Tag Archives: foodborne illness

General Safety Issues

Four Health Hazards in Your Kitchen

GUEST BLOG

Written by Console and Associates, P.C.

When one thinks about keeping their family safe in the kitchen, a few things come to mind, such as keeping children away from the stove and other burn hazards and properly preparing food to avoid food borne illnesses.  What many people fail to realize, or forget about, are the other, less-obvious dangers in your kitchen that could make your family ill.  Here are four hazards that are found in almost every kitchen:

  • Sponges.  The Problem: You use a sponge to clean dirty dishes and other kitchen tools, but often times we forget just how quickly our sponges become breeding grounds for bacteria.  Shine reported that in a study conducted that analyzed various household items, the kitchen sponge has 150 times more yeast, mold, and bacteria than they found when analyzing the bathroom toothbrush holder.  No one would think to disinfect the item they are using to disinfect other objects.  If a sponge becomes contaminated with E.coli or Salmonella, it could result in serious illness for one of your family members.
  • Quick Fix: Make sure you replace your sponge every two weeks.  In between replacements, you can disinfect your sponge by wetting it and sticking  it in the microwave for two minutes – this should be done daily.
  •  Refrigerators.  The Problem: How often do you check the temperature of your fridge? Most likely you do only on a rare occasion such as when the power has gone out.  The temperature of your fridge is extremely important because bacteria growth is slowed in cooler temperatures.  Your fridge should never be above 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Quick Fix: If your fridge did not come equipped with a thermometer you can easily (and cheaply) purchase one at many major retailers.  Be sure to keep an eye on the temperature to help reduce bacteria growth.
  • Cutting Boards.  The Problem: Certain cutting boards are more apt to hold bacteria than others.  For example, while wooden cutting boards may look nice on your countertop, but wood is porous and bacteria can get into it and thrive.  There is also a risk of injury if you are using a glass cutting board.  One,  it is not kind to your knives, and will likely ruin them, but more importantly they break easily, which poses a risk for cuts and lacerations.  Another cutting board risk is contaminating your food based on what you are cooking.  If you are preparing uncooked meat, fish or poultry you should not use the same cutting board for produce.  If you do you could run the risk of transmitting harmful bacteria.
  • Quick Fix: Buy plastic or acrylic cutting boards.  They are easy to clean, durable, and will not hold bacteria.  Also make sure you use separate cutting boards for your produce and meats.  You may have more dishes, but it’s better than ingesting Salmonella.  When you clean the boards, they should be washed in hot, soapy water, and air dried.  If you need them to dry faster, always use paper towels and not a dish towel (think of all the things you used that towel for, it is crawling with bacteria).  Acrylic and plastic boards can be run through the dishwasher.  Culinary experts also suggest sanitizing your board with a chlorine bleach-water solution (1 tablespoon bleach per 1 gallon of water); soak or spray the solution on the board, let it sit, and let it air dry.
  • Recalled Items.  The Problem: Perhaps it is stating the obvious, but when a food product or kitchen tool/appliance is recalled there is a significant threat to your health and well-being.  That being said, any and all recalled items should be disposed of immediately.  A study conducted by Rutgers University found that only 60 per cent of Americans will search their kitchens when a product is recalled.  While that is a large number of people, it should be 100 per cent.
  • Quick Fix: Stay up to date on any and all recalls (food and kitchen related or otherwise) by visiting www.recalls.gov.

There is no hard-and fast rule that will give you a 100 per cent guarantee that you will prevent foodborne illnesses in your home, but these safety tips will greatly reduce the chances.   The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that each year roughly 76,000,000 people in the country are made ill from food.  There are, of course, common knowledge ways to avoid this, such as washing your hands, and using clean kitchen tools when preparing food, but there are many surprising ways that food borne illnesses can make their way to your family.  If you or someone you love has been injured or made ill as the result of a kitchen accident or food borne illness, you may be entitled to compensation, speak with a qualified injury attorney in New Jersey today to find out your legal rights and options.

Thanks  to our friends at Console and Associates, P.C. for this interesting article on easy ways to spot and fix problems with germs that are found in kitchens.  With a little inspection and proper cleaning, we can hopefully stay healthy.

General Safety Issues, Health Issues

ANOTHER FOODBORNE DISEASE IN THE U.S.

One of the most delicious fruits that we enjoy during warm months is cantaloupe.  Now, that sweet, juicy fruit has been tainted with a deadly foodborne bacteria – listeria.  Jensen Farms in Colorado produced the fruit that so far has caused 72 illnesses, including 13 deaths, and three more deaths yet to be confirmed.  Recalled cantaloupes may be labeled “Colorado Grown,” “Distributed by Frontera Produce,” “Jensenfarms.com” or Sweet Rocky Fords.”  Some of the recalled cantaloupes are not labeled with a sticker, according to the FDA.  More than 300,000 cases of cantaloupes have been shipped out, which comes to between 1.5 million to 4.5 million pieces of fruit. 

Listeria is more deadly than other pathogens such as E.coli and salmonella; however those two outbreaks generally cause many more illnesses.  Listeria bacteria grow in moist, muddy conditions and are often carried by animals.  The listeria found in cantaloupes taken from grocery stores in Colorado and from a victim’s home were grown at Jensen Farms.   Most healthy adults can consume listeria with no ill effects; however, those who are affected most often are the elderly, pregnant women and those with compromised immune systems.  Symptoms include fever and muscle aches, and often other gastrointestinal symptoms.  

Listeria bacteria can cause illness as long as two months after a person has consumed contaminated food, according to USFDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg.  Therefore, the government is expecting to see more cases reported through the month of October.  Listeria bacteria can grow at room temperatures and even refrigerator temperatures.  It lingers long after the source of the contamination is gone.  The CDC is only reporting  lab-confirmed illnesses and deaths.  So far, confirmed cases have been reported from eighteen states.  The most illnesses were reported in Colorado, but California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming have also reported illnesses and deaths.  Thankfully, none of the tainted fruit was shipped overseas. 

This  serves as a reminder that when we are preparing meals, we should be very careful to wash fruits and vegetables, and disinfect countertops when we finish cutting them up, especially when we have prepared meat for cooking.  We should also wash our hands thoroughly.  We have gone through several other types of food contamination – peanuts and peanut products, processed meats and unpasteurized milk and cheese.  This scare will pass and there will soon be another threat of illness from some unexpected source.  Hopefully, others that have not contacted the illness will have heard news reports and get rid of the fruit that is suspected of causing illness. 

There is no fool-proof way of protecting consumers from certain bacteria that invade food products.  We can only hope that this happens less often and that those who are ill as a result of listeria recover soon.