Bacon Day - Food Safety and Nutrition

Bacon Day celebrations typically include social gatherings during which participants create and consume dishes containing bacon, including bacon-themed breakfasts, lunches, dinners, desserts, and drinks.

It's the "B" in a BLT sandwich, the star of breakfast buffets, the garnish on a spinach salad, and the "pork" in pork-and-beans. Bacon imparts a smoky flavor to many dishes. This ancient, cured meat now appears in such modern forms as shelf-stable or refrigerated fully cooked strips, bacon made from turkey and/or beef, and meats certified as organic.

The term "bacon" is used to describe the cured belly of a swine (hog) carcass. If meat from other portions of the carcass is used, the product name must identify the portions where the bacon comes from, e.g., "Pork Shoulder Bacon." Bacon is generally produced from young animals (6 to 7 months old) that weigh between 175 to 240 pounds.

Bacon and Food Safety

Bacon is made with salt as a curing agent, and nitrite (but not nitrate) is the other most frequently used additive. Bacon may also contain other additives such as sugars, maple sugar, wood smoke, flavorings, and spices.

Under certain conditions not yet fully understood, the products from the natural breakdown of proteins known as "amines" can combine with nitrites to form compounds known as "nitrosamines." There are many different types of nitrosamines, most of which are known carcinogens in test animals.

Not all cured meat products contain nitrosamines; however, when present, they usually are in very minute amounts. Many variables influence nitrosamine levels: amount of nitrite added during processing, concentrations of amines in meat, type and amounts of other ingredients used in processing, actual processing conditions, length of storage, storage temperatures, method of cooking, and degree of doneness.

Researchers at the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) found that the addition of vitamin C (ascorbate) and vitamin E (tocopherol) reduced the levels of nitrosamines in fried bacon and in nitrite-cured products. The findings led to changes in Federal regulations and industry processing to minimize consumer exposure to nitrosamines. USDA now requires adding 550 ppm (parts per million) of either sodium ascorbate or sodium erythorbate to pumped bacon. This addition greatly reduces the amount of free nitrite and, thus, minimizes the formation of nitrosamines. This regulation is found in 9 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 424.22 (b)(1).

Nutrition Information

BLT Sandwich

References

1. Wikipedia, List of bacon dishes
2. Eat Right Chicago, Is Everything Really ‘Better with Bacon?’
3. USDA, Bacon and Food Safety

An educated consumer has the knowledge to make healthy choices - Choose Moderation.

 

National Handwashing Awareness Month Resources

A Guide to Handwashing

Will Sawyer, MD, is a Family Physician and the creator of the Henry the Hand Foundation and Henry the Hand Champion Handwasher.

Goal: To improve health by making us more aware of our hands' role in spreading disease.

Mission: To propagate Henry the Hand's 4 Principles of Hand Awareness throughout the United States and the world!
1. WASH your hands when they are dirty and BEFORE eating.
2. DO NOT cough into your hands.
3. DO NOT sneeze into your hands.
4. Above all, DO NOT put your fingers into your eyes, nose, or mouth!

Henry the Hand Champion
Handwashing School Visit

Dr. Will has created a wonderful website for children and educators. The site contains posters, coloring books, school programs, tips on Food Safety, and a lot more. Visit Henry the Handwashing Champion.

Why Handwashing with Soap?

Handwashing with soap is the most effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrheal and acute respiratory infections, which take the lives of millions of children in developing countries every year. Together, they are responsible for the majority of all child deaths. Yet, despite its lifesaving potential, handwashing with soap is seldom practiced and difficult to promote.

Turning handwashing with soap before eating and after using the toilet into a habit could save more lives than any single vaccine or medical intervention, cutting deaths from diarrhea by almost half and deaths from acute respiratory infections by one-quarter. A vast change in handwashing behavior is critical to meeting the Millennium Development Goal of reducing deaths among children under five by two-thirds by 2015.

Global Handwashing Day focuses on children because they suffer the most from diarrheal and respiratory diseases and deaths. Still, research shows that children can also be powerful agents for changing behaviors like handwashing with soap in their communities.

When should you wash your hands?
·         Before, during, and after preparing food
·         Before eating food
·         Before and after caring for someone who is sick
·         Before and after treating a cut or wound
·         After using the toilet
·         After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has               used the toilet
·         After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
·         After touching an animal or animal waste
·         After touching garbage

It's In Your Hands

Resources and References

1. CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives

2. Global Handwashing Day

3. Partnership for Food Safety Education, Fight BAC!

4. The Scrub Club. A fun, interactive, and educational Website that teaches children how to wash their hands properly. The site contains interactive games, educational music, downloadable activities for kids, educational materials for teachers, and program information for parents.

5. Healthy Schools, Healthy People, It’s a SNAP! (School Network for Absenteeism Prevention) program is a joint initiative of the CDC and the American Cleaning Institute. This program seeks to improve hand hygiene habits to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases and reduce related absenteeism. This grassroots, education-based effort can help improve health by making hand cleaning an integral part of the school day. Without proper hand cleaning, a single infection can quickly spread among students, teachers, family, and friends.

   

Salmonella and Food

Salmonella and Food

You may know that Salmonella can contaminate poultry and eggs, but it also sneaks its way into many other foods. Learn what you can do to make your food safer to eat.

Salmonella is a bacteria that commonly causes foodborne illness, sometimes called “food poisoning.” CDC estimates Salmonella causes 1 million foodborne illnesses every year in the United States. During the past few years, outbreaks of Salmonella illness have been linked to contaminated cucumbers, chicken, eggs, pistachios, raw tuna, sprouts, and many other foods.

Five Facts That May Surprise You

Don’t let Salmonella make you or your loved ones sick. Learn these five facts – and tips for lowering your chance of getting a Salmonella infection.

Do I have a Salmonella infection?

Contact your doctor or healthcare provider if you have:
Diarrhea and a fever over 101.5°F.
Diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not improving.
Bloody stools.
Prolonged vomiting that prevents you from keeping liquids down.
Signs of dehydration, such as:
Making very little urine.
Dry mouth and throat.
Dizziness when standing up.

You can get a Salmonella infection from a variety of foods. Salmonella can be found in many foods including beef, poultry, eggs, fruits, pork, sprouts, vegetables, and even processed foods, such as nuts, frozen pot pies, chicken nuggets, and stuffed chicken entrees. When you eat food that is contaminated with Salmonella, it can make you sick. Contaminated foods usually look and smell normal, which is why it is important to know how to prevent Salmonella infection.

Salmonella illness is more common in the summer. Warmer weather and unrefrigerated foods create ideal conditions for Salmonella to grow. Be sure to refrigerate or freeze perishables (foods likely to spoil or go bad quickly), prepared foods, and leftovers within 2 hours. Chill them within 1 hour if the temperature is 90°F or hotter.

Salmonella illness can be serious and is more dangerous for certain people. Symptoms of infection usually appear 6–48 hours after eating a contaminated food but can take much longer. These symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. In most cases, the illness lasts 4–7 days without antibiotic treatment. Some people may have severe diarrhea and need to be hospitalized. Anyone can get a Salmonella infection, but some groups are more likely to develop a serious illness: older adults, children younger than 5, and people with immune systems weakened from medical conditions, such as diabetes, liver or kidney disease, and cancer or their treatment.

Salmonella causes far more illnesses than you might suspect. For every one case of Salmonella illness confirmed by laboratory tests, there are about 30 more cases of Salmonella illnesses that are not Most people who get food poisoning usually do not go to the doctor or submit a sample to a laboratory, so we never learn what germ made them sick.

To avoid Salmonella, you should not eat raw eggs or eggs that have runny whites or yolks. Salmonella can contaminate eggs, even perfectly normal-looking ones. But these eggs can make you sick, especially if they are raw or lightly cooked. Eggs are safe when you cook and handle them properly.   Check Your Steps

Remember to follow the Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill guidelines to help keep you and your family safe from food poisoning. Be especially careful to follow the guidelines when preparing food for young children, pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems, and older adults.

Clean
Wash hands with warm, soapy water for 20 seconds before and after handling uncooked eggs, or raw meat, poultry, and seafood and their juices.

Wash utensils, cutting boards, dishes, and countertops with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item and before you go on to prepare the next item.

Don’t wash raw poultry, meat, and eggs before cooking. Germs can spread to other foods, utensils, and surfaces.

Sanitize food contact surfaces with a freshly made solution of one tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach in one gallon of water.

Separate
Keep raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs separate from other foods in your grocery cart and in your refrigerator.

Keep eggs in the original carton and store them in the main part of the refrigerator, not in the door.

Keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood separate from ready-to-eat foods, such as salads and deli meat.

Use separate cutting boards and plates for produce and for raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs.

Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs.

Cook
Use a food thermometer to ensure that foods are cooked to a safe internal temperature:
145°F for beef, veal, lamb, and fish (let the meat rest for 3 minutes before carving or eating)
145°F for pork and ham (let the meat rest for 3 minutes before carving or eating)
160°F for ground beef, ground pork, ground veal, and ground lamb
160°F for egg dishes
165°F for poultry (chicken, turkey, duck), including ground chicken and ground turkey
165°F for casseroles
Microwave food to 165°F or above.

Chill
Keep your refrigerator at 40°F or colder.
Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared foods, and leftovers within 2 hours (or 1 hour if the temperature is 90°F or hotter).

Haunted Refrigerator Night - Food Safety

Resource and Reference
1. Partnership for Food Safety Education, BAC. 
2. FoodSafety.gov

August 13, National Filet Mignon Day - Nutrition Profile, Recipes and Food Safety

Filet mignon is a steak cut of beef taken from the smaller end of the tenderloin. In French, this cut can also be called filet de bœuf, which translates in English to beef fillet. When found on a menu in France, filet mignon generally refers to pork rather than beef.

Some butchers in the United States label all types of tenderloin steaks "filet mignon." In fact, the shape of the true filet mignon may be a deterrent when cooking, so most restaurants sell steaks from the wider end of the tenderloin - it is less expensive and much more presentable.

The tenderloin is the most tender cut of beef and is also the most desirable and therefore the most expensive. The average steer or heifer provides no more than 500 grams of filet mignon. Because the muscle is not weight-bearing, it contains less connective tissue, which makes it tender. However, it is generally not as flavorful as some other cuts of beef and is often wrapped in bacon to enhance flavor, and/or is served with a sauce.

Preparation

Filet mignon may be cut into 1- to 2-inch-thick portions, then grilled and served as-is. One also may find filet mignon in stores already cut into portions and wrapped with bacon. High heat is the usual method for cooking the filet mignon, either grilling, pan frying, broiling, or roasting. Traditionally in European and American restaurants, fillets are most often served in a cognac cream sauce, au poivre with peppercorns, or in a red wine reduction.

Bacon is often used in cooking filet mignon because of the low levels of fat found in the cut, as fillets have low levels of marbling, or intramuscular fat. Bacon is wrapped around the fillet and pinned closed with a wooden toothpick. This adds flavor and keeps the fillet from drying out during the cooking process.

Traditional cooking calls for the filet mignon to be seared on each side using intense heat for a short time and then transferred to a lower heat to cook the meat all the way through. Filet mignon is often served rarer than other meats. Those preferring a more well-done steak can request a "butterflied" filet, meaning that the meat is cut down the middle and opened up to expose more of it to heat during the cooking process. Cook to an internal temperature of at least 145° F.

Nutrition Information

References

1. Wikipedia, Filet Mignon
2. Food Network, Filet Mignon Recipes
3. About.com, What is a filet mignon?
4. Consumer Reports, 6 food safety tips for your summer cookout

5. Exploring the World of Healthy Cooking, Our Mobb

  

National Tailgating Day - Food Safety Advice from the USDA

Tailgate Parties Food Safety Advice From USDA

A tailgate party is a social event held on and around the open tailgate of a vehicle. Tailgating, which originated in the United States, often involves consuming alcoholic beverages and grilling food. Tailgate parties occur in the parking lots at stadiums and arenas, before and occasionally after games and concerts. People attending such a party are said to be 'tailgating'. Many people participate even if their vehicles do not have tailgates. Tailgate parties also involve people bringing their own alcoholic beverages, barbecues, food etc. which is sampled and shared among fans attending the tailgate. Tailgates are intended to be non-commercial events, so selling items to the fans is frowned upon.

Tailgate parties have spread to the pre-game festivities at sporting events besides football, such as basketball, hockey, soccer, and baseball, and also occur at non-sporting events such as weddings, barbecues, and concerts

Back to School Food Safety

Preparing for the first day of school this weekend? As you’re making your way through those long back to school shopping lists, don’t forget these FoodSafety essentials: 

• Insulated lunchboxes
• Gel/ice packs
• Hand sanitizer/hand wipes 

Tips to Keep Your Kids Healthy

Resources
1. Back to School Toolkit to Prevent Foodborne Illness, USDA

July 10, Teddy Bear Picnic Day Even Teddy Bears Practice Food Safety

Before you begin setting out your picnic feast, make sure hands and surfaces are clean. 

Place cold food in a cooler with ice or frozen gel packs. Cold food should be stored at 40°F or below to prevent bacterial growth. Meat, poultry, and seafood should be packed while still frozen so that they stay colder longer.

Pack beverages in one cooler and perishable foods in another. This will prevent perishable foods from being exposed to warm outdoor temperatures. 

Limit the number of times the cooler is opened so as to keep the contents cold longer.

Be sure to keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood securely wrapped. This keeps their juices from contaminating prepared and cooked foods or foods that will be eaten raw, such as fruits and vegetables. 

Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running tap water before packing them in the cooler.  

For more food safety tips, visit 

http://www.fightbac.org

http://homefoodsafety.org  

Memorial Day Traditions and Safety

Memorial Day Weekend Food Safety

visit www.fightbac.org

and Home Food Safety

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.  Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries and memorials of soldiers who lost their lives protecting our freedoms.  On Memorial Day the flag is raised briskly to the top of the staff and then solemnly lowered to the half-staff position, where it remains until noon. It is then raised to full-staff for the remainder of the day. At 3 p.m. local time, a national moment of remembrance takes place.

Memorial Day often marks the start of the summer vacation season. Families gather together for a long weekend marked by barbecuing, fireworks, and trips to the beach. This is an important time to remember food safety practices.

USDA Joins Grill Sergeants For Safe BBQ Advice

National Park Week - Food Safety

National Park Week is America's largest celebration of national heritage. It's about making great connections, exploring amazing places, discovering open spaces, enjoying affordable vacations, and enhancing America’s best idea—the national parks! It's all happening in your national parks. The National Park Service is once again partnering with the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America's national parks, to present National Park Week.

visit www.fightbac.org

National Picnic Day - Food Safety

Picnic Food Safety

Before you begin setting out your picnic feast, make sure hands and surfaces are clean.

Place cold food in a cooler with ice or frozen gel packs. Cold food should be stored at 40°F or below to prevent bacterial growth. Meat, poultry, and seafood should be packed while still frozen so that they stay colder longer.

Pack beverages in one cooler and perishable foods in another. This will prevent the perishable foods from being exposed to warm outdoor temperatures.

Limit the number of times the cooler is opened so as to keep the contents cold longer.

Be sure to keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood securely wrapped. This keeps their juices from contaminating prepared and cooked foods or foods that will be eaten raw, such as fruits and vegetables.

Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running tap water before packing them in the cooler.

For more food safety tips, visit 

http://www.fightbac.org

Egg Salad Week - Food Safety and Recipes

Egg Salad Week (the week after Easter). Dedicated to the many delicious uses for all of the Easter eggs that have been cooked, colored, hidden, and found.

Food Safety
If you plan to eat the Easter eggs you decorate, be sure to use only food-grade dye. (Some people make two sets of eggs - one for decorating and hiding, another for eating. Others use plastic eggs for hiding.) For an Easter egg hunt, avoid cracking the eggshells. If the shells crack then bacteria could enter and contaminate the egg inside. Also, hide eggs in places that are protected from dirt, pets, and other bacteria sources and keep hard-cooked eggs chilled in the refrigerator until just before the hunt. The total time for hiding and hunting eggs should be no more than two hours. Then be sure to refrigerate the "found" eggs right away until you eat them. Eggs found hours later or the next day should be thrown out — not eaten! 

When shell eggs are hard-cooked, the protective coating is washed away, leaving open pores in the shell where harmful bacteria could enter. Be sure to refrigerate eggs within two hours of cooking and use them within a week. Check your refrigerator temperature with an appliance thermometer and adjust the refrigerator temperature to 40°F (Fahrenheit) or below. 

Egg Salad Sandwich with Spinach and Tomato

INGREDIENTS

1 hard-cooked egg and 1 hard-cooked egg white. chopped

1 tablespoon 0% plain Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon light mayonnaise

2 tablespoons chopped celery

2 tablespoons chopped onion

ground black pepper

garlic powder

1/2 cup fresh baby spinach

2 slices tomato

1 whole-grain bread

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, combine the eggs, yogurt, mayo, celery, and onion. Add the pepper and garlic powder to taste. Place the egg salad, spinach, and tomato on a slice of whole-grain bread.

Resources
1. Egg Salad, Lightened Up. Egg salad can be high in fat, cholesterol, and calories but with a few simple tweaks, you can make light and delicious versions of this comfort food classic. Dana Angelo White #RDN

National Clean Off Your Desk Day Desktop Dining Poses Food Poisoning Risk

CHICAGO – A whopping 83 percent of Americans typically desktop dine in an effort to save time and money, but not practicing proper food safety at the office could end up costing them both. When it comes to protecting themselves against foodborne illnesses, many professionals are still "out to lunch."

According to a survey by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and ConAgra Foods' Home Food Safety program, a majority of Americans continue to eat lunch (62 percent) and snack throughout the day (50 percent) at their desks, while 27 percent typically find breakfast the first thing on their desktop to-do list. Late nights at the office even leave a small percentage (4 percent) dining at their desktop for dinner.

"For many people, multitasking through lunch is part of the average workday," says registered dietitian and Academy Spokesperson Toby Smithson. "While shorter lunch hours may result in getting more accomplished, they could also be causing workers to log additional sick days, as desktops hide bacteria that can lead to foodborne illness."
Top of the Workplace To-Do List – Washing Hands and Surfaces

Only half of all Americans say they always wash their hands before eating lunch. In order to reduce the risk of foodborne illness, Smithson recommends washing your hands before and after handling food with soap and warm water and keeping your desk stocked with moist towelettes or hand sanitizer for those times you can't get to the sink. "A clean desktop and hands are your best defense to avoid foodborne illnesses at the office," she says.

According to the Home Food Safety survey, only 36 percent of respondents clean their work areas—desktop, keyboard, mouse—weekly and 64 percent do so only once a month or less. A study updated in 2007 by the University of Arizona found the average desktop has 100 times more bacteria than a kitchen table and 400 times more than the average toilet seat. "Treat your desktop like you would your kitchen table and counters at home," says Smithson. "Clean all surfaces, whether at home or work, before you prepare or eat food on them."

Forget the Watercooler, Gather Around the Refrigerator

Even though virtually all workplaces now have a refrigerator, only 67 percent of those surveyed say it is where they store their lunch. Frighteningly though, approximately one in five people admit they don't know if it is ever cleaned or say it is rarely or never cleaned. Smithson recommends not only cleaning the office refrigerator but also using a refrigerator thermometer to ensure food is safely stored below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

When it comes to safe refrigeration of lunches, perishable foods need to be refrigerated within two hours (one hour if the temperature is greater than 90 degrees Fahrenheit) from when it was removed from the refrigerator at home. However, survey results show that 49 percent admit to letting perishable food sit out for three or more hours, meaning foods may have begun to spoil before the first bite.

Microwave Continuing Education

Besides a refrigerator, nearly all office kitchens also have a microwave oven (97 percent), making leftovers and frozen meals easy, quick and inexpensive lunch options. It is crucial to follow the microwave cooking instructions on the package closely when cooking prepared food in the microwave.

Microwave ovens can cook unevenly and leave cold spots, where harmful bacteria can survive. The recommended way to ensure that food is cooked to the correct temperature, thereby eliminating any harmful bacteria that may be present, is to use a food thermometer. Re-heat all leftovers to the proper temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

"Food safety is very important, whether at home or at work. Simple things like washing your hands before preparing food and following microwave cooking instructions can really go a long way," said Joan Menke-Schaenzer, chief global quality officer, ConAgra Foods.

*HealthFocus International conducted the home food safety survey in April 2011 for the Academy and ConAgra Foods through an online survey of a random sample of 2,191 full-time employees, both men, and women, who work at a desk. The sample was chosen to closely match U.S. population demographics.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. The Academy is committed to improving the nation's health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education, and advocacy. Visit the Academy at www.eatright.org.

Resource
Today’s Dietitian, New Survey Finds Desktop Dining Poses Food Poisoning Risk

September Food, Nutrition, and Health Events

Current News, Resources and Events in Nutrition, Food, Health, Environment, Safety, and Disability Rights. Encourages awareness and inspires ideas for Journalists, Educators, Consumers and Health Professionals. Wellness News is updated daily and includes weekly and daily events. To view the entire Newsletter online click here.

September Health, Nutrition, and Food Events

 

September Events, Celebrations and Resources Weekly and Daily Events can be found in the Wellness Newsletter.

 Hunger Action Month

National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

     National Food Safety Education Month

September Food Events and Celebrations

Fruit and Veggies - More Matters Month

     Better Breakfast Month 

America on the Move
Go Wild During California Wild Rice Month
Great American Low-Cholesterol,
Low-Fat Pizza Bake Month
Family Meal Month
National Biscuit Month
National Chicken Month

National Cholesterol Education Month
National Coupon Month
National Ethnic Foods Month
National Honey Month
National Mushroom Month
National Organic Harvest Month
National Papaya Month
National Potato Month
National Prime Beef Month
National Rice Month
Whole Grains Month
National Yoga Month
Healthy Aging Month
Mold Awareness Month
Sports and Home Eye Health & Safety Month
Backpack Safety America Month
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Month
Baby Safety Month
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
Gynecology Cancer Awareness Month
National Recovery Month
National Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month
National DNA, Genomics, & Stem Cell Education Month
National Menopause Awareness Month
National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
National Sickle Cell Awareness Month
National Skin Care Awareness Month
Newborn Screening Awareness Month
Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month
National Preparedness Month
Be Kind to Editors and Writers Month
International Update Your Resume Month
Responsible Dog Ownership Month