“Always Working for a Safer and Healthier Chelan and Douglas County” December 14, 2007
Contents
Castleberry Recall. Refrigeration requirement Tips for Produce Washing ServSafe Class Announcement
Emergency Guidelines for Water Advantages of ServSafe What is MRSA? Staff Update
Castleberry’s Recall Made for a Chili July
On July 18, 2007, Castleberry’s Food Company recalled ten canned food products. On July 21, they expanded the recall to include approximately 80 more varieties of canned food due to possible contamination with Clostridium botulinum toxin. Only three of the recalled products were distributed in Washington State: 15 oz. cans of Castleberry’s Beef Stew, 15 oz. cans of Cattle Drive Chili, and 15 oz. cans of Castleberry’s Corned Beef Hash. The Chelan-Douglas Health District was asked to contact stores that may have received any of these products to make sure the cans were removed from sale. The action was warranted because botulism is a serious, potentially fatal illness, and the products have a long shelf life. In Washington, local health jurisdictions called or visited over 2000 stores. They found recalled cans in approximately 140 stores. Over 1300 cans were removed from sale as a direct result of these efforts. Many of the recalled cans found on store shelves were located in smaller “mom-n-pop” retail stores. Many owners indicated that they had purchased the cans at large discount warehouse stores or larger grocery stores with the intention to resell them. This purchasing method made the “secondary retailers” invisible to the primary distributors of the product and beyond the reach of most recall notification methods. This weakness in the recall notification system was bridged by the efforts of local health jurisdictions across Washington.
Accurate contact information for all food service establishments is crucial to the Health District for reaching you with recall information in a timely fashion and preventing the distribution of suspect food from being sold to people in our counties. Please include all contact information when renewing your annual permit. It would also be helpful if we had a fax number and email address of your establishment. Feel free to email us with this information at environmentalstaff@cdhd.wa.gov. Include your establishment name in the body of the email. Thanks.
Inspectors and Areas
Laura Martin – Wenatchee River Corridor from Monitor to Lake Wenatchee, 5th to Palouse Wenatchee
Hilary Knelleken - Chelan; Manson; Stehekin; Entiat; Olds Station; 5th St & N. in Wenatchee
Pete Jacobsen – Douglas County and South of Palouse St., Wenatchee
Tips for Washing Produce
(Reproduced from Tacoma-Pierce County Health District)
Produce can be contaminated in many ways, including contact with the ground, pests, contaminated hands, objects and containers; therefore, it is important to wash produce thoroughly before serving. If produce is not washed properly, contamination may cause food borne illness resulting in mild to severe illness and even death.
Follow these simple tips to ensure produce is safe to eat.
Is Your Refrigerator Running... 
...at the proper temperature? When the Washington State Retail Food Code was adopted in May, 2005, we were given 5 years to have all refrigeration hold potentially hazardous foods 41 F. instead of 45 F. HALF OF THAT TIME IS PAST! Existing refrigeration that is capable of maintaining food at 41 F. or less does NOT have to be replaced. But if you have refrigeration that cannot meet that requirement, it MUST be replaced with refrigeration that CAN hold food 41 F. or less. The deadline is May, 2010.
Why the change to 41 F.? See the Public Health Reasons (in Annex 3) for Section 3-501.16 in the October 5, 2007 Supplement to the 2005 FDA Food Code. It can be found at www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fc05-sup.html.
Although Washington state has not adopted this latest version of the Food Code yet, it is a good source of information. For a copy of the Washington State Retail Food Code Working Document, go to www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/sf/food/FoodRuleMain.htm.
Course Offered 
The ServSafe Manager Certification course will be offered on January 30th at the Health District . Sign up with Margaret Viebrock at 509-745-8531. This is a one day course for food service managers and employees. Please see the enclosed flyer for additional information.
Advantages of Completing ServSafe:
If your establishment has an excellent inspection history and persons in charge have ServSafe Manager Certification, you may qualify for a decreased inspection schedule and permit fee. This would continue as long as monthly self inspection reports and routine CDHD inspections remain satisfactory. If you are interested in finding out if your inspection history would qualify for this arrangement, please contact 886-6450 and ask for the food safety specialist that would be familiar with the status of your facility.
Emergency Water Supply Guidelines for Food Service Establishments
Restaurants - Food Stores - Schools - Institutions - Convenience Stores 
These guidelines are for establishments that provide food service to the public. State regulation (WAC 246-215-120) requires that food service establishment (FSE) owners ensure that their water supply is from a source approved by the Washington State Department of Health (WAC 246-290).
Procedures During Boil Water Advisory
When a boil water advisory is issued for a water system that supplies a food service establishment, the FSE may only remain open with the authorization of the local health agency.
Minimum Requirements
Shut off: Discard: Ice: Use packaged ice from approved source Use boiled or bottled water for: |
Hand washing: Dishwashing options: Follow normal procedures. Employee Information: |
The CDHD may impose additional requirements to protect against health hazards during the boil water advisory, such as modifying food preparation steps or prohibiting some menu items.
Follow these procedures until notified by the local health agency, or the state Department of Health.
WE WANT YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS!
Would you like to receive updates regarding current food safety issues via email? Please send a message to the email address listed below and be sure to include the name of your establishment in the body of the message:
environmentalstaff@cdhd.wa.gov
Additional food safety information and Chelan-Douglas Health District information can be found on our website at www.cdhd.wa.gov.
What is MRSA?
MRSA is a type of "staph" skin infection that has become resistant to some antibiotics such as penicillin. Bacteria may develop resistance to antibiotics when they are used but are not needed or not taken as directed.
Until recently, people most often got MRSA infections when they had open wounds, burns, and/or tubes inserted in their bodies for medical treatment and were hospitalized or stayed in a nursing home. Now MRSA skin infections are becoming more common among adults and children who have not stayed in hospitals or nursing homes.
MRSA infections can be mild or very serious and are spread through skin to skin contact or less frequently by touching surfaces that have MRSA on them. The best way to protect against MRSA infections is frequent hand washing with soap and water.
Food workers with an open lesion must cover it with an impermeable cover and a single-use glove if the lesion is on the hand or wrist. If the lesion is on the arm it must be covered with an impermeable cover. If on another parts of the body it must be covered with a dry, tight fitting bandage.
Please visit your health care provider if you think you have MRSA.
Staff Update
Hilary Knelleken began employment with the Health District on December 3rd. She is a graduate of Central Washington University, with a degree in Food Science.
Hilary is ServSafe certified, and has regulatory experience as well as food service industry experience.
Please welcome Hilary when you get the chance to meet her.