Study: Authenticity Trumps Food Safety? Is it a Case of Risk Analysis?

In a study to be published in the journal, Management Science, researchers concluded that people are willing to forgo the results of a poor hygiene inspection of a restaurant if they view that restaurant as authentic. 

The research originated to explain cases where Chinese restaurants, flagged for unhygienic practices such as hanging ducks at room temperature, were still held in high regard by patrons.  In fact, California law was changed to allow 'Chinese-style roast'.

Surprising?  Not really.  We see this with many traditional foods, especially where the science is broadly applied to a category of food, but there is little anecdotal evidence to support the fact that products are safe or not safe.  In this research paper, the authors describe conflicting codes...one based on law and another based upon tradition.  To me, it is a risk decision...certainly a bad inspection report gives one the idea that risk may be there, but people will also bring in their own knowledge of associated risk...has there been any outbreaks associated with 'hanging chickens'?  Haven't Chinese restaurants been hanging chickens for thousands of years?

We see this with canned foods where people will can foods using traditional methods...such as using a boiling water bath to can meat (instead of using a pressure canner).  Their mothers and grandmothers did it this way with no issue, thus there is no risk.  Perhaps those people have not been exposed to the data on the cases of botulism that regularly occur each year and thus do not know the real risk.  (The likelihood of occurrence may be low, but the severity is high).

And conversely, where there is an over emphasis on the risk of something, especially when mass media spins a given item, people are willing to view something as risky where there is no scientific support.  So in this example, these same people will get inundated with information on the supposed dangers related to pesticides in food (which represents a smaller risk, based upon USDA testing compared to risk of botulism when improperly canning meat), and go to greater lengths to avoid commercially grown produce.

With the hanging chickens, there is probably a lower risk with this specific application in that spoilage organisms outcompete pathogens on the bird, and then provided the bird is properly cooked, there is little risk.  However, law is written to take a broad range of applications into account.  It is hard to write laws specific to every application.


Management Science
http://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/pdf/10.1287/mnsc.2014.1903
Conflicting Social Codes and Organizations: Hygiene and Authenticity in Consumer Evaluations of Restaurants

David W. Lehman
University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, lehman@virginia.edu
Balázs Kovács
University of Lugano, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland, kovacsb@usi.ch
Glenn R. Carroll
Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, gcarroll@stanford.edu

Abstract

Organization theory highlights the spread of norms of rationality in contemporary life. Yet rationality does not always spread without friction; individuals often act based on other beliefs and norms. We explore this problem in the context of restaurants and diners. We argue that consumers potentially apply either of two social codes when forming value judgments about restaurants: (1) an apparently rational science-based code of hygiene involving compliance with local health regulations or (2) a context-activated code of authenticity involving conformity to cultural norms. We propose that violations of the hygiene code recede in importance when the authenticity code is activated. This claim is supported by empirical analyses of 442,086 online consumer reviews and 52,740 governmental health inspections conducted from 2004 to 2011.

Keywords: organizations; institutions; social codes; authenticity; regulatory noncompliance; consumer value ratings; restaurants; health grades

History: Received March 1, 2013; accepted December 10, 2013, by Gérard P. Cachon, organizations. Published online in Articles in Advance.

Black Pepper in 3.53 oz Jars Recalled after FDA Testing Finds Positive Salmonella Sample

A NJ based company, Gel Spice, is recalling black pepper, packaged in 3.53 oz containers, after FDA routine testing found a sample positive for Salmonella.  The product was sold through Big Lots.  There have been no reported illnesses.

FDA appears to be evaluating spice products heavily since they issued their spice risk assessment in November of 2013.  We have also seen a number of recalls in produce for Listeria and Salmonella which would indicate a focus on those products in light of the Listeria outbreak in cantaloupes.  This is where we come back to fact that companies need to consider a pathogen testing program if their product is viewed as having risk for a given pathogen.  A program does not mean end product testing exclusively, but rather compressive program that takes into account raw material, environmental, in-process and finished product testing with an eye on risk reduction.
 

Gel Spice is a value provider of spices for industrial, foodservice, and consumer ( Brands - Spice Supreme, Spice Time, Spice Select, Chef's Select, Gel, Spice Pride, and various private label products in the grocery, drug, and discount chains).



Market Watch / PRNewswire
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/gel-spice-company-inc-issues-a-voluntary-recall-of-fresh-finds-brand-ground-black-pepper-353-oz-100-g-due-to-possible-salmonella-risk-2014-09-15

Gel Spice Company, Inc. Issues a Voluntary Recall of Fresh Finds brand Ground Black Pepper, 3.53 oz (100 g), due to Possible Salmonella Risk Published: Sept 15, 2014 9:30 p.m. ET

BAYONNE, N.J., Sept. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Gel Spice Company, Inc., of Bayonne, NJ, is issuing a voluntary recall notice for 16,443 cases of Fresh Finds-Ground Black Pepper, 3.53 oz, plastic jars, because it has the possibility to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

Roma tomatoes recalled after positive Salmonella test

Expo Fresh is recalling one lot of roma tomatoes after routine FDA testing yielded a positive Salmonella result.  No illnesses have been reported.

Taylor Farms received those tomatoes and then issued a recall for tomatoes and salads made with tomatoes. used those tomatoes in salad kits packed on two dates and were shipped on the west coast.    Two other companies, Royal Food Service and UU Foods also used the roma tomatoes and both issued notice.


The Packer
http://www.thepacker.com/fruit-vegetable-news/Expo-Fresh-Taylor-Farms-recall-roma-tomatoes-275134781.html

Expo Fresh, Taylor Farms recall roma tomatoes
09/15/2014 10:27:00 AM
Coral Beach 

Expo Fresh LLC, San Diego, is voluntarily recalling roma tomatoes because of potential salmonella contamination discovered during a routine sampling by the Food and Drug Administration.

Although no recall notice had been posted on the FDA website, Robert Schachtel, sales manager at Expo Fresh, said on Sept. 15 that the company notified all of its customers who received roma tomatoes from the single implicated lot: No. 23914-214.

No illnesses have been reported in connection with the implicated roma tomatoes, Schachtel said. He referred additional questions to the company’s attorney, who was not immediately available.

Among those receiving the recalled roma tomatoes were Taylor Farms, Salinas, Calif., which issued a recall on Sept. 13 for the tomatoes and salads containing them. The recall is not posted on the Taylor Farms website and company officials were not immediately available for comment early Sept. 15.

Organic Rice Milk Snacks (?) Recalled Due to Potential Choking Risk

Plum Organics is recalling Organic Rice Milk Snacks after it was found that the snack did not soften fast enough, and thus constituted a choking hazard for small children.

 Not knowing what a rice milk snack is, thought it was worth a look.

Easy to see how this could be a choking hazard.

According to the website "Little Crèmes, a line of colorful bite-sized rice milk snacks made of real fruit & veggie blends that are perfect for tactile development and the introduction of new tastes and textures. A non-dairy alternative for sensitive bellies, each bite is a mix of pure flavors with creamy organic rice milk to create the perfect meltable, freeze-dried snack"

I guess snacks are important for tactile development?  As long as it stays in the hands and out of their throats.

I remember my mom gave my younger brothers Zwieback Toast.  Looks safer.  Not Organic, if that matters.  Way messy, at least the way my brother ate them.

FDA Recall Notice

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm413044.htm
Plum Organics Voluntarily Recalls Little Crèmes Organic Rice Milk Snacks Due to Potential Choking Hazard

Contact  Consumer:  (866) 535-3774
 Media:  Anna Burr  203-939-5261

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 5, 2014 - Plum Organics is voluntarily recalling its Little Crèmes organic rice milk snacks line after it was found that the product has the potential to cause choking. The small, bite-sized snack pieces are made to soften in a child’s mouth in less than 20 seconds making them easy to swallow. Some pieces were found to take significantly longer than this, creating a potential choking hazard, particularly for babies and very young children.

Small WA State Business Recalls Sauce in Jars Due to Improper Processing

A small, entrepreneur-type company is recalling pasta sauce after the Washington State Department of Ag found that the pH of a batch may be too high, and thus constituted a Clostridium botulinum risk.

There have been a few similar cases recently (NC Soup, CA Pesto Sauce) where small businesses have produced jarred products were determined to be Clostridium botulinum issues.  When processing these types of products,  FDA has set regulations and guidance that must be followed.

Certainly, this can be a lot for a small business to comply.  In this case, it is a one woman operation with 'the Sauce Lady' (story below) producing 100 jars of sauce per week.  The retired teacher, now food entrepreneur, has been this for close to 20 years.  But the downside of non-compliance can be severe, especially when that product results in botulism.

With the growing number of Farmers' Markets across the country, there are an increasing number of these type of products being sold by start-up companies.  It is important that they understand the risks and comply with established protocols for producing further-processed products that are jarred, or vacuum packed, etc.


FDA Recall Notice
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm412804.htm
Tullia's Recalls Sauce Because of Possible Health Risk

Contact:  Consumer:  509-879-0325
 Media:  Marco Barbanti  509-879-0325

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 8, 2014 - Tullia's is recalling Italian Meatless Pasta Sauce code 530140. This recall has been initiated because a records review by the Washington State Department of Agriculture revealed that one batch of sauce produced with the 530140 code had a pH level high enough to allow the growth of Clostridium botulinum. If present, this organism can cause botulism, a serious and potentially fatal foodborne illness.

Taiwan 'Gutter Oil" is Latest Food Scandal In China

Mmmm...pasties made with gutter oil.

A new food safety scandal has emerged in Taiwan and China involving 'gutter oil' ..or recycled oil from questionable sources.  During a raid of an oil processor, it was discovered that recycled oil was sold to food companies in Hong Kong and China.  The problem is that the oil came from a number of questionable sources and therefore has the potential to contain harmful substances.

This oil was then reportedly used as an ingredient in food products including pineapple cakes.

NY Times
 http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/08/taiwan-reels-from-gutter-oil-scandal/
Taiwan Reels From Gutter Oil Scandal
By AUSTIN RAMZY September 8, 2014 6:56 am
September 8, 2014 6:58 am

The authorities in Taiwan are scrambling to control a tainted-cooking-oil scandal that has affected hundreds of manufacturers and raised fears about health risks posed in many commonly consumed food items.

The scandal comes during the Mid-Autumn Festival and has dampened enthusiasm for giving and consuming mooncakes, a traditional seasonal snack.

Regulators are examining the extent to which the substandard oil has been exported to Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China. Hong Kong’s Center for Food Safety said Maxim’s Cakes, a prominent retailer in the Chinese city, had removed from its shelves pineapple cakes made from oil from a Taiwan manufacturer implicated in the scandal.

Study - When cooking chicken, too many use risky practices

A study in Food Protection Trends found that people cooking chicken 1) did not wash their hands before serving or after handling raw chicken, 2) did not properly wash their hands with some not using soap, 3) washed their chicken even though that creates a cross contamination risk,  4) did not use a thermometer, and 5) when a thermometer was used, the still undercooked it.

Surprising....unfortunately not.

Food Protection Trends - Sept / Oct 2014Chicken Preparation in the Home: An Observational Study
  
By Christine M. Bruhn

Abstract

Poultry has been linked to foodborne illnesses caused by Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter spp.
This study reports on observed handling behavior when 120 volunteers prepared chicken and salad in
their homes. A food safety attitudes and knowledge questionnaire was administered to volunteers after meal preparation had been video recorded. In the questionnaire, consumers stated that they were knowledgeable about safe-food handling and had heard of people becoming ill from eating chicken. 

The video recording, however, revealed that personal hygiene was insufficient, with 65% of meal
preparers not washing their hands prior to meal preparation, 40% not washing their hands after
handling raw chicken, and 45% washing the chicken prior to preparation. Hand-washing duration was less than 20 seconds, and in one-third of the handwashing events, soap was not used. Most people
judged thoroughness of cooking by appearance.

When chicken temperature was taken, 60% of the cooked chickens registered 165°F or above.
However, 39% of households stopped cooking even though the internal temperature of the poultry
registered below 165°F. These results suggest that educational messages should focus on thorough
washing of hands with soap, not washing chicken, and using a calibrated thermometer to determine
doneness. To increase consumer protection, the poultry industry should adopt additional approaches to reduce pathogen levels.
 
 

Study - 1/4 of Used Kitchen Hand Towels Analyzed Contained E. coli

A study on cleanliness of used handtowels published in Food Protection Trends shows that about 1/4 of the used hand towels collected from over 80 kitchens and analyzed had E. coli present. This is one of the primary reasons why dishes should be air dried instead of wipe dried.  The kitchen hand towel gets used over and over throughout the day, and people often forget what they used the towel to wipe last (insert butt joke here).  It is not uncommon for towels to be used for a number of days.  This not only provides more opportunity for introduction of bacteria, but allows for the growth of bacteria.  Leaving them air dry does not get rid of the bacteria. It is important that people change out towels throughout the day as they go from task to task.  Then the used towels should be collected to prevent reentry into the kitchen without first going into the wash.  When washing, hot water, detergent and bleach.

 

From the report:

"E. coli numbers also were related to the frequency of washing, with numbers on towels being lower the more often they were washed. Age of the towel and days since last time washed did not influence the concentration of any of the bacteria in the towels. The results suggest that E. coli is particularly easily removed during washing or requires an unusually long time to colonize and grow in the towels. Coliforms, E. coli and Salmonella can survive the drying of kitchen cleaning cloths and regrow if the cloth becomes soiled again (3)."

 

 Of course, not all E. coli are pathogens, but they are indicators of insanitary conditions, that is, show a high correlation to fecal contamination, and may indicate the potential for other pathogens to be present.

 

 

Food Protection Trends  Sept - Oct, 2014

Bacterial Occurrence in Kitchen Hand Towels

    

By Charles P. Gerba, Akrum H. Tamimi, Sherri Maxwell, Laura Y. Sifuentes, Douglas R. Hoffman and David W. Koenig

 

 Abstract

The common occurrence of enteric bacteria in kitchen sponges and dishcloths suggests that they can play a role in the cross-contamination of foods, fomites and hands by foodborne pathogens. This study investigated the occurrence of bacteria in kitchen towels often used to dry dishes, hands and other surfaces in the domestic kitchen. A total of 82 kitchen hand towels were collected from households in five major cities in the United States and Canada and the numbers of heterotrophic bacteria, coliform bacteria, and Escherichia coli in each towel were determined. In addition, identification of the enteric bacteria was performed on selected towels. Coliform bacteria were detected in 89.0% and E. coli in 25.6% of towels. The presence of E. coli was related to the frequency of washing.

Walnuts falling from tree result in spinach recall

A limited amount of spinach is being recalled due to the potential to be contaminated by an allergen, walnuts.  What is interesting in this is how the walnuts were found to have contaminated the product - they fell from the trees into spinach trucks/bins as the trucks/bins moved the spinach from the field to the processing facility.


FDA Recall Notice
 http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm412156.htm
Dole Fresh Vegetables Announces Allergy Alert and Voluntary Limited Recall of DOLE-branded Spinach Due to Possible Contamination by Walnuts

Contact: Consumer: 1-800-356-3111
Media: David Bright 1-818-874-4879 David.Bright@Dole.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - August 28, 2014 - Although no illnesses or allergic reactions have been reported, Dole Fresh Vegetables is initiating a limited voluntary recall of the following products:

This recall is due to possible contamination of these products by walnuts. The walnuts fell from a tree into spinach bins being delivered from a field and were discovered at the plant. No illnesses or allergic reactions have been reported. However, people who have an allergy to tree nuts may have a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products or products containing walnuts.

This recall is for Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico, for only DOLE Baby Spinach 6 oz bags and DOLE Spinach 8 oz bags with the specific Bag Codes and Best-by dates listed above. The bag code and best-by date are on the top right-hand corner of the front of the bag. Consumers who have purchased the designated products are instructed not to consume the product and to call the DOLE Consumer Center toll-free at 1-800-356-3111 from 8am to 3 pm Pacific Time, Monday through Friday, for a refund.

Food safety is the first priority of Dole Fresh Vegetables, so although the contamination is not confirmed, this recall is being initiated in an abundance of caution for the benefit of our customers.