Editors Note: The second week of National Food Safety Month focuses on “Preventing Cross-Contamination Through Handwashing”. In addition to the activities and training guides that can be found on the official website, we at RJ Schinner are doing our part to educate the public on safe, proper food handling techniques. Everyone is taught at a young age how to wash their hands, but when it comes to foodservice, the methods used for basic handwashing aren’t necessarily enough. According to the FDA website, a “study published in 2004 found food establishments were frequently out of compliance with the Food Code requirements...

When the sick and injured are hospitalized, the last thing that they expect is to contract a fatal infection. Frighteningly, that’s exactly what the trend has been throughout the last two decades. Clostridium difficile, or C. diff, is a spore-forming bacteria found naturally in human and animal feces, water, and soil. It survives and spreads in the intestines, replacing healthy bacteria and releasing toxins that cause intense diarrhea, often leading to other fatal complications. In an article in USA Today, Hannah Morgan explains that “the germ thrives in settings where antibiotics are in wide use, and its proliferation has accelerated as...

With the late summer/early fall state and county fair season in full swing, the CDC issues precautions against viral infections around livestock. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are asking people attending agricultural fairs to take precautions when around pigs because of a rise in the number of cases of a new strain of “swine flu” virus in humans. Especially vulnerable groups, such as the sick, the under 5s, pregnant women and seniors should avoid contact with the animals altogether, they urge. In a report issued on 3 August, the federal agency gave news of 12 new...