It's time for the FDA's annual warning about consuming raw flour, since the holiday season is a traditional time for a lot of baking. There have been many outbreaks linked to raw flour and products made with raw flour, such the Salmonella outbreak linked to recalled Gold Medal flour earlier this year, and the E coli outbreak linked to cake mix two years ago. Because it is dry, flour seems so innocuous. But pathogens such as Salmonella and E. coli can easily survive in low water foods. And flour is a raw agricultural product made from raw grains, which means that it can be contaminated with pathogens in the field, during harvest or transport, or during processing. The only thing that makes flour safe to eat is heat. Do not eat any uncooked cookie dough or batter. And do not make … [Read more...]
Store Thanksgiving Leftovers Safely to Stay Healthy
After the holidays, one of the best things is having lots of great leftovers to eat. But you need to store Thanksgiving leftovers safely to stay healthy. Here are some rules to follow from Food Safety.gov. Food safety starts as soon as you take the food out of the oven or the refrigerator to serve it. Make sure that all perishable foods, which include meats, cheeses, cut fruits and vegetables, and casseroles, are put into the fridge or freezer within two hours. That time period shrinks to one hour if the ambient air temperature is above 90°F. Divide the food into smaller portions so it cools quickly. A whole turkey or a large casserole will take too long to cool down, meaning it can stay in the danger zone of 40°F to 140°F too long. In that temperature range, pathogenic bacteria … [Read more...]
Alternate Turkey Preparation Methods From the USDA
The USDA is offering tips on alternate turkey preparation methods for the Thanksgiving holiday. If you choose to prepare turkey other than roasting it in the oven, read carefully to avoid food poisoning or injuries. Whatever method you use, make sure that the turkey reaches 165°F, a temperature that must be read with a reliable and accurate thermometer. First, do not cook the turkey in brown paper bags from the grocery store. That product can emit toxic fumes and may cause a fire. The ink, glue and recycled materials in brown paper bags are especially toxic. Electric Roaster Oven If you choose to use an electric roaster oven, the cooking times and temperatures should be the same as in a conventional oven. But always read the user manual for the manufacturer's instructions. The … [Read more...]
Learn How to Cook Turkey Stuffing Safely From the USDA
Learn how to cook turkey stuffing safely with tips from the USDA. Turkey stuffing is risky because it's a large mass of food cooked inside the bird, so getting the mixture to a safe final internal temperature of 165°F, especially in the center, is tricky. The USDA recommends that you do not cook your stuffing inside of the turkey, especially if your guests fall into groups that are at high risk for serious complications from food poisoning. Put the stuffing, or dressing, into a casserole dish and bake it along with the turkey. The dressing must still reach 165°F, tested with a reliable and accurate food thermometer. If you do decide to stuff the turkey, there are some rules to follow. First, never stuff the turkey ahead of time. Bacteria can multiply and grow in the stuffing … [Read more...]
Safely Thaw Your Thanksgiving Turkey With USDA Tips
Learn yow to safely thaw your Thanksgiving turkey with these timely tips from the USDA. If you bought a frozen turkey, now is the time to start thawing it so it's ready to cook on the big day. It's critical that you learn this fact: never ever thaw your turkey, or any frozen food, at room temperature unless the package specifically states that it's safe to do so. If you thaw meat products, especially, at room temperature, the product will sit at the danger zone of 40°F to 140°F for too long. And bacterial counts double in amount every hour in that temperature range. Since bacteria can produce toxins as they grow that are not destroyed by heat, cooking a contaminated turkey may not make it safe to eat. And you could get sick. The USDA says that one of the most common question … [Read more...]
Should You Buy a Fresh or Frozen Turkey For Thanksgiving?
Should you buy a fresh or frozen turkey for Thanksgiving? That holiday is next week. The USDA has some tips to make sure you have a safe and healthy dinner. Turkeys are sold both fresh and frozen. You can often order the type and size of turkey that you want ahead of time, but if you haven't done this, you need to make some decisions. Food safety is critical at all times, of course, but holiday dinners are special. You may have elderly guests at your dinner, or a pregnant woman, or small children, or someone with a chronic illness or compromised immune system. In that case, you must be very careful to make sure that the food you serve is completely safe to eat. And turkey storage and preparation play a large part in food safety. Here's what the USDA says about which type of … [Read more...]
Consent Decree Against Evig Dietary Supplement Manufacturer
A consent decree of permanent injunction has been entered against Evig LLC, a dietary supplement manufacturer and distributor, along with the company's CEO, and Premium Production LLC and its manager, according to the FDA. These companies produce and market Balance of Nature Products, with false label claims. Those corporations are located in St. George, Utah. The U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, Central Division entered the consent decrees. The FDA has not approved the Balance of Nature products for any use. The company has made claims that its products could be used to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent diseases such as cancer, heart disease, cirrhosis, diabetes, asthma, and COVID-19. And Evig LLC violated current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) … [Read more...]
How Do People Get Sick From Contaminated Pet Food?
Pet food recalls for bacterial contamination are pretty common. And occasionally, there is an outbreak linked to those types of products. Many people wonder, how do people get sick from contaminated pet food? On social media, there are often comments made about people feeding children dog food, or eating it themselves. That is not how these outbreaks happen. Any type of pet food can be contaminated with pathogens. There have been recalls linked to raw frozen pet food, to canned pet food, and to dry kibble. Just like human food, pet food can be contaminated with pathogens like Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. When pets eat contaminated food, several things can happen. The animal may not get sick at all. Or they may become carriers of the pathogen … [Read more...]
FDA Plans to Ban Brominated Vegetable Oil in Food
The FDA plans to ban the use of brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in food, after studies conducted with the National Institutes of Health found the product is potentially dangerous for human consumption. Brominated vegetable oil is a mixture of brominated triglycerides that are made by combining bromine with unsaturated vegetable oils. BVO is authorized for use in small amounts to keep citrus flavoring from separating and floating to the top of some beverages. The FDA took BVO off the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) list in 1970 and began overseeing its use under food additive regulations. Many beverage makers have reformulated their products to replace BVO. Now, few beverages available in the United States contain BVO. Scientists found that the thyroid is a target organ of … [Read more...]
FDA Issues Updated Compliance For Infant Formula
The FDA has issued updated compliance for infant formula after the disastrous shutdown of Abbott Nutrition for cronobacter contamination in 2022 that caused severe shortages. The press release states that, "This effort is part of the FDA's ongoing commitment to strengthen the safety, resiliency, and oversight of the infant formula industry." The FDA released its internal evaluation of the response in 2022. It recommended that the agency review and update its compliance program to make sure it reflected the latest science on Cronobacter, and offered consistency and clarify for manufacturers on inspection and compliance activities. The FDA has published its updated compliance program, which it says builds on the lessons learned over the last several years. Salmonella and … [Read more...]
