® 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