January 17
Food poisoning
	Food-borne diseases cause about 76 million illnesses and 5000 deaths in the United States each year. We can't always tell what's contaminated before we eat it. But we can practice preventive measures to minimize the risk of food-borne illness: Wash your hands before you prepare food, and again after you've handled or cut raw meat, poultry, or seafood. Wash the cutting board and any utensils you've used with hot soapy water, before using them to prepare other foods. Better yet, put them in the dishwasher where the heat can sanitize them more effectively. Diluted bleach is the best disinfectant for cutting boards and cooking surfaces. Thoroughly cook all meat, poultry and seafood. If you're preparing leftovers, reheat them until they are steaming hot. Let foods you reheat in the microwave stand for the recommended time, so the cooking process can be completed. Don't leave perishable food at room temperature longer than two hours and get rid of anything that's been left out for that long. Use products on or before the date noted as "use by". Keep your refrigerator at 41 degrees F or less, because it slows the growth of most bacteria. A freezer temperature of 0-degree F stops bacteria from growing. However, refrigeration or freezing will not kill bacteria that are already present. Buy only pasteurized dairy products and juices. That will reduce your chances of buying products contaminated with salmonella, E coli, or listeria, all of which can cause serious infections. Classic food poisoning occurs anywhere from a few hours to a day after eating the contaminated food. Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The illness usually run its course in a day, though some bouts of diarrhea may last up about a week. Sometimes fever, chills and headache occur, and can mean a more serious infection. Call your doctor if your symptoms are severe, persistent, or if you're pregnant, elderly, or have a weakened immune system.
	Are there any foods we should absolutely avoid? Yes, if you want to reduce your chance of being ill. Use only pasteurized dairy products or juices; you may recall a terrible outbreak of E coli in non-pasteurized juices a few years ago, which resulted in fatalities, including young children. Avoid soft cheeses, which use unpasteurized milk, especially if pregnant or have a weakened immune system. These cheeses are more likely to carry Listeria. Also avoid raw sprouts. These have been associated with outbreaks of salmonella and E coli. And for all you raw oyster and clam fans, out there-sorry. El Nino raised the water temperature a couple of years ago and increased the rates of shellfish contamination, causing several outbreaks of illness. The safest way to eat shellfish is to cook it. References and Resources: The National Food Safety Database www.foodsafety.org Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/