HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	17
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO MAKE IT A PRIORITY TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON THE PROPER CLEANING OF PRODUCE.

     WHEREAS, the Department of Health is responsible for administering programs designed to protect, preserve, care for, and improve the health of the people of the State, including food safety; and

     WHEREAS, food safety encompasses the preparation of uncooked foods, such as fruits and vegetables; and

     WHEREAS, in December 2008, three Big Island residents were hospitalized because of a rare ailment, commonly called rat lungworm disease; and

     WHEREAS, rat lungworm disease arises from parasitic worms that can be ingested when eating raw produce containing a small snail or slug, that migrates through the body; and

     WHEREAS, rat lungworm disease can cause significant pain and trauma, including paralysis, blindness, and death; and

     WHEREAS, a study identified twenty-four cases of rat lungworm disease in Hawaii from January 2001 to February 2005; and

     WHEREAS, an growing number of Hawaii residents are consuming home-grown produce, thereby increasing the importance of educating the public on the proper cleaning of fruits and vegetables; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2009, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Health is urged to make it a priority to educate the public on the proper cleaning of produce; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Department of Health; Food Safety