September is Food Safety Month: Separate the Myths from the Facts

By Nan Jensen, Extension Agent
Family and Consumer Sciences

We do our best to serve our families food that’s safe and healthy, to reduce their risk of food borne illness, a serious public health issue that causes approximately one in six Americans to get sick each year. Washing our hands, clean and sanitizing work surfaces, keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold, and cooking foods to the proper internal temperature are some of the steps we can take to ensure that our food is safe to eat.

Sometimes though, we don’t have all the facts right. Here are some common myths from The Partnership for Food Safety Education about food safety that might surprise you.

Myth # 1-“If I microwave the food, the microwaves kill the bacteria so the food is safe.”

Fact #1- Microwaves are not what kill bacteria- it’s the heat generated by the microwaves that kills bacteria in foods. Food needs to be heated to a safe internal temperature. Always check for a safe internal temperature after microwaving. Use a thermometer!

Myth # 2- “Of course I wash all the bagged lettuce and greens- I could get sick if I don’t.”

Fact #2- While it is important to wash most fresh fruits and veggies, packaged greens labeled “ready-to-eat”, “washed” or “triple washed” do NOT need to be washed at home.

Myth # 3- “I don’t need to use a food thermometer. I can tell when my food is cooked by looking at it or checking the temperature with my finger.”

Fact #3- The only sure way to know food is safely cooked is to check the temperature with a food thermometer and confirm it has reached a safe internal temperature.

Myth # 4-“I can’t re-freeze foods after I have thawed them. I have to cook them or throw them away.”

Fact #4- If raw foods such as meat, poultry, egg products and seafood have been thawed in the refrigerator, then they may be safely re-frozen without cooking for later use.


For more information on handling food safely visit http://www.foodsafety.gov/ or http://www.fightbac.org/campaigns/mythbusters for more on food safety myths.

Simple Resolutions for a Healthier 2012!

Nan Jensen, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, Pinellas County Extension


The new year is almost here and you may be starting to think about what resolutions to make in 2012. Here are some easy ideas to help you have a healthier year. 


Resolution #1: Make half your plate fruits and vegetables 
Let vegetables and fruits take up half the space on your dinner plate. Fruits and vegetables deliver healthy phytochemicals and essential vitamins and minerals. Plus, they fill you up on fewer calories than other foods. Check out the winners of the fruit and vegetable challenge for some creative ideas on how to include more fruits and vegetables on your plate. 


Resolution #2: Make water your beverage of choice 
Sugar-sweetened beverages, like soda, lemonade or iced tea, are one of the top five foods that can add the pounds. Choosing water instead of calorie-laden beverages is a smart and easy way to reduce your overall calorie intake. Eliminating a 12-oz. can of soda a day can lead to a 12 to 18 lb. loss over the course of a year. 


Resolution #3: Try some new whole grains 
Making a switch from refined grains to whole grains can give your health a big boost. Whole grains are great sources of healthy carbohydrates, fiber, along with vitamins and minerals. People who eat plenty of whole grains tend to be leaner and have a lower risk of heart disease than those who don’t. Try some new grains like wild rice, quinoa and barley. Here is more information on whole grains and lots of delicious recipes.


Resolution #4: Add flavor to your food with herbs, spices and other flavorings 
Many people add salt to flavor their food. Too much salt is linked to high blood pressure. The daily recommended limit is 2,300 milligrams—the amount in just 1 teaspoon of salt. Most of us consume more than twice that amount. To help you get the sodium out, start with fresh ingredients and experiment with new flavorings. Lemon, lime juice, vinegar or other acidic flavors can help bring out the savoriness of food. Sprinkling fresh grated lemon zest, chopped fresh or dried herbs, garlic or shallots can add an abundance of flavor. For ideas on using fresh herbs and spices, take a look at these publications. 
Cooking with Fresh Herbs
Add a Little Spice (& Herbs) to Your Life!

Want to Find the Fun Now?

Nan Jensen, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, Pinellas County Extension

If you are looking for a way to get healthy and have fun at the same time, you have to check out www.FindtheFunNow.com.The new campaign is part of an effort by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to improve health outcomes in 50 targeted communities across the U.S. It is built around a new web-based application that helps people find actively fun things to do at Pinellas County's parks, beaches and other attractions.

You can search the website by neighborhood, time of day, budget, how much time you have for a fun activity and the kind of people you want to invite. The application searches a database of hundreds of activities and returns a list of ideas for you to consider, along with descriptions, if the activity is outside, and the current weather.

FindTheFunNow.com  is equipped with a database of local farmers' markets and fresh produce locations, as well as ways to find healthy recipes. You will also be able to share your own ideas, and what you found on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

The idea is to make healthy eating and activity part of everyday life, to help address the growing problem of obesity.  So what are you waiting for? Go out and Find the Fun Now!

Tomatoes with Great Taste and More

Nan Jensen, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, Pinellas County Extension


There is nothing better than biting into a sandwich topped with a sweet juicy tomato or sitting down to a crisp green salad packed with lots of bright red tomatoes that have that fresh from the garden flavor. Meet Tasti-Lee™, a special tomato variety developed by the University of Florida. It has all the characteristics you want in a tomato- great taste, a juicy texture and a bright red color. Not only are you getting all those qualities as well as vitamins A and C and the mineral potassium, this variety contains a higher amount of lycopene. Lycopene is an antioxidant, which means that it reduces the amount of damage done to body cells by oxygen. This damage can eventually lead to cancers, heart disease, and other illnesses. Research is currently underway to look explore the health benefits of this compound.

Tomatoes taste best if not refrigerated, so when you bring your tomatoes home, store them at room temperature away from direct sunlight. Tasti-Lee™ tomatoes do have a shorter shelf life than other varieties so make sure to use them soon after you purchase.

Whether it’s a classic Italian salad you crave or a fresh salsa for dipping or topping, enjoy the new “Fresh from Florida” Tasti-Lee™. For recipes ideas, and more information on this variety, click on the links below.

Tasit-LeeTM Official Fact Sheet
Tasti-LeeTM Website

A Clean Solution

Mary Campbell, Extension Director and Urban Sustainability Agent

This idea was just too good not to pass on. When we think about recycling, it is usually plastic, paper, printer cartridges, or other typical waste. A unique new program recycles partially used soap. An Orlando based non-profit, “Clean the World” is an organization that collects the partially-used soap from hotels to donate to organizations that provide aid to people around the world. Impoverished people die every day from acute respiratory infection and diarrheal disease. Each year more than five million lives are lost to these diseases with the majority of deaths being among children less than five years old. Studies have shown that simple hand washing substantially reduces the spread of these diseases. Unfortunately, the essential items for proper hand washing are unobtainable for millions of people worldwide.

In just 13 months, there are over 175 hotels (including Disney World) representing 80,000 hotel rooms in 20 states that have joined Clean the World’s Hospitality Recycling Program. The hotel industry currently throws away over 1.5 million bars of soap every day. The simple hygiene practice of washing one’s hands with plain soap can reduce these deaths significantly. According to clinical studies, the combination of bar soap and proper hygiene education can reduce the effects of acute respiratory illness and diarrheal disease, the number one and number two killers of children worldwide respectively, by up to 65%. Clean the World collects the gently used bar soap and bottled amenity products that are routinely thrown away by hotels and resorts. These products are then sanitized in their Recycling Operations Centers and packaged for distribution to those in need. In Pinellas County, we currently have nine properties committed to this program and Visit St. Pete/Clearwater is organizing more each day.

Resources:

Clean the World
Orlando Sentinel Article
A complete list of participating hotels

Healthy Home, Healthy Family Workshop Sniffs Out Indoor Air Problems with Help from Local Experts

Wonder if there’s something foul floating in the air at home? If indoor space seems stagnant, has odors, high humidity or if mold is found, a Healthy Home, Healthy Family Workshop will help citizens identify problems, their sources and solutions.

The two-hour information-packed workshop is set for Saturday, Sept. 12, from 10 a.m. to noon at Pinellas County Extension in Largo. Extension is teaming up with experts from the Pinellas County Health Department and HealthyHome.com, Inc. in St. Petersburg to present the workshop. The cost is $15 per person, and pre-registration is required by Friday, Sept. 11.

Here are a few special opportunities surrounding the new workshop:

The first 20 pre-registered citizens arriving at the workshop will receive a voucher from the Pinellas County Health Department for one free indoor air quality sampling. The voucher includes a tape lift sampling, coordinated through the Health Department, which will reveal known triggers of respiratory ailments in the home. Typically, the sampling and interpretation cost $25. This is a rare free offering for citizens who pre-register and show up early.

Participants can bring common household cleaning products to the workshop. Those products will be analyzed for free for the level of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted when products are used.

Participants can bring to the workshop bed pillows or linens to be tested for particle emissions. This may be of special interest for asthmatics.

At the workshop, citizens explore how the indoor air quality of homes impacts everyone’s health. They will learn where pollutants come from, how their lives are affected and how to make homes healthier places. After all, the EPA says that most indoor air qualifies as being more polluted than the air outdoors in the world’s most industrialized cities.

To register, visit www.pinellascountyextension.org, click on the “Online Class Registration” button and then the “Sustainable Living” tab. Citizens may also call (727) 582-2100.

Extension is located at 12520 Ulmerton Road in Largo. Citizens must sign up by Friday, Sept. 11. Please note that no registration or payments will be accepted the day of the event. Be sure to register now and get in line early at the workshop for the chance to get a $25 tape lift sampling voucher free courtesy of the Pinellas County Health Department.

Microscopic photo of a dust mite courtesy of Pinellas County Health Department

Keeping Your Family Healthy Room by Room

Vestina F. Crayton, Pinellas County Extension Specialist, Urban Sustainability.

Your family’s health is a top priority for most. One way to keep your family healthy is by understanding and managing the sources that affect their indoor air quality. Since the average person spends approximately 90% of their time indoors, it is important to take a closer look at the areas or items that may compromise the quality of your indoor air environment. Depending on the level of exposure to certain indoor air pollutants, acute or chronic health concerns can occur that may range from mild eye irritation to death. Research has shown that air pollutants indoors can be greater than those found outdoors.

This chart highlights some of the common indoor air pollutants, associated health effects and control measures (reactions vary from person to person)

Indoor Air Pollutant	Health Impacts	Control Measures
Mold	Sneezing, Coughing, Asthma	Keep house cool, dry and clean
Carbon Monoxide	Symptoms similar to flu: nausea dizziness; brain damage	Install a CO alarm
Lead	Slows physical, behavioral, and learning development	If your house was built in 1978 or earlier have it tested by a professional
Radon Gas	Lung Cancer	Have house tested Call 1-800-SOS-Radon
Asbestos	High levels can cause lung problems	Consult a professional for testing, repair and removal
Tobacco Smoking	Second hand smoke increase the risk of disease and death in children and non-smokers	Eliminate or reduce exposure
Formaldehyde	Watery, burning eyes, breathing problems	Eliminate or reduce exposure to pressed-wood products
Volatile Organic Compounds	Dizziness nausea; neurological and reproductive disorders	Follow the instructions on proper use and store appropriately
Pesticides	Dizziness nausea; neurological and reproductive disorders	Follow the instructions on proper use and store appropriately

Take a tour through the US Environmental Protection Agency virtual home to learn about some of the most common sources of indoor air pollutants.

If you would like to test the levels of indoor air pollutants in your home, contact your local health department.

For more in-depth information about how to minimize indoor air toxins to create a healthier indoor environment, Pinellas County Extension will be offering a Healthy, Home, Healthy Family seminar September 12, 2009. Please check back for more details and to register at Pinellas County Extension.

References

Hyun-Jeong Lee, Audrey Norman, “My Florida Home Book 2.2: Keeping Your Home Healthy”FCS3294

United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Web site