I met this girl.
That's what I wrote a year ago today.
But I would have left Guelph anyway.

The International Food Safety Network at Kansas State is flourishing and is now exclusively online at www.foodsafety.ksu.edu. We're an integral part of Kansas State University's ambitions in the area of food safety and security, barfblog is being relaunched today with groovy new software courtesy of Seattle-attorney and all-around nice guy, Bill Marler, and we have poop shirts.  And a whole bunch of other ideas.

Most important to you, the reader, news has gone out every day. We have several new and enthusiastic students at K-State, Brae Surgeoner, who completed her MSc with me, has joined Kansas State as my full-time research assistant, PhD student Ben Chapman is carving out his affiliated but unique identity, and there are several others out there in the ether, comprising our virtual laboratory.

We at the International Food Safety Network seek to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness. We passionately believe in developing and evaluating the use of new messages and media to compel individuals from farm-to-fork to practice safe food behaviors and help create a culture that values microbiologically safe food.

Special thanks to K-State pres Jon Wefald and veterinary college dean Ralph Richardson, who along with Kansas State University as a whole, have made significant investments to establish a top-notch food safety and security team with which I, along with the others at the International Food Safety Network, are privileged to be associated.

Oh, and I met this girl. And we got married.

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In Toronto, street meat (street vended hot dogs, sausages, brats) is all that's available to eat right now.  There has been some coverage in the Globe and Mail, and more recently the Toronto Star on this issue.

I'm all for a review of current street-vending regulations in Toronto and increasing the diversity of food available to Raptor fans, Bay Street execs and visitors looking for a quick and trendy meal.  Celeb-chef Suser Lee's suggestion that Toronto could create an international reputation for street vendor meals and be analogous to Paris' connection to exquisite perfume, is as simplified as the street meat he wishes to supplant.  While a clever marketing strategy, the risks associated with more intricate street fare beyond those in pre-cooked sausages could make Toronto the diarrhea capital of the world instead of a destination full of creative and tasty street treats. Complicated foods comes with complicated preparation and handling steps. Multiple raw ingredients need to be kept at the right temperature, operators have to avoid cross-contamination and, keep bacteria and viruses off of their hands; just like what is required in restaurants.  Already, Canadians suffer from 13 million cases of  foodborne illness each year. Proper facilities and hygiene tools are required, but more important, the operator (whether at a cart on Front St., or in a restaurant in the Beaches) must know and care about the risks associated with the products sold.  Controlling food safety risks on the street requires awareness of these increased hazards -- something sorely missing from the shiny, happy coverage to date -- and increased vigilance in managing them.

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May not be foodborne, but this probably will not increase the profile of Egypt's tourism; this would be a horrible flight to be on.

Greece: diarrhea outbreak on charter flight
10.apr.07
Pravda
http://english.pravda.ru/news/world/10-04-2007/89446-diarrhea-0
An Easter holiday became a disaster for 60 Greek tourists flying home from Egypt. They were affected by a mass diarrhea outbreak on a charter plane, the officials said Tuesday.
Three women were briefly hospitalized with high temperatures after the Egypt Air flight landed at Thessaloniki airport early Tuesday, officials said. They were discharged soon afterward.
The plane was carrying 120 Greek holidaymakers returning from Cairo to Thessaloniki.
Doctors said the outbreak was due to food-poisoning, from a meal consumed before the sufferers boarded the plane.

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