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Biological

Biological hazards in food: bacteria, viruses and contamination.

Biological

Drug resistant Staph found in one in four meat samples

Lance Price's team tested 136 meat samples covering 80 brands from 26 stores in five cities and found 47% carried Staphylococcus aureus; of those, 52% resisted at least three classes of antibiotics. The work appeared in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Biological

Eggs: Reducing the Risk of Illness from Salmonella

A CDC epidemiologist explains that Salmonella can live on and inside normal-looking eggs, and advises refrigerating eggs at or below 40F, washing hands and surfaces after contact with raw eggs, discarding cracked or dirty ones, and cooking eggs thoroughly.

Apr 14, 2011

Biological

Egg safety

Cook scrambled eggs until firm and fried, poached or boiled eggs until white and yolk are set; egg casseroles should reach 160 degrees F. Homemade ice cream and eggnog are safe made with a cooked egg-milk mixture or pasteurized eggs, which can also replace raw eggs in uncooked recipes.

Apr 12, 2011

Biological

Egg Storage Chart

A refrigerator and freezer storage chart for eggs and egg products: raw shell eggs keep 3 to 5 weeks refrigerated and should not be frozen in the shell, raw whites keep 2 to 4 days or 12 months frozen, and hard-cooked eggs keep a week and do not freeze.

Apr 12, 2011

Biological

Storage times for food

A USDA chart of safe refrigerator and freezer times: 3 to 5 days for egg, chicken, ham and tuna salads, 1 to 2 days for ground meat and raw poultry, 3 to 4 days for leftovers. Freezer limits cover quality only, since frozen food stays safe indefinitely.

Apr 12, 2011

Biological

Spring Traditions: Serving Brisket Safely

USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline advises refrigerating fresh brisket 3 to 5 days, allowing several days to thaw a 10-pound cut, cooking it covered 2 to 3 hours to a minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees, and resting it 20 minutes before slicing across the grain.

Apr 9, 2011

Biological

Sprouts: What You Should Know

Sprouts carry a foodborne illness risk because seeds germinate in the warm, humid conditions bacteria favor, and at least 30 outbreaks, mostly Salmonella and E. coli, have been traced to them since 1996. Home sprouting is no safer; FDA tells at-risk groups to avoid raw sprouts.

Mar 18, 2011

Biological

Two Simple Steps to Juice Safety

Outbreaks of foodborne illness have been traced to untreated juice and cider. The advice is to read the label to confirm the juice was pasteurized or treated, and to ask when it is unclear, especially in refrigerated cases, at cider mills and farm markets, or when sold by the glass.

Mar 18, 2011

Biological

Tips for Fresh Produce Safety

Produce tips from foodsafety.gov: bag fruits and vegetables apart from raw meat, refrigerate cut or peeled produce at 40 degrees or below, wash hands for 20 seconds, rinse produce under running water just before use, and skip soap and commercial produce washes.

Mar 10, 2011

Biological

Storage Times for the Refrigerator and Freezer

USDA's storage chart: opened hot dogs keep a week, bacon 7 days, raw ground meat 1 to 2 days, steaks 3 to 5 days, and cooked leftovers 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator at 40°F or below. Freezer times are for quality only; frozen food stays safe indefinitely.

Mar 10, 2011

Biological

Ground Beef and Food Safety

USDA hotline answers on ground beef: beef fat may be added to hamburger but not to ground beef, both cap fat at 30 percent and allow no water, extenders or binders, all meat sold across state lines must be federally inspected, and grading is voluntary.

Mar 10, 2011

Biological

Botulism: The basics

A foodsafety.gov factsheet on botulism: sources include honey and home-canned goods for infants, and improperly canned or warm-held foods for others. Incubation runs 3 to 30 days in infants and 12 to 72 hours otherwise. It is a medical emergency; call a doctor at once.

Jan 29, 2011

Biological

Listeria Has Acquired Ability to Attack the Heart

A brief note that Listeria monocytogenes, found in raw milk, soft-ripened cheeses and ready-to-eat cold cuts and able to thrive under refrigeration, has strains that researchers say appear to have gained an enhanced ability to invade and infect the heart.

Jan 27, 2011

Biological

Salmonella: the basics

A factsheet on salmonella, the most common cause of U.S. food poisoning: sources include contaminated eggs, poultry, unpasteurised milk, raw produce, reptiles and birds. Symptoms start in one to three days and last four to seven; fluids and rest usually suffice.

Jan 15, 2011

Biological

Fighting Food Poisoning: One of The Most Important Things You Can Do

A CDC official makes the case for handwashing as one of the most effective defenses against foodborne illness, then walks through the method: wet, lather and scrub for 20 seconds including nails, rinse and dry, plus a list of the moments when it matters most.

Jan 15, 2011

Biological

Prevent the Spread of Norovirus

CDC estimates norovirus causes more than 20 million cases of acute gastroenteritis a year in the US, about 1 in 15 Americans, plus over 70,000 hospitalizations and more than 500 deaths. There is no vaccine and no drug treatment, so handwashing is the main defense.

Jan 6, 2011

Biological

Salami products linked to salmonella outbreak

An MMWR report on a multistate Salmonella Montevideo outbreak traced to salami made with contaminated imported black and red pepper: 272 cases across 44 states and the District of Columbia, with illness onsets from July 2009 to April 2010.

Dec 25, 2010

Biological

Basics About Listeria

A primer on Listeria: it grows even at refrigerator temperatures and turns up in soft cheeses, unpasteurized milk, deli meats and hot dogs. Pregnant women are 20 times more likely than other healthy adults to be infected, and prompt antibiotics can often protect the fetus.

Dec 20, 2010

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