Experts Dispel Myths About Foodborne Illness

The statistics are enough to make people lose their appetites: There are 48 million cases of foodborne illness in the USA every year, with one in six Americans getting sick because of something they ate, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

While some of these outbreaks cause temporary misery, food poisoning also causes 3,000 deaths and 125,000 hospitalizations each year at a cost of $14.1 billion, according to the CDC.  People have adopted a number of strategies to try to protect themselves from food poisoning, from "eating local" to giving up meat entirely. Yet food-safety experts say that many of these practices aren't grounded in science, and they may offer little to no protection.

This week, food safety experts to try to separate food-safety fact from fiction.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers." - James Thurber (US author, cartoonist, humorist, & satirist, 1894 - 1961) 

   Experts Dispel Myths About Foodborne Illness by fredwine

Pasteurization: How Heat Keeps Pathogens at Bay

When Louis Pasteur developed and patented the process of pasteurization in the 1860s, it had nothing to do with milk. He was more concerned with keeping beer from spoiling.

Another of the many benefits that beer brings to a civilized world.

This week, a look at how heat keeps pathogens at bay

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "For the sense of smell, almost more than any other, has the power to recall memories and it is a pity that you use it so little." – Rachel Carson (US ecologist, 1907 - 1964)

Pasteurization by fredwine

Salmonella Biofilms Extremely Resistant to Disinfectants

According to recent research, once Salmonella bacteria get into a food processing facility and have an opportunity to form a biofilm (is any group of microorganisms in which cells stick to each other on a surface) on surfaces, it is likely to be extraordinarily difficult, if not impossible, to kill it. 

Great...something else to keep me up at night.  This week, a look at Salmonella biofilms.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable." - Mark Twain (US humorist, novelist, short story author, & wit, 1835 - 1910)

   Salmonella Biofilm by fredwine