E Coli and Dole Lettuce – What’s Next?

The latest news out now is that E. coli bacteria have been found in bags of Dole “Hearts Delight” salad mix. It makes a person wonder if there is any food that is safe to consume anymore. Thank goodness I had seen this recall for I had two bags of this lettuce in my refrigerator that I was going to serve for dinner.

It is getting to the point that a person does not know what is safe anymore or what isn’t.

We just got over the spinach scare due to E. coli bacteria found in some fresh spinach. My household eats a lot of spinach and it took us quite a while before we felt confident enough to eat fresh spinach again.

I live on the shores of Lake Michigan and it seemed like the beaches were closed more often than usual because of the water testing positive for E. coli bacteria. We kept our children in pools more than normal this summer season. This was rather sad seeing that we have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world here.

I also just got through reading an article on E. coli being present in dry pet food. We are also pet owners.

Bil Mar Foods, which is right by my home, had a big listeria recall a few years back on hot dogs and luncheon meats. It wasn’t long afterwards that Sarah Lee took over Bil Mar Foods and is still processing the hotdogs and luncheon meats.

Is contaminated food becoming more prevalent or is it because the testing for such bacteria has become better?

I guess just using common sense when preparing foods is the best practice.

Make sure all fresh produce is washed thoroughly before serving.

Cook all meat and poultry to the proper temperatures and do not allow any uncooked meats to come in contact with other foods.

Wash all surfaces with hot soapy water that foods come in contact with and do not use the same utensils from one food to another without washing first.

Washing hands with hot soapy water whenever handling foods, before and after.

When handling dry pet food, never use your hands to scoop up the food. Also wash pet food bowls every day and the serving scoop that you use to scoop the food. Do not let young children play with dry pet food or handle pet bowls. And always wash hands after feeding your pets.

Cleanliness seems to be the best practice here to keep our families safe from the E. coli bacteria and cooking and preparing foods properly.