For Safety's Sake • Food Safety Newsletter • November 2007
Information and Tips for Keeping it Fresh!
Volume 1 • Issue 9
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
If you are a Los Angeles Times reader, perhaps you saw the recent story written by Joel Rubin regarding his brush with salmonella that was dished up at one of his favorite area restaurants.
After discussions with health department officials, it was determined the cause was a component of his brunch. The hollandaise sauce that had topped his eggs Benedict that morning was contaminated with salmonella. Typically, the sauce is made by mixing raw egg yolks with butter, lemon juice and spices and heating the eggs until the yolks are thickened but not entirely cooked. The culprit was, in fact, improperly cooked eggs.
The state of California is perhaps one of the most progressive when it comes to food safety as evidence by its new California Retail Food Code (CalCode) that went into law this past July requiring many handling and processing protocols for eggs. The CalCode establishes a standard that eggs should be cooked to a minimum of 145 degrees F for at least 15 seconds to be safe from salmonella bacteria.
What can you do for those dishes requiring non-cooked eggs such as Caesar salad dressing, puddings, sauces and eggs over-easy? Pasteurized eggs, either shell, liquid, frozen, or dry eggs or egg products can all add a layer of safety to these traditional favorites.
By using pasteurized eggs, food service providers also eliminate the risk of contracting and spreading Salmonella Enteritis (SE). This is important because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates 2.3 million eggs contaminated with SE are sold each year, possibly exposing large numbers of people to risk of illness.
We certainly applaud the state of California and support its efforts to maintain egg safety through education of users. In fact, California's Department of Health has educated and trained inspectors and sanitarians in all counties in the last eight months, ensuring their awareness of the safety benefits gained by using pasteurized eggs as well as the requirements necessary to be CalCode safe. Indeed, knowledge is power. Please make sure to educate friends and family on the importance of food safety this holiday season.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Greg West
President of National Pasteurized Eggs, Inc.
Food Safety in the News
China Going 'All-Out' to Ensure Food Safety at Upcoming Beijing Olympics
China is making an enormous effort to ensure the safety of the food supply at the upcoming Beijing Olympics, according to a high level top product quality official.
Indeed, the country has had its share of product safety issues with recent concerns of food tainted with chemicals, preservatives or drugs, among other things. However, authorities have launched a significant campaign to clean up and regulate the industry better.
According to the deputy minister of the General Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, Wei Chaunzhong, an "all-out effort" is being made to ensure food security for the Games and prevent the import of unsafe food materials at next summer's Beijing Olympics.
Additionally, he said that a food supervision cooperation agreement was signed between his agency, the Beijing government and the Olympics organizing committee.
Source: International Herald Tribune/The Associated Press - Posted: November 12, 2007
Protecting, And Mending, Our Consumer Safety Net
For consumers concerned about hazardous products and food safety, the recalls that grab the headlines aren't sufficient. For a more in-depth look at what's being recalled, check out the web page of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.(www.cpsc.gov)
Consumers might also want to look into the newly launched www.NotInMyCart.org to stay up to date about everything from recalls to congressional actions concerning hazardous products and food.
Among many other things, key on the home page of its website, is a template for a letter that users can send to lawmakers concerning safety issues. There is also a place for consumers to share stories and lists recalls from a variety of agencies including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to name a few.
Source: courant.com - Posted: November 4, 2007
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Administration Unveils Food Safety Plan
Bush administration officials announced plans on Nov. 6, 2007, to increase government oversight of imported and domestic food, as the result of increased public concern over food safety.
The plan was announced as Congress begins debate forums for federal food inspection services that, for the most part, go further than the plans announced by administration officials.
Plans are emphasizing increasing technology use and information sharing between companies and federal agencies with the primary goal being to prevent contaminated food from ever reaching the consumer in the first place.
Other focuses include giving the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) increased authority to order food recalls. Currently, the system relies on voluntary company recalls.
Costs for the proposed changes were not announced, nor was the number of new inspectors that would have to be hired. Those decisions will not be made public until February, when the White House will most likely make its budget request to Congress.
Source: WebMD - Posted: November 6, 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: With Thanksgiving just around the corner, can you offer any tips on storing leftover turkey?
A: Here are food safety tips for storing those holiday leftovers:
- Within two hours after roasting, remove stuffing from turkey and take meat off the bones, then store in refrigerator or freezer.
- Wrap turkey slices and stuffing separately, and refrigerate and use within three days.
- Freeze leftovers if you plan to store them for a longer period of time in heavy foil, freezer wrap or place in freezer container or freezer bags; for optimum taste, use stuffing within one month and turkey within two months.
Source: Butterball.com
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.
King-Bruwaert House
Burr Ridge, Ill.
Going Above and Beyond to Keep Residents Eating Safe
King-Bruwaert House in Burr Ridge, Ill. is a continuous care retirement community led by a staff willing to go above and beyond to provide a safe and healthy atmosphere for its residents.
Juanita Castro, food service director, works with her team day in and day out to ensure that the needs of her residents are being met. To that end, Castro and her associates plan monthly menus, four weeks in advance, to make certain that the in-house dietician has enough time to review and approve what is being served.
"Our residents, and their health are my first responsibility," said Castro, "If I can go home everyday with the peace of mind that our residents cannot become ill from what we serve them then I have done my job."
The King-Bruwaert kitchen is licensed by the Illinois Department of Public Health and all servers are Serve Safe certified as well, with training classes once a year. Plate and serving temperatures are constantly monitored, with temperature logs continuously updated and each individual kitchen work station sanitized daily.
"Juanita, as well as our Chef Linda McGee, are phenomenal at planning menus with food items that cater to senior diets, along with maintaining a strict kitchen, making certain it is clean and always up to standards," said Bonnie Kohout, director of marketing for King-Bruwaert.
With 110 residents eating three meals a day, as well as a staff of 150 employees who also enjoy dining daily, Castro and her team are responsible for keeping everyone at King-Bruwaert free from food-borne illness or any sickness that can come from cross contamination.
One way they do so is by using pasteurized eggs in all phases of food service. This prevents Salmonella Entrideitis (SE) from ever entering the kitchen and thus prevents food-borne illness as well as cross contamination. As more and more residents are requesting poached or eggs over-easy this has become a vital part of their operation.
"Any healthcare facility should have only the highest standards for its kitchen and that includes everything from serving pasteurized products to constantly checking foods, and following the adage, 'if in doubt, check it out,'" Castro said.
If you'd like to learn more about King Bruwaert please visit its website, www.king-bruwaert.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.
Serving Hot Food Hot & Cold Food Cold, Really?
Will your thermometer pass inspection?
Every food service professional is equipped with a food thermometer safely tucked into a pocket. Food is considered done only after the chef probes it and confirms the correct final cook temperature has been achieved. HACCP guidelines mandate food is cooked to a specified internal temperature to reduce the risk of food-borne illness.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Code (www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/foodcode.html) specifies hot food must be held at or above 135°F ± 2°F and cold food held at or below 41°F ± 2°F. The Danger Zone, temperatures outside this range, promotes bacterial growth at an exponential rate. Potentially hazardous food held for longer than four hours in the Danger Zone must be discarded, as it becomes unsafe for human consumption.
The thermometer, an essential tool in the fight against food-borne illness, is used to measure food temperatures of stored, cooked, hot-held, cold-held, and re-heated foods. The most commonly used thermometer has a dial-face, hex adjustment nut, and stem. Proper maintenance includes cleaning and sanitizing before, during and after use. In addition, the thermometer must be calibrated regularly. An un-calibrated thermometer can lead to your customers contracting a food-borne illness.
When to Calibrate a Thermometer
- Before its first use
- At regular intervals
- If dropped
- If used to measure extreme temperatures
- Whenever accuracy is in question
Methods to Calibrate the Thermometer
Boiling point - Immerse the first two inches of the stem into boiling water and adjust the hex nut until the needle reads 212 degrees F.
Ice Point - Insert the first two inches of the stem into a cup of crushed ice. Add cold water and allow the solution to sit. Upon stabilization, adjust the hex nut until the needle reads 32 degrees F.
Treat your thermometer as the important tool that it is, someone's health may depend upon it.
About Linda Roberts
Linda Roberts is president of Linda Roberts & Associates, Inc., a nutrition and food service consulting firm, located in Wheaton, Ill. Roberts is a Registered Dietitian and a Food Service Sanitation Manager Certified Instructor for the state of Illinois. Visit her website and sign-up for one of her monthly food service sanitation courses. www.lindarobertsconsulting.com
Did You Know?
The lowest temperature at which bacteria and viruses are destroyed is 165 degrees F.
This is also the minimal temperature at which your Thanksgiving turkey should be cooked. However, for reasons of personal preference, many people may choose to cook turkey to the traditional temperature levels of 175 to 180 degrees F in the thigh and 165 to 170 in the breast. Check the temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and in the thickest part of the breast. Make sure the thermometer is not touching bone, fat or gristle.
Source: The Dolphin News
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