Guest guest Posted December 31, 2007 Report Share Posted December 31, 2007 hi i haven't been very active lately as i work FT now, but felt i needed to respond to this. If what i have to say bothers you, don't bite my head off simply hit your delete button. =-) " brought her digital meat thermometer, a gadget she uses to assess whether the treats prepared at the holiday potluck were thoroughly cooked." This is a bit over the top. I work in food service (for a world wide service company) in a college cafeteria that feeds between 500 and 1000 students per meal. This is what i have found to be true thru my experience the last couple of months plus personal experience. From the time chicken or whatever meat is being served is pulled off the grill or out of the oven, if it is anything but a large hunk of meat. it will start to cool. Chix breast can register 170° F when pulled from the oven but as long as it is at 140° or higher holding temp it is fine. Temping the meat at serving time won't give you an accurate cooking temp. it will only tell you if you are holding at a proper temp. and the number of hands they imagine may have handled a piece of fruit en route to their dinner plate Policy in our kitchen and of this company and is followed by the salad ladies (and everyone else), is that ready to eat food is handled with gloved hands. A gizmo called the SensorFreshQ Freshness Meter promises to measure the bacterial population of a piece of food, giving its user a reading of "fresh!", "still fresh! (eat soon)," or "freshness not assured". Give me a break. That is like sticking a gismo probe into a hot pepper and waiting for it to register mild, medium or 5-alarm hot! skeptic - yes. And a small circular timer called 'DaysAgo' tracks how long food has been in your refrigerator or cupboard. Attached with magnets suction cups and elastic bands, the timer is started when a product has been opened for the first time, its digital screen recording how many hours and days it has been since the food was first used. Sold in packs of two for $10 (US) DaysAgo was named by Good Housekeeping as one of the best household products of 2007. Please, give me a break. our rule of thumb at work is four days in the cooler, then dump it. When I had my state licensed catering kitchen, my health inspector told me up to seven days. A Sharpie marker and a piece of masking tape will do the same thing. and is less expensive. especially at home. Plus it has multiple uses. At work we use day stickers (Mon, Tues, Wed, etc) or dote stickers. I don't know how these DaysAgo timers are supposed to be cleaned but if it isn't done properly, I would think that too can introduce bacteria in to otherwise clean food. thanks ro The new picky eater Food safety connoisseurs are using a range of gadgets to monitor what they consume, how it's prepared, and how it's stored Most of the guests at a Cambridge Ont. Christmass party this month arrived bearing baked goods and holiday cheer. brought her digital meat thermometer, a gadget she uses to assess whether the treats prepared at the holiday potluck were thoroughly cooked. As the executive director of the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education, Ms does not regard her behaviour as extreme, or even unusual, but a necessary step in the constant battle against food-borne illness. "I can't afford to get food poisoning," she said last week. I wash my hands and brush my teeth because I know that's the right thing to do. And usually a meat thermometer is part of a healthy lifestyle." More people are following the lead of Ms and other food safety experts, engaging in heightened surveillance of the food they eat, how it has been prepared and where it has been stored. Today's food-safety connoisseurs do not count calories, but the number of days leftovers have been in the `fridge, the temperature of a steak's core, and the number of hands they imagine may have handled a piece of fruit en route to their dinner plate. And they are aided by a range of new gadgets that allow them to treat their kitchen like culinary laboratories under bacteria lockdowns. A product called Vacu-seal sucks the air out of plastic bags, leaving leftovers airtight so they can be frozen for future use. A gizmo called the SensorFreshQ Freshness Meter promises to measure the bacterial population of a piece of food, giving its user a reading of "fresh!", "still fresh! (eat soon)," or "freshness not assured". And a small circular timer called 'DaysAgo' tracks how long food has been in your refrigerator or cupboard. Attached with magnets suction cups and elastic bands, the timer is started when a product has been opened for the first time, its digital screen recording how many hours and days it has been since the food was first used. Sold in packs of two for $10 (US) DaysAgo was named by Good Housekeeping as one of the best household products of 2007. Kathleen Whitehurst, one of the creators of DaysAgo, believes the product has taken off because people have become more conscientious about what they are eating and associate fresh food with health food. "It's got to do with health and that more people are buying organic food, things that do spoil quicker," she said. "They're not buying stuff that has a lot of preservatives in it." But is it really dangerous to eat things that have been in the refrigerator for a few days? Once a food product is opened it is usually good for just two days, according to Ms , whose organization posts recommended storage periods on its website < canfightbac.org > She encourages consumers to keep their refrigerators set below 4 degrees Celsius / ~ 40 degrees Fahrenheit to slow the growth of bacteria, and freeze any food they will not eat right away. "It's all about managing risk, managing the things they can control, and that's one thing that they have some control over," she said. Ms believes a degree of neurosis is necessary to prevent food-borne illness, which can cause nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhea, and in the case of listeria and E Coli, can even produce kidney failure and death. She also challenges the idea that common sense is enough for people to know when something has gone off. "You can't tell if it's spoiled, you can't see bacteria and you can't smell it." she said. "We tell people, `if in doubt, throw it out' … Don't take the risk." Ms Whitehurst worries that this kind of advice, coupled with her product's monitoring of people's leftovers, could encourage wasteful behaviour, but says DaysAgo is not meant as an arbiter of food safety. "It's just for people to make their own judgments," she said. "I'm not suggesting that people get so consumed by it that they have 50 DaysAgo in their refrigerator. , the Canadian-born scientific director of the International Food Safety Network at Kansas State University * , said many people confuse the issues of food safety and food freshness. "There are lots of things that are yucky but that won't kill you," he said. "And there are lots of things that will kill you and you can't tell." In an effort to protect themselves, Dr said, some people make choices that have little to do with preventing illness - such as buying organic produce - while neglecting behaviours that can truly protect them, such as the use of food thermometers and the proper storage of food. "It's not simple, otherwise 11 to 13 million Canadians wouldn't be getting sick every year, which they are now." he said of food safety. "But the biggest risk is not eating anything. You can't be neurotic about it." Siri Argell Toronto Grope & Flail December 26 2007 ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| * no friend of the Campaign for REAL MILK No virus found in this incoming message.Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.17.13/1204 - Release Date: 12/31/2007 12:20 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 31, 2007 Report Share Posted December 31, 2007 The more I read the more I know I was born 100 years too late. We leave food on the table to cool. Bleach hasn't seen the inside of my kitchen. We don't sanitize, we wash with soap and water. I pop bits of raw burger into my mouth while cooking our burgers or mixing meatloaf. The only time we get sick from food is when we eat out... Belinda > > Food safety connoisseurs are using a range of gadgets to monitor what > they consume, how it's prepared, and how it's stored > > Most of the guests at a Cambridge Ont. Christmass party this month > arrived bearing baked goods and holiday cheer. > > brought her digital meat thermometer, a gadget she uses to > assess whether the treats prepared at the holiday potluck were > thoroughly cooked. > > As the executive director of the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food > Safety Education, Ms does not regard her behaviour as extreme, or > even unusual, but a necessary step in the constant battle against > food-borne illness. > > " I can't afford to get food poisoning, " she said last week. > I wash my hands and brush my teeth because I know that's the right > thing to do. And usually a meat thermometer is part of a healthy > lifestyle. " > > More people are following the lead of Ms and other food safety > experts, engaging in heightened surveillance of the food they eat, how > it has been prepared and where it has been stored. > > Today's food-safety connoisseurs do not count calories, but the > number of days leftovers have been in the `fridge, the temperature > of a steak's core, and the number of hands they imagine may have > handled a piece of fruit en route to their dinner plate. > > And they are aided by a range of new gadgets that allow them to treat > their kitchen like culinary laboratories under bacteria lockdowns. > > A product called Vacu-seal sucks the air out of plastic bags, leaving > leftovers airtight so they can be frozen for future use. A gizmo called > the SensorFreshQ Freshness Meter promises to measure the bacterial > population of a piece of food, giving its user a reading of > " fresh! " , " still fresh! (eat soon), " or " freshness > not assured " . > > And a small circular timer called 'DaysAgo' tracks how long food has > been in your refrigerator or cupboard. Attached with magnets suction > cups and elastic bands, the timer is started when a product has been > opened for the first time, its digital screen recording how many hours > and days it has been since the food was first used. Sold in packs of two > for $10 (US) DaysAgo was named by Good Housekeeping as one of the best > household products of 2007. > > Kathleen Whitehurst, one of the creators of DaysAgo, believes the > product has taken off because people have become more conscientious > about what they are eating and associate fresh food with health food. > > " It's got to do with health and that more people are buying > organic food, things that do spoil quicker, " she said. > " They're not buying stuff that has a lot of preservatives in > it. " > > But is it really dangerous to eat things that have been in the > refrigerator for a few days? Once a food product is opened it is usually > good for just two days, according to Ms , whose organization posts > recommended storage periods on its website < canfightbac.org > She > encourages consumers to keep their refrigerators set below 4 degrees > Celsius / ~ 40 degrees Fahrenheit to slow the growth of bacteria, and > freeze any food they will not eat right away. > > " It's all about managing risk, managing the things they can > control, and that's one thing that they have some control over, " > she said. > > Ms believes a degree of neurosis is necessary to prevent > food-borne illness, which can cause nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting and > diarrhea, and in the case of listeria and E Coli, can even produce > kidney failure and death. She also challenges the idea that common sense > is enough for people to know when something has gone off. > > " You can't tell if it's spoiled, you can't see bacteria > and you can't smell it. " she said. " We tell people, `if > in doubt, throw it out' … Don't take the risk. " > > Ms Whitehurst worries that this kind of advice, coupled with her > product's monitoring of people's leftovers, could encourage > wasteful behaviour, but says DaysAgo is not meant as an arbiter of food > safety. > > " It's just for people to make their own judgments, " she > said. " I'm not suggesting that people get so consumed by it that > they have 50 DaysAgo in their refrigerator. > > , the Canadian-born scientific director of the > International Food Safety Network at Kansas State University * , said > many people confuse the issues of food safety and food freshness. > > " There are lots of things that are yucky but that won't kill > you, " he said. " And there are lots of things that will kill you > and you can't tell. " > > In an effort to protect themselves, Dr said, some people make > choices that have little to do with preventing illness - such as buying > organic produce - while neglecting behaviours that can truly protect > them, such as the use of food thermometers and the proper storage of > food. > > " It's not simple, otherwise 11 to 13 million Canadians > wouldn't be getting sick every year, which they are now. " he > said of food safety. " But the biggest risk is not eating anything. > You can't be neurotic about it. " > > Siri Argell > > Toronto Grope & Flail December 26 2007 > > ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| > > * no friend of the Campaign for REAL MILK > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 31, 2007 Report Share Posted December 31, 2007 I want to assure members that I don't endorse everything I post. I forward articles which relate to dairying. Another main theme is the laughable contradiction between what this society tolerates in food safety, versus its horror at the very idea that some people prefer REAL MILK |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| > > The more I read the more I know I was born 100 years too late. We > leave food on the table to cool. Bleach hasn't seen the inside of my > kitchen. We don't sanitize, we wash with soap and water. I pop bits of > raw burger into my mouth while cooking our burgers or mixing meatloaf. > The only time we get sick from food is when we eat out... > > Belinda > > Food safety connoisseurs are using a range of gadgets to monitor what> > they consume, how it's prepared, and how it's stored Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 31, 2007 Report Share Posted December 31, 2007 I want to assure members that I don't endorse everything I post. I forward articles which relate to dairying. Another main theme is the laughable contradiction between what this society tolerates in food safety, versus its horror at the very idea that some people prefer REAL MILK |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| > > The more I read the more I know I was born 100 years too late. We > leave food on the table to cool. Bleach hasn't seen the inside of my > kitchen. We don't sanitize, we wash with soap and water. I pop bits of > raw burger into my mouth while cooking our burgers or mixing meatloaf. > The only time we get sick from food is when we eat out... > > Belinda > > Food safety connoisseurs are using a range of gadgets to monitor what> > they consume, how it's prepared, and how it's stored Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 1, 2008 Report Share Posted January 1, 2008 > Most of the guests at a Cambridge Ont. Christmass party this month > arrived bearing baked goods and holiday cheer. > > brought her digital meat thermometer, a gadget she uses to > assess whether the treats prepared at the holiday potluck were > thoroughly cooked. Ms does not regard her behaviour as extreme, or > even unusual, but a necessary step in the constant battle against > food-borne illness. > I wash my hands and brush my teeth because I know that's the right > thing to do. And usually a meat thermometer is part of a healthy > lifestyle. " Unbelievable....I can't imagine anyone wanting Ms. to be invited back. She certainly wouldn't be invited back to my home. For the record; I wash my hands, brush my teeth and eat my steaks rare! Of course I don't worry about getting that kind of sick! I worry more about the crap that the gov't says is okay that I watch everyday consumers buy for themselves and their kids in the grocery stores. Lucinda in PA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 1, 2008 Report Share Posted January 1, 2008 I know that Gordon and appreciate the articles you send. It just amazes me to see some of the crap people will do to " stay healthy " . Belinda > I want to assure members that I don't endorse everything I post. > I forward articles which relate to dairying. > Another main theme is the laughable contradiction between what this > society tolerates in food safety, versus its horror at the very idea > that some people prefer REAL MILK > |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| > > > > > > The more I read the more I know I was born 100 years too late. We > > leave food on the table to cool. Bleach hasn't seen the inside of my > > kitchen. We don't sanitize, we wash with soap and water. I pop bits > of > raw burger into my mouth while cooking our burgers or mixing > meatloaf. > > The only time we get sick from food is when we eat out... > > > > Belinda > > > Food safety connoisseurs are using a range of gadgets to monitor > what> > they consume, how it's prepared, and how it's stored > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 Another example of America’s total insanity and obsession with cleanliness. In the past if parents hadn’t ran to the pediatrician demanding antibiotics for every sniffle we might not be in the predicament we are in now with MRSA and other antibiotic resistant organisms. I can’t help to wonder if in 10 years we are going to have an outbreak of antibiotic resistant skin infections that is somehow related to this obsession with using hand sanitizer and antibacterial soaps. You would think there’s an epidemic of people dying daily from food and not washing their hands. Stacey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 I'd not be so quick to blame the parents asking for antibiotics. If those same parents had asked for heavy pain killers those same doctors would have told them no. If they can tell patients no for one thing they should be able to for other things as well. I watched my mother-in-law die from over-medication. Everytime she went to the doctor to moan about something he gave her another pill to take. By the age of 74 she was taking 8 or 9 pills in the morning, anodther 4 in the afternoon and 7 or 8 at night. This along with something for " tummy problems " .... My point is, the doctors are supposed to know better. Belinda > > Another example of America's total insanity and obsession with cleanliness. > In the past if parents hadn't ran to the pediatrician demanding antibiotics > for every sniffle we might not be in the predicament we are in now with MRSA > and other antibiotic resistant organisms. I can't help to wonder if in 10 > years we are going to have an outbreak of antibiotic resistant skin > infections that is somehow related to this obsession with using hand > sanitizer and antibacterial soaps. You would think there's an epidemic of > people dying daily from food and not washing their hands. > > > > Stacey > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 > > > > Another example of America's total insanity and obsession with > cleanliness. > > In the past if parents hadn't ran to the pediatrician demanding > antibiotics > > for every sniffle we might not be in the predicament we are in now > with MRSA > > and other antibiotic resistant organisms. I can't help to wonder if > in 10 > > years we are going to have an outbreak of antibiotic resistant skin > > infections that is somehow related to this obsession with using hand > > sanitizer and antibacterial soaps. You would think there's an > epidemic of > > people dying daily from food and not washing their hands. > > > > > > > > Stacey > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 3, 2008 Report Share Posted January 3, 2008 Sorry, your right doctors should know better, but I’ve seen plenty of parents switch pediatricians until they found one who would give their kids antibiotics. Pretty much the same type of parents that are obsessed bacterial soap at every sink and preventing their kids from getting dirty. Stacey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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