Author: Tony Coveny, Ph.D

Grilling and Storing Food in the Summer Heat: food safety tips: grilling and storing As the weather turns nicer and the temperature warms up, it’s time to get outside and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. Often that also means enjoying the grill, preparing food outside for family and friends who have gathered for a picnic, reunion, or just because it’s a nice day. To keep it enjoyable – and healthy – there are some guidelines that should be followed so that everyone’s food remains safe. Nothing ruins a summer outing more than foodborne illness. Cross-contamination is a significant problem when…

While Most Food Poisoning is Caused by Viruses and Bacteria. Some Molds can be Dangerous and Cause Food Poisoning According to the CDC, there are approximately 48 million incidences of food poisoning each year and 128,000 hospitalizations from foodborne infections.[1] Researchers have identified over 250 food borne diseases that lead to illness. Most commonly, foodborne diseases are attributed to norovirus (a virus commonly called the “stomach flu”),[2] Salmonella (of which there are more than 2200 strains!) [3], Campylobacter [4],  Vibrio, and Clostridium perfingens,[5].  In other instances, cases of food poisoning are attributed to toxins or chemicals, and though these are much less common,…

Preventing Pet Food Poisoning: One More Way to Safeguard the People in Your Family If you are like my family, your dogs/cats are one of the family. But did you know, pet food can also be contaminated with potential foodborne illness causing pathogens? Pet food, either raw, dry, or canned, can harbor bacteria like Listeria and Salmonella. Pets can become ill from contaminated pet food, but people can also get sick from handling contaminated pet food. When feeding your pet, here are some tips to stay healthy: Handwashing is key. Always wash your hands after handling pet food to prevent…

SUMMER Food Poisoning:  Tips of Food Safety With the transition into summer, it’s important to refresh some important general food handling rules to help prevent summer food poisoning. Although it’s easy to overlook, you need to know the guidelines for how long foods can sit out before risking contamination from harmful summer food borne pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enteritidis, Escherichia coli O157: H7, and Campylobacter (USDA). Foods that need to be refrigerated and cannot sit out at room temperature for over two hours include sliced tomatoes, pre-cut melons, meat, corn on the cob, eggs, and milk. Refrigeration slows the…

Melon Salmonella outbreak linked to pre-cut melons appears to be over The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to investigate Caito Foods, LLC, identified as the source of a multistate salmonella outbreak; however, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced that the outbreak appears to be over. The source of the salmonella outbreak was identified as pre-cut melons produced by Caito Foods. Since the first illness was reported in early March 2019, 137 people have become sick in 10 states, with 38 people hospitalized. The FDA continues to investigate the Caito Foods, LLC, processing plant in Indianapolis,…

 Salmonella in Del Monte Vegetable Trays? Vegetable trays may pose health risk Four people have become ill in Wisconsin and Minnesota after eating pre-packaged Del Monte vegetable trays purchased from Kwik Trip stores. The vegetable trays are potentially contaminated with salmonella, causing the illnesses among consumers. Three people have become sick in Wisconsin and one person has taken ill in Minnesota after eating the contents of the Del Monte vegetable trays. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Minnesota Department of Health, and Wisconsin local health departments are working with the Food and…

Responding to a supplier’s recall of all its nut butters manufactured since January 2018, Thrive Market, Inc., is recalling all unexpired lots of its nut butter products made by that supplier. The company’s supplier notified it that the nut butter products are potentially contaminated with listeria monocytogenes as one lot had tested positive for listeria. Thrive Market sells organic and non-GMO products through its membership site. All of the recalled products were distributed nationwide through Thrive Market’s ecommerce subscription service to its members, as well as other online retailers. Recalled products can be identified by the “Best By” date and…

Food Safety for Cancer Patients Because of weakened immune systems, foodborne illnesses are a greater threat to cancer patients. Normal bouts of food poisoning can be severe for cancer patients. Cancer treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, and certain medications weaken the immune system (FDA), so ingesting foods contaminated with foodborne pathogens like Salmonella, Campylobacter, and E. coli can cause serious infections. Because of a condition known as neutropenia, cancer patients have difficulty fighting infections from foodborne pathogens (Food Safety). Safe food preparation is critical to preventing a severe infection from a foodborne pathogen. Cancer patients should ask their physician who to…

Traveling and food safety Traveling provides the opportunity to eat new and exciting foods. To ensure your dining experience is completely enjoyable, it’s important to keep in mind some simple food safety guidelines. Consuming undercooked or mishandled food can increase your risk of foodborne illness, especially if you are immunocompromised. The FDA recommends you: Avoid ordering food containing uncooked ingredients like sprouts or eggs Avoid raw meat, poultry, or fish Make sure your meat, poultry, or fish have been cooked to safe minimal temperatures. Ask to speak to the chef if your server does not know. If you are bringing…

Prevent Campylobacteriosis from Campylobacter The CDC identifies more cases of foodborne illnesses from Campylobacter than any other foodborne bacteria.  According to the CDC, Campylobacter causes about 1.3 million illnesses in the United States. Thankfully, an illness from Campylobacter seldom has long-term effects, but in some instances, campylobacteriosis (an infection from Campylobacter) can lead to severe medical conditions than just temporary diarrhea and abdominal cramping. More severe conditions include hemolytic uremic syndrome and Guillain–Barré syndrome, an autoimmune disorder where one’s own immunes system attacks the peripheral nervous system leading to muscular weakness and potential complications with breathing and blood pressure. To…