While handling food safely using the 4 basic steps of cook, clean, chill and separate is important, we encourage consumers to also use their senses to guide decision-making.  Does the product look and smell OK? Often a bright, attractive color leads a consumer to choose a particular package of beef from the grocery store. So, […]

Some of our national news currently is focused on the lack of food inspections as a result of the government shutdown. The Food and Drug Administration has stopped routine food safety inspections of processing facilities for seafood, fruits, vegetables and many other foods, according to Dr. Scott Gottlieb, FDA commissioner. FDA inspectors conduct about 8,000 […]

  A slow cooker or “crock pot” is a convenient portable electric appliance popular in today’s kitchens. Slow cookers have several advantages. It’s “all-day cooking without looking.” They are economical to operate and can be used to produce flavorful soups and stews. While many of us find that a slow cooker is our go-to choice […]

This new year, let’s resolve to wash our hands, and not raw poultry! Rinsing chicken or turkey before cooking it is an ingrained step for many home cooks, passed down through generations and reinforced by some older cookbooks. Recipes like the “Perfect Roast Chicken” in “The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook” from 1999 advise cooks to “Rinse […]

Food Safety during Power Outages by Barb Ingham Whether it’s a massive winter storm or heavy rains and flooding in the summer, it’s important to handle food safely in an emergency. Knowing how to determine if food is safe and how to keep food safe will help minimize the potential loss of food and reduce […]

We have a Rent Smart Tenant Training program available Tuesdays, March 19 & 26, 2019, at Menasha Public Library. You must attend both days to receive a certificate. Please contact our office to register at 920-232-1973. 2019 Rent Smart Flyer

Pesticide residue levels in food. The USDA has issued its annual report(2017) of pesticide residue levels in our food supply. The voluntary sampling of foods represent geographically about 50% of our population and major agricultural areas. The foods include imports and those labeled as organic. Food samples were collected at points close to consumer purchase, like warehouse distribution […]

Late on Friday afternoon, December 21st, Jennie-O Turkey Store of Faribault, MN initiated a recall of ground turkey, recalling  more than 164,000 pounds of product that may be contaminated with Salmonella Reading. The recalled turkey was shipped to retail locations nationwide, including Walmart and Safeway stores . This recall is in addition to a recall of 147,000 pounds of ground turkey products […]

As a reminder, posted in an earlier article about electric multi-cookers, the most popular of which is the Instant Pot. At several holiday parties individuals had received this appliance as a holiday gift. Are these electric multi-cookers safe for canning? Unfortunately, the answer is ‘No.’ These units have not been tested to ensure that they […]