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PubMedDate not supplied

[Environmental tobacco smoke exposure in public places in Florence, Italy].

OBJECTIVES: Measurements of the environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure in public places in Florence. This study was part of the first European multicenter project, intended to measure ETS exposure in public places in a number of European Cities (Florence, Barcelona, Paris, Oporto, Athens, Wien and Orebro). DESIGN: Nicotine vapour phase was measured using passive samplers, composed of a sodium bisulphate treated filter held in a plastic cassette with a windscreen on one side. The filters were analysed at the Laboratory of the Public Health Agency of Barcelona, Spain, by gas-chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Nicotine concentration (in microg/m3) by public place, by smoking policy, and, for restaurants with separated areas, by smoking and non-smoking section. SETTING: Nicotine measurements were conducted in 5 schools, 3 university departments, 5 hospitals, 1 railway station, 1 airport, 7 bars, 7 restaurants, and 4 discotheques in Florence. RESULTS: The average nicotine concentration in discotheques and restaurants were respectively 26.78 microg/m3 and 2.32 microg/m3. In the other public places the concentration was about 1 microg/m3. In smoke-free public places the average concentration was 0.85 microg/m3; in public places where smoking is allowed concentration was higher (11.53 microg/m3). In the smoking section and non-smoking section of restaurants with separated areas the average concentration was respectively 2.54 and 2.14 microg/m3. CONCLUSION: The highest nicotine concentrations were recorded in discos and restaurants. A smoke-free public place is effective in reducing ETS exposure. Smoking and non-smoking sections in restaurants without a separate ventilation system seem not to solve ETS exposure.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1995

[Impact of outdoor pollution on indoor air quality. The case of downtown Santiago (Chile)].

The influence of outdoor pollution on indoor air quality was studied in downtown Santiago(Bandera street). Carbon monoxide (CO), nicotine, particulate matter, respirable fraction (PM5) and total and carcinogenic polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were simultaneously monitored indoors and outdoors in restaurants, offices and other places. The levels of CO changed simultaneously outdoors and indoors (r = 0.89) specially during traffic rush hours, demonstrating the importance of outdoor infiltration into the indoor air quality and masking the contribution of other CO indoor sources. The maximum CO concentrations were over 800% and over 1000% higher indoors and outdoors respectively than the 9 ppm CO National Ambient Air Quality. The PM 5 concentrations were very high and showed no significant differences (p > 0.05) from indoors to outdoors, or between indoor levels in restaurants, offices and other places. Total and carcinogenic PAHs levels were also very high outdoors and indoors, outdoor levels being generally higher than those indoors and no significant; differences (p > 0.05) were found for the indoor levels between restaurants, offices and other places. Nicotine levels showed significant differences (p < 0.05) between indoor and outdoor levels. In addition, great differences (p < 0.05) in indoor levels, were found between offices and restaurants, and offices and other places. Among indoor sources cigarette smoke seems to be a minor source since nicotine concentrations, being 2.3 times higher in restaurants and other places than in offices, do not contribute to enhance significantly PM5 and total and carcinogenic HAPs in the first ones. These results suggest that in downtown Santiago, infiltration might be the main source of indoor pollution. This is supported by two evidences: a) coronene, a tracer of vehicle emissions was found in high concentration indoors and b) in restaurants (in which PAHs emissions might be higher indoor) a correlation coefficient of 0.987 for the indoor and outdoor concentrations of carcinogenic PAHs was found. Furthermore a survey asking for different symptoms and effects probably related to air pollution was made to people working in Bandera and in a rural area located 40 Km from Santiago. The results showed that excluding smoking as a confoundend factor, people working in Bandera showed a significantly greater (p < 0.05) risk of ill effects on their health than people working in the rural area.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed2002

An outbreak of food-borne illness associated with methomyl-contaminated salt.

CONTEXT: On January 5, 1999, the California Department of Health Services was notified of the repeated occurrence (December 21, 1998, and January 2, 1999) of gastrointestinal tract illness among patrons at a Thai restaurant in central California. OBJECTIVE: To identify the source of the outbreak. DESIGN: Case-control study; microbiological and toxicological laboratory testing of samples of food, stool, and vomitus. SETTING: Thai food restaurant in central California. PARTICIPANTS: Patrons of the restaurant. A case (n = 107) was defined as dizziness, nausea, or vomiting occurring in a person who ate at the restaurant between December 20, 1998, and January 2, 1999, with onset of symptoms within 2 hours of eating. A control (n = 169) was a person who ate at the restaurant during the same period but reported no symptoms. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Odds ratios (ORs) of illness associated with food exposures; ORs of shifts during which illness occurred associated with certain cooks; laboratory results. RESULTS: The median latency period was 40 minutes from beginning eating to first symptom and was 2 hours to onset of diarrhea. The median duration of symptoms was 6 hours. Twenty-six persons (24%) visited the emergency department or were treated by a physician; no person required hospitalization. Patients reported nausea (95%), dizziness (72%), abdominal cramps (58%), headache (52%), vomiting (51%), chills (48%), and diarrhea (46%). Fifty-one cases (48%) included dizziness, lightheadedness, or a feeling of disequilibrium as the initial symptom. Illness was statistically associated with several foods and ingredients, but no single dish or ingredient explained a substantial number of cases. The analysis of food exposures included salt added by cooks, as estimated by using the amount of salt in the recipe for each dish and the amount of each dish eaten by respondents. This association was stronger with increasing levels of salt: ORs for illness among persons who consumed more than 0.42 to 0.84, more than 0.84 to 1.25, and more than 1.25 tsp of salt added to foods in the kitchen were 1.9 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.6-5.7), 3.0 (95% CI, 1.0-8.8), and 4.0 (95% CI, 1.3-13.5) compared with persons who consumed less than 0.42 tsp (P value for trend =.004). Methomyl, a highly toxic carbamate pesticide, was identified in a sample of vomitus (20 ppm) and in salt taken from containers in the storeroom (mean, 5600 ppm) and the stovetop (mean, 1425 ppm). The oral toxic dose causing illness in 50% of those exposed to methomyl was estimated to be 0.15 mg/kg of body weight (estimated range, 0.09-0.31 mg/kg of body weight). The presence of cook A was associated with shifts during which cases of illness occurred (OR, 10.4; 95% CI, 1.2-157.4). CONCLUSION: This outbreak of gastrointestinal illness was associated with the consumption of food seasoned with methomyl-contaminated salt. To allow rapid assessment for further investigational and control measures by health officials, physicians should report suspected outbreaks of illness to public health departments, however trivial the symptoms or cause may seem.

California↗
PubMed2005

Smoke-free laws and bar revenues in California--the last call.

California was the first state to implement smoke-free restaurant and bar laws, in 1995 and 1998, respectively. We analyze how these laws affected the distribution of revenues between bars and restaurants. Critics of smoke-free bar laws have often claimed that a prohibition on smoking reduces bar revenues. Similar claims are made for the effects of smoke-free restaurant laws. Such claims implicitly assume that a smoke-free law reduces expenditures by smokers by more than it increases expenditures by non-smokers. Using tax revenue data from 1990 to 2002, our analysis suggests that the actual effect is just the opposite: the 1995 smoke-free restaurant law is associated with an increase in restaurant revenues, while the 1998 smoke-free bar law is associated with an increase in bar revenues.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed2005

Risk factors for contamination of ready-to-eat street-vended poultry dishes in Dakar, Senegal.

Our objective was to investigate the Salmonella and Campylobacter contamination of traditional ready-to-eat street-vended poultry dishes and to assess the association of some restaurant characteristics and cooking practices with the contamination of these meals. One hundred and forty-eight street-restaurants were studied from January 2003 to April 2004 in Dakar. A questionnaire was submitted to the managers, and samples of ready-to-eat poultry dishes were taken. Salmonella spp. was isolated in 20.1% of the 148 street-restaurants studied and in 10.1% samples of poultry dishes. The most prevalent serovars isolated were Salmonella hadar, Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella brancaster. Campylobacter jejuni was detected in only 3 restaurants and 3 poultry dishes. Not peeling and not cleaning vegetables and other ingredients during meal preparation (OR=3.58), dirty clothing for restaurant employees (OR=4.65), reheating previously cooked foods (OR=5.2), and no kitchen and utensils disinfection (OR=3.47) were associated with an increasing risk of Salmonella contamination. Adequate cooking procedures decreased the risk of Salmonella contamination (OR=0.15).

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Emission of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their carcinogenic potencies from cooking sources to the urban atmosphere.

Traffic has long been recognized as the major contributor to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations. However, this does not consider the contribution of cooking sources of PAHs. This study set out, first, to assess the characteristics of PAHs and their corresponding benzo[a]pyrene equivalent (B[a]Peq) emissions from cooking sources to the urban atmosphere. To illustrate the importance of cooking sources, PAH emissions from traffic sources were then calculated and compared. The entire study was conducted on a city located in southern Taiwan. PAH samples were collected from the exhaust stacks of four types of restaurant: Chinese, Western, fast food, and Japanese. For total PAHs, results show that the fractions of gaseous PAHs (range, 75.9-89.9%) were consistently higher than the fractions of particulate PAHs (range, 10.1-24.1%) in emissions from the four types of restaurant. But for total B[a]Peq, we found that the contributions of gaseous PAHs (range, 15.7-21.9%) were consistently lower than the contributions of particulate PAHs (range, 78.1-84.3%). For emission rates of both total PAHs and total B[a]Peq, a consistent trend was found for the four types of restaurant: Chinese (2,038 and 154 kg/year, respectively) > Western (258 and 20.4 kg/year, respectively) > fast food (31.4 and 0.104 kg/year, respectively) > Japanese (5.11 and 0.014 kg/year, respectively). By directly adapting the emission data obtained from Chinese restaurants, we found that emission rates on total PAHs and total B[a]Peq for home kitchen sources were 6,639 and 501 kg/year, respectively. By combining both restaurant sources and home kitchen sources, this study yielded emission rates of total PAHs and total B[a]Peq from cooking sources of the studied city of 8,973 and 675 kg/year, respectively. Compared with PAH emissions from traffic sources in the same city, we found that although the emission rates of total PAHs for cooking sources were significantly less than those for traffic sources (13,500 kg/year), the emission rates of total B[a]Peq for cooking sources were much higher than those for traffic sources (61.4 kg/year). The above results clearly indicate that although cooking sources are less important than traffic sources in contributing to total PAH emissions, PAH emissions from cooking sources might cause much more serious problems than traffic sources, from the perspective of carcinogenic potency.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1995

A survey of older Americans to determine frequency and motivations for eating fast food.

Senior citizens were surveyed at 11 senior centers in two states to determine their use of fast food restaurants for food and socialization purposes. Six and 11 percent of respondents in New Jersey and Texas, respectively, eat in fast food restaurants at least once a week. One-fifth of respondents in both states frequent fast food restaurants so they do not have to cook. One-quarter of respondents cited economics as the reason for fast food restaurant patronage. The study provided evidence that seniors patronize fast food restaurants in large numbers, have strong reasons for doing so, and their patronage and motivations do not differ geographically.

Aged↗
PubMed1983

Dining out with children: effectiveness of a parent advice package on pre-meal in appropriate behavior.

The effectiveness of an advice package designed to restructure the restaurant environment and encourage parent praise was examined. Experiment 1 assessed the usefulness of the package when used with experimenter assistance. Videotapes were used to record the target child's behavior. Pre-meal inappropriate behavior decreased an average of 51% across target children. Mealtime inappropriate behavior and parent praise and disapproval were also measured. Experiment 2 was designed to determine whether families could implement the package without experimenter assistance and whether effects obtained would generalize to a different restaurant. Data were taken in vivo. Nine families were randomly assigned to one of three groups. Group assignment determined the order in which families went to two restaurants, the number of dinners each family participated in, and the point at which parents received the advice package. The order in which the families went to the two restaurants as well as the number of baseline meals was counterbalanced. Results of Experiment 2 showed that, when using the advice package, parents in all sequences were able to decrease pre-meal inappropriate behavior of their children, and that these effects generalized to a second restaurant.

Behavior Therapy↗
PubMed2002

Fat practices and consumption among African-American adolescent Boy Scouts: the impact of meal source.

This study investigated the fat consumption and dietary fat practices of 183 African-American Boy Scouts, members of urban (low socioeconomic status [SES]) and church-affiliated (middle SES) troops by meal source. The scouts completed 2 24-hour dietary recalls. Total kilocalories (kcal), % kcal from fat and saturated fat, and high and low fat practices were calculated by meal location (home, school, restaurant). About 50% of all meals were eaten at home, 35% at school, and 15% in restaurants. Scouts consumed greater than the recommended amounts of total kcal from fat and saturated fat at all meal locations. Low SES scouts reported more school meals, and fewer home and restaurant meals compared with middle SES scouts. For all scouts, restaurant meals were associated with less healthy dietary fat behaviors and higher kcal consumption. Scouts consuming 2 school meals reported more low fat practices compared to those eating one school meal. Interventions targeting African-American adolescents should focus on building skills for choosing low-fat foods at all meal locations, particularly restaurants.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Grading systems for retail food facilities: preference reversals of environmental health professionals.

The authors asked a random sample of 89 environmental health professionals in California about their willingness to dine in restaurants under three different scenarios: 1) The restaurant has received an inspection grade of A, B, or C and is one they normally dine in; 2) the restaurant was closed for health violations but recently has reopened with a grade of A, B, or C, and 3) the restaurant has been given a numerical score only (88, 78, 68, or 58). A paired-samples sign test showed differences among the scenarios with statistical significance above 99.9 percent. Professionals were less willing to dine in a restaurant if it recently had been closed and more willing to dine in it if only the numerical scores were given. The results indicate various cases in which there is a preference reversal from the expected order of A, B, and C; these results are largely consistent with those of an earlier study of university students. The study reported here suggests that the attitudes of environmental health professionals are consistent with those of the public they represent, and that most professionals are quite willing to distinguish grades depending on the underlying conditions provided. Significant differences were found among environmental health professionals depending on whether they had experience with grading systems. In the interests of encouraging thought and dialogue on the subject, this paper closes with a courtroom scenario that examines some repercussions of grading systems.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of a HACCP pilot program for the food service industry.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and applicability of a HACCP-based program for use in restaurants. PARTICIPANTS: A randomly selected sample of 16 intervention and 42 control full service, "stand-alone" restaurants with a minimum of 3 full-time food handling staff on duty per shift. SETTING: Six communities in Central West Ontario. INTERVENTION: The Critical Approach, a HACCP-based program for use in restaurants, was designed in consultation with health inspectors and restaurant operators. It focusses on generic risk factors (Critical Control Points, CCPs) for food handlers rather than assessing specific menu items or foods; offers appropriate training of both management and staff; and encourages self-monitoring of CCPs by operators without extensive record keeping or retention. OUTCOMES: Outcome indicators measured changes in three areas: the environment, knowledge, and behaviour. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that among a subpopulation of restaurants, the program is acceptable to operators and capable of producing tangible results. Principles and methods of the program (i.e., an initial assessment of the site, working with the operator to identify and suggest improvements, and return visits to monitor compliance) may be transferable to other types of food service operations.

Food Contamination↗
PubMed2004

Nicotine and surface of particulates as indicators of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in public places in Austria.

As part of a Europe-wide project the amount of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in public places like schools, restaurants, and public transport facilities was investigated. Three methods were applied: nicotine passive samplers (with a filter treated with sodium bisulphate), the same filters with an active sampling device, and the measurement of fine particles' active surface by unipolar diffusion charging. Settings were selected where either high or low ETS concentrations were expected and where non-smokers would have to stay or at least to pass by. Highest ETS concentrations were found in discos (mean nicotine concentration 154.4 maximum 487.1 microg/m3) and intermediate concentrations in restaurants with no significant difference between smoking (21.3 +/- 6.1 microg/m3) and non-smoking areas (23.3 +/- 15.9 microg/m3) but on average higher values in restaurants with no separation between smoking and non-smoking areas (38.0 +/- 60.6 microg/m3). Concentrations usually below 10 microg/m3 were found in transport facilities (8.9 +/- 8.0 microg/m3, maximum 20.6 in the restaurant section of a railway station's waiting room) and in schools (3.0 +/- 4.6 microg/m3). In hospitals "problem spots" were sought and so concentrations from very low to as high as 45.1 microg/m3 next to a smoking area with no physical barrier or separation and 47.7 microg/m3 inside a smoking room could be documented (21.4 +/- 39.3 microg/m3). The fine particle's surface correlated well with the nicotine concentration (r = 0.8; p < 0.001). Only in one instance (in a pizza restaurant on a busy road with heavy duty diesel traffic and the sampling spot next to the pizza stove) high concentration of fine particles was detected without high nicotine. Tobacco smoke is a key source of indoor fine particles. Health policy must intervene to change the situation found at present in many public places in Austria.

Austria↗
PubMed2005

Food advertising on Australian television: the extent of children's exposure.

The objective of this study was to investigate the extent and nature of food advertising during Australian children's television (TV) viewing hours and programs, and to determine whether confectionery and fast food restaurant advertisements were more likely to be broadcast during children's programs than during adults' programs on Sydney television stations. One week (390 h) of Australian advertising data broadcast during children's TV viewing hours over 15 television stations were analysed to determine the proportion of food advertisements and, in turn, the proportion of those advertisements promoting foods high in fat and/or sugar. One week (346 h) of confectionery and fast food restaurant advertisements broadcast over three Sydney television stations were analysed to determine whether these types of advertisements were more likely to be advertised during children's programs than adults' programs. Half of all food advertisements promoted foods high in fat and/or sugar. 'Confectionery' and 'fast food restaurants' were the most advertised food categories during children's TV viewing hours. Confectionery advertisements were three times as likely, and fast food restaurant advertisements twice as likely, to be broadcast during children's programs than adults' programs. It can be concluded that foods most advertised during children's viewing hours are not those foods that contribute to a healthy diet for children. Confectionery and fast food restaurant advertising appears to target children. Australian children need protection from the targeted promotion of unhealthy foods on television, but currently little exists.

Advertising↗
PubMed1984

Typhoid fever in San Antonio, Texas: an outbreak traced to a continuing source.

Eighty cases of typhoid fever occurred in San Antonio, Texas, with dates of onset from August 18, 1981, to October 26, 1981. Preliminary epidemiological investigations of the first 24 cases suggested a Mexican food takeout restaurant as the common source. A case-control study confirmed this association (P less than or equal to .001). Barbacoa , a mixture of muscle, lips, ears, tongue, and eyes from steamed bovine heads, was identified as the source of Salmonella typhi (P = .03). S typhi was cultured from the stool of one of 31 restaurant employees. Closure of the restaurant resulted in termination of the outbreak within a single incubation period. The restaurant was allowed to reopen after the remaining employees had demonstrated lack of excretion of S typhi in stools. This outbreak represents the largest restaurant-associated typhoid fever outbreak reported in the United States in greater than 50 years.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Effect of antibiotics on the prevalence of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in two populations in the Philippines.

Hostesses and restaurant employees in the Philippines were studied to determine whether an increased use of antibiotics was associated with a higher point prevalence of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli. Of 1,030 hostesses and 628 restaurant employees, 28 and 4%, respectively, said that they had taken antibiotics within a week of being cultured (P less than 0.001). Of hostesses and restaurant employees, 10% (103 of 1,030) and 2% (14 of 628), respectively, had antibiotics detectable in their urine (P less than 0.001). Enterotoxigenic E. coli strains were isolated from 1.2% (12 of 1,030) of hostesses and 1.7% (11 of 628) of restaurant employees. In both populations, enterotoxigenic E. coli strains were never found in subjects who had antibacterial activity in their urine. Although resistance to two or more antibiotics was found more frequently in E. coli isolated from hostesses than in that isolated from restaurant workers (48 versus 33%; P less than 0.01), antibiotic selective pressure did not increase the prevalence of enterotoxigenic E. coli in these two populations.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2002

Outlets, drinking and driving: a multilevel analysis of availability.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the degree to which the physical availability of alcohol as measured by outlet densities is related to self-reported individual drinking patterns, preferred drinking location, as well as both driving after drinking (DAD) and driving while intoxicated (DWI). METHOD: Data from 7,826 drinkers were obtained from a general-population telephone survey of 1,353 zip code areas in California. Measures of individual alcohol consumption included drinking frequency, drinks per occasion and variance in quantities consumed per occasion. Preferred drinking locations included bars, restaurants and the homes of drinkers and of their friends. DAD was defined as driving a motor vehicle within 4 hours of having one or more alcoholic drinks, and DWI was defined as driving after having too much to drink and drive safely. Geographic measures of outlet densities were obtained for bars, restaurants and off-premises establishments, using zip codes as geographic units of analysis. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to relate outlet densities within and surrounding respondents' area of residence to respondents' drinking and to respondents' drinking and driving. RESULTS: Whereas restaurant densities were directly related to greater drinking frequencies and DAD, bar densities were inversely related to DAD. There were no direct effects of drinking patterns on drinking and driving. Drinking and driving was strongly related to drinking location preference (e.g., bars and restaurants) only when considered simultaneously with individual drinking patterns, particularly drinking frequency. CONCLUSIONS: Increased restaurant density is strongly related to higher rates of both self-reported driving after drinking and drinking frequency. The strongest influence on both driving after drinking and driving while intoxicated is preferred drinking location considered together with individual drinking patterns. Outlet density and preferred drinking location when considered together with individual drinking patterns support driving after drinking and thereby increase the potential for alcohol-related accidents.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

An outbreak of infections with a new Salmonella phage type linked to a symptomatic food handler.

In December 2001, the South Australian Communicable Disease Control Branch investigated an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness linked to a Korean style restaurant in metropolitan Adelaide. Twenty-eight people were identified as having experienced gastrointestinal symptoms subsequent to dining at the restaurant between 9 and 12 December 2001. A case-control study implicated mango pudding dessert (OR 16.67 95% CI 2.03-177.04) and plain chicken (OR 10.67 95% CI 1.04-264.32). Nineteen cases and one food handler submitted faecal specimens that grew Salmonella Typhimurium 64var. Two samples of mango pudding and one sample of pickled Chinese cabbage also grew Salmonella Typhimurium 64var. The infected food handler reported an onset of illness 2 days before cases first reported eating at the restaurant. The food handler's only role was to prepare the mango pudding dessert in an area external to the restaurant's kitchen. Illness was strongly associated with consumption of a contaminated mango pudding dessert, with contamination most likely resulting from the symptomatic and culture positive food handler who prepared the dish. This outbreak demonstrates the importance of excluding symptomatic food handlers, and the need for appropriately informing and educating food handlers regarding safe food handling procedures. Restaurants with staff and management from non-English speaking backgrounds should be specifically targeted for education that is both culturally sensitive and language specific.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Demonstrations of the influence of the eating environment on food acceptance.

In two independent demonstrations, pre-prepared food was served in different environments: first, identical prepared meals were served in both a training restaurant and in a student cafeteria; second, a prepared main dish was served in a food science laboratory class, and as part of an entire meal in two student cafeterias and in a training restaurant. In the training restaurants and in the student cafeterias, people selected and paid for their meals. The acceptability ratings of the food served varied across the three different environments in the following order: restaurant>laboratory>cafeteria. Differences in acceptance were attributed to contextual effects and the expectations they produce, actual product differences, and a number of possible covariates. Ratings of sensory attributes tended to mirror the acceptability effects. The difficulty of comparing contexts within actual food service systems is discussed.

Eating↗