The hype is giving us stomach pains
Our intestinal pal E. coli is back in the news again. We thought
we’d heard the last of him when the Spinach scare
– linked to produce packaged and processed close to home –
subsided. It took some work to get people to open their mouths
again for the nutritious green leaves that are linked to plenty
more healthy side effects than negative ones.
The hype is giving us stomach pains
Our intestinal pal E. coli is back in the news again. We thought we’d heard the last of him when the Spinach scare – linked to produce packaged and processed close to home – subsided. It took some work to get people to open their mouths again for the nutritious green leaves that are linked to plenty more healthy side effects than negative ones. Led by Congressman Sam Farr, the United States government even hosted the biggest spinach bar ever in Washington, D.C., to prove the produce was safe again for consumers.
Then came a short scare at Jamba Juice, a smoothie company headquartered in the Bay Area. News reports said the company tossed out all its frozen strawberries when a possible illness was linked to the berries. And now Taco Bell and an unrelated mid-Western taco joint called Taco John’s are in the news for upsetting people’s stomachs.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took a break from searching for cancer cures and stopping the spread of HIV and have been diligently hunting down the source of E. coli contamination at the restaurants.
The latest announcement is that the Taco Bell outbreak, which hit 71 digestive systems in five states, is likely linked to chopped lettuce.
While we don’t want to belittle those who’ve taken ill and we know that E. coli at its worst can be fatal, most people put themselves at more risk of catching a bug than restaurants and food processing plants.
Ever eaten macaroni or potato salad during a hot, summer picnic after it’s been out for a few hours?
A breeding ground for bacteria.
Ever left a frozen steak or a couple of chicken breasts in the sink to defrost while at work for the day?
Full of bacteria.
Ever grabbed slice of day-old pizza after its been out on the counter for the night without warming it up?
More bacteria.
Or chomped on big juicy, rare burgers grilled in the backyard?
Restaurants don’t do them rare for a reason.
Anyone who’s traveled outside the country knows the risk of food poisoning, but it rarely ever deters us from trying the local delicacies.
We’re not saying restaurants and food processors should be off the hook – we want good, clean food – but once in a while it’s likely that food grown in dirt and covered with manure is likely to give us a little upset stomach.
And do we really need New York Sens. Charles Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton to create a joint task force to investigate food poisoning?
Better to relax and eat your vegetables.
