Welcome to the Dish! It's now a new decade and I'm sure that our favorite celebrities will be sleazier than ever! I'm FINALLY able to get back on a regular schedule because I dont have an early morning class... Last semester I was starting at 7:45, this time I'm starting at 8:50 which leaves me plenty of time to Dish!!
So how was the second half of 2009 for you? Me? I started going to a personal trainer... I was going to keep it a secret until this summer but yeah I am 
Oh... dont ask if I've lost anything.... holiday setbacks stink...
Before I start the post, I heard a story on the radio this AM that was completely disgusting! Have to share it with you. Because of this story, I will never again use the self serve fountain drink stations.
(From CNN.com) It fizzes. It quenches. And it could also contain fecal bacteria.
Nearly
half of the 90 beverages from soda fountain machines in one area in
Virginia tested positive for coliform bacteria -- which could indicate
possible fecal contamination, according to a study published in the
January issue of International Journal of Food Microbiology.
Researchers also detected antibiotic-resistant microbes and E.coli in the soda samples.
"Certainly
we come in contact with bacteria all the time," Renee Godard, lead
author of the study and professor of biology and environmental studies
at Hollins University, a private liberal arts college in Roanoke,
Virginia. "It's simply that some bacteria may potentially cause some
disease or gastrointestinal distress. One thing we hesitate with is
that people get afraid of bacteria. Many of them are benign or helpful,
but certainly, I don't want E.coli in my beverage."
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's drinking-water regulations require that all samples test negative for E.coli.
Many of the soda beverages from the dispensers fell below U.S. drinking-water standards, according to the findings.
"The
large number of beverages and soda fountain machines containing E. coli
is still of considerable concern... and suggests that more pathogenic
strains of bacteria could persist and thrive in soda fountain machines
if introduced," the authors wrote.
Godard and her colleagues
acquired 90 beverages of three types, (sugar soda, diet soda, water)
from 30 fast food restaurants in a 22-mile area near Roanoke, in
southern Virginia. They surveyed beverages from both self-service and
employee-dispensed machines and the samples were tested.
There were no reported outbreaks of food-borne illness related in the Roanoke area at the time of the study.
They
found that 48 percent of beverages obtained from soda fountains
contained coliform bacteria, 11 percent contained E. coli (which are
mostly harmless, but some can cause diarrhea, urinary tract infections,
respiratory illness and pneumonia), and 17 percent had Chryseobacterium
meningosepticum (which could sicken newborns or adults with weakened
immune systems).
Dean Cliver, professor of food safety
emeritus at University of California Davis, said it would be premature
to draw broad conclusions about all soda fountains from a localized
study.
"How sanitation regulations are promulgated and enforced
in a community are different," Cliver said. "Some communities are more
on to it than others. How much of a threat it represents? It's probably
limited. Once again, it's a matter of what regulations are in place,
who pays attention and whether it's being followed."
The samples
were contained in petri dishes and the bacteria multiplied within 48
hours, so much so that they became visible to the naked eye as 300 to
400 tiny dots, Godard said.
A Hollins undergraduate
microbiology student accidentally discovered that water from a
restaurant beverage dispenser contained bacteria while completing a
homework assignment. When the results came back, this piqued the
interest of faculty and students.
The researchers are uncertain how the bacteria got inside the beverage machines.
"It
could be from dispensing with a hand that wasn't clean or using wet
rags to wipe down the machine," Godard said. "We haven't done the work
to really identify those potential sources and how these bacteria get
established."
Manitowoc Foodservice, one of the leading
manufacturers of ice and beverage equipment, did not have the
opportunity to review the study, but released this statement in
response to CNN.com's questions: "We emphasize in our product support
material proper methods for and the importance of frequent, thorough
cleaning and sanitizing of foodservice equipment. In food equipment as
in any environment where microorganisms can occur naturally or be
spread by contact, it is essential to follow proven steps for cleaning
and sanitizing."
The National Restaurant Association, a business
association for the restaurant industry, e-mailed this statement in
response to the findings: "While the results of this study are
disconcerting, we feel that it isn't representative of our industry and
that our guests can safely enjoy beverages from dispensers and
single-serve containers alike."
The American Beverage
Association made this statement: "Fountain beverages are safe.
Consumers can rest assured that our industry's fountain beverages pose
no public health risk." The organization, which represents hundreds of
beverage producers, distributors, and franchise companies stated that
"Importantly, our industry meets, and often exceeds, all government
health standards in bringing its products to market."
Whether
other outbreaks have occurred because of contaminated soda machines is
difficult to determine, because food-related illnesses are notoriously
challenging to pinpoint, Godard said.
According to the
research literature, one study has linked a 1998 outbreak to soda
fountains after 99 soldiers in a U.S. Army base were hospitalized with
gastroenteritis.
Although ice can become
contaminated, researchers ruled it out as the source of contamination
after testing revealed that it did not contain coliform bacteria.
Isn't that gross!! Alright, stay tuned, your dish will be up at 8 AM EST!