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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 11, 2002)
® lje f jo r t la n ä (ßbaeruer December II, 2002 Page AS Health Consumers Urged to Handle Food Safely Statewide-------------- A few precautions will ensure that your holiday menus are healthy L E A D L I N E by If D r . G rant H igginson Salmonella and listeria are not on anyone’s holiday menu but mis handling food can leave your main dish tainted and your eggnog nau seating. Whether you are cooking a fam ily meal, preparing a dish for the office party or ordering perishable items on the Internet, you can take precautions to ensure your food arrives safely and your holiday re mains healthy. Some people may become very ill after ingesting only afew harmful bacteria while others may remain symptom free after ingesting thou sands. Very young children, the elderly, p reg n an t w om en and people with compromised immune systems are at greatest risk from bacteria that can cause foodbome illness. Most cases of foodbome illness can be prevented just by following two very important rules: keep hot food hot and cold food cold, and keep everything in the kitchen clean. Sound easy? As consumers, we often break the food safety rules. W hen you last traveled to a after handling food. Wash towels and wash cloths in the hot water cycle of the washing machine. Bacteriacan linger in those u sed re p e a te d ly betw een launderings. Wash countertops and utensils with hot, soapy water bet ween each step in food preparation. Do not use wooden utensils or cutting boards to prepare raw meat. These surfaces are not smooth and can harbor bacteria in the ridges. Cook meat and poultry to the recommended temperature. - D r. G ra n t Higginson, Oregon public health officer For example, the temperature for turkey should register 180 degrees food through careless handling. when a thermometer is inserted into Raw meat, poultry, seafood and the center of the thickest part of the eggs are not sterile. Neither is fresh thigh, breast or stuffing. produce such as lettuce, tomatoes, If you don't have a cooking ther sprouts and melons. Foods, includ mometer, invest in one. There is nothing festive about ing safely cooked, ready-to-eat foods, can become cross-contami foodbome illness. Take the simple nated with bacteria transferred from steps necessary to keep your fam raw products, meat juices c r other ily and guests healthy and this contaminated products, or from unwanted guest off your holiday food handlers with poor personal menu. Grant Higginson, M.D., is the hygiene. Here are some tips to keep food state public health officer in the Oregon Department o f Human Ser safe: Wash your hands before and vices. Most cases o f \ foodbom e illness can be prevented just by \ following two very important rules: keep hot food hot and cold \ food cold, and keep I everything in the kitchen clean. frien d ’s or relativ e’s hom e that was more than tw o hours away, did you keep the food you were bringing at the recommended tem perature? Have you gone to a holiday gathering where food has been left out longer than two hours? Do you have designated cutting boards for preparing raw m eat and vegetables? How often do you use a therm om eter when you are cooking? Follow the four C ’s of safety: clean, chill, cook and don’t cross contaminate. Most bacteria get into Teen Pregnancies Fall Again O regon’s teen pregnancy rate continued its downward trend last year, according to new data released by public health officials in the Oregon Department of Human Services. “In the past 10 years, teen pregnancies have decreased by more than one-third, so w e’ve made good progress," said Sue Abrams, DHS teen pregnancy prevention coordinator. This is the sixth year o f decline for p reg nancies to teens aged 15 to 17 and the fourth year for those aged 18 and 19, according to Abrams. “H ow ever, the sobering fact rem ains that th ere w ere 66 b irth s and 56 a b o rtio n s to g irls betw een 10 and 14 years old. We still have w ork to d o ,” she said. T he d ata is co n ta in e d in the new ly p u b lished O regon V ital S ta tistic s A nnual R e port fo r 2001, w hich also p ro v id es o th e r d ata for m others o f all ages. Heath Finance Pro Leads Kaiser a c c o u n tin g an d p r o f e s sional services firm KPM G in P o rtlan d , and fo r sev eral o th e r national and re gional health care entities. O riginally from Los A n g eles, M undy h o lds a d e gree in b u siness m an ag e m ent from H ow ard U n i v e rs ity in W a s h in g to n , D .C . H e and h is w ife , M arcus M undy L eslye, have th ree d a u g h h e a lth c are fin an ce and o p e ra tio n s c o n ters and a son. T hey resid e in the Irvington su ltan t. P rio r to th at he w o rk ed fo r the neighborhood. M u rc u s C . M u n d y o f n o r th e a s t P o r tla n d h a s been n am ed a v ice p re si d en t and re g io n a l c o m p li an c e o f f ic e r fo r K a ise r P erm an en te. M u n d y w ill be re sp o n sible fo r e n su rin g K a ise r’s north w est reg io n is in c o m p lian ce w ith fed eral and state re g u la tio n s. H e m o st re c e n tly w as a ----------- Introduced Offers information about lead hazards A new lead poisioning hotline will provide over the phone help to Oregonians across the state remodeling. Mel Kohn, M.D., a state epide miologist in the Department of Human Services, said nationwide who may be concerned that their children are at risk. about one in 20 children under six Especially dangerous to chil dren under the age of 6, lead are lead poisoned. In Oregon, more than I (X) young children are poisioning can cause perm a nent brain damage, learning dif identified withelevated blood lead ficulties, behavioral problem s amongst other health problems. The condition is caused prim a rily by sw allow ing or inhaling lead, usually in the form of lead dust. The m ain source o f lead poisioning is the lead paint found in houses built before 1978, which can chip, peel and break dow n, creating lead dust w h ic h c o n ta m in a te s th e envirom ent. The risk of con ta m in a tio n is ev en g re a te r during tim es o f repairs and levels each year. “The good news is that lead poisoning is completely prevent able if hazards are detected and removed,” Kohn said. The hotline is staffed with trained operators who can explain where lead can be found and h o w , it can be controlled. They can tell callers what help may be avail able in their community. The statew ide Leadline at 800-368-5060 is an expansion o f an existing M ultnom ah County poisoning helpline at 503-988- 4000. The Instant Holiday Gift P C C T U I T I O B U C K S • More than 1,000 courses to choose from, including credits that transfer to just about any university. • Sold in $10, $25, and $100 amounts in an attractive folder. • A great gift idea for parents, grandparents, family friends, aunts and uncles. <s> Call 503-977-4234 to order by phone. W e’ll m ail your c e rtific a te s to you the next business day or sooner. Portland Community College Sweet Red or Golden Delicious Apples Excellent dessert with sharp cheese. Visit Safeways Web site at wwwsafeway.com SAVE up to $1.58 on 2 lbs. 2 PRICES EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 2002 Sun Mon Tu« | Wed . m l 1 Thur Fn lbs for 12 I 1 3 [ 14 IIIL H I2 1 MtMt •» *■ a n » Safeway Club Price Safeway l a I p i * » M W n m MH » « •M n W a n iiiM i KKO «tm at « ifl *■■* * ’•a* •*» a*» 1 «•«*'*» * a* • " n—»e— Now the savings are in the Card! A I ALL LIMITS ARE PER HOUSEHOLD PER BAP A
