Corporate greed probably behind massive E.coli breakout in Calgary
By Lethbridge Herald on September 16, 2023.
Editor:
There are 310 confirmed cases of E-coli at 11 day care centres in Calgary and probably more to come. This is a staggering amount of E-coli in one localized area. Likely preventable.
I believe it’s a case of corporate greed superceding health and compromising safety. Rather than use multiple food preparation companies or use in house facilities, day cares trying to save money bargained the provider for their food services. The provider, to increase profits likely cut corners in preparation, sanitizing and qualified staff. A high degrees of
irresponsibility, neglilence and selfishness for monetary gain. Between July 21, and April 26, 2023 there were ten violations cited at the food preparation sites. No sanitation in kitchens, food in contact with unclean surfaces, unclean fridges and stoves, appliances, undercooked food and inadequate logs for monitoring food safety processes are a few of the violations flagged by Alberta Health Services.
I worked at an institution that had culinary art programs. It took students two years to succeed in aquiring accreditation in food services. Sanitizing was a priority in the learning classroom. How many staff at the Calgary daycare food preparation facilities are properly trained or certified? Possibly anyone hired is in need of a job but lacks proper training in food preparation? And how long would it take a few staff to sanitize the facility properly daily?
Should AHS bear some of the responsibility? With so many violations between 2021 and 2023, why was enforcement and discipline not implemented immediately? Each visit flagged with violations should have had a follow-up with answers and accountability the same day. No food preparation and distribution continued until cited violations resolved.
Hopefully all the children will recover with no long term health issues and every parent should be consulting with a legal firm.
Stan Adamus
Lethbridge
10-9
a food service certificate in alberta is an online, quickie of a “course.” one can get quickly and easily get certified.
while the writer notes corporate greed – does anyone recall the mass poisoning, with deaths, by maple leaf foods?…hardly a slap they got.
perhaps the deeper element still is why it takes two adults to work full time, such that raising a family typically requires parents to farm away their kids to strangers to be raised, until the “formal” education processing factory takes them over.
is this because our wants are now so exaggerated (numerous vehicles per household, ever larger living spaces, massive suck out of income from interest payments on increasing debt levels, ridiculous expenditures on internet and stupid phones)?
is it because monopolies and oligarchs now exert so much more control?
is it because we are, by and large, out of control?
at the very least, i am familiar with the adage, “it takes a community to raise a child”: however, have we not gone a little awry?
Stan , is it corporate greed or bad lettuce? NO cause for the outbreak has been found and I’d submit no evidence adduced to show “greed” was behind this tragic incident. As for AHS , inspections are carried out, infractions noted/corrected and closure is a last resort….could more inspectors help..probably…but a ” cop on every corner” is an ideal no one finds realistic.
I also hope the best for the kids and families involved….
JustO: Great response and common sense. The writer has no hard facts just assumptions.
That’s quite a leap there Stan. You have any evidence or just shooting from the hip? Of course daycares try to save costs and they contracted with a provincially licensed food provider to do that. The meal provider was negligent and I hope the full weight of the law is exercised after the investigation. They could prepare food in house or a sole provider outlet but parents would bare that cost. $10 a day daycare is not here yet and even when it gets here those costs don’t disappear. Less money for childcare employees?