chicken or other foods contaminated with juices that
drip from raw chicken.
Salmonella, a bacterium that can spread from food
of animal origin. Symptoms include fever, diarrhea,
and abdominal cramps and can become serious in
some individuals.
E. coli0157:H7 is a bacteria that resides in cattle and
similar animals. Humans usually get the illness from
consuming food or water that has been contami-
nated with small amounts of cow feces.
Calcivirus, or Norwalk-like virus, is common but
rarely diagnosed because no laboratory test can diag-
nose it. It causes more vomiting than diarrhea.
The farmer who grows produce, the packager, the
produce department employee, the fast food worker,
and the parent in the kitchen preparing a family’s
meal, each have to work to keep food as safe as pos-
sible. Although there are several measures to take,
they are not complicated or time-consuming. Yet
food safety came into increasing public light in 2006
and 2007.
In September, 2006, Natural Selection Foods of
San Juan Bautista, California, issued a nationwide
recall of all of its fresh spinach and ready-made salads
with spinach. Sold under 31 brand names, the com-
pany’s product was found to be source of E. coli con-
tamination. E. coli is a rare but dangerous organism
usually found in undercooked meat products. But in
this case, the organism had gotten into packages of the
fresh spinach and sickened more than 200 people in 26
states and Canada, resulting in three deaths. Within
months, news spread of E.coli from lettuce at Taco
Bell restaurants in the Northeastern United States. In
early 2007, several peanut butter brands were recalled
after salmonella was found in a manufacturer’s batch
of peanut butter. These cases brought renewed atten-
tion to food safety.
In light of these outbreaks, the food and restau-
rant industries were working with United States gov-
ernment agencies to improve oversight and inspection
of food sources in the country. Increased federal reg-
ulation may produce safety standards that are consis-
tent and that apply to all produce grown in the United
States or imported into the United States from other
countries. New standards may be specific to particular
foods. Many public education programs aim to keep
the general public informed about home food safety,
which is the part of food safety that individuals can
monitor and control.
Families should take particular note of food
safety for certain family members. Babies and young
children are particularly vulnerable to food poisoning.Summer picnics and cookouts, including barbecues
and outdoor buffets, can create opportunities for
food poisoning in young children and is a key source
of food poisoning for others. And parents need to be
particularly careful in handling breast milk and infant
formulas, which can harbor bacteria. Pregnant
women, older family members, and anyone who is
immunocompromised also may be more susceptible
to food poisoning.Description
Most home food safety focuses on four key areas:
proper cleaning of food, of hands, and of food prepa-
ration areas, keeping raw foods such as meats and
poultry separated from ready-to-eat foods, keeping
food properly chilled, and cooking food to the proper
temperature.Cleaning food and surfaces
When it comes to handling food, consumers can’t
be too clean. Many food safety experts recommend
that when preparing and eating food, people should
wash their hands often. This is even more important
after handling raw meat, poultry, eggs, or seafood.
Thoroughly washing hands means applying soap and
rubbing the hands together under warm, running
waterfor at least 20 seconds. The American Dietetic
Association says that singing two choruses of ‘‘Happy
Birthday’’ while lathering up helps keep hand-washing
time at 20 seconds. It’s also important to rub soap
between fingers, down to the wrists and into finger-
nails to ensure a thorough cleansing. Hands should be
dried on paper towels rather than teatowels, which can
easily spread bateria.
Cleaning some foods is recommended too. Fresh
fruits and vegetables should be washed after discarding
outside leaves and just before cooking or eating. They
should be washed under clean running water and
scrubbed with a clean brush or with both hands. Drying
the fruits and vegetables after washing with a clean cloth
or disposable towel also is important if they won’t be
eaten right away, since free moisture on the surface canKEY TERMS
Immunocompromised—Having an impaired or
weakened immune system. The immune system
protects the body from foreign substances, cells,
and tissues.Food safety