IS SCHOOL LUNCH TOO DANGEROUS TO EAT?

I want to say right at the outset, that I believe in the value of school lunch. When I was a poor malnourished refugee child, I really appreciated that food. It is very hard to pay attention in class if you are hungry. But food poisoning outbreaks at schools are not unusual, simply because institutional food, prepared and served in bulk, is always more risky. And of course, such outbreaks get a lot of media coverage.

Recently there was a very large outbreak in Egypt caused by a school lunch (see earlier post), in which some 3,300 children had to be sent to hospital. In all, it is estimated that there have been 4,650 school lunch associated food poisoning cases nationwide in Egypt just this month (March, 2017). But Egypt is not the only country where such outbreaks occur. I have read case studies of school food poisoning outbreaks in India, Canada, UK, Japan and elsewhere. How the school lunch is organized and how sanitary the conditions are, varies in these and other countries.

In the United States, the National School Lunch Program is carefully supervised, but even then, food poisoning outbreaks occur. It is estimated that between 1991 and 2000 (I don’t have later statistics) there were 300 outbreaks of food poisoning in American schools, which made at least 16,000 students ill. The largest during that decade affected school children in seven states in 1997-1998. It was unusual in that it was caused by a toxic mold in frozen burritos.

But there have been many different types of causes over the years. Bacteria such as Salmonella, E.coli and Staphylococcus strains have been found to cause food poisoning in school lunches. Even agricultural chemicals have been involved, though less than they are in Third World countries. Several incidents have of course been caused by the common norovirus. That was the cause of the recent outbreak of food poisoning at the St. Charles East High School in Illinois, USA, in which some 800 students became ill.

As of this past Wednesday, the Ministry of Education in Egypt suspended school lunches, which feed some 9 million students a day. It plans to set up a committee (the usual bureaucratic solution) and conduct an investigation of why school lunches are so unsafe. I can hazard a few guesses.

TSF

FOOD POISONING OUTBREAKS FROM EGYPT

Egypt’s huge food poisoning incident of a few days ago sickened 3,353 school children and sent 3,300 to the hospital. The school lunch is clearly suspect as all the children who became ill ate it. What a horrible experience for the poor teachers and the schools – all these children with vomiting and diarrhea. They are probably still having nightmares about it.

So far the causal agent or specific lunch item has not been identified. I would lay my money on norovirus. One reason I suspect norovirus is because the symptoms are typical. Another is that norovirus was also suspected in one of the food poisoning outbreaks at Al-Arbak University in Cairo in 2013 and is quite common in such mass meal programs all over the world (see next post).

In all, Egypt’s food has had a bad run of luck over the last few years and it is commonly known that national hygiene in food processing, packaging, preparation and food service is poor. The world is beginning to wonder whether it is safe to eat at all, particularly since it has caused havoc overseas as well as domestically.

The worst case of such exported food was that large outbreak of E. coli 0104 food poisoning which originated in Northern Germany in 2011. It made some 4,100 people ill, mainly in Europe, and killed at least 50. After many false turns by investigators, it was finally traced to fenugreek seeds imported from Egypt that had been sprouted in Germany (see the several posts on this blog).

You may also recall the Salmonella-contaminated organic celery seed that originated in Egypt. I had to pat myself on the back for predicting correctly on this blog that these seeds had been imported from Egypt.

Then over the last few months there has been that Hepatitis A problem with frozen strawberries imported from Egypt, which were used to make not-so-healthy smoothies in the U.S. They have given 143 unsuspecting people in 9 states a dangerous liver disease.

Of course, this isn't the end of the list.

TSF

WHY WE DON'T WANT E.COLI IN SCHOOL LUNCHES

This week's recall of E.coli 0157-contaminated beef, meant for school lunches in Georgia (see previous post), reminds me again that institutional food tends to be more deadly. We don't want this dangerous E.coli anywhere in our food. But having it in the meat destined for the school cafeterias is even worse. Here are three reasons why.

First, food stored and produced in large quantities is more likely to not get as cold as it needs to throughout, or reach the no-risk temperature it should reach to kill such bacteria. This applies to all institutional food, not just to that served in schools.

Secondly, because of budgetary constraints, many schools, particularly in some districts, have inadequate or poorly functioning equipment, such as refrigerators and cooking equipment. This increases the preceding risks.

Thirdly, studies have shown that school children who become ill with food poisoning at school frequently pass it on to their siblings, and especially younger siblings, at home. This bacteria can be particularly dangerous for such younger children.

For these three - and other reasons - it is especially important to make sure that any food served to school children is not just healthy, but safe for them to eat.

To your good health,

TSF

E.COLI O157:H7 CONTAMINATED BEEF MEANT FOR SCHOOL LUNCHES

This has been a fairly typical week in terms of food safety in the U.S. In addition to all kinds of allergens in a variety of foods, we have had announcements of Listeria monocytogenes bacteria in fresh cheese produced by Del Bueno of Grandview, WA, undercooked (and therefore dangerous) breaded chicken breasts sold at Roundy’s Supermarkets Inc., uneviscerated (and potentially contaminated) Smoked Spilt Herring originating at World Wide Fish Products, Inc. of the Bronx, NY and bits of thin wire in Naturals Sesame Sticks, made for Pepperidge Farm.

Just to round out the week, we now have another recall of contaminated beef. Palo Duro Meat, an Amarillo, Texas, firm, is recalling 40,000 pounds of frozen fine ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. It wasn't sold by retailers (as far as we know). Just sent to warehouses in Georgia for distribution to institutions.

And the worst part of it was that these institutions include six school districts in Georgia, with the meat intended for children's lunches as part of the National School Lunch Program.

The only good news is that the USDA believes that most of the product has not left the warehouses (they don't say how much has gone out). And so far USDA/ FSIS is not aware of the contaminated meat having actually been served as part of school lunches in these Georgia districts.

So much for healthy school lunch!

To your good health,
TSF