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© KYODO3-year-old girl dies of E. coli infection
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© KYODO
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sensei258
Do you see what you did? You used the toilet and decided not to wash your hands because you were in a hurry, or just plain lazy. Now a little girl is dead.
pacint
Focus is on usage & cleaning of the tongs, Not all affected at salad.
commanteer
Must be awful. Usually safe to eat freshly cooked foods, but e-coli can survive cooking if the temperatures aren't high enough.
Giveme_abreak
Maybe not the potato salad but something they used was obviously making people sick. I won't cross out the proper hygiene and those kitchen utensils that are not sanitized. Poor little girl.
pacint
Food test were clean, no contamination there.
They now suspect customers carried O-157 and tongs were shared between produce and insufficient cleaning at the stores?
We can all be carriers hence I use different boards and knifes for fish, meat and veggies.
Dango bong
i didn't see this headlined on the news, if the food was imported I am SURE it would have been the top headline
Ghost rider
Such infections happen quite frequently in Japan. No wonder if you see how people wash the hands! Just 2 fingers under water in the best case. Easy to observe it in public toilets. If hand dryers or paper would be available everywhere the situation would improve.
pacint
Original story was weeks ago, they suspected potato salad that was mixed with Apple or ham at the store.
But some affected parties didn't eat those but bought fried foods at the stores.
AgentX
I feel for the family here.
Yes! I see people do this often (one guy I work does it every time!). It irks me to no end!
I often have strange comments directed at me when I cook my yakiniku really (REALLY) well done. But I like the taste, and I theorize that it helps to kill contaminants. It's worked so far.
The culture of eating everything raw or half cooked, and communally, will inevitably lead to outbreaks of dangerous bacteria from time to time. I like my sashimi/nigiri, too, but limit it to just tuna and salmon. Still some risk there of course.
It's normal for kids of any age to just eat what they are given. It's kind of forced upon them. As good as the Japanese diet is; kids are not able to form their own opinions when it comes to food.
pacint
Recall a food poisoning outbreak attached to a school last year, 2-3 months later it was traced to spinach from one farmer.
By that time it was minor news.
gogogo
Pretty sad.... RIP little girl
Civitas Sine Suffragio
I hope the scumbag responsible for this is tracked down and charged with manslaughter
Luddite
A person or persons with dirty, unwashed hands handled the food. It isn't rocket science. Staff or customers, either way their laziness and the unhygienic self service food outlets killed that child.
pacint
Bit harsh but agree? Recall a feature on gusto and their 180 page booklet that all staff need to follow. Cleaning, hand washing with daily tests, etc.
Wrembreck
I wouldn't be surprised if it was due to contamination caused by unwashed hands. I see women walk out of cubicles in public restrooms and do their make up and preen themselves in the mirror BEFORE washing their hands. And if they do wash their hands, its often just a quick sprinkle without soap, followed by some more preening.
Michael Jackson
@ paint - I don't doubt that at all, since many farmers still use "night soil" to fertilize their crops. I have seen the sewage trucks dumping myself
Michael Jackson
@ pacint - sorry it auto corrected
pacint
Dango.
It is all over the news, ditto for the original incident. Right now all news here report it.
commanteer
Let's get a grip, shall we? Unless there was a story specifically citing this as the cause, you are jumping to a completely unwarranted conclusion. In most e-coli cases, vegetables become contaminated before they are even harvested. It's quite easy for animal fecal matter to get into crops, either via fertilizer or just via local pests.
To find the source, there is a long trail to follow, with the restaurant at the very end.
I know it's more fun to always have someone to blame and imprison for life's misfortunes. But sometimes it's just bad luck. No need for a witch hunt.
smithinjapan
Horrible thing, to lose a loved one (or anyone) like that, and all because of laziness.
Sensei: "Do you see what you did? You used the toilet and decided not to wash your hands because you were in a hurry, or just plain lazy."
Yes! Just today while I was in the washroom at the office I saw three old guys use the urinals (I had to wait behind them). One peed all over the floor, and regardless that the other two managed to get it inside the urinal not one of them washed their hands. What were they doing? Two are in the "social dance" circle on another floor (glad I'm not their partner!) and the third a calligraphy class in a room a room rented for activities.
Point is, not washing hands after using the washroom is far too prevalent, with some people thinking a simple pretend rinse of water is enough, if that. Generally a pretty clean country on the surface, but too much hygiene is lip-service, and often places are only inspected after mass food poisonings, as with here. Someone definitely spread it via their hands and not washing properly.
towingtheline
Too many people having shockingly bad personal hygiene and disgusting filthy habits. Therefore members of the public should not be allowed anywhere near food or touch utensils in stores. It is asking for trouble... It only takes one dirty person to infect many others...
So sad to the little girl died (
Noddy
It may not have been during the preparation of the food itself, but as suggested by the Health Dept., spread during the sharing of tongs, which does always concern me. Also, food is out in the open without covers in some supermarkets, and can be reached by little children, or parts of clothing could accidentally touch them and contaminate them. I think everything should be covered and not left out in the open air, and tongs should not be handled more than once. The handle that has been handled by multiple people (who may have colds, herpes, the flu, unwashed hands after using the bathroom, etc.) can fall onto the food accidentally. I've seen this at ORIJIN BENTO and always worry about E.Coli and other contaminants.
bobby hunt
Eating in a public place should never be a life threatening ordeal. However bacteria does not still. I feel a more stringent investigation is in order. It may be a newer more powerful strain of germ has evolved.
pacint
Agree, Origin and other Deli Veneto places are scary.
On TV they interviewed one place who said tongs are dedicated and washed every 2 hrs.
Wtf, 2 hrs over the lunch-rush and I doubt that washing them exceeds 75 degrees ergo useless to prevent e-coli.
Dan Lewis
Yup! That's why I just use my hands at the salad bar and wipe them off afterward. Tongs are nasty business!
Seriously tho, shared items such as tongs need to be changed often with cleaned ones, because, as others have pointed out, many people haven't discovered soap - or even water.
pacint
Using your hands is even more disgusting does that include salads, etc where spoons are needed.
Dan Lewis
@pacint - reread the part where I said "seriously tho" :D