Salmonella outbreak linked to pork pies produced by Adelaide bakery

SA Health has issued a warning linked to a selection of pork and ascot pies manufactured by a bakery in Victor Harbor after five people were struck down with salmonella earlier this week. Those affected by the salmonella outbreak were aged between 54 and 80, and four of them were hospitalised.

It was reported that the pork and ascot pies were sold by 30 retailers including independent supermarkets, delis and butchers across metropolitan Adelaide. The manufacturer has since stopped production of the affected pies and commenced a recall process.

SA Health are advising consumers to confirm the origin of any pork or ascot pies with the place of purchase prior to consumption. Any products affected by the recall should be discarded or returned to the place of purchase for refund.

For expert advice on Food Standards Australia New Zealand laws contact ISOsafe today on 1300 789 132. Protect your food business, customers and staff with ISOsafe’s food safety programs.

Top food safety tips for your workplace

Cross contamination
• You must prepare and store raw and ready to eat food separately.
• Wash hands thoroughly before preparing food, after going to the toilet or after handling pets.
• Ready to eat foods need to be stored above raw meat/fish.
• Keep pets and pests away from food and food preparation surfaces.
• Cover food to prevent contamination by flies and insects.
• Use foods within the "use by" date on the label.
• Do not prepare or serve food for others if you have (or recently had) diarrhoea and or vomiting.

Chilling
• After purchase, ensure chilled and frozen food are quickly transferred to refrigerators or cool rooms.
• Make sure you have enough refrigerator space to store foods before and after cooking.
• Refrigerator temperatures should be at or below 5°C.
• Throw away ‘chilled’ food that has been stored at room temperature or which has been outside for more than four hours. Remember, in summer warmer temperatures help food poisoning bacteria grow quickly.

Cooking
• Defrost frozen meat and chicken thoroughly before cooking.
• Ensure food is piping hot and always follow instructions on food packaging.
• If intending to barbecue, pre-cook the meat in your cooker on the same day. The meat will then cook quicker on the barbecue and you'll be able to serve more people at once.
• Make sure the middle of the food, especially meat, burgers and sausages, is thoroughly cooked. Avoid the "burnt on the outside, raw in the middle" method of barbecuing.
• Do not serve food containing uncooked eggs such as homemade mayonnaise.

Cleaning
• Clean work surfaces and utensils with hot water and detergent between handling raw meat/fish and ready to eat food.
• Wash kitchen cloths and sponges regularly and leave them to dry before using them again. Dirty, damp cloths are the perfect place for bacteria to breed.
A lot of people smell the food to see if it is ‘off’. You need to be aware that food poisoning bacteria look, smell and taste normal.

Health and safety tips
• Always ensure there is clear access for the emergency services i.e. police, fire and ambulance.
• Make sure any electrical equipment is properly earthed and connected to an RCD or circuit breaker.
• Ensure a basic first aid box is available to deal with minor cuts and grazes.
• Keep young children away from any barbecue or hot cooking equipment.

If you would like to talk to someone regarding the safety at your event or workplace, please contact ISOsafe today to learn more about our services on 1300 789 132

How to protect your business from E. coli

Escherichia coli (E. coli) are bacteria that normally live in the intestines of healthy people and animals, primarily cattle. Most strains of this bacteria are harmless. E. coli 0157:H7 is a specific strain of E. coli that causes illness. In milder cases it causes bloody diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and stomach cramps. Unfortunately, it can also lead to more severe conditions that result in kidney failure and death.

The total number of reported cases of E. coli poisoning varies each year, ranging between 700-1000. It is important to note here, that many cases go unreported.

E. coli is spread by coming into contact with a source of contamination. This is usually raw meat or animal faeces, hence the food industry is particularly at risk. However there have also been a number of outbreaks at open farms and petting zoos where the general public are able to handle animals. E. coli can also be spread from person to person, so other family members can be infected even if they have not been in contact with the primary source of contamination. A significant association has also been made between sufferers who have handled raw leeks and potatoes from sacks!

Below are some simple steps you can take to prevent an outbreak from affecting your business.

There are several ways in which people become infected with E. coli 0157:H7, these include, but are not limited to:
•   Eating raw meat, unpasteurised milk or cheese
•   Eating unwashed vegetables that have been fertilised with infected animal manure
•   Not washing hands after touching animals
•   Infected water supply
•   Contact with infected people

The good news is that much of the risk can be reduced simply by practising good personal hygiene. You should ensure that your employees wash their hands thoroughly with soap and hot water:
•   after using the toilet
•   after contact with animals or animal environments
•   before taking meals
•   before handling ready to eat food
•   after handling raw meat and unwashed vegetables

What your employees need to do when preparing food:
•   remove any loose soil before storing vegetables and salads
•   thoroughly wash all vegetables (including salads) that will be eaten raw
•   do not prepare raw vegetables with utensils that have also been used for raw meat
•   keep raw meat and unwashed vegetables away from ready-to-eat foods during storage and preparation
•   use different chopping boards, knives and utensils for raw and ready-to-eat foods, or ensure they are washed thoroughly between uses
•   cook all minced meat products (e.g. burgers, meatloaf, meat balls) thoroughly, until steaming hot throughout and no pinkness or red meat is visible when you cut into them
•   only leave cooked foods, meat and dairy products out at room temperature for a maximum of 2 hours
•   store uncooked meats below cooked meats, salad, fruit or vegetables that might be eaten raw to avoid dripping meat juices onto ready to eat food
•   store uncooked and cooked meats on different plates. Avoid all contact between raw and cooked meats
•   people who have been ill should not prepare food for others for at least 48 hours after they have recovered 

If you run a kitchen, then think about how your equipment is used and the cleanliness of your storage and preparation areas. Separate equipment must be used for raw and ready to eat foods. 

ISOsafe offer a variety of food safety courses, all of which include guidance on E.coli. For further details on any of our food safety courses, simply call us on 1300 789 132

Food Retailers (Restaurants) & Manufacturers: Campylobacter awareness

Food poisoning is the name for the range of illnesses caused by eating or drinking contaminated food or drink. It is also sometimes called foodborne illness. It is quite common, affecting an estimated 4.1 million Australians each year. The symptoms can be unpleasant and for some groups they can be quite serious.

Campylobacter is one of the most common cause of food poisoning and is considered to be responsible for more than 200,000 cases of food poisoning each year. More than 80,000 of these were confirmed to be campylobacter poisoning (also known as campylobacteriosis) by laboratory reports.

Here are Eight Things All Food Retailers & Manufacturers Can Do Today:

1. Defrost in the fridge
Place poultry in a covered container on the bottom shelf of the fridge to defrost away from cooked/ready-to-eat foods. Check poultry is fully defrosted before cooking.

2. Never mix raw poultry and cooked food
Keep raw poultry separate from cooked and ready-to-eat food.

3. Avoid cross-contamination
Ensure hands, equipment and surfaces are thoroughly cleaned with soap, hot water and appropriate disinfectant after contact with raw poultry or its packaging.

4. Cover and chill
Cover raw poultry and store at the bottom of the fridge so juices cannot drip on other foods.

5. Check it’s cooked
Poultry should be cooked thoroughly until steaming hot with no pink meat and juices must run clear. Check this at the thickest part. If barbecuing, consider pre-cooking in the oven first, then finish on the barbecue for flavour.

6. Don’t wash raw poultry
Splashing water spreads germs to hands, equipment, surfaces and other foods.

7. Cook marinades
Don’t put sauce or marinade on cooked food if it has already been used with raw poultry.

8. Contact ISOsafe today
Don't risk a food complaint! State Government Food Authorities work closely with local councils to ensure food sold to consumers is both safe and correctly labelled. ISOsafe can deliver in house food safety awareness training to your workers, as well as, undertake a full assessment of your restaurant / food manufacturing / food storage (warehouse) facility.