We miss you, Spinach!
With the current highly-publicized ban on contaminated spinach, you have probably heard more about E. coli this past week than ever before in your life! The last time I remember a situation similar to this was in 1992, when undercooked meat from Jack in the Box hamburgers made over 600 people severely ill, and four young children died.
You may wonder just what is E. coli, and how does it make people sick? Some E. coli bacteria are good; they are typically found in the intestines of people and animals. Some strains, like the one in the current spinach outbreak, are dangerous. It causes diarrhea that is often bloody can be accompanied by abdominal cramps. Infected people may have a mild fever or none at all. Symptoms usually occur within two to three days after eating the contaminated food, but they may occur as soon as one day after exposure or up to one week after exposure.
It is likely for healthy adults to recover within a week from E. coli infection. Young children and the elderly, or anyone with a weakened immune system, are at greater risk for complications, and can develop serious kidney damage and even death.
For the healthy adult, there is no specific treatment for E. coli infection but the symptoms will likely go away in a week. Children, the elderly or immuno-suppressed people could require hospitalization to treat kidney failure. Good hand washing, especially after using the bathroom, is essential to prevent person-to-person spread of infection.
General E. coli prevention tips include washing all fruits and vegetables thoroughly, cooking all ground beef and meat to an internal temperature of 160 degrees, drinking only pasteurized milk and juice, and avoiding swallowing water in lakes or public pools.
For the duration of this current outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control recommends that NO fresh spinach should be eaten. What about cooked spinach – is it safe? A representative of the CDC states that “cooking to 160 degrees for 15 seconds will do what needs to be done to make it safe, but that means 160 degrees all the way through. For now, use frozen packaged spinach and cook it as directed." He also states that microwaving is not recommended, as it cannot guarantee a uniformly safe temperature.
When asked whether washing the spinach would remove the E. coli, he answered "This is a very hardy bacteria. Thoroughly washing fresh produce is always a good thing to do, but it is important to cook it properly, too."
For now, fresh / raw spinach is off limits, so spinach in salads or as part of a salad mix should be avoided. It is also considered to be unsafe to simply microwave or quickly sauté fresh spinach. It is considered SAFE to use frozen spinach in baked casseroles and dips or in slowly simmered sauces, where the spinach will be uniformly cooked to a temperature greater than 160 degrees. Canned spinach is also safe to eat.
Since we are deprived of raw spinach for now, what some substitutes that supply similar vitamins and nutrients? Basically, I would recommend very dark, green leafy vegetables. Broccoli cooked or raw, kale, turnip greens, beet greens are good substitutes along with watercress, romaine, butter lettuce, cabbage and other salad vegetables. Carrots and tomatoes and sweet peppers of all colors are good, as are cooked yellow squash or pumpkin. Peaches, raisins, oranges and grapefruit are other sources.
Visit www.fda.gov or http://www.cdc.gov/ for more information about the E. coli outbreak and updates about food safety recommendations.
Tortoise Diet Online Members should check out the recipe section of the site for a few new recipes I’ve been trying that use “safe” cabbage! That may have to do, until we can safely enjoy fresh spinach once again.
You may wonder just what is E. coli, and how does it make people sick? Some E. coli bacteria are good; they are typically found in the intestines of people and animals. Some strains, like the one in the current spinach outbreak, are dangerous. It causes diarrhea that is often bloody can be accompanied by abdominal cramps. Infected people may have a mild fever or none at all. Symptoms usually occur within two to three days after eating the contaminated food, but they may occur as soon as one day after exposure or up to one week after exposure.
It is likely for healthy adults to recover within a week from E. coli infection. Young children and the elderly, or anyone with a weakened immune system, are at greater risk for complications, and can develop serious kidney damage and even death.
For the healthy adult, there is no specific treatment for E. coli infection but the symptoms will likely go away in a week. Children, the elderly or immuno-suppressed people could require hospitalization to treat kidney failure. Good hand washing, especially after using the bathroom, is essential to prevent person-to-person spread of infection.
General E. coli prevention tips include washing all fruits and vegetables thoroughly, cooking all ground beef and meat to an internal temperature of 160 degrees, drinking only pasteurized milk and juice, and avoiding swallowing water in lakes or public pools.
For the duration of this current outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control recommends that NO fresh spinach should be eaten. What about cooked spinach – is it safe? A representative of the CDC states that “cooking to 160 degrees for 15 seconds will do what needs to be done to make it safe, but that means 160 degrees all the way through. For now, use frozen packaged spinach and cook it as directed." He also states that microwaving is not recommended, as it cannot guarantee a uniformly safe temperature.
When asked whether washing the spinach would remove the E. coli, he answered "This is a very hardy bacteria. Thoroughly washing fresh produce is always a good thing to do, but it is important to cook it properly, too."
For now, fresh / raw spinach is off limits, so spinach in salads or as part of a salad mix should be avoided. It is also considered to be unsafe to simply microwave or quickly sauté fresh spinach. It is considered SAFE to use frozen spinach in baked casseroles and dips or in slowly simmered sauces, where the spinach will be uniformly cooked to a temperature greater than 160 degrees. Canned spinach is also safe to eat.
Since we are deprived of raw spinach for now, what some substitutes that supply similar vitamins and nutrients? Basically, I would recommend very dark, green leafy vegetables. Broccoli cooked or raw, kale, turnip greens, beet greens are good substitutes along with watercress, romaine, butter lettuce, cabbage and other salad vegetables. Carrots and tomatoes and sweet peppers of all colors are good, as are cooked yellow squash or pumpkin. Peaches, raisins, oranges and grapefruit are other sources.
Visit www.fda.gov or http://www.cdc.gov/ for more information about the E. coli outbreak and updates about food safety recommendations.
Tortoise Diet Online Members should check out the recipe section of the site for a few new recipes I’ve been trying that use “safe” cabbage! That may have to do, until we can safely enjoy fresh spinach once again.
