Food Safety Partnership (FSP) June 8, 2011 Meeting Summary All materials labeled “online” below will be placed on the MDH FSP website at: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/food/pwdu/fsp/. A full list is at the end of this summary. Welcome April Bogard (MDH) greeted FSP attendees at video‐conference sites, and those streaming the event via computer. She said that there had been some minor changes to the Agenda. Committee and Project Reports FSP‐Plus Training Sessions and FSP Steering Committee, Deborah Durkin, MDH (presentation online) FSP‐Plus Short Sessions: An August 9, 2011 FSP‐Plus event will feature Dr. Steve Kells from the University Of Minnesota Extension Department Of Entomology. Dr. Kells will offer practical bed bug identification and control Information for business owners, public and environmental health agencies. The final FSP‐Plus training event for 2011 will be held in December. For more information, or to suggest training topics, contact Michelle Messer (651‐201‐3657, [email protected]. Food Safety Partnership Steering Committee: The Steering Committee will meet in August to plan the October 5, 2011 FSP meeting and the 2012 FSP meeting schedule. There will be no FSP field trip this year. Germ City Handwashing Display: EHS is pleased to have an intern to assist with the busy Germ City summer schedule. Intern, Amanda Krentz is available to help with the delivery and staffing of Germ City at local and community events. Anyone wishing to reserve a unit can contact Amanda ([email protected]). Germ City will be at the State Fair for the fourth year, joining HealthFair11 for the second year in their building. MDH will be requesting help from its partners to volunteer for three‐hour shifts at Germ City. Cooking Safely for A Crowd Workshop/Video‐Conference: MDH and Extension will offer a video‐
conference workshop for people who regularly prepare meals for large groups in an unlicensed situation (e.g. faith‐based organizations, scouts, etc.). The workshop will be held on October 18, 2011 from 1:00‐
4:00 p.m. at video‐conference sites throughout the state. Topics and presenters include: large quantity Meeting Summary, June 8, 2011 FSP Meeting
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cooking (Extension), pathogens of concern & outbreaks in churches (Epi), and laws and licensing issues (EHS) staff. Streaming: FSP and FSP‐Plus trainings are available for 90 days after the televised event. Those who wish to request a certificate may contact Maggie Edwards ([email protected] ). The following events are archived online and can be viewed using Windows Media Player: 
June 8, 2011 FSP Meeting mms://stream2.video.state.mn.us/MDH/FoodSafety060811.wmv 
April 5, 2011 l FSP‐Plus Sushi/HACCP training mms://stream2.video.state.mn.us/MDH/fspplus4511.wmv Minnesota Food Code Revision, Linda Prail, MDH Advisory Committee: On May 17, 2011 the Minnesota Food Code Advisory Committee completed discussion of any remaining rule revision items. The report about the Committee’s work is being written by Linda Prail and Susan Peterson and should be ready for review by MDH and MDA staff within two weeks. Colleen Paulus, Dave Read, Pamela Steinbach and Lorna Girard will be sent copies for review. After the internal review is complete, the report will be sent to the Committee members for review and comment. The report will be finalized. The Committee will meet one last time (tentatively scheduled for September 13, 2011) to adopt and sign the final report of the committee’s actions. At this meeting, the Committee also will review Departments’ response to Committee’s recommendations (see below), review and discuss members’ outreach efforts, discuss the process for stakeholder meetings and review rulemaking schedule. MDH and MDA Review of Advisory Committee Recommendations: During the months of June, July and August, the Departments will review all of the Committee’s recommendations and decide which ones to accept. A series of internal and joint department meetings will be held. (At MDH, the Manager and Supervisors will review the recommendations and make the decisions.) A letter detailing the Departments’ decisions will be prepared and given to the Committee at the final meeting. Preparation of the Draft Rule: Linda Prail and Susan Peterson are working on the first draft of the revised rule. We should have draft ready for internal review within the next few weeks. (This draft will be preliminary in that it will not include the decisions on the Advisory Committee recommendations.) Internal Review of Draft Rule: MDH and MDA will review and revise the draft rule. The Statement of Need and Reasonableness (SONAR): The SONAR is partially written and work will continue on it until the rule is ready for public notice. Stakeholder Meetings: During October and early November, meetings with stakeholders will be held throughout Minnesota. At this time, the plan is hold two meetings in each MDH district. At these meetings, MDH and MDA staff, and hopefully some Advisory Committee members, will review the changes to the Food Code, answer questions and collect feedback. More information about these meetings will be provided later. Meeting Summary, June 8, 2011 FSP Meeting
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Polishing the Rule and Finishing the SONAR: After the stakeholder meeting, the rule will be revised and polished, if necessary and the SONAR will be completed. Departments Review and the Road to Completion: The rule and SONAR will wind their way through the review process and then the rule will be put on public notice. A public hearing, most likely, will follow and then the review by the Administrative Law Judge, approval by the Commissioners, adoption of the rule and then rule takes effect. More information on the Advisory Committee’s actions can be found on the website at: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/food/code/2009revision/index.html. For information about the rule revision process, please either look on the website or contact Linda D. Prail ([email protected] or 651‐201‐5792. Inter‐Agency Review Council (IARC), Lynne Markus, MDH The InterAgency Review Council, IARC, met on May 19, 2011 at the MDH Snelling Office Park ‐ Mississippi River Room. All people interested in the IARC activities are invited to attend in person, by video‐
conference, or by computer Web streaming. For more IARC information, see: http://www.health.state.mn.us/index.html. Water and Energy Conservation: Nancy Kelly, from Eureka Recycling, provided information about a pre‐
rinse spray valve and faucet aerator campaign for small businesses to save costs, water, and energy. The Power Rinser can provide up to an 80 percent water use reduction and savings of up to $1,300 in annual energy costs while operating at the same pressure and quality performance. The campaign is a collaborative effort organized by Michelle Vigen, [email protected], Campaign and Metrics Coordinator of the Clean Energy Resource Teams, University of MN Regional Sustainable Development Partnership. Questions may be directed to her or to Nancy Kelly at www.eurekarecycling.org. Information, in addition to the handouts emailed to IARC members on May 19, 2011, is available at http://splash.mncerts.org. Construction Committee: IARC voted to integrate information about Tankless Water Heaters and Sushi Countertop Showcases into the committee’s Construction Guide because guidance documents on these topics were cancelled. Barb Krech, Committee Chair, announced the committee’s 5‐19‐11 agenda topics: 
Inspection criteria for Caribou Coffee Bakery Platforms trial use; 
Review of the 2010 sneeze shields; 
Discussion of air curtains to restrict facility entry of insects and rodents; 
Review of flooring changes made at the last committee meeting; 
Additions to the construction guide; and 
Discussion of food carts and mobile food units. All interested parties are welcome to attend IARC Construction Committee meeting that meets at 1:00 p.m. at Snelling Office Park on the day of IARC meetings. Meeting Summary, June 8, 2011 FSP Meeting
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Food Safety Committee: Pam Steinbach, Chair, reported on the draft document, Room Temperature Storage of Hard Cheeses at Retail. The draft’s purpose is to clarify when certain hard cheeses should be considered a non‐potentially hazardous food. It addresses the differences between the FDA Model Food Code Annex and the Minnesota Food Code; references Table A and Table B of the FDA code regarding the pH level of foods; and provides Minnesota Department of Agriculture guidance. All interested parties are invited to review Draft Room Temperature Storage of Hard Cheeses at Retail and send comments to her. The draft document was mailed to IARC and FSP members on May 19, 2011. IARC Bylaws: Voting Representatives: The council discussed adding additional representatives for more diversity to the council. Lynne Markus, IARC Facilitator, is communicating with prospective individuals. Submittal: Licensing of Home‐Based Businesses: Stacie Schanus and Martha Steinhart, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, (MDA) asked other agency inspectors about their experiences with home‐
based businesses and if there is a need to address consistency in licensing among agencies. MDA finds many consultants sell food products in client homes but require a license for public venue sales. IARC members agreed that private parties in homes do not require licensing and that conducting business at a public event requires a license, either a special event or seasonal temporary license, depending on the type of event. These businesses would qualify under MN Statute 128.A, which requires the licensing of food businesses and defines food sales. Legislation: Colleen Paulus, MDH Manager, updated the IARC regarding state legislation: House File 637, Senate File 477 and Senate 760. Note: The IARC July 21, 2011 meeting is CANCELLED due to the preparation of state agency contingency plans for the potential shutdown of Minnesota government on July 1, 2011. Presentation Session One Epidemiology and Outbreak Report, Josh Rounds MDH (presentations online) German Outbreak: Josh began with a discussion of the German E. coli O104:H4 outbreak. He presented a slide showing the percentage of E. coli O157 infections in Minnesota from 1996 to 2009 that resulted in HUS. The average was 5.8 percent, with the greatest number of HUS cases in those cases birth to 4 years, and those older than 70 years. Josh said that in the German outbreak, most persons affected were between 20 and 70 years, and that one to five percent of people in this age range would have been expected to develop HUS. However, approximately 30% of known cases have developed HUS. One possible factor in the high rate of HUS may be the use in Germany of antibiotics and other drugs not commonly given to acutely infected E. coli patients. Non‐O157 infections, said Josh, have emerged as a cause of HUS in Minnesota since 2000. The number of labs testing for Non‐O157 STECs has risen during that time from fewer than 10 to more than 60. We can therefore assume that the cases were always happening but not being detected. Multi‐State E. coli O157:H7 Hazelnut Outbreak: In February, the Public Health Lab noted that two E. coli O157 isolates had identical PFGE patterns and that these cases were the same as three in Wisconsin and one in Michigan. A multi‐state investigation was instigated. Eight‐three percent of the cases were male and the median age was 63 years. All six cases reported eating in‐shell mixed nuts or in‐shell hazelnuts Meeting Summary, June 8, 2011 FSP Meeting
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alone. All of the nuts were traced to a California distributor where the outbreak E. coli subtype was also found in mixed nuts. Investigators were unable to trace the product to the farms of origin. This new vehicle‐pathogen combination led to speculation about the source of the contamination. Because hazelnuts are harvested by being shaken to the ground and swept up, investigators speculate that the source may be deer or other animal hosts that roam freely in the orchards. 2011 Legislative Update, Colleen Paulus, MDH and Ben Miller, MDA Summaries of legislation affecting the two agencies will be published in the July 1 PWDU Newsletter. Presentation Session Two Special Events: Planning, Inspection, Enforcement and Expecting the Unexpected, Greg Abel, FDA (presentation online) FDA Funding Available: Greg said that FDA’s Division of Federal‐State Relations has announced the availability of funds for state, local and tribal retail food regulatory jurisdictions that are making progress on implementing the FDA Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards or those who wish to enroll in the Standards. Program Standard monies are available at $2500 per applicant. Applications are due by July 1. The funding application and funding announcement were sent to FSP partners by MDH on June 10, 2010. For more information, contact Greg Abel at: [email protected]. Special Events: Greg state the objectives of his presentation as: (1) to gain a better perspective of the regulator’s strategy in assuring the public’s health and wellbeing, (2) to identify the food safety challenges generally associated with these events and (3) to illustrate practical methods to evaluate and mitigate out of control foodborne illness risk factors. First, Greg pointed out that the definition of a “food establishment” may often be stretched beyond our normal understanding of such a place, when special events include locations, equipment, customer loads and other circumstances that are not ideal or “normal.” He pointed out that there are no specific regulations for variations in these factors when compared to established facilities. Food Safety Challenges: Greg cited the following challenges at special events: foods prepared in advance; foods prepared off‐site and transported; employee practices and health; attaining proper cooking temperatures; use of temporary and modified kitchens; and large volumes of food. These can be managed by: conduction risk‐based inspections focusing on risk factors for foodborne illness, and assuring on‐site correction with continual compliance. Elements of a strategy, said Greg, include adequate preparation and planning pre‐event meetings and inspections, daily inspections, risk‐based inspection and establishing a dialogue with foodworkers. Meeting Summary, June 8, 2011 FSP Meeting
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Materials for June 8, 2011 (Soon to be online at: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/food/pwdu/fsp/) ▪
June 8, 2011 FSP Meeting Agenda ▪
June 8, 2011 Meeting Summary ▪
PowerPoint: FSP‐Plus and FSP Steering Committee, Michelle Messer and Deborah Durkin ▪
PowerPoint: MDH Epidemiology and Outbreak Report, Josh Rounds ▪
PowerPoint: Special Events, Greg Abel, FDA This is a draft summary. Meeting notes were not reviewed by the Food Safety Partnership Steering Committee. Errors and omissions are mine. DD. Meeting Summary, June 8, 2011 FSP Meeting
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