Thinking about food?

Posted by benniefinch on November 25th, 2024 Posted in: Blog, NLM Resources, Weekly Newsletter
Tags: MedlinePlus, resources

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With the arrival of the holiday season, you might be thinking about some favorite dishes or treats you enjoy. You might be preparing more or different food than usual. You may also be thinking about food safety, or maybe you are just looking for recipes. In this blog post, you will find links for Healthy Recipes from MedlinePlus as well as information to support practices for healthy food preparation.

MedlinePlus offers a variety of Healthy Recipes from breakfast to appetizers, entrees, and desserts including this recipe for cranberry applesauce.

Let’s start with the basics of food safety as outlined in this summary by the FDA of the United States Department of Agriculture:

“Safe steps in food handling, cooking, and storage are essential in preventing foodborne illness. You can’t see, smell, or taste harmful bacteria that may cause illness. In every step of food preparation, follow the four guidelines to keep food safe:

• Clean—Wash hands and surfaces often.
• Separate—Don’t cross-contaminate.
• Cook—Cook to proper temperatures, checking with a food thermometer.
• Chill—Refrigerate promptly. “

You can learn more about each of these steps on the CDC’s Food Safety Page.

While these four steps may seem simple, there are number of practices included, such as handwashing, safe thawing, heating to proper temperatures, and storing food safely, to name a few.

Other helpful resources:

• Food Safety: MedlinePlus
• Looking for resources in multiple languages? The FDA offers food safety fact sheets in 18 languages.
• Preventing Food Poisoning | NIH News in Health
• What You Need to Know about Foodborne Illnesses | FDA
• Recalls and Outbreaks | FoodSafety.gov

Did you know the CDC tracks foodborne illness in the United States? FoodNet is a collaboration between CDC, USDA, FDA, and 10 state health departments.

More information about food poisoning and foodborne illness:

• Food Poisoning | Foodborne Illness | MedlinePlus
• Food poisoning: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
• Food poisoning prevention: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
• Foodborne Illness and Disease | Food Safety and Inspection Service
• Foodborne Disease – Standards | Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Learn more about the four steps at home to prevent food poisoning – clean (hands and surfaces), separate (don’t cross-contaminate), cook (to the right temperature) and chill (refrigerate promptly).

Wishing you a healthy holiday season!