CUTTING BACK ON CUTTING-BOARD GERMS
ROCHESTER, MINN. A few common-sense, cutting-board rules can reduce the risk of contaminating the foods you prepare and eat, according to the August issue of the Mayo Clinic Health letter.
- Be sure cutting boards have a smooth, hard surface. Bacteria can get into cracks.
- Clean and disinfect cutting boards after each use, especially after cutting meat, fish or raw seafood. Most plastic cutting boards can be placed in the dishwasher, which will clean and sanitize them if the water reaches sufficient temperatures. To clean by hand, use soap and water and scrub vigorously. Sanitize by scrubbing with a solution of two teaspoons of liquid chlorine bleach to one quart of water. Rinse in clean water.
- Allow cutting boards to air dry to avoid contamination by a towel.
- Use two different cutting boards to avoid cross-contamination; one for raw meats, poultry, seafood and vegetables you will cook. The other should be used only for cutting ready-to-eat foods that are normally low in bacteria, such as bread, cheese and fresh produce.
It's also important to be aware of food allergies. Thorough cleaning of cutting boards reduces the chance of spreading allergenic properties of one food to another.
POULTRY POISON
More than half of the poultry in Canada is contaminated by Salmonella bacteria which can cause diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and sometimes death! A recent television program followed a typical grocery shopper home to track the spread of the bacteria in the home. A few minutes after the groceries were put away, the TV crew came in and found traces of their test substance (not salmonella) all over the walls, the cupboards and on the rest of the groceries. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling poultry and isolate it from your other food.
COMPARE APPLES AND ORANGES
Orange juice has 50 times more vitamin C, 170 % more folic acid, and 1 and a half times more potassium than apple juice.
JUMP START YOUR HEART!
The American Heart Association reports that the national resuscitation rate from a heart attack is only 2 to 5 percent in large part because defibrillators don't get to the victims in time.
Several airlines have now installed new defibrillators in their aircraft, and more are in the process of getting them. The new defibrillators weigh just 4 to 7 pounds. Voice prompts guide rescuers through the process of placing special pads on the victim's exposed chest. The electrode pads automatically analyze the patient and deliver a shock only if there is ventricular fibrillation, so there is little danger of injuring the patient or the rescuer.
The New England Journal of Medicine reported that casino security guards and flight attendants in test programs revived 53 percent and 40 percent of cardiac-arrest victims, respectively.
We feel it would certainly be worth asking your favourite airline if they have a defibrillator unit installed in their aircraft when you book your next flight!