For Safety's Sake • Food Safety Newsletter • September 2007
Information and Tips for Keeping it Fresh!
Volume 1 • Issue 7
Welcome to For Safety's Sake - an informational newsletter dedicated to food safety. We hope you enjoy this issue and share it with others who are concerned about food safety. Sign up to receive this newsletter by email >
Focus on Food Safety
Celebrate National Food Safety Education Month™
Just in time for September's Annual National Food Safety Education Month™, a new survey of 2,500 Americans revealed that 93 percent are as concerned or more concerned than they were last year about contracting food-borne illnesses. The study, which was conducted by TNS, a world leader in market research and commissioned by National Pasteurized Eggs, also revealed that 96 percent of Americans say that media coverage has contributed to keeping or increasing that concern over the past year.
The survey also uncovered other interesting facts such as respondents on the West coast are not as concerned as those in other geographic locations. Why? It most likely stems from the fact that California already has some of the strictest codes relating to food safety in place. However, knowing that Americans are still concerned about food-borne illness, the best thing that we can do in the foodservice industry is continue to educate those we work with about safe handling and cooking procedures and work to tighten state and federal regulations that help protect the American public. To do this, it's important that we don't relegate an emphasis on food safety to one month a year, but focus on it each and everyday. And, let's also continue to applaud those companies and individuals who are making a difference in protecting consumers.
Greg West
President of National Pasteurized Eggs, Inc.
Food Safety in the News
China Food Safety Woes Show U.S. Vulnerability
In 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned honey from China that was contaminated with potentially harmful antibiotics. Then, in May of 2007, the FDA traced a tainted supply of pet food to a Chinese supplier of wheat gluten. Still a month later, the FDA added catfish, shrimp and eel to its list of imports from China that were a threat to consumers.
Despite these headlines, China is not the worst offender. In fact, it ranks third behind Mexico and India whose products have been refused by the FDA, the government agency responsible for safeguarding about 80 percent of America's food supply. The Department of Agriculture is responsible for regulating the other 20 percent, specifically meat, poultry and processed egg products.
Source: MarketWatch: posted: August 29, 2007
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Flooding Safety Tips
The recent heavy rains and flooding throughout the Midwest have created dangers for property and businesses, but also to the health of residents. Flooding can present health hazards associated with sewage system back flow, power outages and food storage. Follow these tips concerning food safety and food storage.
- Wash hands with warm soapy water, especially before any activity where there may be hand-to-mouth contact, e.g., preparing or eating food.
- If the electricity is off, a fully stocked freezer will keep food frozen for 24 hours if the door remains closed. Food in the refrigerator will stay cool for four to six hours depending on how warm the kitchen is.
- Carefully examine all canned and bottled goods that have been submerged or in contact with floodwater. Tin cans of food are usually safe if undamaged. Immerse for ten minutes in a chlorine solution (1/4 laundry bleach to one gallon water), then rinse and dry thoroughly before opening.
- Containers with cork-lined lids or caps, screw tops or pop tops are nearly impossible to thoroughly clean. Discard these containers.
Source: The MidWeek News: posted: August 29, 2007
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FTC: Milk Ads Not Misleading
Federal regulators have turned down a request from Monsanto Co. to take action against dairy companies that advertise milk as free of synthetic hormones.
Last week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said that the ads they reviewed did not include any misleading claims about the safety of recombinant bovine somatotropin, or rBST, a hormone that boosts milk production in cows.
Monsanto claims the ads by more than a half dozen companies mislead consumers into thinking that milk from cows not treated with rBST are healthier or safer than dairy products from cows treated with the hormone.
Source: The Associated Press: posted: August 28, 2007
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Food Safety Q & A
If you have a question you would like us to address in a future e-newsletter, please contact us at 4safetyssake@gmail.com.
Q: Some of my food in the freezer started to thaw or had thawed when my power came back on. Is the food safe? How long will the food in the refrigerator be safe with the power off?
A: Never taste food to determine its safety! You will have to evaluate each item separately. If an appliance thermometer was kept in the freezer, read the temperature when the power comes back on. If the appliance thermometer stored in the freezer reads 40 degrees F or below, the food is safe and may be refrozen. If a thermometer has not been kept in the freezer, check each package of food to determine the safety. Remember you can't rely on appearance or odor. If the food still contains ice crystals or is 40 degrees F or below, it is safe to refreeze. Refrigerated food should be safe as long as power is out no more than 4 hours. Keep the door closed as much as possible. Discard any perishable food (such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs and leftovers) that have been above 40 degrees F for over two hours.
Source:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/keeping_food_Safe_during_an_emergency/index.asp
Safe Serving Spotlight
Who is leading the pack in food safety? In this section, we highlight foodservice entities that hold the highest standards and can teach all of us a thing or two. If you believe your organization deserves to be recognized, please e-mail us 4safetyssake@gmail.com and let us know. We'd love to share your story, too.
Sunrise Senior Living Sheds Light on Healthier Dining Options
Sunrise Senior Living, Inc., one of the largest providers of senior-living services, has introduced two new dining program enhancements, which benefit the health of its more than 40,000 residents. A first in the senior-living industry, Sunrise recently began using zero trans fat oils in its more than 400 U.S. communities. In addition, the company is proud to now offer its residents a pasteurized whole-shell egg product.
"As part of our commitment to champion quality of life for all seniors, Sunrise recognizes the importance in offering diverse, healthy and appealing meals to our residents," said Daniel Schwartz, senior vice president of North American Operations for Sunrise. "Working with the freshest ingredients every day to provide well-balanced and delicious menu items is one of our Sunrise signatures and we are proud to enhance our already comprehensive dining services with these new products."
According to the American Heart Association, which recommends that you limit the amount of trans fats to less than 1 percent of your total daily calories, trans fats raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, lower your HDL (good) cholesterol levels, as well as increase your risk of developing heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. Sunrise has selected Sysco's Fry-On® ZTF™ brand zero trans fat oil as its standard cooking oil and made zero trans fat margarine products available in most communities.
"In our discussions with residents, they often ask us to offer more egg options, such as those prepared poached or sunny side up," continued Schwartz. "We are pleased to honor this request and provide residents with even more choice -- one of the hallmarks of Sunrise's leading senior living services."
Sunrise is now offering a new product, Davidson's Safest Choice® Pasteurized Shell Eggs, to enable their communities to more safely serve residents a runny yolk because a patented process has eliminated bacteria and viruses both inside and outside the shell. This egg product has been rolled out to all Sunrise communities.
Sunrise Senior Living is one of the nation's largest provider of senior living services. The McLean, Va.-based company, employs approximately 40,000 people. As of June 30, 2007, Sunrise operated 453 communities in the United States, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom, with a combined capacity for more than 53,000 residents.
If you would like to learn more about Sunrise Senior Living, Inc., please visit their website: www.sunriseseniorliving.com.
From the Food Safety Expert
Are you an expert in food safety? If you are, we'd like for you to be part of our expert team. Email 4safetyssake@gmail.com and let us know about you.
National Food Safety Education Month™
"Viruses: They're in Your Hands."
Created 13 years ago by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's International Food Safety Council® (IFSC), National Food Safety Education Month™ (NFSEM™) is an annual food safety campaign that strives to: build awareness of the restaurant and foodservice industry's commitment to serving safe food, heighten awareness about the importance of food safety education, and encourage food safety training for all industry employees.
In honor of the month, we have created a variety of training activities and posters to help reinforce daily practices that protect customers and businesses, throughout the year. This year's theme, "Viruses: They're in your hands", emphasizes the facts about food-borne viruses and how to prevent the spread of two key viruses: Norovirus and Hepatitis A.
To help you participate in NFSEM, we have created short, easy activities to reinforce and increase food handler knowledge of food-borne viruses. These weekly training activities are based on our ServSafe® Food Safety Training Program and are available free of charge on the National Food Safety Education Month Web site at www.servsafe.com/nfsem. These can be used as handouts for food handlers to do on their own or as a quick activity at the beginning of a shift. You may want to consider creating a contest and offer a prize for the food handler that gets the most activities correct. Be creative and make it fun for everyone.
Encourage managers to visit the NFSEM website to download the activities for use with their own food handlers. Three sets of promotional pieces have been created to help organizations highlight what they are doing to promote food safety. We have even tailored them for operators, manufacturers/distributors/suppliers, and associations/government agencies. Each set contains a press release, a letter to customers, and a newsletter article to be customized for individual needs. Also, the NFSEM logo and illustrations may be downloaded for use on all correspondence related to this event.
September is the restaurant and foodservice industry's opportunity to reinforce what we do year-round to ensure safe food handling and to showcase our efforts to our customers and patrons. With your involvement, we know that this year's event will be our most successful yet.
About Kristie Grzywinski
Kristie Grzywinski is director of science and regulatory relations at the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. In the past nine years, she has provided technical expertise on topics such as food safety, food microbiology, and the restaurant and foodservice industry's many regulatory requirements. Grzywinski contributes to the development of the Foundation's ServSafe® program, the industry's leading food safety education program, and helps advance partnerships among industry and regulatory groups to promote food safety training and education in the restaurant and foodservice industry.
Grzywinski holds the National Environmental Health Association's Certified Food Safety Professional credential and received her master of science degree, specializing in microbiology, from the Illinois Institute of Technology. She is an active member of the National Environmental Health Association and the Conference for Food Protection.
Did You Know?
When serving food:
- Keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot.
- Do not use a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry, or seafood for anything else unless the plate has first been washed in hot, soapy water.
- Hot food should be kept hot, at or above 140°F. Wrap well and place in an insulated container.
- Foods like chicken salad and desserts in individual serving dishes can also be placed directly on ice, or in a shallow container set in a deep pan filled with ice. Drain off water as ice melts and replace ice frequently.
- Don't let perishable food sit out longer than two hours.
- Food should not sit out for more than an hour in temperatures above 90°F.
Source:
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fssumme2.html
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