Sick Food Workers a Concern

In a research article published in the February, 2011 edition of Journal of Food Protection, a survey was conducted among foodservice workers that found that about 12% said that they had come to work while sick, suffering from symptoms such as diarrhea or vomiting.  This is alarming in that these people could have potentially spread disease to the people who consume the foods their establishments were serving.   Foodborne pathogens such as Norovirus, Hepatitis A, and Shigella are often spread by sick workers to the restaurant patrons through the food.

In July of 2009, a worker in Illinois continued to work at an Illinois fast food restaurant chain after she had been diagnosed with Hepatitis A.  In the week that she worked, she had potentially exposed up to 10,000 people to the virus.  Even though many of these patrons immediately went to get vaccinated when the news story was released, 20 patrons who had not became ill with that virus. 

Why do people still go to work while ill?  One issue is that many workers as well as their managers don’t fully understand the implications of foodborne illness, either on their patrons, or on the business where they work.  When an employee calls in sick and the restaurant is really busy, it is often the case that the employee is told to come to work anyway.

Another reason is that these are hard economic times and with so many people work paycheck to paycheck, it is financially difficult for those people to stay home from work.  They need the money so they come into work and try to hide the fact that they are ill.   I also think that many look at working while sick as a badge of courage.  They have this need to “tough it out”.  In reality, these folks may be doing far more harm than good.

It is important when someone has the symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, or jaundice that they stay away from the workplace, and if they have a sore throat and fever, they should be restricted from preparing and serving food.  Retail and foodservice establishments must make sure that employees know that when ill, they should not be working with food.  At the very least, they should contact their managers and inform them of their illnesses.

 It is important that managers include this as part of employee training, both when employees are new and then regularly after that as a reminder.   Managers should also be observant of their employees, looking out for any of these symptoms.  If illness is suspected, the employee should be sent home immediately.  After that, it is important to follow-up with the sick employee so that if it is indeed a foodborne pathogen, the manager will need to contact the local health department.

This recommendations are not just for the foodservice or retail food establishments, but also important for those who prepare food for their families, or those who work in childcare or elderly care facilities, and in food processing.  Children and elderly are especially susceptible to foodborne illness, so we need to take extra precautions when working with these groups.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/the-hot-button/restaurant-workers-often-handle-food-while-ill-study/article1913084/

Recall of Smoked Salmon due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination

According to an FDA press release, "St James Smokehouse Inc, is conducting a voluntary recall of Scotch Reserve Whiskey & Honey Smoked Scottish Salmon 4oz retails packs under Lot code:5797 & batch code: 4759 with UPC# 853729001151 due to potential contamination with Listeria Monocytogenes...... The 600lbs of product subject to recall were distributed and sold only in The Fresh Market stores located FL, NC, SC, TN, GA, VA,KY, AL, IN, IL, OH, LA, MD, AR, WI, MS, PA, MA, CT, NY.  "

The contamination was discovered through testing by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.  Listeria monocytogenes contamination has long been considered a potential risk in sliced smoked salmon.  

This product is imported from Scotland and is considered a premium product.

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm242888.htm

Food Safety Interventions: Reducing Risk from Farm to Table

http://www.foodsafetymag-digital.com/foodsafetymag/20110203?folio=10#pg10

Food Safety Face-off in Men's Health

http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/food-safety/

Reportable Food Registry First Year Report

One of the major regulatory initiatives for preventing foodborne illness in the US is the Reportable Food Registry.  FDA regulated companies and regulatory officials are required to report food safety issues associated with food and feed.  For example, if  Company B receives a RTE ingredient from Company A, and this ingredient  has Listeria, Company B must report it.  This registry will certainly impact FDA’s ability to get involved in cases where there is probable contamination.
In this report, there were 2240 acceptable submissions. Of this number, 229 were primary reports and the rest were subsequent reports.    Of the 229, Salmonella and allergens accounted for the majority of cases. Import products accounted for 53 of the primary reports, and the report stated that additional emphasis will be placed in this area. One of the success stories was that this registry was responsible for the recall of HVP early last year when Salmonella was detected (There were no know illnesses.  )
The Reportable Food Registry was established by FDA and requires FDA regulated companies to report any “food/feed for which there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, such article of food will cause serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals. All foods under FDA's jurisdiction, including animal feed/food (including pet food) may be reportable foods, except for dietary supplements and infant formula.”
The Reportable Food Registry is “an electronic portal by which reports about instances of reportable food must be submitted to FDA within 24 hours by responsible parties and may be submitted by public health officials. These reports may be primary, the initial submission about a reportable food, or subsequent, a report by either a supplier (upstream) or a recipient (downstream) of a food or food ingredient for which a primary report has been submitted.”


http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FoodSafetyPrograms/RFR/ucm200958.htm#pr

U.S. FDA to post environmental assessments of foodborne illness outbreaks

This is a great resource provided by FDA. From these investigations, we will be able to learn what led to the contamination.
http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FoodborneIllness/ucm235425.htm

In the first investigation posted, romaine lettuce contaminated with E. coli non-O157 STEC which led to 33 illnesses, investigators identified the irrigation water as the probably cause.

http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FoodborneIllness/ucm235477.htm

Outbreak of Salmonella Infection Related to Raw Spouts

According to CDC, there have been 30 outbreaks of salmonellosis related to raw sprouts in the last 15 years (http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/i4512i-/011411/index.html).  Most recently, an Illinois producer of alfalfa sprouts has been implicated for 125 illnesses.  This producerTiny Greens Organic Farm of Urbana, Illinois announced a recall on December 29, 2010 (http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm238188.htm).

Salmonella is a hazard associated with the raw beans.  During the sprouting process, the beans are watered in a warm environment for a number of days.  Unfortunately, these conditions also allow the Salmonella to multiply.   To control this hazard, bean sprouts are disinfected prior to beginning the sprouting process.  As history indicates however, there are still issues associated with sprouts.   Because of this, high risk populations including the elderly, the very young, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems should avoid consuming raw sprouts of any type.  Otherwise, sprouts should be cooked thoroughly.

Food Safety Bill Passes

It has been a long time coming, but the Food Safety Modernization Act is just a President's signature away.  But does it mean our food will be safer once that ink is dry...not by a long shot.  As in the LA Times article (link below), there are funding concerns.  And then, the FDA has to convert this into an actual regulation.  The battles will continue as it transformed into a document that will be actually implemented.  What will the FDA require as far as food safety plans....will it be similar to Seafood HACCP, or will it be watered down to a point that it has little resemblance to what we know as HACCP?  There is much debate to come. 

And once in place, will our food be safer? Not totally.   Putting regulations in place does not guarantee that some owner won't knowingly ship contaminated product, or that some farmer inadvertently irrigates his leafy greens with contaminated water.  But in most likelihood, it will improve the overall food safety system, thus reducing the overall risk.  The increased probability of an inspection for an establishment that never had an inspection before may make the owner maintain a cleaner establishment.  Having more control on imported good will reduce the risk of another melamine incident. Requiring a food safety plan, or HACCP, not only means that a company has to really think about how they will control food safety, but this plan serves as a guide for the inspector who audits the facility.  More importantly, requiring HACCP may lead to the need for training for the people making food.  In order to develop an acceptable plan, companies will need to learn more about the hazards associated with their process, and this will be a step towards bringing all companies up to a higher level of understanding food safety risks.

So don't look for this new legislation to eliminate foodborne illness altogether, but rather, it will be a step towards reducing risks and thus increasing the safety of the food throughout the supply continuum.

M. Bucknavage

Food-safety bill backed by House

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/21/AR2010122106190.html

 By Lyndsey Layton

Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 22, 2010

The House passed a measure to overhaul the nation's food-safety laws by a vote of 215 to 144 Tuesday afternoon, and President Obama is expected to sign it into law as soon as Wednesday.

The vote marked the final hurdle for a bill that cleared an unusual number of obstacles, despite enjoying bipartisan support and backing from a wide array of groups across the political spectrum, from the Consumers Union to the Chamber of Commerce.

"This is a big victory for consumers that finally brings food-safety laws into the 21st century," said Jean Halloran of Consumers Union. "This win is a powerful testament to the people across the country who came to Washington to tell their lawmakers how contaminated food had killed their loved ones or left them horribly sick. This win is for them and all Americans."

But some critics said the new legislation will expand the reach of the federal government without making food safer. "The federal food bureaucracy needs to get smarter and better coordinated, not more omnipotent," said Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.).

The proposal survived filibuster threats in the Senate, constitutional confusion and tensions between big agricultural companies and the burgeoning local food movement.

The setbacks repeatedly sent the bill back to both chambers, where new challenges arose. In the end, the House voted on it three times and the Senate twice.
The legislation will affect all whole and processed foods except meat, poultry and some egg products, which are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

It is the first major change to the nation's food safety laws since 1938, and comes after a series of national outbreaks of food-borne illnesses linked to a wide varietyof foods, including spinach, peanuts and eggs.
"I beg you, the safety of your constituents is at stake," Rep. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.) said during debate on the House floor.

Unlike the current system, which relies on federal officials to trace the source of an outbreak to its origin after consumers have become ill, the new requirements are designed to create a system in which manufacturers and farmers come up with strategies to prevent contamination, then continually test to make sure they work.

The bill includes an exemption for small farmers and food processors, and those who sell directly to the public at farmers markets and farm stands. That exemption was pushed by advocates for local food, who argued that small producers would not be able to afford the testing and record-keeping required by the legislation. But it drew objections from major agricultural producers, which argued that no one should be exempt from producing safe food.

The exemptions "will limit the ability of the [Food and Drug Administration] to assure consumers that all foods they purchase, whether at grocery stores, restaurants, farm markets or elsewhere, have met the same food-safety standards," said Robert Guenther of United Fresh Produce Association, which represents the major fruit and vegetable growers.

"We remain fearful that this profound error will come back to haunt Congress, public health agencies and even those who thought they would benefit from food safety exemptions, but more importantly, we are fearful of what may slip through the food safety loopholes . . . and adversely affect consumers."
The measure also gives the FDA the authority to recall food; now, it must rely on food companies to voluntarily pull products off the shelves. And the bill would give the FDA access to internal records at farms and food-production facilities.

The bill would for the first time require importers to verify that their products from overseas meet U.S. safety standards.

One in six Americans becomes ill from tainted food each year, and 3,000 die, according to government estimates. Businesses spend billions of dollars as a result of lost sales, recalls and legal expenses triggered by the problem.

The measure is expected to cost $1.4 billion over the next four years, including the expense of hiring 2,000 new FDA inspectors.

LA Times Article
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-food-safety-20101222,0,5901585.story

New case estimates show foodborne illness still a big problem

http://live.psu.edu/story/50502

Monday, December 20, 2010

University Park, Pa. -- New estimates on the number of foodborne illness cases that occur each year in the United States, just released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, show that food safety remains a concern in this country, according to an expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
The new report states that about 48 million people, or one in six Americans, become ill from the consumption of contaminated food annually. Of this number, about 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die.
"These numbers are lower than CDC previously estimated in 1999," said Catherine Cutter, associate professor of food science. "While there has been a drop in the actual number of foodborne illness cases monitored by the CDC over the last decade, the decrease of the estimated cases -- from 76 to 48 million -- may be attributed to better data collection.
"While we have done a good job of improving food safety, the CDC estimates show that there still is a lot of work to do," Cutter added.
Of the 48 million cases, an estimated 9.4 million were from one of 31 microbial agents, while the cause of most other cases is unknown. Approximately 90 percent of the 9.4 million estimated illnesses were due to seven pathogens, Cutter noted -- Salmonella, Norovirus, Campylobacter, Toxoplasma, E.coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Clostridium perfringens.
"Of these organisms, Salmonella was the leading cause of foodborne illness resulting in hospitalizations and deaths," Cutter said.
"These estimates are important because they give regulatory agencies, consumer groups, academics, public-health officials and industry personnel a measure of the impact of foodborne illness on our society."
According to Cutter, the data demonstrate that there is a lot of work to do throughout the "farm-to-fork" continuum, referring to what happens to food from when it is harvested in the field to what the consumer does while preparing and handling it.
"Individuals working in every segment of the food chain must be knowledgeable about handling food properly," she said. "They must understand how they can reduce the risk of foodborne illness."
She advises that consumers remember four basic principles of food safety:
-- CLEAN: Wash hands and surfaces to remove any pathogenic organisms;
-- SEPARATE: Raw and cooked foods should be kept apart to prevent cross contamination;
-- COOK: Cook foods to a proper internal temperature with a properly calibrated thermometer to kill bacteria that may be present; and
-- CHILL: Refrigerate foods promptly to prevent growth of harmful bacteria.