| Veggie Patch veggie burgers and falafels are being recalled due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. No illnesses have yet been associated with this recall. The recalled product are: - Veggie Patch Ultimate Meatless Burger, UPC 61012900211, 9 oz., sell-by date of January 12, 2013. - Veggie Patch Falafel Chickpea Balls, UPC 610129066193, 9 oz., sell-by date of January 15, 2013. The affected products went on sale November 21 in the following states: Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Those who has purchased these items are encouraged to discard them or return them to the point of purchase.
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11.30.2012
Veggie Burgers and Falafels Recalled for Possible Listeria
Will trends go away?
| I have had the unique pleasure of writing several trend stories for Modern Baking over the past year. Much like fashion, food trends can often feel frenzied and often downright strange. Obviously seasonal upticks and exposure to new flavors with our ever-shrinking globe always impact what's hot in bakery, but through examining general bakery trends over the past year I've noticed that what consumers consistently want has more to do with their perception of quality in baked products. So, as I started working on this year's Top 50 Largest Foodservice Bakeries article, I found myself wondering, will food trends go away? "Trends have changed because everything moves so fast," Brendan Sodikoff, founder of Doughnut Vault in Chicago, told me earlier this year. "The level of expectation for quality is replacing what's trendy. It should be about what's good. I'm personally a fan of seeing the idea of trends disappear. I think it's really healthy." This sentiment was echoed at Taste Tomorrow, hosted by Puratos in October, when the results of a global consumer survey were presented. Above all else, global consumers want "natural" or quality foods, which bakeries can most literally convey through perceived freshness (e.g., the aroma of bread baking, time stamps on product packaging or windows to the production area so consumers can see product being made). But they can also boost quality perception by showing consumers their passion for the product and the process of creating it. This is where storyselling, or telling compelling stories about products to engage consumers emotionally, comes in. As a Millennial myself, the very idea of storyselling is exciting to me because it is rooted in authenticity. We consumers can tell almost right away if you're lying to us, and above most things, we hate being tricked. But I also love this concept because—marketing tool or not—it reminds us all of why people get involved in the bakery industry to begin with: because they love to bake and they love bringing joy into people's lives by helping them mark special occasions or simply provide a sweet, small respite from the daily grind. "The advantage of the bakery industry," VP of marketing Matt Crumpton said, "is that consumers are naturally attached to the products, making storyselling that much easier." That being said, perhaps there will always be "It" products, be they fad diet foods or crazy-patterned pants. But at least we can take comfort in the fact that we consumers always come to our senses and relinquish those items to the trash or the back of the closet in favor of slow-fermented, artisan bread from the neighborhood bakery and our favorite pair of jeans. Because those two items will never go out of style. |
Final Case Count on Peanut Butter Salmonella Outbreak Hits 42
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One new case has been reported in North Carolina since the previous update on November 8. The final case count by state is as follows: Arizona (1), California (7), Connecticut (3), Illinois (1), Louisiana (1), Massachusetts (3), Maryland (1), Michigan (1), Minnesota (1), Missouri (2), New Jersey (2), New Mexico (1), New York (2), Nevada (1), North Carolina (3), Pennsylvania (2), Rhode Island (1), Texas (5), Virginia (2) and West Virginia (2). The outbreak was first reported in September, after a number of patients fell ill with Salmonella that was traced back to Trader Joe's Valencia Peanut Butter, manufactured by Sunland. On Monday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration suspended the registration of Sunland to prevent it from selling its products anywhere in the U.S. until proving they are produced safely. It was the first time the agency has used that authority since being granted with the passing of the federal Food Safety Modernization Act in January 2011. © Food Safety NewsMore Headlines from Foodborne Illness Outbreaks |
11.29.2012
Criminal Convictions Top FSIS Enforcement Tools Used in Latest Quarter Report
| The convictions and sentences entered for a Gardena, CA meat company and its president were the centerpiece of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's criminal enforcement actions during the third quarter of the federal fiscal year, which ended June 30. Information contained in USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) quarterly enforcement report for the period said Paisano Meat Inc. and Jose Cruz Lopez Perez, its president, were sentenced during the period. Paisano Meat Inc. and Perez were on April 27, 2010 originally indicted on ten felony counts each for preparing and selling adulterated food containing sodium sulfite. On Feb. 16, 2011, Perez and the company each entered guilty pleas to one count of selling adulterated meat food products in commerce with intent to defraud.
Paisano Meat Inc. was fined $50,000 plus a $400 special assessment fee. The meat company was also ordered to serve a five-year probationary program. In other major actions during the period, FSIS reported it issued a Default Decision and Order to Rudy, AR-based Cookrum's Meat Processing and Taxidermy. The effect of the filing was to deny inspection services to the Arkansas business. Previously, on Nov. 23, 2011, FSIS filed a complaint to withdraw federal inspection services because of the conviction of owner Randall L. Cockrum on two misdemeanor counts involving the preparation and transportation of adulterated meat food products. In other administrative actions, FSIS issued "prohibited activity notices" to eight establishments, including two Los Vegas hotel-casinos. "Prohibited activity notices" are issued to establishments that do not take responsibility for removing adulterated, misbranded or unsafe food from commerce. Firms getting the notices during the period included: Albaghdadi Food Inc., Hazel Park, MI; Associated Food Stores, Hewlett, NY; Fremont Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV, Jerusalem Mfg. Natural Food Wholesalers, Dearborn, MI; Norman W. Fries, Inc., Claxton, GA; Pilgrim's Pride, Carrollton, GA; Pilgrim's Pride Corp., Douglas, GA; and the Stratosphere Banquet Facility, Las Vegas, NV. During the third quarter, 17 of those administrative actions were for large plants including such top companies as Cargill Meat Solutions, JBS Swift, Pilgrim's Pride, and Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. FSIS took 222 administrative actions during its third quarter, including both withholding and suspension moves. Meat and poultry plants can face such administration actions for a variety of reasons, including inhumane treatment of animals or interference or assaults on inspectors. Administrative actions are usually closed with a warning letter or letter of information, but can also be appealed. During the quarter, meat and poultry companies filed 84 appeals, winning 22 and losing 49 with 10 pending. In three instances, the appeal resulted in three modifications. Livestock inspections by FSIS during the period reached 35.44 million with 51,377 carcasses condemned. Poultry inspections went over 2.267 billion with more than 8,319 million carcasses rejected. Those numbers are on par with levels set earlier in the year. FSIS reported no seizure or civil injunctions for the period. The FSIS Office of Program Evaluation, Enforcement and Review (OPEER) did detain 44,177 pounds of meat and poultry in 58 separate actions during the quarter. OPEER detentions during the first three quarters of the year reached 1.645 million pounds in 189 detentions. It issued 261 warning letters during the last quarter. The Office of International Affairs detained 139,234 pounds in 25 actions during period. OIA's detentions during the first three quarters reached 1.755 million pounds in 104 actions. Also during the third quarter, FSIS accepted almost 786 million pounds of meat and poultry products for import to the U.S., a level about the same as were experienced during the first half. © Food Safety NewsMore Headlines from Government Agencies |
Members of Congress Ask That Seafood Safety Be Part of TPP Negotiation
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The lawmakers are concerned that, as result of expanded trade with Vietnam and Malaysia – two of the countries included in TPP – the United States could see an influx of imported contaminated seafood. Currently, around 90 percent of the seafood consumed is imported. In a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, the members urged him to pursue agreements with these two countries to help ensure the safety of the American food supply. The members note that in Fiscal Year 2012, imported seafood products from Vietnam, the fifth largest exporter of shrimp to the United States, were refused entry 206 times because of concerns including filth, decomposition, drug residues, unapproved food additives and Salmonella. "Meanwhile… U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials determined that some exporters in Malaysia have acted as conduits to transship Chinese shrimp to the United States in order to circumvent both FDA Import Alerts and antidumping duties," they wrote in the letter. "We strongly believe that these critical food safety issues should be resolved prior to the conclusion of the TPP FTA negotiations in order to best protect the public health from these known health risks." The letter suggest that bilateral agreements that focus on strict inspection and certification would be in "the U.S. public's best interest." Read the full letter here. © Food Safety NewsMore Headlines from Food Policy & Law |
Former CDC Directors Urge Adequate Funding for Public Health
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The article comes as leaders in Washington wrangle over how to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff," which would likely impact spending at all federal agencies. "Whether investigating hantavirus in Yosemite National Park, supporting emergency responses to hurricanes and floods, responding to Ebola outbreaks in Uganda or fighting the chronic illnesses that plague Americans, CDC is on the front lines," write the former officials, who served under the Carter, Reagan, Clinton and both Bush administrations. "As former CDC directors, we know what that job requires, even though we served under different administrations and under different circumstances. The current fungal meningitis outbreak affecting people in at least 19 states provides a case in point." The meningitis outbreak, tied to a compounding pharmacy in Massachusetts, has so far sickened 510 people and at least 36 lives have been lost. The directors argue that "many more could have died without CDC's surveillance, rapid response science and communications with health experts responsible for diagnosing and treating patients." "Despite this strong performance, one aspect of CDC's response worries us," the op-ed continues. "To meet these urgent demands, CDC had to pull in more than 300 staff as well as countless other state and local personnel." The article points out that the meningitis outbreak is just one of many that requires significant CDC resources to tackle. "Multiple food-borne outbreaks, emergence of new strains of swine flu in the Midwest and cases of plague in Western states require CDC's full attention. Add to that global health concerns such as a SARS-like virus tracked to the Middle East and ongoing avian influenza in Asia, both just a plane ride away from the United States. Events like these underscore the critical nature — and potential vulnerability — of CDC and the public health network it leads to protect our nation." The former officials urge leaders in Washington to "invest in CDC and strengthen its capacity…to protect our citizens, our businesses and our economy." "[W]e know that we cannot afford to shortchange our frontline protection against these emerging and ongoing domestic and global health threats. And yet, the projected budget cuts throughout the government threaten to do just that — significantly curtail CDC's ability to detect and rapidly respond to health crises wherever they occur." "The role of government in a number of areas can be debated, but we believe there is consensus on the vital governmental role in preventing disease and working to mitigate the damage in situations such as the meningitis outbreak." The op-ed was credited to CDC Directors William H. Foege (1977-83); Julie Gerberding (2002-08); Jeffrey P. Koplan (1998-2002), James O. Mason (1983-89); William L. Roper (1990-93); and David Satcher (1993-98). © Food Safety NewsMore Headlines from Food Policy & Law |
Canada’s Meat Inspectors Told to Ignore Messy Carcasses Not Bound for Japan
| Canada's CTV News went public with a four-year-old memorandum from the troubled XL Foods beef plant that told meat inspectors to turn a blind eye to fecal and intestinal contamination on carcasses—except for the beef headed for Japan. The memo issued to inspectors by a meat hygiene supervisor at the Brooks, Alberta beef plant said Japan is "our number 1 priority." Issued on Sept. 12, 2008, the memo instructed meat inspectors stationed at the carcass inspection post to "ensure than non Japan carcasses are not inspected for spinal cord/duramater, OCD (other carcass defects) and minor ingesta (ignore them)."
CFIA said required inspection tasks are accomplished at different stations. "The memo referenced simply emphasized this division of labor," CFIA said in a statement issued Thursday in reaction of the CTV report. The agency said the union raised the issue three weeks ago and it was clarified with the meat inspectors. However, Agriculture Union President Bob Kingston took issue with the explanation that carcass contaminates could be detected further down the line. He said the memo referenced "the last inspection station on the line." Earlier this year, an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 linked to beef sickened 18 Canadians and was accompanied by the largest beef recall in the country's history, causing XL Foods to give up management of the Alberta plant to JBS. On CTV, Dr. Harpreet Kochhar, CFIA's executive director for western operations, suggested that decontamination showers with antimicrobial sprays would also be a back-up step if something were missed. Inspectors said that works for non-visible bacteria, but not feces and intestinal splatter. The XL recall was extended to include 2.5 million pounds shipped to the United States. It was then blocked from further export to the U.S. No illnesses associated with the Brooks plants have surfaced outside Canada. © Food Safety NewsMore Headlines from Foodborne Illness Outbreaks |
11.28.2012
Purdue Extension Says Raw Milk Safety Limited by Shelf Life
| In almost every debate about unpasteurized milk, an advocate of its safety recalls growing up on the farm when everybody drank raw milk and nobody got sick. The Purdue University Extension Service has an answer to that debate point. In its new "Raw Milk FAQs," Purdue Extension points out that "raw milk tends to be consumed more quickly on the farm and therefore provides less incubation time for bacteria." But commercial sales of raw milk—currently banned by law in Indiana—put a lot more time between the udder and the lips of consumers. More time is needed for processing, packaging, transportation and shelving raw milk to get it from the farm to urban consumers. And therein lies the increased risk.
Purdue University, which will pick up Indiana Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels as its new President in January, published "Raw Milk FAQs" in November, ahead of the Dec. 1 deadline for the Indiana Board of Animal Health's report to the Hoosier General Assembly and incoming Gov. Mike Pence. The General Assembly last year gave IBAH the job of studying raw milk to determine whether there's a way to reduce its risk should more consumers be allowed to drink it. Indiana is currently one of 20 states banning commercial sale of raw milk for human consumption. The IBAH ran an electronic public hearing over the summer months and found that many Hoosiers favor more access to raw milk. Currently only farm families can consume milk on the farm from their own cows. Pence, the incoming governor, plans to open an Office of Federalism, and some think he is more likely to sign a bill to legalize commercial raw milk sales than the outgoing Daniels was. During six terms representing eastern Indiana in the U.S. House of Representatives, Pence was allied with several "Tenth Amendment" causes involving the rights of states under the U.S. Constitution. Last summer Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act (FARRM) to eliminate the federal requirement for mandatory pasteurization of all milk and milk products. It has not come to a vote in either the Senate or the House. Most milk producers in the U.S. use a quick, high-temperature pasteurization process to kill most bacterial pathogens. Purdue Extension says milk is an excellent growth media for rapidly multiplying pathogens. As for whether the pasteurization process damages the milk, as raw milk advocates claim it does, Purdue Extension says the process does not degrade the health benefits of milk. "If milk is contaminated by beneficial bacteria, it may also be contaminated by harmful bacteria" says PUE. Raw Milk FAQs also addressed claims about claims of raw milk's health benefits often made by advocates. It says most are anecdotal and not backed by controlled studies. However, it did acknowledge the credibility of the European GABRIELA study, which found that farm children raised on raw milk had fewer cases of asthma and hay fever. That study concluded the protective effect of unpasteurized milk is likely associated with the whey protein fraction of raw milk. GABRIELA did not control for other factors that might affect development of allergies. On the side of those looking to prove that raw milk is risky, however, are statistics on U.S. outbreaks. Raw milk was involved in 60 percent of the dairy associated outbreaks from 1993 to 2006, resulting in 1,571 illnesses, 202 hospitalizations and two deaths. Purdue Extension says that if unpasteurized milk sales are loosened in Indiana, they should be restricted to on-farm transactions because of raw milk's extremely short shelf life. The Indiana State Department of Health continues to favor the existing ban on the commercial sale of raw milk for human consumption. © Food Safety NewsMore Headlines from Food Policy & Law |
CDC: Salmonella from Tahini Sickened 23 Last Year
Sesame paste can pose Salmonella risk, agency says
The article, published in CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report last week, marked the first time the government has told the public about the Salmonella Bovismorbificans outbreak, which lasted from August through November of 2011. Illnesses were largely concentrated in the Mid-Atlantic region, with eight in Washington, D.C., seven in Maryland, three in Virginia and one apiece in Delaware and New Jersey. Three cases were also reported outside this region – one in California, one in Michigan and one in New Hampshire. The hunt for the outbreak source was a long one, complicated by the fact that the vehicle turned out to be an ingredient mixed into a finished product. While health officials had located the outbreak strain of Salmonella in hummus made at a D.C.-area restaurant by mid-November, it would be another six months before imported tahini was named as the contaminated ingredient in the hummus. The Investigation The outbreak was identified September 27, 2011 when the District of Columbia Public Health Laboratory found that Salmonella isolated from three different patients had matching DNA fingerprints. They checked the DNA patterns they had found against PulseNet, the national pathogen subtyping database used for disease surveillance, and discovered that six other infections of this strain had been reported over the last 60 days. A total of 23 cases would eventually be linked to the outbreak. Interviews with 22 of the victims revealed that 20 had eaten in a restaurant in the D.C. metropolitan area in the week before getting sick. The focus was further narrowed when 14 out of 15 patients asked about restaurant type said they had eaten at a Mediterranean-style restaurant. Hummus was the most commonly reported food, eaten by 10 out of 15 patients interviewed about specific food types. When asked about restaurant names, 13 out of 15 patients had eaten at one of three Mediterranean-style restaurants, which CDC deemed Restaurant A, Restaurant B and Restaurant C for its report. All three restaurants turned out to have the same owner. Health officials then learned that food for all three locations was prepared at Restaurant A. Investigators from the D.C. Department of Health visited Restaurants A and B and collected 15 samples of finished product. The outbreak strain of S. Bovismorbificans was found in a sample of hummus from Restaurant A. This led health officials to ban distribution of hummus and all hummus ingredients from Restaurant A. "When the investigation team felt like we had sufficient evidence of a possible exposure associated with one of the three restaurants, we worked quickly to restrict the sale of the suspected food to customers by issuing an embargo," said Tiana Garrett, officer at CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service and part of the investigation team in an interview with Food Safety News. "We were really diligent in looking for illnesses with an onset date after that embargo, but we didn't find any," Garrett said. Health officials believed this was a sign that, by embargoing the hummus, they had likely curtailed the outbreak. Ingredients – A Tricky Outbreak Vehicle to Uncover But the question remained – what ingredient in the hummus was contaminated? "We always have to take into consideration if there are particular ingredients associated with preparation of foods that may need to be investigated as well," explained Garrett. "In this particular outbreak, when it was determined that the hummus was associated with foodborne illness, we knew that hummus was prepared with different ingredients, so we wanted to make sure that we looked at those individually." But samples collected from all ingredients used to make the hummus tested negative for Salmonella Bovismorbificans, meaning there would be no proof in the pudding. And it didn't look like patient interviews would provide any more answers. "Ingredients are considered a "stealthy" vehicle for foodborne illness, said Garrett. "Patients may not be aware they were exposed to a particular ingredient used to prepare a food item, and that makes it difficult to trace." Another thing to consider was that a contaminated ingredient that ended up in the hummus may have come into contact with other foods, sickening those patients who didn't report eating hummus. "It's also possible that other foods they had eaten may have been prepared in the same environment with the tahini and then somehow some tangential exposure may have happened there," said Garrett. "We wouldn't know about those instances if the patient wasn't able to report them." Though the outbreak was over, the investigation into its source remained unfinished as 2011 drew to a close. The missing link was found in May of the following year, when a traceback by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration revealed that the tahini used to make Restaurant A's hummus had recently been associated with multiple Salmonella outbreaks in Canada. All tahini linked to these outbreaks had been imported from the same company in Lebanon. FDA has now mandated that all tahini products coming from this foreign company be tested for Salmonella before entering the U.S. and has recommended that U.S. and Canadian officials partner to inspect the tahini manufacturing plant. Why Wasn't the Public Notified? While a foodborne illness outbreak in ongoing, it is common practice for CDC (in the case of a multistate outbreak) or state and local health departments to issue warnings to the public, naming the implicated food if a source is suspected and illnesses can still be prevented, or simply alerting people that there has been a spike in infections from a certain pathogen. However, a search of public health advisories issued by the D.C. Department of Health, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Virginia Department of Public Health from the time the outbreak was detected through when it ended reveals that no alerts about the outbreak were issued by the three health departments who reported multiple illnesses in their states. Garrett explained that the outbreak investigation team, which included state health officials and representatives from CDC, chose not to issue a public health advisory because no more illnesses occurred after hummus was identified and embargoed on November 18. "We didn't have any additional cases with onset dates that occured after the embargo," said Garrett. "As a group we collectively decided that it wasn't necessary to notify the public; however if we had found additional cases after the embargo we would've considered notifying the public." While the onset of the last illness recorded was actually on November 21, 3 days after the embargo was issued, it is possible this victim ate the contaminated hummus before the embargo was implemented. During its investigation of Restaurants A, B and C, the D.C. Department of Health also discovered multiple food safety violations at the establishments, including inadequate food temperature control, insufficient hand washing and the presence of pests and insects, reports CDC. Since these restaurants have not been named, Food Safety News could not access their inspection reports in D.C. Department of Health's inspections database. Public Health Lessons S. Bovidmorbificans is rarely seen in the United States, having been identified in only five other foodborne outbreaks in the country since 2001. This is the first time the strain has been implicated in a Tahini outbreak in the U.S. However, Garrett says, this outbreak highlights an important public health lesson: tahini, or sesame seed paste, is a known vehicle for foodborne bacteria. The substance is high in fats, and therefore provides an ideal home for bacteria, much as peanut butter does, explains the CDC report. "The main message that we wanted to convey in the article is how important it is for public health officials and consumers to be informed that products that are made with imported sesame pastes have been shown to be associated with Salmonella outbreaks and that they should be considered as possible sources for foodborne illness in the United States in the future." In fact, contaminated sesame seed paste was in the news less than 10 days before the CDC article was published after a supply of tahini was stolen from a California importer's warehouse, where it was being stored because a sample had tested positive for Salmonella. The tahini, which had been imported from Lebanon, was awaiting destruction. FDA warned the public that the stolen, potentially contaminated tahini may be on the market. Garrett says this tahini is not known to be linked to the product that caused last year's outbreak. "To the best of my knowledge, the tahini manufacturer mentioned in this article is not the same as the one that was implicated in our outbreak," said Garrett in an e-mailed statement to Food Safety News. © Food Safety NewsMore Headlines from Foodborne Illness Investigations |
CFIA Suspends Plant After Finding Listeria on Employee
| After finding Listeria monocytogenes on the sleeve of a meat plant employee, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency suspended the license of a meat processing company in Edmonton, Alberta last week, saying the company had "failed to correct deficiencies" previously pointed out by the agency. As a result of the positive Listeria test, Capital Packers Inc. is recalling certain ham and sausage products that may have been distributed across Canada because the products may be contaminated with the bacteria, though no products have tested positive, according to CFIA. The meats subject to the recall were produced on November 7, 2012. The agency said that as the food safety investigation progresses, additional products and additional production dates may be identified, which could lead to a recall expansion. "Capital Packers Inc. will not be able to resume operations until they have fully implemented the necessary corrective actions and the CFIA is fully confident in the plant's capacity to effectively manage food safety risks." CFIA said there have been no reported illnesses and that the company is voluntarily recalling the products in question out of caution. In 2008, a high-profile Listeria outbreak linked to deli meats from another Canadian company – Maple Leaf Foods – killed 22 people and sickened dozens of others. "Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled," CFIA reminded consumers in a press release. "Consumption of food contaminated with these bacteria may cause listeriosis, a foodborne illness. Listeriosis can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. Pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk. Infected pregnant women may experience only a mild, flu-like illness, however, infections during pregnancy can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth." © Food Safety NewsMore Headlines from Food Recalls |
Bakery Manager Department of Dining Services University of Connecticut
| Nov. 28, 2012 2:11pm Advertisement The Department of Dining Services as the University of Connecticut has an opening for a Bakery Manager. This position coordinates the operation and production of all bakery products and menus. Under the guidance of the Associate Director for Procurement, he/she creates menu rotation for service; develops and trains bakery staff and stays abreast of trends and dietary needs. This position meets the financial / budgetary expectations for the bakery operation. This is a working supervisory position that may be directly involved in the actual daily production. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following: Supervision: Food Quality and Safety Standards: Interpersonal: Administrative Functions: Minimum Qualifications: Preferred Qualifications Salary Range: Contact Details: Applications received by December 7, 2012 will be given priority. The University of Connecticut is an EEO/AA employer |
Bakery Manager Department of Dining Services University of Connecticut
| Nov. 28, 2012 2:11pm Advertisement The Department of Dining Services as the University of Connecticut has an opening for a Bakery Manager. This position coordinates the operation and production of all bakery products and menus. Under the guidance of the Associate Director for Procurement, he/she creates menu rotation for service; develops and trains bakery staff and stays abreast of trends and dietary needs. This position meets the financial / budgetary expectations for the bakery operation. This is a working supervisory position that may be directly involved in the actual daily production. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following: Supervision: Food Quality and Safety Standards: Interpersonal: Administrative Functions: Minimum Qualifications: Preferred Qualifications Salary Range: Contact Details: Applications received by December 7, 2012 will be given priority. The University of Connecticut is an EEO/AA employer |
Kendall’s Hedecker earns CMB designation
| Advertisement Heidi Hedeker, MA, MSW, baking and pastry instructor and assistant professor in the School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College, has been awarded master baker certification (CMB) from Retail Bakers of America (RBA). Hedeker's accomplishment makes her one of only 169 Certified Master Bakers in the United States and the second CMB teaching at Kendall College, joining instructor Melina Kelson-Podolsky. "Speaking on behalf of the administration at Kendall College and the entire faculty in the School of Culinary Arts, we could not be more proud of Chef Hedeker's latest achievement," Kendall dean Renee Zonka, RD, CEC, CHE, said in a press release. "Today, Kendall College is even further distinguished among professional foodservice-training programs nationwide thanks to Chef Hedeker's extreme talent and dedication to teaching her craft coupled with her extraordinary vision for helping others grow personally and professionally." Hedeker joined the faculty at Kendall College in 2004. With a master's degree in social work from the University of Chicago, she has represented Kendall as a volunteer working and teaching at Chicago Lights Urban Farm since 2009 and has served on the farm's advisory board since 2011. |
North Carolina Mom Sues County Fair After Son Part of E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak
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According to the North Carolina Department of Health, there were 106 reported illnesses and 1 death connected to the petting zoo and investigators believe animal exposure was the likely source of the bacteria, according to the complaint filed this week by food safety law firm Marler Clark (underwriter of Food Safety News). The suit also points to rain runoff that could have helped spread the bacteria to other areas of the fair grounds, exacerbating the outbreak. Dominic's infection developed into Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), which causes severe injury to the kidney. He was hospitalized for several days and the suit says he is still "suffering from the aftereffects of his illness." The complaint says the plaintiffs are seeking at least $10,000 in damages. In a blog post last week, food safety lawyer Bill Marler (publisher of Food Safety News) noted that the firm is doing the case pro bono and is asking the local attorneys on the case to do the same. In the wake of dozens of serious outbreaks linked to petting zoos, Marler believes fairs and petting zoos need to step up their health precautions, or even consider banning petting zoos. "How many of these outbreaks have to happen until WE rethink what WE are exposing our kids to?" he asked on Marler Blog last week. © Food Safety NewsMore Headlines from Lawsuits & Litigation |
11.27.2012
60-Year-Old Birko Corp. Grows in Its Importance to Food Safety
| Many involved in the beef, beer or fresh produce industry equate the concept of food safety directly to the Birko Corp. It's a good call for them, and as it turns out it's a good story for the rest of us. Started in a Utah garage 60 years ago, Birko is the rare family-owned company that has managed to transfer ownership down to the third generation, largely through the wisdom of a grandmother who mentored a granddaughter for future leadership.
The granddaughter, 36-year old Kelly Green, is Chairman of the Board and VP for new business development. Birko has been a woman-owned business since 1978, and today Kelly Green is that woman. She spends a lot of time working on the safety of the food chain and on protein's role in fighting world hunger.
In July of 2011, Green was one of two women on the National Meat Association's Board of Directors when it merged with the North American Meat Processors Association to become the North American Meat Association (NAMA). Barry Carpenter, NAMA's chief executive officer, speaking at Birko's recent 60th anniversary celebration at the Denver Aquarium said Birko has been "THE leader" in food safety intervention technology for the past 60 years. Started by Florence Smith Powers and her husband Ward in an Ogden, Utah garage in 1953, Birko's first products were alkaline cleaners and tripe wash used in federally inspected meat plants. "In 2001," Carpenter said, "the year Florence retired from her position as CEO and Chair, National Meat Association presented Birko with its Supplier of the Century award. A very surprised Florence graciously accepted." "In making this selection, NMA looked for a supplier that had durability and had served our industry with excellence over the years, Birko was that company," Carpenter said. "Florence was an astute businesswoman who knew how to make things work and knew how to make things happen." Carpenter said Florence "broke the mold" in the 1980s at a time when "this was a male dominated industry." He said she mentored her granddaughter, Kelly, and "showed her the ropes of this industry." "Birko has always been helpful to the industry as a supplier and in sharing food safety knowledge," said Carpenter, himself a former USDA official. Carpenter said the Birko purchase of Chad has allowed it to analyze the chemicals meat and poultry processors are using for processing, sanitation and further processing to make the best equipment choices. The expanded Birko is also able to fully integrate food safety solutions to help processors meet Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) and SSOP standards, providing employee training in proper sanitation practices and chemical safety procedures. "It allows Birko to recommend specific interventions and methods that can help plants optimize their food safety processes while mitigating the growth and spread of foodborne pathogens during production and packaging," Carpenter added. Currently listed as the 60th largest privately held company in Colorado by ColoradoBiz magazine, Carpenter said Birko is known for its several laboratory facilities, including Class 2 pathogen labs, and its work the outside universities on studies to develop applications that can help food plants meet food safety requirements. It's best-known antimicrobial processing aids are known as Beefxide ™ and Porkxide™ . "The data through this research showed that both are effective as antimicrobial interventions for reducing microbial numbers on intact beef and pork carcasses," said Carpenter. He credits Birko with the meat industry's success in pathogen reduction, and processors increasing their focus on food safety. Carpenter challenged Birko to continue its "creativity, dedication, and hard work" because science is improving its ability to monitor and track foodborne illnesses and there will be a continued need to assure export markets of food safety. © Food Safety NewsMore Headlines from Food Safety Leaders |
Advocates Praise FDA’s Sunland Suspension, Urge Action on FSMA
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At the same time, the FDA and the Obama Administration received criticism from those same sources for delays in finalizing languishing portions of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) since its passing almost two years ago. On Tuesday, politicians and consumer interest groups including Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Pew Charitable Trust's Food Safety Campaign Director Sandra Eskin and the Center for Science in the Public Interest expressed their approval of FDA for using its suspension authority for the first time since the passing of FSMA in January 2011. "Congress gave the FDA this authority in the Food Safety Modernization Act so it could protect the public from unsafe food being produced in facilities like this and I am pleased to see them act," DeLauro wrote in a statement. "Americans should be able to buy a jar of peanut butter – or anything else – without worrying that it will sicken them or their children." With its FDA registration suspended, Sunland will not be allowed to sell its products anywhere in the U.S., including in its home state of New Mexico. Speaking with Food Safety News, Eskin also praised FDA's move, but added that preventative rules in FSMA that are stuck awaiting implementation could have allowed the FDA to suspend Sunland before any illnesses occurred. "This is reactive. More than 40 people have gotten sick from eating a contaminated product," Eskin said. "In light of that the FDA has shut them down, and that's really really good, but it would be excellent if we could have shut them down based on prevention-based food safety measures." Before FSMA, the FDA required a court order to stop companies from selling food, Eskin said. Acquiring one took time, making it a largely ineffective approach to preventing outbreaks. Having halted its own operations after expanding its voluntary recall in early October, the company planned to restart shelling peanuts on November 26 — a plan it outlined in a letter to the FDA on November 20. The FDA issued the suspension on the 26th, a move that Sunland called unexpected and disappointing in a statement on its website Tuesday. "During the last two months Sunland has been working with experts as well as with FDA, analyzing data, and developing and implementing proposed corrective actions in order to be in a position to reopen first the shelling plant and then the peanut butter plant. These plans were submitted to FDA in our response to the inspection observations," the statement read. "Sunland expected that any agency concerns with its plans would be part of the ongoing dialogue with the agency," the statement continued. The company added that it was continuing to work with the FDA to accomplish whatever necessary to safely begin operations in its peanut mill as soon as possible. © Food Safety NewsMore Headlines from Food Policy & Law |
Chemical Stunts Growth of Bacteria-Carrying Flies
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Scientists at USDA's Agricultural Research Service have found that pyriproxyfen – a pesticide that's been shown to stunt mosquito growth – has the same effect on fly larvae, preventing them from maturing to adulthood. House flies are known to be carriers of foodborne pathogens such as E. coli and Salmonella, which are transmitted via animal fecal matter, where many flies breed. "Pyriproxyfen mimics a hormone in the larval fly," Chris Geden, an entomologist at ARS, explained to Agricultural Research Magazine. "When it's applied in sufficient quantities to larval breeding sites such as manure, insects become stuck in the immature stages and they never become adults." The research team also discovered that they could target larvae by administering the pesticide to adult flies, who then pass it on to immature flies, preventing their growth. Even small amounts of pyripoxyfen were effective in stunting larvae growth when applied to egg-carrynig females, according to Geden. "We found the material extremely effective at low dosages for house flies and that flies are capable of carrying enough back to their breeding sites to prevent the maturation of immature flies," Geden told Agricultural Research Magazine. "We're now working with new formulations of higher potency to improve this system." Scientists administered a dust containing pyripoxyfen to these flies, who then laid eggs that died in their pupal phase, he said. This method of applying the pesticide would mean it could be targeted towards egg-carrying adults rather than being used more widely anywhere a fly might lay eggs. © Food Safety NewsMore Headlines from Government Agencies |
For Turkeys Pardoned by President, Retirement is Short-Lived
Health advocates use Thanksgiving to renew criticisms of HIMP
"From here, these two lucky birds will be swept up in a whirlwind of fame and fortune that will ultimately lead them to Mount Vernon, where they will spend their twilight years in the historic home of George Washington," said Obama at the ceremony. "And later today, Michelle, Malia, Sasha and I will be taking two turkeys who were not so lucky to a local food bank here in Washington, D.C." But the turkeys on the Thanksgiving table may have been the lucky ones. Mount Vernon is a beautiful place, but at a whopping 40 pounds, 19-week-old Cobbler will have a tough time staying healthy, even with the excellent veterinary care the estate provides. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average weight of turkeys headed to slaughter increased 57 percent from 1965 to 2005, from 18 to 28.2 pounds. Gobbler, known as the "vice turkey" by Mount Vernon staff, weighs 43 pounds. "These birds are very large and are not meant to live very long, so keeping them healthy beyond the limitations of their bodies can be tricky," said Lisa Pregent, the livestock manager for Mount Vernon Estate, Museum & Gardens. "Everyday these birds are checked over by Livestock staff members to make sure they are eating, drinking, and walking normally. Their breathing is assessed at this time to check for any respiratory infections. At the first sign of illness, we consult with our veterinarian to decide the course of treatment." In fact, Peace, the understudy to the bird Obama granted clemency in 2011 had to be euthanized last week, just days before the two new birds were pardoned. "We are not 100% sure what was wrong with him, but it looked like a neurological problem," said Pregent. Peace was buried on the property after being humanely euthanized. Liberty, on the other hand, the top turkey from last year, is still doing "very well." Liberty is actually the only turkey that has lived to see the following Thanksgiving since pardoned turkeys started going to Mount Vernon in 2010. Before Liberty and Peace there were Apple and Cider. Both birds had to be euthanized after their health failed within a few months of arriving in Virginia. They developed respiratory infections and an outside veterinarian was called to administer antibiotics. When cold weather hit they started having "foot issues," which lab tests later determined were caused by septic joints, according to Pregent. "I think with the weight of the birds, their joints just started to fail," Pregent told Food Safety News last year. Apple was 45 pounds. HIMP Politics As Obama pardoned Cobbler and Gobbler from imminent death, many health advocates used the event to voice concern about the turkeys who don't escape slaughter getting a different kind of free pass – making it through inspection lines despite being contaminated. Their complaint was against a new government plan that will turn most of the responsibility of poultry inspection over from government inspectors to companies. The HACCP Based Inspection Models Project (HIMP) was proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service in January of this year after a 15 year trial period in 25 plants. The two pardoned turkeys would likely have been processed at one of these HIMP pilot plants, according to Tony Corbo, senior lobbyist for the food campaign at Food & Water Watch, a consumer advocacy group. Last month, Food & Water Watch joined a coalition of scientists, consumers, public interest groups and health professionals called the Coalition for Sensible Safeguards in writing a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack asking that the agency withdraw its proposal. The Coalition echoed the concerns of other consumer advocates and former poultry workers who have previously said that HIMP, which allows for increased line speeds and prohibits government inspectors from looking inside birds, will allow for more contaminated carcasses leaving poultry plants. "The conveyor belts in plants would be sped up, meaning the inspectors who remain would have less time to examine each turkey carcass for tumors, pus, sores, feces, and other defects—something to think about as you plan for Thanksgiving dinner," said CSS in a press release the day before Thanksgiving. The program would reduce the number of USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service inspectors on duty and largely turn over physical inspections to company employees, while allowing plants to speed up their lines to 175 birds per minute, over the current 140 bpm limit. FSIS says expanding HIMP would modernize an outdated inspection system, focus federal inspectors on food safety issues instead of defects, and save taxpayers around $90 million over three years — all while and preventing 5,200 foodborne illnesses annually. The USDA also estimates that allowing an increase in line speeds would save the poultry industry $250 million annually. The National Turkey Federation, along with the National Chicken Council, are strongly supportive of HIMP. In their comments to the agency, NTF said called the inspection scheme "the logical next step in modernization of the nation's food safety system. "The proposed rule is a modern, sensible approach that will allow the food safety inspectors to focus on public health," NTF President Joel Brandenberger said. "The proposed rule will lead to a revamped inspection system that allows the federal inspectors to shift to prevention-oriented inspection systems and redeploy its resources in a manner that better protects the public from foodborne diseases." For more on the debate over HIMP see Controversy Continues as Comment Period Closes for HIMP Gretchen Goetz contributed to this report. Pictured: Apple in the Rose Garden in 2010. Photo by Helena Bottemiller © Food Safety NewsMore Headlines from Food Politics |
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