Turkey Day Talk

HAPPY THANKSGIVING WEEK!

You make your grocery list, count how many people are coming (multiple times), plan the seating arrangement so that crazy uncle Ted doesn't sit by grandma, and recruit all the members of the family to help clean the house all for the big day. Thanksgiving day is the perfect time for stuffing your face and spending time with the people you love. It is also the perfect time to refresh your knowledge of food safety!

 Food Safety is a bid deal. One in Six Americans will get food poisoning this year. foodsafety.gov is a great website for information on recalls and food safety steps and tips. Read more in the link below on how to safely cook your turkey this holiday season! Another resource available for food safety questions from the USDA is the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854 or chat live with a food safety specialist at AskKaren.gov.

USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or chat live with a food safety specialist at AskKaren.gov available from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, in English or Spanish. - See more at: http://blogs.usda.gov/2015/11/18/countdown-to-thanksgiving/#sthash.I8LgZEdd.dpuf

USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or chat live with a food safety specialist at AskKaren.gov available from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, in English or Spanish. - See more at: http://blogs.usda.gov/2015/11/18/countdown-to-thanksgiving/#sthash.I8LgZEdd.dpuf

the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or chat live with a food safety specialist at AskKaren.gov available from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, in English or Spanish.
If you need help on Thanksgiving Day, the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time.  You can also ask questions of “Karen,” FSIS’ virtual representative, 24/7 at AskKaren.gov.  Visit PregunteleaKaren.gov for questions in Spanish.
- See more at: http://blogs.usda.gov/2015/11/18/countdown-to-thanksgiving/#sthash.I8LgZEdd.dpuf

the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or chat live with a food safety specialist at AskKaren.gov available from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, in English or Spanish.
If you need help on Thanksgiving Day, the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time.  You can also ask questions of “Karen,” FSIS’ virtual representative, 24/7 at AskKaren.gov.  Visit PregunteleaKaren.gov for questions in Spanish.
- See more at: http://blogs.usda.gov/2015/11/18/countdown-to-thanksgiving/#sthash.I8LgZEdd.dpuf

the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or chat live with a food safety specialist at AskKaren.gov available from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, in English or Spanish.
If you need help on Thanksgiving Day, the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time.  You can also ask questions of “Karen,” FSIS’ virtual representative, 24/7 at AskKaren.gov.  Visit PregunteleaKaren.gov for questions in Spanish.
- See more at: http://blogs.usda.gov/2015/11/18/countdown-to-thanksgiving/#sthash.I8LgZEdd.dpuf

Keep you and your guests safe this Thanksgiving day and make sure to follow these guidelines as you prepare for your Thanksgiving meal! http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/events/thanksgiving/

http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/events/thanksgiving/

Why the Food Babe is BAD for Food Education

We are all about learning and engaging here at Food For Thought. Learning about where your food comes from and speaking directly with the farmers and ranchers who grow crops and raise livestock. We believe it is fundamentally important to be confident in one’s food choices and know that our food supply is safe, wholesome and accessible.

NOT a trusted source for farming/ranching/food production

Which is why the Food Babe is NOT helping consumers learn more about their food and, in turn, trust producers. She’s actually doing the exact opposite. She uses fear tactics to sell her books, promote her diet plans and force companies to stop using federally inspected and approved products that help our food be safer. The Food Babe is not thinking about consumers. She’s thinking about numero uno and how she can make more money scaring the living daylights of you, the consumer, while simultaneously disparaging companies that use ingredients that are FDA approved safe for consumption. And she won’t let facts stand in her way – just read this piece about airplanes for further proof (you may have to call on your sixth grade science knowledge).



This rancher IS a trusted source for raising cattle and beef.

 Food For Thought is not a group of fear mongers, nor are we out to make the Food Babe look ridiculous. We don’t need to do that and it’s not our goal (quite frankly she is making herself seem ridiculous all on her own). Food For Thought’s main focus is to help consumers learn more about where their food comes and answer questions about food production. It’s even in our mission!

Food For Thought will provide consumers with answers about where their food comes from by empowering agriculturalists, informing consumers and confronting myths about modern agriculture through innovative and effective methods.

What this means, dear readers, is that we want to hear YOUR questions and concerns. How do you feel about your food and the people who produce? Ask us anything – we want to talk to you!


This pig farmer is responsibly caring for her animals and IS a
trusted source for animal care and pork production.

Please, we beg you, if you have a question about GMOs, corn, cattle, sweet potatoes, rice, pigs, lizards, marshmallows: ask! We are here to quench your thirst for knowledge!



Hormones in Beef: The Rest of the Story

Alright, so I want to talk a little bit about hormones in beef cattle.  I mean we all know a lot about them, mass media tells about them almost daily, about how they are bad for us and how they increase the risk of cancer.  But what has always puzzled me is why we only hear about hormones in the beef industry, and about how hormone consumption in beef is going to kill us.  Well I want to tell you a little bit of the rest of the story.  Yes, it is true conventionally raised beef does contain hormones.  It contains 1.9 nanograms per 3 ounce serving.  This is compared to all natural certified organic beef which contains 1.5 nanograms per 3 ounce serving.  That is a difference of .4 nanograms per 3 ounce serving.  That is decimal point with eight zeros and a four behind it (.000000004).  There is not much of a difference.  Now compare that to a food like soybeans.  Soybeans contain phytoestrogens which have been proven to be hormonally active in humans, per three ounce serving of soybean oil there are 168,000 nanograms of phytoestrogens.  Per three ounce serving of cabbage there are 2016 nanograms of estradiol.  Both of these foods contain no meat and are used frequently in vegetarian and vegan diets.

According to USDA numbers an average per capita 60 pounds of beef is consumed per person per year in the United States.  That works out to be 320-three ounce servings per year per person.  Which in turn comes to approximately 1077.17 nanograms of estradiol per year from beef consumption.

Now I want to compare that number to something that is practiced by thousands of women every day in the United States: birth control.  What I have here is a progesterone based birth control product.  It contains .035 mg of estradiol per pill and is based on a 28 day cycle so there are 21 active pills in a dispenser of this product.  If you consider a woman who uses this product for one year, that is 252 pills or 8,820 nanograms of estradiol per year.  Remember the amount estradiol per year from beef was 1077 nanograms per year. Approximately eight times more estrogen from progesterone based birth control than from beef. Now let’s consider a woman who takes an estrogen based birth control pill. They contain 35,000 nanograms of estradiol per pill which for the same 252 pill year works out to be 8,820,000 nanograms of estradiol per year.  That is approximately equal to 875,868 lbs of beef.  Or on a hot carcass weight basis, that is like eating 1100 steers per year per person.  That works out to be just a little over three steers per person per day.  So in summary for every one pill of estrogen based birth control consumed it is like eating 3 whole cows by yourself, daily. 

If you want to trim hormones out of your diets, beef should probably not be the first place you look. 

Thanks for reading and please let us know if you have questions and leave your comments below!

~ Nick Henning

BPI Suing ABC over 'Pink Slime' (Lean, Finely Textured Beef) Debacle

Hey - it's actually called Lean, Finely Textured Beef (LFTB).

You may have read/heard that Beef Products, Inc. filed a lawsuit against ABC and three news reporters (Diane Sawyer, Jim Avila and David Kerly) and are seeking $1.2 billion in damages for defamation. But you may be wondering how they can file a lawsuit against a news company and reporters. Let's get down to the facts, folks.

First off, we need to define defamation: it is the communication of a statement that makes a claim, expressly stated or implied to be factual, that may give an individual or business, a negative or inferior image. In Common Law it is usually a requirement that this claim be false and that the publication is communicated to someone other than the person defamed (in this case BPI is defamed person). (Wikipedia.org)

or in simpler terms:

Defamation is the false or unjustified injury of the good reputation of another, as by slander or libel (dictionary.com)

Basically, you can't go out and spread false information and not expect to be sued.

But what exactly is the claim against ABC?  

BPI claims that ABC did knowingly publish and report misinformation in 11 television reports and 14 online news items relating to BPI and LFTB that were false and misleading, which aired from March 7 to April 3. In a press conference on September 13, BPI's lawyers expressed that ABC had been provided with real factual information about LFTB from USDA and several other sources and still chose to release 25 reports that stated otherwise. The pushing of a negative agenda caused hundreds of thousands of parents to ask their schools to cease use of LFTB in lunch programs and ABC also created and release a 'blacklist' of grocery stores who were using LFTB. That's a lot of negative press in a 28 day period. So much negative press that BPI lost 80% of their business and was forced to shut down 3 of their 4 plants and let go of 650 employees. Ouch.

About that misinformation - let's clear some of that up. Here are the facts about LFTB.

- LFTB is 100% beef. One hundred percent.
- LFTB is a USDA approved product that is sanitized and made safer with a minuscule amount of ammonium hydroxide mist.
- Ammonium hydroxide is present in most foods - cheese, cereal, beer, bread, even fruits and veggies.
- LFTB is 94-97% lean. Meaning that when it is used, the product is lower in fat and is healthier than a 80% or 85% lean product.
- The photo that was splashed across every TV station and newspaper of pink oozy stuff coming out of a machine is not representative of LFTB. It wasn't even beef.

So, that's the bare bones facts of it all. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. I personally don't see how BPI could lose this case. There were over 500 pages of evidence logged with the claim and it's hard to ignore the hundreds of jobs lost and nosedive of BPI's business.

If you want to read more about LFTB here are some good links

Engineering a safer burger - Washington Post article
Beef is Beef - a collection of articles and more hard facts about LFTB
Q & A about ammonium hydroxide in food production

And if you have questions, we'd love to hear them!


So now that you have the facts, what's your take?

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

 

Fourth of July Safety

This post has a double meaning: food safety and fire safety.

 While we all know that July is in the heat (literally) of the summer and is the perfect time for grilling and fireworks, we need to be mindful of two points.

1. Remember to use a food thermometer when you're grilling. Sure, it's hot and you want to get the meat off the grill and onto your plate. But you could be in another kind of rush later on if  you don't make sure that your foods have been cooked to proper temperatures to kill any bacteria that may exist. Here are the proper cooking temps for your 4th of July activities:

      Ground beef/pork/lamb - safe and savory at 160 °F
      Ground turkey/chicken -  165 °F

      Steak - Medium - Rare 145 °F
                  Medium - 155 °F
                  Medium - Well 165 °F
                  Well Done 170 °F - I included this for reference sake, but it hurts to do so!

       Poultry - Chicken & Turkey, Whole 180 °F
                  Breast Meat 170 °F
                  Thighs, Wings & Legs 180 °F
                   **Salmonella is killed at 165 °F

       Pork - roasts, tenderloins and chops - 145 °F  (no higher; nobody likes dry pork)! 

2. Fireworks are awesome. I'm actually a pyromaniac and am one of the first people to buy fireworks on the day the stands open. But we're in a drought now and we all know that fire + dry pastures/hay fields = horrible fast-spreading disaster. If you are in a county with a burn ban in place, consider driving to a neighboring county and watching a sponsored fireworks show. I'm likely going to the Wamego, KS show (it's one of the best in the state). One night of fun shooting off bottle rockets and roman candles isn't worth the devastation of charred fields.

With these safety steps in mind - have a great holiday! And as always, remember the true reason for the season. We are a free country thanks to those who have gone before us and those who continue to fight for our freedoms.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Safe Grilling this Memorial Day Weekend

With Memorial Day weekend approaching I plan to spend some quality time outdoors. What better to do than grab a few steaks and hamburger from the freezer and prep the grill for some cooking!

Throw some friends and family into the equation and I think it's a party! If you and your family are planning on firing up the grills this weekend I thought I would remind you of a few important tips to ensure your Memorial Day cookouts will be a fun and safe start to the summer.

• Use a separate cutting board when prepping raw beef. Wash the board thoroughly in hot, soap water before using the same board for any other ingredients.
• Never put cooked beef back on the same plate you used for raw meat, and make sure to use clean utensils as well.
• Don’t leave cooked food sitting out at room temperature for more than two hours.
• Use an ovenproof or instant-read thermometer to prevent over- or under cooking. Refer to safe cooking temperatures below.
• Always use an instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into the side of burgers and steaks to check doneness. And remember, the thermometer should penetrate the thickest part or center of the burger or steak. Allow 10 to 15 seconds for the thermometer to register the internal temperature.
• Cook steaks to 145°F (medium rare) or 160°F (medium). Cook burgers to at least 160°F.

3 Easy Steps for Grilling
Step 1: Prepare gas or charcoal grill according to manufacturer’s directions for medium heat.
Step 2: Remove beef from refrigerator and season with herbs or spices as desired. Place on cooking grid.
Step 3: Grill according to chart, turning occasionally. After cooking, season beef with salt, if desired.

Keep your family healthy when cooking outdoors this summer...Grill it Safe!

Have a safe Holiday!
Kiley Stinson

Why is Ammonia used in Ground Beef?

Check out this video:

From MeatMythCrushers

Is PINK SLIME dangerous to consumers?

   The ABC news has recently run reports on what is being termed "Pink Slime" on March 7th, 8th and 9th decrying its use in food production. Feel free to watch the most recent report from Friday's evening news. Before this past week, I had never heard anything about this "Pink Slime", so of course I was curious to figure out what was going on. Turns out, I actually did know about the stuff, as I had seen it produced in 2009 when I had the opportunity to tour the facility where it is processed.

   For those of you who don't know what it is, the "Pink Slime" being referred to is actually "Lean, Finely, Textured Ground Beef" or LFTB, so from hereon I'll refer to it as that. I remember going to the Beef Products Inc. (BPI) packing plant where the product is made and the whole trip really impressed me. To explain, the vast majority of beef comes from whole muscle cuts that are safely harvest from the animal after exsanguination. However, we raise some pretty chubby cattle today, as we prefer the taste of high-quality beef that grades USDA Choice or Prime. In doing so, there is some fat on the external part of the carcass that is trimmed off to be used to make other by-products for food or manufacturing. When that fat is trimmed off, there is a small proportion of meat remaining in the fat and BPI (and others) have an extraction process that separates that lean meat from those fat trimmings. Part of the extraction process involves using ammonium hydroxide or citric acid mist to make sure the product is free of bacteria or any other microorganisms. The mist then evaporates and is not present in the final product, although both are approved for use in meat and other foods as well.

   When I saw this process, I remember how amazing I thought it was that by using our brains and clever technology, we could utilize an additional 10 to 12 lbs of beef from each animal. This is increasingly important as we see the cost of food continue to rise for various reasons, we need to be efficient in order to feed 9 billion people by 2050. LFTB was approved as safe and wholesome for use in food back in the 1990's by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the director of the FSIS at the time, Dr. Russell Cross, recently made a statement reaffirming his belief in the safety of the product, which I've posted below:

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Statement From H. Russell Cross, Ph.D.

Professor and Head of Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University

"As Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) in the early 90s, I and my staff evaluated numerous research projects before approving lean, finely textured beef as a safe source of high-quality protein. The FSIS safety review process was and is an in-depth, science-based process that spans years, many research projects and involves many experts across all levels of the agency-and in this case, the process proved the product is safe."

"Approving lean finely textured beef as safe was the right decision, and today, it remains a safe way to meet the nutritional needs of a growing population. All beef is a good or excellent source of 10 essential nutrients including protein, iron, zinc and B-vitamins.

"Finely textured lean beef helps us meet consumer demand for safe, affordable and nutritious food."

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 While I am not an expert on the product, I know that it is a safe, nutritious product which is the same thing as regular ground beef, just processed in a different way. There is alot of science that supports this, or else it would have never been allowed into the food chain to start with. I recommend reading some additional materials prepared by people much smarter than I.

Engineering a Safer Burger - An excellent newpaper article by the Washington Post about the history of the product

Q&A about the use of Ammonium Hydroxide in Food

I hope that this information can be helpful to anyone concerned about using Lean, Finely Textured Ground Beef, and just know that I'll continue eating burgers because I'm confident in the safety of U.S. produced beef. One last trivia piece, over the past decade, the number of ground beef samples testing positive for E. coli 0157:H7 have been cut in half, and the use of LFTB has helped contribute to this decrease!

Cheers,

Hyatt

Super Bowl Food Will Be Super Safe!

Sorry for the cliche title.

An article on www.wishtv.com has highlighted the extra efforts being made by the city of Indianapolis and it's Division of Food and Consumer Safety to ensure food safety at the Super Bowl.

There are over 250 eateries, restaurants and food trucks that are to be inspected during the coming days of Super Bowl partying, including the day of the big event. Super Bowl food vendors will be monitored on the following criteria: getting food from an approved source, good personal hygiene, cooking temperatures, holding temperatures as well as cross contamination. These are all important measures in making sure that consumers are able to enjoy their food but don't transmit any food borne illnesses and can enjoy the Super Bowl experience.

The biggest piece of advice that Kelli Whiting, coordinator for the inspections, can give to consumers is “We want you to wash your hands, early and often,” Whiting said. “That’s the best way to help prevent the spread of disease.”

It sounds like Indy is on top of their game when it comes to food safety, so you Super Bowl patrons can rest assured that you'll be safe while you enjoy nachos, barbecue beef sandwiches, pretzels, bratwursts, chicken wings...

Oh my, I'm getting hungry.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Christmas Chicken

I know Thanksgiving is over and that holiday kind of owns the turkey, but sometimes the holiday cheer spills over into Christmas. Since many of you will be roasting, baking, grilling or frying a bird this Christmas, I thought I would share this video with you.

Coming from Kansas State University, an institution of which I hope to be a proud Alumnus of one of these days - the proper way to thaw a turkey.

Thaw A Turkey Video

Enjoy!

Tera

Happy Flag Day | Let's have a picnic!

There are several holidays this summer that call for the use of this.......
If food is not prepared safely, it might also call for the use of this...

The last thing I would want to happen on a picnic is for yours truly to be spending the day in the port-a-potty. I don't wish that on my WORST enemy! If you are packing up a basket and throwing out a blanket, lets think about some food safety tips first!

Why are picnic foods subject to being hazardous?

• Handling - picnic foods are often handled a lot, think watermelon and hamburger patties. Handling foods increases the chance of contamination by bacteria.
• Sitting out - picnic foods are often left out for long periods of time. Warm temperatures in foods that should be kept cold promotes bacterial growth.

Things I didn't know about keeping picnic food safe.

• Melons - a personal favorite of mine! Cut melons need to be kept cold. Bacteria is commonly found on the rind of watermelons and cantaloupes and when the melon is cut it is often transferred to the tasty part. Melons are not acidic like a lot of other fruits, so there is no back up bacteria killer! By keeping the fruit cold you can greatly reduce the growth of bacteria on your juicy fruit.
• Mayonnaise - by itself is very acidic and prevents bacterial from growing when warmer temperatures are reached. When mayonnaise is mixed with other foods it is a whole new game. When in doubt, keep mayonnaise products cold!

Want more information?

• http://www.fda.gov/food/resourcesforyou/Consumers/ucm109899.htm

Happy Flag Day, go have a safe picnic!

Tera Rooney

Slaughtering Cattle for Beef

When having conversations about meat, there's often language that people adopt to make things sound a bit less harsh. Excuse me if you prefer that language because this post is just plain honest. I'm not going to insert the word harvest instead of saying slaughter because I believe you harvest corn and you slaughter cattle and I'm just going to say it like it is! I also believe that if you are a consumer interested in engaging in conversations about where your meat comes from, you'd rather hear it first hand than have an edited "family-friendly" version come across.

So there is my disclaimer, there's nothing pretty about slaughtering animals for human consumption. It's necessary in my mind and it should be handled humanely and with an appropriate amount of respect.

Beyond making sure animals are handled humanely I also think consumers really want to make sure that the food they are getting is safe. After spending a week mentoring with a USDA Veterinary Medical Officer in Dodge City, KS, I have become even more aware of how safe our food supply in the US is. As a USDA Vet in a meat packing plant, food safety and public health is a number one concern. We spent most of our time at National Beef and some at Cargill. I was very impressed with the plants I toured and Vets I learned so much from. These are a few things I wanted to share:

• Utmost respect. Bottom line, there is nothing pretty about death and the process of taking a live animal and moving it through a system to become food for people. Just because it isn't pretty doesn't mean it isn't handled with a high level of respect. Feel good about the process that takes place in the US because I saw first hand how much respect these animals were treated with. They were given more than enough room in the holding pens to lay down, move around and drink clean water. As they moved closer to the knocking box (where they are rendered unconscious to pain) it was a very quiet and smooth process. Workers moved cattle along calmly, taking advantage of the natural behaviors of cattle and herding them through the alley ways.
• Stringent standards. Rendering animals unconscious to pain is a process taken very seriously in packing plants. Cattle are stunned with a captive bolt that humanely euthanizes each animal and screwing that process up is pretty much zero tolerance. There is a plant employee whose only job is to closely monitor each calf that comes through after being euthanized to make sure that the stunner did it's job.
• Visible pride. The plants that I visited employ a lot of people. It takes a large number of people to make everything work in a shift. The resounding feeling I got from the employees I got a chance to interact with is that they are all very proud of what they do. Feeding a growing population is a noble sector of the work force and meat packing plants in SWKS are in large part providing the world with beef. The employees should be proud, National Beef and Cargill are two outstanding companies that are literally helping to feed the world.
• Integration for success. If you think the cattle business isn't integrated, think again. There are so many factors and sectors of the cattle industry that go into a steak on your dinner plate. One thing I was very impressed with from a Veterinary standpoint was that before cattle even get to a slaughterhouse, the feedyards and cattle producers are just flat doing things right! From what I saw, a lot of credit should be given to the feedyard and cow-calf man when a steer or heifer enters the food chain. Cattle were in good condition, health and physical. Cattle were also overall very uniform which traces back to the genetics that producers have adopted and implemented.
• Hurdles for safety. If you think a carcass is given a once-over and deemed either safe for human consumption or not, think again!!! Carcasses in US meat plants are inspected so many times that I lost track for the first few days. There are so many opportunities for USDA trained inspectors and veterinarians to check for anything that might deem a carcass unsafe for human consumption. This is a wonderful system and is the reason we have the safest food supply in the world.

There's a reason I was impressed this past week by our food system. We are doing things right in the United States. There are a lot of hoops to jump through and a lot of eyes watching to make sure these hoops are jumped through. I'm sure glad it's that way. It keeps the integrity of agriculture in tact and more importantly it keeps our food safe. As a farm girl from Kansas in vet school, I was pretty excited after leaving the packing plant on Friday. I was proud of what people in my part of the country are doing to make sure that people in other parts of the world have beef available to eat. Did you know that 25% of the beef slaughtered in the US comes from SWKS? Feel good about it, folks, because I have personally spent time in 3/4 of the plants in that part of the state and they are doing things right!

My best,

Tera

Food Safety and Some Political Mumbo Jumbo

I wish I followed politics more. Maybe before I begin following I should wish to care more first. Don't get me wrong, when there are specific issues that affect things I am really passionate about, I jump on the computer and do my research to form an opinion. But I have a feeling no one would put me in the category of well-rounded in the political arena. My facebook says my affiliation is, "currently looking for a worthy party," and while this statement has some truth, I'm not actively looking either. I should make this a resolution for 2011. I'll keep it in my top 5.

There are some political issues I like to read up on. The current U.S. food safety bill (Food Safety Modernization Act) would be one of them. It won't officially be signed until January of the new year, but even when it is signed I'm not sure it will change much. It is estimated that it will cost somewhere in the ballpark of $1.4 billion in the first five years of installment. Unless you have been in a hole for the past few years of economic turmoil, I don't think we have that money just sitting around.

When I do choose to research some of the hot topics in political changes, I need the information to be pretty cut and dry. I found some good information for the recent food bill on the FDA's website. While most of the information is good, I won't speak for one of the opening paragraphs...

"The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) gives FDA a mandate to pursue a system that is based on science and addresses hazards from farm to table, putting greater emphasis on preventing food-borne illness. The reasoning is simple: The better the system handles producing, processing, transporting, and preparing foods, the safer our food supply will be."

Thanks for that. It probably cost a lot of money and some poor intern's whole work day to get that paragraph orchestrated and I'm pretty sure that sums up the FDA's purpose in the first place, before the FSMA. No new information here.

There are some interesting provisions in the new bill and they are listed on the FDA website given above. I guess what urged me to write this post is that we (meaning the United States) have a very safe food supply. I don't think that we have the extra money laying around for the costs associated with the legislation and I think it's just pushing more on to the FDA. I think it's truly unfair to place majority responsibility for food safety into one agency.

Food safety is the responsibility of a complex web of people. That's why it is important that we all care about the safety of the food put on our tables. It takes the producers who work hard to insure a safe product is raised, to the processors who are regulated to do things correctly in their facilities, to the preparers of meals whether it be Bobby Flay or my mom. A system that is just complex enough to ensure that we keep eating safe food.

For what my two cents are worth,

Tera

Foodie Feature: Focus on Food Safety

Citizens of the United States have the opportunity to enjoy the safest food supply in the world.

This is a statement that I truly believe in and like to promote. There is a network of people behind this safety factor and it is because of them that we can boast the above statement. What is this network and how is it organized?

1. Food safety begins with the consumer. WE are responsible for staying up on current recalls and alerts. WE are also responsible for preventing food poisoning during preparation. My mother teaches family and consumer science classes and here are a few of her simplistic kitchen tips that have been ingrained in my head.

• When in doubt, throw it out!
• CSCC - Clean, Separate, Cook, Chill
• 165 Degrees - basic safe temperature for meat, eggs, leftovers, casseroles

2. Producers of food and food products are also responsible for food safety measures. The most important thing to remember here is that producers of food are also consumers of food. Food safety is very important to producers because it goes on their dinner plate too!

3. Food safety continues into governmental agencies. Federal food safety measures are split out into different agencies that are outlined below:

• Food - FDA
• Meat, poultry and eggs - USDA
• Pet Food - FDA
• Outbreaks and illnesses - CDC

It is in this integral system of agencies, producers and consumers that keep the food on our plates safe for our families!

Keeping in line with the regular blog feature of a "Foodie Feature" I will send you to the Food Safety website of all websites! It is produced by the agencies mentioned above. Tool around on it and learn more about this important topic. You can add them to your twitter feed and get instant updates on recalls, notices and other information. There is even a food safety widget and if you even know what that word means, knock yourself out and widget away!

All my best,

Tera Rooney

Getting to know your BEEF

Did you know that ground beef and hamburger aren't the same product? I didn't either until recently, while on Twitter, social media friend iTweetMeat brought up that point. Upon further investigation I discovered the main difference between the two similar products.


Beef fat may be added to hamburger, but not ground beef. Regardless of this addition, neither hamburger or ground beef may contain more than 30% fat. So, when shopping for a lean product just check the label - for example 80/20 indicates 80% lean-20% fat and 93/7 indicates 93% lean-7% fat.

Additional facts about ground beef and hamburger that you may not have known:
1. All meat transported and sold in interstate commerce is federally inspected according to the Federal Meat Inspection Act.
2. Ground beef and hamburger are made from the less tender cuts of meat on the animal - grinding tenderizes the meat and the fat reduces the dryness and adds flavor.
3. When cooking ground beef or hamburger - always remember "Safe and Savory at 160" - cook these products to 160 degrees to ensure a meal that is free of harmful bacteria.
4. When choosing a product at the store, select a package that feels cold and is not torn. Once you have the product at home, store it at 40 degrees or below or freeze it.

For more information of wholesome, safe and nutritious beef visit the USDA Meat Prep site or Beef: It's What's for Dinner.
Until next time,
~Buzzard~

Basil Blues

I love food, but I really love Italian food the most. This is a picture of me in front of the terraces of the Cinque Terre in Italy during my study abroad trip there. I enjoyed some of the best Italian food while on this trip and am counting the days until I can get back!


One of the spices that makes Italian food so yummy is basil! Consumers who might enjoy fresh basil in their Italian dishes might have a challenge finding it in the grocery store soon. A fungus is damaging the US basil crop.

Known more scientifically as, basil downy mildew, it causes spots and lesions on basil plants highly reducing the quality of the popular herb used in Italian dishes. Organic basil growers are going to be the hardest hit because of restrictions with fungicide use on certified organic farms. As much as one-fourth of the US basil crop is being damaged by this fungus.



Here are some interesting facts I found about Basil and it really gives an economic view of the impact basil downy mildew will have:

• Basil is the most commonly grown herb in the US.
• One acre of basil can be worth more than $10,000 an acre.
• Many basil farmers are considered potted basil growers meaning their crop is grown in pots.
• Basil fungus is sensitive to warmer temperatures and drying conditions.
• The most common variety of basil used in Italian cuisine, sweet basil, is the variety hardest hit by the fungus.
  

If there is a shortage of fresh basil in grocery stores near me, I guess I will have to revert to dried basil for any marinara sauces I make. For my favorite dish, pesto sauce, dried basil is no substitution!

All my best,

Tera Rooney

Foodie Feature: Farm Vets

I had to post a link to one of my favorite blogs to follow. This blog has a very interesting angle and really gives consumers a picture of daily life on a farm.

The Farm Vet

A husband and wife duo post snippets of what goes on during a normal day in the life of a large animal veterinarian. Located in California, the couple shows videos and pictures about procedures, adventures and down right interesting things that they may encounter.

Large animal veterinarians are doctors that choose to practice on larger animals like horses, cattle, hogs, sheep, alpaca, llamas, etc. Many times these practices include working with animals that will eventually be rendered for food. It is important that people who produce and work with food animals have a strong relationship with a veterinarian to increase animal health and continue producing safe food product for us to eat.

The life of a large animal veterinarian isn't an easy one, as you will find from reading the Farm Vet blog. Currently there is a large shortage of people willing to enter the large animal field. It is an issue that has been in the news lately and deserves national attention because these are the veterinarians that help ensure food safety and national security.

Follow the Farm Vet's blog and if you enjoy that you can even "like" them on facebook!

All my best,

Tera Rooney

Time for Grilling....Safely

Well, it's that time of the year again.  It's summertime and grilling and BBQ'ing are at their peak.  Backyard meals are a great time for everyone, whether youre grilling a flank steak for fajitas or preparing the perfect pork loin for a family reunion.  However, when you're armed with your fork in one hand don't forget to fill the other one with a meat thermometer.  Many people don't pay attention to meat temperatures - just because it looks done doesn't mean it is done.  Heck, it might even be TOO done and nobody likes tough, dry meat.  Did you know that even though you have taken it off the grill, meat temperatures still increase 5 degrees after removal?  To avoid improperly cooking your meat, refer to the following guidelines:

Ground Meats: Pork, Beef and Lamb:  160 °F
                       Chicken and Turkey: 165 °F

Steak and Lamb: Medium-Rare 145 °F
                           Medium 155 °F
                           Medium-Well 165 °F
                           Well Done 170 °F

Poultry:  Chicken & Turkey, Whole 180 °F
              Breast Meat 170 °F
              Thighs, Wings & Legs 180 °F
              Duck & Goose 180 °F
**Salmonella is killed at 165 °F

Pork: Medium-Rare 150 °F
         Medium 160 °F
         Well Done 170 °F
**Many people worry about trichinosis and tend to overcook pork. However, trich is killed at 140 °F.

To get some great recipe ideas for your next grilling experience,visit these sites for pork, lamb, beef and chicken recipes.  Hopefully, these tips will ramp up the safety, and flavor, at your next backyard gathering.  Enjoy!

Until next time,
 ~Buzzard~

Foodie Feature: The Barfblog

You may have noticed that some of my posts have directed you other places for information. It's my opinion that when someone already puts it out there - why re-write it? That's the purpose of beginning a series of posts entitled, Foodie Feature.

These posts will feature blogs, sites, people, etc. that do a wonderful job of teaching the concepts that Food For Thought aims to relay to consumers from this blog. Strap on a seat belt because this could go anywhere! Enter drum roll, and probably an awfully timed crash of a cymbal and...

The first Foodie Feature is of the Barfblog. This blog comes to you by the works of Dr. Douglas Powell. He is an Associate Professor of Food Safety at Kansas State University where the blog is a guiding principle of the work done for the International Food Safety Network (iFSN) at Kansas State. There is an abundance of information on this site and I encourage you to click through the many categories of food safety posts. Anywhere from animal welfare to E. Coli. From how to thaw a turkey to how many seconds to scrub your hands. 

Food safety is at the core of production agriculture in the United States. We are home to the safest, most reliable food system in the world. It is truly because of work done at institutions like the iFSN, and I hope you enjoy and take knowledge away from the work they are putting out!

For more information on the work being done at the iFSN, please visit their website. 

As their montra goes...Don't eat poop!

 - Tera Rooney

Sometimes its all a matter of perspective.

Sometimes we forget just how good we have it here in the United States. I know I for one often take for granted just how simple and safe it is for us to eat. Pause for a minute and think about that. We can take a trip to a grocery store, pay a very reasonable price for meat or produce (as a nation we spend a smaller percentage of our disposable income on food than anyone else) and be almost 100% confident that we wont get sick.

For a project in my graduate program in Ag Economics, I have recently dove head first into learning about the way in which beef is consumed in China. I want to share with you a few things that I learned. I think you will agree that we have it pretty good.

• Beef production is very unspecialized in China. What I mean by that is that the overwhelming majority of beef is raised "in the backyard" by household farmers. A typical Chinese farmer might own 1-3 cows whose primary role is for draft and trasnport.


• Similarly, the majority of meat consumed in China is a product of backyard slaughter. Contrast that with our ultra-modern and ultra clean highly efficient harvesting facilities.


• Since refrigeration is not widely available, especially in rural China, most beef is slaughtered, trasnported to a 'wet market,' sold and consumed all in a very short time span-usually less than a day. If beef has to be trasnported very far to get to the market, it's freshness may be compromised. No dry aged stuff there!


• Wet markets are open air markets that are similar to what we would call Farmer's Markets. Retailers have a stall in which they sell their product. Hygeine is generally not a priority, at least relative to what we would expect in the US.


• For beef being sold in these wet markets, no safety standards or quality assurance programs are in place. Often, cattle are not bled properly which damages the meat and leads to premature spoilage.


• Chinese consumer's are condtioned to the lack of food safety standards. Since the burden of assuring food safety is placed upon the consumers, they place much higher emphasis on sensory attributes like smell, look and even feel. In our country, we trust that our food is safe therefore we concern ourselves with quality, packaging and branding.


• Beef is ususally devoid of fat and extremely tough. Becasue of this, wet cooking methods like boiling or 'hot-pot' or used widely while roasting and grilling are rare.

These are just some of the issues that characterize beef consumption in China. I think this is strong evidence for the validity of our system. Some people seem to favor a food system based on locally grown products from small scale producers. China already has this system in place, and I can almost bet that if they had our income levels they would trade in their system for ours in a heartbeat. (Those who can afford to prefer to shop in modern supermarkets where meat may be more expensive, but is also more likely to be safer)

So the next time you hear of a large scale meat recall, don't be discouraged! That is just our system doing its job. The alternative is that you could be responsible for inspecting the food yourself.