Wisdom from The Action Wisdom In Action

Can Home Cooking Be Hazardous to Your Health?

From Yahoo Health. Not if you take the same precautions as restaurants do.

"Could your kitchen at home pass a restaurant inspection?

New research suggests that at least one in seven home kitchens would flunk the kind of health inspection commonly administered to restaurants.

The small study from California's Los Angeles County found that only 61 percent of home kitchens would get an A or B if put through the rigors of a restaurant inspection. At least 14 percent would fail — not even getting a C.

"I would say if they got below a C, I'm not sure I would like them to invite me to dinner," said Dr. Jonathan Fielding, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health."

...

"The study, released Thursday, is believed to be one of the first to offer a sizable assessment of food safety in private homes. But the researchers admit the way it was done is hardly perfect.

The results are based not on actual inspections, but on an Internet quiz taken by about 13,000 adults.

So it's hard to use it to compare the conditions in home kitchens to those in restaurants, which involve trained inspectors giving objective assessments of dirt, pests, and food storage and handling practices.

What's more, experts don't believe the study is representative of all households, because people who are more interested and conscientious about food safety are more likely to take the quiz."

...

"People are asked, for example, if their refrigerator temperature is 41 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, whether raw meat is stored below other foods on refrigerator shelves, and whether fruits and vegetables are always thoroughly rinsed before they are eaten.

The study is based on quizzes taken through 2008."

...

"Many outbreaks that receive publicity are centered on people who got sick after eating at a restaurant, catered celebration or large social gathering. In this summer's outbreak linked to salmonella in eggs, several illnesses were first identified in clusters among restaurant patrons.

But experts believe the bulk of food poisonings are unreported illnesses from food prepared at home."

This is why bleach is our friend--it gets used (with water) in spray bottles to wipe down surfaces, it gets used in the dishwasher to help get the dishes REALLY clean and sanitary (in conjunction with the high water temps), and goes hand-in-hand with all the stuff we were taught in a real Home Ec class about food storage, food temps, and food poisoning.

Since nobody's had a real Home Ec class in this country for decades, the findings in this quiz don't surprise me.

Posted by Cute at 8:16 PM

Labels: economy, financial (non-tax), food preparation and use, health