Summary

AT LEAST ONE STATE TAKING STEPS TO AVOID ILLNESSES FROM RAW FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Source CONUS Archive
Record ID 171932
Story Slug Safer Smoothies
Location Charlotte, NC
Format pkg
Date 10/20/1999
Archive Time 23:02
TRT 1:27
Supers Charlotte, NC Linda Reese, Carolina Smoothies Lynn Lathan, Mecklenburg County Health Dept. Stacey Simms, Reporting
Video Description FRUIT BEING BLENDED, SCOOPING FRUIT INTO BLENDER CUP, REESE SOT, POURING SMOOTHIE INTO DISPOSABLE CUP, SERVING SMOOTHIE TO CUSTOMER, LATHAN SOT, POURING FRUIT INTO BIN, SCOOPING OUT RASPBERRIES AND KIWIS, REPORTER STANDUP WITH SMOOTHIE, BLENDING FRUIT, POURING SMOOTHIE
Description AT LEAST ONE STATE TAKING STEPS TO AVOID ILLNESSES FROM RAW FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
Script LEAD: MOST OF US HAVE TRIED A SMOOTHIE.. THOSE DRINKS MADE WITH FRESH FRUIT. THEY CAN BE REALLY GOOD, AND PRETTY GOOD FOR YOU. BUT NOW AT LEAST ONE STATE IS TAKING STEPS TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROM GETTING SICK FROM THE FRUIT DRINKS. IN RESPONSE TO THE OUTBREAK OF ILLNESSES IN MAINE AND MICHIGAN LAST YEAR LINKED TO FRESH STRAWBERRIES TAINTED WITH HEPATITIS-A.. NORTH CAROLINA HAS IMPLEMENTED NEW REGULATIONS AIMED AT KEEPING SMOOTHIES GOOD FOR ITS RESIDENTS. STACEY SIMMS EXPLAINS. SCRIPT: (nats) THE SMOOTHIE IS A GREAT DRINK FOR A SNACK, OR A MEAL ON THE RUN.. BUT UNTIL THIS MONTH, WHAT GOES IN HERE HASN'T BEEN REGULATED BY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. (sot-we were surprised because we are preparing a drink and something for the public so we were always surprised we weren't regulated) BUT NOW, THEY ARE. STARTING OCTOBER FIRST, EVERYONE IN NORTH CAROLINA SELLING DRINKS MADE WITH RAW FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AND SOLD IN A DISPOSABLE CUP, NEEDS A PERMIT FROM THE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT. (sot-because they're not cooked whatever contamination may go on it, may continue to stay there. if things aren't washed, if procedures aren't followed) AT CAROLINA SMOOTHIES, MOST OF THE FRUIT IS PRE-PACKAGED, FLASH FROZEN AFTER IT'S CLEANED. THE NEW REGULATIONS COVER FRESH VEGETABLES AND FRUITS, LIKE KIWI, BECAUSE THEY'RE CLEANED HERE. SMOOTHIES ARE ONE THING, BUT WHAT ABOUT OLD FASHIONED LEMONADE STANDS.. FRESH FRUITS, DISPOSABLE CUPS. BUT THOSE WON'T BE REGULATED HERE. CITRUS FRUITS SUCH AS LEMONS AND ORANGES ARE MORE ACIDIC, SO BACTERIA USUALLY CAN'T GROW IN THAT TYPE OF FRUIT. SO FAR, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HASN'T FOUND ANY PROBLEMS WITH ANY COMPANY MAKING SMOOTHIES OR OTHER DRINKS.. AND NO ONE HAS GOTTEN SICK. BUT THEY SAY THE NEW RULES SHOULD KEEP YOUR HEALTHY SNACK JUST THAT. TAG: THE NEW STATE REGULATIONS DON'T COVER FRUIT DRINKS SERVED IN RESTAURANTS BECAUSE THERE ARE REGULATIONS ALREADY IN PLACE COVERING THOSE. THE VEGETABLES WERE ADDED TO THE NEW RULES AFTER SEVERAL CASES OF PEOPLE EATING CONTAMINATED LETTUCE AND COLESLAW WERE DOCUMENTED IN MECKLENBURG COUNTY.. WHERE THE CITY OF CHARLOTTE IS LOCATED. MEDICAL
Not everything listed in the CONUS Archive is necessarily licensable. Reporter sound/image is not licensable
}