Survey Spotlights Public Perceptions of Food Safety

From the get-go food safety has been all about food handling and food preparation. But in case some didn’t get the memo, the International Food Information Council Foundation in 2006 endeavoured to track food-safety practices in the U.S. population amid growing food-safety incidents and outbreaks of foodborne illnesses.

Because proper food and food-product handling is essential in preventing foodborne illness outbreaks, many restaurant owners now require a food handler certification or a food safety certification as a hiring requisite. Unfortunately, weak links still remain in the human food-supply chain.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, food contamination causes 48 million illnesses, 128,000 hospitalizations, and 3,000 deaths each year in the United States. Yearly also, food contamination results in about a thousand foodborne disease outbreaks across America.

The landmark national study was initiated to understand how Americans view important food-safety, nutrition, and health-related topics. The overriding goal was to assemble good data to equip food-safety authorities to educate people on how to stay safe from foodborne illnesses such as E. coli, Listeria, and Salmonella.

"Because only safe food can be nutritious food, this research is an important part of the applied research needed to ensure a wholesome food supply for the United States," said an article on the foundation's Food and Health Survey, 2006-2010, as quoted by foodsafetynews.com. The survey appears in the June 2012 issue of the peer-reviewed Food Protection Trends.

Among the unexpected findings of the study is the significant decline between 2006 and 1010 in the following key food-safety practices: hand washing, separating raw meat and poultry from ready-to-eat food products, washing cutting boards, cooking to required temperatures, properly storing leftovers, and following microwave cooking instructions. 

TABC Made Apps to Lessen Excessive, Underage Drinking

Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) is set to put a damper on traditional alcohol-fueled revelry on Texas beaches this spring break, but parents and the public in general aren’t complaining. The potential showstoppers (for college students, at least) are two apps being developed for the TABC: an app that will help alcohol-imbibing users to gauge their motor skills; and an app that will allow anyone to file a complaint with the TABC against an establishment suspected either of serving alcohol to a minor or of over-serving alcohol.

Bolstering Food Safety Effort, GMA Strengthens its Own Food-Safety Campaign

From the get-go food safety has been all about food handling and food preparation. But in case some didn’t get the memo, the International Food Information Council Foundation in 2006 endeavoured to track food-safety practices in the U.S. population amid growing food-safety incidents and outbreaks of food-borne illnesses.

Because proper food and food-product handling is essential in preventing food-borne illness outbreaks, many restaurant owners now require a ISO 22000 Certification as a hiring requisite. Unfortunately, weak links still remain in the human food-supply chain.

Safe Dining for Moms-to-Be; TABC Applies Brakes on Spring Break

Eating out means eating right. In the midst of food recalls and multi-state foodborne illness outbreaks, the injunction has never been truer—especially for pregnant moms, who must be particularly careful of what they eat because of their compromised immune systems.

That is not to say of course that moms should stop going to Taco Bell or KFC (most restaurants now require a food safety certification or a food handler certification as an employment requirement) and make do with home cooking all nine months.

New Fire Safety Standards and Assessments Released by ISO

Fires often cause severe injuries, deaths, and very costly extensive building damage. It is important that the circumstances that can lead to a fire be managed correctly and preemptively. Recognizing this need, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) recently released of a new standard for fire prevention and mitigation.

The new ISO standard, ISO 16732-1 (Fire safety engineering – Fire risk assessment – Part 1: General), is intended for fire-safety practitioners to help them evaluate fire risks of all kinds and choose from existing technologies and strategies the most effective in preventing fire.

MDP Budget to be Cut and New Salmonella Research May End Food Safety Problems

The federation of State Public Interest Research Groups (PIRG) is up in arms over federal plans to cut the Agriculture Department's whole budget of $5 million for the Microbiological Data Program (MDG), effectively eliminating the nation’s largest produce testing program. According to PIRG, MDG is responsible for screening high-risk fresh produce for pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, conducting about 15,000 random tests a year.

Lawsuit Filed Against North Carolina Restaurant as Salmonella Outbreak Expands

A lawsuit has been filed against a Charlotte, North Carolina restaurant, Toast of Dilworth, which served Eggs Benedict that apparently sickened 10 customers with Salmonella enteritidis infection. The formal complaint was made by Seattle food-safety law firm Marler Clark on behalf of Bryan McWherter, a Charlotte resident.

Because food safety depends to a large degree on proper food handling, many restaurant owners today have made a ISOcampus 22000 Training or a food safety certification an employment requirement. Much needs to be done, however, judging from the current frequency of foodborne illnesses.