Lately it seems like every time you turn on the news there is another food recall. If you stopped eating everything that was recalled you would have almost no choices. Instead of doing anything that drastic you just need to learn to protect yourself and your family.
The recent cantaloupe recall is the one that comes to mind first. Sometimes you get an item home and are not sure if it is part of the recall. First, call the store where you bought it and find out the status of their product. If the store says its safe you should still take steps to ensure you don’t cause contamination.
For cantaloupe it’s important to not just wash the outside but scrub it with soap and water. Do this several times and then dry the cantaloupe well. If you slice it while it’s still wet if there are any contaminates on the skin you will run them through the fruit with the knife. As always, refrigerate anything you won’t eat immediately.
When cooking meat you need to make sure it’s thoroughly cooked to kill any bacteria. Also make sure you use separate cutting boards and knives for cutting meat and produce. Clean everything the meat touches with hot soapy water to prevent the liquid from the meat contaminating anything else.
All vegetables should be thoroughly washed. Just a quick rinse with water isn’t enough unless the produce came from your garden; even then it’s a good idea to scrub your produce. Hot soap and water will not damage most vegetable and if they will be damaged by soap they should still be scrubbed as good as possible with hot water.
Making sure you keep everything clean and sanitary will allow you to feed your family without fear of illness. Follow food safety rules always, not just when there is a scare.