off-grid hen
Songster
Food safety is a bigger concern than people think. Now, many of us here have been taught the proper ways to home processing and preservation. But there are a lot of avenues for contamination. Lets say you let let the manure compost well enough before it's applied to the garden. THEN when you make jam (or sauce or whatever) you don't check the ph of the product before you water bath or pressure can. THEN (if the product needs to be cooked) product isn't heated to the proper temperature when prepared for a meal. If the birds (or whatever the meat source) isn't chilled properly at the appropriate times, or held at cold storage at the right temps, then left on the counter to thaw for 8 hours, then cooked rare... We could easily apply this to the macaroni salad left out in the summer heat or the shrimp cocktail left on the platter for hours at the Christmas party.
Now, I'm no germophobe. I believe the immune system also needs practice, and make sure I have a decent amount of healthy good bacteria in my system. Im not a compulsive hand washer unless it involves cooking. But if someone who has an immature or compromised immune system (young child, the elderly, or chemo patient, etc) they could become so ill they could be hospitalized and even die. Before good food handling came into practice and before vaccines, a LOT of people were effected. It's why we have the department of health. Have they gone too far with some things? Without a doubt. But their jobs are very important and integral to the type of society we have today. I wonder how many more people would become sick if they weren't around.
Now, I'm no germophobe. I believe the immune system also needs practice, and make sure I have a decent amount of healthy good bacteria in my system. Im not a compulsive hand washer unless it involves cooking. But if someone who has an immature or compromised immune system (young child, the elderly, or chemo patient, etc) they could become so ill they could be hospitalized and even die. Before good food handling came into practice and before vaccines, a LOT of people were effected. It's why we have the department of health. Have they gone too far with some things? Without a doubt. But their jobs are very important and integral to the type of society we have today. I wonder how many more people would become sick if they weren't around.
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