FoodSafety.gov is offering advice about hand washing, now that the holidays are over and cold and flu season is here. Proper hand washing is the most effective way to reduce infection and illness, especially foodborne illness. People often touch their ears, eyes, and noses without even realizing they are doing it. Your hands should be washed … Read more
Today is the 8th annual Global Handwashing Day. This day is to help increase awareness and understanding of hand washing as a way to prevent disease, especially foodborne illness, around the world. In fact, researchers estimate that if everyone around the world routinely washed their hands, a million deaths could be prevented every year. The … Read more
A new study published in the Journal of Food Protection has found that only 48% of consumers wash their hands after handling raw eggs. Eggs can be contaminated with Salmonella bacteria, and that food-pathogen combination sickens thousands of Americans every year. Researchers were from RTI International, Tennessee State University, and Kansas State University. The study was … Read more
Most food poisoning cases happen in the home. Why? Research from Kansas State University finds that 90% of home chefs violate food safety rules, especially rules about hand washing and cross-contamination. Cross-contamiantion happens when hands are not washed after handling raw meats, when cutting boards and utensils are used for fresh foods after coming into … Read more
Today is World Handwashing Day and one of the best ways to celebrate is to wash your hands with soap and running water for as long as it takes you to sing Happy Birthday, twice. Global Handwashing Day was originally created for school-age children but has expanded to include teaching everyone about one of the … Read more
One of the most important tools in the fight against food poisoning is hand washing. Unfortunately, even adults are sometimes lax when it comes to washing hands properly. Kids, who are more susceptible to food borne illness, may need special lessons and prompting about this crucial hygiene issue. Always wash your hands after going to … Read more
During cold, flu and norovirus season it’s important to remember that clean hands are essential when handling or preparing food. The University of Minnesota Extension Service (UMES) has these tips for hand washing for food preparation. These steps are important any time of the year, since clean hands can help prevent outbreaks from everything from hepatitis … Read more
The FDA is taking a closer look at antibacterial soaps. Their issue is with ingredients called triclosan and triclocarbon, chemicals that may act as hormone disruptors. And those ingredients don’t have any proven health benefit; they don’t kill any more bacteria than plain old soap and water. There is no evidence that over the counter … Read more
Handwashing Awareness Week Ends tomorrow, but good handwashing practices shouldn’t. Washing your hands is the best defense against illness and especially important during the winter months which are peak flu and norovirus seasons. Dr. Will Sawyer, a solo family practice doctor, has created the Henry the Hand Foundation to raise awareness about the importance of good handwashing … Read more
Today is Global Handwashing Day! One of the best ways to prevent foodborne illness and other diseases is to thoroughly wash your hands frequently. And correctly. Many people do not wash their hands correctly, which increases your odds for catching the flu, a cold, or a bacterial infection. In fact, 50% of flu cases and … Read more