Fw: [BITES-L] bites Nov. 24/10 -- II
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Date: Wed, 24 Nov 2010 19:47:30 -0600
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Subject: [BITES-L] bites Nov. 24/10 -- II
bites Nov. 24/10 -- II
Party on my porch: how I thawed my turkey
Turkey day in Raleigh a day earlier than normal
Socializing for the holiday – food safety style
Salmonella in SOUTH DAKOTA; 4 kids confirmed ill, at least 20 suspected
TENNESSEE: Local grocery store speaks out on food safety
ONTARIO: Pig-slaughter case sees Ottawa man cite charter
EU scolds France in cheese row
OREGON: Artisan Confections recalls Dagoba new moon™ Rich Dark Chocolate 74% cacao 0.32-ounce squares due to possible health risk
US: Bravo Farms announces cheese recall, some products sold under Whole Foods Market label in 5 Western states
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Irradiation of food safe, experts claim
MASSACHUSETS and CONNECTICUT: Stop & Shop alerts customers to Calabro All Natural Rotolini recall
Framework for microbial food-safety risk assessments amenable to Bayesian modeling
The role of emotions in risk communication
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Party on my porch: how I thawed my turkey
24.nov.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/145293/10/11/24/party-my-porch-how-i-thawed-my-turkey
Much has been written about how to properly defrost a turkey for the Thanksgiving food orgy. Sure, some buy fresh birds – I did a couple of times in the 1990s and decided it wasn't worth it -- or cook directly from frozen (which actually works, thanks, Pete), but U.S. government advice is to defrost the turkey, in the fridge, in cold water, or in the microwave.
I don't like any of those options.
I purchased a 15-pound a Jennie-O frozen turkey on Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010, at 6 p.m. from Dillons in Manhattan (that's in Kansas). At $0.68 a pound, it was a protein centerpiece bargain.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a 15-pound bird should take 36-48 hours to defrost in the refrigerator, or 6-8 hours in cold water in the sink. The later is a potential cross-contamination nightmare so no water is going near my bird. And I don't have room in the fridge.
Instead I left the bird in its plastic wrapper and put it directly into the roasting pan, with a lid. It was so frozen and so solid, I left the bird at room temperature – about 66 F – overnight for 13 hours. It was still frozen in the morning.
On Nov. 21, at 8 p.m., I placed the bird in the covered roasting pan on front porch overnight where the ambient temp varied from 45F – 30F. On Nov. 22 at 8 a.m., 36 hours after purchasing the frozen bird, with an ambient temp 38F, the surface of the bird was 35F and the interior 29 F.
This is not for food service, this is for the home cook. And while I was initially concerned about cats and 'coons, neither had penetrated the lid on the roasting pan.
On Nov. 23 at 8 a.m., the surface of the bird was 35 F and the interior, 29 F
Same thing this morning, Nov. 24, 2010, at 8 a.m. I'll probably leave it on the porch another night, and then bring the bird inside first thing Thursday morning so it starts to warm up and the center actually thaws.
Depending on where you live, a garage can work equally well for a long, slow thaw.
Pete Snyder at the Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management in St. Paul, Minnesota, has a summary available demonstrating the safety of thawing poultry at room temperature at http://www.hi-tm.com/Documents/Thaw-counter.html.
My group wrote a review note on the topic a few years ago, and it is included in its entirety at http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/2007/10/articles/food-safety-communication/how-to-thaw-poultry-ignore-government/ .
And however the bird is thawed (or not) verify the temperature using a tip-sensitive digital thermometer and cool the leftovers within two hours.
http://www.hi-tm.com/Documents2005/turkey-cook-frozen.pdf
http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/turkeythawingchart.html
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/blog/139385/07/10/06/thawing-and-cooking-turkey
http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/health/2010-11-24-YLsafeLeftovers24_st_N.htm?csp=34news&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+UsatodaycomHealth-TopStories+%28News+-+Health+-+Top+Stories%29
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/blog/139385/07/10/06/thawing-and-cooking-turkey
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/blog/139913/08/11/25/yes-virginia-you-can-thaw-turkey-counter
Turkey day in Raleigh a day earlier than normal
24.nov.10
barfblog
Ben Chapman
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/blog/145295/10/11/24/turkey-day-raleigh-day-earlier-normal
We're preparing our Thanksgiving meal today as my Mother-in-law, who's been here for the past week and is an enormous help with the new baby, is traveling back to Canada tomorrow. Stuffing, potatoes, squash and apple crisp are all prepared and chilling in the fridge. The bird is in the oven and is on target to be done around 5pm.
I've been getting some intermittent calls and emails from extension agents and others for some last minute tips; here are a few of the tidbits:
-Cooking turkeys overnight at a really low heat is still a common practice (without using a thermometer)– it's not a best practice and not recommended, especially without watching the temps of the meat as it cooks.
- It takes a few days to thaw a frozen turkey in the fridge — putting it in the fridge or on the porch now, in preparation for tomorrow is probably not be enough time. Cooking from frozen is a good alternative.
-The inside of the carcass is the most contaminated part — cross contamination while stuffing a bird (if that's the technique being used) can be a big problem.
-Timing of the meal is tough — heard an anecdote from an infosheet subscriber who attended a family meal a couple of years ago where the turkey was cooked and sat on the counter for 4+ hours as the rest of the meal was prepared.
Earlier in the week I spoke with Jeanna Bryner from LiveScience and we talked about some of the risks associated with Thanksgiving meals (including the infamous exploding-a-turkey-in-a-deep-fryer-trick).
From the article (http://www.livescience.com/health/thanksgiving-safe-turkey-tips-101123.html):
Don't wash the turkey. What?! "As soon as you have the pressure of the water hitting the turkey it can spray anything on the outside of that turkey around the kitchen," Chapman told LiveScience. Researchers in the United Kingdom recently found that forceful water hitting a turkey could spray its pathogens up to 3 feet (about 1 meter) away. Chapman recommends wiping the outside of the bird with a damp rag, and then immediately throwing that rag into the washing machine. "Treat that damp rag like a raw chicken," he said, adding that it likely contains the pathogens you're trying to avoid.
Cook that bird. "The most important thing is cooking that turkey to 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius), and there's only one way to know whether you've cooked it safely and that is to use a thermometer." Campylobacter and Salmonella can't grow until the temperature hits 41 degrees F, and they are killed off when the thermometer reaches 165 degrees F. While turkey juices do change from raw-meat pink to a clear color as the bird cooks, that doesn't equate with safe eating. Here's how to measure a turkey's doneness: Stick a tip-sensitive digital thermometer into perhaps eight to 10 spots on the turkey. If the thermometer reads at least 165 degrees F all around, it can come out. Chapman says to target areas of thick muscle away from the turkey cavity and bone, since the bone conducts heat much better than does the meat and so could give you a false reading.
Quick, get the bird in the fridge. As soon as the meal is done, Chapman suggests getting the turkey meat into the refrigerator, because if any pathogens were left on the meat they could start growing as soon as temperatures get below about 135 degrees F (57 degrees C).
And for your viewing pleasure here are some links to our holiday food safety infosheets and other relevant ones for the past couple of years:
Holiday meal food safety
http://foodsafetyinfosheets.wordpress.com/2010/11/19/holiday-meal-food-safety/
Avoid foodborne illness during the holidays
http://foodsafetyinfosheets.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/avoid-foodborne-illness-during-the-holidays/
Bathing birds is a food safety mess
http://foodsafetyinfosheets.wordpress.com/2010/08/16/bathing-birds-is-a-food-safety-mess/
Keeping poop off the plate
http://foodsafetyinfosheets.wordpress.com/2008/11/24/keeping-poop-off-the-plate-during-a-holiday-meal/
Avoid the runs around the holidays
http://foodsafetyinfosheets.wordpress.com/2007/12/21/avoid-the-runs-around-the-holidays/
Socializing for the holiday – food safety style
24.nov.10
barfblog
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/145296/10/11/24/socializing-holiday-%E2%80%93-food-safety-style
Michéle Samarya-Timm, a registered environmental health specialist with the Somerset County Department of Health in New Jersey (represent) writes:
Thanksgiving Day, as its name implies, is a time to give thanks. Many of us will travel far and wide to be with those who are important in our lives – you know – those whom we have been texting and Facebooking all year. In Thanksgivings past, socializing meant gathering with friends, family, loved ones and straggler students to share good food and good times. These days, being social around the holiday dinner table also takes on the meaning of regularly corresponding to all and sundry (a.k.a. our extended friends) about the food, the people, the football game, and the current goings on.
Modern technology and connectivity can be a wonderful thing for holiday fun.
Through sites like YouTube and Hulu, we can relive our favorite virtual Thanksgiving food safety moments –
"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." (WKRP) www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FXSnoy71Q4
"I can't cook a Thanksgiving dinner. All I can make is cold cereal and maybe toast." (A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving)
www.hulu.com/watch/193930/a-charlie-brown-thanksgiving
"If I cook the stuffing inside the turkey, is there a chance I could kill my guests?" (The West Wing).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TcGEcKjSu4
Ever consider that the same modern technology and connectivity can also function as an essential ingredient to safely feed ourselves and others. No one wants to relive Thanksgiving dinner ad nauseum. Surely we all have stories about Thanksgivings that didn't quite go as planned…Why take a chance that this year will top them all?
With electronic media and the web, we have everything we need at our fingertips, through on-demand videos, online metasearches, and virtual recipe collections. This year, put your laptops and iPhones to good use and avoid kitchen and food safety disasters by expanding your social network to include a few essential friends.
Share info on your favorite food safety apps with your loved ones – both those next to you and those virtually connected. Along with forwarding tidbits about Uncle's Bob's latest joke, or debating the aesthetic value of melting marshmallow peeps on sweet potatoes, you can help assure that while Thanksgiving gatherings may wreak havoc on the nerves, digestive systems won't be affected.
Selected web apps:
Ask Karen: www.fsis.usda.gov/food_safety_education/ask_karen/index.asp
Butterball mobile site: www.butterball.com/tips-how-tos/turkey-experts/mobile-site
Bites – Safe Food from Farm to Fork http://bites.ksu.edu/
Traditional phone:
Butterball Turkey Hotline: 1-800-288-8372
Reynolds Turkey Hotline: 1-800-745-4000
USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline: 1-800-535-4555
Doug Powell: deliberately unlisted ☺ 785-317-0560
Michéle Samarya-Timm is thankful for the many unnamed professionals who work to assure a safer food supply.
Salmonella in SOUTH DAKOTA; 4 kids confirmed ill, at least 20 suspected
24.nov.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/145294/10/11/24/salmonella-south-dakota-4-kids-confirmed-ill-least-20-suspected
Brown County, South Dakota, is reporting four children with confirmed Salmonella casesin in the past week and at least 20 other children have been ill, but not confirmed. The source of the has not been identified. Through November 23, a total of 154 cases of salmonellosis were reported in South Dakota for the year. Of these 154 cases, 23 (15%) have been from BrownCounty. Statewide 31% of the Salmonella cases have been children 14 years and younger.
http://www.state.sd.us/news/showDoc.aspx?i=12768
TENNESSEE: Local grocery store speaks out on food safety
24.nov.10
TriCities.com
Liz Marrs
http://www2.tricities.com/news/2010/nov/24/local-grocery-store-speaks-out-food-safety-ar-675374/
The area's largest local grocery store chain is in full support of new regulations that are aimed to keep your food safe.
Tuesday night, 11 Connects told you about Bill Francisco, who's pushing for new FDA food safety regulations. He lost his son to an E-coli infection six years ago.
Now, we're learning he's not alone.
Local grocery stores also back the Food Safety Modernization act that's currently up for consideration in the Senate.
"The last thing that you want is anyone to be sick as a result of food coming out of our stores or a processing plant that we do business with," says President and CEO of Food City Steve Smith.
That's why Smith says the supermarket industry supports the Food Safety Modernization Act.
ONTARIO: Pig-slaughter case sees Ottawa man cite charter
24.nov.10
CBC News
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2010/11/24/ottawa-pig-slaughter-charter-defence.html
An Ottawa man who faces charges after slaughtering a pig and sharing the meat with a friend wants an Ontario court judge to hear his case so he can mount a defence based on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Mark Tijssen was charged under the Ontario Food Safety and Quality Act last November after a friend left his home in the eastern Ottawa community of Carlsbad Springs with 40 pounds of pork from a pig they had slaughtered.
He faces charges of operating an unlicensed slaughterhouse and failing to have an animal inspected.
Under provincial law, people can slaughter an animal and consume the meat for personal use, but it is an offence to share that meat with others without being licensed.
In an appearance before Justice of the Peace John Balkwill to seek the return of equipment seized during a raid, Tijssen argued that a provincial court judge, and not a justice of the peace, should be hearing his case.
Tijssen, who is representing himself in court, said the right to security of the person is protected in the charter and argued that buying commercially inspected meat can put his family at risk.
EU scolds France in cheese row
25.nov.10
Herald Sun
AFP
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ipad-application/eu-scolds-france-in-cheese-row/story-fn6bn4mv-1225960552516
France has been accused of ignoring scientific advice in trade moves to protect prized cheesemakers.
"The European Commission has asked France to withdraw national measures obstructing trade in milk and milk products obtained from sheep and goats," the executive arm for the EU single market of half a billion consumers said in a statement.
"The request takes the form of a 'reasoned opinion' under EU infringement procedures," it spelled out, warning that "in the absence of a satisfactory response within two months, the commission may decide to refer France to the European Court of Justice".
The argument centres on the presence of scrapie, an incurable disease known to farmers for centuries that affects the nervous system of sheep and goats and is their equivalent of "mad cow disease."
Precautionary measures in were originally introduced during the crisis over BSE in British cattle, but the commission now says dairy products from infected animals do not transmit the illness to humans.
OREGON: Artisan Confections recalls Dagoba new moon™ Rich Dark Chocolate 74% cacao 0.32-ounce squares due to possible health risk
24.nov.10
Kansas Department of Agriculture
ASHLAND, ORE.-- Artisan Confections Company is voluntarily recalling a limited quantity of its Dagoba Organic Chocolate new moon Rich Dark Chocolate 74% cacao 0.32 ounce squares because they may contain Salmonella. No other sizes or Dagoba items are involved in this recall.
The recall involves 33 cases of 0.32 oz squares that were sold nationwide online and through natural/specialty food retail outlets after October 27, 2010. The only affected products were sold from display boxes labeled with the code 37HLB11, UPC 10474-55509. There have been no consumer complaints or reports of illness associated with this product.
Food contaminated with Salmonella may not look or smell spoiled. Consumption of a food contaminated with Salmonella may cause symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Long-term complications may include severe arthritis. These symptoms could be serious and life-threatening in young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems.
The item was produced at a third-party manufacturer. The recall was initiated after quality checks indicated the presence of salmonella in a single sample.
Consumers who have purchased the item in question should contact Artisan Confections Consumer Relations at 866-608-6944. (9 a.m to 4 p.m. EST)
US: Bravo Farms announces cheese recall, some products sold under Whole Foods Market label in 5 Western states
24.nov.10
FDA
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm234903.htm?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
AUSTIN, TX -- Whole Foods Market announces that one of its suppliers, Bravo Farms of Traver, California, has issued a voluntary recall due to evidence of Listeria and E. coli contamination at their plant. Bravo's products at Whole Foods Market stores in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington are part of this recall since they were cut and packaged in clear plastic wrap and sold with a "Distributed by Whole Foods Market" sticker.
All of the following products are included in this recall:
* Sage Cheddar
* Silver Mountain Cheddar
* Chipotle Cheddar
* Premium Block Cheddar
* Premium White Chunk Cheddar
* Chipotle Chunk Cheddar
* White Black Wax Cheddar
Signage is posted in Whole Foods Market stores to notify customers of this recall.
No illnesses have been reported to date.
Consumers who have purchased any of the listed products from Whole Foods Market may return them to the store for a full refund.
Consumers with questions may contact Whole Foods Market at 512-542-0878.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Irradiation of food safe, experts claim
24.nov.10
zawya
http://www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidZAWYA20101124112402/Irradiation%20of%20Food%20Safe,%20Experts%20Claim
Abu Dhabi -- Eminent international experts on radiation in food and agriculture argued in unison at a seminar in the capital that the application of nuclear techniques would help in the enhancement of food safety and security in many ways.
The application of nuclear techniques offers effective solutions to many hitherto insurmountable obstacles to food security and helps deal better with the issue of declining agricultural productivity around the world.
The experts were speaking at the Radiation Day workshop held by Abu Dhabi Food Control on the sidelines of SIAL Middle East at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
The nuclear technologies and bio-technologies that are being developed currently can - when integrated with more conventional methods - trigger a second green revolution that is much more eco-friendly than the first, claimed David H. Byron, Head of the Food and Environmental Protection Section of the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna..
Byron said that nuclear techniques contribute significantly to reducing insecticide use and agricultural losses and facilitates agricultural trade through the eradication of major pests in crops animals.
"The growth of agricultural productivity been falling steadily from 2.9% in the 1960s, and is projected to continue falling to 0.4% in the 2040s. This is far too low to meet the continuing population growth and rise in consumer demand," he argued, saying that irradiation techniques provide the much needed remedy to most of such situations.
HE Dr. Mariam Hareb Sultan Al-Yousuf, Executive Director Of Policy and Regulation Sector at ADFCA said that the workshop on radiation was a pioneering initiative. "Its purpose is not merely to highlight the application of nuclear technology, but also to begin a process of creating awareness about the subject among the general public.
Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority is committed to keeping pace with all the latest scientific developments in its spheres of operations," he clarified, welcoming the experts to the event.
MASSACHUSETS and CONNECTICUT: Stop & Shop alerts customers to Calabro All Natural Rotolini recall
24.nov.10
The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stop--shop-alerts-customers-to-calabro-all-natural-rotolini-recall-110480144.html
QUINCY, Mass. -- Following a manufacturer's recall by Calabro Cheese, Stop & Shop alerted customers to the recall of Calabro rotolini meat and cheese roll appetizer products due to possible listeria contamination.
The following product carried in 18 Stop & Shop stores in Massachusetts and Connecticut has been recalled:
* 8-ounce packages of Calabro Rotolini Gold Mozzarello & Prosciutto, with a UPC code of 7171500380
To date, Calabro Cheese has received no reports of illness associated with consumption of this product. Customers who have purchased this product should return any unused portions or bring their purchase receipt to a Stop & Shop store for a full refund.
Consumers with questions about the recall should contact Calabro's Customer Service Representative Tijae Silva at (203) 469-1311, Ext. 101.
Listeria is a common organism found in nature. Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal disease. Healthy people rarely contract listeriosis. However, listeriosis can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. Listeriosis can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths, as well as serious and sometimes fatal infections in those with weakened immune systems, such as infants, the elderly and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy.
Framework for microbial food-safety risk assessments amenable to Bayesian modeling
24.nov.10
Risk Analysis
Michael S. Williams, Eric D. Ebel1, David Vose
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1539-6924.2010.01532.x/abstract;jsessionid=6A77AF6447A071863D730CDBAC41D33D.d01t01
Regulatory agencies often perform microbial risk assessments to evaluate the change in the number of human illnesses as the result of a new policy that reduces the level of contamination in the food supply. These agencies generally have regulatory authority over the production and retail sectors of the farm-to-table continuum. Any predicted change in contamination that results from new policy that regulates production practices occurs many steps prior to consumption of the product. This study proposes a framework for conducting microbial food-safety risk assessments; this framework can be used to quantitatively assess the annual effects of national regulatory policies. Advantages of the framework are that estimates of human illnesses are consistent with national disease surveillance data (which are usually summarized on an annual basis) and some of the modeling steps that occur between production and consumption can be collapsed or eliminated. The framework leads to probabilistic models that include uncertainty and variability in critical input parameters; these models can be solved using a number of different Bayesian methods. The Bayesian synthesis method performs well for this application and generates posterior distributions of parameters that are relevant to assessing the effect of implementing a new policy. An example, based on Campylobacter and chicken, estimates the annual number of illnesses avoided by a hypothetical policy; this output could be used to assess the economic benefits of a new policy. Empirical validation of the policy effect is also examined by estimating the annual change in the numbers of illnesses observed via disease surveillance systems.
The role of emotions in risk communication
24.nov.10
Risk Analysis
Xiao-Fei Xie, Mei Wang, Ruo-Gu Zhang, Jie Li, Qing-Yuan Yu
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1539-6924.2010.01530.x/abstract
We present two experiments investigating the role of emotions concerning technological and natural hazards. In the first experiment, technological hazards aroused stronger emotions, and were considered to be riskier than natural hazards. No differences were found between the texts versus audio presentations. However, the presence of pictures aroused stronger emotions and increased the perceived risk. Emotions play a mediating role between hazard types and perceived risk, as well as between pictures and perceived risk. The second experiment adopted real-world materials from webpages and TV. Emotions again play a mediating role between pictorial information and risk perception. Moreover, specific emotions were found to be associated with different types of action tendencies. For example, loss-based emotions (e.g., fear, regret) tend to lead to prevention strategies, whereas ethical emotions (e.g., anger) lead to aggressive behavior. We also find that loss-based emotions in the technical hazard scenario trigger more coping strategies (from prevention to retaliation) than in the natural hazard scenario.
bites is produced by Dr. Douglas Powell and food safety friends at Kansas State University. For further information, please contact dpowell@ksu.edu or check out bites.ksu.edu.
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