Food poisoning incidents are becoming all too common. With the reports concerning Chipotle restaurants being responsible for at least three major food poisoning outbreaks in 2015 alone taking over the news, many consumers are being urged to pay closer attention to the risks associated with consuming contaminated food products.
In many cases, the contamination process occurs while certain food products are being prepared at home. But in other cases, tainted ingredients make their way onto your plate because of company negligence.
To learn more about how to avoid both types of food poisoning incidents could help consumers and parents who are concerned about bringing tainted products into their homes. But to those who are not entirely aware of the cases of food poisoning in their own states, a map produced by the website Estately may serve as a good place to start their research.
According to the map, people in some states are more likely to get Salmonella poisoning during the Thanksgiving period than people in other states. While the idea sounds somewhat pointless on the surface, knowing where the risks are higher could help consumers to stay alert.
The group that put the data together used information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the list, West Virginia is the worst state for Salmonella food poisoning cases linked to food items consumed during Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving weekend.
Part of the problem, the map shows, is that many families won’t cook the turkey thoroughly, increasing the risk of contamination. But another problem many of us experience without even realizing it is cross-contamination. If you’re going to be cooking meat, making sure the utensils you’re using in the preparation are washed before you use them on another dish or ingredient is essential.
Cutting boards, knives, and other utensils may pass on bacteria from one contaminated ingredient to the next. If you’re cutting meat and you have to chop produce with the same knife, make sure the device is thoroughly washed with warm water and antibacterial detergent. Too often, food products are contaminated during the preparation process, prior to placing products like turkey or other meats in the oven.
Here’s the list of states in where people are more likely to being exposed to Salmonella-tainted products, check out Washington’s position in the ranking:
If you’re serious about your health and the safety of your loved ones, do not allow negligent behavior or sloppy cooking techniques to expose your loved ones to contaminated products.
