Restaurants battle wave of food-borne illness

Taco John’s also is struggling to recover from an outbreak in which three dozen people became ill this month from E. coli contamination. The Cheyenne, Wyo.-based chain fired its produce supplier and says its food is safe but still has seen significant sales drops at many of its restaurants, said Brian Dixon, spokesman for the 430-restaurant chain.

The size of a restaurant or chain has nothing to do with the risks of illness, said Douglas Powell, scientific director of the Food Safety Network at Kansas State University. People can get sick from a neighborhood restaurant just as easily as at a major national chain.

In some cases the culprit can be as simple as a sick worker. For Taco John’s and Taco Bell’s E. coli contaminations, the problems can be traced back to farms.

“Know your suppliers,” said Powell. “And if you have sick employees, get them away from there.”

Still, it’s fairly easy for lax chefs and kitchen workers to make diners sick, said Mark Facklam, a former chef at the Tremont Hotel in Chicago who is director of culinary arts at the Illinois Institute of Arts.

Chefs are trained to be vigilant about proper hand washing, safe food storage and processes to heat and cool food to avoid microbial growth. Bacteria grow quickly in food between 40 degrees and 140 degrees, so for a kitchen to serve day-old soup, workers must cool the soup quickly and wrap it properly, ensure the refrigerator is cold enough and that the soup is later reheated to the boiling point, Facklam said.

“The public is smart to be concerned about this,” said Facklam. He said many people probably suffer food poisoning and without even realizing it. “People think they drank too much, they got the stomach flu or they ate something too rich,” he said.

E. coli may not manifest itself for several days, and Hepatitis A may not show symptoms for months.

Pat Kendall, food safety specialist at Colorado State University, is more optimistic:  “I don’t think consumers should be that concerned, but they should pay attention to cleanliness,” she said. A good rule of thumb: A dirty bathroom in a restaurant may be a bad sign, especially if there’s no soap and paper towels.

“If it’s dirty where you see it, just think what it’s like where you don’t,” said Facklam, the chef.  Pay attention to inspection notices posted in stores and online in some cities and states, Facklam said, and also be wary if employees look disheveled and dirty, if food is sitting out on counters and if the indoor garbage area is dirty and attracts flies.

Miller, who takes 12 medications a day and still suffers from brain damage from his near-death experience with Hepatitis A, still dines out.  There are always risks, he said.

“We’re rather particular of the restaurants we go to,” he said. “But people should be just as concerned with what they buy at the grocery store as in a restaurant.”

MORE FROM FOOD INC.

Food Inc. Section Front

Starbucks Via stirring discontent CNBC: Coke looking for the next real thing Burger King franchisees sue over $1 promotion McDonald’s to open 1,000 new locations in ’10 $5 footlongs turbocharge Subway Who’s your patty? Not McDonald’s Starbucks sees increase in spending, visits 7-Eleven is getting into the value wine business Pork still thriving despite swine flu scare Maine sours on lemonade with trace of alcohol Food Inc. Section Front   Add Food Inc. headlines to your news reader: