Escherichia coli is a common bacterium found in the human intestinal tract and vital to the proper functioning of our digestive system. While most strains of E. coli are beneficial to humans, a few are pathogenic. The most infamous example is E. coli O157:H7.

Keep your brown bag lunch safe by using this information to see which foods in your lunch should be kept cold.

Salmonella species are common, naturally occurring bacteria found in the intestinal tracts of many animals and birds. When certain species of Salmonella are transferred from animals to humans – often through food contaminated with animal feces – humans experience symptoms of Salmonella poisoning.

Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium found on the skin and in the nasal passages of up to 25% of healthy people and animals. S. aureus causes foodborne illness by growing in temperature abused food and producing a heat stable toxin. Consumption of this toxin (not the bacteria) can make you very sick, this is why foodborne illness caused by S. aureus is called a food intoxication.

Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium commonly found in soil, water, sewage, and decaying plant material. L. monocytogenes is a particularly hardy pathogen, capable of surviving in damp areas, and on stainless steel and glass within the food processing environment. Once established, it is difficult to eliminate and may often be the cause of post-process food contamination.

Clostridium botulinum is a spore forming bacterium. A spore is a phase that some cells enter when conditions become unfavorable. Spores are resistant to extreme temperatures, drying, and UV light and can be found in soil and water. Spore are found everywhere in the environment.

Proper selection of foods at the grocery store and appropriate storage and handling practices at home are necessary to maintain the quality and safety of commercially processed foods and perishable foods. When foods are improperly handled or stored, bacteria can grow, causing the product to spoil quickly or be unsafe to eat — regardless of the expiration date on the package.

El proceso para envasar alimentos en casa o conservas caseras, depende de la acidez del alimento, lo cual se determina por su pH. Los alimentos de baja acidez tienen un pH más grande que 4.6, y los alimentos de alta acidez tienen un pH menos que 4.6. En general, los vegetales (verduras o hortalizas) y carnes son alimentos de baja acidez, y las frutas son alimentos alta acidez. Los alimentos de alta acidez pueden procesarse de manera segura por agua hirviendo, pero los alimentos de baja acidez se deben procesar en una olla a presión para conservas.

Consumers enjoy eating a variety of seafood and can find many choices of fresh as well as frozen seafood in the refrigerated and freezer cases of grocery stores.Abigail Villalba, Extension Specialist, Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center Michael Jahncke, Professor, Food Science and Technology, and Director, Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center Michael Schwarz, Extension Specialist, Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center David Kuhn, Assistant Professor, Food Science and Technology, Virginia Tech Alisha Farris, Extension Specialist, Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, Virginia Tech

Seafood processors must practice strict sanitary procedures to reduce contamination sources, thus providing consumers with high quality, wholesome foods. A routine sanitation monitoring program in place demonstrates that processors are actively maintaining a sanitary environment during processing.

Los procesadores de pescados y mariscos deben de seguir estrictos procedimientos sanitarios para reducir las fuentes de contaminación y así, proveer a los clientes alimentos saludables y de alta calidad. Tener implementado un programa de monitoreo de saneamiento rutinario demuestra que los procesadores mantienen activamente un ambiente sanitario durante el procesamiento.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 11 million Americans have food allergies. A food allergy can trigger symptoms ranging from a tingling mouth, swelling of the tongue and throat, hives, and abdominal cramps to anaphylaxis and — in severe cases — death (CDC 2012). Consumers with known allergies must read labels to identify allergenic foods or ingredients on packaged products so they can more easily avoid them.

When you are volunteering as a Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Food Volunteer or as a volunteer for other Family and Consumer Sciences programs, you may have the opportunity to share what you learn with others by giving a foods demonstration. Talking in front of a group of friends and other volunteers can be a little scary at first, but with planning and practice, you will be able to give a foods demonstration with ease.

A good demonstration can motivate others to try new fruits and vegetables, eat more servings of them, and prepare them more nutritionally. Before you present a farmers market demonstration, check with the local market manager and/or health department for current regulations. Next, pull out the old razzle-dazzle and leave your audience so star struck, they will come back to the farmers market for more! This demonstration activity can be used by adults and older youth.

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The majority of the milk and dairy products sold in the United States are pasteurized, which means they go through a heat process that kills harmful bacteria (e.g., Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter, etc.) that can be found in unpasteurized (raw) milk. Pasteurization not only improves the safety of the milk but also lengthens its shelf life.

Whether sharing a recipe with family and friends or using it in a classroom setting or professional publication, knowing how to write a clear, concise, easy-to-follow recipe is an important skill. It takes creativity and practice to develop a delicious and wholesome dish. Writing a recipe so others can duplicate your results successfully, time after time, requires adhering to specific guidelines and a set of rules.

Remember to ALWAYS read food labels carefully and watch for hidden allergens. Hidden allergens are ingredients derived from or containing major food allergens with common names that may be unfamiliar to consumers.

Remember to ALWAYS read food labels carefully and watch for hidden allergens. Hidden allergens are ingredients derived from or containing major food allergens with common names that may be unfamiliar to consumers.

Remember to ALWAYS read food labels carefully and watch for hidden allergens. Hidden allergens are ingredients derived from or containing major food allergens with common names that may be unfamiliar to consumers.

Remember to ALWAYS read food labels carefully and watch for hidden allergens. Hidden allergens are ingredients derived from or containing major food allergens with common names that may be unfamiliar to consumers.

Remember to ALWAYS read food labels carefully and watch for hidden allergens. Hidden allergens are ingredients derived from or containing major food allergens with common names that may be unfamiliar to consumers.

Remember to ALWAYS read food labels carefully and watch for hidden allergens. Hidden allergens are ingredients derived from or containing major food allergens with common names that may be unfamiliar to consumers.

Remember to ALWAYS read food labels carefully and watch for hidden allergens. Hidden allergens are ingredients derived from or containing major food allergens with common names that may be unfamiliar to consumers.

Remember to ALWAYS read food labels carefully and watch for hidden allergens. Hidden allergens are ingredients derived from or containing major food allergens with common names that may be unfamiliar to consumers.

Creating and maintaining community and school gardens has been identified as an effective strategy to increase healthy food awareness and consumption. Unfortunately, fresh fruits and vegetables have been linked to more than 450 outbreaks of foodborne illness in the U.S. since 1990. In commercial food production, employing a set of risk-reduction steps — known as good agricultural practices (GAPs) — has been pointed to by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as the best prevention against foodborne, illness-causing pathogens.

Food safety is a hot topic for hop growers and brewers. With multiple acronyms for various practices, standards, and regulations: GAPs, FSMA, PSR, PCR, and more; the confusion is understandable. Let’s examine where the small-acreage hop grower fits in. This fact sheet serves as an orientation to these standards,regulations, and practices as they may apply to hops; it is in no way a complete set of guidelines or substitute for training.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture 2012 Census of Agriculture, sales from greenhouse-grown food crops equaled around $800 million in the U.S. Crops grown included tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, peppers, and berries, with hydroponic production operations making up about 64% of the total production (cwt) (USDA Census of Agriculture, 2012). Demand for greenhouse-grown produce continues to increase, providing growers with unique opportunities to tap into this expanding market. Although greenhouse systems provide a more protected environment than field-grown systems, it is important to understand the unique food safety risks and possible sources of contamination when growing produce in these systems. Identifying food safety hazards are necessary to implementing practices that reduce the risk of contamination during the pre-plant, production, harvest, and post-harvest handling stages. Use the checklist below to guide you in asking important questions targeting possible risks at each of the greenhouse system stages.