Food Safety Update April 2010
Food Safety Update Feb 2008
Food Safety Update April 2008
Food Safety Update May 2008
Food Safety Update June 2008
Food Safety Update July 2008
Food Safety Update Aug 2008
Food Safety Update is a free service of Environ Health Associates. Please send an email to rcosta1@cfl.rr.com for monthly newsletters sent directly to you.
Tomatoes are once again implicated in a large and serious foodborne illness outbreak. To date CDC has identified hundreds of victims of Salmonella saintpaul, a somewhat unusual or rare serotype of Salmonella, and one death is suspected.
Investigators are hampered by lack of traceability amongst other problems. FDA reports that investigators are encountering boxes of tomatoes without labels. Such problems make it difficult to determine safe from unsafe sources, and force FDA to only issue general information about which tomatoes are likely safe. As a result, hundreds of millions of tomatoes must be destroyed and the US tomato industry has experienced huge financial losses. This is extremely troubling at a time when food scarcities are enveloping many of the world’s poorest nations.
Much of the blame for this tragic situation lies squarely with FDA’s non-existent and ineffective regulation of the produce industry. There are no laws specifically regulating how produce is grown, labled and handled. FDA has been providing guidance to the produce industry for at least 10 years but it is unknown if the industry is applying it since there are no regulatory inspections of produce safety. Florida and North Carolina are attempting to work with FDA on a state inspection program called the Tomato Initiative, but the work is very preliminary and will not be effective for years.
The produce industry is filling in the gaps by self-regulation whereby growers, packers and distributors are subject to industry mandated food safety audits conducted by third party firms. The weakness in this "buyer driven" safety model is that buyers, the middlemen between the retailer and the producer, make buying decision based primarily on price and quality and do not hold food safety as their first priority.
The consumer is now at the mercy of this ineffective food safety system and the produce industry is reeling from the financial effects. Lobbying by the associations representing the food industry since the mid 1990’s has kept regulatory agencies under financed and ineffective. Now that they need them, they are incapable of providing protection. It is indeed interesting to note these associations now have their own food safety schemesthat they sell to the industry as a fix for the very problem they helped create. Industry interference with regulatory efforts is to blame for the crisis state of FDA, and the produce industry is now reaping a bitter harvest of unsafe foods.
Clearly the answers to unsafe foods must be found in Washington. However, with the distractions of war, inflated fuel prices and a sluggish economy (mostly caused by unregulated profiteering in the housing market) Washington is ill prepared to mount an effective food safety policy and to fix America’s neglected public health infrastructure.
Consumers are losing confidence in supermarket produce and are turning to local farmers for a better quality and presumably safer product. Supermarkets will continue to suffer as consumers spend their food dollar elsewhere. Self seeking food industry leaders must blame only themselves for their tomato woes.
The "Great Escapes Resort" Can’t Escape Scrutiny After Viral Outbreak
The Norovirus Outbreak
A Six Flags water park and resort complex in up-state New York known as "Great Escapes", is the focus of a large norovirus outbreak. Norovirus is transmitted from infected human carriers to food, water, and environmental surfaces. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognize norovirus (and related viral strains) as the leading cause of foodborne illness in the US. The gastrointestinal illness is highly communicable and easily spread by hand to hand contact and even through the air. Outbreaks occur in resorts and other facilities when ill persons contaminate the environment, food and water through vomit and feces. Rapid and effective measures well-known to the public health community are needed to stop transmission. Many of these measures are developed by the US Public Health Service. Cruise lines have experienced many norovirus outbreaks and therefor there is much known about the pathogen and how to address it.
Untimely Responses to the Problem
According to the local health department a case of norovirus at the Great Escapes is defined as a person with norovirus symptoms at the resort on or after March 7, 2008. The health department therefore belives the date of March 7 was the beginning of the outbreak, but did not for some unexplained reason begin an investigation for ten days. It is not known to this writer when the operator of the facility was first aware of that employees and patrons were becoming ill. We are also unaware of how or when the health department was officially notified of the problem. The official coordinated response to this outbreak began on March 17, a full 10 days after the outbreak apparently began. By March 21, there were already 200 cases. The number of reported cases eventually reached at least 435 as news of the incident spread.
Rapid tests using sophisticated molecular testing platforms are available to provide confirming results of norovirus infection in 24 hours, yet investigators over 1 week into the investigation still didn’t have a confirming diagnosis from the state lab. The slow state lab results were an unnecessary delay, as approved private labs are available.
Early recognition of this problem is critical. Once it is known that norovirus is in the environment, investigators can implement timely and appropriate sanitation and safety precautions to combat transmission. One example of appropriate response was the closing of the food service. But this only occured after numerous employees of the kitchen reported symptoms of norovirus. The pools, food and lodging facilities are undoubtedly regulated. Delay in the the implementation of this and other preventive measures at this public, regulated facility likely increased the potential for the exposure of large numbers of unsuspecting people to the pathogen over several days. The operator’s delay in recognizing and reporting a large number of ill patrons and staff, the response of the authorities once notified, and the timeliness and effectiveness of prevention measures taken are critical questions.
Lawsuits
Four members of a family sickened by the resort have filed a lawsuit. Key issues that must be scrutinized are the delay between the start of the outbreak and notification of the health authorities, the large number of food service staff ill and whether they worked while ill, the basis to close the kitchen, and the basis for management’s decision to allow the rest of the facility to remain open..
Ill patrons have also filed a class action suit against Six Flags Great Escape Lodge and Indoor Waterpark.
Unanswered Questions
A detailed analysis of the cases and their relationships to the food service or other environmental exposures will be key to determining the causes of this large and serious outbreak and whether the operator responded in an effective and timely manner to protect both it’s employees and guests.
Could the large number of cases of illness been reduced if more timely and effective prevention measures were implemented at Great Escapes?
To read more, select the links below.
Health Department official statement
Norovirus at Great Escapes Water Park
1st article from the Post Star. March 21st, 200 cases reported
www.poststar.com/articles/2008/03/21/news/latest/doc47e42f8f8280b851143779.txt
2 nd article from the Post Star, March 16th, 435 cases reported
www.poststar.com/articles/2008/03/26/news/latest/doc47eabb1d9c7e1811279240.txt
Channel 6 report. Lawsuits filed.
www.cbs6albany.com/news/water_1254308___article.html/
For our manual on Norovirus Contamination and Control send an email to rcosta1@cfl.rr.com
There are things in this bill below, that FRLA wants that are going to put consumers at risk. Specifically BPR inspectors will no longer have fire authority jurisdiction, this is a very big change from over 50 years the Division has taken authority of safety in restaurants and lodgings.
This abrupt change will make it very likely that local fire authorities will be overwhelmed as they have had no time to gear up for the added 100,000 inspections per year that now must be made. This is short sided and will mean a huge burden for taxpayers. As you know, the industry currently pays the bill in license fees to the state for these services. Costs will now shift to taxpayers.
In addition, FRLA wants to make it a violation to have a manager work in a restaurant without a certification. In the past operators had 90 days to get certified after hire. This will eliminate this grace period. While on the surface this looks good, the impact of this will be to increase the revenues of FRLA as they are in contract with the division as the preferred provider of food safety training.
This is a self serving bit of legislation and is not good for Floridians or its visitors. I would think on the fire inspection issue insurance companies would have an opinion on this, it makes one wonder. Right now this is zipping through top approval with all opposition either effectively muzzled. This legislation needs to see the light of day along with all of the other interference FRLA pressure has had on public health and safety.
See lines 135-139, and 184
Fire Inspection Bill
B 2016C1 Public Lodging and Food Service/Fire Code – GENERAL BILL by Regulated Industries;
Environ Health Associates, Inc (EHA) is a multifaceted environmental health consulting firm located in Central Florida. Formed in 2003,
EHA creates several types of food safety systems:
"Applying HACCP Principles" (HACCP Alliance Accredited)
"Food Safety First!" Video and website
Food Safety for Employees and Food Managers
NEHA HACCP Manager
Services include:
Environ Health Associates, Inc.
2694 Magnolia Rd.
Deland, Florida 32720
E: rcosta1@cfl.rr.com
Ph: (386) 734-5187
Roy E. Costa, R.S, M.S (M.B.A)., President of Environ Health Associates, is a Registered Sanitarian with 40 years of experience in the field of disease prevention, public health and education. Mr. Costa is a retired public health official, sanitarian,consultant and expert witness.
As President of Environ Health Associates, Inc., Mr. Costa has forged partnerships with leading academic institutions, accredited auditing firms, international training and certification agencies, and online educators. He is a subject matter expert creating classroom and online educational content, and a Lead Instructor for the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance, the Produce Safety Alliance and International HACCP Alliance. He has presented over 50 webinars to online audiences and is active throughout the food supply chain protecting public health and reducing business risk through on site auditing, consulting and investigation. In addition to a focus on food safety, Environ Health Associates has core environmental health expertise in water treatment, wastewater treatment and pest management. Mr Costa has been retained in 90 civil cases involving foodborne illness and injury.
Education
Past Professional Associations
Certifications & Registrations
This Blog/Web Site is made available by the author for educational purposes only as well as to give you general information and a general understanding of the topic at hand, not to provide specific advice. By using this blog site you understand that there is no professional relationship between you and the Blog/Web Site publisher.
The publishing author values the privacy of his readers and Web/blog site viewers. Any of the following personal information that may be made available to the author when browsing or navigating the site shall be kept confidential: