With so many reports in the news media about the dangers associated with certain food ingredients and packaging materials, the public is now understandably suspicious and distrustful of what they eat, according to a food-safety expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. (more)
Pennsylvania supermarkets in coming years will continue to purchase fresh produce from local growers but increasingly will require them to show proof of employing good agricultural practices, or GAPS, according to a study by researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
For Pennsylvania growers to maintain wholesale market opportunities, they will have to put forth substantial effort to comply with and verify their on-farm, food-safety practices, the study concluded. (more)
Whether you call it "pink slime" or lean, finely textured beef, you can call it a much-maligned product at the heart of an emotional controversy fueled by misinformation, according to a meat expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. The stuff made headlines recently when it was reported that the federal government plans to buy ground beef that contains the product, also known as LFTB, in the coming year for use in the national school lunch program's beef products. After a newspaper broke the story, a national furor erupted, and "pink slime" became the most searched topic on the Internet. (more)
The leading cause of foodborne disease is wreaking havoc this winter, according to a food-safety expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, who says people should try to limit their exposure to Norovirus and try to minimize its spread.
In February alone, Norovirus caused more than 200 attendees at a cheerleader camp in Washington state to become ill. In St. Maarten, a cruise ship returned to port as 31 were afflicted. In Virginia, an elementary school was closed because so many students were sick. And in New Jersey, more than 400 college students became ill at three universities in the same county. (more)
It seems that hardly a week goes by without another reported case of some food being blamed for causing people to get sick. While it is unlikely that we can completely eliminate the risk of foodborne illness, we can certainly identify a few food items that pose a higher risk of making us ill and avoid them, advises a food-safety expert with Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
As consumers, we start to ask whether any foods are safe to eat. (more)
In light of all of the recent reports of foodborne illness, it is important to remember the fundamentals of food safety when you are preparing food during the holidays, according to an expert in Penn State's College Agricultural Sciences.
Consumers can do a lot to protect themselves and their guests from contracting foodborne illness, noted Martin Bucknavage, extension food-safety specialist.
"There are plenty of activities occurring during the holiday season, so it's important that extra attention is paid to controlling food pathogens that may be present on raw foods -- Salmonella on raw turkey meat for example -- or that can make their way onto food from infected food handlers," he said. (more)
Extreme couponing is becoming the hot trend for people looking to cut their food costs, but it can lead to increased waste, according to a food-safety expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, who offers some savvy tips to save money in the long run. (more)
Listeriosis outbreaks like the current one traced to Colorado cantaloupes are extremely rare, according to a farm food-safety expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. But Luke LaBorde, associate professor of food science, worries that melons present a heightened risk for spreading food-borne illnesses. Listeria normally is associated with animal products such as hotdogs, ready-to-eat deli meats and raw milk, although outbreaks linked to fruits and vegetables are not unheard of. The current listeria poisoning blamed on cantaloupe now ranks as the third deadliest outbreak in U.S. history. (more)
After floods strike, people try to salvage what they can from their affected homes, shops and gardens. However, they should play it safe when it comes to food, according to a food-safety expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. Flood waters can carry a wide variety of hazardous materials -- everything from poisonous chemicals to pathogenic bacteria, noted Martin Bucknavage, extension food-safety specialist. It can contaminate every food item it touches. "Never eat food that has come into contact with flood waters," he said. "Even food in jars with screw-cap lids should be thrown out because materials can get under the lid area and can be very difficult to clean. It is never worth the risk of trying to salvage a jar of relish or a bottle of ketchup." (more)
As officials track a recent Salmonella outbreak from ground turkey, consumers can take some simple precautions to protect their families, advises a food-safety expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. The most important tip is to acquire a food thermometer and use it when you cook burgers -- whether they are made from ground poultry or ground beef. "It's really that simple," said Martin Bucknavage, extension food-safety specialist. "It is critically important that consumers realize that anytime they prepare any type of raw-meat product, it must be cooked to the correct temperature. And whether cooking whole turkey or ground turkey, the proper cooking temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit." (more)
