Health News

Romaine expected in stores soon with new label

Romaine expected in stores soon with new labelGovernment and industry officials say new labels for romaine lettuce will keep the public safe during events such as the current E. coli outbreak.

The current romaine lettuce warning is now narrowed to romaine only from the “Central Coast growing regions of central and northern California,” according to the FDA announcement yesterday.

For more information: Food Safety News

CDC Advising U.S. consumers not to eat ANY romaine lettuce

CDC Advising U.S. consumers not to eat ANY romaine lettuce

CDC is advising that U.S. consumers not eat any romaine lettuce, and retailers and restaurants not serve or sell any, until we learn more about the outbreak. This investigation is ongoing and the advice will be updated as more information is available.

  • Consumers who have any type of romaine lettuce in their home should not eat it and should throw it away, even if some of it was eaten and no one has gotten sick.
    • This advice includes all types or uses of romaine lettuce, such as whole heads of romaine, hearts of romaine, and bags and boxes of precut lettuce and salad mixes that contain romaine, including baby romaine, spring mix, and Caesar salad.
    • If you do not know if the lettuce is romaine or whether a salad mix contains romaine, do not eat it and throw it away.
    • Wash and sanitize drawers or shelves in refrigerators where romaine was stored. Follow these five steps(https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/communication/clean-refrigerator-steps.html) to clean your refrigerator.
  • Restaurants and retailers should not serve or sell any romaine lettuce, including salads and salad mixes containing romaine.
  • Take action(https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/foodsafety-2015/index.html) if you have symptoms of an E. coli infection(https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/ecoli-symptoms.html):
    • Talk to your healthcare provider.
    • Write down what you ate in the week before you started to get sick.
    • Report your illness to the health department.
    • Assist public health investigators by answering questions about your illness.

More information: https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2018/o157h7-11-18/index.html 

The Big Thaw: Your Turkey needs 24 hours for every 5 pounds to thaw safely

The Big Thaw: Your Turkey needs 24 hours for every 5 pounds to thaw safely The U.S Department of Agriculture in an article published today reminds us that “there is an ongoing outbreak of Salmonella traced to raw turkey” even before Thanksgiving. To protect yourself and family from food borne illness this Thanksgiving, remember to handle and cook food properly.

As soon as raw or cooked meat, poultry or egg products begin to thaw and become warmer than 40 degrees F, bacteria that may have been present before freezing can begin to multiply.

Refrigerator Thawing:

  • Planning ahead is the key because a large frozen turkey requires at least 24 hours for every 5 pounds.

For more information on safe food handling and thawing visit:

https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/11/the-big-thaw-your-turkey-needs-24-hours-for-every-5-pounds-to-thaw-safely/