Be Healthy
The Be Healthy blog write a recent article on food safety. The lessons to be learned were mostly related to food safety in summer, but the message can be applied year-round. See Be Healthy for the entire post. Here is an excerpt:
Many of the pathogens of greatest concern today (e.g., Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Cyclospora cayetanensis) were not recognized as causes of foodborne illness just 20 years ago.
Do you know how long that potato salad has sat out? Do you know what may have stopped by to ‘visit’ your container of mayo salad dressing topping that’s on the table, next to the hot dogs? Never take food safety lightly. Just to emphasize the point, spend some time on this site from a mother who lost her daughter to food poisoning: http://www.geocities.com/tysca66/kelly.html.
Here are some tips how you can practice food safety at your summer barbeques and picnics:
Wash hands. Frequently wash your hands – before and after eating. If you anticipate no running water available where you are, be sure to pack a waterless hand sanitizer in your bag. Remind family members to do the same. Check that cold foods are cold. Be certain that foods you are eating are as cold as they should be. Be sure bowls of cold food are nesting in bowls filled with ice. Check how the meats are cooked. Before biting into a burger – break it open to be sure it looks thoroughly cooked – brown in the middle. Be sure you do not eat chicken that has pink inside. Pay attention to how food is served. Check that each salad or plate of food has its own serving utensils. Eat once food is served. Eating once food is brought out lessens the chance of bacteria growing as it sits out. Ask your host. Finally – if you have any questions about how the food was prepared or how long something has been out – ASK. Chances are your host or hostess will want to assure you that she has taken appropriate food-safety precautions as she prepared for the barbecue."
