Honey, they've shrunk the groceries

Think carefully: when's the last time you actually bought a half-gallon container of ice cream? Many ice cream containers moved from 2 quarts to 1.75 quarts a few years ago. Recently, some have been reduced in size again to 1.5 quarts.

Somebody stop the madness!

This week, we look at the shrinking size of some groceries.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still." - Lao-tze (philosopher of ancient China and a central figure in Taoism)

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HACCP Principle 5: Establish Corrective Actions

The Codex Alimentarius (Latin for "food code" or "food book") is a collection of internationally recognized standards, codes of practice, guidelines and other recommendations relating to foods, food production and food safety under the aegis of consumer protection. The Commission's main aims are stated as being to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in the international food trade. HACCP was adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in 1997.

If the criteria for a CCP is not being met, some type of corrective action must be taken. They must meet the standards established in Step 3, must be based on facts for normal working conditions and be measurable. Corrective actions may range, for example, from "continue cooking until the established temperature is reached" to "throw out the product," depending on the severity of the situation. HACCP plans should include who is responsible for implementing the corrective action and what corrective action was/will be taken, and they should be established in advance as part of the HACCP plan.

This week, we look at HACCP Principle 5: Establish Corrective Actions.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects." - Oscar Wilde (Irish playwright, novelist, poet, and author of short stories, 1854 - 1900)

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Beware of Bug Bites and Stings

Summer. Warm weather. Sunny days. Fishing. Bugs in your beer. Mosquitoes. Ticks. Ugh.

Hey, if it were all butterflies, dragonflies and lightning bugs, life would be grand. This week, we look at bug bites and stings.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Nothing is permanent in this wicked world. Not even our troubles." - Charles Chaplin (British actor, director, & screenwriter, 1889 - 1977)

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HACCP Principle 4: Establish Monitoring/Inspection Requirements

Traditional inspection is relatively resource-intensive and inefficient and is reactive rather than preventive compared to the HACCP approach for ensuring food safety. Regulatory agencies are challenged to find new approaches to food safety that enable them to become more focused and efficient and to minimize costs wherever possible. The advantages of HACCP-based inspections are becoming increasingly acknowledged by the regulatory community.

Monitoring is a plan which includes observations or measurements to assess whether the CCP is being met. It provides a record of the "flow of food" through the establishment. If monitoring indicates that the critical limits are not being met, then an action must be taken to bring the process back into control. The monitoring system should be easy to use and meet the needs of the food establishment, as well as the regulatory authority. It is important that the job of monitoring be assigned to a specific individual and they be trained on the monitoring technique.

This week, we look at HACCP Principle 4: Establish Monitoring/Inspection Requirements.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Fairy tales do not tell children that dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed." - G.K. Chesterton (English writer whose prolific and diverse output included journalism, philosophy, poetry, biography and fantasy, well noted for his "Father Brown" stories, 1874 - 1936)

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Backyard gardens and food safety

With gasoline prices soaring and food costs not far behind, the number of Americans planning to grow their own backyard vegetables this year is up sharply. Gardening organizations, seed wholesalers, and local nurseries are all reporting hikes in the number of people buying vegetable seeds and starter plants.

It's a trend that started slowly several years ago, spurred by concerns about food safety, food quality, and global warming, say garden mavens. But how safe is what we grow? Very, especially when you follow some common sense practices.

This week, a look at backyard gardens and food safety.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Between the idea and the reality, between the motion and the act, falls the shadow." - T. S. Eliot (poet, dramatist, and literary critic who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948, 1888 - 1965)

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