We’ve all heard a lot recently about hand washing as an important step in illness prevention.  Effective hand washing starts with soap and clean, running water.  Either bar soap or liquid soap will work.  Wet hands with clean water and apply soap.  When we place unclean hands in water, nothing really happens.  Add soap and scubbing […]

We know that hand washing is important to help prevent illness.  What about washing meat, poultry, and seafood?  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that food safety mistake #3 is washing meat, chicken, or turkey.  Why it’s a mistake: Washing raw meat, chicken, turkey, or eggs can spread germs to your sink, countertops, and other surfaces […]

There are dangerous food safety mistakes that we can all avoid to help keep our family and friends safe, now and at any time.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a top 10 list of dangerous food safety mistakes, and we are looking at some easy tips to prevent those mistakes.  In the last blog […]

We all want to keep our families safe and healthy, especially in this time when the coronavirus presents such a real need to do so.  No one wants to end up at the doctor’s office or the hospital with a foodborne illness* (*There is no credible evidence that the coronavirus is spread by food or food […]

We return today to handwashing, since that seems to be such an important response to the coronavirus and COVID-19, and some good news and fun for a Friday. The good news: so many sources are sharing consistent (and evidence-based) messages about food safety and nutrition.  Many of these messages are ‘old friends’, and practicing food safety and healthy […]

In this time of the coronavirus, are fresh fruits and vegetables safe to eat?  Yes!  There is no reason to assume that fresh fruits and vegetables are unsafe because there isn’t any evidence that the coronavirus is transmitted by food.  Regardless of where fresh produce originates, around the corner or around the world, fruits and vegetables […]

As the weather warms, looking ahead to gardening in the weeks and months ahead can be a favorite past-time.  Are there any special precautions that we need to take when growing fruits and vegetables this spring and summer because of the COVID-19 pandemic?  Experts actually recommend preparing the garden and starting seedlings indoors as great activities for individuals […]

Are foods from the grocery store safe?  There is no evidence that we can get COVID-19 from the food that we eat – either from the food itself or from touching a package or container of food.  The way that we get the COVID-19 illness is from breathing in infected droplets from someone coughing or sneezing.  […]

Many of us have had the experience recently of seeing empty, or nearly empty, grocery store shelves.  Do we need to worry if there is enough food?  The good news is that despite what we may be seeing, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) assures us that the food supply is safe and secure.  Despite localized reports, there […]

With a ‘Safer at Home‘ order, many of us are looking to foods stocked in our pantries and cupboards to help feed our families.  What do dates on food products tell us? If the date is past, is the food still safe?  In most cases, yes!  Dates on food package labels are generally quality dates, an indication […]