- UC Master Food Preserver of Solano/Yolo Counties: Maureen Ladley
For food safety, storing leftovers at 33 F to 40 F is ideal
A few years ago, I was in Reno overnight for work and wanted to save my delicious dinner leftovers for breakfast. But when I opened the mini refrigerator in my room, my first reaction was, "That feels too warm!" I did not save the leftovers and made alternative plans for breakfast. Since then, I've wondered how common an unsafe hotel refrigerator might be.
The pandemic delayed my research as travel was out of the question for a while. This year, I had the opportunity to test my question when I traveled up the coast from California to Washington and back home again on vacation. I stayed in a variety of places, perfect for my casual...
- Author: Kat Kerlin, UC Davis
Natural habitat maximizes the benefits of birds for farmers, food safety and conservation
A supportive environment can bring out the best in an individual — even for a bird.
After an E.coli outbreak in 2006 devastated the spinach industry, farmers were pressured to remove natural habitat to keep wildlife — and the foodborne pathogens they can sometimes carry — from visiting crops. A study published today from the University of California, Davis, shows that farms with surrounding natural habitat experience the most benefits from birds, including less crop damage and lower food-safety risks.
- Author: Mike Hsu
Professor of Cooperative Extension shares career story, appreciation for UC Davis
After growing up in northern British Columbia, in a remote smelter town called Kitimat (“an 8-hour drive from the nearest McDonald's”), University of California Professor of Cooperative Extension Linda J. Harris embarked on an academic journey that crisscrossed North America and eventually led to her election as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
AAAS, the world's largest multidisciplinary scientific society and...
- Author: Emily C. Dooley, UC Davis
E. coli and Salmonella are rare in wild birds, Campylobacter more common
Concerns over foodborne risk from birds may not be as severe as once thought by produce farmers, according to research from the University of California, Davis, that found low instances of E. coli and Salmonella prevalence.
While the research found that the risk is often low, it varies depending on species. Birds like starlings that flock in large numbers and forage on the ground near cattle are more likely to spread pathogenic bacteria to crops like lettuce, spinach and broccoli, according to a study of food safety risk and bird pathogens from the University of...
- Author: Rose Atukunda
- Author: Emmanuel Okello
Approximately 48 million people are sickened by foodborne illnesses leading to 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths every year, according to the CDC estimates. A foodborne disease outbreak occurs when two or more people get the same illness from the same contaminated food or drink. Since most foodborne disease outbreaks can be traced back to contaminated fruits and vegetables, especially leafy greens, the disease burden has been a topic of concern for the agricultural industry and the public. Bacterial pathogens like Escherichia coli (E. coli), salmonella and campylobacter are among the common causes of the reported foodborne disease...
