With the holidays just around the corner (literally, my kids have already started peeking through the boxes in my closet...darn it!) folks all over the globe will be feasting their eyes on some amazingly set dinner tables. Mine, not so much. My almost 13-year-old is scheduled for surgery today and will be recovering for the next couple of weeks, so we're having breakfast for Christmas dinner! Still, food shopping is NOT one of my favorite things. I know, that you know, feeding a family can get really expensive, but did you know that an estimated 5,000 people in the U.S. die each year from food-borne illnesses? Me either. So, is there anything you can do to minimize your family’s risk? The January 2009 issue of ShopSmart, from the publisher of Consumer Reports, has 7 strategies to cut your risk of a potentially deadly food-borne illness:
Look at the date on the package. Although it’s no guarantee the meat won’t make you sick, choose a date with the most leeway.
3 bag it. Put a plastic bag (get one from the produce aisle if you can’t find one near the meat) over your hand and use it as a glove. Slip the bag back over the package of meat you select to prevent bacteria from contaminating you, your other groceries, or your fridge.
Sniff it. If meat smells off, don’t buy it because it might not be fresh. (Even if it smells OK, however, that’s no guarantee it’s not loaded with bacteria.) And never rely on color alone since meat can be treated with carbon monoxide to make it look red and fresh.
Get meat ground fresh. Cuts of meat are held to a higher standard than ground. Choose cuts and have your trusted butcher grind them. The machine should be clean.
Look for firm fish. The flesh shouldn’t have any gaps between the muscle fibers. Also sniff it; fish shouldn’t smell fishy or like urine or ammonia. If you’re buying whole fish, check the eyes; they should be clear, not cloudy.
Take along a cooler bag. Or ask to have meat and fish packed in a bag of ice so it stays cool. That will help slow the growth of bacteria.
[Source: January 2009 Issue of ShopSmart Magazine, with permission]
Happy Holidays and safe eating!
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