ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” recently published their findings of a year’s worth of health department violations for all Major League football, hockey, baseball, and basketball stadiums in North America operating in 2009.  The comprehensive article entitled What’s Lurking in your Stadium Food? can be read in its entirety here.  The website contains an interactive map that divides all the stadiums by the percentage of concessions stands that received critical violations, from “No Violations” to “79-100%.”  The highest category (100%) means that every single concession stand in the stadium received a critical violation in 2009.

A “critical violation” as defined by health department officials, is a violation of safe food handling and storage procedures that could result in employee or consumer illness or injury.  However, as ESPN clarified, a critical violation can mean different things to different health departments.  “For example,” states the article, “some [health departments] consider mouse droppings a critical violation, while others classify them as a minor problem.”  Dexter King of the International Association of Assembly Managers explained that “different inspectors interpret different violations almost as a referee would look at it, ‘Should I call this a foul or not a foul?’”

We recommend reading the full article, but if you don’t have time, here are some highlights:

• 107 stadiums were investigated for this article.  Of those, 28% had received critical violation at more than half their concession stands.
• 11 stadiums received zero critical violations.
• 8 stadiums received critical violations at all of their concessions stands.  7 of those stadiums are located in Florida.
• California stadiums scored well, with the percentage of critical violations in the 1-25% range.
• Specific complaints and violations included chemicals stored too close to food, “slime” in frozen drink machines, food residue in coolers, insects mixed into frozen drinks, under-cooked meat, employees touching ready-to-eat food with bare hands, insufficient hand washing, time/temperature abuse, cross-contamination, and rodent infestations.
• Food establishment inspections are all carried out in different ways.  In some locations, inspections come from the state level (Florida) and others come from the city or county level (California).  Some inspectors drop in unannounced in the middle of a game (Kansas City, Missouri) and others schedule inspections days in advance (Chicago, Illinois).  Each of these factors can affect the establishment’s scores and violation numbers.

Source:  ESPN “Outside the Lines”

Photo Source:  Artichoke Heart

As an adult working the food safety industry, it horrifies me to think of how many food items my childhood self dropped on the floor and promptly picked up and put into my mouth.  I believed in the “5-Second Rule” like it was the 11th commandment.  In my young mind, it made perfect sense that the quicker I retrieved the tasty treat I had dropped, the greater were my chances of it arriving to my mouth “germ free.”  As I grew older I amended the rule:  “Does not apply if:  sticky, gooey, cheesy, or dropped in a public place/floor of car . . . “  That having been said, I admit that anything that qualifies as having a “candy shell” will probably still make it to my mouth after hitting the floor.  You would think I’d have a stronger immune system.

The July 2010 edition of National Geographic profiles the recent findings of Paul Dawson, Ph.D. and his graduate students (complete findings published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology).  He states, “The five-second-rule is a popular belief that if you drop food on the floor and pick it up within five seconds, it won’t be too germ laden to eat. It’s not true and we’ve proven it, it’s well, bologna.”  His study shows that foodborne illnesses like Salmonella can survive on a dry surface for up to four weeks and transfer immediately to food items upon contact.  In fact, the research was so conclusive that National Geographic has coined the new phrase “the Zero-Second Rule.”  That’s how much time, they state, your food has on the floor before it’s contaminated.  Bummer.

Sources:  National Geographic, Clemson University, Delish.com

Photo Credit:  Rebecca Hale, National Geographic Staff

On April 20, 2010, a section of British Petroleum’s (BP) Deepwater Horizon underwater oil pipeline burst, gushing oil into the Gulf of Mexico.  Since the initial incident, it has been difficult for experts and BP officials to determine how much oil has been and continues to spill into the gulf, although some experts put the number at well over a million gallons every day.  During the explosion of the pipeline, eleven men lost their lives.  Since then, countless people involved in the gulf seafood, tourism, and hospitality industries  have watched the spill threaten their livelihoods and even their health.

The safety of seafood from the Gulf of Mexico has been a major health concern since the spill.  The seafood industry around the gulf–and its impact on local restaurants, hotels, and other seafood vendors–amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars annually.  In fact, sales from seafood in the five states bordering the Gulf of Mexico totaled $662 million in 2008.   Due to the size and duration of the spill, and the fish and shellfish that may be living in such toxic waters, the security of the entire gulf seafood industry is in jeopardy.

Monday, in a press conference from a Louisiana spill sight, President Obama declared Gulf seafood currently safe for consumption (he even admitted to eating some for lunch!).  However, some food safety experts haven’t always been so confident.  In April, shortly after the oil rig exploded, officials from the FDA, EPA, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration went to the gulf to collect samples of fish and shellfish which they found to be relatively free from oil–however safety testing is ongoing.  Regions of the gulf where fish have tested highly contaminated have been closed for fishing in order to protect the public.  Those regions will not re-open until the seafood there is determined by authorities to be free from contaminants.

Restaurants and consumers nationwide need not be concerned.  More than 83% of all seafood is imported into the United States, including 90% of all shrimp.  However, the financial impact on seafood vendors around the spill cannot be estimated until experts have a clearer idea of just how massive the spill will become–and how soon it can be stopped.

Photo Credit:  Rich Matthews, AP

The Washington Post published an interesting article this morning, spotlighting the recent E. coli outbreak associated with pre-cut, bagged lettuce that infected 23 people in four states during March and April of this year.  The lettuce was not purchased by consumers, but rather by several food service companies and supermarkets as part of their salad bars and prepared meals.  In fact, the majority of infected people were students at colleges in Michigan, Ohio, and New York who consumed the lettuce at their college dining halls.  This issue brings up an interesting question, however:  Are pre-cut, bagged vegetables more dangerous than whole vegetables?

First, how could E. coli, which is generally associated with animal feces, infect vegetables?  According to Caroline Smith De Wall, the food safety director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, “The process of harvesting lettuce, chopping it or tearing, washing and putting it in a bag is a process similar to mixing ground beef.”  As any food handler should know, ground beef is potentially more hazardous than whole beef because bacteria on the outside of the meat is mixed into the center during the grinding process.  The same is true for lettuce, and other leafy greens which are grown in fertilized soil.  Fertilizer is largely composed of animal feces, and therefore is full of E. coli and other contaminants.  So when vegetables are processed for packaging, greens from multiple farmers’ fields (both contaminated and uncontaminated) may be tossed in and cut together–infecting all the produce.

Still, there are strong arguments on both sides of this debate.  Those who believe bagged vegetables are more dangerous argue that chlorine spray used to clean the produce before it is packaged does not kill enough of the bacteria.  Whereas when consumers purchase whole vegetables, they will commonly remove the outer leaves, thus physically removing the majority of potentially infectious bacteria.

James Gorny, senior advisor for produce safety at the FDA disagrees with the idea the bagged produce is more dangerous.  He stated that “bagged greens represent a disproportionate number of recalls, chiefly because they’re easier to identify than whole produce.  When you buy a head of lettuce, you have no idea what the brand name is, or who the grower is–so tracing it back is that much harder.”  Essentially he is stating that because the source of contaminated bagged vegetables is so much clearer than for whole vegetables, complaints about foodborne illness for those products is much higher.  In addition, it is much easier for health department officials to trace the source of the infection for packaged produce, and so it often appears as though pre-cut vegetables are more dangerous, even though they may not be.

Unfortunately there is no clear statistic proving that either whole or pre-cut vegetables are more dangerous.  In order to keep your patrons, family, and employees safe at the salad bar–wash your veggies.  Even if the bag states “pre-washed” it is always a good idea to rinse your leafy greens and vegetables that will be served as ready-to-eat items.  There are also several vegetable washes on the market that may be advisable for households with at-risk individuals.  For additional guidance, contact your health department.

Federal health officials are warning the consumer public to stay away from oysters harvested in the “Area 7″ near Port Sulpher, LA.  Area 7 is located in the Gulf of Mexico, near the mouth of the Mississippi River.  After a dozen people became sick after eating raw oysters, the state health authorities notified the FDA that the oysters-in-question were contaminated with Norovirus–which causes acute gastroenteritis.  Gastroenteritis is a fancy word for “food poisoning” or “the 24-hour flu.”  Symptoms frequently include stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and chills.

Oysters, and other shellfish, are animals that live underwater.  Because you eat their entire body (except the shell) you also consume the organs the animals use to filter impurities from the water.  Traditionally people commonly ate shellfish raw, but today many shellfish live in water that has been contaminated by harmful toxins that remain in the shellfish.  The meat can become harmful to humans if not cleaned and cooked thoroughly.  Once cooked, most shellfish are perfectly safe to consume.

Again, the FDA has warned people not to consume oysters from the Area 7 location in Louisiana.  If you are a food vendor and are unsure from where your shellfish originated, please contact the distributor.  If you serve oysters or other shellfish raw, please ensure you place a health notice on your menu to inform the consumer of any possible risks involved with eating raw shellfish.

Source:  FDA

Salmonella

When talking about food safety, salmonella is a disease that gets brought up frequently.  This year, salmonella has prompted hundreds of food recalls from items as diverse as salami, tortilla chips, and salad dressing.  During the past few years, health officials have identified the bacteria in eggs, peanuts, black pepper, spinach, meat products and the list goes on and on.  Salmonella contamination becomes an even greater issue when contaminated food items are sent to multiple locations as ingredients as other products.  It becomes extremely difficult to trace where the infection began, and how far it spread.  This year alone, salmonella-contaminated black pepper was distributed as an ingredient in Italian-style deli meats, which then infected 252 people in 44 different states!  The same contaminated black pepper has also sparked countless spice, snack, and condiment recalls since January 2010.

Of the 2,000 strains of salmonella, only about a dozen can infect humans.  Still, the number of persons infected annually remains high from year to year.  The CDC estimates that there are a 1.4 million cases of salmonella infection each year in the United States, with only about 3% officially reported.  These numbers make is clear that it is impossible to overstate how crucial it is that food handlers become aware of this disease and how to protect consumers from it.

A few things to know about Salmonella:

• Salmonella can be transmitted from animals to humans (see Kissing Frogs) and from food to humans.
• Persons at greater risk for serious infection include infants, small children, chronically ill persons with weak immune systems, and the elderly.
• Salmonella can survive for weeks outside a living body.
• Salmonella is not destroyed by freezing.
• An infectious dose of salmonella can be as small as 15-20 cells (bacteria).
• Incubation period–the time it takes to get sick once a patient has contracted the disease–is anywhere from six to 72 hours.
• Common symptoms of salmonella infection include exhaustion, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea (which can be bloody in serious cases!).

What can you do to prevent salmonella infection in the workplace?  One of the first things each food service employee must do to prevent infection of any kind is wash their hands.  For salmonella-specific prevention, the Mayo Clinic recommends the following practices:

1. Cook poultry, ground beef, and eggs thoroughly before eating (or serving).   Poultry specifically must reach 160º F throughout before it can be served.
2. Eggs must be cooked until they have a hard yoke.  Pasteurized eggs may also be used.  If consumers insist on soft yokes, they must be made aware of the risk of salmonella infection.
3. Never consume or serve raw milk.  Milk must be pasteurized to be used in a consumer setting.
4. Wash and sterilize hands, utensils, and surfaces immediately after they have come in contact with foods of animal origin.
5. Be extremely cautious when preparing food for babies, children, sick persons, or the elderly as they are at a greater risk of infection.

If you have additional questions about salmonella and how to prevent it, please contact your local health department.

Sources:  Mayo Clinic, Wikipedia

A recent Harris Polls sites that 42% of Americans say they have become sick from something they ate and 69% of those believe they know what made them sick.  They may not be correct, but perception matters–and could be potentially harmful to the food establishment or distributor that sold the food item.  Interestingly, 29% of those who believe they know what made them sick, have removed that food item entirely from their diet.  More than half of those advised others not to eat the item as well.

These numbers make it clear that when consumers become ill from what they believe to be foodborne illness, it can hurt your business.  It’s an issue to which everyone can relate, and people are finally starting stand up and take notice.  After last week’s shocking report that the United States spends $152 billion annually on foodborne illness, some very influential people in the restaurant industry began discussing some ideas on how to move forward.

National chain restaurants understand that too often, food code regulations can change from state-to-state and city-to-city.  It can be impossible to regulate the myriad local laws on a corporate level and yet the need for solid food safety training is more important now than ever.  In an age where bad press can be all over the internet in seconds, the restaurant industry depends on solid food handler education of basic food safety principles.  Juelene Beck of Juelene Beck and Associates (a restaurant-chain consulting firm) stated, “The biggest issue is still around basic training and more of an understanding by the operations people.  Having the servers and the people behind them understand better what the food-safety issues are is where the biggest steps can be made in food safety.”

Many health departments are grateful for the StateFoodSafety.com™ Online Food Handler Training Course because it is fully customizable to add local laws and regulations seamlessly into the course content.  Online training allows managers to ensure high-quality training with each employee–and the training can be done from the comfort of home.  Juelene Beck continues saying, “I have a problem with the business model that says we can’t afford to train people because of high turnover.  It’s so easy to mishandle food.  They need to train everybody who handles food.  Period.”  With more and more health departments approving online training, Ms. Beck’s wish is becoming easier for the food manager to grant.  Employees can be trained quickly and inexpensively online, increasing the number of trained staff in establishments across the nation.

Experts agree that change needs to be made, and most believe that better educated food handlers will increase consumer satisfaction and decrease the numbers of those who become ill. If your health department or food establishment would like to move their food safety training online, please contact us and we will be happy to work with you to ensure this critical matter receives the attention it deserves!

In a report published by the Associated Press, it was discovered that foodborne illnesses cost the United States approximately $152 billion annually!  The U.S. Senate has been debating legislation that would require more frequent government (health department) inspections of food establishments and manufacturers.  According to the debated legislation, the Food and Drug Administration would also have new authority to issue recalls.

Considering that roughly 76 million people become sick from foodborne illness–and about 5,000 die–the cost of researching and treating these cases have become a huge expense for the United States government.  In fact, the $152 billion annual cost determined in a recent study by the Produce Safety Project, was significantly higher than the $35 billion reported by the U.S. Agricultural Department in 1997.  Interestingly, this cost study only focused on research of a handful of specific pathogens.  The actual cost of researching every foodborne illness pathogen that people contract each year could be higher still.  The report also did not include the cost of food recalls to the industries involved.

U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn), called the costs “shockingly high . . . If people can’t engage in this issue because of the humanitarian aspect or the public health aspect, maybe they’re willing to listen because of the economic aspect.”

This study identifies yet another reason why food safety training is so important.  The more educated our managers and food handlers become about good food safety practices, the safer the public will be–keeping lives safe, and costs down.

Source:  Associated Press, Shannon Dininny

The US Department of Health and Human Services released an interesting article this morning about animals and their uncanny ability to give people salmonella–specifically birds, frogs,  snakes, turtles, and other amphibians.  Contact with these animals causes about 74,000 cases of salmonella each year in the United States, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC).   Normally, salmonella is considered a foodborne illness, but children tend to handle these animals and then touch their mouths, eyes, and noses without washing their hands.  After the release of the animated film The Princess and the Frog, in 2009, dozens of little girls became ill with salmonella after feeling compelled to kiss frogs.  Even adults can become culprits of spreading salmonella this way when they clean aquariums and fish tanks in the kitchen, thereby contaminating areas where food is prepared.

Linda Capewell of the CDC recommends not having birds, snakes, or amphibians in homes with children under 5 years of age.  When children (and adults) handle these animals, they should wash their hands immediately–scrubbing with antibacterial soap for at least 20 seconds in a steady stream of warm water.

It’s not hard to believe however.  The CDC estimates that 76 million cases of foodborne illness occur EACH YEAR in the United States, but when you take into consideration that as few as 1 in 5 cases are ever reported, the number could be much higher.

Did you get the “24-hour flu” this year?  You may be surprise to know that there is no such thing as the “24 hour flu.”  What you probably had was foodborne illness. Even the “stomach flu” is really a foodborne illness called gastroenteritis that results from ingesting contaminated food and water.  It’s doubtful you called the health department about your sickness–and just like that, another case of foodborne illness went unreported.

If you are asking youself, “Ok, then do I need to call my doctor every time I get sick??” then we have the answer for you.  Well, actually the CDC does:

“A health care provider should be consulted for a diarrheal illness if it is accompanied by:

• high fever (temperature over 101.5 F measured orally),
• blood in the stools,
• prolonged vomiting that prevents keeping liquids down (which can lead to dehydration),
• signs of dehydration, including a decrease in urination, a dry mouth and throat, and a dizzy feeling when standing up,
• diarrheal illness that lasts more than three days”

If you do contract “stomach flu”-like symptoms, take care of yourself!  This includes resting, drinking LOTS of clear liquids–especially sports beverages to replace electrolytes, and when possible, attempt to eat foods like popsicles, chicken noodle soup, and gelatin.  You’ll be feeling better soon.

For food handlers, always make sure you’re practicing safe food handling procedures.  Just because you didn’t hear about a case of foodborne illness coming from your establishment, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.