Food Protection Trends - October 2011 - (Page 608)

“FOOD FOR THOuGHT” from YOuR PrESIDENT W hat a difference 100 years makes! 100 years ago, we had no antibiotics, no milk cartons, no frozen foods, no McDonald’s – check out the timeline on our Web site for more! When IAFP was founded, the goal was to improve the quality of milk. A number of diseases were transmitted through milk at that time, so we were at the forefront of improving public health. At our Annual Meeting this year, we had a symposium on the history of dairy microbiology, which helped us to remember those pioneering efforts from a century ago, and also reminds us of the work that still needs to be done. Today we focus on all foods, not just dairy products, and feel we have resolved many of the dairy issues, but globally, tuberculosis and brucellosis from raw, unpasteurized milk remain important public health issues. In the U.S., there is a movement going back to drinking raw milk, as there are some who believe that raw milk is healthier and better for them. We had a meeting in Washington, D. C. of the Capital Area Food Protection Association, our local IAFP Affiliate, on food safety issues related to raw milk. I reported on some outbreaks associated with raw milk and raw milk cheeses, including some from Shiga toxin producing (STEC) E. coli, a particularly nasty pathogen. The meeting was advertised widely, and some of the attendees advocated drinking raw milk. One individual claimed that drinking raw milk had cured her allergies. A nutrition counselor told us that she recommended it to her clients, with much success – although I’m not sure what she meant by this. All CAFPA speakers noted the difficulty with ensuring the safety of raw milk and I strongly recommended to the audience not to allow By ISABEL WALLS PRESIDENT “Raising awareness of food safety issues will hopefully lead to their reduction” children to drink raw milk. I hope we got our message across. Risk communication is often the most important thing we do, as a food safety community, and we should take every opportunity to do this. I encourage you to join your local Affiliate, if you are not yet a member. You can find a list of Affiliates on our Web site. If there is no local Affiliate in your area, start one up! Information on how to do this is also on our Web site. Affiliates can be a great networking opportunity! STEC E. coli have been responsible for a number of outbreaks of food and waterborne diseases. At IAFP 2011, many of you were lucky enough to get a free copy of the book Poisoned from Bill Marler, a trial lawyer, who has represented individuals who have suffered from foodborne diseases. The book tells the story of the children who were sickened and those who died in the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in the Western States in 1992 and 1993, their parents, and the lawyers who represented them. It also tells of the work of Dave Theno, who instituted food safety controls into the restaurant chain where kids got sick, resulting in many improvements to the safety of the meat supply, many of which were adopted by other restaurant chains and food companies. As I read the book, it reminded me of what a terrible, painful illness O157:H7 causes, and I recall someone remarking that the letter “E” in E. coli stands for Evil. As a mother, I cannot imagine anything worse than helplessly watching your child in pain. As a food safety community, we have to do all we can to prevent this from happening. The book reminds us of why our work is so important, whatever our role. If you received a copy, once you have finished reading it, please share it with your colleagues, family and friends. Raising awareness of food safety issues will hopefully lead to their reduction. At the IAFP Annual Meeting, we had a symposium on the latest European outbreak associated with E. coli O104:H4 in Fenugreek seed sprouts. Patrick Fach, one of the symposium presenters, informed us that this was caused by a new pathogen, not seen 608 FOOD PROTECTION TRENDS | OCTOBER 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Food Protection Trends - October 2011

Food Protection Trends - October 2011
Table of Contents
Sustaining Members
Food for Thought from Your President
Commentary from the Executive Director
Beliefs and Perceptions of School Foodservice Personnel about Following a HACCP-based Program
Mitigating Cross Contamination in Four Retail Foodservice Sectors
General Interest Paper – Food Safety and Spoilage: Courts Favor Reasonable Expectations of Food Companies for Product Loss
New Members
What’s Happening in Food Safety
Industry Products
Coming Events
Advertising Index
Journal of Food Protection Table of Contents
Membership Application

Food Protection Trends - October 2011