Washing Produce: Watch These Videos to Help You Do it Correctly! by Barb Ingham

Washing Produce Correctly   The University of California-Davis has created two videos that will be helpful for educators and consumers interested in produce safety! Dr. Christine Bruhn, Director of the Center for Consumer Research at U.C. Davis, provides up-to-date, easy to understand information that consumers (and educators) can use for safe in-home handling and preparation […]

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Warning: Don’t Use Honey on Pacifiers by Barb Ingham

    Last year health officials reported that four infants in Texas developed botulism poisoning after consuming honey. The children, all less than a year old, had all been given pacifiers containing honey before they became sick. All four babies had to be admitted to hospitals for life-saving treatment. Botulism poisoning attacks the nervous system […]

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Leftovers and Food Safety by Barb Ingham

  In my family, I tend to prefer the term ‘planned-overs’ to the term ‘leftovers’ – I am ‘planning’ to serve a soup or casserole again that week! Whether it’s food prepared at home, or more of a restaurant meal than can be eaten in one sitting, there are some basic steps to assure that […]

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Food Safety & The Backyard Flock by Barb Ingham

  Since 2000, backyard poultry flocks have been responsible for more than 70 Salmonella outbreaks in the United States, sickening more than 4,794 people, with 894 hospitalizations and seven deaths; a third of the illnesses were children younger than 5. In 2017 alone, backyard poultry caused 1,120 Salmonella illnesses with cases in 48 states, sending 249 […]

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Can You Tell If Meat Is Safe By Looking? by Barb Ingham

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, […]

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The Safety of Raw Oatmeal by Barb Ingham

We know that eating raw or uncooked flour isn’t recommended; what about the safety of consuming raw oatmeal? The answer lies in how flour is milled and how oats are processed – the two processes are really quite different. How is flour made? Flour is a finely ground powder prepared from grain or other starchy […]

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Food Safety Inspections by Barb Ingham

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 […]

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Tips for Cooking Safely in a Slow Cooker by Barb Ingham

  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 […]

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Wash Your hands, Not Your Chicken by Barb Ingham

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 […]

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