Malt-O-Meal's Cereal Recall; How to Prevent Salmonella in Your Kitchen

Malt-O-Meal has voluntarily recalled two of its dry cereals. In a routine check they found that salmonella was present. Both unsweetened Puffed Rice and Puffed Wheat cereals were recalled on April 5th. The same strain of salmonella was found in 23 people in 14 states according to the FDA.

The products will have "Best If Used By" codes between April 8, 2008 (coded as "APR0808") and March 18, 2009 (coded as "MAR1809").

A list of recalls can be found at www.malt-o-meal.com/recallinfo or http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01819.html

Prevent Salmonella in Your Kitchen

Salmonella can be a tough sickness. The symptoms include: diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fever, nausea, and/or vomiting. This is not something that you want to deal with. You cannot prevent companies from making mistakes. But, you can prevent these mistakes in your own household. Protect your family by knowing how to prevent it. A few methods of prevention include:

Washing your hands: after petting animals, handling raw meat, dealing with the sick and using the restroom

Clean all kitchen supplies before and after use.

Clean the sink

Watch for leaking in the fridge.

Cook meats and eggs fully before eating.

Washing hands

Our hands go everywhere and touch everything. Petting the cat, cleaning the floor, and then on our food and in our mouths. They have a lovely protective coating to keep harmful things out but our mouth is made to take things in. Washing our hands is essential.

Washing our hands after petting the dog, cat, especially reptiles, amphibians or birds is even more essential. Animals commonly have feces on their bodies. Most of the time you cannot see any evidence of it. Yes, all animals were made to clean their selves and each other. But, remember that it takes time to clean a coat and they may have missed a spot. Feces can contain salmonella. Simply wash your hands after petting Spot.

Hand washing also needs to be done after handling raw meat and eggs. If you are putting a piece of chicken breast into the skillet or cracking an egg salmonella can get onto your hands. I also wash my hands when touching the outside of the package. We touch the outside of the package when pulling out its continents. This can transfer the salmonella from the chicken to the bag.

Transfer, transfer, transfer

Salmonella can be transferred from one place to another with a simple little touch. If someone is already sick from salmonella then all the liquids has the possibility of containing it. Our own feces can also contain it. We have seen many signs in public telling employees to wash their hands. Washing our hands keeps the sickness from reaching our mouths where it can cause much harm.

Back in the kitchen salmonella can also be transferred. When we cut raw meat with a knife. The salmonella can get onto the knife. If you use that knife to cut an apple and eat it, then you have just put the salmonella right into your mouth. Washing all utensils and even the sink after touching raw meat or raw eggs is important.

Leaking in the fridge

Often the fridge has a meat drawer. This is really handy being that if a piece of raw meat defrosts in the drawer you only need to remove the drawer and clean it. But, if the meat is put onto the top shelf of the fridge and defrosts, then juices can flow down onto other shelves and contaminate other products. I had a turkey on the top shelf once that leaked onto a casserole dish on the next shelf down. The dish had a lid but I threw macaroni in it to the chickens. Eating food that may have been contaminated with raw meat juices is not worth the risk.

Cook that meat

Have you ever sat down to eat a thick piece of BBQ Chicken only to find pink inside. Stop right there. Do not me tempted to eat that meat. No matter how hungry that you are a few more minutes on the fire will not hurt you. Washing your hands and then eating raw meat makes no sense. The salmonella may thank you, but your stomach will not.

Eggs

Raw eggs are another source of salmonella. Cooking them until the yolk is solid is the best solution for preventing any salmonella from eggs. The FDA recommends avoiding homemade eggnog, hollandaise sauce, and undercooked French toast.

Does this seem like a lot to do? Think of sitting on the toilet and holding a trashcan. Which sounds better? Taking a few simple steps will help prevent salmonella in your home.