Health inspectors say no more sweet samples at CNE honey booth
29.08.2008 20:04
Health
- Source: cbc.ca
A food booth at the Canadian National Exhibition is causing concern for Toronto health authorities — not because there's any problem with the food, but because of its location. The city's health inspector ordered the booth to stop giving out free samples. Dan Douma runs the controversial booth, where he sells Szabo Queen's finest honey. "Part of the booth is educational," said Douma. "One of the things we do when we give out the samples is we tell people about how we get the different varieties of honey, and it's also just very difficult to describe the flavour of something like honey. The best way is to let people taste it for themselves." But health inspectors won't let Douma hand out any more free samples. Danny Kartzalis of Toronto Public Health says he's worried about people petting animals at the nearby farm exhibit, then touching and eating food. "Our main goal here is ... to minimize any risk of illness. We do realize that there have been a number of different outbreaks associated with this form of setting," he said. Kartzalis says he's just following standard procedure. Many people at the CNE agree with the policy, saying food safety is at the forefront of their minds, especially after the Maple Leaf meat recall. But beekeepers like Douma say it's a little overzealous, especially since honey is antibacterial. "We even tried sort of playing that angle," Douma told CBC News. But the health inspector wasn't impressed. "He said we weren't allowed to serve food, so we decided to describe our honey as an antibacterial mouthwash ... He didn't seem too amused." Douma says the elimination of free samples has hurt business and he has written a letter to the board of health asking it to reconsider. Story Tools: E-MAIL | PRINT | Text Size: SMLXL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACKHealth HeadlinesDeath linked to cheese recall in Quebec One person has died and 87 cases of salmonella food poisoning have been linked to three brands of contaminated cheese in Quebec, provincial health authorities said Friday in announcing a recall.Benefits of flu shots for reducing deaths less than thought: studyThe flu shot does help protect against specific strains of influenza but its ability to help prevent deaths among the elderly may have been exaggerated, a new study suggests. Walkerton mayor calls for public inquiry into listeriosis outbreakThe mayor of Walkerton, the southern Ontario town where a deadly E. coli disaster struck eight years ago, called on Friday for a public inquiry into the listeriosis outbreak.Researchers track Alzheimer's-linked protein in live brainsScientists for the first time have peered into people's brains to directly measure the ebb and flow of a substance notorious for its role in Alzheimer's disease. Findings may have implications for how the brain-injured are tracked in intensive-care units.Alberta doctors to province: ban cellphone use while drivingAlberta doctors say they support a private member's bill that calls for a ban on the use of cellphones while driving. Health FeaturesVIDEOListeriosisFollowing the path of the listeriosis outbreak (8:37)YOUR INTERVIEWListeriosisDr. Allison McGeer takes questions on the outbreakVIDEOListeriosis Dr. Dara Maker answers questions about outbreak (4:35)IN DEPTHMedical isotopesThe backbone of nuclear medicineIN DEPTHWest Nile NUTRITIONSchool lunchesHealthy back-to-school lunch tipsPeople who read this also read …
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