E. Coli Outbreak: How to Keep Yourself and Your Family Safe

The E. coli outbreak has got everyone worrying about what precautions to consider in order to stay far from its reach. E. coli, also knownby its scientific name Escherichia coli, is a bacterium found in the human intestines. A few from this breed can become a source of abdominal cramping, vomiting, andbloody diarrhea.

This bacterium gets into the body through the use of contaminated water and consumption of undercooked or raw foods such as ground beef and unwashed vegetables. Dairy products are also at risk of contamination form E. coli; these comprise of unpasteurized raw milk and soft cheese made from raw milk. Exposure to these bacteria can be fatal, especially for those with vulnerable immune systems such as the elderly and young children.

Exercise the following precautions and you can protect your family from this contagious disease:

Wash Hands Before Consuming Food

The first and foremost step of precaution against E. coli is to always wash hands before eating. This is not all; you must make sure that hand washing becomes a mandatory exercise after using the bathroom, changing baby diapers, before preparing and serving food, and after contactwith animals.

Bacteria cannot be seen with the naked eye, so making sure your hands are clean before and after these activities will put you and your family at risk. Avoid any risk at all costs. Make sure to wash your hands under running water with the help of antibacterial hand soap. Rub your hands thoroughly reaching between fingers, under the nails and scrubbing the back of your hands.

Consume Fully Cooked Meals

This applies to both meat and vegetables, especially the greens. Ground beef must be cooked until it reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit or 70 degrees Celsius. Beef steaks should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit or 62.6 degrees Celsius. These temperature guidelines must be kept in mind before preparing meat in order to avoid any bacteria ingestion via raw meat.

As for the greens, lettuce and cabbage can be cooked until wilted, making them 100 percent safe for consumption. You can also substitute your raw green salad for sautéed greens as a preventive measure.

Wash Raw Vegetables and Fruits Thoroughly

Not only is cooking vegetables and fruits vital to getting rid of possible bacteriabut so is washing them. This applies to packaged vegetables and fruits as well. Although these vegetables and fruits have been washed prior to being enclosed in food containers and packages, you never know what kind of chemicals plastic can deliver to these packaged food items. In order to be perfectly sure that there is no trace of bacteria on packaged foods, wash them under running water.

All green vegetables with leaves have ridges where the bacteria can seek refuge, so a thorough washing can help one get rid of the attached bacteria for good. Although washing may not be able to reduce all the bacteria, it will surely protect you and your family against the risk of E. coli.

Avoid Consumption of Unpasteurized Products

When consuming beverages, be sure to choose ones that claim pasteurization. Pasteurization is a sterilization process that is used to kill bacteria in liquids such as milk, juice and apple cider. A few options available to you include:

• Organic Valley Whole Milk, Ultra Pasteurized
• Labneh with 99% Pasteurized Cow Milk
• Trader Joe's Organic Pasteurized Unfiltered Apple Cider
• Kraft Prepared Pasteurized Cheddar Cheese

These fully pasteurized options can be considered for ensuring bacteria-freemilk and apple cider. These organic choices are great for both children and the elderly. A few product options for cheese have also been given that you can easily substitute for regular cheese.

Follow Advice from the CDC

Keep up with any and all food recalls made on the news. Some of the contaminated foods to avoid could be published through news channels for your awareness. Follow food and safety guidelines from the CDC, FDA, andUSDA to stay updated about which preventive measures seem more effective than others. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention will be providing sufficient and necessary advice on how to alter eating and living habits to ensure protection against E. coli. Make sure to keep yourself subscribed with any advice from these experts.

With a little precaution such as the ones mentioned before, you can safeguard your family and yourself against E. coli, a fatal bacterium. Play by these rules and you can reduce the risk to a minimum.

The E. coli outbreak has got everyone worrying about what precautions to consider in order to stay far from its reach. E. coli, also knownby its scientific name Escherichia coli, is a bacterium found in the human intestines. A few from this breed can become a source of abdominal cramping, vomiting, andbloody diarrhea.

This bacterium gets into the body through the use of contaminated water and consumption of undercooked or raw foods such as ground beef and unwashed vegetables. Dairy products are also at risk of contamination form E. coli; these comprise of unpasteurized raw milk and soft cheese made from raw milk. Exposure to these bacteria can be fatal, especially for those with vulnerable immune systems such as the elderly and young children.

Exercise the following precautions and you can protect your family from this contagious disease: