With Memorial Day weekend here, many plans across the Inland Northwest include a meal or two outdoors.  But, before you enjoy sunshine and friends with your meal, the Washington Department of Health is reminding you of the threat of food borne illnesses.  Susan Shelton says one of the main reasons for an increase in the number of food borne illness in recent decades, is greater knowledge.  She added changes to our shopping habits have made us more susceptible.

 

“The other part of that is how we’ve processed food has changed.  Back in the day when our parents and our grandparents were buying food, they probably bought it from a local butcher.  Most of the time now, we’re buying food that’s a little bit wider distributed, so the chance of having something that might have some contamination are actually there.”

 

Shelton said many are concerned that the dairy products, and mayo at the picnic will lead to illness.  But she said what’s led to some of the largest recent outbreaks has been fruits and veggies.

 

“It’s going to be your melon, your water melon your cantaloupe your honeydew.  Once you cut them up, you want to keep them cold.  Another one where we’ve had a lot of outbreaks are lettuces and tomatoes.  So, those are favorite summertime food, but when you cut them up you’ve got to keep them cold.”

 

Shelton says it is also important to keep cold foods cold, and your hot foods hot, to help minimize bacteria growth.

 

 

 

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