BCIT Environmental Public Health Journal
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So you think you can cook pot? evaluating the knowledge of food safety and edible safety between users and non-users of cannabis edibles in British Columbia
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Background: With regulations on additional cannabis products including edibles being in the works, Canada is faced with a new layer of food safety challenges as the public becomes increasingly curious about adding cannabis into their diets. Knowledge in both food safety and edible safety is essential to prevent health hazards associated with edible cannabis products. Methods: An online self-administered survey was conducted on a British Columbia population. In addition to demographic data which also included cannabis usage, participants answered two knowledge tests on food safety and edible safety, respectively. The surveys were analyzed for differences in test scores between demographic groups. Results: Users of cannabis edibles have significantly higher knowledge in edible safety than non-users. This was not affected by the purpose or frequency of edible use. A slight positive correlation (0.18) between food safety knowledge and edible safety knowledge suggested the two topic areas to be mutually beneficial. In contrary, knowledge in food safety was not significantly different across all demographic groups. Conclusions: Non-users of cannabis edibles are more at risk of health hazards related to ingestion of cannabis edibles due to lower knowledge in this subject matter and eagerness to experience cannabis products after their legalization. Therefore, there is a need for education programs to help familiarize the public with these products. It is also recommended for the public to strengthen general food safety knowledge because all of it also applies when making edibles.
 
The effect of probiotics as a starter culture for producing yogurt
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Background: Many comprising studies showed that probiotics can manifest antimicrobial activity. Due to positive health effects of probiotics, they have been added in a fermentation of various foods to increase the nutrient content and to improve the quality of the foods. Furthermore, probiotics are used as a starter culture for several fermented foods like a yogurt. Probiotics may contain strains that are capable of initiating fermentation of the foods, however, a safety of the foods is not certain. Therefore, the study is done to analyze use of probiotics as a starter culture for a yogurt. Methods: The study was designed to analyze the pH pattern of three different yogurt groups (control, commercial starter culture, and probiotics). Each group had three samples that were made using Dairyland 2% milk and corresponding cultures. The control group samples were not inoculated with any culture. The commercial starter culture group samples were inoculated with Yogourtmet Freeze-Dried Starter and the probiotics group samples were inoculated with probiotic capsule, Jamieson 10 Billion Probiotic. The samples were incubated for 7 hours and every 45 minutes the pH was measured using Hanna Professional Portable Yogurt pH Meter. Results: The statistical analysis of the pH measurement showed significant different between the control groups and other two groups. The control group samples pH decreased a bit, but it was not enough to turn the samples to a yogurt. The pH pattern of the commercial group samples showed rapid decrease in pH after 180 minutes and the average pH of the last reading was 4.10. The pH of the probiotics group samples decreased linearly, and the average pH of the last reading was 4.58. Conclusions: The commercial starter culture and the probiotics group samples initiated fermentation and enough acidification occurred to decrease the pH below 4.6. With 7 hours of incubation period, the probiotics group samples just met the pH that makes the yogurt safe to consume. Therefore, the use of the probiotics as a starter culture for producing yogurt can be suggested with adequate incubation period.
 
An evaluation of the usefulness of British Columbia's guideline in educating food bank operators
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Background: Food Distribution Organizations (FDOs), such as food banks, community kitchen, and meal programs, are essential resources to relieve food insecurity in British Columbia. FDOs collect, process, store, and distribute donated food to the needy population. The BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) published the Guidelines for Food Distribution Organizations with Grocery or Meal Programs in 2016 with purpose to educate FDOs on food safety and assist with their operational challenges. The guideline plays an important role especially for food bank operators who are not required to take food safety training. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the extent of the guideline use among food bank operators and assess its usefulness. This study also determines if the guideline use had a statistically significant association with higher knowledge in food safety. Methods: Self-administered electronic surveys created on Survey Monkey Canada were distributed to Foodbanks BC members by weekly online newsletter and email. The survey assessed the extent of usage of the guideline, current issues and knowledge level of FDO operators in BC. The survey response was collected over three weeks long period. Results: Among 37 FDO operators participated, 30 completed the survey. The majority of the operators was from BC, worked in food banks and had longer than 5 years long experience. 47% of participants did not know about the guideline. Among the guideline users, 83% agreed or strongly agreed that the guideline was useful. While retailers and groceries were the most common food donors, caterers and restaurants were the least common. Assessing each food item for safety was the most commonly encountered issue for FDOs. The least commonly encountered issue was having another FDO taking our donation from the donor. There was no association between the guideline use and level of food safety knowledge according to the Chi-square test (p= 0.89). There was no association between the years of experience and level of food safety knowledge (p= 0.23). The results did not show a statistically significant result potentially due to small sample size (n= 30). Conclusion: The results indicated while the guideline is useful among the users, the extent of its use should be widened. There is a need to improve accessibility of the guideline by modifying the content to address current practical issues, formatting it in a more user-friendly way, and utilizing better distribution means.
 
Association of electronic cigarette usage and nicotine consumption frequency of young adults in British Columbia
Get PDFBackground Electronic e-cigarette ever users has been increasing as of 2015, the most prevalent ever users being young adults aged 20-24 years old. The implication of e-cigarette ever user developing into long term users is a emerging public health concern. Methods Electronic cigarette usage frequency and nicotine consumption was measured through a self-administered online survey of young adults (n= 54). Survey was advertised through social media sites between January 2019 till February 2019. Descriptive and inferential statistic was conducted using NCSS 12 to examine the association between electronic cigarette usage and nicotine consumption. Results Among young adults aged 19 to 24 years old, the frequency of e-cigarette usage was 51% high usage, 31% no usage and 16% medium and low usage. For nicotine consumption, respondents were 25% daily, 40% no use, 18% infrequent, and 14.8% frequent. Conclusion There is an association between more frequent electronic cigarette usage and higher nicotine consumption among young adults in British Columbia. Frequency e-cigarette users were found to consumption nicotine at higher frequency then non users. Further research is needed to fully understand the extent of the relationship of if e-cigarette usage promotes daily nicotine consumption or daily nicotine consumption results in higher e-cigarette usage.
 
Can risk rating tool results be used to predict results of inspection categories of dairy processing plants?
Get PDFBackground: Dairy products are consumed by a large portion of the population. The dairy processing plants (DPP) that produce these perishable products may create health hazards (chemical, physical, biological). In order to minimize any health risks from these products, DPP are inspected by regulating authorities. This study examined secondary data derived from the BCCDC dairy program’s semi-quantitative risk ranking tool (RRT) to examine trends over time with DPP inspections, and to assess risk factors within the tool. Methods: RRT based data from individual DPP inspections from 2015 through 2018 were entered into a master spreadsheet. The RRT has two overall risk categories, inherent and measured risk. Inherent risk categories in the tool were sourced from surveys of dairy plants, while measured risks in the tool were sourced from inspection visits (routine and in-depth), environmental and food result submissions from dairy plants and inspectors, and based on compliance and history. In total, 107 items were assessed within the eight categories. Descriptive analyses were conducted, and statistical analyses performed using NCSS 12 software (NCSS, 2018). Results: A total of 128 inspection reports from 30 different DPP were included in this study. From these inspections, 65% were considered low risk, 12% moderate and 23% high risk. DPP that were located on-farm were found to have significantly higher overall inspection risk scores than dairy plants located off-farm (average on-farm inspection risk ranking score = 694; average off-farm inspection risk ranking score = 153; p=0.0003, power=95%). When the microbiological scores category, derived from environmental swabs and food submissions, were compared to the inspection score category, these categories were statistically significantly correlated (p=0.0000, power=100%); when inspection score increases, so too does microbiological score. Higher risk scores were also found in DPP producing more than one category of dairy product (comparing one product versus 6 or 7 products, p=0.009, power=76%). Conclusion: Dairy inspections ensure DPP follow good manufacturing practices and therefore help to protect the population from disease outbreaks or other contaminations. This study demonstrated that there is increased risk of having a dairy processing facility located on-farm, that more complex dairy processing operations that produce more than one type of dairy product have higher risk rating scores and that higher inspection score violations positively correlated to positive microbiological scores. This study further showed that in the absence of microbiological results, a risk score could still be calculated by analyzing the inspection violations alone. The Food Safety Specialists at the BCCDC can use this data to focus their inspection time on higher risk areas and items to maximize time spent out in the field.
 
Efficacy of hand washing beeswax food wrap in household use
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Background: Over the years, many reusable products have been invented to replace single-use disposable items to reduce waste. One of such products is the reusable beeswax food wrap, which aims to replace plastic film wraps to store food. According to manufacturer instructions, the beeswax wrap can only be washed with cold water and detergent. This presents the question whether the beeswax wrap can be effectively cleaned, as continuous reuse may present cross contamination issues. This study examines if manufacturer instructions is effective in cleaning the beeswax wrap. Methods: ATP analysis was used to determine the level of cleanliness on the beeswax wrap between the pre-intervention and post-intervention treatments. Pre-intervention samples are the new beeswax wraps. Post- intervention samples are wraps that have been contaminated with avocado, washed, and dried. ATP counts (RLU) were measured with Hygiena SystemSURE Plus ATP monitoring system. Paired T-Test was done on NCSS to analyze the results. Results: The mean of the pre-intervention group was measured at 8 RLU, which is considered clean under the Hygiena standard. The mean for the post-intervention group was measured at 67 RLU, which is considered a fail on cleanliness under the Hygiena standard. This shows that the manufacturer instructions on washing the beeswax wrap does not effectively clean the beeswax wrap. Statistical analysis show p-value is 0.000, therefore one can conclude there is a statistically significance difference in the mean ATP count between pre-intervention and post-intervention beeswax wrap samples. Conclusion: Results show that some food residue remained on the wrap after washing. This means manufacturer instructions cannot effectively clean beeswax wrap. Therefore, it is recommended that manufactures should put a label on their packaging to let their customers know that the wrap can’t be thoroughly cleaned, and certain foods should be avoided for its use. During its use, the wraps should be labeled for the specific category of food it is used for. BCCDC can also use this result to add into the reusable container guideline.
 
A study of radon concentration in homes in the Sea to Sky corridor and the North Shore of Vancouver British Columbia
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Background: Radon is odourless and colourless gas. It is the second leading cause of lung cancer and can only be found through testing. A radon potential map released in 2012 and highlighted various areas of British Columbia which were high in radon. This study focused on testing for radon gas in houses within the Sea to Sky Corridor and North Shore, areas noted to be high in radon. Methods: This study was conducted by reaching out to participants who lived within these areas. Radon test kits were distributed, and patrons were instructed to keep these kits on the lowest level of the home for at least 91 days. After the 91-day period, the radon test kits were collected and sent to a lab for further results. Results: The lab results were analysed with NCSS Data Analysis software. Three statistical tests were conducted looking at the different areas, types of foundation and if the houses tested are below the recommended average. Two of the two sample T tests were not significant, and the one sample T test came back significant. Conclusion: The two-sample t test (comparison against the two areas) showed that radon did not have equal concentrations. The same can be said with the two sample t tests against foundation types (slab on grade and crawl space). All samples were then compared against the recommend limit set by Health Canada (200 Bq/3), and was concluded that they were all below this limit.
 
A comparison of Escherichia coli data collected in False Creek by Metro Vancouver and Fraser Riverkeeper
Get PDFBackground: False Creek is a small inlet centered within Vancouver, British Columbia. Its long and narrow shape facilitates the build-up of contaminants and limits dilution of fresh water. The lack of flushing coupled with sources of fecal contamination results in high levels of Escherichia coli particularly in the summer months. High levels of E. coli in recreational water pose a health hazard to the public. Two organizations Metro Vancouver and Fraser Riverkeeper monitored E. coli levels in False Creek over the 2018 summer season. Methods: Data collected by Metro Vancouver and Fraser Riverkeeper over the 2018 summer season was collected and compared. The secondary data was analyzed from July 8, 2018 to September 29, 2018 from thirty-day geometric means. Each organization sampled on a weekly basis in False Creek, Metro Vancouver sampled from twelve locations and Fraser Riverkeeper sampled from seven locations. Both organizations used similar methodologies in the collection of data with both analyzing for microbiological enumerations of most probable number [MPN] of E. coli per 100/mL samples. All sample sites were divided into three locations representative of False Creek: West, Central and East. The data was then analyzed in terms of overall weekly samples by organization, locational weekly samples by organization and locational weekly samples overall. Results: The data was analyzed using an Aspin Welch Unequal Variance T-test to compare the overall weekly E. coli counts between the organization. Where p = 0.000 and power = 1.00. An Equal Variance T-test was used to compare the locational weekly E. coli counts from the West, Central and East regions of each organization. This yielded a p = 0.000 where power = 1.00. A Kruskal Wallis One-Way ANOVA was used to compare the locational weekly E. coli counts from the West, Central and East regions. This found p = 0.000 and power = 1.00. A MANOVA was used as a reiteration to compare the weekly E. coli counts at each location (West, Central and East) when collected by each organization. This confirmed the same p-value and power results from the three previous tests. Conclusions: There is a statistically significant difference between the two organizations. Not only in overall samples but there is a statistically significant difference between the two organizations when E. coli is amalgamated by location. When accounting for location only, the East region obtained statistically higher E. coli counts as the mean E. coli count for West was 90.8, Central was 248 and East was 1040.
 
Comparing the caffeine content of caffeine-containing dietary supplements in British Columbia
Get PDFBackground and Purpose: The use of dietary supplements is on the rise in Canada. This raises questions about the safety of the supplements when taken in the recommended dosage. One ingredient of concern in dietary supplements is caffeine, which can cause adverse health effects when consumed in great enough quantities. Given the lack of research into the caffeine content of dietary supplements, along with few regulations that exist regarding labelling or limits on caffeine content within Canada, a major concern is whether or not these supplements pose a risk to the public. The purpose of this study is to compare the caffeine content of various types of dietary supplements, and to determine if the caffeine content warrants a risk to the public. Methods: Supplement stores within the Vancouver Metropolitan Area were visited online and in person, and supplements were categorized as an energy drink, pre-workout supplement, energy bar, fat-loss supplement, or caffeine pill or capsule. The caffeine content per recommended dosage of each supplement was recorded from the label. Results: It was found that the caffeine content did vary between supplement categories (Kruskall-Wallis one way ANOVA test had a p-value < 0.000), and that fat-loss supplements and pre-workout supplements had the highest caffeine content with a mean 221.19mg per serving and 249.68mg per serving respectively. Caffeine pills had a mean of 186.90mg per serving, energy drinks had a mean of 166.84mg per serving, and energy bars had a mean of 85.06mg per serving. Discussion: Health Canada recommends that healthy adults not exceed 400mg of caffeine per day. Exceeding this limit can lead to adverse health reactions, such as anxiety, insomnia, heart palpitations or more serious symptoms such as convulsions or death. It was found in this study that 5% of the samples exceeded 400mg, and can be considered hazardous. Taking multiple doses of supplements, or consuming additional caffeine from alternative sources, such as coffee, also puts consumers at a greater risk of exceeding the recommended limits. Currently there are no regulations in Canada regarding how much caffeine is permitted within these products, or any labeling requirements for caffeine in dietary supplements. Conclusion: Given the increase in popularity of dietary supplements in Canada, along with the limited regulations on labelling requirements, caffeine-containing supplements could potentially pose a risk to consumers. This study shows that the caffeine content differs between types of dietary supplements, and that some supplements exceed the Health Canada guidelines of 400mg. More regulations and guidelines on labeling requirements for these supplements may be necessary to protect the public.
 
Measles awareness: the public's knowledge and immunity regarding the disease
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Background Measles is a highly contagious disease which has been the cause of numerous epidemics and outbreaks worldwide. The introduction of the two-dose Mumps, Measles and Rubella (MMR) vaccine helped to reduce and eliminate the disease in various places and continues to be the most effective method of developing immunity against measles. However, due to high non-vaccination rates and low herd immunity, measles is becoming a serious public health issue again. Additionally, those born between 1970 to 1994 are more at risk of contracting measles because they may have only received one-dose of the MMR vaccine during that time, which is not sufficient to develop immunity. Due to the recent measles outbreaks in Vancouver, B.C, this project surveyed the public regarding their knowledge of measles and the MMR vaccination to determine if they are able to protect themselves from this disease. Methods An in-person survey was conducted at three institutions: British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), University of British Columbia (UBC) and Douglas College. The first section of the survey gathered general information from the participant such as year of birth, country of birth, area of study and municipality of dwelling. The second section of the survey included various true or false and yes or no questions regarding measles, MMR vaccination and recent outbreaks. Results Thirty-four people participated in the study. Four factors were analyzed using the chi-square. There was no statistically significant association found between any of the factors, including, country of birth vs. vaccination status (p=0.3952), year of birth vs. vaccination status (p=0.2563), country of birth vs. knowledge of MMR (p=0.7903) and area of study vs. knowledge of MMR (p=0.9875). It is possible that due to small sample size, there was insufficient power to detect any associations. Conclusions Out of the 34 participants, 21 were vaccinated, 4 were not vaccinated and 9 had an unknown vaccination status. Although the chi-square tests showed no association between any of the factors, the descriptive data still shows that we’ve only achieved a herd immunity of slightly over 50% was achieved within our survey population, which is not high enough to protect against measles. This can be a great opportunity for health authorities to educate individuals who are vaccine hesitant or refuse to immu