Good Enough to Fine
Gabrielle Hamilton of The New York Times reports that the 1990's, restaurant inspections by the New York City Department of Health were famously lethargic and intermittent. A bill palmed to the inspector got one's establishment a cursory inspection every other year or so and often a phone call in advance -- giving the proprietor a chance to straighten up and the inspector a chance at a token of gratitude.
During the Giuliani administration, that all changed. Jaywalking, turnstile-jumping and peep shows in Times Square were no longer tolerated, and neither were restaurants that recycled the butter in bread baskets. Exhaustive unannounced inspections became the rule. Fines flowed into the city's treasury. Gone were the cartoonish, winking inspectors who enjoyed free meals at the restaurants they were supposedly scrutinizing; in their place were hard-working, computer-toting "public health sanitarians" with college degrees. You should not even offer these inspectors, who now work for the revamped and renamed Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, a glass of water during their visit.
Kathy Lilly Bryson of The Spenser Magnet reports that some traditional foods often used for spring festivities may contain organisms that could make people sick. So whether it's a neighborhood picnic or graduation party, it's important to properly store, handle and prepare traditional fare for these observances. These foods include raw eggs, lamb, poultry, ham, beef and salads and sandwiches with mayonnaise or dairy products.
Asher Fusco of the Daily Kansan reports that when Ross Randall took his team out for dinner the night before the Big 12 Championship, he didn't expect it to cost him the majority of his starting lineup.
Kathy Stephenson of The Salt Lake Tribune reports that restaurant inspector Leslie Freeman visits each of the county's restaurants twice a year - no easy task, as there are 210 year-round restaurants and 30 seasonal establishments.
Lewis Taylor of The Register-Guard says getting sick is an unfortunate side effect of eating adventurously. Even eating un-adventurously can make you ill.
Per an FDA News Release, there is no doubt that you, the state, local, or tribal health inspector, play a significant role in reducing foodborne illness in your jurisdiction, yet your job can be overwhelming at times due to diminishing resources, increasing workload with limited staff, and growing liability. Many of you are continually forced to reassess your priorities due to increased media attention on food safety, threats from emerging pathogens, and food security, while being challenged to do more with less while maintaining your professional integrity.
The St. Petersburg Times reports that the House passed the bill (H.R. 4167) and the Senate will considered it in coming weeks. Don't be fooled by the bill's innocuous title, the National Uniformity for Food Act. "It's about more than food labeling," Aller said. "It pre-empts state food adulteration laws.".jpg)
Debra Holtzman, JD, MA, for eDiets.com reports that according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), about 76 million Americans will suffer from food-borne illness, and at least 5,000 will die this year. Children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems are at the greatest risk.
San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Edward Epstein reports that California's two senators vowed Wednesday to go all out to block House-passed legislation that critics say would gut the state's voter-approved Proposition 65, which requires food manufacturers to list any cancer- or birth-defect-causing substances in their products. 
