| November 20, 2009 |
| FDA's new Food Code cites leafy greens, ground beef |
Cut leafy greens, the source of several foodborne illness outbreaks during the past decade, must now be handled in accordance with time-and-temperature guidelines, according to the latest version of the Food and Drug Administration's Food Code. |
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| November 20, 2009 |
| Couple accused of poisoning restaurant customers |
Two former employees of Mi Ranchito are accused of intentionally poisoning 48 patrons at the chain’s Lenexa, Kan., restaurant in August. One of the suspects allegedly mixed a pesticide into the restaurant's salsa.  |
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| November 20, 2009 |
| Asking about H1N1can expose risk to lawsuit |
Picture the following scenario: Sally the server has just arrived for her shift, but she doesn’t look well. She is coughing, hoarse with a sore throat and just asked a coworker to feel her forehead for fever. |
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| November 20, 2009 |
| Pre-emptive protection keeps guests, operators safe |
The power of prevention was repeatedly lauded during the fourth annual Food Safety Symposium, held recently in this city. |
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| November 20, 2009 |
| Kansas restaurant illnesses investigated as possible crimes |
Amid an unconfirmed report that salsa may have been tainted with pesticide, Kansas state officials said Sunday that a criminal investigation has begun related to two incidences in August in which guests of the Mi Ranchito restaurant in Lenexa, Kan., suddenly fell ill while dining.  |
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| November 20, 2009 |
| Salmonella worries prompt spinach recall |
Ippolito International LP Friday said concern about possible salmonella contamination prompted it to recall 1,515 cartons of bunched spinach under the “Queen Victoria” brand that it sold to foodservice operators and others in multiple states and Canada.  |
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| November 20, 2009 |
| How to prepare your restaurant for a swine flu outbreak |
With summer coming to a close and autumn just around the corner, public health officials are forecasting the arrival of flu season together with the more serious return of the H1N1 pandemic virus, more commonly known as the swine flu.  |
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| November 20, 2009 |
| Calif. food-safety flap fuels system’s critics |
The ongoing investigation here of three moonlighting food inspectors who face allegations of improprieties when administering food-safety certification exams has raised questions about the oversight of such programs nationwide, a public health official has charged. |
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| November 20, 2009 |
| Cause of illness at Kansas eatery likely IDed |
Owners of the Mi Ranchito restaurant here, which has been closed since Sunday when a mysterious illness hit at least 20 guests, said Wednesday they have corrected the problem believed by some health and water department officials to have caused the outbreak: improperly installed drink machine lines.  |
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| November 20, 2009 |
| Investigators seek source of outbreak at Kansas eatery |
The Mi Ranchito restaurant here will remain closed until management and public health agencies can determine why approximately 20 patrons on Sunday suffered nausea, vomiting and dizziness – the second such incident in 19 days, according to state officials. |
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| November 20, 2009 |
| Calif. ops told food-safety certifications are suspect |
More than 520 restaurant operators across California were notified Tuesday that their employees’ food-safety certification is no longer valid because of inappropriate testing and certification procedures by three moonlighting food inspectors.  |
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| November 20, 2009 |
| Ill. health officials link McD unit to Hepatitis A outbreak |
State and local health officials here Tuesday continued giving either Hepatitis A vaccinations or immune globulin shots to consumers who ate at a franchised McDonald's in nearby Milan July 6-10 or July 13-14, where Illinois authorities said an employee diagnosed with Hepatitis reportedly worked while infectious.  |
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| November 20, 2009 |
| NRA praises new food safety proposals |
The National Restaurant Association praised the White House's recommendations to upgrade and strengthen the nation's food safety system. |
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| November 20, 2009 |
| NRA, NCCR raise issues with food safety bill |
Two major foodservice industry groups have voiced concerns about an anticipated federal measure that seeks to overhaul the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and address problems with the nation’s food supply. |
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| November 20, 2009 |
| CDC: Norovirus, salmonella leading causes of foodborne illnesses |
Norovirus and salmonella were the leading causes of foodborne disease outbreaks in 2006, the most recent year for which such data are available, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. |
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| November 20, 2009 |
| The latest food product recalls |
A number of food products used by restaurateurs and institutional feeders have recently been recalled, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety & Inspection Service. Affected products include ground beef, duck confit and kolbase sausage. |
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| November 20, 2009 |
| Anticipated food safety bill raises industry concerns |
Two major foodservice industry groups have voiced concerns about an anticipated federal measure that seeks to overhaul the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and address problems with the nation’s food supply.  |
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| November 20, 2009 |
| Industry: Info an Rx for fighting off flu |
As more than 35,000 restaurateurs in Mexico City waited for the local government to sound the all-clear signal allowing them to reopen their dining rooms, operators in the United States earlier this month were taking measures to help deal with the growing swine flu outbreak at home. |
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| November 20, 2009 |
| Nothing to sneeze at: Business not sick despite outbreak, operators say |
As fears about swine flu mounted in late April, operators of Mexican restaurants and those specializing in pork braced for the possible fallout. By early May, however, it appeared that consumer backlash had at least initially been evaded and efforts to rename the type A influenza virus H1N1 were helping. |
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| November 20, 2009 |
| FDA advises halting use of alfalfa sprouts |
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has advised consumers to stop eating raw alfalfa sprouts and blends containing them until further notice because of possible salmonella Saintpaul contamination.  |
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