Food Safety and Information Bulletin
“Food borne illness is a major health issue facing Americans. There are between 6.5 million and 81 million cases of food borne illness and as many 9,100 related deaths occur annually. Illnesses from pathogenic bacteria appear to be increasing each year.” (MSUcares.com, 2009)
When purchasing foods one must be aware of expiration dates, damaged packaging, proper storage temperatures and freshness of the product. Issues of such nature can cause food to become contaminated.
To protect stored foods check temperatures of freezer and refrigerator and ensure that the freezer is at 0 °F or lower and refrigerator temperature is at least 40 °F. Perishable foods should be refrigerated promptly. Meats should be wrapped securely to prevent leakage of juices into other foods which could cause contamination of other foods. Cook foods should be refrigerated promptly.
When preparing foods wash hands with soap and warm water before and after handling foods, sanitize all utensils, countertops and cutting boards and keep raw meats away from other foods to avoid cross contamination. Do not thaw meats at room temperatures; warm temperatures can cause the growth of bacteria and be sure to cook foods thoroughly.
“Food borne illnesses are caused by eating food or drinking beverages contaminated with bacteria, parasites, or viruses. Harmful chemicals can also cause food borne illnesses if they have contaminated food during harvesting or processing.”(NDDIC, 2009)
Many illnesses can be caused by improper handling, storage and preparation of foods such as, food poisoning, which can be caused by bacteria of unsafe foods. Salmonella poisoning can also be caused by cross contamination of foods. These illnesses can be prevented with proper food safety. For more information on food safety and how to prevent these illnesses go to http://www.fsis.usda.gov. or www.cdc.gov.
The following criteria should be considered in determining the creditability of information; “the credentials of the source giving the information, the purpose and objective of the site giving the information, if the information is current and what are their nutritional claims, and do they have scientific evidence to back their claims” (Cleveland Clinic, 2009)
When searching for more information remember with the internet anyone can create a site and post information, so it is important to first evaluate the credentials of the source. It is also important to make sure that the information you are getting is the most accurate and current information because with continuing research new information is always being discovered.

National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/bacteria/ Cleveland Clinic, 2009. Nutritional Information on the Internet
http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/prevention/askdietician/ask7_01.aspx