Jul 10, 2009 5 min read

JEFFERSON – The Jefferson-Morgan School District capped off a weeklong wellness celebration in May with a presentation by district alumni Jerry Simkovic, a food safety expert with the Department of Agriculture. The week kicked off with Internet safety presentations for students in 4th through 12th grade. Cpl. Bart Lemansky of the state police in Waynesburg gave the presentation. Other topics covered during the week included an exercise presentation by Tom Slowikowski of the Wellness Center at Southwest Regional Medical Center, eating for a healthier lifestyle and economic wellness from professor Peter Everly of Penn State Fayette Campus.

Simkovic talked to the students about the dangers of not preparing and storing foods at the right temperatures to kill bacteria.

Simkovic said that the Free Trade Act has led to some of the problems with food born illnesses in the United States because it did not account for safety checks and balances.

Many of the countries that are importing food products have tainted water supplies. They are used for bathing, human waste and more without being treated. That water is then used to irrigate their crops, contaminating the fruits and vegetables in the process.

Although oftentimes the bacteria is killed in the cooking process, Simkovic said in the case of a well-known restaurant case where diners became ill and some died, something like scallions in salsa is not cooked.

What is one of the worst culprits for food born illness in restaurants? Simkovic said that buffets, including salad bars, are among the worst. People like them because they are economical and have variety but it is the variety that can become a problem when people are touching and sampling foods as they go along the buffet. Even though they are generally covered in some manner there is also the chance that someone who is coughing or sneezing could contaminate the food or the utensils being used to serve it.

Simkovic showed the students videos of documentaries regarding food born illness and the violations that can lead up to it.

In one video, students learned that there can be as much as 1 million bacteria in an area the size of a pinhead.

A single slice of contaminated salami shut down the organs of a youngster who over ten years later is in need of transplant surgery because of eating it.

In his years working as a food safety inspector Simkovic has seen just about every imaginable infraction, rats, roaches, cigarette ashes, and more. He said that the most common issue he comes across is poor hygiene.

Even if someone washes their hands thoroughly the person who exited a restroom before them may not have.

They touch the doorknob that this person contaminated and now they are also contaminated.

As one video said, prestige and affluence can’t protect someone from food born illness. Four-star restaurants can be as unsanitary as a fast food restaurant if they don’t maintain the proper safety standards.

Simkovic said that the worst violation he personally encountered during his career involved a restaurant that caught catfish in the pond behind the restaurant.

When he came into the restaurant they were still flopping around in the pan, he said. In addition to that there were rats, mice, swarming termites and the air conditioning and coolers were out. Simkovic said it was like a sauna in the, now closed, restaurant.

What else has he encountered? In one inspection he watched employees walk through raw sewage that was seeping from a broken pipe and ‘thinking nothing of it,’ he said.

How do you know if you have a food born illness?

Simkovic said that symptoms resembling flu begin to show up from 8 to 36 hours after contamination but can take longer.

A low-grade fever, vomiting, and stomach cramps are just some of the symptoms that one might experience.

What affect did Simkovic’s eye opening talk have on the students who were in attendance?

“I never want to eat out again,” said senior Amanda Howard. “It was really educational about what temperatures and all to keep your food at. My grandma has always prepared food correctly and checks the temperatures of things.”

Howard said she had learned in one of her classes about contamination at a pizza franchise.

“It was disgusting but the stuff we saw about the Chinese restaurant was worse,” she said.

Simkovic’s talk definitely had an impact on at least this student.

How can one know if their favorite eatery is safe? All of the reports that Simkovic has done on Greene County restaurants and the ones in his territory in Fayette County can be viewed on the Internet.

Visit www. Agriculture.state.pa.us and click on online services in the upper right corner. In the drop down menu select more services. In the new page click on live and then select health and wellness.

On the health and wellness page there is an option midway down for restaurant inspection records.

Simkovic suggests searching by county. The complete records for the restaurants and other establishments serving food that have been tested by Simkovic are placed on the site.