Filtering by Tag: Home Food Preservation

Food Safety Talk 174: No Borscht Collusion

Added on January 30, 2019 by Don Schaffner.

The show starts with a discussion of Ben’s vocal fry, which leads to an interesting digression regarding fried fish. Ben follows up with a discussion about emptying his inbox and what sparks joy. This leads to a semi-deep dive on productivity before a short segment on television recommendations. Food safety talk begins with discussion about flour safety, which moves on to a viral video on leftover pasta safety tied to food poisoning incident from more than a decade ago. There is a discussion about the safety of fast food left out of temperature control for several hours before the guys move on to listener feedback. Listener feedback covers handling wedding leftovers, canning borscht, and the benefits using aseptic technique when pouring milk. Listener feedback is interrupted by more discussion of food safety in the news, and a recipe for overnight cooking, and crockpot safety. Ben discusses pet food safety, before returning to listener questions on the proper sanitary technique for disinfecting a spatula left behind the stove for a year, and confusing deli meat labels, before the show ends with a brief chat about microbiological risks from sinks and how they are spread. Link so you can follow along at home are shown below:

Food Safety Talk 144: They Look and Taste Like Green Turds

Added on January 25, 2018 by Don Schaffner.

The guys jumped right into the food safety talk this week with a discussion of the Jimmy John's sprout outbreak. From there the conversation turns to a whole lot of listener questions and feedback: Instant Pot, more on edible gold and silver, the safety of soup and other pots left on the stove as well as refrigerator leftovers, fiddleheads, proper spatula use, burger temperatures, and food safety gadgets. There's a little bit of popular culture talk right at the end. Below are show notes so you can follow along at home.

Food Safety Talk 142: Silver Balls

Added on December 22, 2017 by Don Schaffner.

The episode opens, as it often does with a discussion of popular culture and hockey. Listener feedback covers suggestions for rapid response training for outbreak investigations. The food safety talk focuses on Listeria and apples, as well as the ongoing Listeria outbreak in South Africa, and it's relationship to HIV. For dessert, there is a discussion of raw milk and cookies (local New Jersey edition), topped with silver sprinkles.

Show notes so you can follow along at home:

Food Safety Talk 96: Boom goes the dynamite

Added on March 29, 2016 by Don Schaffner.

The guys are on a roll. They are very happy that they are releasing new episodes consistently. The show opens with a discussion of topics like Boom, Boom Goes the Dynamite, Dyn-o-mite, Beastie Boys, William Shatner, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, The Avett Brothers, The Sadies, and The Best of Little Feat.

They quickly transition with the Maytag Raw Milk Blue Cheese recall by Whole Foods. Ben says that there is a no way for customers to tell if milk was pasteurized; they must read the label, and he notes the absence of the word pasteurized makes the difference, not the presence of the word raw. The discussion moves to the literature and a research paper on the survival of E. coli O157:H7 in Gouda and Cheddar aged for 60 days. Don emphasizes that the rate of pathogen decrease and not the days of survival which is important. Ben asked Don if it is safe to consume raw milk. “It depends, and it is complicated” he replies. The conversation turns to an article by David Gumpert “Is OPDC Bumping Scalability Limits, to Detriment of Raw Milk Nationally”. The guys note that exposure is less when a business is small. Don goes off a tangent, mentioning two articles about the brain and self-government. Ben responds to Don by recommending another on risk communication, which suggest that it is hard to change people beliefs.

From there the podcast digresses into Wordy Rappinghood and Kanye West Facts before turning to the boiling of water as affected by atmospheric pressure, and altitude in response to a question from Linda Harris. The show ends with a discussion of GFSI audits and poor food safety culture.

Food Safety Talk 48: Ninja moves to rock and roll

Added on September 26, 2013 by Don Schaffner.

The guys started the show with some general chit chat about The Beer Store and The Nail Shop, the Beach Boys, including "Pet Sounds", Chuck Berry, Bed Bad Baaaaaaatz, Don's Etymotic hf5 earphones, Twitter, (including this discussion), and Barb O'Neill's great work.

Prompted by a link from Alejandro Amezquita, the guys then turned their attention to laundry and in the process gave the phrase "Eat My Shorts!" a new meaning. In the article, Lisa Ackerley discussed the hygiene of laundering. The guys recalled a couple of research articles by Chuck Gerba related to the topic (here and here). Neither Don nor Ben were particularly worried about this.

This reminded Ben of The Salt article on cooking food in the dishwasher. The guys discussed the potential risk of this approach and the sciences that is needed. Another The Salt article on washing poultry had also resulted in a large amount of social media engagement, which is something the Don and Ben are always keen to explore. And both enjoyed Alton Brown's proper method for washing out the inside of a whole poultry.

The guys then moved onto the bug trivia replacement segment called Food Safety History, in honor of a 100 years of the IAFP Journal of Food Protection. In this episode the Don covered the pre 1940 era. It all started with the Journal of Milk Technology and the connection with raw milk reminded Ben of this Toronto Star article.

Don then wanted to talk about this NY Times article, related to Salmonella in spices, and the related Food Microbiology article. Don posed Ben the questions that he was asked for a Rutgers Q&A press release on this topic and the guys compared their answers.

The guys then got fired up about the Cronut Burger-related outbreak article by Jason Tetro. Ben didn't quite agree with some of Jason's assumptions, so Ben queried the manufacturers about the parameters of the product, which Le Dolci didn't know. Ben eventually found the answer from Toronto Public Health, and was able to set the record straight.

To finish off, Don mentioned The New Disruptors podcast (earlier episodes), which featured Marisa McClellan in Episode 38 "Yes, we can!" talking about food preservation. Don was pleasantly surprised by her knowledge, including her mention of the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

In the after dark the guys continued the canning discussion, including Canvolution, Canning Across America and pink flamingos for their 50th episode.

Food Safety Talk 41: Always Looking Out for Nuts

Added on June 4, 2013 by Ben Chapman.

Don shared that he’s been flogging the podcast mercilessly during his recent travels. The guys then launched straight into the Bug Trivia segment, highlighting Clostridium perfringens, which can be a big problem particularly for meat processors who need to cool large cuts of cooked meat quickly (to meet the FSIS performance standard). Carl Custer’s notes indicate that it was infamous for causing gas gangrene. During cooking of meat the spores germinate and these can grow incredibly fast if the rate of cooling is inadequate. Luckily it generally doesn’t cause death, but can cause a potentially fatal disease called pig-bel especially in countries where cooked meat is held at room temperature for long periods of time. Ben has developed some food safety infosheets for this organism, including this one detailing an outbreak linked to a school event.

The guys then turned their attention to baked goodies and that some things on the Internet are not true. Don referred to one of those typical urban legend emails warning people to discard their out-of-date pancake and cake mixes for risk of causing anaphylactic allergic reactions. Turns out that there is some truth to the matter as you can see from Snopes and this scientific article “An unusual case of anaphylaxis. Mold in pancake mix.” While there are some incorrect aspects to the story, Don would always advise people to not use food that has passed its best or sell by date because of the lower quality (the dates are there for a reason).

The conversation then turned to canning as Ben, the self-proclaimed Canning King of Wake County NC, recently received a question about canning mushrooms. While the email appeared to be about quality, Ben’s concern was Clostridium botulinum (see bug trivia in FST 39) and hence he elevated this email to an 11 on the 1 to 10 scale. So, Ben passed on information on canning mushrooms from the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Don was also dealing with canning questions and was worried about people fiddling with established jam recipes for fear of a repeat of what happened in Cowichan with watermelon jelly.

Ben then went on a Salmonella-fuelled hazelnut caper – he was grumpy about the lack of supplier information provided by the CFIA, although Lynne Terry from The Oregonian managed to find it out. Ben felt this information could be important to other distributers who would be able to make better decisions (provided they had the right food safety culture). Don noted that weenie public health folk, such as Dr. Eric Wilke, had Doug all fired up. Dr Wilke’s antics at the press conference turned serious foodborne illness outbreak into bizarre theater. Not cool, dude. The Salmonella outbreak from Fayetteville Hotelon the I-95 reminded Don of FST 11 and the guys discussed some of the ill-informed responses of public health officials after food borne illness outbreaks.

Don and Ben then turned their attention to needle tenderized beef, which was prompted by the MeatingPlace opinion about this Consumer Reports article. While James Marsden was against labeling of mechanically tenderized beef, Canada has already moved to such a labeling requirement, although Doug had some questions about it. Ben had managed to find some research on cooking inoculated and mechanically tenderized beef, although the debate about it is ongoing. Both Ben and Don would prefer to have this type of product clearly labeled, although their preference is for naturally tender and flavorsome beef cuts (such as MSA graded beef).

In the after dark the guys talked about Don’s upcoming trip to Brazil and Denmark, and Ben's trip to Nebraska.

Food Safety Talk 27: A Bumper Crop of Fun: The Clostridium Episode

Added on October 23, 2012 by Ben Chapman.

The podcast stars with a discussion of the Violet Femmes, AC/DC, Ben’s recently acquired addiction to The Wire (he’s up to Episode 6), and the reason for why Don doesn’t need to feel guilty for not doing his homework – to watch The Newsroom.

Recently, Don had a call from a consumer who had made salsa (three weeks prior) but had forgotten to add the lemon juice. She wanted to know what she could do. The guys agreed that the concern was due to Clostridium botulinum which could grow in a low-acid environment and lead to toxin outgrowth (some guidance is provided in this NDSU document) and the best option is to discard the salsa.

This reminded Ben of the judging of the home food preservation competition of the North Carolina State Fair. He explained how he’s introduced additional food safety science into the judging process – with respect to which foods to taste and alternative criteria for evaluation. Ben’s got a set of criteria he uses to determine whether to exclude products from the competition (based on whether the product comes from a tested recipe source such as NCHFP, Ball's Blue Book or USDA's Guide to Home Canning), whether to allow for tasting and ensure that recommended processing times have been used (self-reported by the participants). Judges don't taste any high risk foods (e.g. beets), and they test pH of the lower risk products. Ben reviews the competition premium book annually to ensure things are clear. Don liked Ben’s approach and encouraged him to write his process up for the Journal of Extension.

The conversation then focused on the safety of a brandied fruit starter recipe that Ben has been asked to evaluate. Given the acidity of the canned ingredients, and while E. coli O157 could be an issue, the guys agreed that the major concern is again Clostridium botulinum. In particular, Don was concerned about ‘cooks’ who don’t follow the recipe and replace canned fruit with fresh fruit or sugar with honey – both of which are likely to introduce C. botulinum into the mixture. Don cited the recent outbreak of botulism in a prison from Pruno as an example of such innovative behavior. Ben then queried the effect of refrigeration, which Don thought would have an impact on C. botulinum spores, but might also impact the fermentation. This reminded Ben of his early days in extension work when he was asked about an Amish Friendship Bread starter, which has been researched and found to present little risk if done properly.

The conversation the shifted to cooking and serving large amounts of chili, as Ben had been asked about food safety considerations for a chili supper fundraiser. Ben put the organizers in touch with the local environmental health officers to make sure they comply with the necessary regulations. In addition, he provided them with some information about how to achieve rapid cooling (and why it was important). While doing his research for this question he found an article on Clostridium perfringens during cooling in commercial chili. Don has been involved in similar extension work on roast beef for which he used this FSIS Appendix B. In addition, Don noted that for many practical applications the ComBase Perfringens Predictor is a great tool.

The guys made a fleeting comment about the current XL beef E. coli O157 outbreak, which they may discuss more next time.

Food Safety Talk 27: A Bumper Crop of Fun: The Clostridium Episode

Food Safety Talk 16: Gun with a Bang Flag

Added on April 19, 2012 by Don Schaffner.

The show starts with a discussion of Canadian culture, including hockey, the Canadian national anthem, and the Tragically Hip, and then in quick succession, BLN, Rush, Neil Young, The Band, and Tim Horton's Coffee.

No self-respecting podcast would neglect the preliminary requisite discussion of Skype, the resolutionary New iPad, favorite apps like Omnifocus, or favorite games like W.E.L.D.E.R.

A brief discussion of the merits of Multitasking during teleconferences occurs before the guys briefly revisit pink slime and then launch into their main topic on home canning food safety.

Home canning of green beans always should use a USDA approved recipe. And remember: there are no safe options for canning Vegetables in a boiling water canner! Why do some people not get sick when foods are improperly canned? Well, it comes down to probability, and like Barbie sort of said "probability is hard." And when your number comes up, it's not just a sign that says bang, in fact it's quite serious.

While it is true that heat does denature bot toxin, that is probably not a good food safety management strategy. A good quality management strategy for home or commercially canned foods is first in, first out stock rotation. The bottom line? When in comes to C. botulinum, don't play too close to the edge.

From the discussion of canned foods, Don moves on to discuss his recent trip to Thailand, funded in part, thanks in part to Mark Robson. He goes on to comment on the safety of street food, and his ideas for research. Because after all, how will he know what he thinks until he sees what he says? The safety of street food is a popular topic in the Journal of Food Protection, although our pal Linda Harris has yet to publish on the safety of roasted chestnuts.

The guys briefly remark that they are glad the FSPCA website is finally live. Too bad they didn't use squarespace.

When Ben mention's his opus, Don first think's he is talking about a penguin. Ben clarifies that he isn't talking about a musical work, or other excellent works by Richard Dreyfuss, but instead is talking about the Ottawa Lunch Lady and some of their recent problems.

In the after dark, Don tells Ben again how much he liked Ben's comment on too many cooks in the kitchen.

Gun With a Bang Flag

Food Safety Talk 10: Fake clams, Sam and Ella

Added on January 13, 2012 by Ben Chapman.

Episode 10 starts out with a discussion of Christmas gifts for the food safety nerd. Neither Don or Ben actually recieved any. The guys move on to discussion temperature abuse (surprise), data loggers and the nuances of infectious dose. Raw milk and home food preservation also make an appearance. Creative Don ends things with a food safety haiku.

What Ben did not get for Christmas.
Ben has a tumblr, AKA pinterest for nerds. So does Don.
Thermometer of champions. Comark PDT300.
Bill Keene, Oregon's top food-borne illness detective.
Don's extra nerdy gift "from me, to me; because I always know what I want" - the iGrill.
Thermometers (here, here) that Don is using in a project to assess transport temperatures/variations.
Not sure why, but Don says he has to do this to get the data.
Someone who probably needs to use a temperature control monitor.
What Don saw outside a restaurant in San Diego.
Three things that are really important in real estate.
Don used fake clams to model Vibrio growth. What do fake clams look like (1,2)?
Is this the edge that Don was talking about? Because, ironically, Ben is "always on the Edge" as this is his favorite radio station (or internet radio station).
Always start blog posts with a number.
Mike Batz, our diehard listener who Don Schaffner may or may not be posting as, and who co-authored this, bought himself a bunch of date stickers for Christmas. He's clairvoyant.
Cronobacter sakazakii, which used to be known as Enterobacter sakazakii (pronounced sakazak-ee - or coronobacter sakazaki-eye, we're not sure which one).
Wal-mart recalls Enfamil formula.
FDA visits the plant and finds nothing; CDC epidemiologists also says the outbreak is not related to Enfimil.
Lettuce recalled because of Salmonella in an adjacent field.
Salmonella?
Raw milk at Rutgers University.
Where you can buy space booties.
How Good is Your Eyesight: Bill Marler's description of infectious dose. Don says it's one - it's the mean infectious dose that really matters though.
What Don looks like when he goes all mathy.
What Ben looks like.
What 1000 servings of eggs might look like.
Pathogenesis of Shigella dysenteriae 1 (Shiga) Dysentery - prisoners used for dose-response models.
Dose-Response Model for Listeria monocytogenes-Induced Stillbirths in Nonhuman Primates.
Christine Moe, Emory University - who does dose-response work in norovirus.
Tested recipe for home canned apple sauce.
Should home canned foods be boiled for 10 min before consumption? USDA still says yes, but in their canning guide, only for low-acid.
Safety of herbed oils paper.
Wash your hands, dumbass.

Fake Clams, Sam and Ella

Food Safety Talk 7: Dazed and Confused

Added on November 26, 2011 by Don Schaffner.

In Episode 7 of Food Safety Talk, Ben and Don set out to talk about the Mr. Cheese Salmonella outbreak, but range far and wide into discussions about helping Entrepreneurs, the differences between risk assessment and risk management, and the importance of a good theme song.

Seltzer, The beverage of choice for leading Podcaster's everywhere.
The NC state fair outbreak has been linked to a livestock display barn.
Spinach grown near cattle feed yards can become contaminated with microorganisms transfer via the air.
Mr. Cheese is a man (cheese?) of many faces.
Ben's son thinks Mr. Cheese looks like this.
Details on the actual Mr. Cheese outbreak.
The original Listeria Hispanic style cheese outbreak.
Don's barfblog post on Freehold illegal restaurants.
A Map of Utah counties.
Whole foods want to sell foods made by local entrepreneurs.
NJ retail food code, now chapter 24. It's twice as good as the old Chapter 12.
Watermelon jelly botulism, I blame Canada.
National Center for Home Food Preservation.
A scientific article on the Hazelnut yogurt botulism outbreak.
Northeast Center for Food Entrepreneurship at the New York State Food Venture Center.
Fletcher Arritt, III Assistant Professor, Food Science.
Snooki is to NJ as Andy Griffith is to NC.
Mike the Barber, don't be creepy.
The old Extension model, as described by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
The National GAP'S program.
Episode 3 of FST, where Ben interviews Don's replacement.
An article on risk analysis.
The Norman Borlaug institute doing good work.
Risk Analysis is cool, but it is important to understand the difference between risk assessment and risk management.
HACCP.
See Episode 1, for the differences between Ben and Don's personal food safety risk management decisions.
Lynn Frewer who does research on Risk communication with consumers: Ben is a big fan.
How to pronounce data.
Craig Hedberg from U Minnesota: Don is a big fan.
My biggest fan by Loudon Wainwright III... "yeah there's Bob then there's Neil then there's me", full lyrics here.
The KISS comic book, printed with the actual KISS blood.
I wanna rock and roll all night with lyrics, in the hopes that Ben's son will learn to read, and learn more words to the song.
The Dazed and Confused movie, which Don has to watch for homework. Because very cool podcasts often talk about movies.
Licensing music from ASCAP for podcasts.
And for those who listened through the outro music, check out Roderick on the Line.
Ben's homework is to learn Markdown.

Dazed and Confused