Health Uncle:Food Safety

A food safety concern has enveloped the U.S. recently.Peanut Corporation of America's Georgia factory shipped untold amounts of peanut products contaminated with deadly bacteria.At least eight deaths have been attributed to the contamination so far.Hundreds more have fallen ill.The use of peanut products is ubiquitous in the food industry.Almost anything we buy could have at least a small amount of peanuts in it.The only comfort is in the fact that most people who ate the products did not,in fact,fall ill.The contamination was apparently spotty,although the salmonella bacteria were detected in a shipment at the Canadian border.The shipment was rejected,but the U.S. authorities didn't look into it at the time.The food safety net has holes in it,so we have to look out for ourselves as best we can.If there is any doubt about an item or its preparation,don't consume it.Listen to that inner voice of caution.