Enviro~Connections ALERT (December 21, 2018)

Maricopa County, Arizona sent this bulletin at 12/21/2018 08:40 AM MST

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December 21, 2018 

IN THIS ISSUE

About Us

 

Maricopa County Environmental Services provides essential, regional environmental services seeking to prevent and remove environmental health risks. The Department’s Environmental Health Specialists and Field Technicians are in the community every day making sure that among other things, food in all the eating and drinking establishments in the County is protected from contamination, that water supplies throughout the County are safe to drink, and that vector borne health illnesses and risks are minimized. It is our belief that with continued support, future generations will reap the benefits of today’s actions.

Contact Us

For all Environmental Services Permitting, you may visit:

Development Services Center

Development Services Center Planning & Development / Environmental Services Department

501 N. 44th Street, Suite 200, Phoenix, AZ 85008 (Map)

Phone: (602) 506-6616

8:00 a.m. - 5:00p.m

Monday thru Friday

(Excluding Holidays) 

Department Locations & Hours

ESD.Maricopa.gov 

Need assistance en Español or in 中文 for your food related business?

Spanish

Nuestros representantes o enlaces para negocios hispanos de venta de alimentos están disponibles para asistirles entendiendo las necesidades culturales de su negocio y asistiéndoles en su idioma.

Do you need to make sure that your ethnic foods meet Maricopa County Health Code standards? Our language liaisons are available to assist you!

Chinese Words

如果您與您的食品業務有文化上了解的問題和語言上的困難，我們的中文翻譯官可幫助您。

Llámenos hoy! Call us today:

(602) 506-3408

MCESD Environmental Health Division Office Locations:

Eastern Regional Office (Map)
106 E. Baseline Rd.,
Mesa, AZ 85210
Phone: (602) 372-3000

8:00 a.m. - 5:00p.m.
Monday thru Friday
(Excluding Holidays)

Northern Regional Office (Map)
15023 N. 75th St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
Phone: (602) 506-6980

8:00 a.m. - 12:00p.m.
1:00 p.m. - 5:00p.m.
Monday thru Friday
(Excluding Holidays)

Western Regional Office (Map)
16140 N. Arrowhead Fountain Center Dr., Suite #105
Peoria, AZ 85382
Phone: (602) 506-6015

8:00 a.m. - 5:00p.m.
Monday thru Friday
(Excluding Holidays)

Mobile Food Office (Map)
1645 E. Roosevelt
Phoenix, AZ 85006
Phone: (602) 506-6872

8:00 a.m. - 5:00p.m.
Monday thru Friday
(Excluding Holidays)

Certified Food Protection Manager Certificate

A Certified Food Protection Manager shall obtain a CFPM Certificate after successful completion of a test from a Food Protection Manager Certification program as described in the 2013 FDA Food Code, § 2-102.20. 
 
Maricopa County does not provide this testing or instruction for the Certified Food Protection Manager Certificate. 

The following is a list of Food Manager Certification providers that currently are ANSI-Accredited providers of Food Manager Testing, as described in the FDA 2013 Food Code §2-102.20.

For Food Manager Certification Training, you may visit the currently ANSI-Accredited provider of Food Manager Training listed below:  

Stay Connected with ESD

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Thank you for staying connected with EnviroConnections by Maricopa County Environmental Services Department.
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Safe and Happy - Holidays

ESD Annual Report

The Environmental Services Department works with the community to help ensure a safe and healthy environment for the over four million citizens and the thousands of visitors to Maricopa County.

We accomplish this mission through many activities and services; a number of which are featured in our Fiscal Year 2018 Annual Reportt. 

To view report, you may  also Click on image below.

FY 2018 ESD Annual Report Cover

To Eat or Not to Eat: Decorative Products on Foods Can Be Unsafe

By US Food & Drug Administration

Decorated Cake

Your soon-to-be 6-year-old wants you to bake an elaborate birthday cake in the shape of a fairy-tale castle, complete with rainbows, unicorns, and a princess for her party.  You’ve found a cake-decoration video online, but it uses ingredients that make you wonder if they are safe to eat.

FDA wants you to be aware that some decorative glitters and dusts promoted for use on foods may, in fact, contain materials that should not be eaten.

Many decorative glitters and dusts are sold over the Internet and in craft and bakery supply stores under names such as luster dust, disco dust, twinkle dust, sparkle dust, highlighter, shimmer powder, pearl dust, and petal dust. Moreover, a variety of online instructional videos, blogs, and articles promote the use of these glitters and dusts to decorate foods such as cakes, cupcakes, and cake pops.

There are some glitters and dusts that are edible and produced specifically for use on foods. These products are made from ingredients that may be safely eaten. But others may not.

How to Tell Edible, From Non-Edible

There are easy things you can do to determine what’s edible and what’s non-edible:

  • Carefully check the label of any decorative product you’re considering for use in foods. Companies that make edible glitters and dusts are required by law to include a list of ingredients on the label.
  • Common ingredients in edible glitter or dust include sugar, acacia (gum arabic), maltodextrin, cornstarch, and color additives specifically approved for food use, including mica-based pearlescent pigments and FD&C colors such as FD&C Blue No. 1.
  • Most edible glitters and dusts also state “edible” on the label. If the label simply says “non-toxic” or “for decorative purposes only” and does not include an ingredients list, you should not use the product directly on foods.
  • If you choose to decorate a food item with decorations that are not edible, be sure to remove the decorations before serving and eating the food.

Talk to Your Baker

Buying, not baking?

Talk to your bakery about the types of decorative products they use in their baked goods. Are they made with all edible ingredients?

When in doubt, ask to see the labels of the decorative products to ensure they are edible. And be informed about the glitter and dust products sold on the Internet. Ask the seller to provide ingredient information from the manufacturer before you buy.

A Note to Commercial Bakers

FDA reminds all commercial bakers that it is your responsibility as a food manufacturer to produce food that complies with the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and applicable FDA regulations. Manufacturers of food containing unsafe ingredients are potentially subject to FDA enforcement actions to keep unsafe products out of the marketplace.

If you have specific questions about the regulatory status of ingredients in glitter and dust used in food decorating, contact the Office of Food Additive Safety at premarkt@fda.hhs.gov.

Click Here or on image below to watch FDA's video.

FDA - Decorative Products

A Season for "Smart and Healthy" Giving...

By Healthy Giving Council 

The Holiday season is here, and for many of us it is a time for joyful preparation and abundant goodwill. As we reflect on the past Thanksgiving Day and our new partnership with the Healthy Giving Council, we have many reasons to be thankful and we are seeing encouraging results.  While it is evident that we still have much more to do, it is good to see the impact of the Healthy Giving Campaign for promoting healthy and sustainable giving to those experiencing homelessness.

12th and Madison Dumpster

Every year street-side donations have contributed to refuse, food waste and debris in the streets and filling-up dumpsters throughout Maricopa County, especially near the Human Services Campus in downtown Phoenix. We believe the Healthy Giving Campaign and your participation lead to remarkable reductions. The City of Phoenix reported a near 40% decrease from last year in the total amount of garbage collected in the area over the Thanksgiving weekend. Here are the numbers:

2017 = 13.36 tons

2018 = 8.25 tons

Thank you for getting the word out and please help the Healthy Giving Council keep the momentum going.  This time of the year, we traditionally see an increase in street-side donation of goods, such as jackets, blankets and tents.

Volunteer

We can’t say it enough: we are grateful for this generosity; our goal is to channel that goodwill so people’s time and resources go where they can do the most good.  If we can sustain our efforts, with your help, we won’t just make streets cleaner, we’ll be able to #ChangeALife through #HealthyGiving.

Since the launch of the Healthy Giving Council we continue to expand the GiveSmartAZ.org  Website and build on our Social Media public outreach.  Please remember to follow us and Like us on Facebook @HealthyGivingCouncil ) , Instagram (HealthyGivingCouncil) and Twitter (@CouncilGiving). 

If you have questions about how you can be involved with the Healthy Giving Council, send an email to healthygivingcouncilaz@gmail.com or reach out to Jerome Parker at 602-246-9206, ext. 106.

#MoreThanAMeal

Every day of the year is a struggle for those experiencing homelessness in Maricopa County, but generous people who want to help can give in a way that has meaning and impact beyond one meal.

Healthy Giving Educational Flyer

Click Here to Enlarge Image.

To Learn more, please visit: GiveSmartAZ.org   

Stay More Connected!

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Follow Us, Like Us, Watch Us and More!

Maricopa County Environmental Services department is constantly working to make effective use of social media. You can subscribe to our YouTube channel, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram!   

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