Category Archives: Food Illnesses

by | August 12, 2010 · 6:41 pm

Hospitality Industry Foodborne Illnesses: Poultry (17%), Beef (16%) And Leafy Vegetables Cause Most Illnesses Reported That Included 18 Deaths In 2007 In U.S.

Among the 497 foodborne outbreaks with a laboratory-confirmed single etiologic agent reported, norovirus was the most common cause, followed by Salmonella. Among the 18 reported deaths, 11 were attributed to bacterial etiologies (five Salmonella, three Listeria monocytogenes, two Escherichia coli O157:H7, and one Clostridium botulinum), two to viral etiologies (norovirus), and one to a chemical (mushroom toxin).

Foodborne agents cause an estimated 76 million illnesses annually in the United States (1). Outbreak surveillance provides insights into the causes of foodborne illness, types of implicated foods, and settings of foodborne infections that can be used in food safety strategies to prevent and control foodborne disease. CDC collects data on foodborne disease outbreaks submitted from all states and territories. This report summarizes epidemiologic data for the 1,097 reported outbreaks occurring during 2007 (the most recent finalized data), which resulted in 21,244 cases of foodborne illness and 18 deaths. Among the 497 foodborne outbreaks with a laboratory-confirmed single etiologic agent reported, norovirus was the most common cause, followed by Salmonella. Among the 18 reported deaths, 11 were attributed to bacterial etiologies (five Salmonella, three Listeria monocytogenes, two Escherichia coli O157:H7, and one Clostridium botulinum), two to viral etiologies (norovirus), and one to a chemical (mushroom toxin). Four deaths occurred in outbreaks with unknown etiologies. Among the 235 outbreaks attributed to a single food commodity, poultry (17%), beef (16%), and leafy vegetables (14%) were most often the cause of illness.

For more:   http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Non-food/Disease/foodborne_illness_1208100621.html

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by | August 9, 2010 · 2:10 pm

Hospitality Industry Employee Safety Training: OSHA Training Provisions Require That Management “Ensure That Employees Are Comprehending Instruction”, Specifically Lockout, Respiratory Protection And Bloodborne Pathogens

“If a reasonable person would conclude that the employer had not conveyed the training to its employees in a manner they were capable of understanding, then the violation may be cited as serious.”

OSHA’s general policy is that if an employee receives job instructions in a language other than English, training and information must also be conveyed in that language. Similarly, if employees are not literate, telling them to read training materials will not satisfy the employer’s training obligation.

OSHA adds that its training provisions contain a variety of specific requirements to ensure that employees are comprehending instruction. For example, standards covering lockout/tagout, respiratory protection, and bloodborne pathogens each require that employers take measures to ascertain the level to which the employee has comprehended the safety provisions.

For more:   http://enviro.blr.com/environmental-news/EHS-management/industrial-facility-compliance-training/Workers-Must-Understand-Training-118317/

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by | August 3, 2010 · 3:15 am

Hospitality Industry Food Safety: Restaurant Owners Must Improve Food Handling And Cooking Skills

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztzZJye-D58]

Foodborne diseases cause an estimated 75 million illnesses in the
United States each year. To keep you from getting sick, some area
restaurant owners are brushing up on their skills

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