Flavored vinegars are very easy to prepare and delicious with summer-time salads.  They are favored by chefs for adding excitement to special dishes.  Cooking at home is also enlivened by the blended flavor of vinegar and herbs, fruits, vegetables, and/or spices.  And because they are naturally so high in acid, flavored vinegars allow more creativity than […]

Poultry (chicken, turkey, duck) and other meat should NOT be washed before cooking.  Washing poultry and other meat spreads germs to other areas of the kitchen, and is not effective at removing bacteria that may be present.  A study published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology illustrates why it’s a bad idea to wash meat and poultry.  […]

In 2017, live poultry was responsible for 10 Salmonella outbreaks in the United States, sickening more than 1,100 people across 48 states and killing one.  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns individuals that contact with live poultry or their environment can make people sick with Salmonella infections.  Live poultry can carry Salmonella bacteria while still appearing […]

European Union member countries recently released data on foodborne outbreaks in Europe in 2016.  Results showed that 205 of the 521 “strong-evidence” outbreaks, or 39%, were caused by the consumption of food in private homes.  The number of outbreaks linked to food consumed in homes far exceeded the number of outbreaks linked to food in restaurants, […]

Several recent stories in the news media have reintroduced questions related to two chemicals which may be in our food, especially perchlorate and BPA.  Perchlorate is a chemical used in fireworks, road flares, explosives, and rocket fuel.  It is also sometimes present in bleach and in some fertilizers.  Perchlorate forms naturally in the environment in small amounts.  Perchlorate […]

As we start a new year and look ahead to spring cleaning, there are three kitchen items that can help keep you and your family food-safe: 1. A digital thermometer.  A tip-sensitive digital thermometer will make checking the internal temperature of meat, soups, and casseroles accurate and easy.  These days, food thermometers aren’t just for your holiday roasts—they’re […]

There’s been almost an explosion of products available in the grocery store containing coconut oil and other coconut by-products.  Is coconut oil a healthy choice?  Coconut oil is a plant-based fat that is about 90% saturated, higher than butter or the fat associated with meats, and much higher than other plant-based fats such as olive oil […]

I am old enough that I heard the term “organic” defined in chemistry class long before the term was widely applied to food products.  So, what does it mean when a food product is “organic?”  A recent post by the American Council for Science and Health attempts to address some of the confusion. “Organic” may be one […]