Hey guys!

Welcome to this belated week’s blog entry, written by me, Keith! Time for a look at some of the food and health & safety stories from around the word. Let’s get started:

Its not Chicken Licking Good!

(BBC news, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15990940)

Its seems that 90% of cases of the most common food poisoning was cause by undercooked chicken liver pate, which is commonly eaten at weddings.

Campylobacter, which is one of the most common forms of food poisoning, caused 443 people to be ill, and one to go to hospital over 2011. Last year, it was estimated that there may have been more than 600,000 cases in the England and Wales.

In 2011 there were 18 outbreaks of the disease, which has risen in comparison from 2008, in which there was only 3.

Caterers can reduce the risk of their people becoming infected by ensuring that Campylobacter is killed through proper cooking and by avoiding cross-contamination to other foods, which if you have taken a Food Safety Level 2 course…. you would know!

Government Leaves Consumers Scratching their Heads.

(BBC Newsbeat, http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/15970712/)

The government blocked a proposal to tighten the law on who can become a hair dresser. Many people have called for hair dressers to be regulated, just like doctors and builders. This is because they handle potentially dangerous chemicals and should have sufficient training to do this.

Although rare, accidents and mistakes do happen, which one case a young lady was left needing a skin graft and then after, a permanent bald patch, because of chemical burns caused by incorrectly applied highlight chemicals, something that couldn’t be sorted with a comb over! the lady inquestion successfully sued the salon for damages.

David Morris, former hairdresser, turned MP believes that hairdressers should have tighter regulations and training to help stop these incidents from happening and prove that they have had the correct training.

Radioactive Rice!

(The Guardian, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/18/fukushima-rice-banned-by-japan)

Unfortunately, eating this won’t turn you into a super hero! Japan has banned the export of rice from Onami district, due to levels of radioactive caesium exceeding safe limits. This is the first shipment of rice to be banned since the March 11th earthquake and a tsunami caused 3 of the 6 nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichim power plant to melt down.

Japan has stressed that none of this rice, is in circulation and as soon as the safety of the rice has been confirmed, they will lift the ban.

Accident After Been Stuck in Room

(Safety News, http://www.safetynews.co.uk/)

In the back end of November two workers at Vivid Image, a video equipment manufacturing plant in Theresa, Wisconsin, was involved in a confined space incidental. One worker died and the other was hospitalised, after been caught in an oxygen deprived environment, which also had fumes from glues and adhesive.

Hey guys!

Welcome to this week’s blog entry, written by me, Keith!  time for a look at some of the Food and health & safety stories from around the word. Let’s get started:

Who lives in a Korma like this?

(BBC news, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15714495)

Seems that some of Lloyd Grossman’s korma cooking sauce, has been infected with Botulism. Only one confirmed Jar so far, the FSA (food standards agency) has put out a warning to consumers. Unfortunately the two people in Scotland have been taken ill with it. The batch number for the jar in question is 1218R 07:21, and it’s Best before is February 2013.

The FSA is stressing that it is a precautionary measure and no other products have been contaminated, but if you do find that you have korma from this batch, that you do not eat it (goes without saying really).

Anyone who is concerned they may have contracted botulism after eating sauce from the batch should seek urgent medical advice by visiting a hospital or contacting NHS Direct on 0845 4647.

Irish Cheese, contaminated with E.Coli, causes a stir.

(Food Safety News, http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/11/e-coli-found-by-south-africa-in-22-tons-of-irish-cheese/)

Milk Producers in South Africa called for Irish dairy products to be band, after 22 tons of cheese was found to have E.coli in it.

The entire shipment, (25-kilo blocks) will be passed back to the supplier for destruction, as is was “too risky for human consumption”, as apparently it had  enough bacteria to give any one eating it severe food poisoning.

Same strain, but where’s the source?

(Food Safety News, http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/11/st-louis-e-coli-outbreak-cases-push-to-32/)

In Missouri, officials have found that 32 people, have contracted the same strain of E.coli, but have been unable to find the source of the outbreak. Its seems that some of victims have contracted the bacteria, via Secondary transmission. This can be because of improper hygiene, while working with someone who is already sick, or been a carrier themselves.

Secondary infections do not help pinpoint the source of the infection, but officials have found that the main thing the victims have in common is that they bought salad from a local super market.

Sampling of these salads has been Negative for E.coli though, so they must have been eaten or binned!

Busy Bee loses finger, Company Fined

(HSE, http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2011/coi-yh-6811.htm)

In April 2010, A worker at the Bee Health factory in Bridlington lost their finger in a ribbon blender, after the guard had been removed for maintenance. The initial incident happened in March of 2010, but after a long investigation the company has been fined.

The blender had the valve removed while waiting for a new one to arrive, but the company continued to use the blender. An employee was using the blender but was unaware of the missing guard and as he attempted to make a hole in a plastic bag, his fingers were caught in rotating blades. The index finger of his right hand was amputated and he suffered severe cuts and nerve damage to the middle finger.

 Bee Health was fined £7000 pounds, plus HSE court expensive, just short of £5k.

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