Food Safety
The whole purpose of preserving food, no matter the process, is to keep it safe for consumption at a later date. In keeping with this premise, the author advises adherence to all tips and warnings given throughout this book. Infections resulting from bacteria, fungus, or parasites can lead to anything from indigestion to death. These infections and their causes are never to be taken lightly.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the United States of America, roughly 48 million people are sickened each year by foodborne pathogen. Of those, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die. In 2011, the latest information released by the CDC, the most common illnesses were caused by Norovirus, Salmonella, and Campylobacter. Why do foodborne diseases and infections occur, and why are there so many today? These are reasonable questions asked by reasonable individuals and statehoods. The answers are both simple and complex.
Were you aware that Tuberculosis, Typhoid Fever, and Cholera were common foodborne illnesses less than a century ago? Today we have Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome in children (a type of acute kidney failure) caused by E. coli O157:H7. We also know that Guillain-Barre Syndrome an autoimmune disorder causing weakness in muscles, can be caused by a Campylobacter infection.
Easy transportation allows infectious agents to spread more quickly than in the past. Also, these microbes continue to evolve, changing their characteristics and the symptoms of the illnesses they cause.
Unsafe production methods, environmental impacts, ecological factors, production practices, and even consumption habits all impact whether a microbe will find its way into our food supply.
Laboratory tests also continue to evolve, allowing the capability to recognize far more infection causing organisms than ever before. Also, the impact of instantaneous world-wide communication should not be discounted.
As scary as this information may be, the best way to avoid causing illness for your family or yourself is common sense. In regards to food preservation, most foodborne illness can be avoided if you:
The extra steps may seem like a lot of work requiring extra time and energy; however, when compared to the time required to recover from a foodborne illness, not to mention the cost of possible hospitalization and medication, it is a minor inconvenience at worst.
Food preservation, whether by salting, sugaring, canning, or freezing is the art of killing microbes, or at least keeping them from reproducing to toxic levels.
Refrigerating or freezing food prevents bacteria from growing, preserving them in a state of suspended animation. Unfortunately, there are at least two bacterium that can grow at refrigerator temperatures. High salt, sugar, or acid levels also keep bacteria from growing.
Only heat actually kills the microbes. A temperature above 160oF [78oC], if held for even just a few seconds, is sufficient to kill parasites, viruses, and bacteria, except for one. The bacteria Clostridium produces a heat-resistant spore that can only be killed at temperatures above boiling. Pressure canning produces the temperature necessary to kill these spores.
The toxins produced by bacteria are not all affected by heat. Therefore it is very important to preserve only good quality foodstuffs. Avoid:
Make sure all foodstuffs are as fresh as possible, and processed in small, manageable batches as quickly as possible. Processing on the same day as harvested, and handling in a sanitary way, produces the highest quality preserved foods. Again, food safety should be your paramount concern when preserving foodstuffs for future use.