Ethnic Foods Meeting the Challenge

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Ethnic FoodsMeeting the Challenge

• March 8, 2009

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Take Another Look

• Increased Public Appeal
• National Mood of Corporate and Governmental
  Accountability
• Threat of Bioterrorism

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Challenge

• Over Regulation
• vs.
• Under Regulation

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Focus of Inspection

• Food Source
• Pathogen Destruction
• Limiting Growth of Pathogens
• Personnel

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How to Bridge the Cultural Gap

• Be polite and non-threatening.
• Identify yourself and your organization when
  inspecting. (Dont sneak in the back door)
• Dont assume people are stupid or ignorant. (They
  simply may not understand English)
• Learn and use a few words in their language.
• Dont contradict, rephrase in terms that might be
  more gentle but convey your meaning.
• Santa Clara County Ethnic Foods Task Force.

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Caribbean
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Cultural Dos and Dont

• In business situations, people of both genders
  usually shake hands when meeting and parting.
• Instead of a firm handshake, a soft, gentle
  handshake is the norm.
• Men often pat each others arm or shoulder during
  the greeting process or while conversing.
• Wait until invited before using someones first
  name.
• People from the Caribbean tend to stand close
  during conversations.
• Dr. Ynes Ortega, PhD, MPH, University of Georgia
  Center for Food Safety

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Ackee
Ackee Akee Achee Pronounced ah-KEE A bright
red tropical fruit that, when ripe, bursts open
to reveal three large black seeds attached
individually to a soft, creamy yellow
flesh Originated in West Africa
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Import Alerts

• http//www.fda.gov
• Search by
• COUNTRY
• INDUSTRY
• IMPORT ALERTS BY NUMBER

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Salt Fish
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To Refrigerate or Not to Refrigerate

• If label says keep refrigerated, then product
  should be refrigerated
• If label says refrigerate after opening, then
  product should be refrigerated once opened
• If unsure whether product should be refrigerated,
  refrigerate until facility can provide
  documentation stating otherwise

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Pickled Meats
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Variance Requirements

• Using food additives or adding components such
  as vinegar as a method of food preservation or to
  render a food so that it is not potentially
  hazardous

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Drying, Smoking, Pickling, Brining

• Processes do not destroy parasites
• If performed on-site, requires a variance
• In some cases, may still require refrigeration of
  product

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Traditional Drinks
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Labels

• If packaged and offered for self service, must
  meet labeling requirements
• If claims are made that the drink can be used in
  the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or
  prevention of disease in man or other animals
  may fall under definition of drug (Food Drug and
  Cosmetic Act)

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Latin American
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Cultural Dos and Dont

• Try to speak clearly.
• Compliment them for the things they are doing
  well.
• Giving them a certificate to hang on the wall is
  extremely important.
• A less powerful person may avid eye contact as a
  gesture of respect.
• The O.K. sign with thumb and forefinger forming
  a circle, is considered a rude gesture.

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Ceviche
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Scombrotoxin

• Formed as a result of Time/Temperature abuse of
  Fish

Bacteria that naturally exist on the fish produce
enzyme histidine decarboxylase
Histidine
Histamine
70 - 90ºF
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Latino CheesesLinked to Listeria Monocytogenes
Outbreaks

• 2,500 persons with invasive listeriosis per year
• 500 deaths / year
• Deaths from foodborne diseases
• Salmonellosis 31
• Listeriosis 28

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Cheese Imported in Various Ways
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Cuy
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Lengua
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Tripa or Tripitas (Chitlins Bowels)
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Sesos
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USDA Ban Fallout from BSE

• Specified Risk Material
• FSIS prohibited use of skull, brain, trigeminal
  ganglia, eyes, vertebral column, spinal cord and
  dorsal root ganglia of cattle 30 months of age or
  older and the small intestines of all cattle in
  the human food supply
• Vertebrae of tails not included in prohibition

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Amendment to SRM Ban

• Interim final rule went into effect October 7,
  2005
• Permits beef small intestines, excluding the
  distal ileum, to be used for human food
• Plants that process the intestines must have
  written procedures for the proper removal of the
  distal ileum
• Removal of 80 inches of the uncoiled and trimmed
  intestine as measured from the juncture of the
  ileum and the cecum would be in compliance with
  the requirement

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Goat Meat
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When to request invoices?

• Product is questionable
• Product is indistinguishable
• Question of whether the product is potentially
  hazardous

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Asians
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Chinese
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Cultural Dos and Dont

• Include head chef when dealing with compliance
  issues.
• It is considered disrespectful to stare into
  another persons eyes.
• Address the person by their last name.
• Do not point.
• Avoid using your feet to gesture or move articles
  around.
• Chinese tend to stand close during conversations.

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Fish

• Fish means fresh or saltwater finfish,
  crustaceans and other forms of aquatic life
  (including alligator, frog, aquatic turtle,
  jellyfish, sea cucumber, and sea urchin and the
  roe of such animals) other than birds or mammals,
  and all mollusks, if such animal life is intended
  for human consumption.

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Live Fish
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MOLLUSCAN SHELLFISH
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MOLLUSCAN SHELLFISH LIFE-SUPPORT SYSTEM

• Requires a Variance in the Food Code
• Key Controls
• Shellfish must not be commingled
• Lot integrity and proper source records must be
  maintained
• Shellfish must be washed and culled
• Water from fish tanks must not flow into the
  shellfish tanks

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Consumer Advisory

• Must Satisfy
• Disclosure - you can eat this raw
• Reminder if you eat this raw, you might wind up
  here

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Chinese BBQ

• Carcasses delivered whole
• Stored in cooler
• Prepped with seasonings
• Dried usually at room temperature

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Drying Process

• Requires monitoring and recordkeeping
• for time food is in the danger zone
• Foods must be protected from contamination

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• Cooked in roaster

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• Held at improper temperatures

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1000 Year Old Egg
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Black Silkie
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Japanese
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Cultural Dos and Dont

• Traditional form of greeting is the bow.
• Shake hands with a light grip and eyes averted.
• Maintain a quiet, low-key and polite manner at
  all times.
• Do not point.
• Do not interrupt when someone is talking. Listen
  until they are finished before talking.
• Chewing gum while conducting business is
  considered impolite.
• Address person using their last name.

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Origin of Sushi

• Sushi is a word for fermented things (food) in
  Japanese.
• Technically, the word sushi refers to the rice,
  but commonly, the term is used to describe a
  finger-size piece of raw fish or shellfish on a
  bed of vinegar rice.

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Sushi
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Sashimi

• Sashimi is usually chilled, sliced fresh raw fish
  or seafood without the sushi rice.

Silver Formed Bonito
Thin Sliced Snapper
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Parasite Destruction

• Raw, raw marinated, partially cooked, or
  marinated partially cooked fish shall be
• Frozen and stored at a temperature of
• -4F or below for 168 hours (7 days) in a
  freezer or
• Frozen at -31F or below until solid and stored
  at
• -31F for 15 hours.
• Frozen at -31F or below until solid and stored
  at
• -4F or below for a minimum of 24 hours
• Exemptions Tunas of the species Thunnus
  alalunga, Thunnus albacares, Thunnus atlanticus,
  Thunnus maccoyii, Thunnus obesus, Thunnus
  thynnus, Molluscan Shellfish and Aquacultured
  fish

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Parasite Destruction Letter

• Raw fish must be frozen to destroy parasites in
  house or at the supplier
• If fish is frozen by the supplier, a written
  agreement or statement from the supplier
  stipulating that the fish supplied are frozen to
  the required temperature and time must be provided

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In-House Freezing

• Freezing temperature and
• time to which the fish was
• subjected must be recorded
• Records must be maintained at the establishment
  for 90 days beyond the time of service or sale

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Puffer Fish

• Blow fish Fugu Fish Globe Fish Swell Fish
• Tetrodotoxin contained in the gonads, liver,
  intestines, and skin of puffer fish
• Tetrodotoxin poisoning can result in death within
  4 to 6 hours
• IA-16-20 Detention Without Physical Examination
• Agreement between FDA and the government of Japan
  which permits the importation of puffer fish
• Processed and prepared by Fugu Fish Market,
  Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, JP
• Shipped certified by the Dept. of Health of the
  City of Shiminoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, JP
• Entry into U.S. through JFK International Airport
  only
• Importer Wako International in New York City

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Vietnamese
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Cultural Dos and Dont

• Using both hands during a handshake shows
  increased respect.
• In order to avoid confrontation or disrespect,
  many Vietnamese will not vocalize disagreement.
  They may simply refuse to answer a question.
• Do not speak loud or make excessive gestures.
• Do not call a person by motioning an index finger
  towards you.
• Never touch a person on the head, especially a
  child. It is considered a spiritual center of a
  person.

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Room Temperature Products
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Pork Product
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Banana Leaf Products
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Live Ducks / Duck Blood
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Baluts
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Pho
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Korean
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Cultural Dos and Dont

• Some Koreans will bow first and then shake hands.
• If a Korean person does not make direct eye
  contact, dont be offended.
• Do not call a person by motioning an index finger
  towards you.
• Do not point.
• Address person using their last name.
• Never touch or push anything with your feet.

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Kimchi
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Jung Ah Chi Korean Moo
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Fermented Products

• Process must be performed in a sanitary manner
• A food shall be deemed to be adulterated
• .. if it consists in whole or in part of any
  filthy, putrid, or decomposed substance, or if it
  is otherwise unfit for food or if it has been
  prepared, packed, or held under unsanitary
  conditions whereby it may have become
  contaminated with filth, or(Food, Drug
  Cosmetic Act)

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Soybean Paste
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FERMENTED SOY BEAN PASTECooked Food Product

• Soy Beans are boiled for 2 hours pathogenic
  vegetative cells and spoilage bacteria destroyed
  (Spores survive)
• Soy Beans are wrapped in cloths and cooked at
  85F in oven for 15 days (Depth _at_ 10 -12
  Anaerobic condition exists)
• Soy Beans mixed with salt and water, then placed
  in plastic bag and put in covered 5 gallon bucket
  for fermentation (Mold growth on product)

Is this a safe process?
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African
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Cultural Dos and Dont

• In Ethiopian restaurants, a handshake is normal
  regardless of gender.
• In Somalian restaurants, men and women usually do
  not touch each other due to Islamic tradition.
  Do not offer your hand to someone of the opposite
  sex unless it is offered to you first.
• Dont use forefingers to motion someone to come
  to you.
• The thumbs up gesture can be considered
  offensive by some.
• In both Ethiopian and Somali cultures, the left
  hand is considered unclean and reserved for
  hygiene.
• Do not point at another person.

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Bushmeat
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Enjera
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Kitfo
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Keys to dealing with Ethnic Foods

• Ask questions, ask questions, ask questions
• Be respectful of the cultures
• Review menus
• Have employees open closed containers and
  suspicious packaging
• Gain access to closed rooms
• Think outside the box regarding approach
• Do not practice selective enforcement

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Acknowledgements

• Janice Buchanon, Bawo Okome and the DeKalb County
  Board of Health, Decatur, GA
• Santa Clara County Ethnic Foods Task Force,
• Santa Clara, CA
• Dr Ynes Ortega, University of Georgia Center for
  Food Safety, Athens, GA
• Gestures, The Dos and Taboos of Body Language
  Around The World, Roger E. Axtell, John Wiley
  Sons, Inc. 1998
• Florida Department of Agriculture, Tallahassee,
  FL
• Frank Flores, USFDA, Atlanta, GA
• USFDA Atlanta District Office
• USFDA Los Angeles Import Operations
• Honolulu Star-Bulletin Online -- Vol. 7, No. 240
  -- Wednesday, August 28, 2002, KEN IGE /
  KIEG_at_STARBULLETIN.COM
• Http//recipes.caribseek.com/Carribbean_Food_Encyc
  lopedia/ackee.shtml
• .Numerous operators of restaurants and markets
  in DeKalb County, Georgia who graciously shared
  their food, culture and expertise