Chicken at food safety summit source of illness

[n2doc]

BALTIMORE (AP) — Experts who attended a Food Safety Summit in Baltimore in April should have skipped lunch.

The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene released a report Thursday that says the chicken Marsala served at a buffet lunch on April 9 during the 2014 Food Safety Summit at the Baltimore Convention Center caused a gastroenteritis outbreak that sickened 216 attendees.

The report says of the 216 attendees who got sick, 157 ate the chicken. Symptoms included diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps and, in some cases, vomiting. The report says the chicken may not have been kept at the proper temperature.

Centerplate, the convention's in-house catering company, provided the means at the summit, which attracted roughly 1,300 food safety experts to Baltimore.

more
http://www.seattlepi.com/news/us/article/Chicken-at-food-safety-summit-source-of-illness-5781085.php

[Spirochete]

1. But if it was the chicken

then why did the other 59 get sick?

[agent46]

2. It was the Salmon Pâté n/t

[vanlassie]

5. Well for one possablity, cross contamination.

Did you know, we are NOT supposed to wash raw chicken? Apparently this can allow splatters to get around sink area and contaminate other surfaces, etc. So, just heating chicken properly is better than washing it.

[herding cats]

7. Too few people know this simple fact.

Which totally makes sense when you think about it. I admit to not knowing it until somewhat recently myself and felt like a fool for not reasoning it out for myself.

A good post sharing good advice. I wish I could rec your words.

[Ash_F]

12. They probably weren't washing chicken here

Nobody really does that in food service.

Not changing gloves and washing hands from one station to another. That is a big one.

Using utensils across different stations.

Non-thorough sanitizing of plate-ware/silverware. Less common in catering, more so in restaurants.

Storing chicken above another food item, resulting in chicken blood spillage with one bump.







Most people have no idea unless they have worked in a restaurant. I hardly blame the workers. Not even managers really. It comes from the ownership cutting corners.

[Hekate]

14. I rinse raw poultry, but spray the sink, utensils, and surrounding areas with bleach before & after

I've done it this way ever since reading that home cooks should simply assume it is contaminated with salmonella because the bug is so widespread in the industry.

At this point I really don't like handling it at home any more. I'm happier buying Costco's rotisserie chicken and completing the cooking process at home.

[Spirochete]

16. That never occurred to me

but it makes sense. good answer. Thanks

[pinboy3niner]

3. That's one way to give a 'Show and Tell' lesson

[WinkyDink]

4. The Universe has a sense of irony.

[Jenoch]

6. Years ago, Wendy's had a SuperBar (salad bar).

There was a nurses convention and 50 nurses were infected with food poisoning from the nearby Wendy's. The restaurant closed a few monhs later. This was in my hometown, so I know it was true. The owner was an a**hole.

[marions ghost]

17. OMG I got food poisoning from a Wendy's Superbar too!

It was a bad case. I was young but still very ill. The creamy pasta sauce I think was what did it.

We always called it the Superbarf after that.

Now whenever I encounter a cafeteria or buffet line I check that the food is really really hot.

And nothing creamy....

[Dont call me Shirley]

8. Surely you can't be serious.....I am serious and don't call me Shirley.

Rumack: The life of everyone on board depends upon just one thing: finding someone back there who can not only fly this plane, but who didn't have fish for dinner.

[pinboy3niner]

9. We usually just put it on Otto Pilot

[Dont call me Shirley]

10. ...

[Ash_F]

11. 'Efficiency' is king in the food service industry

That means employees are always understaffed and constantly pressured by management to pick up the pace. Which leads to corners cut everywhere. Most safety precautions take time and attention to detail.

This is true from find dining to catering to fast food. It doesn't matter where.





It is a sick industry.

[Rex]

13. Should of had the fish.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

15. Centerplate catering. Of CEO kicking dog on elevator video fame.

I thought it sounded familiar.

Having a bad run they are.

[Ash_F]

18. Not surprised. /nt