Food Protection Trends - August 2010 - 499

WhAT’S hAPPENING IN FOOD SAFETY
In 1984, Dalles, Oregon experienced the first and singlelargest food bio-terrorist attack in United States history. More than 750 people were diagnosed with Salmonella after eating at salad bars that were intentionally contaminated in ten local restaurants. The event heightened the visibility of public health and their responsibilities in food safety and disease monitoring in the food service industry. Multnomah County’s Food Defense Toolkit, funded by the Food and Drug Administration, uses an 8-point risk assessment system to prompt restaurant managers to monitor frequently overlooked security areas and offers suggested remedies that can be tailored to each restaurant’s unique situation. An employee training guide, training videos and posters complete the toolkit. “An alert and well-trained staff makes intentional contamination of food very difficult. Our goal is to give restaurants the tools they need to protect the public’s health,” says Lila Wickham, environmental health manager for Multnomah County Health Department. The Food Defense Toolkit is available online http://www. mchealthinspect.org/restaurant. html#defense. includes those appurtenances necessary to meet pasteurization requirements. The scope of this standard includes the points where the product enters and exits the non-coil type batch pasteurizer. 3-A Sanitary Standard for Double-Seat Mixproof Valves (85–01) was revised with significant technical changes to maintain consistency with the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO). This standard covers the sanitary aspects of double-seat mixproof valves used on processing equipment and on equipment and lines which hold or convey milk, milk products, and other comestibles. These valves cannot be used to separate raw milk and milk products from pasteurized milk, milk products, and other comestibles. All 3-A Symbol holders must verify conformance to the latest revision of the standard covering their equipment in the next license renewal period. Copies of the new standards are now available for purchase in electronic format or printed version through the 3-A SSI Web site at www.3-a.org. decisions even before they put a product in their grocery cart or open the package to prepare a meal for their family,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The app was unveiled by the General Services Administration as part of the new mobile app store on the updated USA.gov Web site. The new Mobile Apps store at USA.gov will collect all in one place the mobile applications developed throughout the federal government. Using information from several agencies across the government, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Products Recall app for smartphones is a powerful tool that will help reduce foodborne illness and enhance the lives of Americans. It puts information about any recalled products – including foods – at consumers’ fingertips. The app allows consumers to view the most recent recall press releases and any pictures associated with those products. Consumers can get information of specific interest to them using a feature on the app that searches recalled products by product name or category. The app’s “report incident” feature allows consumers to connect directly with their government to report concerns of unsafe products. A “tips” option will feature rotating educational messages for consumers about a variety of products, such as highlighting safe food-handling tips as popular cooking holidays approach. “Our goal is to quickly inform the public and media when food products are recalled. This app puts the information directly in the hands of consumers, giving them the power to take action,” said USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety Jerold Mande.

3-A SSI Issues Comprehensive Revisions of Two Standards -A Sanitary Standards, Inc. has announced the release of two major revisions of key 3-A Sanitary Standards. 3-A Sanitary Standard for NonCoil Batch Pasteurizers (24–03) is the first major revision of this standard in five years. This standard covers the sanitary aspects of noncoil type batch pasteurizers used to pasteurize milk, fluid milk products, or other fluid food products and

New Smartphone App Alerts Consumers to Food and Product Recall Info opular technology will now help Americans verify what they eat is safe. The U.S. Government’s Products Recall app for the Android smartphone is now available at the revamped USA.gov Web site, and the apps for Blackberry and iPhone are soon to follow. “Alerting consumers quickly to food and product recall information through this technology can prevent untold illness and save lives. Instead of trying to find recalls on many different Web sites at home, consumers who download this tool can use technology to make informed

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http://www.USA.gov http://www.USA.gov http://www.3-a.org http://www.mchealthinspect.org/restaurant.html#defense http://www.mchealthinspect.org/restaurant.html#defense http://www.mchealthinspect.org/restaurant.html#defense http://www.USA.gov

Food Protection Trends - August 2010

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