Myanmar Village Scenes

The first village that we visited in Bagan was on the "tourist trail". In fact, we encountered two groups of tourists arriving at this village as we were leaving. Villagers make at least part of their income demonstrating local crafts.

This young woman makes cheroots and demonstrates their use. Notice the deft use of the ashtray.

Villagers dry fruit such as these small plums in the sun, and sell them in the local market.

Peanuts and sesame seeds are also sun-dried, and then pressed to extract cooking oil. The oil press is turned using a "one-ox-power" engine, which was happy to pose for this picture.

The day we visited, peanut oil was on the production schedule.

The oil drizzles out of the bottom of the press and collects in the small container just beside the mill operator's left foot. The peanut meal that remains after grinding is fed to the chickens and oxen.

Peanut oil wasn't the only liquid being produced while we watched. The ox took advantage of a break in the action to engage in some production of its own.

The second village we visited in the area didn't have an oil press, but it boasted both a primary school and a general store. The family that owns the general store is considered "middle class" by Bagan standards, and is the wealthiest family in the village.

We met the proprietor and his wife.

The shelves were well-stocked with a wide variety of packaged foods and other goods.

This was a full-service store. It even had a paint department.

In Myanmar, tourists are not usually permitted to visit the schools. But the day we stopped by this village was a "festival" day and school wasn't in session. We were able to tour the school house, which is divided into five open classrooms. There is just one teacher, and she is responsible for the entire student body (grades one through five).

This is one of the classrooms.

The Myanmar government provides the school building and pays the teacher's (small) salary. It's up to the villagers to pay for school supplies and to find the money to maintain the building. When we visited, the village was gradually accumulating a supply of bricks to repair and enlarge the school.

Discover Cuisine - Strike Three

USDA has alerted consumers to a third recall involving Discover Cuisine "Red Curry Chicken & Jasmine Rice". This time, Inovata Foods of Edmonton, Alberta has issued the recall notice, which covers 3,780 pounds of entrées.

The entrées were exported to the US by Inovata Foods and distributed nationwide. Please check the USDA recall notice for details.

The recalled product carries a risk of Listeria monocytogenes contamination. If you have purchased Discover Cuisine's "Red Curry Chicken & Jasmine Rice", please check the "Best By" date on the package. If it reads "12 18 08", return the package to the store for a refund.

Caribbean Holiday Leaves Bad Taste

According to an Associated Press report published this morning on Canoe.ca, an Air Transat flight from the Dominican Republic destined for Edmonton was forced to make an emergency landing in Fort Lauderdale, FL at 11:00 pm yesterday (Tuesday), after eight passengers complained of sickness.

The flight was quarantined as a precaution while passengers were interviewed by the CDC. The eight ill passengers – six adults and two children – were traveling as a group and had all eaten at the same place yesterday afternoon. The ill passengers were taken to hospital and the flight continued to its destination after a delay of several hours.

The news report makes no mention of the symptoms, but the relatively short incubation period suggests the possibility of Staphylococcus aureus food poisoning, which is caused by a toxin that is produced by many strains of this bacteria when it multiplies. Symptoms – typically nausea and vomiting – usually develop within a few hours of eating a contaminated meal, and last for about 24 hours. Symptoms disappear spontaneously, once the toxin has been eliminated from the body, but dehydration can be a problem in severe cases, for young children, or the elderly.

Aunt Jemima Pancake Mixes Recalled

FDA has alerted customers today to an announcement by Quaker Oats that it is recalling a "limited number" of Aunt Jemima pancake and waffle mixes, due to the risk of them being contaminated with Salmonella. Details of the recall – package sizes, batch numbers and pancake mix varieties – are given in the FDA recall alert and can also be found on a page of the Aunt Jemima website that is dedicated to the recall.

Most of the affected product is still in the hands of Quaker Oats, but about 2% may have already reached store shelves in 17 states, according to FDA. If you have purchased any Aunt Jemima pancake and waffle mixes recently, please check the lot number on the package against the list posted on the Aunt Jemima web site.

The risk of Salmonella infection associated with this recall is low, as cooking kills Salmonella. But there is always a chance of cross-contamination. A drop of raw batter on a mixing spoon, a spatula, or your finger can transfer Salmonella to a cooked pancake. If you have purchased one of the recalled products, please return your package to the store for a full refund.

More Listeria In The News

Gourmet Boutique, of Jamaica, NY has recalled 6,970 pounds of meat and poultry products, according to a news release issued by USDA. The US-made products were found by USDA to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

The 12 different products were manufactured on February 26th and 27th, and distributed in Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Wisconsin.

Please consult the USDA news release for additional details.

Typhoid Outbreak - The Philippines

The International Society for Infectious Diseases reported yesterday that the Philippines is experiencing an outbreak of typhoid fever. The outbreak, which is believed to have begun on February 19th, has affected at least 1,041 people so far.

As of yesterday, the outbreak appears to be confined to Calamba City, just south of Manila. Health authorities believe that the disease is being spread through contaminated water.

Hong Kong has issued a typhoid alert for people traveling to the Philippines. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a typhoid vaccine for all unvaccinated travelers to the region, but has not issued a specific travel advisory. Neither has the World Health Organization.

If you have plans to travel to the Philippines, especially to the area south of Manila, drink and brush your teeth with bottled water only. Don't drink the local water – not even in the hotels – and do not allow ice to be added to your beverages. Stay vigilant to stay healthy.

Salmonella-Contaminated Seeds – UK

The Food Standards Agency has advised consumers this morning of two separate seed-related recalls.

Julian Graves Ltd., which recalled a batch of sesame seeds on February 29th due to Salmonella contamination, has expanded its recall to include 250g packages of sunflower seed kernels. The sunflower seeds packages are labeled with batch number 7353T4A, and carry a Best Before date of 30/09/08.

Suma Wholefoods has announced a recall of 12 batches of sesame seeds and mixed seeds, also due to Salmonella contamination. Please see the FSA consumer alert for details on the recalled products.

Underdone Chicken Wings - UK

The UK's Food Standards Agency has alerted consumers to a recall by Iceland Foods Ltd. The company has recalled a batch of its "Buffalo Chicken Wings" due to possible under-processing. The 410g packages of chicken wings are labeled with a "Best Before" date of 14 February 2009.

Consumers should return this product to stores for a full refund.

Discover Cuisine - At Costco

Costco has announced a recall of more than 10,000 pounds of Discover Cuisine frozen chicken entrées, which may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The Red Curry Chicken & Jasmine Rice entrées were shipped to Costco Warehouse stores in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah and Washington.

As I reported yesterday, Michigan-based Meijer Distribution Center has recalled more than 2,100 pounds of this same Canadian-made product. The 12-ounce packages bear an inspection stamp from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and a "Best By" date of 12 18 08.

No illnesses linked to this product have been reported to date, but Listeria monocytogenes infections can be serious – even fatal – for the elderly, the very young, the immunocompromised and for pregnant women. If you have purchased this product, please either discard it or return it to the store.

IN-Humane Society?

On February 17th, in my blog post about the Hallmark/Westland meat recall, I asked the following question.

"Why did the Humane Society wait until January 30th before releasing the results of their undercover investigation?"

Now I have my answer. Meatingplace.com reported this morning that the Humane Society has admitted having deliberately kept the results of its undercover investigation from the USDA for five weeks in order to "...build public outrage." Wayne Pacelle (the president of the Humane Society) told Janie Gabbett of Meatingplace.com in a telephone interview,

"We specifically did not give this information much in advance to the USDA... If it had been given to USDA in advance and they excused the behavior and shut them down for a half a day or a day … that would have been an unacceptable outcome."

Pacelle went on to dispute the February 29th statement issued by the San Bernardino County's District Attorney that his office encouraged the Humane Society to bring USDA into the picture. But Pacelle indicated that he might contact USDA sooner next time.

Remind me, please. Is the Humane Society's primary objective to promote animal welfare, or to promote itself?

Myanmar Restaurants and Buffets

Our first experiences with restaurant and hotel buffets in Myanmar were not very appetizing. The cooked dishes were tepid, at best, and other perishable items, such as milk and cream, were left at room temperature. The dinner and breakfast buffets at the Mandalay Hill Resort hotel were sickening – literally. Ants crawled all over the toaster and Salmonella lurked in the "roast beef".

Restaurants that were not buffet-style tended to be more appetizing – at least the problems were hidden from view. But we ate at one restaurant in Mandalay that left nothing to the imagination. We were seated at a table next to a picture window, and had a view of the restaurant's kitchen.

As I gazed into the kitchen, I could see one of the cooks preparing a sauce. I watched with interest as she mixed a few ingredients in a saucepan and stirred the mixture with a large spoon. Then she used the spoon to taste her sauce. Deciding that there was something lacking, she added another ingredient and used the same spoon to stir the extra ingredient into the mixture. At this point, she walked out of my line of sight. I can only hope that the sauce was destined to be cooked.

This was my view of the restaurant kitchen, with the cook just disappearing "stage right"

A close-up of part of the kitchen work space

Away from the major cities, kitchen duties sometimes migrated outside – where it's cooler

One of our better hotel breakfast buffet experiences was at the Japanese-managed Thiripyitsayar Sakura Hotel in Bagan. Even though the setting was outdoors, there were no ants on the toaster at this hotel!

Eggs were cooked to order

And cooked dishes were kept hot in covered chafing dishes

But the serving spoons were left out in the open air, where bacteria could multiply

Milk sat in an open jug with nothing but banana leaves to keep it cool

As much as I like yogurt, I wasn't even tempted to sample this homemade batch, also sitting uncovered and unchilled

When we returned to Yangon for one last night before leaving Myanmar behind, we realized we had reached a measure of civilization.

Was it because of the burger stand? Not likely!

Perhaps the fast food restaurant? Not a chance!

It was the butter dish on our breakfast table at the Strand Hotel

Our Myanmar adventure began and ended in Yangon. We spent a total of three nights at The Strand Hotel, a grand old British colonial lady. This establishment, which was recently refurbished, is a class act in every respect – the epitome of what a great hotel should be, but seldom is.

Discover Cuisine = Discover Listeria?

USDA's Food Safety and Inspection System (FSIS) has just posted an update to its list of recalled food products. Meijer Distribution Center, a Michigan-based company, is recalling 2,184 pounds of pre-cooked frozen chicken entrees due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.

The Discover Cuisine brand "Red Curry Chicken & Jasmine Rice" was prepared and packed in Canada. The recalled product bears an inspection seal from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and a "Best By" date of 12 18 08. No illnesses have been associated with this product, which was distributed in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. The contamination was detected as a result of routine microbiological sampling by FSIS.

CFIA has been silent so far, but if this product was also distributed in Canada, I wouldn't be surprised to see a corresponding Canadian recall notice in the next few days.

Siberian Stomachache

Another group of school children and their teachers have been stricken with food poisoning.

On February 29th, Novosti, the Russian News and Information Agency, reported that 86 kindergarten children had been hospitalized in East Siberia due to acute gastroenteritis. Today, Novosti reported that the total number of victims had risen to 150, including 117 children. Twenty-five adults and 85 children are in hospital; 5 of the children are in intensive care.

Authorities suspect that the outbreak is linked to meatballs made with liver imported from the Netherlands and served in a meal at the kindergarten. The investigation into the outbreak is continuing.

Here's The Beef

California's Department of Public Health has posted on its web site a long list of retailers in the state who received some of the beef recalled by Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company. The list is in the form of a pdf file, which can be downloaded from the site.

The list of retail outlets is sorted by zip code and will be updated periodically as additional information becomes available.

Myanmar Kitchens

As we traveled in the Bagan region of Myanmar, we had the opportunity on occasion to visit a few village homes and see what was cooking – or how.

Our first stop was at a village that was on the standard tourist route, and we received the standard tour, which I'll save for another day.

We were told that this is a typical village kitchen in the Bagan region

We visited a second village, and were invited to tour the kitchen of the wealthiest family in the village – the middle-class owners of the local general store. This family has its own private outhouse, a summer kitchen, an indoor kitchen and a separate dining area.

This is the family's cooktop. In the absence of electricity, villagers cook their food over charcoal or wood fires

The summer kitchen is outdoors, to avoid generating excessive heat inside the house during the sultry summer months

The food preparation area of the kitchen has a spice shelf and storage space for pots and pans

The family eats a hot breakfast at this table. These are the breakfast left-overs.

It's rare for villagers to have time to prepare lunch, so the breakfast left-overs are saved (covered to protect against flies) and eaten for lunch

When we arrived at Inle Lake, our next stop after Bagan, we found that the Bagan kitchens were not an anomaly.

We were given the chance to see the interior of a house like this one, built on stilts over the water

Here's the kitchen

Whenever we sat down to a restaurant meal in Southeast Asia, we found ourselves wondering what the kitchen looked like. We had a chance to satisfy our curiosity once or twice, so stay tuned for more.

Alfalfa Seeds Sprout Salmonella In California

The California Department of Public Health has warned consumers against eating three brands of alfalfa sprouts that may contain Salmonella. The sprouts, which were produced by two different companies, are sold in several western and southwestern states. No illnesses have been associated with these products.

Salad Cosmo Alfalfa Sprouts, a product of Salad Cosmo USA Corp., was distributed to wholesalers and to retail stores, including SaveMart Supermarkets, in California and Washington States. Always Fresh and Alfa One (J.H. Caldwell and Sons Inc.) are sold through wholesalers and through several retail chains, including Trader Joe's, in six states – California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.

Please see the CDPH Press Release for details on the lot numbers included in the recall.

Another Sesame Seed Recall

The UK's Food Standards Agency has alerted consumers to a recall of a batch of sesame seeds. The seeds, which are sold in 500g packages carrying a "best before" date of 23/10/08, are being recalled by Julian Graves Ltd.

The recall was initiated due to a risk that the sesame seeds might be contaminated with Salmonella. Consumers who have purchased the recalled seeds should return them to the store for a refund.

HSUS vs. USDA – A "Downer" Of A Story

With the Hallmark/Westland story getting more complicated every day, I decided it would be worthwhile to generate a time-line.

• December 23, 2003: A USDA lab diagnoses mad cow disease in the brain of a slaughtered "downer" cow. Eventually, the cow is discovered to have been imported from Canada (but that's another story).
• January 12, 2004: In response to the December mad cow discovery, USDA issues an Interim Final Rule that, among other things, bans the slaughter of "non-ambulatory" cattle for human consumption. This Interim rule is destined to remain in effect for 3 1/2 years.
• July 12, 2007: The Humane Society, in praising USDA's announcement of a permanent ban on the slaughter of most "downer" cows, expresses reservations about an amendment that opens a loophole. The Society's press release states:

  "A complete “no downer” policy encourages better treatment of animals on the farm and during transportation to slaughter to avoid preventable injuries."

• July 13, 2007: USDA issues an "Affirmed Final Rule", which leaves in place most of the provisions of the Interim Final Rule, but which amends the total ban on "downer" slaughter. The amendment provides

  "... that non-ambulatory disabled cattle that are offered for slaughter must be condemned but that FSIS inspection personnel will determine on a case-by-case basis the disposition of cattle that become nonambulatory after they have passed antemortem inspection."

• August 31, 2007: The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issues Notice #56-07, advising its inspection staff of the Affirmed Final Rule and instructing inspectors to meet with meat establishment personnel in order to acquaint them with the provisions of the Affirmed Final Rule.
• October/November, 2007: The Humane Society of the United States carries out an undercover investigation at the Hallmark Meat Company and Westland Meat Company in Chino, CA, and provides the evidence to California law enforcement officials, but not to USDA.
• January 30, 2008: The Humane Society releases a videotape resulting from its investigation of Hallmark/Westland. The tape shows workers using a variety of inhumane actions to prod "downer" cattle back onto their feet.
• January 30, 2008: In response to the videotape, USDA suspends Hallmark/Westland Meat as a supplier to various federal food programs, including the School Lunch Program, and announces that it is opening an immediate investigation in to the company's actions. At the same time, the agency expresses regret that the Humane Society delayed releasing the results of its investigation to USDA.
• February 4, 2008: FSIS withdraws its inspectors from Hallmark/Westland Meat, effectively shutting them down.
• February 6, 2008: The Humane Society praises USDA's shutdown of Hallmark/Westland.
• February 15, 2008: The state of California files animal cruelty charges against two employees of Hallmark/Westland.
• February 17, 2008: USDA announces a 143 million pound recall of meat produced by Hallmark/Westland over a two-year period.
• February 22, 2008:Secretary of Agriculture Schafer criticizes the Humane Society for "sitting on" the incriminating videotape.
• February 27, 2008: The Humane Society initiates a lawsuit against USDA and FSIS.
• February 29, 2008: Contradicting the Humane Society's reasons for not informing USDA of its investigation sooner, District Attorney of San Bernardino County, stated in a telephone interview with Meatingplace.com that his office had not asked the Humane Society to withhold the information from USDA. On the contrary, he is quoted by Meatingplace.com as saying, "We recommended that they speak to USDA."

It seems from my vantage point that there is a lot of "gamesmanship" going on. The money that will be spent on this lawsuit would be put to much better use ensuring the safety of our food supply and promoting the humane treatment of animals.

Myanmar: Maymyo Meat Market

With all the focus on meat inspection these days, I thought it would be interesting to stroll along with a local resident through the central meat, fish and poultry market of Maymyo, a mountain resort town 40 miles northeast of Mandalay while she plans her dinner for her family.

First, we encounter a typical meat stand

And stop for a closer look

Next, we wander over to a poultry stall

Perhaps a mixture of fish and chicken would make an interesting main course

On the other hand, chicken and goat might be a more appetizing combination

Bean curds might be a nutitious and tasty addition to the evening meal

And deli salads are always popular side dishes

Dessert, as always, will be fresh fruit

Bean Salad Recalled By Missouri Company

In what appears to be fall-out from the New Era Canning recall, Walker's Food Products Company of North Kansas City, Missouri has announced a recall of its Four Bean Salad, due to a risk of botulism.

The salad, which is sold under the name "Kay's Gourmet" (16 oz. packages) and under the Walker's Food Products name (5 lb. and 10 lb. containers), was shipped to distributors in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa, for ultimate resale to restaurants and retailers.

Walker's recalled the Four Bean Salad after learning that some of the beans in the salad had been recalled by the manufacturer because of the possibility that the beans were contaminated with Clostridium botulinum.

There are several expiration dates included in this recall. Please check the FDA Press Release for details, or contact the company by telephone at 1-800-725-2372.

Institutional Outbreaks On Three Continents

Australia: Just a few days after New South Wales released the disturbing results of an audit of hospital kitchens in that state, authorities in South Australia have closed the pediatric ward of an Adelaide hospital, according to a report on news.com.au today.

The action was taken following an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness that left 14 children and 3 staff members struggling with symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting. The symptoms are consistent with viral gastroenteritis, and health authorities suspect Norovirus.

The hospital has isolated victims of this outbreak, and has implemented infection control measures, according to Dr. John Turnidge, the director of the hospital's Division of Laboratory Medicine.

India: Daijiworld.com reported yesterday that 20 residents of a boy's high school in the village of Kukkundoor were taken to hospital as a result of an apparent outbreak of food poisoning. Eleven of the 20 victims were admitted. The boys began vomiting after breakfast, and suspicion has fallen on Tuesday evening's dinner as the source of the illness.

USA: WPTZ News reported this morning that three residents of the Horace Nye Nursing Home in Elizabethtown, N.Y. have died as the result of an outbreak of viral gastroenteritis – probably Norovirus. There was no indication of how many other patients or staff members may have been infected. The nursing home has been closed to the public until the outbreak has been eradicated.


Captive Audiences
Residents of nursing homes, boarding schools, assisted living facilities, and hospitals cannot control the way their food is prepared and handled. The responsibility for ensuring that meals are safe as well as nutritious rests with the management of these facilities and with the government agencies that oversee their operations. And the individuals charged with this responsibility are failing badly. In the United States alone, there were 762 outbreaks of gastroenteritis in long-term care facilities in the last three months of 2006 (the most recent data available from the CDC).

Some agencies, such as the State of Illinois Department of Public Health, periodically release a list of nursing homes that are in violation of government standards. Other government agencies – for example, the New South Wales Food Authority – protect the identity of failing institutions rather than releasing their names to the public.

There's something wrong with a system that makes it easier to learn the inspection history of a local restaurant in Southern California than to find out the sanitation track record of a hospital or nursing home.

Nasty "Nasi Ayam" Hits Brunei

Teachers and librarians attending a seminar on "Electronic Resources" at the University of Brunei Darussalam this week were taught an involuntary lesson in food safety. Participants who lunched on nasi ayam (a chicken and rice dish) were rewarded with a bout of food poisoning.

According to a report on BruneiDirect.com, one of the victims, a teacher, described his experience.

"About two hours after eating it [the nasi ayam]," he said, "I started feeling dizzy and had a stomach ache. I started vomiting a lot and so my wife brought me to the emergency ward. It was here I met some other patients with food poisoning who also attended the seminar."

The teacher added that the other victims he met at the emergency ward had also eaten nasi ayam, "which tasted quite good actually."

The symptoms that this food poisoning victim described are very suggestive of either Staphylococcus aureus or Bacillus cereus. The very short incubation period is consistent with B. cereus, which has often been associated with food poisoning in rice-based dishes.

Both S. aureus and B. cereus produce heat-stable toxins, and do not cause any change to the appearance or taste of a food in which they have multiplied. The only protection against these microbes is careful attention to hand-washing when preparing food (especially for S. aureus, which is carried by a large fraction of the general population), and proper temperature control – something that we often found lacking in our travels through Southeast Asia.

"Perfect Companions" Recalled In Australia

Chrystal and Co Pty Ltd has announced a recall of two products due to microbial contamination.

The company's "Perfect Companions Duo" and "Perfect Companions Quattro" acquired an unwelcome additional companion in the form of Listeria monocytogenes. The products, which are labeled with a "Use By" date of 07/04/08, were distributed through Woolworths/Safeway stores through various independent stores.

Listeria monocytogenes can cause a variety of symptoms, from very mild to extremely severe. Immunocompromised individuals, the elderly, children and pregnant women are at greatest risk of severe illness.

Listeria monocytogenes infection can be fatal. Please check the "Products Recall Australia" link for details, and return the recalled products to the place of purchase for a refund.

Once "Bitten" . . .

I've been following with interest "Bitten", a New York Times "Dining and Wine" blog by Mark Bittman. Today's "Recipe of the Day" is Fast Roast Chicken.

My appetite for tender, juicy chicken was piqued by Bittman's opening paragraph. But my ardor quickly cooled as I read his instructions. My mental image of succulent poultry shifted to a more sinister scene – Salmonella.

Bittman's recipe calls for placing a whole chicken in a pre-heated heavy, oven-proof skillet, and roasting the bird for 30 minutes in a 450ºF oven. To his credit, Bittman uses an instant-read thermometer. But his temperature target of 155ºF is 10ºF too low for safety – especially if the cook elects to stuff the cavity. The USDA recommends cooking chicken to a minimum internal temperature of 165ºF.

Food columnists publish recipes with the expectation that people will want to try with them. Food safety information is readily available on the Internet. In my opinion, Mark Bittman and other food columnists have a responsibility to verify that the recipes they offer are consistent with generally recognized safe food practices.

Some readers might recall that I raised a similar issue with Martha Stewart last December. No one from her organization ever replied to my email.

Honolulu Restaurant Serves Up E. coli O157:H7

Customers of Sekiya's Restaurant and Delicatessen were greeted yesterday with orange traffic cones in the parking lot and a sign on the door that read "Closed for maintenance. Sorry for the inconvenience".

According to the Hawaii State Department of Health, Sekiya's was the source of a small outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 last December. The restaurant was inspected as a result of the outbreak, and the Department of Health had worked with the restaurant owners to identify deficiencies in the restaurant's practices and operations. A follow-up inspection had confirmed that all major violations had been corrected. But a seventh case of bloody diarrhea, caused by the identical strain of E. coli O157:H7, was reported this month.

Sekiya's has discarded its existing stock of food and disposable items, is carrying out a ceiling-to-floor disinfection, and has hired a food safety consultant to help to train its employees in safe food handing. Management is also reviewing all of the restaurant's practices to make certain that it is in full compliance with the Department of Health's Food Code.

Hawaii struggles with a shortage of inspectors. The Honolulu Advertiser reports that there are only 12 inspectors covering the island of Oahu. These inspectors are responsible for 4,200 restaurants – just one inspector for every 350 restaurants – in addition to swimming pools, tattoo parlors, and any other establishments where sanitation might be an issue. Kauai has just three inspectors to oversee 600 restaurants; Maui has four, and the island of Hawaii makes do with seven inspectors to monitor 1,400 restaurants scattered over the Big Island. The state's inspection staff is spread so thin that it can do nothing more than respond to complaints and "put out fires", according to Peter Oshiro of the Department of Health.

As for Sekiya's it will reopen – after the Department of Health verifies its corrective actions and reinstates the restaurant's permit.

Uneviscerated Chinese Fish Recalled

FDA announced today that Summit Import Corporation of Jersey City, NJ is recalling Sum Cheong Lung brand uneviscerated fish due to the risk that it might be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum. The sale of dried uneviscerated fish is not permitted in New York state, because C. botulinum spores tend to concentrate in the viscera.

The fish, which was imported from China and sold without lot number or "best before" coding in 12 oz. plastic bags, was distributed only in New York State.

Consumers who have purchased this product should return it to the store for refund.

Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer: "My customers are the children of this country."

Do we finally have a Secretary of Agriculture who "gets it"?

Secretary Schafer addressed a board meeting of the National Meat Association on February 22nd, just five days after USDA announced the recall by Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company of 143 million pounds of meat and the suspension of USDA contracts with the company. Some of his comments to this group of meat industry leaders would have been well received by a consumers' food safety advocacy group. Here are a few excerpts from the transcript of his speech:

"But something happened here that wasn't right, and we need to get to the bottom of it."

"My focus I guess or my motto throughout my time in public service is boiled down to something that's pretty simple: Do the right thing."

"And you can count on that from me and USDA today that we will do the right thing here, now and in the future as we go forward."

"To other nations, this event raises a concern about the safety of our food processing system and the fact that we can provide a reason for them to keep our markets closed for U.S. products in the trade agreements. The only way that we can ally that concern is a thorough and credible investigation to promptly take any corrective actions that are called for, and we will do so."

"(I)n 1862 when President Lincoln formed the USDA he called it the People's Department . . . because he said it touches so many people in so many different ways."

"And I'm reminded today that what (sic) I believe: My customers are are the children of this country."

These are laudable sentiments, coming from the head of a government department that has a history of putting industry ahead of consumers. Let's hope that USDA actions match Secretary Schafer's words.

Norovirus: A Special Kind Of Seasickness

According to an article in San-Diego's Union Tribune, the Holland American ship Ryndam left San Diego for a 10-day Mexican cruise on February 15th, with 1,226 apparently-healthy passengers and 556 crew members on board. By the time the ship returned to port yesterday, 104 of the passengers and 6 crew members had fallen ill with what is suspected to be Norovirus. One of the stricken passengers, an 81 year-old woman, was taken away by ambulance upon disembarking.

Norovirus is a highly infectious – though short-lived – disease, which is easily spread by hand-to-mouth contact. Victims usually suffer from nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Symptoms, which can begin abruptly and with very little warning, typically last for 24-48 hours. The virus may continue to be shed by victims in their stools for as long as two weeks after they have apparently recovered.

According to the CDC, the Ryndam is the sixth ship to be hit with an outbreak of gastroenteritis so far this year. Norovirus has already been confirmed as the cause of four of the six oubreaks. In 2007, there were 23 gastroenteritis outbreaks on board ships calling at US ports. Sixteen were caused by Norovirus, including outbreaks during three consecutive sailings of the Ryndam last winter.

Cruise ships that call at U.S. ports are subject to inspection under the CDC Vessel Sanitation Program. The inspection scores and detailed reports are all available on the CDC web site, and it's wise to check this site when contemplating a cruise. The Ryndam was last inspected on December 13, 2007 and received a grade of 97 out of 100 (86 or higher is considered a "pass"). But a successful inspection cannot shield a ship from an embarking passenger who is carrying the virus.

Norovirus particles can survive on dry surfaces, such as deck rails, bathroom counter tops and eating utensils for days and – as I mentioned in my recent post about institutional Norovirus outbreaks – are resistant to many common disinfectants. Moist heat and chlorine bleach are the two most effective ways to kill the virus.

Cruise ship passengers are a captive audience – perfect targets for a virus such as Norovirus. The only protection against becoming infected with this virus during an outbreak at sea is to practice scrupulous personal hygiene. Frequent and thorough hand-washing is a must – before every meal, and after touching door handles, rails, elevator buttons, and other surfaces that might have been contaminated by an infected passenger.

For more information on cruising with Norovirus, check out the CDC's Norovirus web page.

Canadian Pork Sausage Recall - Update

The recall of Maison de Savoie brand "sarment courbe" (pure pork dry sausage) that I highlighted two days ago has been expanded as a result of updated distribution information.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced today that the imported sausage, which may contain Salmonella, was distributed throughout the province of Quebec and also in Toronto. Previously, the distribution was thought to be limited to Montreal and Quebec City.

If you have purchased the recalled product, please do not eat it.

Myanmar: Shrimpers of Inle Lake

For a period of 2-3 months just after the end of the rainy season, the rice paddies that border Inle Lake produce a different crop - freshwater shrimp.

Shrimping is usually carried out by a two-woman team. The pair of young women we encountered in this flooded rice paddy were both in their 20's, unmarried, and friends as well as colleagues.

Shrimping is not a very well-paying occupation, but neither is anything else in this country (except possibly acting as a guide for tourists). This pair of women will earn approximately 3,000 Kyats (1,200 Kyats = US$1.00) for a full day's work, most of it performed while standing waist deep in weed-choked water.

Their day starts with a 90-minute commute (by canoe) from their homes to the shrimp bed

The women were wearing a form of sunscreen that is unique to Myanmar (at least among the countries that we visited). It is made by grinding thanaka bark on a flat stone, and mixing the powder with a bit of water to form a paste that is smeared all over the face.

Some of the Myanmar people, including this shrimper, are quite creative in their application of this Myanmar make-up, and apply the paste in interesting patterns.

Once at the shrimp bed, they drag a fine-mesh net, which is mounted on a horseshoe-shaped frame, through the weedy water for about 30 minutes, until it is filled with floating weeds and debris. Then they hitch their net onto the side of their canoe and spend an hour or more carefully separating the inch-long shrimp from the weeds, debris, and leeches. If they are lucky, they'll also find the occasional small fish trapped in the net.

When we arrived, the women had already worked their way through most of the material that they had collected in the net

Although they never stopped working, they were quite gracious about answering our questions

Once the net has been emptied, the process starts all over again. This pair of shrimpers is able to fill and sort three nets-worth of shrimp per day. Their day doesn't end with their 90-minute commute back home. Once home, the shrimp must be spread out in the sun to dry.

These shrimpers work seven days a week for the 2-3 month season. Except for an occasional festival day, they take no days off. Shrimping season ends when the water level in the paddy has dropped low enough for planting rice.

More Worries For Hungry Hospital Patients

Yesterday, I reported on the results of an audit of hospital kitchens in New South Wales, Australia. Now, it's the turn of hospitalized New Zealanders to think twice before eating their dinners.

Leonards Superior Smallgoods, a producer of cooked, ready-to-eat meats, today asked supermarkets to put a hold on its products after a batch of packaged cooked corned beef was found to contain Listeria monocytogenes. The contaminated product had been shipped to North Shore Hospital and to cafés on New Zealand's North Island.

Last week, Leonards was forced to recall a batch of packaged roast beef after it was found to be contaminated with L. monocytogenes. That product had been supplied to Waikato Hospital. Leonards has quarantined all of its existing stock pending determination of the extent of the contamination problem.

The possibility that hospital patients may have been served meat that was contaminated with L. monocytogenes is especially worrisome, as this pathogen typically targets the elderly, immunocompromised individuals, and pregnant women.

A Leonards spokesman told The New Zealand Herald that the company spends $3,000-$4,000 per month on product testing. Nevertheless, the contamination was detected as a result of tests carried out by the distributor, and not by Leonards.

This incident is a reminder that product safety cannot be achieved simply by testing the finished product. Listeria monocytogenes is a common environmental contaminant. The microbe is cold tolerant, and lurks in drain lines and other moist areas. Perhaps the time has come for Leonards to review its entire food safety and sanitation programs?

Sunflower Seeds Recalled In New Zealand

A quick word of warning to New Zealanders.

Ceres Enterprises and several bakehouses have recalled sunflower seeds and a variety of products that contain sunflower seeds due to the presence of glass particles. Please read the recall notice for details.

As If Being Hospitalized Wasn't Bad Enough!

According to a report in today's edition of The Daily Telegraph, patients in many New South Wales, Australia hospitals have to worry about the safety of the food they are served. A recent audit found that 166 out of 171 hospitals were out of compliance with new hygiene and safety laws. Four of the hospitals failed the audit completely.

Infractions documented at the participating hospitals included poor control of food storage temperatures, use of foods beyond their "best before" dates, unclean can openers, and a lack of pest control records.

The New South Wales Food Authority released the results of this "voluntary" audit as the result of a Freedom of Information request. But the government agency declined to name the hospitals that had failed the audit, on the grounds that this might interfere with the "business affairs" of those hospitals and might make them less willing to participate in future audits.

It's bad enough when restaurants are guilty of hygiene and food handling infractions. It's infinitely worse when hospitals neglect their responsibility to their patients by preparing and serving food that could make even a healthy person ill.

Myanmar: Fishing Inle Lake

Fish and rice are the mainstays of the Inle Lake diet, and of its economy. Fishermen spend three or four days at a time on the lake on their canoes. They work, eat and sleep on the boats. Every morning, wholesale fish merchants travel the lake on their larger boats to purchase the previous day's (and night's) catch.

Inle Lake is shallow - no more than 4 meters (13 feet) at its deepest. The shallower parts of the lake lend themselves especially well to cage fishing, which combines elements of net fishing and spear fishing.

The typical cage is taller than the average Myanmar fisherman, and its use requires a good eye for fish, and a keen sense of balance. The usual target for the cage fisherman is carp.

The carp hunter finds his prey by rowing slowly while looking for tell-tale trails of air bubbles rising from the lake bottom

One he spots the bubbles, the carp hunter carefully maneuvers his cage into position

Then he lowers the cage directly over the trail of bubbles and traps his prey

Once he has trapped his prey inside the cage, the carp hunter plunges his spear through a hole in the top of the cage and kills his catch. He then lifts both the cage and the speared carp into his boat and starts his hunt again.

Other parts of Inle Lake lend themselves to fishing with drag nets. Often, several fishermen work together.

This man is casting his net

Herding a school of fish into their nets by hitting the water with their oars

Success! Hauling a net filled with fish into the canoe

School Kids And Salmonella: A Follow-Up

Last December, I mentioned a Salmonella outbreak that hit 14 students attending St. Benedict's School in Whitehaven, Scotland. It now seems that health authorities suspect a pre-Christmas turkey dinner might have been the source of the outbreak.

Nevertheless, according to the article which appeared in The News and Star on February 23rd, the source of the outbreak might never be confirmed. Health inspectors pronounced the school's kitchens to be "clean". The investigation is continuing, but the scent is growing colder by the day.

On reading this news article, I decided to check the UK Food Standards Agency web site for their advice on how to cook turkey safety. To my dismay, I discovered that their directions omit any mention of a meat thermometer. Here is what the Food Standards Agency says:

If you're checking a whole chicken or other bird, pierce the thickest part of the leg (between drumstick and thigh) with a clean knife or skewer until the juices run out. The juices shouldn't have any pink or red in them.

Perhaps the British "stiff upper lip" is a result of eating undercooked meat and poultry?

Food Poisoning in China?

It would appear that China doesn't export all of its contaminated foods.

Channel NewsAsia reported today that 2 people died, 19 were hospitalized in critical condition, and an additional 42 people were under medical observation as a result of what is suspected to be food poisoning. The 63 victims – all employees of the same company – fell sick after lunching together at a local eatery near their place of work in southern China.

The local health department is investigating the incident and has taken samples of food and water from the restaurant.

Pork Sausage Recalled Due To Salmonella

If you love dry pork sausage and live in Greater Montreal or Greater Quebec City, you'll want to check your refrigerator. Diffusion T.G.V. Inc. of Boisbriand QC has announced a recall of Maison de Savoie brand Sarment courbe (pure pork dry sausage) due to the possibility that it may contain Salmonella.

The imported sausage is sold in 250g packages, and carries lot number 02 51 29. The packages are labeled with a "best before" date of 13.04.08. While there have not yet been any illnesses associated with the sausage, please do not eat the recalled meat. Either discard the sausage or return it to the store for a refund.

Myanmar Food Processing: Inle Lake Saké Factory

Rice is ubiquitous in Southeast Asia, so it should come as no surprise that the people of Myanmar ferment some of their crop to produce rice wine, or saké. We had the opportunity to visit a typical saké factory on Inle Lake during our visit to the area.

In a country where transportation by road and rail is limited, manufacturers must rely on local resources as much as possible for their raw materials and their equipment. One of the villages we visited near the shore of Inle Lake specialized in producing clay pots, some of which are used in the production of saké.

Here, a villager pounds clay into a fine powder.

This villager showed us how she shapes her pots on a hand-driven wheel.

This potter is putting some finishing touches on the top rim of his pot.

Rice farming is a mainstay of Inle Lake agriculture. Villagers mill their rice in factories like this. Some of this grain will find its way to the saké factory.

Saké production begins by cooking the rice in water. Other ingredients, including yeast, molasses, and sugar are added to the cooked rice, and the entire mixture is poured into clay pots. The pots are covered with cloths, and the mixture is left at room temperature to ferment for one week.

At the end of the week, the contents of the clay pots are poured into stills, and a glazed clay pot is inverted over the top of each still.

The stills are heated to boil off the alcohol from the fermented mixture. Steam is trapped by the inverted clay pots and flows through the black hoses to the condensers.

The condensers are double-walled clay pots. The outer wall of each pot has two openings - an inlet for the steam, and an outlet for the condensed saké. The body of each condensation pot contains water. The steam flows out of a tube, which is connected to an inlet hole in the outer wall of the pot, and the saké condenses between the outer and inner walls of the clay pots. The condensate is collected in plastic jugs.

The finished saké, which has an alcohol content of approximately 25%, is poured into bottles and sold to wholesalers for resale in markets and to local restaurants.

UK Salmonella Food Alert

The UK Food Standards Agency has alerted consumers to a recall of Premier Quality Seed Mix, manufactured by Imperial Snack Foods Ltd. The 150g packages are being recalled due to the presence of Salmonella in the seed mix.

Consumers who purchased Batch Code 7236/7236f IM should return the product to the store for a full refund.

Today's alert doesn't describe the contents of the seed mix, but readers will remember that there have been several recalls in the past few months of Salmonella-contaminated sesame seeds in Canada, the US and the UK.

Raw Milk Strikes Again...And Again...And Again

Earlier this week, the Kansas Department of Agriculture alerted residents of the Garden City area not to eat home-made soft cheese being offered for sale in the area. The cheese, which was made from raw milk by an unlicensed individual, is contaminated with Salmonella.

The maker of the cheese sold it to neighbors, to co-workers at a local Tyson plant, and to two stores in the area. The Salmonella contamination was uncovered as part of a Kansas pilot project to probe the safety of domestic and imported food in the state.

This is the second recent consumer alert associated with raw dairy products in Kansas. Last fall, raw milk was the source of two outbreaks of Campylobacter gastroenteritis in the state. Nineteen people became ill after drinking raw milk purchased from a dairy in one part of the state, and 68 people were infected with Campylobacter after eating cheese produced from raw milk donated to a community celebration by a second dairy. Two of the victims of the second outbreak needed hospitalization.

Pennsylvania also reported an outbreak of food-borne disease associated with drinking raw milk and eating cheese made from raw milk in early 2007. This time, the culprit was Salmonella Typhimurium. Twenty-nine consumers fell victim to the contaminated milk, which was confirmed as the source of the outbreak when the DNA fingerprint of Salmonella Typhimurium from the milk was a perfect match to the fingerprint of the Salmonella recovered from some of the victims.

Raw milk advocates continue to deny the risks of drinking unpasteurized milk and of eating dairy products made from unpasteurized milk. Some of their rationalizations can be found in comments added to my posts of December 19th and December 20th.

According to an article in Time Magazine last March, dairy products accounted for 168 outbreaks of food-borne illness between 1990 and 2004. Nearly 1/3 of the outbreaks were due to consumption of raw milk or dairy products made from raw milk, even though raw milk products represent a very small fraction of the total dairy market. That, alone, speaks volumes for the relative risk of consuming raw versus pasteurized dairy products.

Mainly Because Of The Meat?

While US consumers are dealing with the unsavory thought of meat from mistreated "downer" cows in the food supply, Sweden is experiencing its own meat scandal. A Swedish supermarket chain, ICA, has been systematically regrinding and relabelling out-of-date meat.

The story first broke last December on Swedish Television (SVT). The investigative program Uppdrag Granskning reported that ICA stores routinely engaged in several deceptive practices to change or extend "best before" dates. These practices included repackaging meat that had already been on display, regrinding and repackaging ground meat, and rinsing and repackaging old or sticky sausage meats.

The deception is apparently long-standing. Hans Hallén, a former quality control manager for ICA who was responsible for monitoring the performance of the chain's stores in southern Sweden between 2003 and 2005, claims that he informed ICA management of the practice during his tenure with the company. His position, along with that of the seven other quality control managers, was terminated in 2005.

Public prosecutors are preparing to lay charges against the stores that were identified by the SVT program's investigation. Prosecutor Solveig Sörlien is hoping to achieve more than a slap on the ICA wrist by imposing what is known as a "company fine" – a fine that is based on the extent to which the company profited by its illegal activities – rather than the very minor fine that is usually associated with an infraction of food safety regulations.

Swedish food inspectors had uncovered of more than 30 cases of mislabeling – ten of them involving ICA stores – even before Uppdrag Granskning broke the story. Nevertheless, after the scandal became public, ICA management denied any knowledge of the problem, while claiming at the same time that the practice was "...not systematic or widespread."

Maybe the Myanmar butcher shops aren't so bad after all?

Norovirus - The Nursing Home Nemesis

Hong Kong has been struggling with the problem of Norovirus-caused gastroenteritis in its elder care facilities, nursing homes child care centers and hospitals. In 2006, there were 269 recorded institutional outbreaks of Norovirus, affecting approximately 3,250 people.

The scope of the problem was somewhat less in 2007, but still significant. The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) reported 93 institutional outbreaks, involving 921 victims by December 21st. One subsequent outbreak, reported on December 27th, brought the year's total number of victims to 36.

The problem shows no signs of abating in the near future. In January 2008, the CHP reported three outbreaks of gastroenteritis in Hong Kong seniors' residences. The 64 victims of these outbreaks all experienced typical symptoms of Norovirus infection - diarrhea and vomitting.

While investigations are still in progress, the initial reports, issued on January 4th, January 7th, and January 9th, describe symptoms to the confirmed outbreaks of last year. A fourth outbreak, involving 25 residents and 2 staff members in another seniors' residence was announced earlier today.

This problem is not unique to Hong Kong. Institutional outbreaks of Norovirus gastroenteritis are common in many parts of the world. In the last couple of years, for example, nursing home outbreaks have sickened 176 residents and staff of a nursing home in Spain, 52 staff members and patients in a nursing home and a hospital in Austria, and 25 residents and 5 staff members of a Slovenian nursing home. Three institutions in Japan experienced an outbreak that affected a combined total of 108 individuals, including patients, staff members and outside contacts of outbreak victims.

The United States has been wrestling with Norovirus, too. In the last quarter of 2006, long term care facilities in the US reported 762 confirmed outbreaks due to this virus. This total, which included information from only 24 of the 50 states, is an understatement of the problem, since not all of the 50 states routinely tested clinical samples for Norovirus.

Prevention and control of Norovirus presents special problems in the close quarters of health care, child care, nursing home and elder care facilities. Onset of the illness is sudden, often resulting in virus-laden vomit or feces contaminating public areas. The virus is also highly contagious - a dose of just 100 particles can cause disease. And Norovirus is more resistant to freezing, heating, and many disinfectants than either bacteria or some other viruses.

Norovirus outbreaks can best be controlled by paying careful attention to personal hygiene – especially thorough hand-washing – and disinfecting all potentially-contaminated surfaces. In some situations, isolating patients suffering from gastroenteritis may be desirable.

Chlorine bleach is an effective tool for disinfecting Norovirus-contaminated surfaces. Quaternary ammonium disinfectants, commonly used in food-service areas, do NOT work. Phenol-based disinfectants can be effective, but must be used at a higher concentration than what is recommended by their manufacturers.

For more details on dealing with Norovirus, check out the web site of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Tasmanian Government Lays An Egg

Recently, the Australian state of Tasmania was hit by an outbreak of salmonellosis. The outbreak, which affected more than 80 people, has been tentatively linked to sauces made from raw eggs sold by one producer - Pitt's Poultry.

In response to political pressure, the government of Tasmania has decided to require raw eggs to carry a warning label. But the only eggs to be affected by this new requirement will be those produced by Pitt's Poultry.

I have to admit that the logic of this ruling escapes me. It isn't news to anyone in the food safety profession that raw eggs - even those still in clean and intact shells - carry a risk of Salmonella contamination. This is true for eggs produced in North America, where USDA estimates the risk at one egg in 20,000. It's true in the United Kingdom and the rest of the EU. For more details on this problem, read Chapter 3 of my book, Food Safety: Old Habits, New Perspectives.

If one egg producer in Australia is experiencing this problem, others will surely follow. The only sensible thing to do – assuming that a warning label is warranted – is to require that ALL raw shell eggs carry the same warning. Anything else, in my opinion, is simply pandering to political pressure.

Food Safety: Where the Candidates Stand

As a follow-up to my post of yesterday, I decided to Google the various Presidential Primary candidates who are still in the running, in order to find out what they have said and done about food safety issues in the past, and where they stand today. Within each party, I have listed the candidates in alphabetical order.


The Republicans

Mike Huckabee: Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee has been silent on the issue, as far as I can tell. His official website lists Agriculture as a policy area, but he makes no mention of food safety. Governor Huckabee's focus is on self-sufficiency in food and energy supplies, encouraging young people to consider agriculture as a career choice, and providing subsidies to help American farmers.

John McCain: Senator McCain has been a Washington political fixture for many years. He was present during the major food recalls of the 1990s, as well of the more recent outbreaks and recalls of the current decade. Yet, I have been unable to find any mention at all - either on his official Senate website, on his official campaign website or on his list of news releases - of the importance of improving and maintaining the safety of our food supply.

Ron Paul: Congressman Ron Paul proposed House Resolution 4077 to permit the interstate shipment of raw milk, and opposed the National Mandatory ID system for farm animals.


The Democrats

Hillary Clinton: Senator Clinton has a long history of advocating improvements to the national food safety system. In 2001, she co-sponsored an amendment to the proposed 2002 FDA budget to increase funding for food safety activities, and argued against a move to exempt meat from federal inspection. She has also called for an investigation into outbreaks of E. coli O157, has urged the FDA and USDA to form a joint task force to examine ways to improve food safety, and has pushed for implementation of Country of Origin Labeling of imported food and feed. Senator Clinton's campaign web site outlines her food safety policy proposals, which include consolidating federal food safety responsibility into a single agency.

Barack Obama: Senator Obama released a statement in reaction to the recent recall of meat by Hallmark/Westland, following the Humane Society's report of animal abuse at the slaughterhouse. I have searched his official senate web site and his campaign web site, but have been unable to find any other policy statements or significant actions relating to food safety.

With the occurrence of an estimated 76 million cases of food-borne illness and 5,000 deaths in the U.S. annually, food safety issues deserve to be on the radar screen of every serious candidate. Please post a comment if you have any additional information on the positions or actions taken by any of these candidates.