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INTELLIGENCER JOURNAL (Lancaster, Pa.)

Food Safety 101

This past fall, Dole Fresh Vegetables, a division of the Dole Food Company, Inc. voluntarily recalled 250,000 bags of lettuce when Minnesota consumers became ill after an outbreak of Escherichia coli 0157:H7, one of a number of harmful bacteria that may contaminate our foods.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) foodborne diseases cause an estimated 76 million illness, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths in the United States each year.

In fact, Americans have the safest food supply in the world and breakdowns such as this are extremely rare. Indeed, by far the majority of cases of foodborne illness are caused by cross-contamination, inadequate cooking temperatures, and poor personal hygiene in home kitchens.

Nevertheless, the Dole experience reminds us that harmful bacteria can contaminate fruits and vegetables prior to purchasing. There are steps we consumers can take, however, to reduce our risk of illness.

Nancy Wiker, M.Ed., Extension educator, Family Living, Penn State Cooperative Extension Office in Lancaster County, says consumers should wash produce before serving.

"Washing food is especially important when we are serving small children, the elderly, expectant mothers, and those who are immunocompromised or have a chronic disease such as diabetes," Wiker said.

Wiker recommends washing baby carrots and peeling apples before giving them to youngsters.

"I even recommend washing bananas before peeling. Lots of times it's what we have on our hands that can contaminate food."

Consumers understand that harmful bacteria may be present in raw ground beef. That's why we must cook hamburgers thoroughly (at least 160 degrees F.) to kill any disease-carrying bacteria.

We don't think about the same bacteria being on our produce. On rare occasions, however, they can. The greatest offenders are lettuce, green onions, melons (especially cantaloupes), tomatoes, and sprouts.

"About 19,000 people got sick in Canada recently from eating raw alfalfa sprouts," said Luke LaBorde, Ph.D., associate professor of food science at Penn State, who suggests that you cook your sprouts. "There are all sorts of ways sprouts can get contaminated."

According to LaBorde, ordinary E. coli is not harmful. It's in our gut and it's good and we need it. A deadly variant called E. coli 0157:H7, however, which comes from the intestinal track of animals, can cause Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, resulting in kidney failure.

"In an orchard, for example, you can have deer that pass through, or cattle, or even birds. And contamination from manure can occur. It only takes a few cells to get someone sick."

Unpasteurized cider, fruit juices, and raw milk have had problems too, he explained. There was a recent outbreak in Washington State with raw milk, for example. But many people are opposed to heating milk and juices, because they think foods are healthier raw.

"There isn't any scientific data to support that view, but that's their feeling. If food is not cooked or treated by pasteurization, however, and something harmful is there, it's going to stay there."

Food safety is becoming a bigger and bigger issue, because people are eating more fruits and vegetables. Produce is handled more too, so if something goes wrong, the problem is amplified through the handling and distribution process.

"While as many as one-third of the population get sick each year from some foodborne illness, it usually can be traced back to someone's kitchen," LaBorde said. "It's not anything that can be traced back to the supplier.

"Government agencies and many food stores routinely conduct rigorous inspections of food establishments for conformance to food safety and sanitation standards all the way from field to fork."

Food Safety Tips

When you shop
• Choose grocers and growers who take safety seriously.
• Ask organic growers if they fertilize with raw manure. If they do, don't buy food.
• Separate food in your cart. Buy meats last and put them on the bottom. Put produce on top.
• Bag meats separately, so juices from meats and poultry cannot drip onto lunchmeat and produce.
• Unpack your car quickly; refrigerate perishables immediately.

In the kitchen
• Wash your hands for 20 seconds with hot soapy water before handling food.
• Keep your refrigerator cold (between 37 - 39 degrees F.). Use a thermometer.
• Don't keep food too long.
• Wash even pre-washed fruits and vegetables under plain running tap water (don't add soap or bleach).
• Wash before serving, not when you get home from shopping.
• Discard bruised portions.
• Keep cold foods cold; hot foods hot.
• Invest in several cutting boards to avoid accidental cross contamination. Keep a red one for meats, a green one for salads.
• Scrub boards frequently with hot soapy water.

SOURCE: Nancy Wiker, M.Ed. and Luke LaBorde, Ph.D.

Learn More about Food Safety
• Lancaster County Extension Office: http://lancaster.extension.psu.edu/Nutrition/FoodSafety.htm

• Penn State: http://foodsafety.cas.psu.edu/

• USDA:  http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2005/051212.htm