Food Safety Public Service Bulletin

Food Safety Public Service Bulletin

James V. Lewis Jr.

SCI 220

March 29, 2012

Frank Laccone

Food Safety Public Service Bulletin

Health departments around America are reporting increased numbers of food-borne illnesses occurring within local communities. Jacksonville Florida's Department of Health has prepared this advisory announcement to inform the public on the proper ways to purchase, prepare, and store food, and food products.

Some safety issues consumers should be aware of related to food purchase are: 1. Temperature. Is the item kept at the proper temperatures in the store? 2. Expiration dates. Is the sale by, and or use by date current; 3. Packaging, are packages compromised, ripped opened, bent cans, swollen or bubbled up plastic bottles; 4. Store rotation, are the items on the shelf rotated in a timely fashion; 5. Human handling, are those handling and preparing fresh meats and produce clean and disease free. 6. Meats and sea food should be inspected for proper coloring, and cheese or vegetables purchased to be eaten raw should be scrutinized with special attention. 7. Last, fruits, vegetables, and items unpackaged should never be set on a dirty conveyer.

For reasons of public safety it is importance to store perishable foods in the coldest part of one's refrigerator, store raw foods, [meats, poultry, and fish], away from other foods because of the risk of contamination. One should not store milk product, meats, poultry, or fish on the refrigerator door, as the door is the warmest part inside. Keep foods sealed and the refrigerator at 40 degrees and set the freezer at 0 degrees.

Presentation of food is also important because an aesthetically arranged plate, especially if balanced could entice others to indulge in more healthy eating practices. Preparation of eye-catching, appealing meal displays should increase one desire to consume foods that are healthy. Adding some contrast to a meal presentation, such as crunchy and smooth items together, or wet foods along with dry foods, or sweet, and sour, or salty items on a plate would make a presentation more appealing to eat.

There are thousands of bacteria, microorganisms called pathogens that can cause disease when introduced into the food supply. Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio vulnificus, Bacillus Cereus are common found foodborne illness. These bacteria cause everything from diarrhea, and stomach pain, vomiting, headache, confusion with loss of balance and could result in infection of the blood and possible death. The bacterium Bacillus Cereus can cause two distinctly different types of foodborne illness: one type called emetic toxin, characterized by nausea and vomiting, is believed caused by a low molecular weight, heat-stable peptide,