Food Safety News and Information by Fidelity Safety & Training
The team at Fidelity Safety & Training wishes you peace, joy and prosperity throughout the coming year. Thank you for your continued support and partnership. We look forward to working with you in the years to come.
In this issue
▪ Top 10 - Foodborne Illness Outbreaks in 2013 ▪ Discounts - Save $20 to $119, see below ▪ Schools - Kids Choking, is your Staff Prepared?
Top 10 Foodborne Illness Outbreaks in 2013
from FoodSafetyNews.com
10) E. coli O157:H7 from Glass Onion chicken salads, 33 sick. Trader Joe’s customers in four states fell ill after eating one of two pre-made salad products from Glass Onion Catering: the Field Fresh Chopped Salad with Grilled Chicken or the Mexicali Salad with Chili Lime Chicken. At least seven people were hospitalized, with two developing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a kidney disease associated with severe E. coli infections.
9) Salmonella from Hacienda Don Villo in Channahon, IL, 35 sick. Health investigators traced 35 Salmonella illnesses back to this Mexican restaurant in Grundy County, but they could never pinpoint the exact food source. At least one person was hospitalized, and one employee was among those who tested positive for Salmonella.
[more]
"Nothing says holidays, like a cheese log." -- Ellen DeGeneres
Discounts - Certified Food Safety Manager Course and Exam
Save $20 when you register online for a course and exam at FidelitySafety.com. Use coupon code 2014A. Online only, no other discounts, one coupon per company per course date.
Save $119 when you register three online. Send 3 get the 3rd free! Use coupon code 342N. Online only, no other discounts, one coupon per company per course date.
ANSI Accredited Online Program in English, Spanish and Chinese for only $12.95.
A Near Tragedy: A Child Choking in the School Cafeteria
Last month a Central Coast student was saved from choking to death during lunch in his elementary school cafeteria. Tim, a district-level custodial supervisor just happened to be walking through the cafeteria when he saw a commotion and observed the classic signs of a choking victim. His instincts kicked in immediately and he told the student what he was going to do and he performed the Heimlich Maneuver. The food was dislodged from the throat of the student after the first abdominal thrust. After the incident, Tim looked for help and was unable to find any other staff members in the cafeteria supervising the children. This bad situation could have turned out worse if Tim did not take action or happen to be in the right place at the right time.
After I heard about this choking incident, I started asking a few questions at my local school districts. I almost choked to find out that usually only a few designated employees at a school receive regular first aid (including chocking) training and that does not include the kitchen employees or the cafeteria/playground supervisors.
According to the Red Cross, choking is a common breathing emergency that accounts for more than 3,000 deaths each year and 1 out of every 5 deaths in children as reported by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The following foods are common choking hazards for children: Hot dogs and sausages, nuts and seeds, chunks of meat or cheese, whole grapes and fruit chunks, like apples, hard, gooey, or sticky candy, popcorn, chunks of peanut butter, raw vegetables, such as carrots, chewing gum and marshmallows.
Another contributor to choking in the school cafeteria is talking, laughing, shouting, shorter lunch periods, eating to fast, moving around, and other physical activity while eating.
Choking prevention should include:
* Training staff in first aid and choking
* Hang posters in the kitchen and cafeteria on what to do if someone chokes
* Provide adequate supervision during meals and snacks
* Avoid serving hazardous foods
* Children should remain seated during eating
* Some districts have a no talking policy during eating
