NewsyType » Diet http://www.newsytype.com Hot Topic News and Commentary Mon, 12 Mar 2012 23:47:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Consumer Reports finds high levels of arsenic in juice http://www.newsytype.com/13756-consumer-reports-arsenic-in-juice/ http://www.newsytype.com/13756-consumer-reports-arsenic-in-juice/#comments Thu, 01 Dec 2011 23:19:38 +0000 bryanh http://www.newsytype.com/?p=13756 FDA considers revising arsenic limits There has been a growing chorus of calls for the Food and Drug Administration to revise the allowable content of arsenic in fruit juices for years. Arsenic is a deadly toxin. However, it is also a naturally occurring substance. There is also a difference, according to USA Today, between naturally occurring or organic arsenic and inorganic arsenic, the kind used in pesticides. That is why the FDA is loathe to crack down too harshly on arsenic content of foods like fruit juices, because it is nearly impossible to eliminate all traces of it. Organic arsenic, at the microscopic concentration found in foods, harmlessly washes out of the system. However, after a good deal of negative publicity, the FDA is reportedly looking at revising its guidelines.

Dr. Oz started media fracas

In September, Dr. Oz aired a segment on his television program that highlighted the arsenic content in some popular brands of fruit juice. Dr. Oz, according to the Boston Globe, hired ESML Analytical Inc. to test various juices for arsenic content. They found that of the 36 brands of apple juice they tested, 10 exceeded 10 parts per billion of arsenic, which Dr. Oz contends the limit should be set to. One reached 36 parts per billion. Consumer Reports, according to MSNBC, recently released a similar analysis of 88 brands of apple and grape juice. The findings backed up Dr. Oz's claims that levels of arsenic in juices are high. Of the juices tested by Consumer Reports, 10 percent of all samples including four grape juice and five apple juice brands exceeded 10 parts per billion of arsenic, the FDA's limit for drinking water. Consumer Reports also found most of the arsenic contained in the juices was inorganic.

Why FDA allows more in juice

The FDA's limit is 23 parts per billion for juice, as the FDA believes that people will consumer more water than juice in a day. Therefore, the agency allows more arsenic in juice because the greater consumption of water will "balance out" the greater arsenic content. Welch's Pourable Concentrate 100 percent Apple Juice had the lowest level of arsenic tested by Consumer Reports. America's Choice Apple, Red Jacket Orchards 100 percent and Tropicana 100 percent Apple juices all had low levels of arsenic as well. According to the Washington Post, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children younger than 6 months of age shouldn't consume fruit juice because of the sugar content.

Sources

USA Today: http://yourlife.usatoday.com/fitness-food/safety/story/2011-11-30/FDA-examines-level-of-arsenic-in-apple-juice/51511750/1 MSNBC: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45491242/ns/today-today_health/#.Ttf6k2WP-_0 Boston Globe: http://www.boston.com/Boston/dailydose/2011/09/does-apple-juice-have-unsafe-levels-arsenic/QoHo6FYDd8bm0S5JAjvLEN/index.html Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/arsenic-fears-aside-apple-juice-can-pose-a-health-threat-_-from-calories-nutritionists-say/2011/12/01/gIQALuyYHO_story.html  ]]> http://www.newsytype.com/13756-consumer-reports-arsenic-in-juice/feed/ 0 Congress tries to block school lunch reform http://www.newsytype.com/13520-congress-school-lunch-reform/ http://www.newsytype.com/13520-congress-school-lunch-reform/#comments Tue, 15 Nov 2011 23:22:10 +0000 bryanh http://www.newsytype.com/?p=13520 How pizza could be a vegetable According to current nutritional regulations that govern school lunches, two tablespoons of tomato paste can count as a serving of vegetables. A slice of frozen pizza can include this amount of tomato sauce, which means that the school can count the cheese-and-sodium packed food as a vegetable.

Blocking new regulations

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, working with the White House, has been developing new standards for subsidized school lunches for the past year. These new UDSA standards would limit starchy vegetables such as corn and potatoes, would consider a cup of tomato paste a vegetable and would require schools to work toward limiting sodium in lunches. Though the regulations would only technically affect free and reduced price lunches, which are government-subsidized, they effectively impact all school lunches.

School lunches in a budget bill

The bill that would block the USDA's changes to school lunches is a part of a operational budget bill. The $182 billion bill is intended to fund the day-to-day operational expenses of the department of Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, Commerce and Agriculture. The bill is a compromise between the House and Senate, and is generally expected to pass. The school lunch provisions have been attached to the bill as a rider that will pass or fail with the bill.

A debate over what students eat

Though the latest debate has been over the fact that pizza would essentially be defined as a vegetable if current rules stand, it is not the only controversy this change has elicited. The USDA would also try to limit the amount of potato products served in schools, effectively cutting out french fries and tater tots, which are served almost daily in some schools. This has elicited strong responses from potato growers, who argue that the vegetable is nutritious and inexpensive, when prepared properly.

Sources

MSNBC: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45306416/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/#.TsLm5mMre_0 NY Times: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/15/at-schools-making-pizza-a-vegetable/ Jezebel: http://jezebel.com/5859773/congressional-magicians-attempt-to-transform-pizza-into-a-vegetable]]> http://www.newsytype.com/13520-congress-school-lunch-reform/feed/ 0 Potatoes will stay in schools, for now http://www.newsytype.com/13010-potatoes-in-schools/ http://www.newsytype.com/13010-potatoes-in-schools/#comments Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:56:41 +0000 bryanh http://www.newsytype.com/?p=13010 An effort to block the potato In new guidelines proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, schools participating in the Federal lunch program would be subject to new regulations. White potatoes would not be allowed in federally subsidized breakfasts, and all "starchy vegetables" such as lima beans, potatoes, corn and peas would be limited to no more than one cup total per week. The goal was to increase the number of leafy greens and colorful vegetables served.

Congress blocks USDA regulations

The new USDA regulations, on Tuesday, were officially blocked by a Senate vote. The regulations were blocked by an amendment on the 2012 spending bill for the Agriculture Department. The amendment specifically prohibits the USDA from setting "any maximum limits on the serving of vegetables in school meal programs." This move angered nutritional reformers looking to change school nutrition but was a boon for lobbyists for Maine, Idaho and other major potato-producing states.

A fight over nutrition

The fight over potatoes in schools is a part of a much larger issue over the food served to students in schools. Currently, the National School Lunch Program reimburses schools between 26 cents and $2.77 per student meal. School lunches have become a focus of many looking to reform how children eat. Some are focusing on the fact that most potatoes and vegetables served in schools are breaded and fried, rather than baked or boiled. Potatoes are naturally low-fat and high in potassium but do contain simple carbohydrates. Many schools also serve pre-prepared or packaged foods, rather than fresh-prepared options.

Sources

USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/2011-10-16/senators-usda-potato-school-lunches/50795882/1?csp=34news BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15377913 NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/19/us/politics/potatoes-get-senate-protection-on-school-lunch-menus.html ABC News: http://abcnews.go.com/US/usda-proposal-cuts-potatoes-schools/story?id=13621442 Food Research and Action Center: http://frac.org/federal-foodnutrition-programs/school-breakfast-and-lunch/national-school-lunch-program/]]> http://www.newsytype.com/13010-potatoes-in-schools/feed/ 0 Denmark levies first-ever saturated fat tax http://www.newsytype.com/12317-denmark-fat-tax/ http://www.newsytype.com/12317-denmark-fat-tax/#comments Tue, 04 Oct 2011 19:46:36 +0000 bryanh http://www.newsytype.com/?p=12317 The Danish 'fat tax' Over the weekend in Denmark, a new tax went into effect. The tax charges an additional 16 kroner (about $3 U.S.) per kilogram of saturated fat - about $6.27 per pound of pure saturated fat. The tax is levied on the basis of both the amount of saturated fat in a food and the amount of saturated fat used in cooking or preparing the food. On average, the tax will add 12 cents to a serving of potato chips, 40 cents to a single-patty hamburger and 39 cents to a pound of butter.

Concerns over regressive taxation

The Danish fat tax has run into extensive criticism about the way the tax is structured. First, imported foods are taxed only on the basis of how much saturated fat is in the food. Domestic products, however, are taxed on the basis of both saturated fat content and saturated fat used in preparation. This structure means imported foods could be less expensive than domestically produced foods. Secondly, saturated fat taxing may hit lower-income households more severely. Lower-income families spend disproportionately higher percentages of their income on food, and usually on more prepared foods. This means lower-income families will be paying more for their food, as a percentage of their total income, than higher-income families.

Effectiveness of a fat tax

In addition to questions about the fairness of the Danish fat tax, there is a very serious question about the effectiveness of the tax. In 2009, the New England Journal of Medicine studied the possible effectiveness of taxing sugar or fat in food. The results of the study were not encouraging:
“Such a tax results in less than a 1 percent reduction in average fat consumption,” the authors found. “To have a substantial effect, the tax rate would have to be quite high. For example, a 50 percent tax only lowers fat intake by 3 percent.”
However, all research into the effectiveness of content-based food taxes is purely theoretical. The Danish tax system will be the first real-world test of taxing a particular food element as a way to reduce or change consumption toward "healthier" options.

Sources

Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/will-a-fat-tax-make-denmark-healthier/2011/10/04/gIQA3D5nKL_blog.html New England Journal of Medicine: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMhpr0905723 Mother Nature Network: http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/stories/denmark-levies-worlds-first-fat-tax]]> http://www.newsytype.com/12317-denmark-fat-tax/feed/ 0 Study finds link between chocolate and lower risk of heart disease http://www.newsytype.com/10708-chocolate-heart-disease/ http://www.newsytype.com/10708-chocolate-heart-disease/#comments Mon, 29 Aug 2011 17:48:17 +0000 bryanh http://www.newsytype.com/?p=10708 Lower risk of stroke or diabetes A study is being published in the British Medical Journal, according to CBS, that suggests a link between chocolate and heart disease. Researchers from the University of Cambridge were investigating previous medical literature to see if a scientific basis existed for chocolate being good for the heart on a larger scale and looked at seven different studies involving more than 100,000 patients. Five of those studies concluded that people who ate the most chocolate had a lower risk of heart attack, diabetes or stroke. According to The Guardian, the study looked at people who ate the most chocolate compared to those who ate none or little. Those who ate the most chocolate had a 37 percent lower risk of heart disease and a 29 percent lower risk of diabetes. They also had, according to ABC, a 31 percent lower risk of stroke.

Indulge in moderation

The study did not address which type of chocolate -- white, milk or dark -- provided the most health benefits. However, they did issue a caution about the findings. They warn that chocolate, especially sweetened chocolate, contains hefty loads of sugar and fats, so people should only indulge in moderation. Two possible explanations were given for health benefits of chocolate. First, chocolate contains flavanoids, a type of anti-oxidants that are known for potentially increasing arterial blood flow and thus reducing risks of heart disease or stroke, according to WebMD. They also noted that chocolate, like a glass of wine, is a relaxing, de-stressing indulgence that is beneficial in moderation, according to The Guardian. Because most chocolate is high in sugar and has a low concentration of actual cocoa powder, the stress reduction from indulging could have the larger impact.

Still not entirely proven

The authors of the study were quick to point out that a strict causal link between chocolate consumption and lower risk of heart disease was not proven. A physician at Yale University pointed out to ABC that the study only shows that a correlation was "statistically robust." The study didn't control for other contributing factors in heart disease but found that regular chocolate eaters, regardless of whether they exercised regularly or smoked, still showed a lower rate of heart disease, diabetes and stroke.  Dr. Oscar Franco, the lead researcher in the study, said that the amount of chocolate eaten per week differed between patients in the study, according to USA Today. He also said that the amount of chocolate required to obtain the benefits is probably not very high. The idea seems to be that a regular but moderate indulgence can be good for a person.

Sources

ABC: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/HeartDiseaseRisks/heart-disease-diabetes-stroke-chocolate-risk/story?id=14390002 CBS: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20098679-10391704.html?tag=cbsnewsSectionContent.8 WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20110829/chocolate-good-for-the-heart The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/aug/29/chocolate-is-good-for-you-study USA Today: http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/healthcare/studies/story/2011-08-29/Chocolate-lowers-heart-stroke-risk/50174422/1]]> http://www.newsytype.com/10708-chocolate-heart-disease/feed/ 0 Maggie Goes On A Diet raises questions of childhood obesity http://www.newsytype.com/10586-maggie-goes-on-a-diet/ http://www.newsytype.com/10586-maggie-goes-on-a-diet/#comments Wed, 24 Aug 2011 21:23:09 +0000 bryanh http://www.newsytype.com/?p=10586 The book in question Recently listed on Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites for sale later this year, "Maggie Goes on a Diet" is a book about a 14-year-old girl who starts out overweight and unpopular. Through eating right and exercising, Maggie loses weight, becomes a soccer star and ends up being popular. The book is targeted to children who are 4 to 12 years old. The book is written in rhyme and is intended for parents and children to read together.

Experts disagree over 'Maggie Goes on a Diet'

According to Hawaii-based author Paul Kramer:
"My intentions were just to write a story to entice and to have children feel better about themselves, discover a new way of eating, learn to do exercise, try to emulate Maggie and learn from Maggie's experience."
Children's health experts, however, are strongly questioning "Maggie Goes on a Diet." In general, nutritionists and pediatricians recommend that children eat balanced meals and exercise regularly but do not take on a calorie-counting or appearance-based diet. Counting or cutting calories when a child has not yet reached puberty can stunt growth. Children who start restricting calorie intake before the age of 13 are also at a much higher risk of being overweight in adulthood than children who do not restrict calories.

Questions about eating disorders

Though "Maggie Goes on a Diet" is about eating right and exercising, concerns about a connection to eating disorders have been raised. "Maggie Goes on a Diet" starts with the main character disliking her body, and she makes changes because of that. The book is targeted toward children who are the age where eating disorders can often begin to develop. In general, about 4 out of every 100 women in the United States will develop an eating disorder at some point in their lives. Anorexia, bulimia and binge eating are serious medical disorders that can have long-lasting effects on an individual's heath. Some worry that the connection between being skinny and being popular will lead to more problems with eating disorders in young children.

Growing into weight

For children who are overweight, nutritionists recommend healthy habits that will help them grow into the weight they do have, rather than specifically reducing weight. This includes a diet with whole grains, vegetables and low-fat dairy, rather than counting calories. This can be especially difficult for some children, as school lunch programs regularly serve high-calorie, high-fat items such as french fries and pizza and do not offer fruits and vegetables.

Sources

WebMD http://children.webmd.com/features/eating-disorders-children-teens?page=2 US Department of Health and Human Services http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/child_obesity/ LA Times http://articles.latimes.com/2011/aug/23/news/la-heb-maggie-goes-on-a-diet-book-20110823 ABC News http://abcnews.go.com/Health/maggie-diet-author-paul-kramer-defends-teen-dieting/story?id=14362132&page=2 CDC http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html USA Today http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/food/diet-nutrition/2011-01-12-schoollunch13_ST_N.htm]]> http://www.newsytype.com/10586-maggie-goes-on-a-diet/feed/ 0 On the menu for parents: Eating the placenta http://www.newsytype.com/10499-eating-placenta-placentophagia/ http://www.newsytype.com/10499-eating-placenta-placentophagia/#comments Tue, 23 Aug 2011 21:25:11 +0000 bryanh http://www.newsytype.com/?p=10499 Keeping the placenta for cultural reasons Human placentas have been an ingredient in various traditional Chinese medicines. Dried human placenta is used in 紫河车, or “Zi He Che,” to treat wasting diseases, infertility, impotence and other maladies. In ancient Egypt, the placenta had its own hieroglyph. The Ibo tribe of Nigeria and Ghana treat the placenta as a child's dead twin. Parents who practice Judaism sometimes keep their newborn child's healthy placenta for cultural reasons, and U.S. hospitals will generally concede to such wishes upon request, going so far as to pack it up securely before the mother is discharged. Still other cultures bury the placenta and plant a tree over it.

Eating the placenta

Some people believe that if a human placenta is dried and cut up, it works as a medicinal supplement in clear, encapsulated pill form. Combating postpartum depression and replenishing nutrients lost during pregnancy are two uses. Uterine tonic and breast milk production/lactation aid are others. Considering that the placenta filters toxins and viruses while letting in vitamins, minerals, nutrients and oxygen for baby until birth, those who believe in placentophagia see it as a kind of super-food.
“They’re happy pills,” said Jennifer Mayer, a 28-year-old professional placenta preparer from upstate New York. “They’re made by your body, for your body. Why wouldn’t you want to try?”

Animals do it; why not people?

In 1930, researchers Otto Tinklepaugh and Carl Hartman observed a female macaque monkey eating her placenta. The reason was unclear, but it has since been observed that nearly every other land mammal does the same thing. The reason animals do this is still unknown. The best reason science has come up with to date is for nutrition. University of Buffalo behavioral neuroscientist Mark Kristal, who is the United States' leading medical authority on placentophagia, notes that placenta consumption offers “a fundamental biological advantage” to mammals, but the exact nature of that advantage is still a mystery:
“In fact, a double mystery. We are not sure either of the immediate causes … nor are we sure of the consequences of the behavior.”
Kristal notes that placentophagia first gained momentum as a movement in the U.S. during the 1970s. Every 10 to 20 years, it picks up steam again.
“It’s a New Age phenomenon,” he explains. “It’s not based on science. It’s a fad.”

Placentas and composting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flc8RVvku2g

Sources

New York Magazine: http://nymag.com/news/features/placenta-2011-8/ Placentophagy Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placentophagy USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-07-18-placenta-ingestion_N.htm]]> http://www.newsytype.com/10499-eating-placenta-placentophagia/feed/ 0 BMI and obesity may not predict health problems http://www.newsytype.com/10159-healthy-obese/ http://www.newsytype.com/10159-healthy-obese/#comments Mon, 15 Aug 2011 22:13:40 +0000 bryanh http://www.newsytype.com/?p=10159 History of the BMI The Body Mass Index was originally developed in the mid-1800s as a measure of body fat. The scale determines whether a person is "underweight," "normal," "overweight," "obese" or "morbidly obese" based on height-to-weight ratio. Body Mass Index is often used as a way to underwrite insurance or determine a course of treatment. The National Institutes of Health indicates that a BMI of more than 27.3 for women and 27.8 for men is "overweight"; the World Health Organization says the "overweight" number is 25 to 29. The WHO's website supplies a simple formula for calculating BMI.

The study of obesity and health problems

Two studies have recently been undertaken to measure the impact of obesity on health problems and early death. One, published in the Canadian Medical Journal, finds that combined health concerns have a much higher impact on life expectancy than body mass index.
"You can take two patients, both of whom are obese, and one might be relatively light compared to the other. Yet that individual might have severe diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and may have disabling joint disease. It never ceased to surprise us," said researcher Dr. Raj Padwal.
Yet another study, this one published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, analyzed data from nearly 30,000 individuals over 16 years. The data indicated that there was "no difference in death risks between normal-weight individuals and obese individuals" without other, underlying health problems.

The healthy obese

The takeaway from both of these studies is that obesity in and of itself does not necessarily put an individual at higher risk of early death. In short, it is possible to be "healthy" and still considered "obese" by the Body Mass Index scale. A written statement from Dr. Jennifer L Kuk, one of the researchers, outlines that:
"Moreover, it's possible that trying - and failing - to lose weight may be more detrimental than simply staying at an elevated body weight and engaging in a healthy lifestyle that includes physical activity and a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables."
Weight can be a factor in everything from cancer to diabetes. However, a more full-spectrum understanding of an individual's health should go much further than a simple formula comparison of height and weight.

Sources

Time: http://healthland.time.com/2011/08/15/study-a-new-measure-of-obesity-helps-predict-early-death/ CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/08/12/obese.healthy.weightloss/ CBS: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20092559-10391704.html World Health Organization http://apps.who.int/bmi/index.jsp?introPage=intro_3.html Mathematical Association of America: http://www.maa.org/devlin/devlin_05_09.html]]> http://www.newsytype.com/10159-healthy-obese/feed/ 0 Study says lunches from home can be unsafe at school http://www.newsytype.com/9943-kids-lunches-unsafe/ http://www.newsytype.com/9943-kids-lunches-unsafe/#comments Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:18:43 +0000 bryanh http://www.newsytype.com/?p=9943 The problem with healthy meals for kids Getting kids to eat healthier can be very tough. Schools are often provided just a few dollars per student per day to feed them both breakfast and lunch. In many schools, pre-packaged and pre-processed foods are used in order to meet budgetary requirements. Pizza and hamburgers are common appearances in elementary lunchrooms. In many daycares, students are required to bring their own lunch because no lunch program is provided.

Student lunches reach unhealthy temperatures

Technically, any food that has a potential to grow bacteria should be kept either above 140 degrees or below 40 degrees. Long periods of time in the "danger zone" between those two temperatures lead to exponential bacterial growth, increasing the likelihood of food-borne illnesses. A study of lunches in daycare centers found that 11.8 percent of lunches were stored in refrigerators, but often only after they had been left out for several hours. The mean temperature of lunches by the time lunch time came around was 63.7 degrees, with only 22 of 1,361 perishable food items at a safe temperature. In short, almost 99 percent of preschoolers' lunches are at temperatures considered in the "danger zone" by the time they are eaten.

Keeping brown bags safe

Despite the limitations of food-safety procedures available in many schools and daycare centers, brown bag lunches can often be the healthiest. The important thing is to pack lunches made of foodstuffs that are considered "non-potentially hazardous." Raw vegetables are safe for days at room temperature, for example. Bread, nut butters, hummus and whole fruits are also also often safe at room temperature. Dry cereals, hard cheeses, dried sausages, canned foods and even yogurt are all safe at room temperatures for four to six hours.

Sources

Washington State University http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/eb1490/eb1490.html MedPage Today http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/Parenting/27932 Canada.com http://www.canada.com/health/Kids+packed+lunches+warm+safe+Study/5221621/story.html?id=5221621]]> http://www.newsytype.com/9943-kids-lunches-unsafe/feed/ 0 Cause of salmonella outbreak still eludes FDA http://www.newsytype.com/9702-salmonella-fda-cdc-turkey/ http://www.newsytype.com/9702-salmonella-fda-cdc-turkey/#comments Wed, 03 Aug 2011 18:33:24 +0000 bryanh http://www.newsytype.com/?p=9702 Update, 3:22 p.m. Pacific Time: The USDA has announced a recall of 36 million pounds of ground Cargill brand turkey in conjunction with these infections. Since March, an outbreak of salmonella infections has sickened 77 individuals and killed one. The infection is proving difficult to treat, as it is resistant to many antibiotics. The government has yet to pin down a cause of this outbreak, though ground turkey is tentatively the culprit.

Outbreak of drug-resistant salmonella

Since March 1, the Centers for Disease Control has reported at least 77 cases of drug-resistant salmonella infections in 26 states. These cases all involve a particular strain of the sickness called Salmonella Heidelberg. The government has not been able to directly link the Salmonella Heidelberg illnesses to any food product in which the bacteria has been found during routine safety sampling in retail stores. Twenty-two individuals have been hospitalized because of the infection to date.

Establishing an infection trail

The biggest challenge the FDA and CDC face in tracking down the Salmonella Heidelberg illness is establishing a strong link between the infections and a particular food product. A tentative link has been established between the illnesses and ground turkey from an unnamed processing plant. However, salmonella is not considered an "adulterant" because it exists in almost all commercial poultry products. It has also been difficult for those sickened by the infection to trace exactly where it came from. Salmonella takes between 12 and 72 hours to develop after the tainted food is consumed. Without a definitive link, the FDA, USDA and CDC do not have the authority to order a recall or name a particular food processor that may be at fault.

Protecting yourself from salmonella

It is very easy to protect yourself from the infection. All ground meats should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees, as measured by a thermometer, before they can be safely consumed. Hands, utensils and preparation surfaces should all be thoroughly washed with hot water and soap after touching raw meat of any kind. Food-borne illness is more likely to happen at home because food-safety rules are not always followed as carefully; making sure to wash carefully and cook foods to the right temperature is essential when preparing food to eat. Poultry-based salmonella can be dangerous and deadly, but it is also preventable with proper food preparation.

Sources

CBS News: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20087419-10391704.html CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/08/02/california.salmonella/ Division of Environmental Health, State of Alaska: http://www.dec.state.ak.us/eh/fss/consumers/food_myths.htm ABC News: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/drug-resistant-salmonella-found-ground-turkey-usda-mum/story?id=14217046]]> http://www.newsytype.com/9702-salmonella-fda-cdc-turkey/feed/ 0