Blaise Pascal, a French scientist of the 17^th century, researched the effects of pressure on fluids. His research lead him to a method called high pressure processing (HPP) which uses pressure—rather than heat, chemicals, or irradiation—to preserve and sanitize food. Although discovered long ago, HPP has become quite a big deal in the food industry as of late.

In a Food Safety News article called “Putting on the Pressure: ‘No Heat’ Way to Zap Pathogens,” Cookson Beecher explains that more than four centuries after Pascal’s scientific advance, HPP is being utilized by companies like Maple Lodge Farms, Starbucks, Cargill, and Hormel to kill harmful pathogens like E.coli, Listeria, and Salmonella. And the good news is that this process does not change the nutritional quality or the taste of the treated food.

Many people in the food safety world regard HPP as a “natural option for food safety” and a “technological breakthrough.” V.M. Balasubramaniam, an HPP researcher, says that Cargill’s use of HPP is “the most promising food-safety innovation in recent years” and will become a “key player in food safety.” Companies are learning that HPP, though a more expensive way of preserving and sanitizing food, is worth the extra money to their consumers who are becoming increasingly aware of food safety issues.

To learn more about HPP and its process, check out this video. For the full Food Safety News article, hit up the source link below.

–Aubrey Pontious

Source: Food Safety News

‘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

We love leftovers, hence the title of this post. But we know that it is better to have eaten once and thrown away than to never have loved (um, we mean eaten) at all. If you are going to do turkey sandwiches, soups, and casseroles this year, here’s what you need to know:

• Bacteria multiply invisibly, increasing up to 2 times their number every 20 minutes, especially when left in the Temperature Danger Zone (e.g. your counter). The acceptable amount of time for food to be left unrefrigerated is less than 2 hours; any longer and it should be thrown out.
• Proper care of leftovers begins right after the food is initially served. Home Economics classes all over the county counsel home cooks to use shallow, sealed dishes to store leftovers. This enables food to cool quickly once it is placed in the fridge.
• If the food is going to be saved for longer than just a few days, it is best to consult a food storage chart (available here), which gives standard lengths of time for refrigeration and freezing. For example, fresh, raw, and cooked eggs each have a different expiration date acknowledged on the chart.
• A great way to keep track of expiration dates of items kept in refrigeration is to date them with a permanent marker on a disposable bag or piece of tape affixed to the storage container. Date them with the date they are placed in storage as well as the last possible date the food can be used, according to the food storage chart.
• Once it’s time to take leftovers out of the freezer or refrigerator, food safety standards prompt a cook to re-heat food items until  there is steam coming off their surface or until they reach 165° F.
• When using your microwave to reheat items, first cover the food to allow the heat to disburse evenly, stir occasionally to reduce cold spots (which would more likely contain bacteria) and check the temperature of the food with a food thermometer to ensure the goal temperature of 165° F has been achieved.

Good luck to you all in love as well as sandwiches!

Julia Simmons, M.Ed., Home Economist contributed to this article.

Sources: FSIS.usda.gov Preparation, FSIS.usda.gov Be Food Safe, FDA.gov Downloads

Ladies and gentlemen, the story you’re about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. Actually, they haven’t been. This story is about Bryan Chapman, our vice president of operations. In his own words . . .

A lone solitary figure lay prostrate on the cold floor. Adrenaline was coursing through his veins as he forced himself to breathe deep, in attempts to quiet the shakes and regain a semblance of control. Sanity had just retaken control; however, only moments before death seemed a suitable alternative.

How he came to this predicament is still unknown, although all symptoms point to a flawlessly orchestrated operation put in motion hours before. What is unfortunately true, and incredibly disgusting, is that the assailant, Norovirus, was likely transferred through feces being ingested in the mouth . . . my mouth. The vehicle? Food.

My office door today, at StateFoodSafety.com, has a sign saying “Here lies one of our own, fallen from foodborne illness.” (It doesn’t. See above.) The reality is I shook someone’s hand, touched a doorknob, changed a diaper, touched a keyboard or a host of any other things infected by Norovirus, and didn’t wash my hands either well enough, or often enough.

So, unless you want to spend the Holiday season slumped against a cold toilet, confident your eyes will explode with every projectile vomit or the dreaded dry heaves, please take note of the following:

• Norovirus is the number one foodborne illness in the United States, occurring more than 20 million times a year.
• The “24-hour flu” or “stomach flu” is actually most likely Norovirus.
• Norovirus is highly contagious and causes acute gastroenteritis, or inflammation of the stomach and intestines.
• The most common symptoms are diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain.  Vomiting and diarrhea can occur many times a day (this has been personally verified).
• Anyone can get Norovirus.
• Most people get better within 1 to 2 days (thankfully, this has also been personally verified).
• Because of vomiting and diarrhea, dehydration is a common secondary illness, making it important to constantly drink small sips of electrolyte enhanced water like Gatorade.
• Norovirus is spread through contact with a contaminated surface, and then touching the mouth, or by having direct contact with an infected person, such as sharing food.

So, this Thanksgiving and Holiday season, unless you want to watch other people eat delicious Turkey legs, while you cringe and run to the john, please adhere to these tips to prevent the spread of Norovirus.

• Wash your hands.  Wash them often.  Use soap and water, especially after using the restroom or changing diapers, and always before preparing and eating food.
• Alcohol based hand sanitizers are helpful as supplements to soap and water, but are not a replacement.
• Carefully wash fruits and vegetables.
• Disinfect kitchen surfaces often using a bleach-based household cleaner or making your own solution by adding ¼ cup of bleach to 2 ¼ cups of water.  Just pour the solution into a spray bottle and disinfect surfaces.

–Bryan Chapman

This story is true. If you would like more information, jump to our facts source: CDC.gov

The Utah Department of Health says dozens of people attending business conferences in Park City were confirmed to have contracted Norovirus, a sickness that causes flu-like symptoms.

Officials say people attending two separate business conferences came down with the sickness. They believe the outbreak is over, but they still want everyone to be careful and report suspected cases. Read more….