The wonderful benefits of industrial food! According to a recent New York Times article, it turns out that vinegar and a mix of other ingredients make the majority of commercial brands of mayonnaise protect against food spoilage. So, this summer, when you make sandwiches for a picnic, you can use plenty of mayonnaise without wondering whether or not it will cause food to rotten and cause food poisoning.

During the summer, many of us get concerned that in the scorching heat food will turn on us. And so, considering the fact that one of the ingredients in mayonnaise is uncooked egg yolk, it makes perfect sense that we'd assume that mayonnaise can cause diseases, like salmonella. Of course, one needs to differentiate between the mayonnaise you make at home and the one you purchase in the grocery store. But, so long as the eggs are pasteurized and you make sure to use vinegar, another basic mayonnaise ingredient, you will be fine!

So, this summer, do not fret over mayonnaise! Make your own mayonnaise! Foods that cause food poisoning are often made up of low-acid ingredients and involve improper storage and handling.

You're on vacation in Greece when your stomach gives a sudden lurch and you start to suspect that the grilled lamb you ate the night before might not have been as squeaky clean as you thought (this is not a scenario I've ever found myself in, but hey, it could happen). Instead of running out to a pharmacy for the local equivalent of Pepto-Bismol, head to the local cheese shop for a slab of raw milk feta.

According to Panagiotis Chanos, a researcher from the University of Lincoln, they've been able "to isolate lactic acid bacteria found in raw sheep milk from small farms in Macedonia, northern Greece. Several of these friendly bacteria naturally produce antibiotics that killed off dangerous food-poisoning bacteria like Listeria."

They are hoping to take this research and leverage it into new ways to fight Listeria, as it has been known to cause death in populations who have weakened immune systems.

[via The Grinder]

Seventeen visitors to the Taste of Chicago food festival have become sick, and officials say that several of them are sick from salmonella poisoning.

All of the sick people ate from the same booth at the show, a booth that served grilled lamb and beef, pomegranate barbecued chicken, baklava, and cucumber salad over hummus. They're not sure how the outbreak occurred, since the festival (which showcases foods from 70 restaurants) was under the supervision of the Health Department. Though I think any festival that lasts 10 days and has that many people eating various foods from 70 different places isn't too easy to monitor.

Three of the 17 were hospitalized.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just issued a salmonella warning for some batches of Peter Pan peanut butter after linking more than 280 cases of food poisoning in 39 different states to the product. Con Agra, the manufacturer of the peanut butter, has already called for a recall, but unlike with the fresh veggies that were affected by an E. coli contamination last fall, the long shelf-life of peanut butter means that people who fail to check their jars at home could face problems at a later time. Fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps are common effects, but for those with autoimmune disorders or other serious medical conditions, salmonella infections can be life threatening.

All of the peanut butters in question are under the brand names "Peter Pan" and "Great Value" and bear the number 2111 at the beginning of the product code on the lid. They were all made at a single factory in Georgia. The first consumer that was affected by the peanut butter-borne salmonella became ill in August of 2006, so if you bought your peanut butter (assuming it's Peter Pan brand) around that time, or even a bit before, it is wise to throw it out and start with something fresh.

Generally, to keep foods fresh longer, we wrap them up and place them in the refrigerator. Sometimes, we don't give much thought to how things should actually be stored or whether we're doing it properly. As a result, you are more likely to get food poisoning at home than when eating out at a restaurant where health codes are strictly enforced. Some of the biggest food safety violations have to do with the refrigerator, the catch-all of food storage. Here are a few tips to keep you, and your family, a little safer.

• The refrigerator should be kept at, or below, 40°F. Keep in mind that the temperature can rise when the door is opened frequently and if the fridge is overcrowded and air cannot circulate.
• Store raw meat that you won't be eating right away in the freezer, not the refrigerator. Defrost it in the fridge.
• Milk is good for about 10 days past its "sell-by" date, although if it is left out to warm up, it can go bad before that time. It is better to keep it in the main part of the refrigerator than on the door.
• Fruits and vegetables can be stored at the same temperature they are stored in the store, though cut produce should be refrigerated and eaten within a few days.
• Hard cheeses can be stored, wrapped, for several weeks. If mold develops, the affected area and about 1/2-inch around it should be removed; the rest is safe to eat. Do not eat soft cheeses or dairy products, including cream cheese and yogurt, that have molded.
• Fresh eggs will last at least 3 or 4 weeks in the fridge, but hard-cooked eggs will only last one week. You can always check your eggs for freshness if in doubt. Eggs blend better with other ingredients in recipes for baked goods and get more volume when beaten if they are held at room temperature for 20 or 30 minutes before using.

Food poisoning often occurs after eating a meal in a large, social setting such as a picnic, cookout, or cafeteria. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), foods in these settings are often prepared early and left unrefrigerated for long periods, allowing bacteria to form on the food. Food poisoning symptoms typically begin within two to six hours after eating the contaminated food. Signs of food poisoning are most often vomiting, fever, chills, headache, bloody diarrhea, weakness, and severe abdominal cramps. Treatment from a doctor is rarely necessary, unless dehydration occurs, says the NLM. To prevent dehydration, drink plenty of fluids, but avoid milk or drinks with caffeine. You should also avoid solid foods while severely nauseated. And antibiotics aren't usually needed to manage food poisoning.

I'm sure most of us have experienced food poisoning at some sort of summer get-together. We likely pinpoint the sickness to something we ate, often that strange tasting potato salad that looked good on the outside. The association of our discomfort with eating certain foods may then last a lifetime. Just as important, however, we may experience some sort of generalized bad feeling toward an activity, such as future church socials or family reunions. I wonder if anyone can trace the loss of their religious faith to a rancid salad... Just thinking.

I recently came across a brief Q&A about mayonnaise and food poisoning on the Mayo Clinic's website. Surely someone at MayoClinic.com must be aware of the irony here. At any rate, with the picnic season gearing up, some of the tips on the page are worth mentioning. I'm not sure how many folks out there make homemade mayo on a regular basis, but according to the Mayo Clinic, homemade is not the way to go if you're planning on using it for your picnic potato salad. Store-bought mayo is made with pasteurized eggs, which, according to the MC, pose a far lower risk of bacterial growth in your side dish than mayo made with raw eggs. Foods with mayonnaise-based dressings should also be kept on ice during serving, just to be on the safe side.

[Photo: Kraft Foods]

Down in Brisbane, Australia, a woman was arrested and charged over poisoning at the towns Sizzler restaurant.

The woman had initially told staff of green pellets floating in a vat of soup but it appears she placed them there herself. These pellets turned out to be rat poison. Jacqueline Forbes, 57, was charged with two counts of contaminating goods and four counts of intending to cause grievous bodily harm after four people reported experiencing a reaction.

Police confirmed that she initially reported seeing pellets in the vegetable soup, but left the restaurant before police arrived to question her. While the restaurant chain is losing huge amounts of money while they stay closed, they were criticized for taking 37 days to report the affair to the police.