This Black Friday, millions of Americans will hit the malls in search of tantalizing deals. But in the refrigerator at home something far less appealing may be lurking. That’s because failing to properly refrigerate those Thanksgiving leftovers can increase the risk of developing food-borne illness. 

A lack of understanding of proper food safety leads to many cases of illnesses each year during the holidays. Although most cases are mild and cause symptoms only for a day or two, it can be a very unpleasant few days.

One common food storage mistake people make is overfilling the refrigerator, which prevents it from circulating air to properly cool the food. This is necessary to keep food safe and ensure Thanksgiving leftovers eaten on Black Friday and beyond don't make anyone sick.

Another mistake is leaving out food for too long before refrigerating or freezing the leftovers. To best keep food-borne bacteria from growing, put away the food within two hours of cooking it. The best way to store leftover turkey is by cutting into small pieces and placing it in a separate container from the stuffing and potatoes. Using containers that are two inches high or less also helps limit bacterial growth.

A good way to prevent from making these mistakes is to prepare for storing the leftovers before cooking the meal. Clean out the fridge ahead of time to make enough space and make sure you have enough clean, shallow containers available. After cooking all day then stuffing yourself, you may be tempted to cut corners when storing leftovers. Preparing ahead of time can make safe storage of your leftovers easy and make your Black Friday leftover experience a good one. And you won’t even have to wait in line.

For more information on food safety, see the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. If you have questions about food-borne illness, ask the experts on Healia Health Communities.

 

_{Adapted from UPI release}

_{Photo: Tokyofoodcast, Flickr, Creative Commons}

According to the National Turkey Federation, about 46 million turkeys will be the main entrée this year at Thanksgiving Day dinners across the United States. To keep this family meal a healthy and pleasant memory for all, make sure your turkey is prepared safely and properly to prevent Salmonella and other bacterial foodborne diseases. Thaw a frozen turkey in your refrigerator, in cold water or in a microwave oven, and not at room temperature, then cook the turkey immediately after thawing.

The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) has issued 4 critical turkey preparation tips called "Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill" in order to help prevent Salmonella and other foodborne infections at Thanksgiving:

• Before and after you handle food, wash your hands with plenty of soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. Also wash any surfaces or utensils that come into contact with raw poultry including cutting boards, kitchen counters and other food preparation objects.

• Use separate cutting boards, knives and utensils for preparing raw poultry and for foods that will not be subsequently cooked such as salads and vegetables. 

• Use a meat thermometer to make sure that all parts of the turkey and any stuffing reach an internal temperature of at least 165 °F.

• Refrigerate any leftover foods after 2 hours. Make sure your refrigerator is set at 40 °F or below to prevent bacteria from growing on food.

For more information about proper preparation of turkey and other foods, see the USDA’s Be Food Safe campaign Web site or read our previous blog about healthy eating tips during Thanksgiving.

If you have a tip for healthy Thanksgiving, please share it with the Healia Health Community.

 

_{Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service Web site}

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How dangerous is the chemical known as bisphenol A (BPA)? According to an independent panel of scientific advisers, it’s much more dangerous than a recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) report suggested.

BPA is a chemical used to harden plastics and is found in several products including baby bottles, plastic food packaging, and the lining of food cans.

The panel charges that the FDA ignored scientific evidence and used flawed methods when it issued its draft risk assessment of BPA in August stating that an “adequate margin of safety” existed for BPA exposure. The FDA stated that the small amounts of BPA that migrate from food containers into the food they hold are not dangerous to infants or adults.

The panel, set up specifically to review the FDA's risk assessment of BPA, said that the FDA had relied on industry-funded studies and ignored a mountain of data including more than 100 scientific studies that have linked BPA to health problems in laboratory animals including breast and prostate cancers, diabetes, hyperactivity and reproductive problems. The panel also questioned the methods used in the FDA studies to determine the levels of BPA in infant formula, concluding that the FDA report "creates a false sense of security” and recommending that the agency redo its risk assessment.

Environmental groups want to ban BPA in infant products because the chemical can mimic the effects of the hormone estrogen and interfere with their development. Infants may be at increased risk of exposure because their kidneys do not eliminate the chemical from the body as fast as adults. Babies can be exposed to BPA through bottles and through baby formula packaged in containers made with the chemical, including cans.

If you want to lessen your family’s exposure to BPA, you can avoid eating foods from plastic containers labeled with the number 7 (usually found on the bottom of the container, inside the recycle symbol), which often contain BPA. You can also limit your use of canned foods and infant formula, most of which come in cans lined with BPA.

Have more questions about BPA and other food contaminants? The members and health experts of Healia Health Communities are waiting to help you.

 

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The number of American children with food allergies has increased by 18% in the past decade according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report shows that about 3 million kids and teens in the U.S. suffered from at least one type of food allergy in 2007, up from 2.3 million in 1997. Overall, nearly 4% of American children under the age of 18 (3.8 percent of boys and 4.1 percent of girls) had food allergies.

According to the CDC, eight types of foods account for 90% of these allergies: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat. Allergic reactions to foods can cause a mild tingling sensation in the lips, hives and may even cause death in severe cases.

Children who have food allergies are also more likely to suffer from asthma and other types of allergies. According to the CDC report, in 2007, 29 percent of children with a food allergy also had asthma and 30 percent also had some type of respiratory allergy; comparatively, only 12 percent of children without food allergies have asthma and 9 percent have a respiratory allergy.

Researchers do not really understand how or why someone develops a food allergy. On the positive side, the majority of children tend to “outgrow” food allergies as the number of adults who suffer from them is far lower.

If you are concerned that your child may have a food allergy, contact your doctor right away. It is not a good idea to eliminate certain foods from your child’s diet without the supervision of a doctor.

Find out more about allergies from the Healia Health Guide: Allergies.

 

_{Photo: Gaetan Lee, Flickr, Creative Commons}

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning to avoid any infant formula imported from China because of potential contamination with melamine. Melamine was the chemical that contaminated pet food last year, resulting in thousands of poisoning cases in dogs and cats. There is no evidence that any tainted formula is being sold in the U.S. In China, the implicated formula has been associated with dozens of cases of kidney stones in infants and one death.

Manufacturing of baby formula is strictly regulated in the U.S. and it is illegal to import baby milk from China or any unapproved sources. But several years ago, in at least one case, a Chinese brand of formula was found in a New York store.

To be safe, parents should only purchase infant formula from reputable retail sources.

Have questions about about infant formula? Healia Communities members can help.

The month of July is National Hemocromatosis Awareness and Screening Month. Hemochromatosis is an inherited disorder which causes people to absorb extra iron from their diet. Because the body has no efficient way to excrete iron, excess iron builds up in the liver, heart, pancreas, pituitary, and joints.

According to the Iron Disorders Institute, an advocacy organization for people with iron disorders, body organs with excessive iron eventually fail to function and disease or premature death occurs. Excess iron levels can be reduced by removing blood through blood donations and chelation therapy using special medicines.

Chronic fatigue and joint pain are among the first and most common symptoms reported by people with hemochromatosis. Subsequent symptoms and findings may include abdominal pain, irregular heart rhythm, loss of period loss of interest in sex, hair loss, and skin color changes.

Do you have a question about hemochromatosis? Make sure to search healia.com for more information.

hemochromatosis iron disorder National Hemocromatosis Awareness and Screening Month

More than 350 people have now fallen ill in a Salmonella outbreak linked to certain types of tomatoes. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 383 people in 30 states have been infected with Salmonella Saintpaul, a rare strain of the bacteria.

Food safety experts have linked the outbreak to tainted raw round, plum, and Roma tomatoes and have not yet identified the source of contamination. The Chicago Department of Public Health told the Chicago Tribune on Wednesday that it reported a cluster of nine Salmonella cases at Adobo Grill restaurants in two parts of the city. Investigators are focusing on Mexico and central and southern Florida, which were the two largest suppliers of tomatoes at the time of the Salmonella outbreak.

An outbreak update and description of tainted tomatoes and areas are posted on the FDA's Web site. For more information about Salmonella, see Healia’s previous blog on the topic, Nine States Affected by Salmonella Food Poisoning, or ask a Healia Health Expert a question about Salmonella.

Salmonella tomatoes food poisoning

An outbreak of salmonella food poisoning linked to uncooked tomatoes was reported this week in Texas, New Mexico, and possibly seven other states. At least 17 people in Texas and New Mexico have been hospitalized and 40 cases have been reported. An investigation by Texas and New Mexico health authorities and the Indian Health Service linked those cases to uncooked large tomatoes.

Thirty people have become sick with the same Salmonella Saintpaul infection in Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Idaho, Illinois, and Indiana. CDC investigators are looking into whether tomatoes were also involved in those states.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that, in Texas and New Mexico, the patients ranged in age from 3 to 82 years. Of the 40 patients, most said they ate raw tomatoes from either stores or restaurants before becoming ill between April 23 and May 27.

Salmonellosis is an infection with bacteria species called Salmonella. Most persons infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most persons recover without treatment. However, in some people, the diarrhea may be so severe that they need to be hospitalized. In some patients, Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream, and then to other organs and can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics. The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness (CDC).

Have a question? Visit the Salmonella Infections online health community on Healia Communities and Ask an Expert a question regarding salmonella.

salmonella tomatoes CDC

With summer grilling season upon us, you may want to consider how “well-done” you like your poultry, meat, and fish. Research has shown that cooking certain meats at high temperatures creates chemicals that are not present in uncooked meats. A few of these chemicals may increase cancer risk, such as heterocyclic amines (HCAs). HCAs are carcinogenic chemicals formed from the cooking of animal muscle such as beef, pork, poultry, and fish.

Temperature is the most important factor in the formation of HCAs. Methods such as frying, broiling, and barbecuing produce the largest amounts of HCAs because the meats are cooked at very high temperatures. One study conducted by researchers from NCI's Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics found a link between individuals with stomach cancer and the consumption of cooked meats:

The researchers assessed the diets and cooking habits of 176 people diagnosed with stomach cancer and 503 people without cancer. The researchers found that those who ate their beef medium-well or well-done had more than three times the risk of stomach cancer than those who ate their beef rare or medium-rare. They also found that people who ate beef four or more times a week had more than twice the risk of stomach cancer than those consuming beef less frequently.

Additional studies have shown that an increased risk of developing colorectal, pancreatic, and breast cancer is associated with high intakes of well-done, fried, or barbequed meats. Further research is needed to clarify the possible role of meats cooked at high temperatures in the development of certain cancers and to determine recommended maximum daily HCA intake.

If you are concerned about HCAs in your food, you can reduce your exposure by varying your cooking methods. For example, microwave meats more often (especially before frying, broiling, or barbecuing) and refrain from making gravy from meat drippings. For more information, ask an expert on Healia Communities.

heterocyclic amines HCAs BBQ foods

Giving your produce a shower prior to consuming is one of the best ways to prevent E. coli infection. A lot of people think that a pre-washed bag of lettuce can go straight into the salad bowl! If this is your thinking, we urge you to reconsider.

Yesterday, a package of Dole salad mix tested positive for E. coli.

The tainted bag of Dole's Hearts Delight salad mix was sold at a store in Canada, officials said. Neither Canadian health officials nor Dole Food Co. have received reports of anyone getting sick from the product.

One simple way to prevent E. coli, recommended by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is to:

 

Wash fruits and vegetables under running water, especially those that will not be cooked. Be aware that bacteria are sticky, so even thorough washing may not remove all contamination. Remove the outer leaves of leafy vegetables.

 

Other things to consider:

• Wash fruit even if it has a peel or rind - touching the rind with your hands or knife can contaminate the fruit inside.
• Don’t use soap – excess soap residue can cause diarrhea and gastrointestinal distress.
• Don’t use chlorine bleach – it is poisonous.
• Don’t be fooled – food contaminated with E. coli may not look or smell spoiled.

Symptoms take a few hours to up to 10 days to appear, and include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever and bloody diarrhea. Potential complications of infection with certain types of E. coli, such as O157:H7, include destruction of red blood cells (hemolytic anemia) and acute kidney failure.

The best thing you can do for your lettuce is to keep it cold until use and shower it with running water!

Visit Healia for more information on E. coli.

 

E. coli fruits and vegetables safe food handling