| Food poisoning is much more common than it should | | | | The best way to avoid trouble is to rinse everything |
| be. True, it can sometimes be difficult to avoid. | | | | before cooking and/or eating. All soft fruits and lettuce |
| However, for the most part, simple caution and | | | | should be thoroughly rinsed with cold water. Harder |
| attention are all that is needed to minimize the chances | | | | food such as potatoes, melons, and squash should be |
| of any unpleasant results. | | | | gently scrubbed and then rinsed. Produce that is |
| One of the top food poisoning culprits is seafood. | | | | washed properly is perfectly safe to eat raw. |
| Make sure you keep your seafood refrigerated or | | | | However, before rinsing, make sure that your sink is |
| frozen at all times. If seafood is kept at room | | | | clean! If you have just rinsed your Thanksgiving turkey, |
| temperature for even a few hours, it can already | | | | do not immediately scrub your potatoes. Bacteria from |
| begin growing bacteria. Most seafood should be | | | | previously handled foods can sometimes attach to |
| cooked to about 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure it | | | | other foods and objects. Make sure to scour your sink |
| is cooked thoroughly: raw seafood is extremely | | | | with a sanitizing solution. |
| dangerous. | | | | Sanitation of your cooking space and utensils is also |
| The mishandling of meat products can result in E. coli | | | | very important. Never use the same knife for meat |
| or Salmonella poisoning. Whether it is chicken, turkey, or | | | | that you use for produce. The mixing of bacteria, good |
| steak, make sure you thoroughly rinse your meat | | | | or bad, from two separate food products can result in |
| products before cooking. Obviously, it is impossible to | | | | food poisoning. In fact, you can buy color-coordinated |
| rinse ground meats. Therefore, be careful to cook | | | | knife sets that will help you avoid this problem. |
| them properly. Most poultry and beef products should | | | | However, your best bet it to thoroughly wash your |
| be cooked to 145-165 degrees Fahrenheit. Be very | | | | knives after every use. |
| careful if you are cooking for a rare meat lover. Since | | | | You should wash your counters and cutting boards |
| the meat might not be cooked thoroughly, potentially | | | | with a sanitizing solution such as hot water and diluted |
| harmful bacteria may still be active. In fact, many | | | | bleach. You can buy premixed solutions or sanitizing |
| restaurants, in an attempt to avoid lawsuits, refuse to | | | | wipes; however, it is much more cost effective to |
| cook meat rare. | | | | make your own. Read the instructions on the label of |
| Also, Salmonella is often present in raw eggs. Do not | | | | each unique sanitizer. |
| taste that cookie-dough batter, no matter how | | | | These are some potential tips to help avoid food |
| tempting it looks. One moment of pleasure is not worth | | | | poisoning however, I am not a medical practitioner, so |
| several agonizing hours of food poisoning. | | | | you should always consult a medical practitioner for |
| E. coli is present in nearly all raw fruits and vegetables. | | | | health related advice to be sure you are doing the right |
| The bacterium usually comes from fertilizers in the soil. | | | | thing. Avoiding food poisoning should be the number |
| Consequently, only the outside of the fruits and | | | | one priority of every cook. A little extra time and |
| vegetables are affected. The danger comes in only | | | | attention can save everyone a lot of unpleasant |
| when a bacterium from the outside is brought in | | | | trouble. |
| contact with the edible inside. | | | | |