289027 Fri Apr 19 19:56:53 -0700 2002 5 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1562698 "Was up all night with a terrible case of food poisoning" said the voice at the other end of the line. Knowing in advance what the reply would surely be, I nonetheless responded as I always do to such news: "Did you phone the health department?" "No, I phoned the restaurant." I controlled my frustration and urge to say, "Great! Restaurant staffs are really equipped with the tools, knowledge, and authority to try to identify and stop a contamination before others are affected." I knew the victim was feeling lousy and didn't want to be chastised for mistakenly thinking the "good guy" thing to do was notify the restaurant rather than the authorities. What I should have said is: Health departments never identify people who report suspected food poisoning; any restaurateur worth her license to operate appreciates quick help in stopping a potential problem that could lead to loss of the business, never mind serious illness or even death of a customer; time is of the essence in these matters; if the victim didn't get sick from the restaurant's food, the place will get a clean bill of health and no harm is done, but if he did, a source of illness may be found and cleared up. My caller suspected oysters. No one should ever eat mollusks in a restaurant without first asking to see the tag that, by law, accompanies and must remain with every shipment. At least the diner will know the date the shellfish arrived and the waters of origin before deciding whether or not to order. "No one else got sick," was the next bit of information. It's a mistake to assume that every diner will react identically to contaminants: age, status of immune system, medications, etc., all play a role in susceptibility. A well-trained health inspector will check not only storage conditions, temperatures, and overall sanitation, but also any evidence of illness, wounds, or poor personal hygiene in folks handling the food. Such a person can quickly order an inspection at the source as well: the wholesaler, distributor, packer, vessel--whatever is indicated. In this case, the victim was quite sure of the source. More often, I hear, "Well, I couldn't be sure it was the restaurant." So what? The responsible thing to do is to let the experts determine that. Fri Apr 19 19:56:53 -0700 2002 0 Fine 1 1562721 How recent must the tag on the shipment be? Sat Apr 20 00:46:56 -0700 2002 1562698 0 Nomi Lubin 2 1562752 No, not an MD, but a longtime writer/researcher on this and related topics. I didn't mean to be cynical; however, it should be obvious on the face of it that it takes health experts to have the equipment to test for various bacteria, parasites, etc., or to demand certain samples and files from distributors. And it's certainly probable that some percentage of restaurant personnel would tend to pooh-pooh or even try to cover up such a suspected mishap. In the best of all possible worlds, all restaurant workers would be trained in safe food practices; that rarely is mandated. Furthermore, those attracted to the culinary field, in my many years of observation, have quite different attitudes and, if you will, temperaments, from those in the medical arena. There's absolutely nothing "vindictive" about alerting the health department--it is an ethical act. If you're heaving your guts out, the last thing you need to do is worry about trying to reach someone at a restaurant in the early morning hours, never mind someone in a position of responsibility. I have no quarrel with a courtesy call or note, but restaurant and health department workers have different priorities and skills. Any decent health dept. would send someone immediately if the call came quickly enough for the likelihood that the problem was still detectable. If you call several days after the fact, obviously the precipitating factor may no longer be there to find, though overall practices may still need sharpening at the restaurant. It is my understanding that the tags must be kept as long as the seafood remains on the premises. Each order is accompanied by its own tag. Sat Apr 20 20:06:10 -0700 2002 1562721 0 Fine 3 1562785 to be a little more specific, each bag of oysters (they arrive alive) comes with a tag attached. Sun Apr 21 09:21:16 -0700 2002 1562752 0 renee 1 1562722 "Great! Restaurant staffs are really equipped with the tools, knowledge, and authority to try to identify and stop a contamination before others are affected." It's pretty cynical (and wrong) of you to think a restaurant's staff does not care, or would not act if a report of food poisoning came in. I'm sure thereare horror stories out there about restaurants that did not care, but most restaurants really do care. The fact is that people can get sick eating raw shellfish. Usually, the restaurant is not to blame. As you said, some people react differently to different things. Also, if you are truly concerned about preventing other people from getting sick, th restaurant should be the first to know. The health department might not be there for weeks. I'm not saying they shouldn't be called sometimes, but calling the man without calling the restaurant is spiteful retribution and ineffective health policy. jake Sat Apr 20 01:46:07 -0700 2002 1562698 0 jake pine 1 1562731 Are you a MD, work for the BOH, or other professional? Sat Apr 20 08:59:08 -0700 2002 1562698 0 NoGo