For Safety's Sake • Food Safety Newsletter • October 2007
Information and Tips for Keeping it Fresh!
Volume 1 • Issue 8
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
Focus This past September, during National Food Safety Education Month, I had the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational events on food safety conducted around the country. I especially enjoyed an event held in our home state of Illinois --- "The Eighth Annual Illinois Food Safety Symposium."
This was a two-day event packed with educational presentations on new technology, new science, new regulations, best practices, risk assessment, prioritizing change, food safety culture and much more. These two days of learning covered the safety of products such as meats, seafood, eggs and produce. Discussions crossed into many venues and application areas; including retail stores, restaurants, healthcare, schools and even catering carts. It was a truly well-balanced agenda, including public and private sector guest speakers and food safety educators from universities, government agencies and industry leaders. These educators were from all over the country including: Iowa, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, New Mexico, Mississippi, Washington, D.C. and even Los Angeles. This symposium highlighted an overview of today's many food safety opportunities.
Congratulations to the planning committee for developing such an excellent seminar. Overall, it is continuing education, such as this, that will make a positive impact and reduce the incidence of food-borne illness. I encourage everyone to check with their state and/or county to see how each one of us can contribute, or participate in local food safety sessions like "The Eighth Annual Illinois Food Safety Symposium."
Thank you all for your educational messages and on-going commitment to improving food safety.
Greg West
President of National Pasteurized Eggs, Inc.
Food Safety in the News
Food Safety Officials to Review Procedures After Lapses in Recall of Tainted Beef
Officials with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) acknowledged Oct. 4, 2007, that they could have responded more promptly in ordering a recall of millions of pounds of potentially contaminated ground beef sold by a company in New Jersey. Because of this, they said the USDA will review how it handles recalls and conduct a wide-ranging assessment of how meat plants safeguard against bacterial contamination.
"There is room for improvement," said David Goldman, an assistant administrator with the agency's Food Safety and Inspection Service. The agency announced the recall of frozen hamburger patties from the Topps Meat Company in Elizabeth, N.J., on Sept. 25, saying that the meat was potentially tainted by E. coli bacteria. But officials conceded that they knew that Topps meat was contaminated on Sept. 7, when the first positive test results for E. coli came back.
The delay, caused in part by the need for additional testing, has once again raised questions about the nation's meat supply, which in recent years seemed to have far fewer problems with E. coli than produce, as a result of increased attention to the issue. At least 30 people in eight states have fallen ill from E. coli linked to Topps meat, and at least 10 of them have been hospitalized.
Source: New York Times: Posted October 5, 2007
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U.S. Food Safety Agencies, Industry Seek More Import Regulation
U.S. food import safety officials and the food industry are proposing to ramp up federal regulations of imported food and ingredients to address the risk that unsafe products could enter the United States. U.S. agencies charged with overseeing food import safety are expected to forward to President Bush in November recommended actions that food producers, distributors, importers and regulators should take to strengthen food safety.
The recommendations will focus on developing more scientific and analytic tools allowing better identification of potential risks, to monitor the effectiveness of prevention measures and to increase use of information technology for inspection and surveillance.
The recommendations will also aim to reduce the time between detecting and containing a food-borne illness, David Acheson, assistant commissioner for food protection at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), told a House Appropriations subcommittee in September.
The food industry's largest trade group, the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), has unveiled its proposal for more regulation. It reflects awareness among industry leaders that U.S. companies, as imports rise, face increasing challenges to ensure the quality and safety of food sold to U.S. consumers.
Source: The Poultry Site: Posted October 5, 2007
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Durbin Calls For Food Safety Reform
There is a belief that is continuing to spread across Washington and our nation that the government's food-safety system is broken and in need of not only repair, but replacement. At least that is the view of Illinois Senator Dick Durbin who says he will turn his desire for a single food agency into a farm bill amendment.
Durbin calls the system outdated, under-funded and overwhelmed. Durbin's fix would let all 12 of the existing federal food safety agencies fade into sunset within two years. Durbin's amendment would establish a new single food safety agency which would be faded in over the same two year period. The present 12 food safety agencies use 35 different rule books and they all answer to a different Congressional committee.
Source: WJBC: Posted October 4, 2007
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: What causes food poisoning?
A: The cause of food-borne illness is sometimes difficult to detect, but some of the most common errors begin in the kitchen. They include:
- Leaving food out of the refrigerator at room temperature.
- Not reheating food to a sufficiently high temperature to destroy bacteria.
- Not washing imported produce thoroughly enough.
- Not disinfecting counters, cutting boards and utensils after working with poultry or meat products.
- Using a tray that held raw meat as a serving tray for cooked meat or poultry.
Source: HomeFamily.net
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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.
Kitchen Hailed as the Cleanest for Eighth Year
Sodexho, Inc., the leading provider of integrated food and facilities management services in North America, was honored by the City of Plano, Texas on Sept. 24, 2007, with an award for excellence in sanitation for its operation at the JC Penney™ Home Office. This is a distinction they have received eight out of the last 10 years.
Plano Mayor Pat Evans said, "Sodexho is certainly an exemplary company to maintain such an outstanding track record."
This award, given annually by the City of Plano's Environmental Health Department during National Food Safety Awareness Month, recognizes foodservice establishments in various categories who have achieved and maintained the highest standards of food safety and sanitation. Sodexho at the JC Penney Home Office was honored in the Full Service Corporate Dining category.
"We have a fabulous staff, we have to give them the credit. When they go home on Friday, our 16 year-old kitchen looks untouched," said Jeanne Stone, General Manager at the JC Penney Home Office for Sodexho. "Food preparation and storage is also very important, our employees keep everything labeled and dated, temperatures are tracked and foods are regularly rotated."
The JC Penney Home Office feeds 5,000 people daily with a staff of 50 employees. All employees go through vigorous training, featuring the Hazard Analysis and Critical Points (HACCP) program.
"At Sodexho, we put significant resources toward food safety and food safety training; safety is of utmost importance, so care and concern for our customers is a core value for how we operate as a company," said Bill Wagner, vice president of operations for Sodexho's Corporate Services Division. "It is extremely rewarding to know that our efforts do not go unnoticed."
Sodexho, Inc. is the leading provider of integrated food and facilities management services in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with $6.7 billion (USD) in annual revenue and 125,000 employees. Sodexho serves more than 10 million customers daily in corporations, health care, long term care and retirement centers, schools, college campuses, government and remote sites. Sodexho, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., is a subsidiary of Sodexho Alliance (www.sodexho.com). Sodexho, Inc. funds the Sodexho Foundation (www.helpstophunger.org), an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $9.2 million in grants to fight hunger in America.
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.
Food & Health Expert Offers Tips for the Fall Entertaining Season
Food safety has grabbed headlines with spinach, peanut butter, Veggie Booty Snack Food, chili sauces, China imported dog and cat pet food, bagged salad and beef products. It is on the front burner of list of concerns for families.
According to the Federal Estimates, about 76 million Americans will suffer from food-borne illness and at least 5,000 will die this year. Small children, pregnant women, the elderly and the immunocompromised are at the greatest risk. This underscores the importance of food safety, exceptionally when heading into the popular fall entertaining season.
Here are some tips to keep healthy and worry-free when hosting friends, family and pets:
- Store pumpkins in a cool, dry spot until you are ready to use them. Cover and refrigerate them once you cut the shell. They can be prepared in a variety of ways: baked and eaten as a vegetable, baked into a pie, or made into a soup. The seeds make a great snack when roasted.
For safety's sake, don't eat your carved Jack O' Lantern. Pumpkins can spoil quickly when exposed to environments that promote bacterial growth. Dispose of them as soon as possible after festivities. - Keep your chocolate desserts and goodies out of reach of pets. Chocolate is toxic, and sometimes even fatal, for animals. The toxic substance which chocolate contains is called theobromine, a compound that is very similar to caffeine. Baker's chocolate (pure, unsweetened chocolate or cocoa powder) is the most dangerous. Onions, grapes, raisins and macadamia nuts are also toxic to pets.
- Make sure cider and juices are pasteurized. Pasteurization is a heat process that kills harmful bacteria. If you aren't sure if a product is pasteurized, boil it for a minute and let cool before serving.
- Cooking stuffing in a turkey or chicken should be avoided. The bird cooks both from the outside and the inside. When you stuff the bird, it reduces the heat penetration. Your best bet is to cook the turkey and stuffing separately.
If you do choose to cook them together, make sure the temperature reaches at least 180 degrees F. in the innermost part of the thigh, while the center of the stuffing inside the turkey reaches 165 degrees. Bacteria can survive in stuffing that hasn't reached that temperature. - Foil-wrapped baked potatoes should be kept hot or refrigerated to prevent botulism. Also, avoid using green or sprouted potatoes. They contain a toxin called solanine, which can cause gastrointestinal problems.
About Debra Holtzman
Debra Holtzman holds a master's degree in Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) and is an attorney. She has been featured on NBC's Today Show, MSNBC and Discovery Health Channel. Her best-selling book, "The Safe Baby: A Do-it-Yourself Guide to Home Safety" (Sentient Publications) offers parents economical, easy-to-implement solutions to keep children, dogs and cats safe and healthy.
Did You Know?
Many hand sanitizers contain 62 percent ethanol, and by comparison, most brands of hard liquor (whiskey, etc.) are 40-50 percent ethanol though a few are up to 75 percent ethanol.
The main poisoning concern regarding EBHS is from people drinking these products. Ingestion of an EBHS can lead to ethanol intoxication and have all the same signs and symptoms of ethanol intoxication that results from drinking beer, wine or mixed drinks. Some hand sanitizers use isopropyl alcohol instead of ethanol. These isopropyl hand sanitizers pose the same danger to children as the EBHS's.
Source: Iowa Statewide Poison Control Center
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