrots, unrefrigerated egg custard, and the underside of Tammy Wilson’s germy fingernails in their strawberries? Ridiculous. As long as there was no willful attempt to poison, that should be enough.

    Kristin Ryan, Director for the DEC, identified the Food Safety and Sanitation program as “the main target of Rep. Wilson’s bill” and began her testimony by stating what really should be the obvious:

    “The DEC recognizes the interest from small food business owners throughout the state to sell products. Provisions in HB202 could cause significant risks for the general public, and increase foodborne illness outbreaks.

    When you purchase food to eat, you assume it is safe. While no one intends to harm their customers, food-borne illnesses are common, and can easily happen. Precautionary measures are important to make and serve safe food. At a minimum, you need a sanitary environment, employees to wash their hands, and proper temperature control.”

    The Republican bill would eliminate the ability of the DEC to investigate if an outbreak of food-borne illness was occurring. The agency would not be allowed to inspect, test, or stop the sale of a food product that is making people sick.

    Because Republicans love freedom. And food safety inspectors don’t.

    Your rating: None (1 vote)
    Bookmark and Share
    Food Safety Policy  |  0 Comments
    Alaska, food safety, policy, regulation, wilson
  • We don’t need no stinkin’ regs; Alaska Rep. sponsors bill to do away with most safe food regulations

    Posted: March 25th, 2012 - 8:57pm by Doug Powell

    The Daily News-Miner reports a bill introduced by North Pole Republican Rep. Tammie Wilson would do away with much of the state’s safety regulations for food sold directly to consumers in an attempt to grow Alaska’s local food industry and farmers markets.

    That has health officials worried. House Bill 202, which was heard in the House Labor and Commerce Committee this week, would remove safety regulations not only for the traditional farmers market fare but also for potentially hazardous foods like seafood, shellfish, poultry, meat, dairy and any other processed foods.
    Currently, the Department of Environmental Conservation has no regulations for direct-to-consumer food sales for raw fruits and vegetables, syrup, honey and jam. But the state does have safety regulations on most other processed foods and raw foods where there’s a potential for dangerous bacteria to make it to the consumer.

    But Wilson feels that expenses like permits and equipment are stifling the development of local food. Instead, she said the consumer should take responsibility for the food they eat.

    “We just think that there’s something called responsibility that is here,” she said during the committee hearing. “I don’t think government is there to keep us safe from absolutely everything, you can’t protect everybody from everything.”

    She said, instead, that the state should take an education-based approach to food safety.

    Wilson’s bill would require sellers to provide a card that alerts the consumer that “This product has not been inspected by any governmental agency and may be harmful to your health.”

    Environmental Health Director Kristin Ryan who testified against the bill’s sweeping changes, said, “People buy food under the assumption that it’s safe to eat. Yes, people should have personal responsibility. But when there’s some clear risk, it’s our responsibility to protect against that risk.”

    Your rating: None (2 votes)
    Bookmark and Share
    Food Safety Policy  |  0 Comments
    Alaska, food safety, inspection, Local, policy, regulation, small farm
  • 18 sick from campylobacter linked to raw milk in Alaska

    Posted: July 30th, 2011 - 12:56am by Doug Powell

    The Anchorage Daily News reports that an outbreak of a serious gastrointestinal illness connected to consumption of raw milk from an Alaska dairy is ongoing, with seven confirmed cases and 11 more that are suspected, state health officials said in a bulletin published Thursday.

    The outbreak connected to unpasteurized milk began in May and has continued into July, the report said.

    The same rare strain of the Campylobacter pathogen was found in all seven cases confirmed in laboratory tests. And it also was confirmed in manure samples from the unnamed Mat-Su farm.

    The lab report, combined with the fact everyone who got sick drank raw milk from the same dairy, "affirms the conclusion that this outbreak is due to consumption of Farm A raw dairy products," the state bulletin said.

    But tests didn't find the pathogen in milk from the farm's bulk tanks.

    That's not surprising, said state epidemiologist Joe McLaughlin. Campylobacter jejuni "is notoriously difficult to culture from environmental specimens other than raw stool," Thursday's epidemiology bulletin said.

    Your rating: None (2 votes)
    Bookmark and Share
    Raw Food  |  0 Comments
    Alaska, Campylobacter, food safety, Illness, raw milk
  • Alaska investigating 4 cases of raw milk contamination

    Posted: June 27th, 2011 - 9:57pm by Doug Powell

    KTUU reports the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services is investigating four cases of people who became sick after drinking bacteria-contaminated raw milk from a Mat-Su Valley farm.

    

According to DHSS spokesperson Greg Wilkinson, state law doesn’t allow the sale of raw milk, but does permit owning shares of an animal to receive its milk -- which doesn’t have to be tested or pasteurized it’s distributed.



    The four people infected with Campylobacter jejuni bacteria from May 7 through June 4 were Southcentral Alaska residents ranging in age from 1 to 81 years old. All four experienced severe stomach flu after drinking raw milk from one of the unnamed farm’s cows, and two said family members also experienced symptoms but did not seek medical attention.
     

    Your rating: None (1 vote)
    Bookmark and Share
    Raw Food  |  0 Comments
    Alaska, Campylobacter, food safety, raw milk, taylor swift
  • Champagne and cupcakes, Trailer Park Boys, and hand sanitizers in massage practices

    Posted: December 6th, 2009 - 7:30pm by Doug Powell

    Holidays are all about tradition.

    And nothing says tradition more than the Canadian TV show, Trailer Park Boys.

    Amy and I have a polar bear that guards the compound during the long winter nights; we have champagne and cupcakes for birthday parties, and every Christmas Day, we gather round the hearth with whoever’s left in town, and watch the Trailer Park Boys Christmas Special.

    Trailer Park Boys is a popular Canadian comedic mockumentary television series that ran from 2001 – 2007 and focused on the misadventures of a group of trailer park residents -- primarily Ricky, Julian and Bubbles (right) -- living in a fictional trailer park located in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

    In the 2004 Christmas Special, Ricky interrupts the midnight mass to share the true meaning of the season:

    “Sorry to interrupt, but I just had one of those brain-learning things pop into my head. …  What is Christmas? I just got out of jail, which was awesome, you know, they don’t have presents and lights and tress, we just get stoned and drunk, it’s the best time. And I get out here and I’m all stressed out. … That’s not what Christmas should be, you should be getting drunk and stoned with your friends and family, people that you love. … That’s Christmas. … Getting drunk and stoned with your families and the people that you love. And if you don’t smoke or drink, just spend time with your families. It’s awesome. Merry Christmas.

    My mom and daughter Courtlynn spent the weekend in Manhattan (Kansas) for a little holiday cheer and to help celebrate Sorenne’s first birthday, and while we didn’t get drunk or stoned, we did just spend time with our family and friends.

    My other favorite Christmas movie, Mystery, Alaska, features Russell Crowe as a hockey-playing sheriff in the town of Mystery, Alaska. The 1999 movie has nothing to do with Christmas but oozes a Jimmy Stewart kind of sentimentality as a fictional small-town hockey team plays a game against the New York Rangers.

    One of the best segments is Canadian Mike Myers (party on, Garth) as play-by-play analyst Donnie Shulzhoffer, who asks during one of the breaks, “Anyone know where a guy can get a rub and a tug in this town?”

    Which raises a question: should hand sanitizers be used in a massage parlor, or by massage therapists?

    The Institute for Integrative Healthcare Studies has concluded – maybe.

    With the rising popularity of hand sanitizers, some therapists are opting to rub an alcohol-based gel between their hands in lieu of scrubbing with soap and water. While hand sanitizers have revolutionized how we practice infection control, it may not always be the best choice for massage therapists.

    Bodyworkers' hands function as their primary tools. Because their tools are reused on each and every client, keeping their hands free of pathogens is a prerequisite to being a responsible therapist. Bodyworkers must wash their hands:

    · Before and after eating
    · Before and after using the restroom
    · Before and after each interaction with a client

    At first thought, bodyworkers may think that hand sanitizers save them time during their requisite hand cleansing. However, further investigation shows that this assumption is not accurate. In addition, hand sanitizers may kill most types of bacteria and viruses but they are not sufficient for removing body fluids from the hands. Thus, the old-fashioned approach using water, soap and a towel remains the preferred way for massage therapists to achieve clean, hygienic hands.

    Happy Birthday, Sorenne, and thanks to everyone who came by for champagne and cupcakes.

    Your rating: None
    Bookmark and Share
    Handwashing  |  2 Comments
    Alaska, Boys, Christmas, Massage, Mystery Meat, Sanitizers, Sorenne, South Park, Trailer, Trailer Park Boys
  • McDonald's fillet-o-fish is really fish

    Posted: August 24th, 2009 - 10:29am by Doug Powell

    Putting aside years of conspiracy theories, the Miami Herald commissioned Nova Southeastern professor Mahmood Shivji's to use DNA fingerprinting technology to confirm that the McDonald's Filet-O-Fish sandwich is actually made of fish.

    Alaska pollock.

    McDonald's corporate website identifies pollock as one of two fish sources for its decades-old fish sandwich (the other being hoki, a fish found off the coasts of New Zealand and Australia).

    Both fish species are recognized as sustainable, well-managed fisheries -- meaning Filet-O-Fish lovers can feel good that their guilty pleasure won't harm Mother Nature's marine ecosytems.
     

    Your rating: None
    Bookmark and Share
    Wacky and Weird  |  1 Comment
    Alaska, Dna Barcode, Fillet-o-fish, Mcdonald's, Pollock
  • Confirmed: birds poop on peas in field, sicken 99 with campylobacter in Alaska

    Posted: October 10th, 2008 - 9:15am by Doug Powell

    Sarah Palin, look at what is going on in your own backyard while you’re getting people all excited with your Katie Couric interviews.

    New molecular laboratory findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide a firm link between an outbreak of Campylobacter diarrhea that occurred in Southcentral Alaska this summer and eating uncooked peas grown in Alaska.

    "Molecular studies demonstrated that there was a match between Campylobacter bacteria obtained from sick people and those obtained from pea and Sandhill Crane samples taken from the farm in Palmer," said Dr. Tracie Gardner, an epidemiologist with the Alaska Division of Public Health.

    To date, the investigation has identified 99 people sickened by the bacteria who reported eating raw peas within 10 days of illness onset. Fifty-four had laboratory confirmation of illness. Five were hospitalized. None have died.

    Investigation revealed a lack of chlorine in the water used to wash the peas at the farm. State officials are working with the farm to implement future control measures.

    Yes, chlorinated water could be part of the economic bailout to boost health-care reform. Over to you, Sarah.
     

     

    Your rating: None
    Bookmark and Share
    Food Safety Policy  |  0 Comments
    Alaska, Campylobacter, Chlorine, Peas, Sarah Palin, Water
  • Sarah Palin: what will you do about sandhill cranes pooping on peas and giving Alaskans campylobacter?

    Posted: September 12th, 2008 - 8:31pm by Doug Powell

    We can’t kill all the birds. That’s my usual response when talking about the practicality of on-farm food safety systems for fresh produce. Yes, birds are salmonella and campylobacter factories. But, as a farmer, you do what you can to reduce risk.

    It now appears that the 18 people in Alaska sick with campylobacter got it from eating raw peas from a farm, where apparently sandhill cranes were crapping all over the peas.

    The Anchorage Daily News says that Joe McLaughlin, state epidemiologist with the state health department, said Thursday afternoon the likely culprits in spreading the illness in Mat-Su are sandhill cranes.

    Apparently the migratory birds love the peas in Mat-Valley Peas' fields. And what geese can do to a sidewalk, cranes do to a field.

    "The farmer thinks that's the likely scenario," McLaughlin said. "He has another field with cattle nearby, but it's highly plausible that the cranes' poop is the cause."

    Duane Clark, who markets the peas for longtime grower John Hett, said, "They don't have proof we're the ones, and we don't have proof we're not."

    "I've been farming for over 30 years," Hett said, "and never had a problem."

    Shayne Herr, Hett's son-in-law and manager of the farm, said, "If DEC's concerned, we're concerned." He said his family eats raw peas all the time, "and we never get diarrhea. We wash them and we're fine. If we don't like them, we don't sell them."

    It's a new marketing slogan: our food is fine cause we don't get diahhrea.
     

    Your rating: None
    Bookmark and Share
    Food Safety Policy  |  1 Comment
    Alaska, Birds, Campylobacter, Peas, Sandhill Cranes, Sarah Palin
  • What would Sarah Palin do? Peas in Alaska source of campylobacter, 18 sickened

    Posted: September 12th, 2008 - 12:17am by Doug Powell

    My mom was a hockey mom. She and dad drove me all around Ontario to play hockey. I still remember the brawl between some of the hockey moms when we played Galt (before it was Cambridge). The cops were called. I may have been 13. My mom wasn’t involved (at least she won’t admit she was involved).

    I coached and helped out with my four girls playing hockey, so I guess I was a hockey dad. I’m not a pit bull and don’t wear lipstick.

    Sarah Palin may be a hockey mom who thinks the Flintstones are an accurate representation of human-dinosaur co-habitation and is open to war with Russia, but what I’d really like to hear about is how the vice-presidential candidate responds to foodborne illness in her own backyard.

    The Anchorage Daily News reports that a farm in the Matanuska Valley has been called the focal point of a campylobacter outbreak that has sickened at least 18 people in Southcentral Alaska after they ate raw peas.

    Mat-Valley Peas in Palmer sells the peas in 5- and 10-pound bags with cooking instructions that would have prevented the outbreak, but some retailers and sellers at farmers markets have repackaged the peas in smaller quantities and left out the cooking instructions, said Joe McLaughlin, state epidemiologist with the health department.

    The first of the 18 cases, including one person who was hospitalized, occurred Aug. 1.

    And my mom, she never had to brag about being a hockey mom. She was the real deal.

    Your rating: None
    Bookmark and Share
    Food Safety Policy, Thermometers  |  0 Comments
    Alaska, Campylobacter, Hockey, Peas, Sarah Palin