What’s in a Grade? Reporting on Report Cards

KitchenBitch salutes Mayor Bloomberg for finally implementing the long overdue restaurant grading system but, while the FDA and USDA continue to rule with a snap bracelet (the first step toward a big stick is the Food Modernization Act which still remains stalwart in the Senate—they must all be Jewish and observing the high holidays), questions surrounding the simplicity of reporting over precision remain a hot topic.

The proverbial A-F grading system classically demonstrates achievement or failure in shades of grey in a way everyone can relate to. But is this enough? Regardless of how health conscious New Yorkers may claim to be, many are too busy (read: lazy) to scour the NYCDHMH’s website for restaurant inspection results and decipher the consumer unfriendly yet more descriptive points system (health and safety violations earn a restaurant points so less is better).

The New York City chapter of the New York State Restaurant Association believes a restaurant can be deemed safe enough solely based upon a pass/fail system.

“We feel a restaurant is either sanitary enough to serve the public, or it is not, and if it is not, action should be taken,” says Andrew Rigie, director of operations for the New York City chapter of the New York State Restaurant Association.

What if we put educating our nation’s children on the same scale? Where’s the incentive to strive for an “A”? Is the safety of the food we eat not as important to be graded on a higher level? Mr. Rigie must have never read Kitchen Confidential, one of many books, articles and documentaries chronicling the disdainful practices of some of our coveted eateries.

The current points system, which is used to derive the letter grades, should be plastered on the front door of every restaurant over its much simpler and sometimes misleading alphabetic counterpart. This gives knowledgeable power to the consumer to know what’s up and make an educated choice.

KitchenBitch is on a mission: to garner the same fervor for food safety among New Yorkers as is generated Yelping around for the latest hip, delicious restaurant where a drugged up celebutante was spotted “eating” at last Thursday.

I’ll Have the Crabcake, Hold the Oil

It’s been a Today Show segment for as many days as the oil spill debacle itself, so naturally the federal government decided it was time to do something about the diminishing food supply in the Gulf. Vice President Joe Biden, among his many responsibilities as Vice President (a.k.a. none), visited the Gulf last week (for the first time since the spill as clearly all planes, trains, and automobiles have been physically barred from entering the region over the last 2 months) and announced a joint effort by NOAA and the FDA to test the seafood coming from the region and let us know which areas are Kosher (figuratively) to fish in.

“Eric Schwaab, assistant administrator at NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service, said in an announcement of the new effort:

No single agency could adequately ensure the safety of seafood coming from the Gulf following this tragedy, but in working together, we can be sure that tainted waters are closed as appropriate, contaminated seafood is not allowed to make it to market, and that closed waters can be reopened to fishing as soon as is safe.

The agencies will be coordinating with state officials to close fishing and shellfish harvesting areas in the Gulf of Mexico that have been or are likely to be exposed to oil from the spill.”

FYI, Biden braved Jay Leno’s wrath on Friday, July 9th, his third appearance since running for office. Good to know he’s been spending his time wisely and for the benefit of his constituents.

Danger! High Cholesterol and Diabetes Ahead

Just as the “Smart Choice” label might make you more inclined to buy a product, the Korea Food and Drug and Administration is looking to label more than 70 percent of hamburgers and chocolate as unhealthy (read: danger!).

“The Korea Food and Drug Administration revealed a draft plan for its system, under which depending on the amount of unhealthy ingredients in food products, three labels — colored red, yellow or green — will be attached to the packaging of food items.

“It is the minimal standards that we ‘recommend.’ We will see whether it is an effective measure or not. We will, then, decide whether to make it mandatory or further expand it. We have tried to solicit opinions from companies,” Park [Hye-kyung, director of the nutrition policy division at the KFDA] said.

Called the “traffic light label system,” the plan focuses mainly on the amounts of fat, saturated fat, sugars and sodium contained in certain products.”

How can the health of the population not be mandatory? What’s the point of passing the legislation in the first place? Why wouldn’t you give U.S. FDA inspectors carte blanche to recall contaminated food rather than the motherly slap on the wrist. The Food Modernization Act, currently stalwart in the Senate, would give the FDA power to force a recall and avoid disasters like the recent bagged lettuce E.coli catastrophe.

Not only should the U.S. adopt a similar labeling system as the above, it should be mandatory for every food manufacturer that receives FDA approval.

The general trend is that, the lower your household income, the more likely you are to eat fast food or other processed foods because they provide a much larger calorie punch for the buck… Fair enough. But for those Americans who choose to eat unhealthily, sit on welfare and drain our tax dollars for medical expenses simply due to the fact that they are not responsible enough for themselves and their children to have healthy eating habits, perhaps an “Avoid” label would help those that need help make better diet decisions.

Mayor Bloomberg: One Uber-Powerful Politician to Rule Them All

Command and you shall receive, Mayor Bloomberg. Just like you demanded (and paid for) the third and unprecedented term as mayor of our great city, your tenacity in the salt lowering crusade has convinced the FDA to plan unprecedented measures to slowly reduce sodium and eventually implement the first legal limits to the amount of salt allowed in foods.

“The government intends to work with the food industry and health experts to reduce sodium gradually over a period of years to adjust the American palate to a less salty diet, according to FDA sources..

‘This is a 10-year program,’ one source said. ‘This is not rolling off a log. We’re talking about a comprehensive phase-down of a widely used ingredient. We’re talking about embedded tastes in a whole generation of people.’

Currently, manufacturers can use as much salt as they like in products because under federal standards, it falls into the category deemed ‘generally recognized as safe.’ Foodmakers are merely required to report the amount on nutrition labels.”

GRAS seems to be the allspice of terminology for the FDA because almost every additive is listed as such including caffeine, high fructose corn syrup, tons of chemical additives and, ironically, allspice.

In other news, Reuters feels the top hit for news related to this story should be “Majority of American’s distrust the government” (see picture above). Have yee of little faith in the FDA, Reuters? Let’s hope the government can prove them wrong, never too late to start.

The FDA Best Do Better

Despite how pitiful a job the FDA has been doing in recent years, it’s a huge step up from where they were in the 90’s. After the Jack in the Box E.coli contamination that left 4 children dead and 500 others sickened in 1993, the FDA stepped up their game to monitor food manufacturers and restaurants more closely. It worked.

“Cases of six common food poisoning agents have dropped sharply since the U.S. government started to monitor them closely in the 1990s, officials reported on Thursday.

While incidence of the most feared infections are down, notably Salmonella and E. coli 0157, infections from raw shellfish have become more common, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.”

Almost 2 decades later, food technology has grown exponentially and, as it seems to happen with many bloated governmental organizations, the governing body has barely been able to keep up. While regulations to help the FDA get the power it needs to keep our food safe (and make their $3.2 billion budget go to something other than their children’s super sweet bar mitzvahs) remain stalwart in the Senate, the FDA is being proactive (I can’t believe it either) and launched FDA-TRACK.

“The Food and Drug Administration is being praised — as well as being called a risk-taker — as a result of launching its comprehensive “FDA-TRACK” online performance management reporting system that features 40 dashboards.

The 40 dashboards are clustered in nine groups matching FDA’s divisions, including food safety, biologics, drug evaluation and research, regulatory affairs, as well as cross-agency issues and the FDA commissioner’s office.

‘This Web site enables all interested external and internal visitors to view FDA’s performance data at the program office level and gain a better understanding of the breadth of FDA’s core responsibilities, as well as see progress on important projects and programs,’ the FDA said.”

Transparency and increased efficiency in a governmental organization, one that safeguards the food we eat no less. Who would have thunk it.

The FDA Officially Did Nothing With Our Tax Dollars

Unacceptable doesn’t begin to describe it. Not only didn’t they check all food manufacturers that boast an FDA seal of approval, some went un-inspected for years. I have no witty introduction for this one, it’s a perfect representation of how the FDA has completely failed the American people.

“The drop in inspections could make an outbreak of foodborne disease more likely, putting the public at risk, according to a report from the Department of Health and Human Services’ inspector general.

A shrinking workforce at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is responsible for much of the drop in the number of facilities inspected, including those deemed high risk by the agency, the report said.

FDA can assign a facility with the most serious food safety or regulatory infractions an official action indicated (OAI) classification, which warrants agency action to ensure the violation is fixed. But FDA took no regulatory action against 25 percent of facilities it assigned an OAI classification in fiscal 2007, the report said.

Additionally, 36 percent of facilities with an OAI classification did not receive any follow up from FDA to ensure the violations were corrected.”

Good to know our tax dollars were funding the diligent work of the few FDA officials.. who clearly spent that $2.4 billion budget they requested in 2009 (a 5.7 percent increase from fiscal 2008) on sun bathing at their vacation homes in Boca.

The Food Safety Modernization Act, which would solve all of these problems, passed in the House in November.. And the Senate continues to hit the snooze button. How many major recalls and deaths does it take for the Senate to get their act together? Too many and counting..

Bet You Didn’t Know You’re Sturgeon Caviar Was Mississippi Paddlefish

Since a governmental agency in charge of overseeing the food and drug administration can lead inspections of food manufacturer’s plants yet doesn’t have enough power to actually do anything about the foul play they might encounter (because that’s how a functional governmental organization tends to run), food fraud has unfortunately become commonplace and most people have no idea what it is.

“The expensive “sheep’s milk” cheese in a Manhattan market was really made from cow’s milk. And a jar of “Sturgeon caviar” was, in fact, Mississippi paddlefish.

Some honey makers dilute their honey with sugar beets or corn syrup, their competitors say, but still market it as 100 percent pure at a premium price.

And last year, a Fairfax man was convicted of selling 10 million pounds of cheap, frozen catfish fillets from Vietnam as much more expensive grouper, red snapper and flounder. The fish was bought by national chain retailers, wholesalers and food service companies, and ended up on dinner plates across the country.

‘Food fraud’ has been documented in fruit juice, olive oil, spices, vinegar, wine, spirits and maple syrup, and appears to pose a significant problem in the seafood industry. Victims range from the shopper at the local supermarket to multimillion companies, including E&J Gallo and Heinz USA.”

And you thought it stopped with recession sushi.

The sad thing is, the American consumer is none-the-wiser, and food manufacturers know they can get away with it, especially during a recession. New technology such DNA testing and isotope radio analysis, which can differentiate between things such as farmed and wild fish, can help spot the difference very easily. Not sure what good it will do if the FDA continues to only inspect 2 percent of imported fish.

Apparently the FDA has been too busy dealing with food contamination so testing food for fraud has been put on the back burner.

The FDA, just like every other bloated governmental agency, is sticking to their tried and true excuse—lack of resources.. So how’s that Food Modernization Act moving along, Congress?

Healthcare Reform and Food: A Surprising Love Story

There are plenty of opinions, doubts, and champions for the recently passed healthcare reform bill. Whether you’re for or vehemently against it (and for the sake of not coming off like I’m a champion of the bill, I personally have very mixed feelings on the new laws), the expected reforms to the food and restaurant industry will catapult the nation to adhere to many of the standards our fine city already upholds. Get ready to see calorie counts everywhere.

“As soon as 2011 it will be impossible to chomp down on a Big Mac without knowing that it contains over 500 calories, more than a quarter of the Agriculture Department’s 2,000-calorie daily guideline.

The legislation also requires labels on food items in vending machines, meaning that anybody tempted by a king-size Snickers bar will know up front that it packs 440 calories…

Under the new legislation, restaurants will be required to display calorie information for standard menu items as well as calories for each serving of food at a salad bar or a buffet line. The chains will not have to post calorie information for daily specials and limited-time items.”

There was little public discussion about approving this measure because, surprisingly, restaurant chains are supporting it! Because Mayor Bloomberg rules the world and has the ability (power, greed, and money) to re-write laws for his own personal endeavors.. and because restaurants realized that, after years of disputes, they were slowly losing the battle.

Truth is, if you’re craving two different-parts-of-the-cow-ground-up-into beef patties, special cholesterol sauce, lettuce, heart attack cheese, pickles, onions on a buttered sesame seed bun, displaying the calorie counts doesn’t take away your right to have one, it just pops up that voice in your head of your yenta mother asking, “Are you sure you want to eat that?”

Growing Food Recall Sweeps Nation, Americans Collectively Roll Eyes

In the interest of steering away from media scare tactics, I’ve avoided discussing every minor food recall. Truth is, they happen on a weekly basis so I thought I’d wait for a doozy. Didn’t have to wait long. A Las Vegas based flavor company, Basic Food Flavors, found that one of their flavor enhancers was contaminated with salmonella and (shockingly!) they continued to ship the product to food manufacturers regardless. Because daddy needs to support Strip Club Tuesdays with the boys.

It’s OK though, the flavoring compound found to be contaminated, hydrolyzed vegetable protein or HVP, is only used in products you rarely see on the shelves such as McCormick dips and gravies, Trader Joe’s dressings and dressing mixes, CVS and Safeway snack products. See, nothing to worry about.. if you’re Amish.

For the rest of us, food-borne illnesses cost American a total of $152 billion (with a “B”) each year between lost wages, lost productivity, and medical expenses (and also the small matter of food companies knowing about bacterial contamination and doing squat about them), here are a few tips for my fellow consumers:

“ 1. Clean
• Wash cutting boards, dishes and utensils with hot soapy water. Clean after preparing each food item, before you go on to the next.
• Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running tap water, including those with skins that are not eaten.
• Use paper towels to clean kitchen surfaces, or, if you use cloth towels, wash them frequently in the hot cycle of your washing machine.

2. Separate
• Don’t cross-contaminate. Have one cutting board for fresh fruits and vegetables and another one for raw meat, poultry and seafood.
• Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs from other foods in your grocery cart and bags and in your refrigerator.

3. Cook
• Use a food thermometer to make sure meat, poultry and egg dishes are thoroughly cooked. • Cook eggs until the yolk and white are firm, not runny.
• Bring sauces, soups and gravy to a boil when reheating.

4. Chill
• Keep your refrigerator at 40° F or below; a freezer at 0° F or lower.
• Never let raw meat, poultry, eggs or freshly cut produce sit at room temperature more for than two hours before refrigerating (one hour when the outside temperature is above 90° F). Do the same with cooked foods.
• Never defrost food at room temperature. The safe way to defrost food is in the fridge, under cold water or in the microwave.”

What’s In a Serving Size?

Whether shoveling down your favorite cartoon character-revered sugary cereal or rhythmically chomping on an entire bag of Doritos, portion controlling your nosh via the nutrition label is a tedious and sometimes daunting task which leads many consumers to just blindly take a guess. In their crusade to revamp nutritional labeling and make it more understandable, the FDA is moving key ingredients—nothing like a good pun, in this case it refers to the serving size, calories, etc.—to the front of the package:

“The goal is to give people a jolt of reality before they reach for another handful of chips. But the urgency of the message could be muted by a longstanding problem: official serving sizes for many packaged foods are just too small. And that means the calorie counts that go with them are often misleading.

So to get ready for front-of-package nutrition labeling, the F.D.A. is now looking at bringing serving sizes for foods like chips, cookies, breakfast cereals and ice cream into line with how Americans really eat. Combined with more prominent labeling, the result could be a greater sense of public caution about unhealthy foods.”

Serving sizes are smaller than you expect. For example, an ounce of potato chips is the typical serving size and comes in, on average, at about 150 calories. If you’re eating baked chips, that could mean about 14 crisps per serving whereas, if you’re shoveling down Tostitos, how many of us stop at the 6 crisps per serving? Even a 99% Fat-Free can of Progresso soup boasts only 100 calories per serving whereas the entire can will set you back about double that.

We will officially have nobody to blame but ourselves for our gluttonous tendencies and it’s for the better. Not only will we be more mindful of what we eat but this will create an opportunity for consumers to feel more in control of their choices in packaged foods.