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As
of today, your IAFP office staff has begun arriving in Columbus, Ohio,
to set up headquarters for IAFP 2008, the Association’s 95th Annual
Meeting. Again this year, it is our commitment and pleasure to offer a
program unrivaled in quality, with prime networking opportunities and
cutting-edge resources from our generous exhibitors.
Both new and returning Annual Meeting attendees are encouraged to
participate in the Committee and Professional Development Group
meetings that precede the Sunday evening Opening Session. Be sure to
visit our Web site today to review the Sunday schedule and other
opportunities you won’t want to miss.
See you in Columbus!
IAFP Updates
Latin America Symposium Presentations Available
Held May 26–28 in Campinas, Brazil, IAFP’s inaugural Latin American
Symposium on Food Safety drew over 400 attendees for three days of
first-rate presentations and networking. Photos and highlights of the
meeting are featured in Food Protection Trends, while more than 25 of the presentations are accessible from our Web site.
[Link to presentations]
August Food Protection Trends: Abstracts and Monthly Columns by IAFP President and Executive Director
A review of hand hygiene techniques to prevent cross contamination,
with recommendations for specific environments; a study of the food
safety awareness levels of 30 college students; in his last column as
Association President, Gary Acuff reflects on the events and people
upholding the mission of IAFP; David Tharp explains the process through
which symposia and technical presentations make their way into the
Annual Meeting program each year.
[Link to FPT]
Featured Abstract from Journal of Food Protection
“Risk Factors for Salmonella
and Hygiene Indicators in the 10 Largest Belgian Pig Slaughterhouses”
was the most widely-read article in the July issue. Read the abstract
here.
[Link to abstract]
Food Safety News
FSIS Releases Sign Language Resource
In this June 26 release, the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) introduces SignFSIS,
a series of video-casts created to keep deaf and hard-of-hearing
consumers informed about foodborne illness and other food safety
topics.
[Link to FSIS]
Investigation of Salmonella Saintpaul Continues
The focus shifts from tomatoes to raw jalapeno peppers as the US Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) continues its investigation of Salmonella Saintpaul, which has recently sickened more than 1,250 consumers in the US and Canada.
[Link to FDA]
Making Health a Habit Not to Break
Motivated to save children from disease and death, an anthropologist
appealed to major multinational corporations for assistance in how to
“sell” the routine of hand-washing as they would sell their most famous
products—through manipulating the habits of consumers.
[Link to article]
Regulatory Updates
NZFSA Proposes Food Control Plan
The New Zealand Food
Safety Authority (NZFSA) has launched a plan, currently in the proposed
law phase, providing a food safety management system for the food
service and catering sectors. The Food Control Plan (FCP) is available
for download in seven languages.
[Link to NZFSA]
FSIS to List Stores Carrying Recalled Meat and Poultry Products
As part of its Class I
recall process, beginning in August the United States Department of
Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will be tracing
the distribution of recalled foods to the retail store level and
posting this information on its Web site to aid consumers’ ability to
identify and discard these products.
[Link to USDA]
Research & Reports
CDC Studies Contaminated Cheese
This report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) examines the March 2006–April 2007 outbreak of Salmonella enterica serotype Newport infections in consumers of unpasteurized Mexican-style aged cheese (cotija) in Illinois.
[Link to CDC]
Strengthening the US Food Safety System
The Rapid Response Public Health Policy Response Project of the School
of Public Health and Health Services at The George Washington
University (GWU) in Washington, D.C., has released this 12-page white
paper outlining recommendations for protecting the nation’s supply of
fruits and vegetables.
[Link to paper]
Fungal Kingdom Poses Threat, Offers Hope
Following a November 2007 colloquium on fungal biology research
(mycology), the American Academy of Microbiology (AAM) published “The
Fungal Kingdom: Diverse and Essential Roles in Earth’s Ecosystem,” a
report offering recommendations for advanced research on the mysterious
microorganisms known as fungi.
[Link to report]
EFSA Advises on Risk Assessment in Animal Feed
The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) Biological Hazards Panel
(BIOHAZ) published in July its scientific opinion on the potential for Salmonella and other bacteria to be present in feed provided to food-producing animals.
[Link to EFSA]
Items of Interest
FSA Annual Report
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) of the United Kingdom released in July its annual report for 2007–2008.
[Link to FSA]
FAO Invites Network Participation
Through the Animal Production and Health Division of its Agriculture
and Consumer Protection Department, the Food and Agricultural
Organization of the United Nations (FAO) invites participation in its
global and regional Networks on Veterinary Public Health, Zoonoses,
Feed and Food Safety.
[Link to FAO]
Household Food Safety During Inclement Weather
In response to recent
severe weather conditions, the US Department of Agriculture’s Food
Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued this consumer alert on
maintaining the safety of household food before, during, and after a
weather emergency.
[Link to FSIS]
Comments or suggestions for IAFP Report may be sent to report@foodprotection.org, or directly to the Contents Editor, Dr. Jeff Farber, Bureau of Microbial Hazards, Health Canada. E-mail jeff_farber@hc-sc.gc.ca
Thank You to Our Contributors
Logos: NZFSA, CDC
Media image: SignFSIS, FAO (VPH map)
Photos: shiitake mushroom (Science Photo Library: Keith Weller, USDA-ARS)
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