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November 2016
By Miriam Eisenberg, MS, RD, CP­FS
Ecolab Food Safety and Public Health Manager
Food Code Update: Michigan allergen awareness training requirement goes into
effect in January The State of Michigan is requiring allergen training for all Certified Food Managers (see exemptions below) to be
completed by January 17, 2017. Food safety certified managers at food service establishments (e.g.,
restaurant, school or hospital inspected by a Michigan local health department) shall do both of the following:
Complete allergen training ­ By January 14, 2017 each food service establishment shall have at least one
certified manager who has also completed additional allergen training approved by the Michigan
Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD). An allergen training program certificate of
completion is recognized to be valid for five years from date of issuance. read more Food Code Update: Illinois On July 29, 2016, the Illinois Department of Public Health incorporated an updated state code based on the FDA
2013 Model Food Code.
This updated version of the Food Code increases the Form 3A to 57 items. Of the 57 items, the top 29 of them
are defined as Foodborne Illness (FBI) Risk Factor and Public Health Intervention items and the remaining 28
items are defined as Good Retail Practice items. The top 29 items will be used as a checklist during routine
inspections. Each FBI Risk Factor must be reviewed during every routine inspection. The terms "critical" and
"non­critical" will no longer be used to reference violation.
The scoring matrix changed, and a numerical score will no longer be used. read more
FDA/FSIS Consumer Food Safety Survey
With holiday season upon us, it is a good time to remind your workers about good food safety practices as the
holiday rush commences.
A survey from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in partnership with the U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has measured the public’s understanding of proper food
safety handling techniques. The "public" is of course the source of our workforce.
For nearly three decades the FDA and FSIS have conducted annual Food Safety Surveys to gauge and track the
public’s understanding in this important area. While the survey questions are designed to measure trends in
consumer food safety practices and not necessarily restaurant workers, it is important to understand how the
source of our worker population thinks. The survey included areas such as hand and cutting board washing;
preparing and consuming potentially risky foods; and using food thermometers. In addition to informing the FDA’s
food safety education efforts, the results are used by the Healthy People 2020 initiative to track consumer food
safety knowledge and actions. Key findings include...read more
Flu Season: A reminder
While flu (human influenza) may not be a food safety issue, like norovirus, it can be transmitted around home, the
community and the workplace. So a reminder to get your flu shot!
The flu is a respiratory infection accompanied with fever and often respiratory complications
It is transmitted from human to human
Most people have some immunity
Severe cases are more frequent in the older population, young children, and people with certain health
conditions
A flu vaccine cocktail is custom­assembled each year for the expected "flu" strains
Each year approximately 36,000 die from the common flu in the U.S.
Infected persons can give the flu to others:
One day prior to showing symptoms
Up to seven days after symptoms first appear
Most infectious during first three days of illness
How the flu is passed from person to person...read more
Ask the Expert: Allergens and Warewashing Machines
Question: I have a customer who is concerned about allergen cross­contact in the dish machine warewashing
process. Can you provide any insights as to why this should or should not be a concern? What procedures assist
in preventing this from happening?
Answer: I consulted Principal Chemical Engineer Nicole Delaney of Ecolab’s Institutional Corporate Technical
service. Ecolab recommends that in recirculating machines, tank wash water be changed every two hours or
when the water becomes visibly soiled. If there is gross soil in the machine and the water is not changed out very
frequently, there may be a chance for redepositing food particles and hence potential allergens. Please keep in
mind that allergen control is all about cleanliness. Allergens are not microorganisms, and thus cannot be killed
using sanitizers or disinfectants. Allergens are protein soils, which means that thorough cleaning is the only way
to remove them. This means we must place importance on a number of procedures during the dishwashing
process, including proper pre­scrapping techniques as well as proper racking in the dish­machine. Performing
these recommendations will help to minimize any cross contamination of allergens between guests. Ask the Expert: Bleach as a Virocide
Question: I understand that chlorine bleach can be used as a disinfectant for norovirus. Is this OK to use?
Answer: Bleach is never Ecolab’s recommendation as a chemical program component for a multitude of food
safety, employee safety and restaurant equipment damage issues. It is caustic and corrosive to every surface to
which it is applied and considered unstable as a viable chemical when mixed with anything but water.
While it is true that chlorine bleach can be diluted (properly) as a disinfectant, I don’t recommend its use in
restaurants. Many of the national chains we work with ban bleach in their units due to its hazards.
First, if bleach is either inadvertently or intentionally mixed with quaternary ammonium products, a noxious,
potentially lethal gas is created. When I say "intentionally" mixed, sometimes staff members who use bleach at
home think of it as "great for everything" and they may not know the hazards of mixing it with other products.
Since they use it regularly at home, they may also choose to use it for other inappropriate purposes in the kitchen
as well. Bleach mixed with any acidic chemical is hazardous. Read more. Ecolab Food Safety Matters quarterly webinars Food Safety Matters webinars are free quarterly web presentations featuring food
industry, academic, regulatory and culinary experts presenting topics surrounding the
diverse aspects of food safety. You may view archived webinars and
receive continuing education certificates for live or delayed viewing. Next webinar: Whole Genome Sequencing Tuesday, December 6, 2016, at 11 a.m. EST During this session, we will be discussing whole genome sequencing and the role of microbial DNA in detecting
foodborne illness across the country. Register here.
Sign up to receive webinar invitations. .
Miriam Eisenberg, M.S., R.D., CP­FS is the Manager of Food Safety & Public Health for
Miriam Eisenberg, M.S., R.D., CP­FS is the Manager of Food Safety & Public Health for
EcoSure, a division of Ecolab. EcoSure offers brand protection services focusing on food
safety for the foodservice and hospitality industries. Miriam provides technical expertise
and consultation to customers on food safety, regulatory issues and public health
concerns. Email Miriam questions, favorite resources, topics of interest and comments. If you know
anyone who would like to receive the EcoSure Food Safety Monitor, they can register
here.
EcoSure Food Safety Monitor is a service of EcoSure, a division of Ecolab.
Ecolab is a trademark of Ecolab USA Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2017 Ecolab All Rights Reserved.
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