Safe Food Temperatures: Hot and Cold

What are the safe food temperatures?

  There are different safe temperatures for different foods.   The reason that these foods have to be kept at certain temperatures is to keep bacteria and other harmful disease causing species from growing on the food that you eat.  If the bacteria are not killed properly, then those that consume the product are subject to a wide range of food borne illnesses.  There common sources of illness from food including E. coli and Salmonella.  No one want to experience how these bacteria affect your body.  The way to fix this is to make sure that the food your store and cook is kept at the right temperature.  Poultry is to be cooked to about 165 degrees Fahrenheit.  Egg dishes and ground meat should be cooked to a minimum of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.  Beef and pork need to be cooked to no less than 145 degrees Fahrenheit.  These meats have different minimum cook temperatures due to the nature of the food.  As long as you cook the food to this temperature or higher, all of the bacteria should be killed, making the food safe to eat.  Not only are there safe cooking temperatures, but there are also safe storing temperatures.  When storing food in the refrigerator, the temperature needs to be kept at 40 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure that the food is not growing harmful bacteria.  When freezing food, the temperature in the freezer needs to stay at 0 degrees Fahrenheit.  These guidelines will make sure that the food you store and cook is safe to eat.  

What is the danger zone?

  The danger zone is the range of temperatures where bacteria thrives.  If food is cooked or stored in between this range, there is the highest risk for bacteria growth and contamination.  This danger zone is between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.  Bacteria love warm and moist areas where they are able to reproduce quickly.  Interestingly, our average body temperature is right in the middle of this danger zone.  It makes sense because the good bacteria in our body need to thrive in an environment where they are able to live and do their job.  Although our body is kept in the danger zone, the food that we eat should never be able to reach the danger zone.  A rule of thumb to make sure that the food is not contaminated is that if it has been sitting out for over 2 hours, then throw it away.  Better safe than sorry.  Overall, it is most important to keep our body healthy if the food we eat is safe and hazardous bacteria free.

Sources:
  United States Department of Agriculture
     http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/safe-food-handling/danger-zone-40-f-140-f/ct_index
  Food Safety
     http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/mintemp.html
  Food Safety Information Council
     http://www.foodsafety.asn.au/resources/temperature-danger-zone-keep-hot-food-hot-and-cold-food-cold/

Water Quality: Potassium

How do I find out about my water quality?

   The best thing to do when you are unsure of something is to get informed.  It's very important to be educated and learn more about your environment.  One way to learn more about your drinking water is to go on the Ohio Department of Health website.  This is a very valuable resource that can answer many questions you have or point you in the correct direction for answers.  For example, if you want to know more about the quality of the water you drink, this is the place to be.  After you are on the Ohio Department of Health website, click on the letter 'W', then go to 'Wells and Private Water Systems', then on the left-hand site click on 'Water Quality.'  Once you are here, the possibilities are endless.  It's up to you to take the reigns and learn more about the water you drink.  There are many different contaminates you can learn more about, along with how they affect the water quality. 

What is Potassium? Will it harm me? 

  Potassium is one of the many substances that are in our drinking water.  You may be surprised to know that not everything in our drinking water is bad.  This is one of those examples.  Potassium is an element that is usually found in different rocks and soil.  It is a naturally occurring element that has been running into our water from the soil and rocks.  Potassium is color-less and odor-less, so most people have no idea that it's in the water just by looking.  The good thing about Potassium is that it is harmless to healthy individuals.  Our body's actually need Potassium to function believe it or not.  The only time where it may become an issue is if an individual has a disease or takes medicine that effects how our body handles Potassium.  The common diseases where Potassium become an issue are kidney disease, heart disease, and diabetes.  So overall, there is no harm from Potassium to healthy individuals, but if someone does have one of the diseases listed above, there are ways to treat the water.  Now the research is up to you!  It's your turn to take control and learn more about the many ways that water can be treated.  

Sources:

  Ohio Department of Health

     https://www.odh.ohio.gov/default.aspx

  The Drop on Water: Potassium 

     http://www.novascotia.ca/nse/water/docs/droponwaterFAQ_Potassium.pdf

Fukushima Today

    In March of 2011, the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant experienced a magnitude-9 earthquake followed by a tsunami.  These two disasters, one after the other, destroyed the power plant and created a nuclear explosion, which in turn released radiation into the public.  All of the events of this disaster lead to 19,000 deaths and over 350,000 residents were forced to move.  Even today, four years after the major disaster, those that live in Japan near this catastrophe are still experiencing the effects of this event.  

How did this effect the environment?

   Many plants, animals, water, and soil are affected by these events.  There are plants that have absorbed radiation and are now contaminated.  The soil around this area is now filled with radiation, which means that plants can't grow and crops, such as rice, can't be harvested.  There are animals such as monkeys and butterflies that have been greatly affected by the radiation.  The monkeys that live near the Power Plant site have a lower blood count cells than those that live away from the site.  Also, a common butterfly, the pale blue butterfly, is experiencing slow growth, stunted growth, and high mortality rate near the power plant.  Not only does this affect the animals, but this also leads to a major downfall in the amount of food available for humans.  Parts of the Pacific Ocean that are near Fukushima are closed for fishing due to the high levels of radiation in the seafood. 

How did this effect humans and their health?

  There are many individuals whose health was affected by this disaster.  The doctors in Japan are seeing a rise in the number of diseases that patients have since the disaster.  Many of them believe that these illnesses are due to the radiation from the nuclear explosion but aren't allowed to tell their patients the cause of their illness.  They don't want to cause more chaos and worry in society.  Many instances of thyroid cancer have been found in children.  There were 89 cases of thyroid cancer in a sample of less than 300,000 children.  Many other health related issues caused by radiation include tumors and genetic disorders.  Even after four years, this disastrous chain of events is still affecting the citizens.  No one knows when the lingering hazards will be removed to make a safe environment for the citizens of Japan. 

Sources:

  Fukushima Update

     http://fukushimaupdate.com/deaths-tied-to-fukushima-nuclear-disaster-up-18/

  Vice News 

     https://news.vice.com/article/no-one-wants-you-to-know-how-bad-fukushima-might-still-be

  Ocean Health Index

     http://www.oceanhealthindex.org/News/Radioactive_Fukushima_July

  Tech Times

     http://www.techtimes.com/articles/13316/20140818/fukushima-disaster-show-effects-of-radiation-in-animals-plants-study.htm

Glyphosate in Food

What is Glyphosate?

  Glyphosate is the main ingredient in Monsanto's RoundUp Herbicide.  This is a product that is meant to kill plants which gets rid weeds and other unwanted plants.  When glyphosate is in action in plants, it prevents certain proteins from being made in the specific plant.  Due to the fact that these proteins aren't being made, the plan cannot grow, and therefore it dies.  Many farmers use this product to kill off weeds and other plants that are taking nutrients from they crops.  The concern for this product is the fact that the crops are being contaminated too.  While the farmer is trying to spray the unwanted plants, there is no way to prevent the herbicide from getting on the crops that he is growing to be sold later.  The two main crops being contaminated are a big part of today's society: soy and corn.  This causes issues later down the road when our food supply is being contaminated with toxic products and the citizens are consuming these infected crops.

Why is it dangerous?

   Glyphosate is a dangerous alone, but when it comes into contact with humans, it causes many harmful effects.  The toxic chemical is not meant to be able to infect humans.  One of the main issues with this chemical is that fact that it is systemic.  This means that the chemical spreads through all of the cells in the crops, and cannot be washed off.  The chemical is then ingested into those that consume the contaminated product.  Many studies have been done showing the harmful affects that these chemicals have on humans after entering their system.  The common concerns are birth defects, reproductive disorders, tumors, blood cell damage, kidney disease, and cancer.  The high levels of glyphosate that have infected these crops has an average of 11.0 parts per million.  These chemicals are at a dangerous level, which causes the diseases stated above.

What do we do?

  This is a major concern for many individuals all around the world.  Although it is an issue, there are many ways to avoid contact or decrease contact with such harmful chemicals.  One of the main ways to combat these chemicals is to check labels.  Reading the labels will let you know what you and your loved ones are coming into contact with.  This will help gain knowledge and be more aware of what you are putting near your body.  Another thing to check is that the animals are being grass fed to avoid them eating the chemicals that will in turn transfer into your system.  A way to ensure grass fed animals and a chemical free product is to support local farmers and small businesses.  Even when you think you are sure the projects are safe, make sue to double-check the labels and information about where your products are coming from.  Lastly, the best way to make a statement about this issue is to boycott businesses that are using these harmful chemicals and products.  Overall, it's up to you to make sure that everything you consume is safe.



Sources:
  National Pesticide Information Center
     http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/glyphogen.html
  Environmental Working Group
     http://www.ewg.org/agmag/2014/04/extreme-levels-herbicide-roundup-found-foo
  Take Control of Your Health
     http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/05/20/glyphosate-roundup-levels.aspx
  GMO Awareness
     http://gmo-awareness.com/resources/glyphosate/