Back in 2010 some Minnesota students went on a field trip, killed some deer, dressed them, and ate them.  That’s pretty awesome.  We didn’t even get to go to the Jelly Belly Factory when I was in school, and it was only about an hour’s drive away. The field trip wasn’t all fun and games though.  Twenty-nine students were infected with E. coli O103:H2.  Maybe my field trip to the Railroad Museum isn’t looking so bad now.

Cross contamination was the most likely culprit with students not washing their hands or utensils between handling raw and cooked meats.  Skewers taking the bacteria into the middle of the meat upon insertion could have been a carrier as well if the meat was undercooked.  But what’s the moral of the story?  Well it’s really two-fold:

1. Let’s be more creative about our field trips.
2. Make ABSOUTELY 100% SURE you are following safe food practices. People can get sick and possibly die.

Please make sure you’re safe with your food.  In this case nothing very serious happened.  In too many cases it does.  For the full story from Food Safety News, click here.

–Tim Snarr

Well, it’s been an interesting year in food safety. Some good things have happened and some not so good things. This little post will highlight some of the bigger stories that took place in 2011.

One of the biggest stories is that of the raw milk industry. It seems that recently you can’t find a food safety website or blog without finding an article about raw milk. The raw milk advocates testify about the health benefits of drinking raw milk, and on the other side, the food safety experts all say that raw milk is dangerous. We here at StateFoodSafety.com definitely side with the safe food experts in saying that raw milk has the possibility of being a very dangerous product. All dairy products should undergo pasteurization to be safe for human consumption. Although, if you’re interested in some raw milk preaching all you have to do is google “raw milk” and you’ll find many people declaring that they have seen the light of raw milk. As for myself, when I read that one of the first things that will happen when you drink your first cup of raw milk is diarrhea, I have to stop because that doesn’t sound like miracle food to me. It sounds like a foodborne illness.

Listeria was in the headlines an awful lot this year. 2011 saw the deadliest outbreak of Listeria in decades. Not only were there outbreaks in several different countries but in several unexpected food sources as well. Cantaloupes from Jensen Farms in Colorado were found responsible for one particularly deadly outbreak. When all was said and done the CDC investigation found 146 persons infected in 28 states–and 30 deaths! Our hearts go out to those families that suffered through this tragedy. We hope to never see another one like this.

In California, steps were taken to avoid more foodborne illness outbreaks. SB 303 passed the Senate and House and Governor Brown signed the law into effect on September 6, 2011. The bill, which amended Senate Bill 602, mandates that food handler training programs be accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

You can find more about the law by following this link: http://www.statefoodsafety.com/company/pages/articles/article-11

StateFoodSafety became the first online food handler training provider to receive the ASTM e2659 accreditation in California.

So in review, raw milk, listeria, and new food handler legislation; hopefully 2012 will bring more advances in foodborne illness prevention and fewer outbreaks. If we all do our part, even simple activities like handwashing can make everyone’s food safer. Happy New Year from StateFoodSafety.com!

–Tim Snarr

For more information about outbreaks and food safety in 2011, visit FoodSafetyNews.com.

Red lobster is a favorite of many, but often overlooked as a meal during Santa’s favorite season. Consider switching it up a bit and providing a delicious meal that matches the colors of the season.

Purchase the lobster live at any local seafood restaurant or fish monger. Check to see that the lobster is active when it is picked up to ensure that it is relatively fresh and healthy. As soon as a lobster dies, the enzymes from its digestive system break its body down, so it is best to keep the lobster alive until cooking it. For those concerned about hurting the lobster, it has been discovered that lobsters show less signs of trauma if they are numbed by being put in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes prior to cooking.

The nice thing about lobster is that it is relatively easy to cook. A video of how to cook a lobster can be found here. When cooking lobster, the safety precautions should be familiar since they are similar to handling other meats. As usual, keep the kitchen free of any cross contamination by using a bleach water mix to sanitize anything that raw meat has touched. The internal temperature of the meat should reach 145ºF, and the flesh should be cooked until it looks “pearly and opaque,” according to the FDA. Never eat the meat raw. Follow these tips to avoid getting the food borne illness listeriosis, caused by Listeria monocytogenes (a strain of bacteria frequently found in seafood that initiates around 1,850 illnesses annually).

Pregnant women who may be attending the lobster dinner can be assured that, according to the FDA, it is safe for them to eat up to 12 ounces per week of different types of seafood, including lobster. But be sure that they have consulted their doctors before eating lobster, though, just to be safe.

Splurging, overeating and indulging are unhealthy but enjoyable customs during the holidays. One needn’t be as concerned about the fat content of a lobster meal, however, because it is lower in fat per ounce than beef and pork. If lobster is not in the budget (especially since it is out of season in the winter), save these tips for later enjoyment! However, if serving lobster this holiday season is possible, it will tickle the fancy of those with whom you share the festivities.

–Julia Simmons, M.Ed., Home Economist

Sources: homecooking.about.com, FDA.gov, whatscookingamerica.net, idph.state.il.us

The Christmas Milk

An Original Poem by Timothy Snarr, Esq.

The orange that you put in the toe of the stocking,

Has a hole in the rind and, being smashed, it’s dropping,

Orange juice into the cup that is sitting,

On the mantle waiting for the Bearded One’s sipping.

And the heat, oh the heat, from the fire is warming,

That milk on the mantle with the juice which is forming,

A curdle from unknown origin and warning,

Combined with the goo from the stocking’s long storing.

All this, you don’t know, as you lie down to slumber,

Is the death trap for Santa you’ve laid with your blunder,

Santa likes milk tasting and sends it a whirling,

Looking for legs but sees only curd’ling.

But, try as he might, Santa cannot resist;

Addicted to obsessive milk drinking bliss.

And though the milk, ahem…curdle, might soon cause a thunder,

It’s Santa, don’t worry; his bowels are a wonder.

T’were you, with your bowels in humanoid fashion,

You’d double over in pain from drinking the ration.

And the knowledge you’d gain from downing the spoilage,

Is why the Great God put sink next to toilet.

His elfin magic saves him from the vomits,

And from fears of waking up kids in pajamas,

By thunderous reverberations of “cheer,”

He’s probably skipping your house next year.

If your goal is to take the breath away of your holiday dinner guests and leave them itching and gagging, you don’t need to read this article. Shortness of breath, itching, dizziness, and stomach discomfort, swelling and nausea are signs of food allergies. For some guests, avoiding allergic reactions can be as critical as life and death. To avoid these problems consider calling your guests and taking into consideration the food allergies of any expected guests. Organize a menu that accommodates all guests.

A cook who has given himself time to ascertain the needs of his guests gives himself extra time to look up special dishes within the parameters of guests’ palate and allergies. This might even include speaking to the companies that process meats, because though turkey may seem harmless to a gluten intolerant person, sometimes ingredients containing soy, wheat and even dairy are used to baste the turkey.

I recommend not making any dish with an item in it that a guest could have an allergic reaction to. This reduces the likelihood of an allergen lingering in the air, on serving utensils, on hands, or on the breath of anyone attending.

It might be tempting to just run to the store and buy an item that claims to be free of certain ingredients. However, according to the Mayo Clinic, food manufacturers only need to list food allergy items if they are a part of the ingredient used to make the dish. This means that there may not be any warning of possible cross contact!

If you are inviting over multiple families, it is best to do all of the cooking yourself, so that you can answer any food questions by guests and so that you can ensure their safety. This way you can also have ingredient labels handy, should anyone be curious. If certain guests insist on bringing something, you can have them bring non-food party items such as a video, decoration, poetry reading, music or packaged plastic ware.

With a little research and planning, you will help your guests avoid the problems associated with food allergies during the festivities at your home.

Here are some recipes you can use this holiday season for guests with common food allergies:

• Gluten-free Waffles for gluten allergy/intolerance (recipe calls for almond flour, eggs). 
• Shortbread Cookies for gluten allergy/intolerance, dairy allergy, nut allergy (recipe calls for eggs)
• Assorted allergen-free recipes

–Julia Simmons, M.Ed., Home Economist

Sources: allergicchild.com, MSN.com, foodallergies.about.com, mayoclinic.com,