Public Health & Safety

When treating someone for hives or food poisoning, it's important to keep the person calm so they do not panic. Find out how to treat someone with hives or food poisoning with tips from an...

Microwaving food in a plastic bowl can be a quick and easy way to reheat leftovers or cook simple meals. However, you should take special care in how the food is heated, especially meats. By...

When working in an environment that deals with food, it is of the utmost importance to adhere to proper sanitation techniques. Sanitizing kills harmful bacteria. Your most important tool when it...

It is mandatory that professional caterers take a course to obtain a license to cater food for public and private functions. Licensing requirements and certifications vary from state to state, and...

While television writers love to portray the "greasy spoon" restaurant, the reality is that food-borne illnesses thrive in an unclean environment. There's nothing funny about botulism or...

Handling food requires a host of precautionary measures to avoid contamination by harmful bacteria that can cause illness and even death. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there...

A sneeze guard is the shield placed over foods in restaurants, buffets and outdoor food booths, to protect food customers from viruses and bacteria spread by other food customers' sneezes and coughs.

Once you've lived in a place where food workers are required to wear gloves, it's hard to think of a reason they shouldn't. The hands transport loads of germs and bacteria, and while exposing...

Every year someone becomes sickened from eating undercooked turkey during the holiday season. The symptoms of food poisoning can not only ruin the holidays, but in some cases a case of food...

A freezer can postpone the expiration date of food, allowing you more leeway for when you decide to cook that roast. In order for the freezer to do its job, however, it must be kept at a safe...

Clostridium botulinum causes the human illness botulism, which results from a toxin produced by the bacteria. Fortunately, only around 110 cases are reported each year to the Centers for Disease...

In hard times, even food becomes a difficult commodity to acquire. There are food banks available in many areas that offer everything from hot meals served daily to actual supplies of food that...

Labeling the food in your fridge with dates helps prevent food spoilage and waste. Knowing when your food is safe to eat helps protect you from the dangers of mold and food-borne illnesses. Label...

Every fall and winter, seasonal flu hits millions of people. In addition, threats such as H1N1, or swine flu, cause periodic threats. While there are no foolproof ways to avoid getting sick, you...

Giardiasis is a highly contagious disease caused by a one-celled protozoan parasite (Giardia lamblia). The parasite lives in the intestinal tract of many animals, and humans can be infected by...

The toxin produced by the bacteria clostridium botulinum is one of the most highly toxic natural substances on the planet. Even a tiny amount in your food or absorbed through the skin, eyes or...

Food packaging consists of both the label that gives written information about a product and also the material that encases it. FDA requirements for food packaging labels serve to honestly inform...

Salmonella is a group of bacteria that was named for the American scientist that discovered them. Infection with salmonella bacteria can cause salmonellosis in humans resulting in severe diarrhea,...

Following restaurant safety procedures is important and a must to ensure the well-being and safety of patrons and employees. Safety procedures cover all aspects of the restaurant operation,...

The central benefit of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), whether in medicine, food preservation or chemical analysis, is its ability to bind tightly to metals, sequestering them. The...

Salmonella bacteria is one of the most common causes of foodborne illness. More than 2,000 different bacteria belong to the salmonella family, and all can cause serious symptoms of food poisoning,...

If a natural disaster or terrorism forces you to evacuate your home, you will want to take emergency food with you. If a disaster causes you to stay in your home without running water or...

Whether a bacteria or a virus causes your gastrointestinal infection, you caught it in one of four ways: from person to person, by touching a contaminated surface and then touching your mouth, by...

Every family should have a kit for emergencies. The items can be stored in a medium to large plastic storage bin with a cover. Each family will have different items in their emergency kit, based...

Disposable gloves are being used in kitchens as a measure to ensure safe handling of food items and eliminate food contamination and food-borne illnesses. By following a few simple guidelines you...

A natural disaster can happen at any time, but even scarier, it can happen at anyplace. Disasters occur spontaneously, most times without prior recognition or forewarning. You can awake one...

Food safety is a big issue. Foods need to be frozen properly in order to keep you and your family safe and healthy. Bacteria growth leading to food poisoning is always a concern when storing food....

While many people worry about lowering their cholesterol, cholesterol serves several important functions in the body. As a result, the liver not only helps glean cholesterol out of the food...

Salmonella bacteria, transmitted through undercooked or raw food products, can create intestinal illness. Adherance to salmonella food safety regulations is essential to avoid risk of contamination.

Molds are tiny fungi that can live off of other plants or animals. These parasites can grow on our food making it inedible. Biologists warn against eating moldy food because ingestion of certain...

Monosodium Glutamate, better known as MSG, is a widely used food additive that has received a bad reputation. Menus for Chinese restaurants proudly state "No MSG" on their covers, but not many...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the safety of the food, drugs and other products to protect public health and safety.

If you are what you eat, then eating chemicals or things that do not belong in your body can make you sick. Many things that burn which should not be ingested release poisonous carbon dioxide and...

Drugstore beetles are tiny, oval-shaped brown bugs that can be a nuisance in your home. While they do not bite humans, these annoying critters eat a lot of food (making the food inedible); they...

Each year, 1 in 4 Americans get sick from food poisoning, and in 2008, salmonella food poisoning from raw tomatoes spread to 16 states. According to Arleen Porcell, spokeswoman for the federal...

Salmonella is a bacterium that causes diseases in people. Common symptoms are diarrhea, fever and stomach pain that occur one to three days after a salmonella infection. Protecting yourself from...

Salmonella enterica, subspecies Serovar typhimurium, is often known as Salmonella typhimurium or S. typhimurium. The bacteria is responsible for deaths and illness, often spread through food and...

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is used as a flavor enhancer in many foods. MSG is safe to eat, but may have short-term side effects for some people.

A health fair is a great way to educate the public on the importance of a healthy lifestyle. The decorations used at a health fair should excite the participants and put them at ease while...

Information on how to get free food for yourself and for your family in time of need. If you do not have the money to buy food for your family, read this article for tips on how to get free food.

Monosodium glutamate or MSG has long been in the news along with other additives containing excitotoxins. Voraciously studied, reports on MSG vary regarding the degree of health dangers it poses....

Botulism is a serious food-borne illness characterized by paralysis and death if untreated. It is caused by a toxin created by the clostridium botulinum bacteria. Four cases of botulism linked to...

OSHA regulations regarding sanitation can be found at OSAH.gov, under regulation 1910.141. These standards cover sanitation regarding restrooms, showers, employee eating areas and changing rooms,...

Earthquakes are dangerous natural disasters that have caused injury and death to thousands if not millions throughout history. Create an earthquake emergency kit to help get through the aftermath...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses the acronym GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) to categorize various impurities that are contained in nearly all foods. Everything we consume...

The spread of bacteria has long been a hot topic of scientific concern. Given the correct conditions, these organisms, some of which spread disease, will multiply at an alarming rate.

Hair net laws have been implemented by many states and industries to avoid the possible contamination of consumer food products by the workers that are handling them. Hair nets or hair covering is...

Handling food safely during the cooking process will help eliminate food-borne illness. Preparing foods under the right conditions and using the appropriate steps can save you and your friends and...

Most cases of food poisoning come from bacteria that survives in improperly cooked or prepared food. Symptoms can range from a mild discomfort to being violently ill. Anyone who has had a severe...

There are an estimated 76 million cases of food borne illnesses reported each year, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. While that fact may not be surprising, the fact...