Good Housekeeping's Food Safety Tips


According to a segment on The Today Show, 40 million people get sick from food poisoning each year.  It sends 128 thousand people to the hospital and kills three thousand adults and children (the very old, very young and folks who have compromised immune systems).

Rosemary Ellis, editor-in-chief of GH, reminds us to be mindful while preparing food at home, or eating out.  If you missed the story, don't fret; I watched and bet some of her not "to dos" will surprise you:
[Paraphrased]
1. At the grocery store, prioritize shopping. – Buy can and packaged goods first and cold food last.
2. Make sure your supermarket's produce cooler is cold. – Bacteria thrives in warm temperatures. If cold food doesn't feel cold, don't buy it.
3. Keep a cooler with ice packs in your trunk. – Store foods in it, if you run errands instead of heading home.  Foods that need to stay cold can make you sick if left out for over 2 hours, giving bacteria a chance to grow.
4. Don't wash raw meat, or poultry. – Cooking the meat, not running it under water, kills bacteria.  By washing it in your sink, you are splattering bacteria around your kitchen.
5. Prevent cross contamination. – Use separate cutting boards for raw meat and vegetables.  Put raw meat in plastic bags before storing in your refrigerator/freezer to keep juices from contaminating other food.
6. Defrost meat and poultry properly. – Thaw frozen meat in a 1) refrigerator; 2) microwave; or 3) inside a non-leaking plastic bag placed in a sink of cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes.
7. Always wash fresh fruit and vegetables.
8. Don't wash produce labeled “ready to eat,” “pre-washed” or “triple washed.” – If they are contaminated, washing won't help.
9. Check a restaurant's latest health inspection:  Click here.
10. Don't eat a hamburger unless the restaurant uses a meat thermometer to test its doneness.
11. Don't eat at salad bars unless they remove the old batches and replace with a new batch.  Watch for salad dumping.

Personally, I was surprised by #4, #8 and never thought about #10.  How about you?


You may also enjoy:
No Skimping On Good Oral Hygiene
Vitamin D And A Little Sun Is Good For Your Health
Keep Colds and The Flu Away
Health Care Reform, A Doctor Weighs In 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Madewell Summer Dresses

Image
It's a scientistic fact: The Earth is getting warmer.  New York City is expected to hit 94 degrees F today!    Madewell , a sister company of J. Crew, has summer dresses to keep you cool during any heat wave ahead. The style is casual smart. In a nutshell: Comfortable, flattering and effortless. Here are three to consider because we like looking at dresses, don't we?: 1) The  Fern Silk Faux Wrap Dress above ↑ in spiced rose has slender straps, a v-neck and pleats with a stylish flowing bottom. 2) Lakeshore Button Back Dress - A brilliant royal blue shift dress with a V-neck back and oversized buttons make the viscose fabric dress super cute. 3) Strawberry Print Pintuck Ruffle Dress - Chic black canvas featuring strawberry prints. It's 100% cotton. A split square neck with a ruffle outline makes it fun to be a lady! Simple ... with unexpected details, no? Stylin' in the summer heat! Do you have a favorite? You may also enjoy: Lulus Is On Trend Fashion   ...
Read more

Irish Soda Bread: Sweet Or Savory?

Image
Photo by  All About Food I can't claim much Irish ancestry, but aren't we all Irish on St. Patrick's Day?  I do love meat and potatoes, Irish stew, cabbage, root vegetables and Irish soda bread.  I started making soda bread because it tastes similar to buttermilk biscuits, but you can substitute healthier ingredients: like butter instead of lard and whole grain flour in lieu of all white flour.  Soda bread is delicious served warm.  Here is my recipe: Irish Soda Bread For Savory Ingredients: 3 cups whole wheat flour 1 cup all purpose flour 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 eggs, lightly beaten 4 tablespoons cold butter, cubed 1 ¼ cups buttermilk -  I use low fat (1.5% milkfat). optional: 1/3 cup caraway seeds For Sweet You will add  ½ cup sugar, 1 cup raisins. (= Irish American soda bread) Directions: 1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. 2. Stir the first 5 dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. 3. Mix ...
Read more

PureFlow Q17 Fan

Image
The PureFlow Q17 fan is an investment, but at $99 it is about 1/3 less than other bladeless fans. Although compact, it puts out a powerful airflow. In lieu of only 3 fan speeds, there are 12 speeds. You can easily sit it on the floor, or on top of a piece of furniture. And sans blades, no need to worry about curious children or pets getting hurt. The fan is designed to circulate air throughout an entire room. It vertically tilts 90 degrees and has a 90 degree horizontal oscillation. This keeps the air flowing in every direction. Moreover, a heavy smoker lives above me, who oddly enough, smokes at 3:00ish am and 5:30ish am every morning. What a nightmare at such vulnerable hours. The cigarette smoke migrates into my apartment and makes it hard to breathe, so I sleep with the fan sitting on a foot stool, pointed up at the ceiling. It does only some good (and I worry she will burn the place down during hours the rest of us are sleeping.) How I wish this mindless,   nocturnal being ...
Read more