Inspectors close three food outlets- August 12th, 2011

There was a fall in the number of closure orders served on businesses last month for breaches of food safety legislation.

In its latest monthly report, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) reported that a total of three closure orders were served on food businesses during the month of July. This compares to ten in June and four in May.

Closure orders were issued on Jim Cashmans Bar (Kitchen and food rooms only) in Cork, Hot Dog Stall in Clones, Monaghan, and Shakey Jay’s in Ennis, Co Clare.

Successful prosecutions were also carried out on Man Friday Restaurant, Scilly, Kinsale, Cork and on Bulgaden Castle, Bulgaden, Kilmallock, Limerick. Both were ordered to pay fines for breaches of hygiene legislation.

Prof Alan Reilly, chief executive, FSAI, said it was encouraging to see less than half the numbers of closure orders served in June were served in July.

“We are pleased to be reporting a significant drop in the number of enforcement orders served on businesses during July.”

Full story

Northumberland Today Careers Classifieds Obituaries Autonet E-Edition Shopping SUBSCRIBER SERVICES Friday, August 12, 2011 News Sports Special Sections Business Arts/Life Features Contact Us SUBMIT Join | Sign-In Community Sports Local News Home News Local News Keep food safety in mind when barbecuing this summer Click here to find out more! Keep food safety in mind when barbecuing this summer- August 11th, 2011

An important ingredient for any barbecue this summer should be food safety.

If meats such as hamburger, chicken or ribs are not properly handled, prepared and cooked on a barbecue, bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella can still be present in the food.

This creates a potential health hazard for anyone who eats the contaminated food.

If you invite friends or family over to your house and serve them raw or undercooked meat, they can get food-borne illness (food poisoning) and become very sick. Your barbecue party turns into a memorable occasion for all the wrong reasons.”

Food-borne illness is more common than people think, symptoms of food-borne illness include abdominal cramps, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. In severe cases, people can be hospitalized or die from food-borne illness.

To reduce the risk of illness,  a step-by-step approach to safe barbecuing is encouraged.

* Buyer beware. Buy only food that comes from an approved source. Never buy uninspected meat, and examine food and its packaging at the store before you buy anything.

* Travel with care. When shopping, buy your meat last and keep raw meats separate from other foods. If possible, transport meat home in a cooler bag with ice packs during hot weather.

* Store food right. Keep the fridge at 4C  or less, and keep the freezer at -18C  or less.

* Get off to a clean start. Wash hands, utensils and surfaces with hot soapy water before, during and after preparing foods. Sanitize countertops, cutting boards and utensils with a mild bleach and water solution. Wash all produce thoroughly before preparing, eating or cooking.

* Make sure it is thawed right. Thaw food in the refrigerator. Thawing food by running it under cold running water or in a microwave oven is also acceptable. Thawing food at room temperature is unsafe since this practice can allow bacteria to grow on food.

* Cook/barbecue foods right. Prepare foods quickly, cook them thoroughly and serve them immediately on a clean plate (never on a plate that has had raw meat on it). Raw and undercooked meats, especially poultry, are major sources of food-borne illness, so be extra careful. When barbecuing meat, use a meat thermometer to ensure the meat has reached a safe internal temperature -poultry and beef/pork/ground meats: 75 C. Remember that using pre-cooked meat or frozen hamburger is a safer alternative than fresh meat.

* Remember the two-hour rule. Foods that can spoil should not be left out at room temperature for longer than two hour

FSA initiative finds failing food hygiene businesses in Trafford– August 6th, 2011

Days after Trafford metropolitan borough launched the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA’s) Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS), 279 businesses were found to be below par in the FSA’s evaluation programme.

However, 241 food outlets passed the scheme, run in conjunction with the local authority, with the highest rating available, highlighting the broad difference in standards across the borough, reports the Messenger newspaper.

Of those that failed, the majority were evaluated as needing major improvement with a further ten requiring an urgent turnaround. However, Trafford Council pledged to “work closely with these businesses to provide advice” and other services, said Peter Molyneux, the council’s corporate director of environment, transport and operations.

“I am confident by continuing to work with our local food businesses, we will not only see improved Food Standards Agency food hygiene ratings but also an improved customer experience,” he added.

Awareness of food safety standards through the work of the FSA and increasing numbers of people achieving health and hygiene certificates has increased pressure on businesses to apply reasonable standards in food.

The Welsh assembly proposes making displaying “food hygiene rating scores” compulsory– August 5th, 2011

Following the implementation of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) across England and Wales, Welsh first minister Carwyn Jones has outlined his intentions to draft a new law on food safety standards.

If carried, the reform will force businesses across the country to publically display their FHRS rating for people to judge for themselves the outlet’s compliance with food safety legislation. The law would be the first of its kind across England and Wales.

More

Warning about drinking ‘Zam Zam’ water August 4th, 2011

As Muslims observe Ramadan, the FSA advises that people should consider avoiding drinking bottled water described or labelled as Zam Zam water. This is because tests have shown ‘Zam Zam’ water sold in the UK, or brought into the UK for personal consumption, may contain high levels of arsenic or nitrates.

Zam Zam water is sacred to Muslims and comes from a specific source in Saudi Arabia. Under Saudi law, Zam Zam water cannot be exported from Saudi Arabia for sale. Any water on sale in the UK that is labelled as Zam Zam is therefore of uncertain origin.

Tests carried out on water described as Zam Zam in the UK over the past few years, including water brought into the country for personal consumption, have indicated the presence of arsenic at almost three times the legal limit.

Muslims need to be aware of the health risks associated with drinking this water. Drinking ‘Zam Zam’ water that is contaminated with arsenic could contribute to increasing people’s risk of cancer. People should consider avoiding drinking any water described as Zam Zam because there is no completely safe level of arsenic in water – and the more arsenic consumed the greater the risk. However, if anyone has occasionally drunk small amounts of this ‘Zam Zam’ water, the risk to health for adults and older children would be very low.

Infants may also be sensitive to the level of nitrate present so we do not recommend that they are given the water to drink.

Full Story