St. Paul restaurants balk at council member's proposal to list all ingredients for people with allergies

For Melvin Carter III's family, dining out is living dangerously. The St. Paul City Council member's 3-year-old daughter has a severe peanut allergy and could die if she eats peanuts and doesn't get immediate treatment.
"It's not unique to my family. Many families have to manage allergies on a daily basis," Carter said. "Shots and EpiPens are not fun to do."
Carter wants to make restaurants safer for people with allergies with a requirement that establishments make public the lists of ingredients they use.
For restaurateurs and chefs, the thought of Carter's proposal is cause for indigestion.

"The economy is in the crapper; businesses are struggling to survive; and now he wants us to list every ingredient?" said Mike Costello, owner of Costello's Bar & Grill on Selby Avenue. "He's asking the impossible. I'll guarantee Kentucky Fried Chicken is not going to tell him what's in their ingredients."

Carter has obtained advice and support from various camps. Representatives from Hospitality Minnesota, St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce, Minnesota Nurses Association, Food Allergy Initiative and Sysco food service weighed in on the issue and agreed on this goal statement:
"Anyone should be able to walk into any food establishment in St. Paul, and when asked about food allergens, food operators and/or servers shall provide accurate information to the extent that they are able to or to refer customers to an alternative information source."

What the group didn't agree on was how the mandate would be implemented. The St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce wanted it to be voluntary. Carter wanted a city ordinance.

He was ready to introduce a proposal to the St. Paul City Council requiring restaurants to provide customers with food allergen information in book form, listing all of the ingredients in every dish.

But he put his proposal on hold for fine-tuning after the restaurant industry reacted angrily.
"Insane" is what Tim McKee, who operates Barrio in Lowertown, Smalley's Caribbean Barbecue in Stillwater and the high-end La Belle Vie in Minneapolis, calls the proposal.

"You can't micromanage your menu like that," he said. "We accommodate people as best we can. But we're cooks, not dietitians."

The St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce also opposed the draft proposal.

"We understand councilman Carter's concerns," said Liz Bogut, the organization's spokeswoman.

"But they're very expensive and unrealistic for these businesses to implement."

"That's why we continue to work closely with him to find an approach that's realistic."

Carter hasn't given up.

"Restaurant owners and chefs are not champions of what I'm trying to do, but they are incredibly sensitive of the needs of folks with allergies that eat in their restaurants," he said.

"I have a theory that if folks are willing to sit down and chat through stuff honestly and get to the heart of the matter face to face, a lot of this could be easier than we make it."

Kathie Jenkins can be reached at 651-228-5585.

By Kathie Jenkins
kjenkins@pioneerpress.com
Updated: 09/16/2009 12:02:40 PM CDT

Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press http://www.twincities.com/ci_13345601?IADID=Search-www.twincities.com-www.twincities.com&nclick_check=1

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Proper Hand Washing

Since person-to-person spread can play a significant role in the spread of some enteric pathogens, hand hygiene is a critical element of any outbreak prevention and control strategy. During outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis, all passenger and crew members should be advised and reminded to wash their hands frequently to prevent the propagation of the illness.
Steps to proper handwashing...

1. Hands should be washed using soap and warm, running water

2. Hands should be rubbed vigorously during washing for at least 20 seconds with special attention paid to the backs of the hands, wrists, between the fingers and under the fingernails

3. Hands should be rinse well while leaving the water running

4. With the water running, hands should be dried with a single-use towel

5. Turn off the water using a paper towel, covering washed hands to prevent re-contamination.

Hands should be washed after the following activities:

* After touching bare human body parts other than clean hands and clean, exposed portions of arms

* After using the toilet

* After coughing, sneezing, using a handkerchief or disposable tissue, using tobacco, eating or drinking

* After handling soiled equipment or utensils

* After food preparation, as often as necessary to remove soil and contamination and to prevent cross-contamination when changing tasks

* After switching between working with raw food and working with ready-to-eat food

* After engaging in other activities that contaminate the hands.

Stressing handwashing in your operation will create a better environment for the employer, employee, and customers.

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ST. PAUL CITY COUNCIL; Proposal to post food allergen information put on back burner

By Havens, Chris

Publication: Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)

Date: Thursday, August 27 2009
Byline: CHRIS HAVENS; STAFF WRITER

A proposal to require St. Paul restaurants and caterers to providefood allergen information to customers is going to simmer for a while. St. Paul City Council Member Melvin Carter III withdrew the proposed ordinance on Wednesday along with another that would discount license fees if certain conditions about allergy awareness were met. Restaurant owners and business groups in the city have reacted angrily tothe proposed ordinance.

Carter said he pulled the proposal to allow for some fine-tuning over the next several months with the help of business owners. But, hestill intends to bring something forward, though, to have some kind of policy that allows consumers to have access to credible allergen information, he said.

"We're having a useful conversation and I want to let that take its course," Carter said. "Ultimately, I want to make sure the ordinance I propose has really good feedback from restaurant owners."

The impetus for the proposed ordinance came from Carter's 3-year-old daughter, who has food allergies.

Under the proposed ordinance, those who hold restaurant or catering licenses would need to do several things, including:

- provide an allergen information handbook to any person upon request. The handbook would contain copies of all ingredient labels for food being served

- display an allergy awareness poster,

- notify consumers in menus, on menu boards or in a noticeable location that allergen information is available,

- make sure food managers and people in charge attend food allergen training at least once every three years.

Proposal finds enemies

Also proposed was an ordinance to give a discount on license fees to restaurant and catering license holders as long as they complete atraining program and have someone on duty at all times who has viewed a video provided by the city on food allergies.

Members of the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce opposed the draftproposal, said Liz Bogut, the organization's spokeswoman.

"The reality is it will create tremendous difficulties and expenses for restaurants and caterers to implement and will likely open themup to significant liability issues," Bogut said. The chamber will continue to work closely with Carter to express its concerns, she said.

An effort to ban trans fats and require calorie labeling in chain restaurants was going to be introduced last winter, but it also has been put on the back burner.

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Swine flu is here and 'gaining steam'

Swine flu's second act has begun, state experts say. With cases expected to peak in the next two months, their advice is to get ready and wash your hands a lot.

By MAURA LERNER, Star Tribune

Last update: September 15, 2009 - 12:39 AM

The long-anticipated fall outbreak of swine flu has begun in Minnesota, with clusters of new cases cropping up at schools and universities, health officials said Monday.

Speaking at a flu pandemic summit that drew more than 600 people, State Epidemiologist Ruth Lynfield said, "We're now experiencing our second wave.''

At the same time, Michael Osterholm, a University of Minnesota expert, predicted that the number of cases will peak in the next six to eight weeks, sending absenteeism rates soaring from schools to businesses.

"The bottom line is, it's here," Osterholm told the audience of health, business and government officials gathered in Brooklyn Center. He noted that "none of us can tell you, 12 hours from now, what this virus is going to do." He said he won't be surprised if major sporting events are canceled in the next few months because teams have too many players fighting the flu.

"This train has left the station," he said. "It's moving and gaining steam."

Osterholm also warned that cases of the novel flu strain could peak before enough vaccine arrives, possibly in October.

"I'm afraid too little vaccine is going to get here before the peak hits," said Osterholm, director of the university's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.

Experts have predicted for months that the flu pandemic, which hit Minnesota in April and faded over the summer, would get a second wind once school started.

The vast majority of cases are still relatively mild, Osterholm noted, "but for that other 1 percent, this disease has been hell." In Minnesota alone, 267 people have been hospitalized, and three have died, with the majority of severe cases affecting children and young adults, officials said.

Some advice for employers

Health experts also warned that the fast-spreading virus could pose new challenges for everyone, from parents to church leaders to business owners.

They warned employers, for example, to prepare for a third or more of their employees to call in sick or miss work because of a sick child.

They also urged employers to ease up on strict sick-leave policies this fall in order to slow the spread of the virus. Osterholm noted that the key to battling the flu is to "keep sick people out of the workplace." But many workers are reluctant to stay home even when they're contagious, and that's got to change, he and others told the summit.

Several experts urged companies to drop rules that discourage sick workers from staying home, such as requiring a doctor's note during an illness.

Aggie Leitheiser, who heads the office of emergency preparedness for the Minnesota Department of Health, said some employers penalize workers who take too many sick days, and that could backfire during the current pandemic. "There are many jobs in Minnesota where people don't have sick leave," she added. "What's going to be their plan so they don't come to work sick and infect others?"

The flu outbreak will force patients -- and parents of sick children -- to think twice before rushing to the doctor, said Dr. John Hick, an emergency room physician at Hennepin County Medical Center.

He warned that hospitals and clinics won't be able to care for everyone who gets sick, and that those with milder illnesses will be better off staying home than waiting hours in the ER. "The longer in the waiting room, the more they're going to be exposed," he said.

At the same time, he said, unless they're seriously ill, they're not likely to be tested or receive any special treatment once they get in. Drugs used to treat the flu, such as Tamiflu, are being reserved for those who are severely ill or have high risk of complications, such as kids with asthma.

One minister asked if people should wear masks or gloves while giving communion at church. John Linc Stine, an assistant health commissioner, said guidelines for religious organizations are still under discussion.

Osterholm, however, wondered aloud why some churches still use shared communion cups, where people can easily share germs. "We should ban that," he said.

Many Minnesota colleges have installed extra hand sanitizers in libraries and dorms, and on Monday faculty at the University of St. Thomas were encouraged to remind students to use hand cleansers and wipe down shared keyboards in campus computer labs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Maura Lerner • 612-673-7384

Source: Star Tribune

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University of Minnesota Sees H1N1 Outbreak

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (WKOW) -- Another Big 10 school is dealing with an H1N1 flu outbreak. About 60 confirmed cases have been diagnosed at the University of Minnesota.
School officials are especially worried about the disease spreading in the dorms, where students are in close contact with one another.

Many are making sure to use hand sanitizers regularly and all students have been warned to take precautions.

The head of the school's Center for Infectious Diseases calls college campuses the perfect breeding ground for the virus.

"I think that by early October, this country is going to have a hell of a mess on its hands," says Dr. Michael Osterholm, Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy. "Because this is going to build around the country over the next 3-4 weeks and we're going to see more and more infections spread out of the college campuses, out of the high schools, out of the schools, out of the daycares and it's going to basically be in the working class population of 20-55 year olds."

The university is telling students who are sick to go home. If that's not feasible, the school will try to make arrangements to isolate the students and make medical care and food available to them.

Source: WKOW

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FDA requires faster food safety reporting

by The Associated Press

WASHINGTON September 8, 2009, 03:03 pm ET

Food makers must alert government officials of potentially contaminated products within 24 hours under a new rule designed to help federal regulators spot food safety issues sooner.
The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday unveiled a new electronic database where manufacturers must notify the government if they believe one of their products is likely to cause sickness or death in people or animals.

Regulators said the database will help the FDA prevent widespread illness from contaminated products and direct inspectors to plants that pose a high safety concern.

"There's been a lag time; we learn about problems after people get sick," said Michael Taylor, senior adviser to the FDA's commissioner. "This is intended to inform us of contamination problems before people get sick."

The law creating the database was passed in 2007, after Congress criticized the FDA for its handling of safety problems with a range of foods and drugs.

The FDA has struggled since then to manage a spate of food-safety recalls, including national outbreaks of salmonella linked to peppers and peanut butter. President Barack Obama earlier this year pledged to improve the safety of the nation's food supply, after tainted peanut butter from a Georgia plant sickened hundreds of Americans, causing one of the largest food recalls in recent history.

"Working with the food industry, we can swiftly remove contaminated products from commerce and keep them out of consumers' hands," Taylor told reporters. Many companies already voluntarily submitted reports about possible contamination, but the new law "makes this a duty that all food facilities have," he added.

The food industry welcomed the new database, but the FDA must answer a number of questions about how it will work, according to a spokesman for the Grocery Manufacturers Association, whose members include ConAgra Foods Inc., Kraft Foods Inc. and Nestle USA Inc..

"As with any new system ... there are bound to be a number of issues to be resolved in the initial stages and we would hope that the agencies will take this into account," said spokesman Scott Openshaw.

FDA officials also plan to use the database to analyze national trends in food safety and will report their findings to the public.

The new reporting requirements apply to all U.S. facilities that are registered with the FDA to process, pack or hold food, with the exception of infant formula and dietary supplement makers, which have separate reporting requirements.

Source: NPR

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Love Your Veggies Grants Now Available

The makers of Hidden Valley® Salad Dressings have announced the fourth annual Love Your Veggies™ grant program, an initiative that will provide $10,000 grants to 10 public elementary schools in the United States to support increased access to and consumption of fresh produce during school meals. The Love Your Veggies™ grant program is sponsored by the makers of Hidden Valley® Salad Dressings in partnership with School Nutrition Foundation (SNF). Visit www.LoveYourVeggies.com for complete information, including the 2009 application.

Now in its fourth consecutive year, the Hidden Valley® Love Your Veggies™ grant program has awarded $750,000 to elementary schools throughout the country for the implementation of fresh fruit and vegetable programs. Schools can apply for a grant through Nov. 6, 2009 by visiting LoveYourVeggies.com. Schools will be notified of their award status by Feb. 15, 2010. A public announcement of all 10 winners will be made in April 2010.

Why "Love Your Veggies"?

The makers of Hidden Valley® Salad Dressings know that getting children to eat more vegetables is a concern for many parents, and studies show that about 96 percent of children two to 12 years of age fall short of the recommended 2-5 cups of fruits and vegetables per day. Findings from the following studies further inspired the development of the program:
The Relevance of Ranch: A study that found children tend to consume more vegetables when paired with a moderate amount of ranch dressing. Another study suggested that consuming a moderate amount of fat with vegetables/salads may be beneficial to the body’s ability to adequately absorb fat-soluble nutrients.

Getting Kids Involved in the Process: In a study of 600 school-aged children taking part in a nutrition curriculum intended to increase vegetables and whole grains consumption researchers at Teachers College at Columbia University found that children who helped cook their own foods were more likely to eat those foods in the cafeteria, and even ask for seconds.

Making Veggie Eating Fun at Home: Parents participating in a home-based intervention program about fruits and vegetables led to increased knowledge and availability of both in the home, which was in turn a significant predictor of their children’s increased consumption.
Making a Difference in the Lunchroom with a grant program: The 2004 Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act required school districts to design and implement local school wellness policies. There is an overwhelming shortage of funds available for the execution of these programs and schools struggle to implement them successfully.

Source: School Nutrition Association

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Labor Day Weekend

Seats available in September 15th class at the YMCA in Coon Rapids, MN. Have a safe and enjoyable Labor Day. Office will be open today until noon, and closed on Monday.

Chef Eve Aronoff "cheftestant" on Top Chef

August 19, 2009 — Five National Restaurant Association members are competing on the latest season of Bravo’s "Top Chef" series.

The show, which airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET, features 17 "cheftestants" who will compete in cooking challenges for the "Top Chef" title. This season will take place in Las Vegas, home to some of the biggest names in the restaurant industry.

The NRA members competing are Eve Aronoff, chef/owner, Eve, Ann Arbor, Mich.; Ash Fulk, Trestle on Tenth; New York City; Kevin Gillespie, chef/owner, Woodfire Grill, Atlanta; Michael Isabella, executive chef, Zaytinya, Washington, D.C.; Bryan Voltaggio, chef/partner, Volt, Frederick, Md.

Will one of the Association members take home the title? We hope so.

The Hospitality Careers Training Center will post each Chef bio in our blogs. To see all blogs visit the Hospitality Careers Training Center's website.

Eve Aronoff

Aronoff started cooking for spending money during a summer break from Brandeis University but ended up falling in love with it. "I went to school to get a well-rounded education but found that cooking was just as multi-faceted," she said. "There’s a physical side, an emotional side. I just loved that."

So she decided to leave her literature degree behind to pursue a degree at the Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. While attending Le Cordon Bleu, Aronoff found inspiration outside the classroom. "I would visit the North African markets and go to Moroccan restaurants," she said.

The flavors had a huge impact on her, and her menus and cookbook show a fondness for the bold, exotic flavors.

In addition to running her restaurant and writing a cookbook, Aronoff was invited to show off her style by cooking a five-course meal at the James Beard Foundation House in New York -- an honor in the culinary world. She also was a delegate to Terre Madre, an international slow food meeting in Italy.

Her accomplishments caught the attention of the "Top Chef" producers, who invited her to apply to appear on the new season. "It presented a great opportunity to interact with other chefs," she says.

Aronoff believes in keeping things simple. "I take food seriously, but not so seriously that it’s not enjoyable."

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Source: National Restaurant Association

Chef Ash Fulk "cheftestant" on Top Chef

August 19, 2009 — Five National Restaurant Association members are competing on the latest season of Bravo’s "Top Chef" series.

The show, which airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET, features 17 "cheftestants" who will compete in cooking challenges for the "Top Chef" title. This season will take place in Las Vegas, home to some of the biggest names in the restaurant industry.

The NRA members competing are Eve Aronoff, chef/owner, Eve, Ann Arbor, Mich.; Ash Fulk, Trestle on Tenth; New York City; Kevin Gillespie, chef/owner, Woodfire Grill, Atlanta; Michael Isabella, executive chef, Zaytinya, Washington, D.C.; Bryan Voltaggio, chef/partner, Volt, Frederick, Md.

Will one of the Association members take home the title? We hope so.

The Hospitality Careers Training Center will post each Chef bio in our blogs. To see all blogs visit the Hospitality Careers Training Center website.

Ash Fulk

Ash Fulk used persistence to break into the restaurant industry. Needing money, Faulk applied for a line cook position at a restaurant and agreed to demonstrate his skill level to the head chef.
His first task: dicing an onion. The task took an hour, and the chef told him he wasn't qualified for the position. Fulk persisted and returned to the restaurant everyday until the chef offered him a job.

Since then, Fulk has worked in kitchens in California and New York, building his culinary knowledge along the way. He eventually landed his current post as sous chef at Trestle on Tenth in New York City. "It’s a Swiss brasserie, basically whatever Chef [Ralf Kuettel] come up with. It has chef’s influence but also my West Coast influence on it."

Fulk considers each chef he's worked for to be a mentor. "You can’t help but stand on the shoulders of the chef you work for," he says. "Everyday I apply something that a chef taught me."

The interview for Top Chef came as a dare after a night out with friends. "We were at a bar and the topic of Top Chef came up. My friends were saying ‘you’ll never do it; [you're] too much of a wuss." The next day, when one of the friends showed up at his restaurant with a video camera, ready to film his audition tape, Fulk agreed.

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Source: National Restaurant Association