On October 22, 2012,  Higa Meat & Pork Market, a Honolulu, HI establishment, is recalling approximately 4,100 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.

The following products are subject to recall:

• 10-lb. bags of “HIGA MARKET-GROUND BEEF BULK” – 1 to 6 bags per carton/case.

Each case bears the establishment number “EST. 12457M” inside the USDA mark of inspection, as well as the identifying case code number: “291.” The products were produced on Oct. 17, 2012 and were distributed to restaurants in the Oahu, HI area.

THIS IS A CLASS I RECALL  – HIGH RISK!!

NOVEMBER 9^TH, 2012 – Spence & Co Ltd, Brockton MA, a smoked salmon company is voluntarily recalling New York-Style Nova Lox, 4oz, Code/Lot: 9720704 due to an abundance of caution because of possible contamination by Listeria monocytogenes.

The recall affects a total of 1,563 packs of Spence & co Ltd New York Style Nova Lox Lot 9720704.

The recalled product is identified and distributed as follows:

Through Distributors in IL, MO, NJ, MA and in the Detroit area between 9.26.12 and 10.5.12

It has also been distributed to the following retail stores

Earthfare: AL, NC, GA, SC, TN, FL & OH between 9.28.12 and 10.5.12.

Shaws Supermarkets: New England on 9.28.12. (expiration date 10.21.12)

Roche Bros: MA on 9.26.12 (expiration date 10.19.12).

Fresh Markets: In FL,GA,KY,IL,AL,AZ,OH,TN,SC,VA,IN,MI,OK & KS.

2 possible product related illnesses have been reported, the bacterium was discovered during routine sampling.

Many of you know I have a daughter that plays soccer.  This Sunday was our last week of fall season play and we had two games.  Between the games we treated the girls to an impromptu pizza party at a pizza shop near one of our games.  I had eaten there before and recommended Fortunato Brothers in Edgewood, MD.  The team and parents took over 1/2 the restaurants seats.  We ordered and ate.  Everything was excellent.  Service was good and a walk to the bathroom allowed a peak into the kitchen area.  My quick “inspection” was good!

As we were leaving the gentleman behind the counter, I am presuming the owner or manager, calls to me and hands me two take out boxes.  Hmm, I didn’t order anything to go…a peak inside and oh yum he made the girls what I would call fried dough.  Hot and covered in sugar.  It took all I had to not devour them before I had time to give to the girls.

Such a small gesture had the entire team talking about how nice a place it was and how good the food was.  So if you are ever in Edgewood, MD and want to have some wonderful Italian food give Fortunato Brothers a visit!  And notice  the American Flag over the counter!

 November 1, 2012 — Charlee Bear Products announced today that it is voluntarily recalling certain lots of its Protein Crunch Bar products because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.  We have posted before about the risk to humans when pet food contains a bacteria.   Always wash hands after handling pet food or treats.  Don’t forget about making sure our little helpers are washing hands as well. Children 0-4 are more likely to have medical complications from coming in contact with Salmonella Bacteria.

The following products are being recalled:

• Charlee Bear Protein Crunch Bars – Chicken Recipe with Carrots
  5.5 oz packages; UPC Code: 8710890000
  Lot number 19812; Best by date: 07-16-2015
  Lot number 19912; Best by date: 07-17-2015
  Lot number 20012; Best by date: 07-18-2015
  Lot number 20212; Best by date: 07-20-2015
• Charlee Bear Protein Crunch Bars – Chicken Recipe with Sweet Potatoes
  5.5 oz packages; UPC Code: 8710890001
  Lot number 20112; Best by date: 07-19-2015

Lake Trout

During a discussion with staff at my favorite seafood shop about fried fish the topic of “Fried Whiting” vs “Lake Trout” was brought up.  I took the position that Lake Trout is Lake Trout and Whiting is Whiting.  Well depending where you are located matters.  I am from Baltimore, born and raised.  When visiting Baltimore City it does not take long to see signs on small shops proudly stating “Lake Trout Sold Here”  It never occurred to me how are these shops selling Lake Trout so inexpensively.  Well that is where geographic location matters.

Silver Hake AKA Whiting

In Baltimore and other cities like Philadelphia and New York, Fried Lake Trout is actually Whiting.  So, what is Whiting?  That is where this story gets another twist.  Whiting is actually not a fish species.  In Baltimore the term Whiting is actually referring to Atlantic caught Silver Hake.  However, on the Maryland DNR website there are fish noted as  Northern Whiting and Northern Whiting Kingfish.  Confused yet?  Me too.

So, I was right, there is an actual fish called Lake Trout, just ask anyone from Michigan.  However, I do stand corrected, if you are in Baltimore, and you are buying fried fish in a brown bag called Lake Trout is most likely the less expensive and more locally available mild whitefish with the common name of Whiting.  Phew.  Got that.  Under any name – Lake Trout or Fried Whiting, it is a Baltimore favorite and deliciousness in a bag.

I am on a secret project for a client and it involves me doing some food experimentation.  I can’t say much since it is hush hush, however, it is fun to play around again with spices, seasoning and different flavor combinations.

I could use your help though.  What have been your favorite foods when grabbing dinner on the road or cooking at home?  Is spicy your new thing? Are you enjoying the new dinner entrees that include a fruit component? How about nutrition – is that on the top of your list?  I just really want to know what is important to you!

Did you know that Sliced Tomatoes need refrigeration?

There is a lot of information out there on how to avoid foodborne illness during a power outage. Many people and businesses up and down the east coast are without power today thanks to Sandy. I have read quite a few blogs, twitter and Facebook posts that suggest things like, your food is okay for 12 hours if the door is not opened or it is okay if you cook it first.  Both not always true.

It all comes down to time and temperature.  Bacteria need time to grow and when the temperatures are more favorable they grow faster.  Bacteria that comes from humans, like Staphylococcal Gastroenteritis (30-50% of healthy humans have Staph in their nose) and Norovirus could have been transferred to the food by a family member.

Here are the rules and they are rather simple.  If you have a potentially  hazardous food, often called TCS food it should not be eaten if it has been held above 41 ° for more than 4 hours.   Most potentially hazardous or TCS foods are ones that you commonly think of as perishables.  However, a few may surprise you.  A full list of potentially hazardous foods can be found on our website here.

If you power comes on and you are not home to check the temperature of the food at its worse then assume the worse and throw it out!

Stay safe and if you have specific questions please feel free to ask here or on Facebook

Image courtesy of ponsulak / freedigitalphotos.net

Food Safety Tip:

Keep nails trimmed short, do not wear nail polish and NEVER wear fake nails. All employees that handle food need to have good personal hygiene and it all starts with good nail care. A food handler can not properly clean under the nails if they can not see what is there. In addition finding a physical contaminate, like a fake nail, in your food not only bad for your bottom line imagine if someone chokes on it.

Bottom Line: If you are an employee keep your nails short and trimmed. Employers – require your employee comply with the law.

Kroger Co announced in a press release dated October 19th that they will stop selling raw sprouts on October 22, 2012.  I have talked about the risk of sprouts when teaching  ServSafe® Food Manager courses.  Sprouts have a long history of recalls and illness.  In a USA today  article by Elizabeth Weise the following list of recent large recalls were noted:

-April 2012. Clover sprouts linked to infection with an E. coli variant in 29 people infected in 11 states.
-June 2011. Alfalfa sprouts contaminated with salmonella enteritidis sickened 21 people in five states, three of whom required hospitalization.
-May-June 2011. Fenugreek sprouts sickened more than 4,300 people and killed 50 in Europe, the United States and Canada.
-April-July 2011. Alfalfa sprouts and spicy sprout mix were linked to salmonella enteritidis that affected 25 people in five states.
-Nov. 2010-Feb. 2011. “Tiny greens” alfalfa sprouts and “spicy sprouts” sickened 140 people with salmonella in 26 states; 24% are hospitalized.

Of course we can not forget  the largest outbreak linked to sprouts.  Go back to 1996 in Japan, when 6,000 people got sick and 17 died after eating radish sprouts contaminated with E. coli.

Why are sprouts so dangerous? 

It comes down to how they are grown.  In a warm, moist environment.  The same environment that is perfect for the growth of bacteria.  Salmonella and E. coli are the two most common bacteria related to outbreaks.

How can the bacterial growth on sprouts be prevented?

Good question. The simple answer is nothing is working.  Chemical treatment is still ineffective and many sprout proponents do not like the idea of treating sprout seeds and beans with chlorine.  Heat is another method for reducing bacteria.  However, that would terminate the germination process.

Wal-Mart removed sprouts from shelves in 2010 and I believe that more companies will continue to follow suit.

More technical information for retailers and growers can be found on the FDA website.

Krogers Press release can be found here

On October 17, 2012, Dole Fresh Vegetables voluntarily recalled a limited number of cases of Dole American Blend salad in 12 oz. bags, coded A275208A or B, with Use-by date of October 17 and UPC 7143000933, due to a possible health risk from Listeria monocytogenes. Dole Fresh Vegetables is coordinating closely with regulatory officials. No illnesses have been reported in association with the recall.