Unless you grow all of your own food, you’re probably a regular at the neighborhood supermarket. I appreciate that many supermarkets are taking strategic steps to ensure the freshness and safe handling of foods and making food safety a priority. For example, I’m a big fan of those disinfecting wipes provided at the entrances to
Preparing a Thanksgiving feast is really an exercise in project management. Whether you are “sub-contracting” the sides or coordinating everything from “soup to nuts” yourself, an awareness of food safety is essential to reach the goal of a delicious, safely prepared meal. Take the quiz below to test your knowledge of food safety for the
Backyard poultry farming is an increasingly popular trend in urban and suburban areas that permit it, giving families a fun way to raise food while learning to care for animals. Assuming roosters are banned in the neighborhood for their earsplitting “cock-a-doodle-doo,” what could be the downside of raising poultry in the backyard? The answer is
Want to know how to prepare a delicious recipe? Tune in to a TV cooking show. Just don’t expect to view some of the most important cooking steps! According to a new study1 in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior (abstract), today’s cooking shows are missing “an opportunity to model and teach good food
A beautifully arranged holiday dinner table is a feast for the senses. Occasionally, however, festive fare that looks perfectly delectable can sicken unsuspecting diners. There are many ways in which the “perfect” holiday dinner can go horribly wrong. Fortunately, most foodborne illness can be avoided when cooks maintain and apply a keen awareness of the
What role could organic and locally sourced produce have played in the recent Chipotle foodborne illness outbreaks? As we reported previously, Chipotle’s 2014 annual report notes the company’s “significant commitment to serving local or organic produce when seasonally available.” Chipotle admits these initiatives may “present additional risk of food-borne illnesses given the greater number of
Over 140 Boston College students were sickened recently after eating at a Chipotle restaurant near the Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts campus. The culprit: norovirus, the most common cause of foodborne illness in the US. The norovirus outbreak comes on the heels of a multistate outbreak of E. coli associated with Chipotle that made 52 people sick
The recent multistate outbreak of foodborne illness linked to Costco rotisserie chicken salad is another reminder that safe food practices are as essential to fresh produce as they are to raw meats and poultry. The Costco outbreak was traced, not to contaminated chicken or tainted mayonnaise, but to E.coli-contaminated fresh celery in a diced vegetable
As I prepare to host Thanksgiving once again, I think about how the holiday has changed over the years. Traditionally the day is marked by a scrumptious feast with a turkey in the spotlight. Increasingly, in many households, there is greater focus on vegetable and grain dishes to please those who prefer a healthier cuisine
Fresh fruits and vegetables are the stuff of healthy diets, so it may surprise you to know that fresh produce can be implicated in foodborne illness. Salmonella, Listeria and other foodborne pathogens can contaminate your salad ingredients just as they can contaminate meats, poultry and seafood. Recently, imported cucumbers from Mexico were reported to be