Salmonella outbreak
It seems like another outbreak of salmonella is running it's course through the country. About 400 people have gotten sick so far, maybe one has died, and at least one has been hospitalized. While it's impossible to guarantee that you don't contract this illness, especially if you eat out often and trust your food to people you don't know, there are steps you can take to minimize the likelihood of infection.
I work in a restaurant, I have all my life, and I've worked with literally THOUSANDS of individuals across my career, and I feel comfortable asserting that nearly all people who work with food do not want their customers to get sick. We take special precautions to ensure that everyone who eats our food stays healthy and happy, and I'm going to share some of those techniques with you to keep your family safe.
First, salmonella is a bacteria most commonly found in chicken, although plenty of it will be in the fecal matter of certain other animals and, of course, in the ground around where these animals do their business and live, as in the feral-pig-incident and the spinach a couple years ago. Second, salmonella can be controlled with temperature and sometimes with chemicals.
Rule #1 Cleanliness is critical. If you are working with food, you MUST be clean. Wipe up your workspace and wash your hands with a mild soap in between any different types of food, especially before and after raw meats and poultry. This includes your cutting boards, knives, and whatever else contacts your food
Rule #2 Buy a thermometer. People who work with food for a living are often spectacular at estimating the internal temperatures of the foods they cook. They also know the importance of a good thermometer. When cooking ANY poultry, be sure to get the internal temperature in the thickest part of the meat up to at least 165 degrees for at least 15 seconds. You can even cook it as hot as 175 without it being dry or tough. This is CRITICAL when cooking chicken and other poultry.
Rule #3 Wash your veggies. A large portion of bacteria and dirt can be rinsed off your produce with cold water, but some people are more susceptible to food-borne illness than others. When outbreaks like this occur, it's not a bad idea to start adding a little oomph to your rinse, especially when the FDA still hasn't figured out what the cause is. I recommend filling your sink with a couple gallons of water, and just one capful, or about a tablespoon, of regular old bleach. This will kill 99.9 percent of the bacteria and viruses that live on our planet. Be sure to soak your produce for about a minute. and rinse.
While there is no guarantee that you can avoid salmonella altogether, you can decrease your risk significantly by being food-smart. Stay healthy, my friends!!!
I work in a restaurant, I have all my life, and I've worked with literally THOUSANDS of individuals across my career, and I feel comfortable asserting that nearly all people who work with food do not want their customers to get sick. We take special precautions to ensure that everyone who eats our food stays healthy and happy, and I'm going to share some of those techniques with you to keep your family safe.
First, salmonella is a bacteria most commonly found in chicken, although plenty of it will be in the fecal matter of certain other animals and, of course, in the ground around where these animals do their business and live, as in the feral-pig-incident and the spinach a couple years ago. Second, salmonella can be controlled with temperature and sometimes with chemicals.
Rule #1 Cleanliness is critical. If you are working with food, you MUST be clean. Wipe up your workspace and wash your hands with a mild soap in between any different types of food, especially before and after raw meats and poultry. This includes your cutting boards, knives, and whatever else contacts your food
Rule #2 Buy a thermometer. People who work with food for a living are often spectacular at estimating the internal temperatures of the foods they cook. They also know the importance of a good thermometer. When cooking ANY poultry, be sure to get the internal temperature in the thickest part of the meat up to at least 165 degrees for at least 15 seconds. You can even cook it as hot as 175 without it being dry or tough. This is CRITICAL when cooking chicken and other poultry.
Rule #3 Wash your veggies. A large portion of bacteria and dirt can be rinsed off your produce with cold water, but some people are more susceptible to food-borne illness than others. When outbreaks like this occur, it's not a bad idea to start adding a little oomph to your rinse, especially when the FDA still hasn't figured out what the cause is. I recommend filling your sink with a couple gallons of water, and just one capful, or about a tablespoon, of regular old bleach. This will kill 99.9 percent of the bacteria and viruses that live on our planet. Be sure to soak your produce for about a minute. and rinse.
While there is no guarantee that you can avoid salmonella altogether, you can decrease your risk significantly by being food-smart. Stay healthy, my friends!!!
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