Health types are investigating a cluster of seven E. coli cases in Livingston County, New York, up near Buffalo.

No deaths were reported, although four people were hospitalized. Two have since been discharged, according to health director Joan Ellison.

“We are gathering information and looking at all possibilities of the source,” Ellison said. “We have nothing concrete to say it’s ‘this’ or ‘that.’ ”

Stool samples were sent to the state Department of Health lab in Albany to determine the exact strain of E. coli.

I’m still learning to speak Australian, so I’m not sure what the registered clubs lobby is, although I’m guessing it’s not something out of The Flintstones. Maybe it’s like the volunteer firefighters in Bedrock (everything’s made of stone).

The Canberra Times reports the registered clubs lobby has softened its opposition to a mandatory food safety ''scores on doors'' scheme for food outlets and called for a voluntary trial of the scheme.

The ACT government and the Greens have both promised to introduce government scores on doors, or star ratings scheme after the October 20 territory election.

Under the scheme, restaurants would have to prominently display government-issued hygiene ratings.

ClubsACT chief executive Jeff House yesterday contacted the government and suggested that as a compromise a six month trial be conducted of the hygiene-rating system.

''It's much better as a matter of principle to trial something before you implement it, particularly when it hasn't been done here before,'' Mr House said.

Mr. House and others in Canberra, here’s some background.

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.


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.

Filion, K. and Powell, D.A. 2011. Designing a national restaurant inspection disclosure system for New Zealand
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Journal of Food Protection 74(11): 1869-1874
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iafp/jfp/2011/00000074/00000011/art00010



The World Health Organization estimates that up to 30% of individuals in developed countries become ill from contaminated food or water each year, and up to 70% of these illnesses are estimated to be linked to food service facilities. The aim of restaurant inspections is to reduce foodborne outbreaks and enhance consumer confidence in food service. Inspection disclosure systems have been developed as tools for consumers and incentives for food service operators. Disclosure systems are common in developed countries but are inconsistently used, possibly because previous research has not determined the best format for disclosing inspection results. This study was conducted to develop a consistent, compelling, and trusted inspection disclosure system for New Zealand. Existing international and national disclosure systems were evaluated. Two cards, a letter grade (A, B, C, or F) and a gauge (speedometer style), were designed to represent a restaurant's inspection result and were provided to 371 premises in six districts for 3 months. Operators (n = 269) and consumers (n = 991) were interviewed to determine which card design best communicated inspection results. Less than half of the consumers noticed cards before entering the premises; these data indicated that the letter attracted more initial attention (78%) than the gauge (45%). Fifty-eight percent (38) of the operators with the gauge preferred the letter; and 79% (47) of the operators with letter preferred the letter. Eighty-eight percent (133) of the consumers in gauge districts preferred the letter, and 72% (161) of those in letter districts preferring the letter. Based on these data, the letter method was recommended for a national disclosure system for New Zealand.

Federal prisoners in Texas unknowingly ate pet food due to problems with the resale of meat from an East Texas food company that specializes in fajita meat, according to federal authorities.

The Dallas Morning News reports John Soules Foods, Inc. of Tyler has agreed to pay $392,000 to settle a case brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

It involved raw “beef trimmings” that were intended for pet food cans but ended up being eaten by humans.

The government’s three-year investigation found that the problems occurred in late 2006 and early 2007.

John Soules Foods had problems “getting some of their beef trimmings product to freeze properly,” authorities said.

As a result, the company sold some boxes of those trimmings to a meat broker who agreed to sell it as pet food, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The boxes were not marked as pet food.

That broker violated the agreement and sold the trimmings to another broker for human food. Some of it ended up being sold to the Federal Bureau of Prisons for human consumption.

I love cantaloupe. It's probably my favorite fruit. We buy one every couple of weeks, wash the outside with a scrub brush, cut it up and keep it in the fridge (which I have set for 40F) for about 3 days (since Listeria grows, although slowly, at refrigeration temperatures, I started paying attention to how long we kept it after the 2011 Jensen Farms-linked outbreak).

On Friday, CDC announced the investigation into a cluster of salmonellosis illnesses tied to  Southern Indiana-grown cantaloupes.  Attached to that announcement was a list of consumer recommendations:

Consumers who recently purchased cantaloupes grown in southwestern Indiana are advised not to eat them and discard any remaining cantaloupe.

Based on the available information, consumers can continue to purchase and eat cantaloupes that did not originate in southwestern Indiana.

Many cantaloupes have the growing area identified with a sticker on the fruit. If no sticker is present, consumers should inquire about the source. When in doubt, throw it out.

Consumers who are buying or have recently bought cantaloupe should ask their retailer if the cantaloupe was grown in southwestern Indiana.

Yesterday, I was just a regular taking-my-kids-shopping patron of a grocery store. One that wanted some cantaloupe. I decided to do a bit of reality research (n=1) and follow the consumer recommendations from the perspective of a non-food safety nerd. I checked the sticker on one of the cantaloupes in the bin and it said:
"S&S Stamoules Produce, Product of USA" (right, exactly as shown).

Nothing about the region or anything. I tried to google the producer's name to see where they were located - but I didn't have cell coverage.I asked the kid stocking the produce section. He said he didn't know.

So I left empty-handed.

I didn't bother enquiring about the cantaloupe we purchased two weeks ago.

When I got home I went back to trusty Google and found that Stamoules Produce is located in California's San Joaquin Valley (and has a food safety section on their website where they focus exclusively on pesticides - no mention of good ag practices or whether they clean and sanitize their production line). I'll have to remember that next time.