Valentine’s Day is coming up which means that many couples are making reservations for their favorite restaurant. Although the crumbs on the floor and the occasional sticky table might add to the “homey” atmosphere of your preferred mom and pop diner, you should think twice about what the kitchen might look like if the dining area is so filthy. You like the relaxed nature of the employees that shows when they prefer to handle your food without gloves; however, you should also consider how many “relaxed” food handlers tend to disregard those “Employees Must Wash Hands” signs hanging in the restrooms. Hopefully, you are trying to help your significant other remember this special night for how much you love them, not for how upset their digestive system feels. Here are some suggestions to help make your dining experience safer and more enjoyable:

• Take note of the dining area and restrooms. If they do not meet cleanliness standards, it’s probably a good sign that the kitchen is also in need of more than just a light dusting. You might consider eating elsewhere for your own safety.
• Only eat foods that are served to you hot. If the food is served to you at a lukewarm temperature, chances are that it was left sitting for too long and has allowed harmful bacteria to multiply.
• Make sure the staff does not touch your food or the tips of your silverware with their bare hands. It’s probably not a good idea to let them sample your drink either.
• Be wary of meat, eggs, oysters, or other raw foods that are undercooked.
• Wash your hands properly before and after eating.

And what about the doggie bag? If you and your loved one know that you will not be back home to refrigerate your leftovers within the next two hours, leave your food remains behind (even if it makes starving children in other countries cry.) If your leftovers do make it home, make sure that you reheat the goods to at least 165 degrees F. With leftovers, always keep the “Temperature Danger Zone” in mind–the range of temperature that bacteria thrives in, usually falling between 40 and 140 degrees F. Make sure to keep your food above or below this range.

Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!

–Madelyn Tucker

Sources: NSF.org, FDA.gov

It’s Christmas and you want to spend your precious days off in your pajamas wrapping presents and making cookies.  Nobody blames you for that!  But if you are the kind of person whose cookie dough never makes it to the oven because you opt for savoring every morsel raw rather than cooked, there might be a problem.  Then again, there might not.

When it comes to eating raw cookie dough, there seems to be a debate in the food safety world.  Some argue that you should not, under any circumstances, eat food that contains raw eggs because there is always a risk of Salmonella enteritidis, a strain of bacteria that causes foodborne illness which can sometimes become serious, especially for children, pregnant women, people with chronic illnesses, and the elderly who are highly susceptible because of their impairment of immune responses.

Others, however, think that because the chances of coming across an egg contaminated with Salmonella is so rare, you should be able to consume foods made with raw eggs freely, even if you are taking a chance.  To give you an idea of the risk you are taking, statistics show that “only 1 of every 20,000 eggs might contain the bacteria. So, the likelihood that an egg might contain [Salmonella] is extremely small – 0.005% (five one-thousandths of one percent).  At this rate, if you’re an average consumer, you might encounter a contaminated egg once every 84 years.”  And even if you do encounter an infected egg, you still might not even become sick.

So what does this mean?  Simply, it means make your choice.  If you are worried about Salmonella, simply refrigerate your eggs, cook them thoroughly when you use them, and don’t eat them raw.  If you’re up for the risk, eat away.  Just don’t blame me when you have a run-in with Salmonella enteritidis during your vacation—or in the next 84 years.

–Aubrey Pontious

This is me. Well not really, but you can imagine what it would be like if it was . . .

Sources: farmprogress.com, incredibleegg.org, plosone.org

‘Tis the season to be jolly, but being jolly is not so easy when dealing with symptoms like diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting. People often mistake symptoms like these for “the stomach flu” because they don’t associate these types of symptoms with food eaten 2-3 days prior to getting sick. StateFoodSafety.com’s food safety students know, however, that there is no such thing as the stomach flu. In fact, the most likely culprit of gastrointestinal distress is foodborne illness (or “food poisoning,” if you want it to seem more exciting). Because they are often mistaken for our imagined foe, the stomach flu, very few cases of foodborne illnesses are ever reported. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that “each year roughly 1 in 6 Americans (or 48 million people) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases.”

You would think that with all of the medical advances in the world today that foodborne illnesses wouldn’t be such a problem, but despite the attention that has been placed on food safety in recent years, Americans continue to suffer. The National Environmental Health Association states that “although significant advancements have been made over the last 20 years to educate food service workers about safe food handling practices, there has been no change since 1984 in the top 3 causes of foodborne illness: … poor personal hygiene, improper holding temperatures, [and] improper cooling procedures.”

Facts like these illustrate the necessity of learning proper food safety practices. Whether you work in the restaurant industry or cook for your family, an awareness of food safety can keep customers and family members far from the exasperations caused by foodborne illness. The National Restaurant Association predicts an increase in restaurant dining with each coming year. Because most cases of foodborne illnesses come from restaurants, food safety education is a top priority. Although making food at home is typically safer when considering food safety, it is equally important to be well-educated in food safety practices when cooking food for yourself and those you love. This is especially true for households with small children, elderly family members, pregnant women, and patients with compromised immune systems.

Foodborne illnesses, although seemingly rampant, are simple to avoid if you know the causes: poor personal hygiene, lack of cleanliness in the cooking area, improper preparation of foods, and receiving food from an unsafe source. Thwarting these sources is vital. To do so, the CDC has provided these helpful tips:

1. Clean: wash hands, cooking tools (cutting boards, knives, and utensils), fruits and vegetables before preparing food.
2. Separate: Avoid cross-contamination by keeping raw meat and poultry far from other foods.
3. Cook: When cooking meat, poultry and eggs, do so thoroughly. Ground meat should reach an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees, and eggs should be cooked until the yolk is firm.
4. Chill: Separate leftovers into shallow containers and refrigerate promptly.
5. Report: Reporting foodborne illness to your local health department is an important way to keep you and the people in your community safe from additional foodborne illnesses, especially if a restaurant is suspected of improperly handling food.

By knowing and understanding the causes of foodborne illness and following these tips for prevention, you can practice safe food handling skills and get back to being jolly!

–Aubrey Pontious

Prior to this week I didn’t believe there could be a nationally-recognized day or week that needed more attention than the mid-August wonder that is Sneak Some Zucchini On To Your Neighbor’s Porch Night.  I have never been more wrong—ever.  This week, December 4-10, is National Handwashing Awareness Week 2011 and Global Handwashing Day is December 15.  Nothing has helped stay the advancement of disease and infection more than handwashing.  This is a week that needs to be brought to the forefront of all holidays (that means you, Arbor Day).

The number one thing we can do to prevent the spread of disease is regular, thorough handwashing.  As a teacher of junior high and high school-aged kids, I come in contact with just about every bug out there.  When the kids touch their desks, my desk, their papers, the door knobs, the blackboard, and everything else they seem to put their hands on, I find myself unable to avoid their germs.  Couple that with what my own young children bring home and everything they and their friends share; it’s a wonder I’m not permanently sick.  Our bodies are amazing at keeping infections and diseases at bay, but sometimes they need our help.  National Handwashing Week and StateFoodSafety.com want to give our bodies a hand (pun intended) when it comes to staying healthy.

Handwashing is simple and easy. There are only  a few steps:

1. Wet hands with warm water.
2. Apply soap.
3. Rub hands for 15-20 seconds. Remember to get under the fingernails and the backs of hands and wrists. For food handlers (and brain surgeons), washing the forearms is advisable.
4. Rinse.
5. Use a single-use paper towel or air dryer to dry.

That’s it! Nothing fancy. No fines to pay, no hoops to jump through; just easy common-sense practices. Now when should we wash our hands? The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) suggests the following:

• Before, during, and after preparing food
• Before eating food
• Before and after caring for someone who is sick
• Before and after treating a cut or wound
• After using the toilet
• After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
• After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
• After touching an animal or animal waste
• After touching garbage

This single, simple, and easy practice is the number one prevention tool against disease. Happy National Handwashing Week! Go out there and hug someone you love . . . then wash your hands.

-Tim Snarr

Caroling with plates of goodies is a favorite tradition of many Americans during this holiday season. Benevolent folks load decorative plates with all kinds of delights to deliver to neighbors. It is a time when good-will brims as holiday treats are passed around.

Speaking of passing things around, you may not know that about one in fifteen Americans, per year, is infected by norovirus (you may have heard it called “the stomach flu.”).The FDA reports that the contraction of norovirus, as well as other highly contagious foodborne illnesses,  happens in a very short period of time and the chances of getting it increase when exposed to crowds common during holidays (think performances, school class parties, rest home visits, dinners, recitals, and vacations). Symptoms of norovirus infection include stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, and some less distressful nuisances.

The weakened immune system of someone visited in a retirement center or elementary school may not be able to successfully fight off a foodborne illness like norovirus. So it pays to prepare holiday food with just as much care as a professional restaurant worker. Wash hands thoroughly with hot water and soap before and after touching food or utensils. Pay attention to cooking temperatures and transport both hot and cold items with extra care to avoid bringing food into the Temperature Danger Zone (41°-135° F) for too long.

Although the FDA has approved hand sanitizer to clean off hand germs in hospitals, substances that touch hands during cooking (water and some foods) interfere with the effectiveness of alcohol-based sanitizers. Using hot water and soap are required to wash hands appropriately, and gloves never replace frequent and thorough hand washing!

Washing hands before delivering treats both sweet and savory, ensures that sniffles, coughs, and bugs will not be as common as holiday carols, handshakes, and hugs.

-Julia Simmons, Home Economist, M.Ed.

Learn More: CDC.gov, FDA.gov

Photo Source