Sushi + bacteria = barf
I was always skeptical when it came to sushi because of hands constantly touching the rice, fish, and other ingredients that go in the roll. Rice is notorious for harbouring bacteria such as Bacillus cereus, a nasty little germ that is capable of forming a spore and can cause one to seriously embark on a journey of barfing. One of the critical control points in controlling the growth of this bacterium is to acidify the rice, that is, attain a pH of <4.6. Synder1 reports that a pH of less than 4.6 will retard the growth of this bacterium and others such as Clostridium botulinum. I remember when I attempted to make sushi at home, I added enough vinegar to the rice that one bite would have given you an instant gastric ulcer, so I stopped. But are food operators’ testing their product to ensure the rice is at a pH of <4.6?
The Arizona Daily Star reports that Sushi Ten was reported in having 11 critical health violations.
Sushi Ten, a midtown eatery specializing in raw seafood, failed its first health inspection with a new owner, Pima County reported Monday.
The restaurant, which for several years held the top spot for sushi in the Tucson Weekly's annual "Best of Tucson" survey, amassed 11 critical food-safety violations during an inspection last Wednesday. Critical violations are those that carry the risk of spreading food-borne illness, and an eatery receives a provisional rating if a county sanitarian notices five or more of them.
Sushi Ten, 4500 E. Speedway, will be reinspected within 10 days, said Sharon Browning, manager of the county Consumer Health and Food Safety unit.
Sushi Ten's owner, David Lam, who took over the restaurant in May, said many of the violations stemmed from his employees not being fully aware of Pima County's health code. He said he plans to attend a county class to learn more about safe food preparation and to educate his employees.
Most of the violations were corrected during the course of the inspection, Lam said.
The violations included employees failing to wash their hands after handling raw food or dirty dishes, food not being kept at the proper temperature, and potentially hazardous food not being properly date-marked.
Source:
1. Synder, O.P. (2000A). Sushi rice HACCP. Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management.
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Bittman article updated: now includes safety information
Maybe it was barfblog influenced, maybe not. My previous post on Mark Bittman's garlic and other stuff in oil was a letter to the editor I submitted to the New York Times on Friday night. As the Times likes to have exclusive first printing right I held off on posting the letter until last night (since I hadn't heard whether it was going to be printed). 
This morning, esteemed New York Times watch-dog blogger NYTpicker, noted that the botulism-promoting Bittman article has been updated to include some safety tips:
Correction: July 1, 2009
A recipe on Page 4 today with the Minimalist column, about infused oils, corrects two errors that appeared in the recipe when it was published at
Botulism in Companeros enchiladas ... in France
I didn’t know French people had discovered enchiladas, and much less those you can buy in the grocery store. That’s one food I often crave when traveling for an extended period in France, and it’s my standby order at my first visit to any Mexican restaurant. But obviously someone in France is buying enchiladas because two people are now reported in serious but stable condition in a French hospital after eating Companeros brand chicken enchiladas. Several of the national ministries have issued a recall of all enchilada and fajita products from Companeros, regardless of the expiration date. Apparently the source of the Clostridium botulinum bacteria is not yet completely identified as the recall requests that people do not discard the meals. Instead, they should be returned to the store so that further analysis can take place.
In case you’re paranoid, like I am, about getting botulism or other illnesses, there are a few facts you should know…
- Symptoms occur on average between 6 and 36 hours (and not more than 15 days) after consumption of the contaminated food
- Botulism can cause serious complications such as paralysis and death
- Common symptoms include difficulty swallowing or speaking, facial weakness, double vision, trouble breathing, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and paralysis
- Botulism commonly grows at room temperature in an anaerobic environment – that means when food is deprived of air. Risky foods include potatoes left in aluminum foil at room temperature
- In 2006, 7 people were stricken due to botulism in bottled carrot juice
- Botulism cannot be transmitted between humans
Check out the FDA’s Bad Bug Book for more detailed botulism information.
