One example of the incredible journey we’ve witnessed is that of the Internet and attendant technologies.  As recently as 1992 there were only 50 websites.

Our policies on farming,  food production, distribution, and health systems need to focus on the future.

FoodDeclaration.org is working toward doing just that.

.”………a healthy food system is necessary to meet the urgent challenges of our time. Behind us stands a half-century of industrial food production, underwritten by cheap fossil fuels, abundant land and water resources, and a drive to maximize the global harvest of cheap calories. Ahead lie rising energy and food costs, a changing climate, declining water supplies, a growing population, and the paradox of widespread hunger and obesity.”

Here is their state of origin:

Origins

The concept for the declaration began with Michael R. Dimock, the President of Roots of Change (ROC). He was the primary author of Slow Food USA’s first national statute and the founding Chairman of Slow Food USA. Mr. Dimock believed that it would serve the good food movement to collaborate with others on a declaration that could be used to spark the public’s action on national policy. In late 2007, he proposed to Anya Fernald, Executive Director of Slow Food Nation, that ROC could spawn a national effort to develop a declaration related to the farm bill and other food policies that would provide policy content for the Slow Food Nation event. He then proposed the project to ROC’s governing body, the Stewardship Council, in February 2008. With approval from both entities, the project began.

You can read more and endorse the effort here.

A bit further down on the same page you will find Food Democracy Now.

Their efforts toward sustainability are summed up below.  Please take the time to think about this.

Four specific problems to overcome

1. Current policy is mired in a 20th century industrial paradigm, where the primary goals are limited to production volume, efficiency of feeding, and ensured profits for commodity producers and those they supply, thereby, benefiting too few.
2. People, ecosystems, and rural economies are becoming less healthy as a direct result of current American policy.
3. The efforts to solve food and agriculture challenges are not being addressed to the degree required by the scale of the problems.
4. The last farm bill cycle confirmed that too few control the debate and they are focused on protecting the status quo rather than aiding the broader population of the nation.
   
5. 
   

* 4,600 Cases of food borne illness, approx.

* 65   Food outlets shut down.

* 60  Cases of food poisoning .

* 40 Cases involved take-out

* 4    Deaths, ages 8, 5, 4,  and 2

Praveen Menon, reporting for The National, brings the seriousness of sanitation in food service to the fore in this article.

“Inspectors who visited the outlets found food being served uncooked, food left out at room temperature, untrained managers and staff, and poor personal hygiene, including workers failing to wash their hands.

The offenders included cafes, restaurants, canteens and grocery stores.”

DUBAI // Sixty-five food outlets were shut down by Dubai Municipality in the first half of the year because of food safety violations, officials said yesterday.

I got a call yesterday from a restaurateur who was experiencing problems with erratic behavior by the Chef they had hired for the summer season.

I’ve also spoken with the owners of seasonal ranches and resorts,  all facing similar problems in finding reliable and knowledgeable Chefs to lead their kitchens.

The most frequent response is the desire to have a Chef that can lead and manage the kitchen, giving the proprietor, the freedom to concentrate on the rest of the business.

Other issues include the ability to administer proper ordering and portion controls to maximize profitability,  a full season commitment,  a sober  personality without drama,  and the talent to consistently produce attractive and flavorful meals.

Surprisingly, considering the consequences of an episode of food borne illness, seldom mentioned is the need for the individual to be knowledgeable about food safety, allergies & sensitivities.,

Many of these operators told me they are paying between $4oo.00 and $600.00 a week, some including room and board.

A professional Chef salary, as reported in a 2005 survey on StarChefs.com, starts at a low of $60,000 a year and tops out around $87,000.

When considering the above issues, the most important of them is that of food safety.  The result of an outbreak of food borne illness can result in a serious loss of business and a host of attendant problems.

These problems can be addressed by hiring a professional Chef that has the training and dedication to guide your culinary endeavors.  It is,  indeed,  a bit more expensive,  but,  the cost of  not having a pro can be steep.

The Chef is a key component of the over-all management team and is well worth the extra investment.

Keeping a sanitary kitchen is paramount for all of us in the food service industry.  As professional Chefs we are on the front lines in that battle.  The Wausau Daily Herald reported on an outbreak of food-borne illness that sickened 40 to 50 people and might be linked to food served at a high school potluck dinner .

Shortly after reading that article I found an MSNBC article by JoNel Aleccia citing an analysis by a university scientist suggesting the contamination is in cooked and ready-to-eat products.  The article quotes Dr. L. Clifford McDonald, chief of prevention and response for a division of the CDC.  “There are no documented cases of people getting Clostridium difficile infection from eating food that contains C. difficile, however, because C. difficile has been found in some retail meats, that possibility does exist.”

The fact that C.diff can survive most cooking methods concerned me and I went on a hunt for more information.

This page on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides information regarding Clostridium difficile with sections on an overview, Prevention & Control, and Data & Statistics.

Wikipedia has much information, too, with a section titled “Notable Outbreaks” citing instances dating back to 2003.

Judith Graham, writing in the Chicago Tribune, discusses the growing rate of C.diff  infections in hospitals and provides a link to HealthMap . An interactive site where you can track diseases globally.

Merck has this information.

I spoke with J. Glenn Songer to clarify my thoughts, and came away from that conversation feeling reassured that I don’t need to ditch my braunschweiger and liver sausage.

The topic does, however, stress the importance of the constant awareness that we must have.   Vigilance, proper temperature controls, and sanitation procedures are the main tools we use in our kitchens to safeguard our diners from worry.