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You may know your healthy food choices… but, are you choosing your foods wisely? If you think that eating outside your home puts you at more risk for food poisoning, think again. Studies say that a lot of food poisoning cases happen right at someone’s very own home. Maybe, you have a fillet mignon in your fridge that is already spoiled and you simply don’t care about expiration dates. Should you really care?

You have to get rid of any food that is rotten – No Excuses! But when it comes to expiration dates, it can mean very little. Keep in mind that once food is harvested, it is up for deterioration and it can be anytime, specially in a storage place where there is heat and moisture. You don’t really want to eat contaminated food. Food poisoning can give you that unpleasant feeling, and it can be deadly in some cases. There are many factors to food poisoning like how the food is grown, bacteria, parasites, food processing, food storage, and food preparation. How you wish you just don’t eat at all.

How to Avoid Food Poisoning

The ugly truth is that our bodies need food to survive. You can avoid food poisoning by taking extra care and following these steps:

1. Cook well your meat, dairy, and eggs. Use a meat thermometer to know if your meat is well done.
2. Check the expiration date of meat products before you even cook it. Try to avoid eating it raw.
3. Make sure to choose only the freshest sea foods.
4. Don’t be shy to send back a meat for re-cooking when you dine out, specially when it is undercooked.
5. Put leftovers quickly in your fridge to avoid heat and moisture spoiling it.
6. Use antibacterial soap when washing your hands, cutting boards, or handling knives.
7. Skip anything made of unpasteurized milk.
8. Wash your fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating or cooking.
9. If you are suffering from diarrhea, don’t handle food or prepare it for others.
10. Try to avoid soft cheeses like feta, Brie, or Camembert.
11. Make sure to cook leftover foods well.
12. Reheat your cold cuts thoroughly.

If you need more information on how to prevent foodborne diseases, you may always get in touch with the CDC or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( www. cdc.gov ).

In the end, you need to choose natural, organic, and safe food to get a foot forward in preventing food poisoning. By starting to take the habit of awareness in the foods we eat, we can definitely avoid the risk of many food borne illnesses out there. Don’t just rely on expiration dates as they can be misleading. These dates can make you feel confident that your food is safe to eat, but always trust your gut instincts. Focus your efforts in making your kitchen safe from malevolent bacteria like Salmonella and E-Coli. If something doesn’t simply taste right, it may not be good for you. Trust Your Taste Buds!

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