HEALTH REVIEW

Most food safety mistakes are made innocently, simply because we didn’t know the rules. As I read the latest news on the lady in Sequim suffering from the effects of botulism, I wanted to share some simple solutions. First of all, botulism is a serious and often-fatal food poisoning caused by bacteria that grows in improperly canned foods.

Simple Solutions:

These are the top ten most common food safety mistakes, and their solutions
 1.  Assuming that “prewashed” fruits and vegetables are really clean and ready-to-eat.
      Solution: Wash all fruits and vegetables.
 2.  Thinking a hamburger is done because it tastes fresh and “looks” done.
      Solution: Use a meat thermometer to test and make sure it is cooked to at least 160F.
 3.  Putting the grilled meat back on the same plate after you finish cooking or grilling.
 4.  Tasting homemade cookie dough or cake batter that contain raw eggs.
 5.  Using the same dishtowel to wipe your hands and the counters.
 6.  Stuffing a chicken or turkey hours before cooking.
 7.  Eating cheese with mold on it, or other old food.
     (This isn’t about “bleu” cheese.)
 8.   Eating unwashed fruits.
 9.   Eating foods packed in dented or bulging cans.
10. Throwing suspect food away after eating it.

This information appeared in an article by Dr. Kimberly Thompson from the Harvard School of Public Health.