Keeping Our Food Supply Safe

Food safety is big in the news these days. We hear stories of food recalls and salmonella warnings. Consumers are worried about the produce in our grocery stores and what is being served up in the restaurants. I managed two of our family restaurants for about ten years, and food safety has always been a concern for me.

Unfortunately, even if the food we bring into our homes is safe and untainted, consumers can create their own risks, and end up serving their family members contaminated and potentially dangerous food. How can this happen, and how can we prevent it?

Food borne diseases are normally caused by bacteria. Bacteria, which are microscopic single-cell plants, are not always dangerous. In fact, most bacteria is considered harmless, and for the food industry, not a concern.

There are also beneficial bacteria, which are used to help us make products such as cheese and yogurt. Beneficial bacteria also helps fight off the harmful bacteria in our bodies.

We then come to the undesirable bacteria, which causes our food to spoil. We see the results of this by unpleasant odors, a change of texture, or discoloration. In the food industry there is a saying "when in doubt, throw it out". While this might seem like a wasteful practice, it is far better than getting sick from eating spoiled food.

Disease causing bacteria is a special concern for those in the food industry, and in our homes. Since bacteria doesn't move around by itself, there has to be a way that it gets on your food. In the home, it is often the consumer who contaminates the family's food. This can be done by coughing, sneezes, failure to wash your hands, or using contaminated utensils. Perhaps you are washing your vegetables in tainted water, or rodents or insects are getting to your food supply. All of these things can introduce disease causing bacteria to the food that feeds your family.

Once this harmful bacteria is introduced to your food, it can more than double in number, every half hour. This means that one bacteria cell can grow to a million in just six hours.

In the state I reside, restaurant employees are required to take food handling courses, to educate them on healthful food handling practices. Our kitchens at home also need to implement safe food handling practices.

Always wash your hands before handling food. Only use kitchen utensils that have been sanitized. Don't cross contaminate food, such as touching or using the same knife on raw meat, and then touching your uncooked vegetables or salads.

If you own an indoor cat, sanitize your counter and work area before preparing your meal. You may think your cat doesn't jump on the counters, but you have no idea what he was doing while you were sleeping, and you do know how he uses his paws in the litter box.

Don't leave raw food out in a warm environment. Bacteria thrives in temperatures between 45 degrees to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Before reserving leftover soup or gravy, bring to a boil.

While we can't control the food supply to our grocery store, we have the responsibility to keep our family's food supply safe, once it enters our home.