Must love dogs - the Australian Internet dating version
Oh John Cusack and Diane Lane; you were both so cute in the 2005 romantic comedy, Must Love Dogs.
And that’s why Jodie O'Brien and her husband, Tom, started www.lovemelovemypet.com.au, a dating website for a particularly niche clientele.
"We started to notice over the years that a lot of our friends are really intelligent, good looking people, easy to get along with. But they're having trouble finding a partner simply because they themselves might be big dog lovers and they can't find someone with the same passion for animals as them. Sometimes it has come down to that making a difference.:
Match-making for animal enthusiasts is just the latest service in Australia's booming pet industry, which, in recent years has expanded from pet shops and pooch salons to doggy daycare facilities, dog sports training, pet portraits and even pet psychics.
With around 65 per cent of Australian households owning at least one pet, Sydney dog-owner Brittney Smith recognised the large market for her website, dogtree.com.au, which she set up earlier this year.
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Described by many as Facebook for dogs, dogtree.com.au is a social networking site where owners can set up backyard playdates for their cuddly companions, instead of leaving them unsupervised to cause havoc at home.
Most Australian restaurants serve 'crap:' critic
Matthew Evans is a food critic for The Sydney Morning Herald.
In September 2003, the paper published a review by Evans of the now defunct restaurant Coco Roco at Sydney's King Street Wharf, in which Evans said the dishes were "unpalatable" and that the restaurant's overall value was "a shocker," scoring it 9/20 - in the "stay home" category.
The restaurant went under in March 2004, and is suing both the paper and Evans for defamation and damages.
Under cross-examination, Evans, a former chef, said while he believed a bad review could have some impact on a restaurant, it was not enough to cause its demise, and was asked if he still held the opinion he wrote in his 2007 book which said "most restaurants in this country still serve crap food."
Evans stood by that opinion, adding that he was "not too happy" with most food he was served in restaurants.
Me neither. I had an artsy friend do this recreation of a New Yorker cartoon some 25 years ago (right); still hangs in our kitchen.
The lawyer defending Coco Roco referred Evans to a December 2003 review of Coco Roco by Ray Chesterton, who "thought everything was great."
"He says he never met a meal he didn't like," the barrister also noted.
Justice Ian Hamilton then quipped: "That emerges from the photograph."
Hearty guffaws all around.
Australia: Restaurant owner sues food critic for bad review
This Christmas I will be venturing to Australia for the first time. My flatmate graciously invited me to spend the holidays with her, and the chance to potentially bump into Mr. G (Summer Heights High) was something I couldn’t pass up.
While I search for the famous mockumentry star, a Sydney restaurateur will likely be continuing her ugly legal battle against a food critic reports TheAge.com.au.
In evidence in the NSW Supreme Court on Wednesday, Ljiljana Gacic sobbed as she launched a diatribe against the critic, Matthew Evans, whom she described as "low life".
She said the review had been "done for a purpose", and told Justice Ian Harrison she had put on 57 kilos in the six years since its publication because of the stress.
In September 2003, Fairfax's The Sydney Morning Herald published a review referring to "unpalatable" dishes, describing the restaurant's overall value as "a shocker" and scoring it 9/20 - in the "stay home" category. The restaurant went into administration in March 2004.
The article has been found to convey defamatory meanings, including that the trio "incompetent" as restaurant owners because they sold unpalatable food and employed a chef who made poor quality dishes.
Mr [Tom] Blackburn [ SC, for Fairfax – the newspaper] then suggested that either Ms Gacic was "malevolently and maliciously fabricating it or you are deluded".
The judge is now holding a hearing relating to defences - including truth - put forward by Fairfax, and on the amount of damages, if any, which should be awarded.
Australian hepatitis A outbreak still linked to semi-dried tomatoes
Hepatitis A is one of the few causes of foodborne illness that only cycles through humans – and their poop.
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So any outbreak of hepatitis A means human sewage came into contact with the food (which then wasn’t cooked) or someone shedding the virus had a poop, failed to adequately wash their hands, and then prepared an uncooked food.
Either could be happening in this on-going outbreak of hepatitis A in Australia that has sickened about 130 people and appears to be linked to semi-dry tomatoes.
Victorian health authorities revealed a further 23 cases of the infectious disease diagnosed in the past week.
Victoria's chief health officer Dr John Carnie said that so far this year there had been 200 notifications of hepatitis A, compared to 74 at the same time last year.
A study into the increase of cases indicates that more than two thirds of people that have become ill recalled eating semi-dried tomatoes, he said.
Local producers had promised the Department of Human Services they were doing their best to reduce the risk, while importers of the tomatoes had also been instructed to ensure appropriate quality control measures were in place, he said.
Bottled semi-dried tomatoes in supermarkets were pasteurised and considered safe along with any of the cooked product such as in pizzas or quiches.
The greatest risk would appear to be at restaurants and cafes, where semi-dried tomatoes are served in foods such as salads and sandwiches.
Don’t eat poop. Or at least cook it.
Clean the poop off hands before making semi-dried tomatoes -- linked to spike in Australian hepatitis A cases
The Age, which is the primary newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, in the state of Victoria, reports that semi-dried tomatoes have been linked to several cases of hepatitis A.
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Victoria's chief health officer John Carnie issued a warning on Friday evening (Friday morning here since they’re about 14 hours ahead) advising people to avoid eating semi-dried tomatoes unless they are thoroughly cooked.
"People who may have semi-dried tomatoes at home should not eat them unless they are thoroughly cooked, such as in pizza and quiche. Restaurants and cafes should also follow this advice.”
The Department of Health and Human Services has received 12 hepatitis A notifications this week and several people infected have reported eating semi-dried tomatoes.
Is that a Vegemite or an iSnack 2.0 sandwich, or are you just happy to see me?
In one of the most bizarre marketing decisions – ever, even for Australia – Kraft Foods decided to name its second generation Vegemite the iSnack 2.0.
I first heard the term Vegemite near the beginning of the worst decade of music ever, in the 1981 song, Down Under, by Men at Work.
Vegemite is made from leftover brewers' yeast extract, a by-product of beer manufacturing, and various vegetable and spice additives. The taste may be described as salty, slightly bitter, and malty - somewhat similar to the taste of beef bouillon. The texture is smooth and sticky, much like peanut butter.
Helen Razer, a Melbourne writer, says in today’s (tomorrow’s) The Age, that the chief element in Vegemite's new product is cream cheese. A secondary ingredient appears to be abject failure. No one likes the name of this new yeast product, except at least six Harvard MBAs at Kraft Foods who adore it.
The winning name was announced during the telecast of the AFL grand final. In an effort ''to align the new product with a younger market - and the 'cool' credentials of Apple's iPod and iPhone'' Kraft chose iSnack 2.0 from a field of 48,000.
This raises many questions. Chief among them is how very terrible were the other 47,999 competition submissions that Kraft was left with iSnack 2.0?
Razer says the label is every bit as hip as a polka convention and every bit as convincingly ''now'' as parachute pants.
Sounds like the wardrobe for a 1981 video shoot.
Razer also says, on Monday, the global noticeboard Twitter was jammed with disgust. Comments that included ''I said do you speaka my language? She just smiled and gave me an iSnack 2.0 sandwich'' and ''What's the matter, was the name Crap Paste already trademarked?''
Australia: Tables restaurant find $19,000 for deadly asparagus; widow says, 'we've had enough'
A fancy restaurant that served a man deadly asparagus sauce has been fined $19,000 - a fraction of the maximum penalty available under the Food Standards Act.
William Hodgins, 81, died of a ruptured stomach about 12 hours after taking his wife to the award-winning Tables Restaurant at Pymble, in January 2007.
Food Authority spokesman Alan Valvasori said legal advice was that it did not have enough evidence for a charge such as manslaughter.
A coronial inquest heard Mr Hodgins dined on snapper covered in a creamy asparagus sauce that had bacteria spores at 10 times the toxic level.
The maximum penalty under the Act is $275,000.
Mr Hodgins' widow, Audrey, said the family had decided not to proceed with further legal action.
"We've had enough."
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Poison pawpaw sickens 7 with Salmonella in Australia
I’ve had pawpaw when in Australia. It’s yummy. And like other fresh produce, can be an excellent source of Salmonella.
The West Australian Department of Health issued a statement on Tuesday saying seven cases of salmonella poisoning linked to the tropical fruit had been uncovered over the past six weeks.
WA environmental health director Jim Dodds said,
"Wash all pawpaws with running tap water immediately before eating, this includes pawpaw that has been cut prior to purchasing. After cutting pawpaw at home thoroughly wash hands, cutting boards and knives."
That's nice. And prevent Salmonella from gettiing on the pawpaw on the farm.
Listeria-laden chicken on Virgin Blue flights leads to two premature births
The corporate geniuses at Virgin Blue airlines must be delighted that the listeria-laden chicken served on Virgin Blue flights that sickened seven and caused two premature births has been linked to Wollongong-based company GMI Food Wholesalers.
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But Virgin Blue served the food – they are responsible.
"It appears the likely source of the contamination was an ingredient supplied to the manufacturers of the wraps and not Virgin Blue or other companies who received the affected products. Virgin Blue has removed the product from service at the end of June."
Brisbane-based solicitor Mark O'Connor stated what any company should know: Virgin Blue served the food, Virgin Blue is responsible.
"The airline in turn would have to make a claim against the supplier of the food but for passengers, it’s the airline that is liable.”
Virgin Blue should check on its suppliers rather than trying to cover their ass with (bad) PR.
New hand dryer eco-friendly, food safe
I’ve waited a whole month for this Saturday to roll around. For weeks, I’ve been rinsing, drying, crushing, and collecting our cans, bottles, and boxes in anticipation. This Saturday is the day the county picks up our recycling. I have to drive my tubs to the library parking lot, but I don’t mind. I’m happy to be counted among those who choose to waste less. This reflects one particular side of my personality.
Another side is evident when I wash my hands: I soap up my palms and fingertips. I get between my fingers and up my wrists. After I rinse away the soap, I dry them thoroughly.
And this is the point where the two collide: When I go to dry my hands (and am not at home where clean cloth towels are available), I always reach for the paper towels over a blow dryer.
I know many trees are felled in the making of single-use paper towels, but blow dryers are disgusting: They collect microbes that may have been aerosolized when the toilet was flushed and then blow them onto your hands.
At least, most blow dryers do. HACCP Australia thinks the Dyson Airblade hand dryer can effectively dry hands without recontamination.
Australia Food News reports that the Dyson Airblade is the first hand dryer to be approved for use in food handling areas. AFN explains,
“Using high velocity sheets of unheated air, hands are dried in just ten seconds while, at the same time, 99.9% of bacteria and mould is removed from the air using HEPA filtration…The dryer, unlike conventional warm air hand dryers, does not blow bacteria back onto freshly washed hands nor use a heating element that can induce bacterial growth.”
As an added ecological bonus, the Dyson Airblade uses up to 80 per cent less energy compared with conventional hand dryers.
“Recently unveiled in Australia, the Dyson Airblade hand dryer has already had local success by receiving a New Product Award at its first public launch. It has now been introduced in food manufacturing areas at Cargill’s, Kellogg’s, Fletcher’s International, KFC, Tabro Meats, Wingham Beef and George Weston Food’s Tip Top bakeries, as well as a number of kitchens at McDonalds Restaurants.”
Until these are available in all the kitchens and public bathrooms I visit (and the data shows up on their microbial safety), I try to strike a balance between food safety and eco-friendliness: I use one paper towel to its fullest (two, if necessary), and avoid grabbing a handful out of assumption that they’ll be needed.
I hate assumptions.
I said a quarter chicken not a whole chicken - unleash the oil
Borrowing medieval battle tactics, a 24-year-old Australian man poured boiling oil over his sleeping housemate last August because he bought a whole takeaway chicken instead of a quarter.
Today he was sentenced to six years in prison.
Justice Mark Weinberg said the man’s act was "of extraordinary violence bought about by your feelings of anger and resentment towards your victim. Yours was a cowardly act and one of great cruelty."
Tainted plane food linked to listeriosis increase in Australia
Our friends are pregnant and recently returned from Australia; I hope they didn’t fly Virgin Blue.
The Australian reports tomorrow morning that two pregnant women gave birth prematurely after eating contaminated chicken wraps that were sold in their thousands on Virgin Blue flights from Brisbane and the Gold Coast, triggering a national public health alert.
The airline confirmed yesterday that up to 5000 flights in May and June could have carried the snacks laced with potentially deadly listeria bacteria.
Five Queenslanders are known to have contracted listeriosis food poisoning after consuming the wraps, including the two women who gave birth prematurely, a known complication of the illness.
Both women and their babies survived.
The Brisbane Times reported yesterday that Queensland Health has confirmed nine cases of listeriosis so far this year, compared to 56 cases nationally. Last year, 12 cases were recorded for the whole of 2008 in Queensland, compared to 68 nationally.
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Virgin Blue today in a statement an outside contractor may have been to blame, adding,
"It appears the likely source of the contamination was an ingredient supplied to the manufacturers of the wraps and not Virgin Blue or other companies who received the affected products. Virgin Blue has removed the product from service at the end of June."
Brisbane-based solicitor Mark O'Connor stated what any company should know: Virgin Blue served the food, Virgin Blue is responsible.
"The airline in turn would have to make a claim against the supplier of the food but for passengers, it’s the airline that is liable.”
Virgin Blue should check on its suppliers rather than trying to cover their ass with (bad) PR.
Producing unsafe food will cost you in Australia
During my year of study in New Zealand I plan on hopping across the ditch to Australia. Although my main goal is to bump into Mr. G (from Summer Heights High, see right), I will most inevitably have a meal out. Australian Food News reports that Australian courts have handed dirty restaurants hefty consequences for preparing food under unsafe conditions.
The courts have dished out heavy fines of over $37,000 to two North Shore restaurants and three Hills District eateries for breaches of food safety regulations, Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald has advised.
Macdonald stated,
“I commend councils for being vigilant and proactive in ensuring that food sold in their areas is as safe as possible. It’s simply unacceptable for food retailers to ignore safety laws that protect consumers.”
North Sydney Council successfully prosecuted two restaurants for a total of 14 offences. Dai’s Golden Crown Restaurant in Military Road, Cremorne received a $15,333 fine for five offences ranging from chronic build up of waste and dirt to vermin in equipment and shelving. While Neutral Bay Seafood in Wycombe Road, will be forced to pay a $3,287 fine for nine hygiene-related offences.
Hills Shire Council successfully prosecuted the following three eateries for a total of 31 hygiene-related offences. Simply Irresistible Bakery, Windsor Road, Rouse Hill received a $5492 fine for four offences including storing food on the floor of a coolroom. Mountain View Chinese Restaurant, Old Northern Road, Dural was fined $7095 for 15 offences including presence of pests and dirty fittings and equipment.
Beijing Duck Restaurant, North Rocks Road, North Rocks copped a $5976 fine for 12 offences including storing meat in a sink and unsanitary cooking equipment and utensils.
Macdonald continued,
“Prosecutions are a last resort, but in some cases when critical failures have occurred or when proprietors have ignored prior warnings, that’s when they’ll end up in court.”
Sydney KFC sued for $10 million after 7-year-old develops Salmonella and brain damage in 2005
Monika Samaan was seven years old when she collapsed and was rushed to hospital with salmonella poisoning after eating a Twister from the Villawood KFC outlet in Sydney's south west in October 2005.
She has acquired spastic quadriplegia and a profound intellectual disability.
Today, Monika arrived at the New South Wales Supreme Court in a wheelchair (right) as her just over $10 million lawsuit against KFC got underway.
The family's lawyer, Anthony Bartley SC, told the court in his opening address that Monika had been an extremely bright and active young girl before her illness.
Bartley said there was little doubt Monika's illness was caused by salmonella on the chicken she ate, adding, "You will hear unsettling and disturbing practices in the kitchen, including the kitchen KFC operated at its Villawood store.”
To keep up with orders and deliver them with speed to customers, KFC's "young, enthusiastic" staff would frequently help each other out. But by manning different work stations, the staff could easily have transferred bacteria from raw chicken to the cooked product, he added.
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Food service food safety failures made public in Sydney; public benefits
The Sydney Morning Herald this morning – this being Sunday morning in Australia – has a huge feature on the effects of the New South Wales state Food Authority taking a more, uh, vigilant approach to restaurant inspections.
The newspaper concludes that 40 per cent of all restaurants, takeaways and other food businesses in NSW were caught breaching one or more of the critical food handling practices when first visited by an inspector.
That may not be an entirely fair representation. Lots of places have at least one critical violation, and in the U.S., how a critical violation is defined can differ from state-to-state, and even county-to-county. There needs to be some sort of control or comparative group to determine whether that number is high or not.
But it sure sounds gross.
Inspection rates are woefully inadequate in some local councils, and there is often a lack of follow-up.
Anna Cenfi, part-owner of the Belli Bar, got it right when she said inspections conducted in the past few months were more thorough than in previous years, but that she had received three letters warning that a food safety inspection was imminent.
"I think that warning people that they are coming to inspect is ridiculous. They should just spot check everyone, even if it's just once a year. I'm not worried for myself but I know a lot of dodgy places out there."
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Journalist Mathew Moore does clearly state that whatever the limitations, “making this information public we can now expect improvements in standards that transparency and public scrutiny of government information can bring. The Food Authority deserves praise for releasing this information and giving the public far more data than it can get in any other state. It's an important addition to the name and shame list … With its website and release of the statewide data, NSW has gone further than any other state.
“Yet it still lags behind many cities in Britain and the US, where the results of every restaurant inspection are posted online. New York City even allows consumers to search restaurants according to their number of violation points.
“Governments there have learnt what the NSW Government is now only beginning to realise; there are major public health benefits in shining a public light into the kitchens of every food business that serves the public.”
Ramsay an 'arrogant narcissist'
Fresh off a bout of viral food poisoning that was miraculously cured by a penicillin shot to the butt, food buffoon Gordon Ramsey told a cooking session at the Good Food and Wine Show in Melbourne that a doctored picture of a woman with the features of a pig and multiple breasts was similar to television journalist Tracy Grimshaw. Ramsey called her a pig woman and a lesbian.
"I had an interview with her yesterday - holy crap. She needs to see Simon Cowell's Botox doctor."
Grimshaw, an interviewer with A Current Affair, said,
"I'm not going to sit meekly and let some arrogant narcissist bully me. … Obviously Gordon thinks that any woman who doesn't find him attractive must be gay. For the record I don't and I'm not.”
Restaurants challenge 'name and shame' in Sydney
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that a Sydney restaurant is considering legal action against the NSW Food Authority over its controversial name-and-shame website.
Satasia opened in Balmain 28 years ago and has become one of the most popular restaurants in Sydney's inner west.
The owner, Andrew Lum, says that reputation is in tatters after his eatery was fined by the Food Authority, then included on its name-and-shame list alongside rat- and cockroach-infested restaurants.
The database was launched in July to try to improve hygiene standards.
But Mr Lum and other restaurateurs argue its format is unfair.
Several businesses, including Satasia, have consulted lawyers about suing the State Government.
But the Food Authority appears to be immune from legal action, including defamation, under section 133G of the 2003 Food Act, which states: "No liability is incurred by the state, the minister or the Food Authority, for publishing in good faith any information contained on a register."
A University of Sydney senior law lecturer, David Rolph, said,
"The Food Authority clearly takes the view that when you balance it out between the rights of the trader and the right of the public not to consume food prepared in unsafe places, public interest has to prevail."
Lavender Blue Cafe, at McMahons Point, joined the list in November after receiving a fine for a broken probe thermometer. The manager, Andrew Menczel, said: "The list is a good idea in principle but to lump everyone together is wrong. There should be clearer categories for different offences.”
New South Wales, Australia - this is your public health inspector
Every restaurant and cafe in NSW will receive a random health inspection in the next 12 months after Government health bosses were left reeling by the results of their latest food safety crackdown.
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Health and safety inspectors have issued 160 fines in four weeks. The NSW Food Authority launched a "name and shame" website in July to try to improve hygiene standards. Department officials expected to uncover kitchen nightmares but did not envisage dishing out 1000 fines to 600 businesses in 10 months.
The name-and-shame list is updated on Tuesdays and has had more than 1.5million hits since it was put on the Internet.
Over 100 sickened with Hepatitis A linked to dried tomato product in Australia
A semi-dried tomato product mixed with garlic, herbs and oil has been linked to a spike in hepatitis A cases in at least three states, Australian health authorities say.
South Australian director of public health Kevin Buckett says there have been 26 cases in the state since March, more than 70 in Victoria and an increased number in Queensland.
The cases are thought to be linked to the tomato product, which is manufactured in both Victoria and Queensland and sold in various states by weight.
Queensland Health Deputy Director-General Aaron Groves says an investigation into the possible contamination of unpackaged, loosely purchased semi-dried tomatoes is underway.
Enough is enough: I've had it with this mofo snakes on this mofo plane
Samuel L. Jackson would be proud of Australia’s Qantas airlines after four pythons escaped from their carrier and became snakes on a plane.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports the plane was grounded and fumigated after the snakes could not be found.
Native to the arid and rocky parts of western and central Australia, the Stimson's python eats its prey whole — and this includes small mammals, birds, frogs and other reptiles.
Australian state to require food safety training for staff
To coach little girls playing ice hockey in Canada requires 16 hours of training. To coach kids on a travel team requires an additional 24 hours of training.
So it seems reasonable to have some minimal training for those who prepare food for public consumption.
The Australian state of New South Wales, which includes Sydney, has decided to agree, and will insist that every restaurant have at least one staff member who has completed a certified course in food handling.
NSW Primary Industry Minister Ian Macdonald said the State Government is introducing the laws after a spate of outbreaks, adding,
"Thirty-six per cent of food-borne illness outbreaks in NSW are the result of poor food handling. We believe that this is costing in effect $150 million in terms of lost productivity."
Unfortunately, what constitutes a certified course is often crap. The next step is to evaluate what works and what doesn’t – what kind of training actually translates into food service staff practicing safe food prep.
Australian school - sewage in canteen sink, kids stalked by crocs
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While New Zealand’s Flight of the Conchords charmed the critics lat year, the best television show in recent times is Australia’s Summer Heights High. And while the show is set in Melbourne, a school in Australia’s Northern Territory has, according to The Courier-Mail, been battling sewage in its canteen sink, water contaminated with dog poo, and piles of rubbish that are causing public health risks.
The school, at Palumpa, near Wadeye in the Northern Territory, has been in the news because students have been forced to wade through a crocodile-infested billabong to get to classes and the school "bus" - a Toyota TroopCarrier - has been stalked by a crocodile.
The new findings are contained in a Health Department report, completed last month, which was obtained by the Northern Territory News.
The Northern Territory News also revealed that two Palumpa children were airlifted to Royal Darwin Hospital this week suffering gastro.
Raw egg in hollandaise sickens 20 at upscale retirement home
Australia has had a number of outbreaks involving raw eggs in a variety of dishes. Why any aged care facility, even a so-called upscale one like RSL Anzac Village at Narrabeen would serve dishes with raw eggs to a vulnerable population like senior citizens speaks to the stellar food safety training 
underpinning their upscale care. Maybe they were trained by the same folks who think it’s OK to serve cold cuts to old folks in Canada – 20 died from listeria in Maple Leaf deli meats last fall.
The source of the outbreak is believed to be a hollandaise sauce that used raw egg, although the NSW Food Authority is still waiting for conclusive test results.
The suspected food poisoning occurred on Friday, January 23, when the temperature reached nearly 32 degrees at the RSL Anzac Village at Narrabeen. The high-quality village provides 750 independent living units as well as places for 500 people in nursing home or hostel level care.
A statement from the home's management said, "Village management apologises unreservedly to all people affected by this unfortunate incident and continues to work with the public health unit to trace the source.”
It said the village served more than 200,000 meals a year and this was the first known episode of gastric upset relating to food services "in living memory".
He said the Government was launching an education campaign in view of a consumer survey by the Food Authority that showed people did not understand how to safely cook or store eggs.
Food police targeting Vegemite?
I first heard the term Vegemite near the beginning of the worst decade of music ever, in 1981’s hit, Down Under, by Men at Work.
He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich.
What’s a Vegemite?
This was the old days – before public access Intertubes and Google and Wikipedia.
I’ve since learned, and wiki confirms, that Vegemite is made from leftover brewers' yeast extract, a by-product of beer manufacturing, and various vegetable and spice additives. The taste may be described as salty, slightly bitter, and malty - somewhat similar to the taste of beef bouillon. The texture is smooth and sticky, much like peanut butter. It is not as intensely flavoured as British Marmite and it is less sweet than the New Zealand version of Marmite. Fred Walker's company first created and sold Vegemite in 1922.
The New Zealand Herald reports if the Australian Government has its way, Vegemite could be banished from supermarket shelves because of its high salt content.
A preventive health task force, set up by Canberra to examine ways of tackling Australia's obesity problem, has canvassed the idea of taxing foods high in fat, sugar and salt. Although its final report is not due until June, the Australian Food and Grocery Council is already warning that Vegemite is under threat.
The Australian online news website Crikey suggested the Vegemite controversy had been cooked up by the industry body as a pre-emptive strike.
Below, a fine example of just how bad popular music became in the 1980s. Oh, and did anyone catch the worst band ever, Journey, performing their 1981 – what a terrible year – power ballad, Don’t Stop Believin’ for Super Bowl tourists as part of the pre-game show in what could only be termed a tune-up for their upcoming State Fair extravaganza? And Springsteen sucked. He usually does.
No more naked dining
What with baby Sorenne, and the breastfeeding, and my general attitude, there’s been a lot of nakedness around the house lately.
However, with student Katie arriving tomorrow from Canada to take up residence in the basement, time to be more discreet.
Unlike the dude in Australia’s Northern Territory who was served hot chips (right, exactly as shown) at a Territory eatery wearing … nothing.
The late night reveller stripped bare before putting in his order at the Darwin City 24-Hour Eatery on Smith St early on Monday.
A witness said the naked man walked into the shop to order two buckets of chips with gravy.
And the female attendant was reportedly only too happy to serve the nude customer.
Australian food has bacteria: don't tell consumers 'till after Christmas
Food Science Australia found in a survey of Australian food that E. coli was present in 69 per cent of poultry, 29.7 per cent of beef and 18.1 per cent of pork, but only 1 per cent of lettuce.
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Poultry also tested positive for campylobacter (40 per cent) and salmonella (21.9 per cent).
The Australian reports the results were written into a report for the Department of Health and Ageing that was expected to have been released by the end of November.
But when The Australian requested and paid for a copy under Freedom of Information laws, the department advised that it would be delayed. The Food Regulation Standing Committee had agreed to a food industry request to hold off releasing the report until after the lucrative Christmas period.
In a laundry list of safe-food handling practices, the story says that authorities recommend consumers “cook chicken, minced or boned meats, hamburger, stuffed meats and sausages right through until juices are clear, and serve hot food steaming hot.”
Sigh.
Color is a lousy indicator. Use a digital tip-sensitive thermometer. It makes people better cooks.
136 hospitalized; Australian bakery fined $40,000
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the Sydney bakery responsible for a food poisoning outbreak that affected 319 people, of whom 136 were admitted to hospital, has been fined more than $40,000 for breaches of the Food Act.
The NSW Food Authority closed French Golden Hot Bread, in Homebush West, in March last year after tracing a salmonella outbreak to the egg mayonnaise served with its pork and chicken rolls.
Contrary to government regulations, the egg mixture was not heat-treated or kept below the specified 5 degrees.
A faulty refrigerator was also blamed for the elevated temperature of the mayonnaise, which allowed the bacteria to develop.
The Herald also reports this morning that more than half the local councils in New South Wales, the Australian state that contains, Sydney, have not fined any food businesses caught breaking food safety laws in the past four years, raising fears that much of the state has no effective protection against food poisoning from unhygienic restaurants and cafes.
Figures provided by the Office of State Revenue, which collects payments for fines imposed by councils, show that since 2004 only 67 out of more than 150 councils imposed any fines on restaurants and takeaway food businesses flouting hygiene laws.
"If you never issue a fine, they will laugh at you," said Des Sibraa, a former chief food inspector for NSW and now a food safety consultant.
He said the only conclusion to be drawn from the fact so many councils did not issue any fines was that many of them did not have serious inspection regimes.
"There is a place for warnings, but only for any minor matters, not for anything serious … Some councils are not doing anything," Mr Sibraa said.
It's tragic to be hip if the science sucks -- turkey advice
The U.K. Food Standards Agency is so tragically hip they’ve gone viral.
Except they call it ‘viral,’ encasing the word in what speakers would call “air quotes” or what Jon Stewart of the Daily Show recently called “dick fingers.” I call it bad writing.
The Agency has launched a new 'viral' marketing campaign, which raises awareness to the dangers of eating week-old turkey and gives tips to protect people in the UK from festive food poisoning. …
The new 60-second video aims to raise awareness of bad food hygiene and give some key advice on the safe handling of Christmas leftovers. The shocking but amusing film features a family that hasn’t been following the Agency’s advice on food hygiene. Diarrhoea might be the Christmas gift that keeps on giving, but do you really want to give it to your family?
The Agency advises leftovers should be:
* cooled as quickly as possible (within one to two hours) and kept in the fridge
* reheated only once, until piping hot
* eaten within two days
Who said the film was shocking? Or funny? And what does piping hot mean?
The Australians, who are just entering the hot summer weather, are more reasonable and recommend cooking to 75C (167F).
The origin of poultry cooking recommendations has been pondered many times on barfblog.com.
Currently, Health Canada suggests consumers cook turkey until the temperature of the thickest part of the breast or thigh is at least 85C (185F), though no one knows why.
A few decades ago, the USDA was also recommending that thigh meat reached 180-185F and breast meat reached 170F.
When asked why a couple years back, a manager of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline said, "I've looked all over and I really have no idea. I think it happened sometime back in the 1980s, but I don't know what it was based on."
One of my research assistants, Casey Jacob, dug up a New York Times article from 1990 in which an assistant supervisor of the Hotline admitted that a turkey cooked until the breast meat is 160F and the dark meat is 170F was "microbiologically safe," but that the agency recommended the higher temps just to be on the safe side.
The agency now recommends that consumers cook poultry to an internal temp of 165F.
Casey tells that tale here:
“When USDA microbiologists finally got around to conducting validation studies in 2000, they figured out that a 7 log reduction in Salmonella could be achieved instantly at 158F and beyond.
“In 2006, NACMCF decided (through scientific studies, of course, not random number generation as may have been used previously) that foodborne pathogens and viruses, such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, and the avian influenza virus, were destroyed when poultry was cooked to an internal temperature of 165F.
“And thus the scientifically validated American recommendation of 165F was born.”
Here are the refs. Enjoy your Christmas dinner.
National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods. 2006. Response to the questions posed by the Food Safety and Inspection Service regarding consumer guidelines for the safe cooking of poultry products. Adopted March 24, 2006. Arlington, VA.
United States Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service. 2005. Time-temperature tables for cooking ready-to-eat poultry products. Available at:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FSISNotices/RTE_Poultry_Tables.pdf. Accessed November 23, 2008.
Amy and I will be having lamb.
And this is the real deal, Kingston, Ontario’s very own, Tragically Hip.
'Yuletide yobs' barfing out of control
The folks in Geelong, Australia, southwest of Melbourne, are tired of “yuletide yobs” barfing on their shop windows and store fronts.
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The Geelong Advertiser quotes a Faulls Shoes spokeswoman as saying her employees were forced to clean up urine, vomit and even blood up to twice a week.
“Our doorway is set back from the street and they do it in there and it goes under the door.”
Banjos Bakehouse manager Joanne Etheridge said the streets of Geelong were in a disgusting state on weekend mornings.
"It would be nice if they could just hold it in until they got home or do it in a bin. The mess from nightclubbers is disgusting. Who is going to want to sit amongst that?”
Food politics reaches a new low: GE equated to Hitler
Australian food guru or food idiot Margaret Fulton joined other celebrity chefs in comparing genetically engineered canola to Hitler in launching the Greenpeace True Food Guide Canola Edition 2009 in Sydney.
"They're going to control the world. We thought Hitler was a bad fella ... these guys could show him a thing or two - and they're creeping up on us quietly without guns or anything like that, but the poison is there."
Individual genetically engineered crops should go through safety assessments, which they do in most countries, and consumers should be able to choose what they like. Instead of Hitler comparisons, maybe the Greenpeace-backed chefs of Australia should focus on not making their customers barf, and not showing up in the name and shame directory of wayward restaurants.
Australian ice cream positive for poop - but whose poop is it?
The New South Wales Food Authority announced a few hours ago that a sample of the gelato allegedly served to a family at the Coogee Bay Hotel in Sydney, Australia, has tested positive for fecal matter.
The sample, a small residual amount of gelato and faecal matter on a tissue, was provided by Stephen and Jessica Whyte this week.
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The NSW Food Authority began an investigation yesterday and carried out a brief test that confirmed the nature of the provided sample.
It will now perform a more detailed DNA-based test that will determine if the fecal matter is animal or human, and the sex of the "provider."
The results of that test will not be known for up to a week. However, because of the length of time since the incident, it was unclear whether the tests could provide a clear outcome in the murky matter.
Meanwhile, the lawyer for the Whytes, the family who say they found the brown stuf, said the DNA testing of staff was a distraction.
The hotel also released a statement late yesterday that said the three-litre container from which the scoops of gelato had come had been cleared of any contamination.
Sydney Pizza Hut fails third cockroach inspection by the Australian name-and-shame squad
Think a few small bugs won’t hurt you? Think again. Cockroaches are one of the most commonly noted pest insects. They can cause chaos in the food safety standards of a restaurant because they transport harmful microbes on their body surfaces and through their droppings. Cockroaches are also found to be a common allergen for humans.
Last week, after two previous warnings about cockroaches in the kitchen, food safety inspectors returned to a Sydney, Australia Pizza Hut only to discover a cockroach in the food preparation area of the kitchen.
The store was issued with a $650 fine for not taking steps to eradicate the pests, and a second fine for not having warm running water in the kitchen for staff to wash their hands...The Pizza Hut was one of 22 premises the Food Authority fined in its blitz in recent days, in which it issued a total of 27 fines.
They will join more than 175 outlets on the authority's website, launched last year to "name and shame" businesses that do not comply with NSW hygiene laws.
The best way to deal with cockroaches is to prevent them before they become present. Keep kitchen surfaces clean and store food off the ground. However, if a restaurant already suffers from cockroaches, the problem should be eliminated and the reason behind the infestation should also be addressed. There are various chemicals and traps available for cockroaches, some more traditional than others.
For more information about cockroach infestations, visit: http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d001201-d001300/d001251/d001251.html
You can also view an FSN infosheet about cockroaches at http://bp3.blogger.com/_Pzk3AzZPULs/R1cP6_KHaiI/AAAAAAAAAFA/MwcjU8l0_y0/s1600-h/iFSN-infosheet-12-5-07.jpg
Manager served ice cream allegedly containing poop; chef offers his DNA for testing
The gelato caper gripping Australia had several twists and a couple of great soundbites Tuesday morning (Australia time).
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that security camera footage of an incident in which staff at the Coogee Bay Hotel allegedly served a family a cup of gelato laced with human faeces shows the dessert being delivered to the family by the restaurant's manager. …
"She was concerned about the family's experience and she had the idea of offering a complimentary dessert to try and make some amends," said the hotel's general manager, Tony Williams.
Meanwhile, the family's lawyer, Steven Lewis, of Slater & Gordon, also rubbished newspaper reports the family had links to a rival pub as a "Kevin Bacon … six degrees of separation [defence]. My question is: 'Did Kevin Bacon put the faeces in the ice-cream?"'.
Stephen and Jessica Whyte, along with their three young children and another family, were at the hotel to watch the NRL grand final, but after a series of complaints became suspicious when they were given a free bowl of gelato. "The real issue is that we were fed, as a family, shit, at someone's pub," Mr Whyte told 2UE.
Yesterday the NSW Food Authority announced it was investigating, and the hotel's management confirmed it had contacted Maroubra police in preparation for possible criminal charges against anyone who might have tampered with food at the hotel.
Meanwhile, the head chef at the Coogee Bay Hotel, Adam Wood, who had tendered his resignation before the incident and had continued to work at the hotel for several weeks afterwards, offered to put himself up for DNA testing.
Mr Wood's arrival was trumpeted by the hotel's general manager, Tony Williams, in a media statement about the hotel's revamped beer garden this month.
"Executive Chef Adam Wood [was] poached from Japan where he headed up kitchens for the Swissotel, Osaka and Foreign Correspondent's Press Club of Japan in Tokyo and brings extensive five star international and three hat experience with him," the statement read.
Why he resigned only weeks after being heralded as the hotel's most senior chef remains unclear.
Bastille Day in Melbourne: Kangaroo at a French restaurant
So asked the older woman as she perused the menu at one of Southbank’s eateries along the Yarra river in Melbourne, Australia.I’ve been to Melbourne many times over the years, including a brief solo trip last year once my visa was approved. No troubles this time, my moral turpitude is apparently valid and it’s a lot nicer to be here with Amy. And she brought me.
This is Milton and me (left, exactly as shown). We were basking in the Melbourne sunshine this a.m. along Southbank, and struck up a conversation with Milton. He says he likes the stars system that is apparently being used as a form of restaurant inspection disclosure in some parts of Victoria, and he wants to see more. Milton said (unprompted) that he didn’t think the stars really meant anything, didn’t make the food any safer and was just a snapshot in time, but it made people more aware of food safety issues and people talked about it.Couldn’t have said it better.
Amy and I are in Melbourne until Sunday. She has a conference, I plan to write and hang out in cafes on Lygon Street.
More children wearing diapers to Australian schools
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The problem has become so widespread that Education Queensland is drawing up a toilet-training fact sheet amid calls from teachers' groups that nappy-wearing children be banned from attending school. …
State School Principals Association president Norm Hart has written to Education Queensland, citing concerns that the problem could result in litigation - with teachers possibly accused of molestation.
"Toilet training is a parental responsibility and not something that should be taught at school.”
Love guru Mike Myers dreading diarrhea on Aussie red carpet
"In Australia, when you go into a drug store you actually have to talk to the pharmacist...I was looking around and I was, like, 'Hi!' 'Hello, you're Mike Myers, how are you? What can I do for you?' (I said) 'I'd like Pepto-Bismol please.' 'We don't know what that is...What is it exactly, Mike?' I was like, 'It's for tummy trouble.'"But the confused Aussie staffmember at the pharmacy needed him to be more specific, prompting a desperate Myers to reveal he was suffering from diarrhea.
He adds, "(They said) 'How very interesting, you're a superstar with diarrhea.' I'm like, 'Hmmm, don't feel like a superstar right now.'"
No indication if the cause was food or water related, but hey, Mike, we’ve all been there. Not messing around on a bed with Madonna or cavorting with Beyonce, but we’ve all had the runs.
Best Mike Myers role? So many good lines and characters from the Toronto-area funny man, but the best is the Don Cherry-inspired hockey announcer on the vastly underrated Russell Crowe vehicle, Mystery, Alaska.
And that’s Dr. Evil to you. I didn’t spend all those years at Evil University to be Mr. Evil.
2 dead, 20 ill in Salmonella outbreak in Australian nursing home
A spokeswoman last night said preliminary investigations indicated contaminated food may have entered the nursing home, with test results expected early this week.
Sleeps with the fishes - Australian style
A study by the Australian Institute of Criminology warns that thieves - including bikie gangs - are exploiting national parks in New South Wales by using illegal divers and families using the guise of indigenous hunting. Oyster theft is so well organised that thieves use lifting equipment on vehicles to steal whole racks from farms, the report says.
The report says that while the main market for abalone and shark fin is Hong Kong, there is "an extensive illicit Australian market for these other species. The market includes clubs, restaurants, hotels, fish and chip shops."
The study was prompted by research showing there had been growth in organised crime involving abalone and rock lobster, and an increase in criminals using the industry to launder money and make drugs at aquaculture farms.
Legionnaire's linked to Australian car wash
The Grand Car Wash in Hoppers Crossing has been closed for disinfecting and plumbing works while an investigation into the outbreak continues.Legionella bacteria experts warned that commercial hand-held car washes springing up across Victoria may provide perfect conditions for outbreaks because they used recycled water, warm storage tanks and spray vapour.
All seven people struck down by the latest outbreak went to hospital between April 14 and May 15 after visiting the Old Geelong Rd car wash.
Which came first, the gecko or the egg?
He believes the discovery is a world first and has handed the egg shell over to health authorities who will look for the presence of bacteria in the yolk and try to work out how the gecko got into the egg.Dr Beaumont says he suspects the gecko entered the chicken before it entered the egg, stating,
"Eggs are made inside chooks up this tube from their bottom. Now obviously this tube is in contact with the whole outside world. It has to be that the gecko climbed up inside the chook and died up there while the egg was being formed before the shell was put on it."
He says the discovery could have wide reaching implications for the egg farming industry, as it may explain how the potentially deadly salmonella bacteria gets into eggs.
Look at the cell phone on that gecko (gordon, below).
Top five food safety myths
• The three-second rule
If you drop food on the floor, pick it up within three seconds or so and it will be fine to eat. Wrong.
• Seafood is dodgy
Seafood is no more likely to cause food poisoning than other meats, and in Australia, strict regulations apply to its handling and storage.
• It's OK to leave cooked rice/pasta out of the fridge
When these foods enter the temperature "danger zone" of 5-60 degrees, Bacillus cereus can form heat-resistant spores and a heat-resistant toxin.
• Dairy products cause phlegm
Dairy Australia and the National Asthma Council Australia say that this myth is not supported by scientific evidence, citing a comprehensive review in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.
• Mould on cheese and jam is not dangerous
Moulds can penetrate more deeply than the eye can see, so what looks like a small patch on your chunky raspberry jam or vintage tasty cheese might be a lot larger.
I didn't know phlegm was a food safety issue, but Australia is a large exporter of dairy products so I guess they care (what would formally be called an example of value judgments in risk assessment).
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What's your top-5 food safety myths?Mine would be (brought to you by top-10 records):
• Meat is cooked when the juices run clear
Color is a lousy indicator of doneness. Use a thermometer.
• It's local/organic/natural/domestic so it's safe
Can be, but need to provide evidence of microbiological safety of any food, from around the corner or around the globe.
• The last meal eaten, especially if it was at a fast-food joint, caused my foodborne illness
Nope, incubation times for most microorganisms -- except some toxins and viruses -- are at lot longer than a few hours.
• Washing fresh produce will make it safe
It may be frustrating for consumers and retailers, but there's not much to be done once produce leaves the farm and packing shed. The risk has to be reduced on the farm.
• The bathrooms are clean so the food is safe
I'm not sure how big this is, but Ben says he hears it all the time, and I can't think up a fifth, so going with it.
How about, certified/verified/HACCPified/inspected/audited don't means that much unless there is a culture of food safety present farm-to-fork, 24/7.
Even fancy restaurants need to refrigerate sauces -- cause toxins can kill
Inspector Dean Lindley of Hornsby police told Westmead Coroners Court yesterday that an investigation by the NSW Food Authority discovered Bacillus cereus in an asparagus cream sauce served to Hodgins and 14 other customers that night who had ordered the fish of the day, snapper.It is alleged the sauce was up to 48 hours old when it was served to him.
Inspector Lindley said he was contacted by food inspector, Bryan Biffin, who said he had taken a sample of cream asparagus sauce he had found in the restaurant after police left. It had been served with the fish of the day.
"The sauce had subsequently been analysed by the Division of Analytical Laboratories and had been found to contain the pathogen Bacillus cereus at a level of 9.8 million parts … Mr Biffin informed me that the toxic level of this pathogen is 1 million parts … Biffin further stated that in his experience this pathogen thrives in an environment where the food is heated and cooled over a period of time. During the course of the investigation I came to the opinion that the deceased William Hodgins had eaten the asparagus sauce. The sauce at the time of consumption was contaminated by the pathogen Bacillus cereus after having been repeatedly subjected to temperature abuse in that it was heated and cooled a number of times over 48 hours by restaurant staff."The restaurant co-owner and principal chef Kim de Laive told the court he had been holidaying on the South Coast that day and that his fellow chef, Douglas Gunn, had prepared the sauce dishes, including the cream asparagus, the night before for use that Friday.
He said it was the restaurant's practice to dispose of asparagus sauce if it was exposed to room temperature for more than four hours, and was unaware that the Australian food standards required it to be disposed after two hours. Mr de Laive said he could only assume that one of the apprentices had put the sauce back into the fridge after its use earlier in the day and it had been taken out again that night but he had not asked any of the apprentices about it.
Way to blame the underlings, chef, especially since you apparently didn't know the basics.
When the restaurant's co-owner, Daniel Brukark, entered the witness box counsel for the Food Authority counsel, Patrick Saidi, revealed the authority was prosecuting Mr Brukark's company, Dan Brook Investments, for failing to place labels with dates on its sauce containers, an offence which carries a two-year prison term if a director or chef is convicted.
Australian eggs strike Spielberg series with Salmonella?
Five people were taken to hospital and one had to be admitted after becoming violently ill at the You Yangs site.A further 25 people are believed to have suffered severe gastro symptoms after enjoying a hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs.
Restaurant inspection results in Australia? Not happening
When Britain got freedom of information laws three years ago, one of the first decisions by the information commissioner was to rule that results of restaurant inspections carried out by public servants were public information. He said what's obvious to most people: it is in the public interest for people to know what inspectors found.His decision was in line with what's been happening for decades in America, where restaurant inspection results are as common as restaurant reviews. And for good reason.
The New South Wales state minister responsible justified his decision to ignore what Britain and US are doing this way. "I am not saying any country is wrong, but this is Australia."
Meanwhile in Melbourne, the Victorian Government has rejected a plan to set up a website to publicly name and shame dodgy restaurants convicted for food safety breaches.
"The Government is not inclined at present to support the establishment of a central website."
The Age reports that a review by the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission has concluded that the Government could save about $34 million a year by paring back red tape for food standards, particularly for charities, schools and community groups.
I got my views published in Sydney last May. Restaurant inspection results should be public -- although research is needed to figure out the most effective way to provide that information -- and anyone who handles food should have some basic training.
Don't eat poop.
Tasmania Salmonella outbreak: Just say sorry, says victim
The Tasmania Mercury reports that the man said there had been at least nine other patients suffering from salmonella in recent days and many blamed food from Venus.
They are among 75 Tasmanians who have reported having gastro symptoms after eating contaminated food last month. Most of those were infected after eating at funerals at Millingtons in Mornington, which has food supplied by a local catering company.
The man had lunch at Venus with his wife where he ate a prawn and asparagus baguette with aioli dressing before being sick.The man said he wanted Venus to be held accountable.
"Their business was reopened within a couple of days and everything was forgotten, but we're all still sick. It makes me really angry. I just want an open apology."
Director of Public Health Roscoe Taylor said tartare sauce containing raw egg had been confirmed as one cause but would not confirm if Venus was responsible, saying the department did not name businesses in outbreaks, adding,
"I can understand that people would want to seek retribution but our business is not the blame game, our interest is to protect the public."
But if food service is knowingly serving raw egg-based dishes to lots of people, including those at funerals in Hobart, where is the public protection?
Pooping in pools spreads to Australia
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This time it's New South Wales Health - it's nearly summertime in Sydney -- which has reported 129 reported cases of cryptosporidiosis in November, compared to 32 cases the previous month.NSW Health communicable diseases director Jeremy McAnulty said people who had suffered attacks of diarrhoea should wait two weeks before using swimming pools, adding,
"While there is no common link among most cases, in the past very large outbreaks in NSW have been caused by people swimming in contaminated pools. Pools can easily be contaminated by infectious swimmers and so it is vital that people take care not to contaminate pools."
E. coli outbreak in Australia?
Jeremy McAnulty, the director of communicable diseases at NSW Health, said yesterday that no link has been found between the seven cases, which were all diagnosed in the past month, but that the disease usually only affected about 15 people a year.Neither the story nor the NSW Health press release identify the strain of STEC involved; while E. coli O157:H7 is predominant in North America and the U.K., Australia has had bouts of E. coli O111.
The NSW Health press release also notes in its preventative tips,
"cook hamburgers and sausages thoroughly to at least 71 degrees Celsius - although colour alone is not necessarily a good indicator - do not eat them if there is any pink meat inside."
Color (without the u) is a lousy indicator, but the message tries to accommodate the cultural reality that people don't cook burgers with a thermometer, unlike the Brits, who say colour is an OK indicator.
Finally, the Australians went public based on limited info. That's OK, and certainly better than the Canadians, who wouldn't release any public information about 45 people sick with E. coli O157:H7, including one death, over several months this year, until pressured to by the Americans.
Australia gears up for gastro epidemic to sweep nation
While Doug sits patiently on a plane bound for Australia, the Age reports today that a virulent strain of gastroenteritis is expected to infect tens of thousands of Australians in the coming months.Viral experts are cited as saying the outbreak of highly infectious norovirus will cause a second wave of sick leave on the back of the current influenza epidemic.
This year's strain, which has already spread through Europe, is more contagious than last year's gastro bug, and has already been linked to outbreaks and visitor bans at some hospitals in Queensland, Adelaide and NSW.
Virologist Peter White, from the University of NSW, is quoted as saying, "We are seeing a wave of multiple outbreaks that is already spreading across Australia."
The virus is expected to hit hardest in crowded environments like childcare centres, nursing homes and hospitals, Dr White was further cited as saying.
Public health experts are said to be puzzled by the random periodic emergence of new strains which cause rapid-fire outbreaks before suddenly vanishing again.
