"food safety" news and stories

You might want to think twice before rinsing off raw chicken in your kitchen sink.

Recent studies by the British Food Standards Agency show that rinsing chicken can potentially spread bacteria on work surfaces in a three-foot radius, The Daily Telegraph reported. The report says up to 75 percent of consumers wash poultry before consuming it.

The FSA says 65 percent of raw chicken is contaminated with campylobacer, the most common cause of food poisoning, the paper reported. And while cooking will kill the bug, Campylobacter causes more than 300,000 cases of food poisoning and 15,000 hospitalizations a year in England and Wales.

Football fans may want to rethink that visit to the concession stand during the Indianapolis Colts' big Sunday game against the New England Patriots.

Marion County health inspectors cited the food contractor, Centerplate, at Lucas Oil stadium for food safety violations -- including mice feces in storage rooms, kitchens and an oven. Inspectors also found actual mice (not just evidence of them) in the kitchen area, both dead and alive.

The Marion County Health Department issued 42 citations and $3,900 in fines in all against the Stamford, Conn.-based food service company.

Coffee beans. Photo: Monika Bartyzel

• Co-owner of Seattle's Coffee Works defends a price hike of 50 cents per pound on their espresso blend.
• In a world of tightening budgets and resource concerns, how to make the most of your money and not waste food.
• Fall gets fancy and frugal with art lectures and free appetizers at Hotel 1000.
• To help food safety concerns, the Obama administration has launched a new informative Web site, http://www.foodsafety.gov.
• How to fight the bitter taste in eggplant dip.
• Frank Bruni's "Born Round: The Secret History of a Full-Time Eater" tells how he went from adult bulimic to New York Times food critic.
• Restaurants: Bastille Cafe & Bar in Ballard is on its way to prime French fare, Greenwood's Aloha Ramen dishes "satisfyingly chewy" noodles and Lola sizzles with Mediterranean meals.
• Recipes: Cool Summer Minestrone; Fresh Corn Omelet with Smoked Mozzarella and Basil; Roasted Eggplant Spread with Onion and Sweet Pepper; Salmon, Red Potato and Green Bean Salad; Smoky Chicken and Three-Bean Salad; Classic Barbecue; Toasted Pecan Rice and more.

Kielbasa. Photo: Brad.K, Flickr

• Once frequented by steelworkers' wives, one can still time-travel to the 1930s at the South Side's Schwartz Market for everything from kimchi to organic produce.
• Churchview Farm, once an oversized garden, is now a community-supported "farmette" serving 17 families, with 60 on the waiting list for next year.
• Drinking in celebration of the kids heading back to school with a "wheels up" party, and a menu that works for that or a nice Labor Day shindig.
• A contest will help two home cooks and professional food writers create a cookbook full of their online food community's best recipes.
• In the aftermath of the E. coli/cookie-dough issue, food safety becomes a high priority in the White House.
• Recipes: Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Simple Summer Peach Cake

Bubble tea. Photo: Ben + Sam, Flickr

• Fruits, flavored syrups, and those little tapioca balls make bubble tea a refreshing summer beverage.
• The Embury cocktail lounge boasts Fred Sarkis -- a traditional bartender who crafts his cocktails with old-school flair.
• Another business falls victim to economic woes as Pittsburgh's upscale Wine Loft files for Chapter 11.
• Café Obscura wins dedicated followers with vegetarian fare like toasted cheese.
• A look at Pennsylvania's farmers' markets -- from pick-your-own organic vegetables to hen houses.
• The unusual weather extends the local strawberry season.
• Obama's administration takes a step toward improving food safety regulations via a new food safety proposal.
• Recipe: Charred Thin Asian Pork Chops