Cats in the kitchen !

Some cafe and restaurant owners have been caught with animals such as mangy stray cats, pet dogs and ibis in their kitchens, putting their customers at serious risk of food contamination.

A Public Defender investigation reveals six shops have been issued with steep fines in the past 12 months for keeping live animals in their food preparation areas.

In some cases, council health and safety inspectors discovered the animals were being fed within the kitchen area, with pet food either poured into bowls or placed on newspaper on the floor. In one case, a wild game hunter was caught keeping his freshly slaughtered pig, destined for human consumption, beside his hunting dogs.

At Alpha Hot Bread in Campsie, health inspectors found a cat living in a plastic box in a food storage room, complete with a container of cat food and a pile of kitty litter on a piece of cardboard on the cement floor.

While the inspectors were present, another stray cat walked into the premises through the open back door.

Owner Thi An Nguyen told inspectors the cat had just been given to her and she had not had a chance to take it home. She received a $330 fine and was also reprimanded for not washing her hands after using the toilet and handling animals.

Alpha Hot Bread is now under new ownership.

At the Mulbring General Store in Kurri Kurri, inspectors discovered an unleashed dog wandering through food preparation areas and eating dry dog food from a bowl. When contacted, employee Mary Ann said they were "not sorry".

Some restaurants, including the popular dumpling destination New Shanghai Chinese Restaurant in Ashfield, were fined for attracting feral animals, stray cats and birds by leaving boxes of unprepared food unprotected at the rear of the property.

Its publicist was apologetic, saying the outlet "takes their hygiene very seriously" and "they're very proactive in the security of their guests and the hygiene of their restaurant".

The NSW Food Authority's director of enforcement and compliance Peter Day said some cafes caught feeding animals in their shops were repeat offenders.

"It is certainly something we are very strict on because cats and dogs are well known as ... carriers of a number of diseases and parasites that can easily be transmitted to humans," he said.

"The biggest danger is toxoplasmosis, which is fairly prevalent in cats and can be a transmitted to humans through food."

Another to flout health and safety laws was the Indian Mart at Westmead, which has since changed ownership.

Victoria stalls kilojoules-on-menus decision

The Victorian Government may not continue with the previous administration’s decision to force restaurants with more than fifty Victorian outlets, or 200 nationally, to print nutritional information on menus.

The legislation was announced by the Brumby Government, but was not passed before the election. A spokeswoman for the new Health Minister David Davis told The Age it was still “under consideration”.

Public health lobby group, the Obesity Policy Coalition (which represents the Cancer Council, Diabetes Australia and VicHealth) urged the government to enact the legislation, but said regulation at a federal level would be preferable.

Senior policy adviser for the group, Jane Martin, told The Age that research showed labelling had been effective in making people choose healthier foods with lower energy content, particularly in the US, which now has a national law, and that it was also increasingly difficult to identify a truly healthy meal at some stores that made many unhealthy products sound good for you.

Source: Australian Food News

Yarra Council to put a chill on diners

A move to charge cafe and restaurant owners more than $100 if they use outdoor heaters has been derided as ludicrous by angry residents and businesses.

Yarra Council has voted to levy an annual fee of $105 on those traders in the alfresco dining strips of Richmond, Fitzroy and Collingwood who use the heaters.

The council says it is pushing the policy to discourage the use of heaters, in an effort to reduce carbon emissions.

It will spend the cash raised from the tax on blankets for traders who rip out their heaters, so they can give them to their diners to ward off the chill.

But residents are outraged by the proposal, saying they won't dine in outdoor areas without heaters.
"The council has gone too far. This is just ridiculous," said local Geof Lord.

"It will be bad for business, bad for the area, bad for tourism. It will ruin Melbourne's iconic cafe culture."

Local trader Richard Konirik is organising a protest against the council action, saying it will cripple businesses.

"We think Yarra Council are anti-businesses," Mr Konirik said.

"The council needs to look after the traders instead of trying to dictate to them. The traders on Bridge Rd are outraged and just disillusioned by the local government," he said.

The protest is planned for the Richmond Town Hall steps on June 7 at 9am.

Yarra Council is the same council that this week voted six to one in favour of an injecting room at Richmond, in an attempt to deal with drug use and overdoses on Victoria Street. The State Government says it does not support the plan.

Source: Herald Sun

Pregnancy: Nutrition and Food Safety

A recent media article questioned whether Australia’s food safety guidelines for pregnant women are too restrictive. The article ‘Pregnancy diet overkill’ (Sydney Morning Herald - SMH) suggested cautious pregnant women may be sacrificing diet quality by limiting their diet for fear of getting food poisoning.

The Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA) believes soon-to-be-mothers need to eat a nutritionally-adequate diet and be mindful to limit their risk of food poisoning. Both can be achieved – they are not mutually exclusive. DAA believes pregnant women need better education and support to achieve good nutrition and to reduce their risk of food poisoning.

A healthy diet in pregnancy

Good nutrition during pregnancy is more about the quality of food eaten than the quantity. The need for certain nutrients, such as iron, iodine and folic acid, is increased at this time but only a small amount of extra kilojoules is needed. Unfortunately, recent research has shown many pregnant women are not eating enough fruit or vegetables, and are falling short on nutrients like iron, folate and calcium.

The key is to eat a wide variety of healthy foods, in the right amounts. And DAA recommends pregnant women see an Accredited Practising Dietitian for individual, expert advice on how to achieve this. For general guidelines, see DAA’s fact sheet on healthy eating in pregnancy.

Food safety in pregnancy: Be alert but not alarmed

Food Standards Australia New Zealand’s (FSANZ) recommendations on food safety during pregnancy help women make informed food choices – and DAA supports these guidelines.

Listeriosis (caused by eating foods contaminated with listeria) was mentioned in the SMH article, and is of particular concern for pregnant women. The risk of listeriosis is low, but the consequences for a pregnant woman (and her unborn baby) can be serious. In line with FSANZ’s guidelines, DAA recommends avoiding those foods that have a higher potential rate of contamination. A list of these foods can be found on the FSANZ website.

More information:
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumerinformation/adviceforpregnantwomen/
http://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/consumers/life-events-and-food/pregnancy/

Know Your Enemy: Salmonella

Salmonella is one of the most common causes of foodborne illness. It is estimated that 1.4 million cases of Salmonella infection occur each year in the United States alone with a cost of $3 billion (US dollars)(1). Although Salmonella can survive on virtually any food or water source, humans typically contract infection from contaminated food of animal origin (meat, eggs and dairy).

There are over 2500 different Salmonella types with Typhimurium and Enteriditis representing the most common culprits of food poisoning. Salmonella Enteriditis contributes to a large percent of human cases of infection due to its ability to infect hen ovarian tissue. As a result, chicken eggs become contaminated with the pathogen. Grade A eggs are associated with 77 to 82% of human cases of Salmonella (2).

As such, reducing the occurrence of Salmonella in poultry flocks is directly linked to a decreased risk for human illness. Interestingly, studies have shown that the risk for human illness is strongly influenced by animal product storage time and temperature rather than the number of bacteria initially found in the product (2).

Unlike its cousin bacteria E. coli that lives on the periphery of host cells, Salmonella is able to invade and survive inside these cells. The walls of our intestinal tract are lined with a specialized type of cell called an epithelial cell. Salmonella assemble large needle-like machines that they use to inject their own proteins directly into epithelial cells. These proteins ultimately function to induce the epithelial cell to engulf the bacteria. Once inside the cell, survival becomes a balancing act, weighing the strength of the host immune defences against bacterial counteracting strategies (3).

Symptoms of disease including fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, nausea and abdominal pain usually begin 12 to 72 hours after infection. The infectious dose (number of bacteria required to cause disease) for Salmonella is between 1,000 and 100,000. Symptoms typically last only 4 days (1).

The symptoms we associate with food poisoning are often caused by our own immune system. Vomiting and diarrhoea are our body’s way of trying to literally flush out the bacteria. This strategy is a double-edged sword since release of the bacteria back into the environment can be advantageous as it allows them to infect new hosts. Salmonella can induce diarrhoea by disrupting the junctions that hold epithelial cells together. This disrupts the epithelial cell layer leading to uncontrolled passage of water into the intestinal track (3). Our body also induces inflammation to help reduce the spread of infection and recruit cells of our immune system to kill the pathogen. Although less common in developed nations, some Salmonella types can even survive and grow inside these recruited immune cells, allowing for their passage through the blood stream and growth in organs such as the spleen and liver. This systemic infection, more commonly known as Typhoid fever, can be fatal if left untreated.

Healthy adults are typically capable of overcoming a Salmonella infection without the need for medical treatment. Children, elderly and immuno-compromised patients are more likely to become seriously ill. Adults requiring drug treatment typically receive a type of antibiotic called fluoroquinolones. These drugs are not generally recommended for children who instead receive cephalosporin antibiotics. The ability to treat Salmonella infections has become increasingly difficult owing to the emergence of resistance to these commonly used antibiotics.

References

1)  World Health Organization. 2011. http://www.who.int/topics/salmonella/en/

2) World Health Organization. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Risk Assessments of Salmonella in eggs and broiler chickens. 2002. Microbiological Risk Assessment Series 1.

3) Haraga, A., and Miller, S.. Salmonellae interplay with host cells. Nature Reviews Microbiology. 2008. 6:53.

Suzanne E. Osborne is funded by the Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR) and is a recipient of the prestigious Canadian Vanier Scholarship working at the Institute for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.

I don’t like being the “cleaning police”

After an exhausting shift in the café the last thing I want to be doing is checking that the staff have properly cleaned the kitchen, store rooms and front of house.

But when we close I want to be sure we are leaving the place spotless so as not to attract pests, loose food due to poor storage or disrespect our reputation for having healthy and wholesome food.

Hey presto I have discovered the cleaning schedule, my life is now much easier, my staff know exactly what is to be cleaned, how, when and why and they sign off on it so now I can rely on “spot checks” which they fully except me to be doing.

Happy to share with you if you like just email us 

Federal Government signals sweeping reforms for the food industry

The Australian Government Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing, Catherine King, recently chaired the sixth meeting of the Food and Health Dialogue on 25 March 2011. This has massive implications for the industry as it is looking at everything from smaller portion sizes,  the reformulation of foods (to reduce salt, sugar, saturated fat) and the introduction of POS nutritional information.

Tracey Monaghan, Director of Quality Assurance ANZ, McDonald's Australia was the spokesperson for the industry at that event.

The Parliamentary Secretary Catherine King stated “With processed foods now forming a large part of the Australian diet, the influence of manufacturers, retailers and quick service restaurants over what we eat has never been greater,” Ms King said.

Members of the Food and Health Dialogue are:

• Ms Catherine King, Parliamentary Secretary for Health (Chair)
• Dr Lyn Roberts, Chief Executive Officer, National Heart Foundation of Australia
• Mr Andrew Hall, Director Corporate and Public Affairs, Woolworths
• Dr Manny Noakes, Senior Dietitian and Research Scientist, CSIRO
• Mr Michael Moore, Chief Executive Officer, Public Health Association of Australia
• Ms Kate Carnell, Chief Executive Officer Australian Food and Grocery Council
• Dr Amanda Lee, Director, Nutrition and Physical Activity Unit, Preventative Health Directorate, Queensland Health (state-territory representative)
• Ms Tracey Monaghan, Director of Quality Assurance ANZ, McDonald’s Australia (Quick Service Restaurant Forum representative)

They are holding category specific round-tables starting with soups, then processed poultry then pies.
We want to hear from you, the industry, what do you think? were you consulted?

This can be done by sending an email to editorial@qsrmedia.com.au or by our anonymous tip-off line http://qsrmedia.com.au/tip-off.

Gluten free labelling

The NSW Food Authority has tested 222 products bearing 'gluten free' labelling claims that were purchased from retail outlets across Sydney in 2010, and found 95% compliance with the legislative requirements for making such claims in Australia.

Samples were analysed by the Division of Analytical Laboratories (DAL) using the Biokits Gluten Assay Kit which is an accredited AOAC Official Method with a limit of reporting of 3 ppm. Levels of gluten ranging from 3ppm to 46ppm were detected in 11 products sampled.  However, these concentrations are not deemed to present a health and safety issue for people with coeliac disease. The products that did contain gluten included four samples of bread and bread mix, five samples of cereal and cereal products, one biscuit sample and one ready-to-eat mixed meal.

The Authority maintain they have taken regulatory action in keeping with the level of risk presented by the amount of gluten present in the products, which has included a written notification to the manufacturers of those products advising them to take immediate remedial action to ensure their products were compliant. The Authority will conduct follow-up testing on those products in the future to determine whether appropriate action has been taken.

The results from this survey are similar to those from the Authority's 2008 gluten free labelling survey where 95.3% of samples tested contained no detectable gluten.

The report of the survey 'Presence of gluten in foods labelled 'gluten free' 2010' is available on the NSW Food Authority website.

Recall: Foreign matter in Four ‘n Twenty pies

April 11, 2011

Patties Foods Ltd has announced an immediate recall on Four ‘n Twenty pies with a use-by date of 12, 13 and 14 July 2012, after the company found plastic fragments in a batch of the iconic Australian pies.


The recall applies to individually packaged pies, sold at a variety of convenience stores, service stations, milk bars, canteens and other small retail outlets. Also being recalled is the Four ‘n Twenty six-pack, sold at Woolworths, Coles/Bi Lo, Metcash/IGA and Franklins.

The company said it believed the plastic fragments were capable of causing illness or injury if consumed, and that customers should return the pies to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Monash food safety dished up on Golden Plate

MONASH Council is recognising local restaurants and cafes that value food safety with a revamped Golden Plate Awards program.

Businesses that score well in impromptu food safety inspections by council will be given a three, four or five-star rating and a corresponding certificate to display, with the highest rating applying to premises with a 93 per cent score or above. 

Last financial year, Monash Council received 181 food complaints and conducted 2256 food safety inspections.

Health officers tested 538 food samples, with 90 per cent of samples complying with food standards.

Restaurants, cafes, bakeries, takeaway stores, supermarkets and aged and childcare facilities are eligible for the awards and are automatically assessed as part of normal inspections.

Mayor Greg Male said the awards would help consumers have peace of mind when eating out in Monash.

“Whenever and wherever we eat out, we expect our food to be safe and the places where we eat to be clean and hygienic,” he said.

“There is no problem, but this is a requirement and we are just prompting people to realise that’s what we expect.”

Five-star businesses will be listed in the council’s It’s Your Food newsletter and on the council’s website. 

Training Online and CFT have trained many food businesses in Monash and conduct local classes in Oakleigh every month for more details of class times and locations call 1300 665 633

Chef Competition to be held in Melbourne, Register now!

Nominations are now open from qualified chefs – to win $10,000 in the only National Australian Competition that pits Chef against Chef against the clock in a one hour test of creativity under pressure.

The competition will be judged by some of Melbourne’s leading culinary experts including:

• Mark Agius - Deputy Manager- Culinary and Food Processing, Angliss Institute;
• Brad French - Executive Sous Chef Premium Restaurants, Crown Melbourne Limited;
• Marcus Moore - renowned chef Director, Rowland Projects; 
• Mark Normoyle - Executive Chef, RACV Club; 
• Scott Pickett - Executive Chef, The Point Albert Park; 
• Martin Probst - Hospitality Educator, Executive Chef & Author; 
• Tony Rogalsky - renowned chef, educator and restaurateur and 
• Bernd Uber - Black Hat Chef.

Chief Judge and Black Hat Chef, George Hill said:

“The FSAA ‘Chef of the Year’ is earned because luck does not play any part in the competition. It is an absolute clear-cut exercise that any professional chef can achieve with thought, planning, creativity and skill. Past competitions have shown that 99% of entries can achieve a very high proficient standard and it’s only the simple and fractional difference in excellence that points to the winner.”

Defending his 2010 title will be Soren Lascelles from Sydney two hatter Assiette.

To nominate now click here

Childcare Breast Milk and Formula Storage

Food	When to throw away
Leftover Formula	Immediately. Bacteria from the baby's mouth contaminate the formula, where they can grow and multiply.
*Prepared bottles	After 24 hours
*Open containers of ready-to-feed or concentrated formula	After 48 hours
*Unused breast milk (May be frozen for two weeks)	After 48 hours
* These items should be kept in the refrigerator

Why is food safety important in child care settings?

• Most children under the age of six receive some form of non-parental care.
• Young children are especially susceptible to foodborne illnesses because their immune systems aren't fully developed. Such illnesses can cause serious side effects, even death.
• Illness originally caused by foodborne bacteria is easily spread by children who have diarrhea.

Safe Handling of Babies Bottles

Clean

Wash bottles, bottle caps, and nipples in the dishwasher. If you wash them by hand, wash them in warm water with dish soap. Rinse well and then boil for five minutes.

Refrigerate

Keep filled bottles of formula or breast milk in the refrigerator until just before feeding.

Refrigerate open containers of ready-to-feed or concentrated formula.

Warming

Place bottles in hot (not boiling) water for five minutes.

Shake well and test milk temperature by putting a few drops on the inside of your wrist to make sure it's not too hot before feeding.

Never Microwave Baby Bottles

Why? Microwaves heat to very high temperatures and heat unevenly. They could make a portion of the milk too hot. The baby's mouth and throat could be scalded. 

Aged Care Balancing resident lifestyles and food safety

Should we accept food brought from home?

It is appropriate for homes to take a risk management approach to this issue.

Management of this issue will depend on a variety of considerations, for example the extent to which food is being brought in by visitors, information available to residents and visitors about food safety issues for vulnerable populations, whether the food is being consumed by one resident or multiple residents, whether there are processes for ensuring the food can be appropriately stored,

labelled and disposed of when necessary.

Homes should also be aware of their obligations under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, in particular in relation to Food Safety Programs required for vulnerable people such as their residents.

However, those obligations should not be taken to be an impediment. They should only be seen as something to be accounted for in the home’s processing of food for the residents in order to ensure the residents’ ongoing safety while satisfying the requirements of residents’ lifestyles.

When all else fails,

accept graciously and dispose of discreetly.

Recommendations to improve food labelling law and policy in Australia

Recommendations to improve food labelling law and policy in Australia and New Zealand are contained in the report of an independent panel presented to Federal, State and Territory Governments today.

The report, Labelling Logic, was presented by chair of an independent Review of Food Labelling Law and Policy, Dr Neal Blewett, to the Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing, Catherine King. Ms King, chairs of the Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council which commissioned the report, praised Dr Blewett and his panel of experts for their work.

“This is a most important review of what are matters of widespread interest to consumers, regulators and the wider food and health sectors,” Ms King said.

“Dr Blewett, as former Health Minister, architect of the modern universal health system in Australia and a strong advocate on consumer issues, has done a great job in leading the panel as it developed this report.

“This Report seeks to address many food labelling issues that have challenged governments here and abroad for many years. The impact of each of the recommendations in this Report will need to be carefully assessed.”

“A range of issues generated considerable debate during the Review process. Examples of these include the role of food labelling in addressing population health priorities, and the extent to which information about food ingredients, production processes, manufacturing technologies, and the presence of additives and allergens should be declared on food labels.

“The establishment of the review was an acknowledgement by all governments that there are a wide range of issues relating to food labelling which need to be addressed including the fundamental question of whether everything we consume is being accurately, clearly and sufficiently labelled.

The Commonwealth response to the recommendations will be guided by three principles:

• Consumers are entitled to have the best possible information and we want food labelling to help Australians make informed decisions when it comes to food;
• That information, in line with the Government’s commitment to improving heath outcomes, should help consumers to make healthy food choices; and
• That we continue to support an innovative, vibrant and sustainable food industry in Australia that actively supports the government's health agenda.

Ms King said the Ministerial Council was grateful to all who had taken the time to have input into the Independent Review which included two rounds of written submissions and public meetings in all capital cities across Australia and New Zealand.

In addition to Dr Blewett as chair, the review panel included public health law academic, Dr Chris Reynolds, economic and consumer behaviour expert Professor Simone Pettigrew, food and nutrition policy academic Associate Professor Heather Yeatman, and food industry communications, marketing and corporate affairs professional Nick Goddard.

“I thank Dr Blewett and all the panel for their excellent work. The report will now go to the Council of Australian Governments. In addition, I have asked the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing to work in conjunction with other Commonwealth Government Departments and the Ministerial Council (which represents all State and Territory Governments and New Zealand) to develop a whole of government response to the recommendations.” Ms King said.

The development of a government response is going to be a complex task and views on the recommendations are likely to be varied. The Parliamentary Secretary will commence meeting with key stakeholder groups during the coming weeks. The Ministerial Council has suggested that a realistic timeframe to consider a response is December 2011.

More information, including the final Report and copies of public submissions and public consultation meeting records are available at www.foodlabellingreview.gov.au.

Myth of the five-second rule

Eating dropped food can cause food poisoning even if it's picked up immediately.

You've just made a cup of tea when you drop the last chocolate digestive from the packet.

You quickly scoop it up and pop it in your mouth, secure in the knowledge it only briefly touched the floor.

But now scientists have warned the unwritten 'five second rule' could end up causing food poisoning or worse.

Oops: Wet food will pick up more bacteria than dry food, but all dropped snacks will pick up some bugs.

The well-known rule states it is safe to eat food dropped on the floor as long as it is picked up within seconds.

But the stray biscuit, chip or piece of toast is likely to collect a 'new cargo of bugs, however quickly you pick it up,' according to New Scientist.

The question featured in the magazine's 'Last Word' section where readers pose open questions for the scientific community to answer.

Scientists said cholera only needs half a million cells to establish an infection - which is a barely visible speck.

It said: 'If you drop a piece of food on the floor, it is supposedly safe to eat it as long as you pick it up before 10 seconds has elapsed, because it takes that amount of time before it can be colonised by microbial life. Is there any truth in this whatsoever?'

The theory is commonly used in the UK, America and elsewhere. In Russia, for instance, there is a saying: 'Promptly picked up is not considered fallen.'

But a succession of subscribers said the theory was untrue, partly because so many factors are involved such as cleanliness of the floor and type of food.

One stated, simply: 'When you drop food, two things are likely to happen; traces of the food stick to the floor, and trace of the floor (or what's on the floor) stick to the food.

'So unless the floor is surgically clean, the food will have acquired a new cargo of bugs, however quickly you pick it up.'

Another reader described the rule as 'a polite fiction, - everyone known it is an urban myth but plays along.'

Those who preach the homespun philosophy are most likely simply trying to justify not wasting food.
The best way to disprove the theory is to sprinkle castor sugar thinly on to the floor, drop a sweet on to it and catch the sweet as it bounces.

It will have tiny traces of the sugar on it - but if it was bacteria it would be enough to infect 'a ward full of patients' said the journal.

It added: 'Cholera needs perhaps half a million cells to establish an infection - this is a barely visible speck.'

Gastroenteritis, the stomach flu: What to know

Norovirus is the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis in the United States and is a highly contagious illness caused by infection with a virus called norovirus. It is often called by other names, such as viral gastroenteritis, stomach flu and food poisoning.

The most common symptoms are diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain. Norovirus can make people feel extremely ill and vomit or have diarrhea many times a day.

Most people get better within 1 to 2 days.

Anyone can get norovirus, and they can have the illness multiple times during their lifetime.

Dehydration can be a problem among some people with norovirus infection, especially the very young, the elderly, and people with other illnesses.

Norovirus is highly contagious and spreads rapidly because of the ease of transmission.

People with norovirus are contagious from the moment they begin feeling ill to at least 3 days and perhaps for as long as 2 weeks after recovery, making control of the disease even more difficult.

Sources for infection
 
Noroviruses are found in the stool and vomit of infected people. People can become infected by:
Eating food or drinking liquids that are contaminated with norovirus.

• Touching surfaces or objects that are contaminated with norovirus, and then placing their hand in their mouth.
• Having direct contact with an infected person; for example, by exposure to the virus when caring for or when sharing food, drinks, or eating utensils with an infected person.
  

Prevention tips

• Practice proper hand hygiene: Wash your hands carefully with soap and water, especially after using the toilet and changing diapers and always before eating or preparing food.   
• Take care in the kitchen: Carefully wash fruits and vegetables, and cook oysters and other shellfish thoroughly before eating them.
• Do not prepare food while infected: People who are infected with norovirus should not prepare food for others while they have symptoms and for 3 days after they recover from their illness.
  
• Clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces: After an episode of illness, such as vomiting or diarrhea, immediately clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces by using a bleach-based household cleaner as directed on the product label or a solution made by adding 5 to 25 tablespoons of household bleach to 1 gallon of water.
  
• Wash laundry thoroughly: Immediately remove and wash clothing or linens that may be contaminated with vomit or fecal matter. Handle soiled items carefully — without agitating them — to avoid spreading virus. They should be laundered with detergent at the maximum available cycle length and then machine dried.
  

Treatment
 
There is no specific treatment or vaccine for norovirus infection and there is no vaccine to prevent norovirus infection, although this is an area of active research.

There is no specific drug to treat people with norovirus illness.

Rehydration is important for infected people — they must drink plenty of liquids to replace fluid lost through vomiting and diarrhea. In some cases, fluid may need to be given intravenously.

Source: Winnebago County Health Department

New ‘Grown in’ labels to clarify food sources

A new label providing information on the country of origin of some foods has been introduced nationally.

Minister of Innovation, Senator Kim Carr, said the new ‘Grown in’ label, which is similar to existing labels such as ‘Made in’ and ‘Product of,’ will provide clarity for consumers about the source of foods as well as offer new protection for suppliers.

“The new arrangements will protect growers, processors and retailers from legal action if they meet the criteria for ‘Grown in’ claims in the Australian Consumer Law (ACL),” he said.

“The new rules will help consumers to buy Australian produce with confidence.  Producers will be more confident about marking goods as ‘Grown in Australia’ and consumers will have more certainty that they are buying Australian-grown produce.

“Consumers will remain protected from false origin claims by the enforcement activities of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the State and Territory authorities, under existing mechanisms.”

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Joe Ludwig, said the new provision will help inform consumer choice in making purchasing decisions.

“These changes deliver on our commitment to ‘simplify and strengthen food labelling laws including a new Grown in Australia label’.”

The ACL is a cooperative reform of the Australian and state and territory governments aimed at harmonising regulation.

The ACL took effect nationally on 1 January 2011.