Tomato outbreak

Tomato outbreak is reminder to follow food safety tips

Associated Press - June 10, 2008 8:54 AM ET

A salmonella outbreak linked to raw tomatoes serves as a reminder to take extra care with summer fruits and vegetables.

More than 20 people have been hospitalized as the government investigates the source of the tomatoes responsible for the illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Salmonella can be transmitted to humans when fecal material from animals or humans contaminates food. Symptoms are similar to the flu, but the poisoning can be fatal to young children, pregnant women and other people with weakened immune systems.

Properly cooking meat, poultry and eggs, and washing produce are generally the best methods to prevent illness.

While there is no way for consumers to detect salmonella (you can't smell, taste or see it), there are some things you can do reduce the risk:

CHECK YOUR TOMATOES

The Food and Drug Administration is advising people to eat only tomatoes not associated with the outbreak: cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes sold with the vine still attached and tomatoes grown at home.

Preliminary data suggest that raw red plum, Roma, or round red tomatoes are the cause, according to the FDA.

"The best thing to do if you have those certain types of tomatoes, throw them away or take them back the grocery store," says Karen Blakeslee, an extension associate in the food science program at Kansas State.

For other tomatoes, wash thoroughly and cut away the part that is attached to the plant and the button on the other side, says Julie Miller Jones, a professor of nutrition and food science at The College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minn. That part can carry a foodborne illness because it's a hard area and organisms can attach themselves to it, she says.

Cooking tomatoes at 145 degrees will kill salmonella.

INQUIRE AT RESTAURANTS

Ketchup and cooked sauces are not affected by the outbreak. And several restaurants are not serving tomatoes - on Monday, McDonald's said it had stopped serving sliced tomatoes in its U.S. restaurants.

Blakeslee advises finding out what the restaurant has done in response to the outbreak.

If you are really concerned, tell the restaurant to leave the tomatoes off the sandwiches and salads, says Jones. She says even if you remove them once your order comes, the food could still be contaminated

I am concerned...

As I was watching the news I started to wonder...about WHY people vote and support candidates. I am concerned that we migrate to people who are like us. Well, people who are like us on the outside that is. I have a feeling there are women out there who are only supporting Hillary because she is a woman. And I would almost bet money that if you asked those supporters for more detail as to why they support her...you wouldn't get a very sound response. I also hope that the same thing is not happening for Obama...because he is a Black man. The same thing is probably happening with Huckabee as well. That because he is a Christian...other christians just assume that they would agree with his views. The same thing is probably happening with Romney too...because he is a mormon. I could go down the list of candidates...but I'll stop for now.

I hope that we would all just take a few minutes and look at WHO they are...WHERE they come from....WHAT they want to do to our country and then decide! If we don't...we will regret it.

*22 Ways To Be A "Good" Democrat

I got this as a forward...and thought it was funny....and yet sad at the same time! I thought this would be an interesting list for us to read...and for those of you who don't get why some of them are funny...maybe you should take a deeper look at Clinton.

22 Ways To Be A "Good" Democrat

THIS IS NOT SO HARD -- EVEN A CAVE MAN CAN DO IT....

1. You have to be against capital punishment, but support abortion
on demand.

2. You have to believe that businesses create oppression and
governments create prosperity.

3. You have to believe that guns in the hands of law-abiding
Americans are more of a threat than U.S. Nuclear weapons technology
in the hands of Chinese and North Korean communists.

4. You have to believe that there was no art before
Federalfunding.

5. You have to believe that global temperatures are lessaffected
by cyclical documented changes in the earth'sclimate and more

affected by soccer moms driving SUV's.

6. You have to believe that gender roles are artificial but being
homosexual is natural.

7. You have to believe that the AIDS virus is spread by a lack of
federal funding.

8. You have to believe that the same teacher who can't teach
fourth graders how to read is somehow qualified to teach those same
kids about sex.

9. You have to believe that hunters don't care about nature, but
loony activists who have never been outside of San Francisco do.

10. You have to believe that self-esteem is more important than
actually doing something to earn it.

11. You have to believe that Mel Gibson spent $25 million of his

own money to make "The Passion of the Christ" forfinancial gain

only.

12. You have to believe the NRA is bad because it supportscertain

parts of the Constitution, while the ACLU isgood because it supports

certain parts of the Constitution.

13. You have to believe that taxes are too low, but ATM fees are
too high.

14. You have to believe that Margaret Sanger and Gloria Steinem
are more important to American history than Thomas Jefferson, Thomas
Edison, and A.G. Bell.

15. You have to believe that standardized tests are racist,but
racial quotas and set-asides are not.

16. You have to believe that Hillary Clinton is normal and is a
very nice person.

17. You have to believe that the only reason socialism hasn't
worked anywhere it's been tried is because the right people haven't
been in charge.

18. You have to believe conservatives telling the truth belong in
jail, but a liar and a sex offender belonged in the White House.

19. You have to believe that homosexual parades displaying drag,

transvestites, and bestiality should beconstitutionally protected,

and manger scenes at Christmas should be illegal.

20. You have to believe that illegal Democrat Party funding by the
Chinese Government is somehow in the best interest to the United
States

21. You have to believe that this message is a part of avast, right
wing conspiracy.

22. You have to believe that it's okay to give Federal workers the
day off on Christmas Day ..........but it's not okay to say "Merry
Christmas."

Ready to vote???

side-by-side comparisons of candidates

Below you can download side-by-side comparisons of where the GOP candidates stand on:

Family Values Issues

2nd Amendment Rights and Crime

Securing America's Borders

Fiscal Responsibility

Huckabee, Obama have huge night in Iowa

Barack Obama wins, with Edwards 2nd and Clinton 3rd in Democratic race, CNN projects

CNN projects Republican Mike Huckabee wins too, beating Mitt Romney into second place

Entrance polls indicated young Dems went for Obama; Huckabee favored by religious voters

Joe Biden and Chris Dodd withdraw from Democratic race after caucuses

what are your thoughts? are you glad?

I am soooooooo glad that Hillary Clinton did not win! I am scared for our nation if she becomes president! Are you?

*The violent unrest

Pakistan's electoral commission has delayed its decision on whether to put back elections planned for 8 January.The violent unrest which has followed the assassination of Benazir Bhutto has put the election date in doubt.

The violent unrest which has followed the assassination of Benazir Bhutto has put the election date in doubt. Her widower, Asif Ali Zardari, said her Pakistan People's Party would contest the poll. He and his son, Bilawal, will take over the leadership of the party.

Pakistan's stocks fell by 4.7% as they resumed trading after three days of mourning following Ms Bhutto's death.

from: "http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7165448.stm"

* Fastest growing cause of women dying in pregnancy

This is an article I found about how being overweight during pregnancy can increase the risk of death. Yes, we all should know that....and even if we do know it...we still don't exercise like we should! I know I don't! I am talking about the people who are capable...and don't have other health issues that may make losing weight more difficult. Maybe I will remember this article next time I want a cheeseburger! ....I am not close to being pregnant now...but I wouldn't want to be unhealthy when I do become pregnant!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maternal deaths linked to obesity
By Branwen Jeffreys
BBC News Health Correspondent


Maria Thornton

Pregnant and 19st

Obesity is the fastest growing cause of women dying in pregnancy or childbirth in the UK, a report shows.

More than half the 295 women who died during or after pregnancy between 2003 and 2005 were overweight or obese.

Experts say the number of deaths - from a total of two million pregnancies - is low - but the trend is very worrying.

The Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths (CEMACH) report calls for more support and advice for obese women before and during pregnancy.


Obese pregnant women are probably at four or five times greater risk of suffering maternal death than a woman of normal weight - and the same for their babies dying
Dr Gwyneth Lewis
Maternity tsar

Calculate your BMI

Gwyneth Lewis, CEMACH director and the government's maternity tsar, said the figures showed that childbirth was very safe in the UK.

But she said the growing evidence of a link to obesity was a cause for concern.

Significant problem

The figures suggest that a modest amount of extra weight in pregnancy carries little extra risk, but obesity poses a significant problem.

Fifteen per cent of the mothers who died were morbid or super-morbidly obese.

Dr Lewis said: "Obese pregnant women are probably at four or five times greater risk of suffering maternal death than a woman of normal weight - and the same for their babies dying."


Catherine Collins

Nutrition advice

She is concerned many women are not aware of the risk associated with obesity.

Overall, the UK has one of the lowest rates of maternal death in the world, at seven per 100,000 pregnancies.

In comparison, the rate in the US is 14 deaths per 100,000 pregnancies, and in France it is 18.

However, the death rate in the UK has stopped falling. With obesity levels predicted to soar experts say it is vital that women are fully aware they should try to get to a healthy weight before trying to conceive.

The report says excess weight not only puts a woman at risk of medical complications, it can mask symptoms and cause logistical problems.

In one case, there was a delay in spotting that a woman was at risk of seizures, because a blood pressure cuff could not fit around her arm.

http://freerice.com/


It's a simple word game.

One right answer is 10 grains of rice for someone without food.
If everyone answers just a few questions a day, it will add up.

Make it your home page.
Invite your friends.

Feed the hungry.
Improve your vocabulary.

Here's how it works:
They're not sitting on a pile of rice, waiting to decide how much to give...
Nor are they manipulating poor farmers to donate rice.
The ads at the bottom of the website fund the purchace of the rice, which is distributed through the United Nations World Food Program.