Eating Dangerously: Why the Government Can't Keep Your Food Safe ... and How You Can by Michael BoothMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Even though I've been aware of food born illness epidemics, I had No Idea the scope of the problem. This book exposes the severely inadequate government oversight of our food supply. Particularly now, the food chain is international... not that our domestic supply is all that safe, but the international situation is downright terrifying. Toward the end of the book, the authors tell you how to best keep from getting sick, disabled, or dead from the food you eat.
I think from now on, I am going to continue, first of all, to grow as much as I can of our food, and also purchase locally more, and I doubt I will buy any food that comes from other countries, perhaps with the exception of bananas. Those really should be washed too, under running tap water and with a brush and patted dry right before you eat them.
One of the things I was unaware of is that you can even get food born illnesses from spices! Makes growing your own herbs even more attractive.
And did you know... you should not cut a piece of fruit in half and store part of it in the fridge to eat later. Sigh...
Anyway, Read This Book. It may very well save your life. About a thousand people die each year in our country from contaminated food.
It won't make you paranoid... just considerably more careful.
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This might be a double comment...my first disappeared. I was wondering what he was saying about not storing a half piece of fruit in fridge.
ReplyDeletePassage from book: "As for the leftovers in your refrigerator, do you wonder how long you can save the manicotti you brought home from your favorite Italian restaurant? How long is too long to keep the rest of the macaroni and cheese your kids had for lunch today? Should you even bother to put shushi in the refrigerator if you don't finish it all at dinner-or should you just throw it away? Your grandmother might tell you to keep leftovers for a week. You've likely heard of families that have leftover night once a week, where everything that didn't get eaten all week is set out for one final smorgasbord. But evolving wisdom on food safety says a week is too long to keep many kinds of leftovers. Advisers are becoming more conservative about how long food should hang around in the refrigerator. Two to four days is the limit-two days for more perishable foods, such as Hollandaise sauce; four days for pasta. Ohio State actually now tells consumers not to hold leftovers more than 3 days, after decades of public health inspector codes using 7 as the standard. "That's controversial," Ohio State's Medeiros acknowledged. But she is unapologetic. "Plan to eat your food. Don't plan to have it sitting around forever." The sushi? Don't even save it. "You enjoy it and you throw it away," says Sarah Klein with the Center for Science in the Public Interest. As for cut fruit, don't save it longer than a day.
DeleteAnathasia, I am not sure what happened to the answer I typed out for you. It was pretty long. Bottom line is, don't keep cut fruit for more than a day. He also said that our "crisper" drawers generally harbor the most bacteria in the refrigerator.
DeleteOh, there it is!
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