The theme of this year’s National Food Safety Month is the “Notorious Virus”, which includes an emphasis on the prevention and control of Norovirus. Please check out the recent press release from Cobb & Douglas Public Health to learn more about Norovirus and gain access to other food safety resources, such as our Food Safety Partnership Panels.
Always remember to think Food Safety!
Drinkable water is used abundantly in food service establishments, so what are your options if that water source is interrupted? Galen Baxter, Food Program Director for the Georgia Department of Health’s Division of Environmental Health, partnered with the Georgia Restaurant Association to present a webinar entitled: “Water Interruption – Incapacitation or Inconvenience?” This program is about 30 minutes long and provides an overview of the different types of Emergency Water Interruption notices issued by the the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Environmental Protection Division, along with some basic guidance for food service establishments in the event of a water interruption event. You will also have the opportunity to review the responsibilities of the person-in-charge before and during an event and more.
To view this informative webinar, just go to the following link and click on the “View the Presentation” button (Note: A brief registration is required to view the webinar):
Food safety is not just important in food service facilities but in your home as well. Check out the link below for fun facts and activities designed to enhance food safety awareness.
A co-worker and I recently inspected a fast food facility, and we noticed that they had a problem with roaches in the kitchen (my co-worker quickly spotted one crawling along an electrical cord). As we began to inspect other areas of the kitchen, we saw buckets full of grease and food debris along the coved base of the floor, but one thing that really stood out in this roach-saga was their broom and dustpan. This dastardly “cleaning” duo could easily serve as a well stocked food court for many pests.
We immediately reminded the person in charge (PIC) about the importance of keeping non-food contact surfaces clean, especially as a means to help prevent a pest infestation. This illustrates the importance of routinely cleaning non-food contact surfaces, and it shows how quickly things can get out of control when this task is overlooked.
Along with writing up a violation under Item# 18 for Pest and Animal Control, this violation was also marked under Item# 15C, for uncleanliness of non–food contact surfaces. As the Rules and Regulations for Food Service states, these non-food contact surfaces must be cleaned at a sufficient frequency to prevent the accumulation of soil and debris.
– Contributed by Casey Saenz, EHS
Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary W. Black is alerting Georgians to the recall of various Chapel Hill Creamery cheese products, made in North Carolina and distributed in Georgia, due to potential health risks. Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) inspectors will be checking retail stores, distribution centers and warehouses to make sure the recalled products have been removed from sale. Here is the information via the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA):
Chapel Hill Creamery in Chapel Hill, NC, is recalling all Chapel Hill Creamery cheese products because of a potential association with an outbreak of Salmonella infections. Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, the elderly, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea that is often bloody, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in more severe illnesses.
Health officials have identified recent cases of Salmonella infection in persons who consumed Chapel Hill Creamery products. To date, no illnesses have been confirmed in Georgia linked to this outbreak.
The recalled products were distributed at retail stores, farmers markets, and restaurants in Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina and Virginia. The products involved in the recall include all codes, packages and sizes of the following varieties of cheese manufactured by Chapel Hill Creamery:
• Quark
• Danziger
• Swiss
• Paneer
• Calvander
• Hot Farmers Cheese
• New Moon
• Smoked Mozzarella
• Fresh Mozzarella
• Burrata
• Hickory Grove
• Carolina Moon
• Smoked Farmers Cheese
• Dairyland Farmers Cheese
• Pheta
Chapel Hill Creamery is working in cooperation with the public health and regulatory officials in North Carolina to identify the source of the Salmonella. The company will provide updated information on its website chapelhillcreamery.com as it becomes available; additionally, a local health department in North Carolina has provided a hot line (919) 245-2378 for questions.
This is one of several recalls impacting Georgia this week. To view a comprehensive list or sign up for e-mail alerts, please visit www.agr.georgia.gov/recalls.aspx. If this recall expands or additional details become available, the website will provide the most up-to-date information. Also follow the GDA on Twitter @GDAFoodSafety for recall alerts and food safety tips.
At the recent NACCHO Annual Conference in Phoenix, AZ, Cobb & Douglas Public Health was recognized for their efforts in both producing and sustaining their Food Safety Partnership Panels. You can get the full story at the following link:
http://www.cobbanddouglaspublichealth.com/2016/07/cdph-honored-excellence-public-health/
Join us as we take a look at lessons learned from the infamous Typhoid Mary, reminding viewers of important principles that need to be adhered to in order to help minimize the possibility of disease transmission via food.
Each partnership panel is approximately 30 minutes long and all 10 may be found on our website at http://www.cobbanddouglaspublichealth.com/environmental-health/food-services/ .
