An appeals court in Ontario, Canada is reviewing the 2009 conviction of two men for “serving food unfit for human consumption.” A central question on appeal is the incubation period for E. coli O157:H7 infections–in other words, how long after consumption of contaminated food someone falls ill.
For starters, it
Continue Reading Legal Battle Centers on E. coli Incubation Time
When contaminated food is placed into the stream of commerce, it is not only those who consume the food who will become injured. For every serving of lettuce or ground beef contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 and each serving of sprouts or peanut butter contaminated with Salmonella, there is a
Continue Reading The Legal Implications of Secondary Infections
Memorial Day will soon be here. Where I grew up, this meant greeting the sunshine and warm weather with the first barbecue of the season. Here in Seattle, we still pull out the grill, but occasionally while donning wool, Gore-Tex, and an umbrella. Safe food preparation is just as important
A senate panel last week unanimously approved the “Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010,” clearing it for a final vote. The legislation is a re-vamping of the Child Nutrition Act, originally passed in 1966. Portions of the original act were permanent, while others required re-authorization in five year increments. The
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), which makes up part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has issued a press release recognizing World Kidney Day on March 11. The awareness-raising day occurs during National Kidney Month.
According to NIDDK, “Chronic kidney disease affects approximately
With the U.S. Congress back in session, there is hope that work on food safety legislation will soon pick up steam. One of the issues that will be part of that discussion is “traceability.” In the food safety context, the term is meant to refer to the ability to track
Continue Reading ‘Traceability’ Not Just a Good Idea, It’s the Law
It’s time to add another entry on the list of outbreaks of bacterial pathogens linked to petting zoos and animal exhibits. The Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment announced that an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in January 2009 was linked to attendance at the National Western Stock
Continue Reading Animal Exhibitors Should Heed CDC Guidelines
USA Today recently reported on the remarkable story of repeated outbreaks of illness in school children associated with Del Rey flour tortillas. Despite repeated problems, neither the company nor health officials took steps to remove the product from school lunch programs for an extended period of time.
Unfortunately, this glaring
Continue Reading Problems With School Food Suppliers Not New
So, let’s say I was making you dinner, and in preparing one of the ingredients was “fixed to a column by the use of a synthetic fixing agent, glutaraldehyde.” Even if I told you that I washed off all the “unreacted glutaraldehyde,” would you be willing to call the dinner
Continue Reading High Fructose Corn Syrup – 'Natural' or Not?
I know you already knew this, but it’s National Healthcare Foodservice Workers Week.
All sarcasm aside, the importance of safe food handling practices for healthcare workers is likely underrated. While safe food is important to all of us, healthcare food service workers serve a particularly vulnerable population. The elderly,
Continue Reading Putting the Spotlight on Healthcare Food Service
