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Have you washed your Tofu lately?
How about your salad, is it safe? The facts about food safety basics and food born illnesses in the United States should be highly publicized. The other day I was listening to National Public Radio (NPR). The 143 million pound beef recall was the topic of the discussion. It was reported that it was not a concern to the Westland/ Hallmark Meat Company that consumer confidence could decline. They projected a slow down, but just as in previous recall situations, it has been known that Americans who were concerned by past recalls, returned to consuming the same amounts of beef within a year. Well I don’t eat meat, but I’m not one of those self-righteous sprout munchers either. I think that both consumers of beef and vegetarians should know about food safety basics when making their purchases. Food borne illnesses have been on the rise for the last 30 years or more, and it is not clear as to whether this is due to declining food safety, or improved tracking systems. We eat approximately 2,000 pounds of food in a year. 260 pounds of that is imported. But what you might not realize, is that the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), who has jurisdiction to inspect imported foods only inspects 1.3 percent of the imports. That percentage has been declining rapidly since 2003. Salmonella is the most common food born bacteria. However, E. Coli comes from sick cattle or other warm-blooded animals, restaurant workers, ground water or crops. Much of the industrial cattle are corn fed, which increases the chance of E. Coli being found in the lower intestine of the cattle. If you eat beef, look for grass fed beef. It is natural food for the cattle and there is significantly less chance of finding E. Coli in the beef. Organic produce is not necessarily any safer. It is subject to the same hazards of E. Coli and has been previously found in organic spinach. Supporting local growers is beneficial to you. You can always ask the grower if their farm is close to cattle or if they use animal fertilizer. If they use animal fertilizer, there are very strict regulations for the organic grower. Ask what safety measures they use. Higher E. Coli levels are found in restaurants than in households. When you choose a restaurant be sure to look for cleanliness and see if a health score is posted in the restaurant or on a website. Not all states mandate this but several do.
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Contributor's Note
Save on food miles and monitor food safety. Support your local growers!
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This intel was contributed by jubie
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May, 2012
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