UPDATED: April 25, 2025
Welcome to the Healthy Living Is Good Medicine Newsletter, a free publication covering a wide variety of health-related topics, with timely original articles intended to help people lead healthier and more fulfilling lives.
Safe Food Handling and Storage
It should go without saying that your hands and utensils need to be clean before handling and preparing foods and beverages. Microbial pathogens are everywhere, but they can be easily foiled by the liberal use of soap and hot water. Cleanliness counts!
When preparing raw meat, poultry, and seafood, use separate plates, utensils, and cutting boards to prevent cross-contamination. There are safe ways to thaw foods such as a frozen turkey, and it is important to check its internal temperature with a cooking thermometer to determine when it has been thoroughly cooked.
When cooking, fish and shellfish, and steaks, chops, and roasts should reach a minimum internal temperature of 145°F (63°C); ground beef and sausage 160°F (71°C); and poultry 165°F (74°C). Check the temperature at the thickest part and away from any bones.
During the hot weather, especially when it comes to outdoor cookouts and picnics, the risk of food-borne illnesses increases if precautions are not followed. Any leftovers will need to be properly stored to ensure their safety when consumed later. The FDA has additional guidelines for safe food handling, cooking, and storage, and regularly conducts investigations into foodborne illness outbreaks.
Perishable items and cooked food should not remain at room temperature for more than two hours. Keep hot food hot, and cold food cold. Use a slow cooker or other appliance that keeps its temperature above 140°F (60°C), or refrigerate at a temperature below 40°F (4°C). Between those two temperatures is a danger zone in which bacteria can rapidly multiply.
Divide leftovers into small, shallow containers for quick cooling in the refrigerator, and use them up within four days. For longer storage, freeze them. They can be kept frozen indefinitely but for the best quality aim for two to six months. Reheat leftovers to an even internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Soups, gravies, and sauces should be brought to a rolling boil.
Food Safety Recalls
The CDC estimates that each year 48 million people in the U.S. get sick from a food-borne illness. Of those, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die. This is truly unacceptable.
It seems like hardly a week went by in 2024 without another food recall due to safety concerns. Nearly 12 million pounds of BrucePac ready-to-eat beef, pork, and poultry products may have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria that can cause severe illness in humans. It can take up to 70 days for symptoms of an infection to develop after exposure.
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) initiated the recall, affecting school lunch programs, restaurants, and grocery store chains, including Walmart, Target, Kroger, and Trader Joe’s. Boar’s Head deli meats were implicated in a large listeria outbreak that resulted in at least 57 people being hospitalized, and 10 deaths.
An E. coli outbreak linked to fresh onions in McDonald’s Quarter Pounders affected more than 100 people in 14 states, and one person died. Just before the end of the year, California’s Department of Food and Agriculture issued a statewide recall of raw milk after H5N1 bird flu virus was found in samples from the Valley Milk dairy. For more information, see Food Safety News.
Unpasteurized milk from cows, goats, or sheep, often referred to as “raw” or “fresh,” has made great gains in popularity in recent years. Raw milk dairies and “natural foods” advocates commonly make false health and nutrition claims about it. The alleged benefits are imaginary, while the risks are real:
There are a number of little-known facts about food safety that should concern anyone who eats. It is not my intention to create anxiety about our food. What I want to do here is add to people’s knowledge base so they can make more informed choices to minimize their personal risks and support federal action on proposed reforms. Knowledge is power!
Barbecuers, Beware
My Newsletter and Blog have covered the health risks posed by ultra-processed foods (UPFs), especially sweetened beverages and processed meats, including hot dogs, luncheon meat, bacon, pancetta, Canadian bacon, sausages, salami, and pepperoni; smoked meats including jerky; and deli counter cold cuts, including ham, turkey, roast beef, pastrami, and corned beef. Good health depends not only on the quality of the food you eat, and how free it is from contaminants, but also on how the food is cooked.
Cooking plays a significant role in improving protein digestibility and killing harmful pathogens, but cooking meat using high heat can result in the production of carcinogenic chemical compounds such as heterocyclic aromatic amines, N-nitrosamines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and acrylamide. There are also over three dozen chemicals known as advanced glycation end-products that can be formed when foods are cooked at high temperatures. Studies have associated these substances with an increased risk for premature aging and chronic disease.
At the same time, cooking can reduce a food's nutritional value by decreasing polyunsaturated fatty acids and reducing the bioavailability of vitamins, and minerals. A 2024 review of previous studies focused on the risks versus benefits of various cooking methods for beef.
It should come as no surprise that deep-frying foods is the least healthy method of cooking, not only for it being a high heat source, but also by introducing an unhealthy amount of saturated fats into the diet. Grilling had the next least favorable risk-to-benefit ratio, followed by oven-broiling. Boiling beef had the best risk-to-benefit ratio, and sous vide was also worthy of consideration as a more healthy cooking alternative. Studies have shown that high heat cooking produces similar harmful effects for lamb, pork, poultry, and seafood. It's way past time to change our appetite for KFC and flame-broiled burgers.
For some practical strategies for safer, smarter cooking, see:
Hot Drink Dangers
We’re not just talking about spilling a cup of hot coffee on your lap, especially while driving. Swallowing hot beverages might not be such a good idea, either. Frequent drinking of hot coffee or tea has been associated with the development of esophageal cancer, according to a 2009 systematic review of previous studies. That conclusion was confirmed by a 2015 meta-analysis, and a 2018 risk assessment.
The ideal temperature for brewing coffee is generally 194-203°F (90-95°C). Boiling water can make coffee taste bitter. The best temperature for brewing tea depends upon the type. Boiling water 212°F (100°C) can be used for black tea and most herbal teas. Oolong tea should be steeped at 185°F (85°C), and for most green teas, 158-176°F (70-80°C). As for drinking, let it cool first. 140°F (60°C) is the upper safety limit for hot beverages. If something is too hot for your hands, please don't put it in your mouth.
Plastics
Tiny plastic particles, known as microplastics and nanoplastics, are everywhere. They have fouled the land, sea, and air, invaded our food and water supplies, and ended up in our bodies, including the heart, blood vessels, and brain. We already know that plastics made from fossil fuels and plastic waste in the environment is bad for our planet. What the long-term consequences of ingested and absorbed microplastics and nanoplastics will be for human health is still unknown, but it surely won't be good for us.
There have been a number of recent reports on the accumulation of microplastics in various human tissues. Of particular concern is the recent study showing that they can cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate at a high rate in the human brain.
The best way to reduce your exposure is to never heat foods in plastic containers and packages, even if they’re labeled "Microwave Safe." A 2023 study has found that microwaving polypropylene-based plastic containers and polyethylene-based reusable food pouches releases microplastics, nanoplastics, and toxic chemicals into the food. Single-use plastics, such as water bottles, takeout food containers, and plastic food storage bags should never be reused.
Since nanoplastics accumulate progressively as they travel up the marine food chain, try to give preference to seafood that’s low on the food chain, such as shellfish and smaller or non-predatory fishes such as sardines. The same seafood precautions apply as with reducing one’s exposure to mercury and PCBs.
Consumers should reduce their purchases of products packaged in plastic whenever possible, and that includes bottled beverages. You’re generally better off drinking filtered tap water instead of bottled water. When choosing between two similar products, select the one that comes in a glass jar instead of a plastic one. Reuse the glass jar if it is not going to be recycled.
Avoid plastic wrap and baggies, and don't reuse plastic bags for food. Just say “No!” to Tupperware, Rubbermaid, and Glad containers. Instead of plastic, use glass, ceramic, or stainless steel containers for food storage. Plastic lids are okay if they don’t contact the food.
Some more caveats: Don't use polypropylene cutting boards or plastic ice cube trays. Avoid plastic or paper drinking cups, especially for hot liquids. Don't use tea bags that are made with polypropylene.
Hidden Ingredients
There’s a new potential hazard in consuming ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Food labels are not required to list synthetic inter-esterified or fully-hydrogenated fats. Instead, you’ll just see terms such as “vegetable oil” or “palm oil.” Not knowing what we are eating is unacceptable, but the only way consumers can fight back is to avoid UPFs as much as possible. That includes just saying “No!” to store-bought baked goods and candy.
Pesticide Residues
A new report lends justifies consumer concerns about pesticide residues on food. Researchers found evidence that washing fruit before eating does not remove the toxic chemicals that are commonly used in agriculture. A recent analysis, based on USDA data, found that 20 percent of 59 different fruits and vegetables were contaminated with pesticides at levels that posed significant risks for consumer health. The fact that washing doesn’t remove enough pesticide residue from an apple to make it safe means that one should peel it, or even better, buy organic. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) publishes an annual list of produce for which the organic alternative is recommended, as well as those for which organic is unnecessary.
PFAS
We are also under assault by "forever chemicals" with hard to pronounce names (i.e. perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances), collectively known as PFAS. Recent studies have shown that these endocrine-disrupting chemicals, found in the blood of almost all Americans, are associated with a number of adverse health outcomes. To protect yourself, be sure to follow the fish consumption advisories from your state and local health departments to avoid eating fish caught in PFAS contaminated waters
It is also best to avoid using non-stick cookware, regardless if it’s labeled "PFOA-free." Teflon, and many other non-stick coatings, are made with PTFE, a type of PFAS that can give off potentially harmful fumes when exposed to temperatures above 500°F.
It is much better to use stainless steel, ceramic, or glass cookware for most of your cooking, with a light coating of olive oil or avocado oil if necessary to prevent food from sticking. You can reserve your non-stick pans for cooking notoriously sticky eggs and fish.
Foods that are packaged in grease-resistant paper, such as microwave popcorn bags, frozen food boxes, and some candy wrappers, can also contain PFAS. You might want to also contact your local water department to see if they've tested your drinking water for PFAS. If you have a private well, consider getting it tested by a certified lab.
Bisphenol A (BPA)
The presence of BPA in plastics and other common industrial materials has resulted in widespread human exposure through food. This most often occurs when epoxy resins and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are used to line the inside of food cans to prevent metal corrosion due to acidity. Some food processors are now using BPA-free coatings, so look for that information on the can's label. Polycarbonate bottles and plastic cooking utensils are also a source of BPA exposure, and black plastic has additional toxic chemicals. Glass and stainless steel containers, and wood or silicone cooking utensils, are preferable.
Most health concerns are related to BPA's estrogen-like activity and its interactions with other endocrine receptors, leading to its designation as an endocrine-disrupting chemical. Exposure to BPA over a person's lifetime can result in cumulative effects. Although there have been numerous studies, there is still uncertainty regarding the nature of those effects and the levels at which they occur.
BPA has been linked to fetal abnormalities, low birth weight, and brain and behavior disorders in infants and children. A new study found that prenatal BPA exposure is associated with impaired brain aromatase function and autism spectrum disorder in male children. They were six times more likely to have a verified autism diagnosis by age 11 than those whose mothers had low urinary levels of BPA during pregnancy.
In adults, BPA has been linked to the development of diabetes, heart disease, erectile dysfunction, cancer and a 49 percent higher risk of premature death. The European Union has banned BPA in all materials that contact foods, including plastic and coated packaging, and intends to address the use of other bisphenols, such as BPS and BPF, to prevent companies from replacing BPA with other harmful materials. Just because a product is claimed to contain no BPA still doesn't mean that it is healthy. As always, let the buyer beware.
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
The federal limit for these carcinogenic, industrial "forever chemicals" is 500 parts per trillion in drinking water. PCBs accumulate in the skin, fat, and internal organs of fishes, crabs, and lobsters, and can reach tissue levels hundreds of thousands of times higher than the levels found in their environment. Those caught near industrial areas tend to have the highest levels of PCBs, with larger, older fish containing the most.
Bottom-feeding fish, such as striped bass, bluefish, American eel, and bull trout, along with larger, predatory fish, such as bass, lake trout, and walleye, caught in contaminated waters, will contain higher levels of PCBs. Some farmed salmon have been found to be higher in PCBs, compared with wild-caught salmon (except, perhaps, for sockeye salmon). The FDA says that seafood is safe to eat if it contains less than 2 parts per million PCBs, but when it comes to ingesting poison, less is always better. With fish, it's a balancing act between consuming healthy omega-3 fatty acids and their poisonous PCBs.
Perchlorate
It has taken a lawsuit, won by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to force the agency to set limits on perchlorate in drinking water, which have not yet been implemented. Consumer Reports recently examined samples of 63 supermarket products and 10 fast food items, and found that foods in plastic containers had the highest levels, followed by foods in plastic wrap and paperboard.
The EPA established an “official reference dose” for perchlorate of 0.7 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day that the agency considers a safe exposure level. However, many food safety experts disagree. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has set a tolerable daily intake of 0.3 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day.
Because of their lower body weight, children may be particularly at risk. Some packaged baby and children’s foods may have higher perchlorate levels because of anti-static plastic, while fresh produce may contain perchlorate if it was irrigated with industrially contaminated water.
Persistent Organic Pollutants
Preliminary research with mice indicates that exposure early in life to persistent organic pollutants, such as the “forever chemical” TCDF, significantly disrupts the gut microbiome. The resulting permanent change in the composition of the microbiome increased the risk of developing metabolic disorders in adulthood. TCDF is concentrated as it moves up the food chain. Human exposure occurs with the consumption of high-fat foods such as meat, dairy products, and some fish. Infants can be affected when TCDF is present in breast milk.
Chemical Leaching
Of the 14,000 or so chemicals known to come in contact with food, 3,600 of them make their way into the food supply during manufacturing, processing, packaging, and storage, and can end up in the human body. Some of them have serious health consequences. According to a new study, 79 of these food-processing chemicals are known to cause cancer, genetic mutations, endocrine disruptions, reproductive issues, and other health problems. These substances are found in plastic packages and containers, and in metal can and paper coatings.
Mercury in Seafood
Nearly all fish and shellfish contain traces of mercury. How it got there is primarily due to coal-burning power plants. In 18th century England, mercury was used to produce the felt used for hat-making. Its toxicity led to coining the phrase, “mad as a hatter.” Bacteria in the soil can convert inorganic mercury into even more toxic methylmercury. Children and fetuses are at greatest risk from mercury's deleterious effects.
You are advised to not eat sharks, swordfish, marlin, king mackerel, tilefish, bigeye tuna, orange roughy, or Chilean sea bass, because they all contain very high levels of mercury. Albacore (white tuna), has more mercury than canned light tuna. Salmon, pollock, catfish, shrimp, scallops, and oysters have a low mercury content.
The National Resources Defense Council keeps a fairly complete list of what seafood to eat, and what to avoid. Before you go fishing, check the local advisories about the safety of fish caught in lakes, rivers, and coastal areas.
Heavy Metals in Plants
Heavy metals may occur naturally in the environment and contaminate soils, water, and air as a result of industrial activities, sewage run-off, acid rain, and the agricultural use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, and are then taken up by plants. Post-harvesting contamination can also occur.
Arsenic can be found in rice, depending upon where it is grown. Lead and cadmium have been found in cinnamon, chocolate, dried herbs and spices, and dietary supplements, creating health concerns. Sweet potatoes, carrots, and other root vegetables may contain lead. Spinach often contains cadmium. The FDA needs to monitor and adequately address this widespread problem.
Scombroid Fish Poisoning
Also known as histamine fish poisoning, scombroid is an allergic-like reaction that occurs within a few hours of eating spoiled fish with naturally high levels of histidine. Species typically include tuna, mahi mahi, and bluefish, as well as bonito, mackerel, herring, sardines, anchovies, amberjack, marlin, and escolar. While on the subject of escolar, be advised that you should refuse this fish, commonly served in sushi restaurants, because it contains a waxy ester that can cause gempylid fish poisoning.
Ciguatera Fish Poisoning
Ciguatera is caused by eating bottom-feeding coral reef reef fish that have consumed large quantities of ciguatoxin-producing dinoflagellates during blooms, or predatory fish in which ciguatoxin has become progressively more concentrated as it moves up the food chain. Barracuda, amberjack, moray eels, and some species of grouper present the greatest risk. In the U.S., ciguatera has been a problem in South Florida, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has developed methods for monitoring ciguatoxin and other biotoxins using radioactive isotopes. The technology is now used as a regulatory tool used for certifying the safety of seafood imported to the European Union. Early detection of blooms that produce ciguatoxins has helped Caribbean nations implement early warning systems for seafood safety.
Shellfish Poisoning
Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) is the most common and most severe form of shellfish poisoning. It is caused by eating shellfish contaminated with potent neurotoxins produced by various species of dinoflagellates during blooms known as red tides or brown tides. A wide range of shellfish can cause PSP, but most cases occur after people eat clams or mussels. Symptoms usually appear 30 to 60 minutes after eating toxic shellfish, and fatalities among children are high.
Razor clams, oysters, mussels, and crabs should also be routinely sampled for domoic acid, which causes amnesiac shellfish poisoning (ASP). This naturally occurring marine neurotoxin is produced by diatoms that occasionally undergo population explosions. Before harvesting any shellfish, check for closures with your state's department of fish and wildlife.
Cucurbitacin Poisoning
Cucurbitacins are naturally occurring compounds found in edible plants such as zucchini, pumpkin, and cucumbers. They are produced in response to environmental stresses such as poor growing conditions. Levels of these compounds, which have a bitter taste, decrease during maturation. Acute gastrointestinal symptoms, including vomiting, abdominal cramps, and bloody diarrhea appear shortly after ingestion.
Botulism
This life-threatening illness is the result of ingesting a toxin produced by a widely occurring species of bacteria. Food that contains the bacteria’s spores can, under the right conditions, permit the bacteria to grow and produce the botulinum toxin. The most common cause of botulism is homemade foods that have been improperly canned, preserved, or fermented. See this article for advice on safe canning and food preservation resources.
Foodborne Infections
Each year in the United States, an estimated nine million people get sick, 56,000 are hospitalized, and 1,300 die from food-borne illnesses that are caused by known pathogens, according to the U.S. Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration (IFSAC).
More than 75 percent of Salmonella illnesses were attributed to chicken, fruits, seeded vegetables such as tomatoes, pork, other produce such as nuts, beef, and turkey. Over 85 percent of Escherichia coli O157 illnesses were linked to vegetable row crops such as leafy greens, and beef. More than 75 percent of Listeria monocytogenes illnesses were linked to dairy products, vegetable row crops, and fruits.
A recent CDC report showed that the incidence of eight domestically acquired infections commonly transmitted through food did not decrease in 2023. Infections such as campylobacteriosis, shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC) infection, yersiniosis, vibriosis, and cyclosporiasis all saw an increase, while listeriosis, salmonellosis and shigellosis remained stable. Food safety efforts have failed to make progress in meeting the federal disease reduction goals intended to be met by 2030.
There are over 200 diseases caused by eating foods contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites, or toxic chemical substances. While there is now a call for targeted prevention efforts to reduce the incidence of foodborne illnesses, until that happens the best thing that consumers can do to protect themselves is subscribe to alerts from Food Safety News.
Something that parents need to keep in mind when sending children off to school with prepared lunches is how to prevent the growth of bacteria before the food is consumed. Making sure that homemade lunches are kept at safe temperatures is crucial to preventing foodborne illnesses. There are a number of suggestions for how to do this provided by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.
Food Safety Standards
In the ongoing conflict between commercial interests and people's health, it is clear that government agencies are more likely to defer to commerce. The FDA, as part of its enforcement activities, sends warning letters to entities under its jurisdiction that have violated federal safety standards. However, those letters might not be issued until a company has been given months, or even years, to correct problems.
As with this example, when a warning letter is finally issued, it might not be made accessible for public scrutiny until many months have passed, while consumers remain unaware of the risks. It seems clear to me that this policy protects the businesses that endanger people’s health from potential consumer boycotts, while failing to warn the public.
Food safety is a basic human right, not a privilege, yet consumers are still waiting for the USDA to update its regulations for raw poultry. Current USDA policies allow companies to ship raw poultry that is contaminated with dangerous forms of Salmonella, one of the leading contributors to foodborne illnesses. It makes absolutely no sense when food that's contaminated with bacteria is able to pass the USDA’s inspections. The most likely explanation is the considerable political influence of the poultry industry lobby.
In November, 2023, after multiple risk assessments and consultation with the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods, the USDA completed a proposed rule that would prevent the sale of raw poultry products containing unsafe levels of dangerous bacteria. In April, 2025, the Trump administration killed the proposed rule and disbanded the advisory committee. How that fits with making America “healthy again” escapes me.
Steps to make food more safe have never jeopardized consumer access to food, so why has addressing one of the biggest risks in America's food supply been stalled? Perhaps the answer has something to do with the erosion of democratic institutions that were founded to create a government of the people. by the people, and for the people.
In the United States, corporations routinely use the financial leverage of political campaign contributions to delay or block much-needed changes in government regulations. The U.S. Supreme Court's 2010 decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission made money the equivalent of speech, and granted corporations the same free speech rights as people. Those with the most money now have the loudest voices with which to influence elections, thereby putting America’s democracy up for sale.
When the Supreme Court’s politically conservative and religiously influenced supermajority overturned Roe v. Wade, women's health became imperiled in many states. Above-the-law justices, some of whom have accepted lavish gifts from those with business before the court, have corrupted the balance of power between executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government, the foundation of a healthy democracy. Most recently, SCOTUS expanded the scope of presidential immunity.
SCOTUS also overturned a 40-year-old precedent known as the "Chevron deference." What their new decision accomplished is to diminish the expert-guided regulatory authority of federal agencies. Instead, crucial decisions about the public interest versus corporate greed will now be made by the judiciary, jeopardizing a vital step in consumer protection.
The implications are far-reaching, and it remains to be seen what will happen with food safety issues going forward. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren will be introducing a bill that would effectively undo the Supreme Court’s ruling. “Giant corporations are using far-right, unelected judges to hijack our government and undermine the will of Congress,” Warren said.
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) of 2011 was enormously important in preventing food contamination. A new element of the act is the Food Traceability Final Rule (FSMA 204), intended to enhance the agency's ability to track and trace food throughout the supply chain. A compliance date has been set for January 1, 2026.
Recent legislative efforts now threaten to undermine any food safety regulations, potentially compromising the safety of our food supply. There is currently a Republican-sponsored bill, HR 7563, that's aimed at weakening FSMA 204. From a consumer perspective, this is unacceptable.
In a counter-move, Democrats in the House and Senate have introduced legislation that would establish the Federal Food Administration. It would be a single agency responsible for ensuring food safety and promoting better nutrition. This would be much more efficient than the current fragmentation of responsibilities, with more than a dozen federal agencies overseeing some aspect of food safety.
The FDA is expected to propose new labeling for the front of food and drink packages to help Americans make healthier choices in order to address exploding obesity rates. This being America, it has already been years since other countries took similar action. For more information, see this article.
We, the people, know what we want, and we want it now! If the government isn't willing to act in our best interests, then we need to ramp up pressure. Please contact your representatives in Congress and tell them that you want the USDA's proposed rule about raw poultry products to be enacted, and HR 7563 to be defeated.
Consider reducing your purchases of raw poultry until there are new regulations in place. Consumer boycotts can motivate companies to improve their food safety, and we need to loudly demand the protections we deserve. The good news is that the documentary, “Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food,” won an Emmy, and can be watched on Netflix. Power to the People!
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