Logan Douglas was temporarily blinded and paralyzed as the botulism he contracted at 16-weeks-old ravaged his body.

Six months after his parents, Theresa Fitzpatrick and Alex Douglas, were faced with the decision of whether to turn off his life support as baffled medics feared the worst, Logan is doing great (right, photo from The Sun).

When a limp and ill Logan was first taken to physicians, he was admitted to hospital and, after a battery of tests, a Glasgow-based doctor ordered a test for infantile botulism for Logan.

Devastated Theresa has revealed she still blamed herself after feeding her baby honey.
She wasn't aware that the food wasn't suitable for children so young - and unwittingly placed his health in danger.

There are too many cases like Logan. So the U.S. National Honey Board (NHB) is announcing a new partnership with the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP). Together, the organizations will develop a honey education program, based on recent research findings that uncovered widespread confusion surrounding the age when honey can be introduced to young children. Focused on health professionals who deal directly with parents of young children, education efforts will dispel honey misconceptions, explain the benefits of honey and remind parents that honey can be given to children older than one year of age.

“It’s widely known that honey shouldn’t be fed to infants, but most people don’t know why or at what age it can be introduced,” said Cheri Barber, DNP, RN, CRNP, President of NAPNAP. “The truth is that honey can be introduced to a child at one year of age. It’s important that health care professionals and families with young children understand the facts about honey.” Barber added that honey has been used for centuries to help soothe coughs, and with the recommended removal of over-the-counter cough medicines containing dextromethorphan (DM), parents are turning to effective natural remedies like honey.

Because infants’ gastrointestinal systems are immature and thus susceptible to contracting infant botulism if spores are present, the Centers for Disease Control, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the California Department of Public Health and other health associations recommend that certain foods not be fed to infants under one year of age, including honey. After 12 months of age, honey may be introduced to a child’s diet. Botulinum spores occur in nature, but honey is one of the potential dietary sources for infant botulism.

The Beaver County Times reports that a local dairy has voluntarily suspended its milk production while health officials investigate what caused five individuals to become sick after drinking glass-bottled milk from the business.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health and Agriculture and the Allegheny County Health Department are advising the public not to consume glass-bottled pasteurized milk produced by Brunton Dairy in Aliquippa.

State health officials said three young children and two older adults developed diarrhea and other symptoms caused by a bacteria called Yersinia enterocolitica after drinking pasteurized milk in glass bottles from the dairy.

Herb Brunton, a partner in the family business, said the dairy is cooperating with the health department during the investigation.
 

The Anchorage Daily News reports that an outbreak of a serious gastrointestinal illness connected to consumption of raw milk from an Alaska dairy is ongoing, with seven confirmed cases and 11 more that are suspected, state health officials said in a bulletin published Thursday.

The outbreak connected to unpasteurized milk began in May and has continued into July, the report said.

The same rare strain of the Campylobacter pathogen was found in all seven cases confirmed in laboratory tests. And it also was confirmed in manure samples from the unnamed Mat-Su farm.

The lab report, combined with the fact everyone who got sick drank raw milk from the same dairy, "affirms the conclusion that this outbreak is due to consumption of Farm A raw dairy products," the state bulletin said.

But tests didn't find the pathogen in milk from the farm's bulk tanks.

That's not surprising, said state epidemiologist Joe McLaughlin. Campylobacter jejuni "is notoriously difficult to culture from environmental specimens other than raw stool," Thursday's epidemiology bulletin said.

Eater reports that 60-year-old East Austin barbecue legend Sam's BBQ, Willie's Bar-B-Que and La Morenita all had their business licenses revoked as a result of Operation Meat Locker. Austin police had been working with HEB for the past three months to bust meat thieves — it's a "growing crime" in Central Texas.

Apparently thieves shove meat down their pants to sneak it out of grocery stores and "walk long distances or ride the bus" in order to sell it to restaurants.

Shockingly, investigators discovered "food safety was not a priority."

Officers posing as meat thieves approached 25 restaurants with the stolen meat, and only the three listed above went for it. Five arrests have been made. The restaurants can apply to have their permits reinstated but must remain closed until that happens.
 

Milord et al write in the current issue of Epidemiology and Infection about an outbreak of Cyclospora cayetanensis amongst 250 patrons who ate at a Quebec restaurant in June 2005.

Cyclospora sp. was observed in the stools of 20 cases and 122 probable cases were identified.

Contaminated fresh basil originating from a Mexican farm, used to prepare an uncooked appetizer, was identified as the source.

 

After the first year of public displays of letter grades, 69 percent of New York City’s 24,000 restaurants had been issued an A, 15 percent a B and 4 percent a C; 12 percent had “grade pending” designations.

Susan Craig, a health-department spokeswoman told the New York Times the health department made 73,749 inspections with a corps of between 115 and 140 inspectors. Ms. Craig added that 39,000 restaurant supervisors had been trained in the department’s food-protection courses, 10,000 more than in the previous year. And the department’s Web site, redesigned to make the tracking of letter-grade scores possible, attracted 74,000 cumulative page views from June 2010 to June 2011, experiencing a seven-fold increase in page views over the previous year.

“We think this has been a great way for food establishments to make their customers know that food safety is important to them,” Ms. Craig said. “and that their patrons’ health is important to them as well.’’

The Wall Street Journal notes what food safety types have maintained for years: fast-food restaurants are among the city’s most sanitary places to eat.

In the past year, only 384 establishments citywide achieved a perfect score, meaning they avoided notching a single food safety violation during unannounced inspections by the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Chain restaurants dominated the list of 384 city restaurants that received zero points, including 21 Subways, 16 Starbucks and 10 McDonald's.

"We pride ourselves on being proactive and for keeping food safety a top priority," emailed Steve Kerley, a McDonald's vice president.

"There's a myriad of things that have to be looked at," said Chris Beischer, the chef at Mercer Kitchen, which earned a perfect score on its most recent inspection. "We worked very, very hard and I actually learned quite a bit along the way about how to make my food safer."

Perfect scores go almost unnoticed publicly, though. Restaurants can rack up as many as 13 points and still earn an A grade, which diners see posted near the entrance. Establishments proudly displaying an A might still house rats or roaches (5 to 7 points), employ workers whose clothes are contaminated (5 to 7 points) or use banned chemicals (2 to 4 points), according to the Health Department.

According to an analysis of the Department of Health’s data by Metro, 73 percent of Staten Island’s graded restaurants earned an “A” — higher than the citywide average of 69 percent.

"There's a game being played behind the letters," Jason Stevens, the owner of reBar in DUMBO, said. "I've never bribed an inspector — which is obvious, because I've never gotten an 'A.'"

One city councilman wants food carts to start brandishing the conspicuous “A,” “B” and “C” grades.

City Councilman Daniel Garodnick has introduced legislation mandating food carts be subject to letter grading. The Department of Health found 2,517 violations so far this year on food carts, ranging from food being kept at the wrong temperature, a lack of hand washing by vendors to even live vermin.

“There should be no ambiguity as to whether the food you’re eating is safe and clean and free of vermin and other problems,” said Garodnick.

For those wondering about the whys of restaurant inspection disclosure, start with this review:

Filion, K. and Powell, D.A. 2009. The use of restaurant inspection disclosure systems as a means of communicating food safety information. Journal of Foodservice 20: 287-297.

Abstract
The World Health Organization estimates that up to 30% of individuals in developed countries become ill from food or water each year. Up to 70% of these illnesses are estimated to be linked to food prepared at foodservice establishments. Consumer confidence in the safety of food prepared in restaurants is fragile, varying significantly from year to year, with many consumers attributing foodborne illness to foodservice. One of the key drivers of restaurant choice is consumer perception of the hygiene of a restaurant. Restaurant hygiene information is something consumers desire, and when available, may use to make dining decisions.
 

Outbreak News reports at least 125 people, including 52 children have been stricken with what is possibly norovirus gastroenteritis at a holiday resort in the Haute-Savoie region in the Alps.

The Prefecture said in a statement, “11 children have been hospitalized, but their condition is not a cause for concern. In addition, it was noted that symptoms were mainly gastrointestinal: abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea and diarrhea.

The holiday resort was not closed where 110 young children are staying for one month. The virus spread rapidly person-to-person indoors as they were confined inside due to inclement weather.

The origin of the outbreak is being investigated where the Prefecture says initially it appears to be person-to-person spread and not food contamination.

"There is currently no scientific evidence to suggest that bagged salad is any more or less risky then a whole head of lettuce." Cutting any fresh produce creates a risk of bacterial growth.

So says a spokeswoman for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in a Wall Street Journal feature about reviving the prepared salad category; the food safety nuggets are left to the end.

Scientists don't agree on whether bagged salad has a higher risk of illness than a head of lettuce. Some scientists say it does, because of the possibility that contaminated leaves will spread bacteria to thousands of other leaves during washing and packaging.

For prewashed packaged salads, a second wash at home isn't recommended for preventing foodborne illness. Addressing the question in 2007, a scientific panel of food-safety experts found the risk of cross-contamination with other foods outweighed any possible benefit from washing packaged salad greens a second time at home.

When washing at home, "there's a risk that is the sink where you just washed your chicken," says Donald Schaffner, Rutgers University professor of food science.

A table of leafy green related outbreak is available at http://bites.ksu.edu/Outbreaks%20related%20to%20leafy%20greens%201993-2010

Restaurant inspection may only be a snapshot in time, and the grading or disclosure systems may have bureaucratic rules and seem unfair, but disclosure helps build a food safety culture, for the buying public and the back kitchen.

Lisa Fickenscher of Crain’s New York reports Waldy Malouf, the chef-owner of Beacon, has been asked by several concerned patrons about the “Grade Pending” sign posted in the restaurant's entryway. One customer wanted a detailed explanation before she would book a party at the well-regarded midtown spot.

With the city reaching the one-year anniversary of the letter grading system, on July 28, New Yorkers have come to rely on the prominently displayed signs. And many say the grades influence their decision whether to dine at an establishment.

This week, Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley will mark the system's first year by releasing results of the program. And if the agency's previous findings are an indication, the majority of New York's 24,000-plus restaurants will have earned an A.

The grades are “something the public wants,” said Anthony Dell' Orto, owner of Manganaro's Hero Boy. “You'd be antagonizing your own customers” to oppose the system, said Mr. Dell'Orto, whose Hell's Kitchen eatery received an A.

The city has hailed the grades as a success by several measures. Officials point out that though just 27% of restaurants earned an A on the first inspection, in a second round for those with lower grades, a majority had improved enough to earn an A.

“We are more vigilant and diligent,” said Andrew Schnipper, co-owner of Schnipper's Quality Kitchen, a cafeteria-style American food joint in Times Square that was recently awarded a top grade.

To gain his stripes, Mr. Schnipper ramped up efforts to keep his place immaculate and in compliance with the health code. That meant a checklist with items ranging from ensuring that refrigerators are equipped with thermometers to checking that bathrooms always have soap and paper towels.

Though forced to abide by the rules, most owners view the system as unfair. They argue that it is a cash cow for a revenue-starved city—in addition to a flawed snapshot of their businesses. Even operators who boast an A are skeptical about the grades' effectiveness as an appropriate measure.

The Hawaii Tribune Herald reports big changes are coming to the way the state Department of Health inspects and evaluates food establishments. Soon, the public will know at a glance how a restaurant, school cafeteria or other food service establishment fared in its most recent inspection.

The grading system will be green, yellow and red cards – similar to the program used in Toronto -- prominently posted in public view in the eating establishment.

The cards will be paired with an online restaurant inspection reporting system that will allow the public to see the inspection reports simply by selecting the name of a restaurant.

The Department of Health is formulating new rules and will hold public hearings on all the islands before they are adopted. The inspection system overhaul includes an update to the FDA's 2009 food safety standards. Many governments are using the 2001 and 2005 food codes; Hawaii is using the 1991 code, Oshiro said.

If all goes as planned, the new system could be in place on Oahu by the beginning of next year, and on the Neighbor Islands by next spring.

The importance of restaurant inspections can't be underestimated, said Douglas Powell, professor of food safety in the Kansas State University Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology and one of the authors of barfblog.com, a blog about food safety.

"Public disclosure of inspection information helps foster a culture of food safety by encouraging dialogue about food safety concerns among both consumers, various levels of government and the food service industry," he said.