FDA to ban sale of raw Gulf oysters

Yes, the restaurant serving bad oysters will certainly have liability.  They will more than likely be punished by the judicial system.  The free market also has a very harsh way of telling you that you screwed up, even if the problem was beyond your reasonable control.  If people become ill or die due to bad food served at your restaurant, chances are good that your doors will close.

But who wants to wait until your neighbors start dropping dead as the clue that maybe you shouldn't be eating in a particular restaurant?  Many of us would like some measures taken that kicks in before that happens.

Jack in the Box disregarded the safe-cooking standards about cooking to a 155 degree temperature...which would have killed the e.coli. When a restaurant does not follow the law and violates health codes which result in illness or death...they are liable.
 
 In cases of mass epidemic a class-action suit is usually formed and they tend to trace and focus on the original source after an investigation...not the retailers of the tainted product when it was through no fault of their own. If not every small store that sold tainted dog food and peanut butter (before a recall) would be out of business.

So true.  But the modern food distribution system works to disguise the source of the problem.  That NYT story from a few weeks ago, about ground beef, made that too clear.  Companies selling cheap beef to other companies do so under the condition that the purchaser agrees not to test the safety of the beef they buy.

Bruce Bilmes and Sue Boyle


But who wants to wait until your neighbors start dropping dead as the clue that maybe you shouldn't be eating in a particular restaurant?  Many of us would like some measures taken that kicks in before that happens.

It would be nice to have measures taken when reasonable and appropriate.  But where does it stop?  Consumption of sugar can lead to Type 2 Diabetes.  Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S.  Should we ban Coconut Cream Pie?  Then we'll just go after all sugar.  Pretty soon, big brother is telling you what you can and can't eat.  That's unacceptable to most reasonable, thinking people.

There is certainly a CYA system for small restaurants to have in place. It does not include running to Sams or BJs or the Supermarket to shop for perishibles. You lose the chain of command and open a can of worms that way. Don't ever do that and you avoid the questions of how were  these perishibles transported...in your trunk? How long? Why? Are you crazy? Nice cooler...see you in court. Tell it to the judge.

PopsDogHouse

It would be nice to have measures taken when reasonable and appropriate.  But where does it stop?  Consumption of sugar can lead to Type 2 Diabetes.  Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S.  Should we ban Coconut Cream Pie?  Then we'll just go after all sugar.  Pretty soon, big brother is telling you what you can and can't eat.  That's unacceptable to most reasonable, thinking people.

That's right.  The trick is in finding where to draw the line.  It's tricky, because you not only have to consider the risk, you also have to consider what you'd give up to eliminate the risk, and also how much the public knows about the potential risk.

The safety meaures regarding tainted food are a little different vs. the warning labels tax proposals and bans on unnhealty but not fatal in moderation over time issues.
 
I believe it has much to do with the new wonder drugs out there. There are new risks groups of people. Some drugs work to treat an ailment but also seriously compromise your immune system . You can be a healthy person overall who takes a monthly shot for arthritis...and you are now in a risk group.

i have no idea what any of that means.

The FDA is the Food & Drug Administration. Years ago there were not as many tight regulations and classifications of potentially hazardous foods. They view hazards as far as potential to cause grave illness with consideration to the amount of prescriptions people take these days. Years ago people were not considered as fragile (before anything happened) by the FDA. Today they are very very cautious about the potential rather than simply in response to issues.

Not trying to drag up another argument here but I just spent the last 4 days between Charleston SC and Savannah GA.  I enjoyed 8 dozen oysters at various places and every single place said they were from Apalachicola Florida on the gulf coast due to their quality and size.  Every place I asked about said they have had NO issues whatsoever.

This is a FUN place to go.

www.thecrabshack.com

 I chose a bucket and shucked them on my own.  I started up a conversation with a guy at a table who was doing the same as me but he was shucking them at three times the speed.  He was so good and fast that he was actually shucking them and eating them right off the knife!  The waitress mentioned to us that they were sourced at Apalachicola Bay.  He was a big older salty looking fellow and I ended up buying him a beer after I ate my own.  We got into a conversation and the bottom line is that they need to be eaten fresh right from the water.  How did he know this?  He fished for them up until about 10 years ago. He said he never had any issues. I am still walking after my 8 dozen quest.  Two dozen in Charleston, three dozen in Savannah, and three dozen at the the crab shack.  All claimed to be from Apalachicola FL.

Go oysters go!!!

November has an "r" in it and is a good month to enjoy oysters. The proposed rule (since rescinded) was eating them out of season unless treating them; sort of like drinking pastuerized milk versus raw milk.














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