Food Safety
By mary gallagher

In spite of the fact that I sometimes eat more than 100 consecutive meals out, I can be a little difficult! As in picky about everything: the food, the service (no team waiting), the environment (no basements), safety, loud music, tiny print and no light to read menus and to be truthful the other customers. Then vocal about these issues! I approve of restaurants that ban cell phones, expect patrons to keep children under control or ask them to step outside and a server who carries a mini flashlight! Surprisingly I don't mind smokers or dogs - both allowed in food establishments in many foreign countries. Basically, I do not want to get sick and even more interestingly have only gotten food poisoning and salmonella in the US. 

After questioning the safety of groceries being stored and distributed through a charitable organization, I decided to try and find some of the real story on food inspections.

In most areas of the United States, to open a restaurant or retail store, you need to obtain a business license from your City or County government. Then you notify your local (City or County) Health Department and arrange for an inspection of the premises before you open for business. Sanitation inspections are the responsibility of the City or County Health Department. In some areas, inspectors try to visit every establishment more than once a year but depending on the size of the staff that is not always possible.

One inspector, with over twenty years of experience, told me the real horror is food festivals. Usually held in the summer and outdoors, they do not have proper hand or dishwashing facilities, it is almost impossible to keep the food at the correct cold or hot temperature to prevent bacteria and so on. I helped a friend with a craft booth at a "Taste of ......." event covering many city blocks, we were required to have all our supplies in the booth and trucks or vehicles removed by 8am. It was the same regulation for the food vendors. At this early hour, I watched them carrying in normal coolers, grills and the rest of the food for a full day's service. The rest of that day even while starving, I couldn't eat unless it was something like a candy bar or chips - prepackaged and requiring no heat or refrigeration. 

The above inspector told me that hand washing is a particular problem and vendors are required to have a large container of water with a spigot and soap for the workers. No one really knows how effective this is but then if you read statistics on the low number of adults who wash their hands after using a bathroom much less a port-a-potty, this all becomes a moot point.

Owners and others can find answers for many questions concerning the safe and sanitary operation of food establishments in the publication "2001 FDA Food Code". This publication is a model law that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends for adoption by States, Tribes, and local health agencies for inspections of food establishments (including grocery stores, restaurants, cafeterias, lunch wagons, food vending machines, and sidewalk food venders). Included in the Code are the suggested regulations for food safety, sanitation, and honest presentation of food to consumers. 
A new code comes out about every two years with some updates and changes. Not all City or County Health Departments go by this code and in some instances they use the 1999 or '97 version. As an average consumer, I will not kid you and say this is "light" reading.

The 2001 FDA Food Code is available from the FDA/CFSAN web site at: www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/foodcode.html. The code is also available for purchase (using a major credit card), in spiral-bound book form (around $50), from NTIS: National Technical Information Service (NTIS) (703) 605 6000.

How often are restaurants and other establishments inspected? That seems to depend on municipal budgets and the number of people in that division of the health department. Some major counties like mine, Arlington, Virginia, have a staff of three that are run ragged. Most departments will investigate a complaint as quickly as possible. Normally for regular checks, they appear at their discretion, on the doorstep so to speak. If violations are found the establishment has so many days to correct the problem. Some violations such as no certified food manager on duty or no hot water closes you down instantly.

Customers cannot always determine the true cleanliness of a restaurant by the "front" of the house. Even inspectors are wary of establishments in very old buildings that show no - absolutely NO evidence of vermin. This means a very heavy use of pesticides - not such a great alternative either. 

Any former waitress or cook can tell horror stories about food handling but generally there is not a deliberate effort on anyone's part to make you sick or not follow recognized sanitary practices. Firemen and plumbers have opinions from a unique "view" also.

Food manufacturers may choose to do chemical analyses to determine the nutritional value of their products to meet FDA criteria. But the criteria for menu items are more flexible, and, under FDA's requirements, restaurants may back up their claims with any "reasonable" base, such as databases, cookbooks, or other secondhand sources that provide nutrition information. 

I always like the statement "homemade" and ask whose home? The Catfish Shack in Amarillo, Texas may come the closest as almost everything is made from scratch in-house. Even the seasoned batter for fried shrimp! Their food is reasonably priced and delicious. Owners Gary and Debra Hodges (she is the pastry chef) guard their "homemade" recipes closely.

Restaurants do not have to provide the standard nutrition information profile and more exacting nutrient content values required in the Nutrition Facts panel of packaged foods. Instead, restaurants can present the information in any format desired, and they have to provide only information about the nutrient or nutrients that the claim is referring to. They can say simply that the amount of the nutrient in question does not exceed the limit imposed by FDA--for example, "This low-fat restaurant dish provides no more than 5 grams of fat per serving." The FDA states it should be accurate but not necessarily precise.

Although nutrition information is not required to appear on the menu, it must be made available to consumers when they request it. Restaurants can present it in a printed format--such as a notebook--or by having the staff recite it. Restaurants have more flexibility because they don't produce foods according to the more exacting standards that food manufacturers follow, change their menus frequently and produce smaller quantities than commercial food operations. And restaurant products often vary, depending on the type of ingredients available that day.

Catfish Shack

The regulations of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for nutrition labeling of restaurant foods is also a part of the code available through the US Government Printing Office at: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/get-cfr.cgi?TITLE=21&PART=101&SECTION=10&TYPE=TEXT

People in the at-risk groups should not eat raw or undercooked fish or shellfish. People with liver disorders or weakened immune systems are especially at risk for getting sick. Foods made with raw fish are more likely to contain parasites or Vibrio species than foods made from cooked fish. Always cook finfish until its muscle is opaque and flaky.

My sushi, seared tuna and other raw or lightly cooked fish days ended while doing the research on the Beetles story. It required interviews with a number of "bug" guys. Their graphic and gory details sure convinced me! Look up Vibrio on the internet that may influence you. 

The FDA says raw finfish and shellfish including oysters, clams, mussels, and scallops are generally very safe to eat, but raw or undercooked seafood can be unsafe. Seafood grown or collected from contaminated water can get colonized by viruses in the water. Shellfish foods, such as oysters, pump a lot of water through their bodies each day and filter out microorganisms. Thus, they are very likely to collect viruses from the water. Some oysters, for example, are eaten raw or lightly cooked, which increases the risk of food borne illness. And viruses are not the only culprits. Bacteria and parasites are threats to raw seafood, as well.

To keep seafood safe:
* Buy only fresh seafood that is refrigerated or properly iced. 
* Always cook fish thoroughly. Cooking fish until it's opaque and flaky helps destroy any existing pathogenic bacteria that may be present. 
* All consumers should avoid eating raw oysters or shellfish. People with liver disorders or weakened immune systems are especially at risk for getting sick. 

Well the good news is that no one inspects your personal kitchen! That may be the most dangerous food handling establishment of all.

If you suspect any food or food handling location may not be following all the rules, call your local health department and ask that an inspector take a look or when did they last inspect the property, the history of violations and any other information that may seem pertinent.

Slightly off that subject but regarding my attempt to never eat in a basement for physical safety reasons. When you are being seated look around for the fire exits, if they are not easily visible ask your server. Think about the number of people in the establishment and, in the case of a fire, would they all be able to escape without trampling one another. 

A few months ago, friends and I entered a Washington, DC night spot with many levels of entertainment, dining and dancing. We had to enter in a small foyer and go up a very narrow staircase. At the second story level was a large dance floor and bar area, I could not see a single exit sign. Local theaters had just let out so as crowds were streaming in, we streamed out! This was a nightmare waiting to happen like the disastrous club fires in Chicago, New York and major cities around the world.

CATFISH SHACK
3301 Olsen Blvd.
Amarillo, Texas
806 358-3812

http://www.foodriskclearinghouse.umd.edu/consumer_information.cfm
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/advice.html
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/food.htm
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/index.html
http://www.cdc.gov
Regarding Vibrio: 
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/vibriovulnificus_g.htm