County Extension

I’ve been writing these columns in the Beacon for about eight years. I know some people think I work for the newspaper, but I don’t. At the end of each column there is a statement that says I’m part of the Family and Consumer Science team at the Brunswick County Center of N.C. Cooperative Extension. I know some of you really don’t know who we are or what we do. Since this is Living Well Month, I thought I’d take some time to share a little more information about the FCS program and Cooperative Extension here in Brunswick County.

I frequently write about pathogens that cause foodborne illnesses. I think the one people are most familiar with is Salmonella. But, what really are your chances of getting ill from salmonella in your chicken, or beef or pork?

Looking to keep the germs down and prevent a foodborne illness in your home? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the two things you can do that make the biggest impact are washing your hands and cleaning kitchen surfaces.

There are two steps to having a clean and sanitary kitchen. Think of this as if brushing your teeth is the cleaning and using mouthwash is the sanitizing. Two steps. Clean first and then sanitize.

There was an interesting and scary story going around the Internet a couple of weeks ago related to food safety. Perhaps you read about the man in California who pulled a five-foot tapeworm out of his body. Doctors are thinking this tapeworm came from a parasite found in raw salmon. The man confessed he loves sushi and eats it frequently.

First, you may ask, could this really happen? Yes it could. The tapeworm is a form of parasite that can enter the body in food and then continue to live and grow within the host. Yikes!