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This is your first year of college, a step toward living life independently. You managed to get into a college, now what..!?! From the first day of freshman year until gradation, avoiding foodborne illness is as important as getting good grades and creating memories.

The debate on whether or not to wash raw poultry is a fierce one, but until recently it was not a debate backed by science. A recent study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) further demonstrates that individuals are putting themselves at risk of illness when they wash or rinse raw poultry.

No matter your age, the end of summer is also a time of beginnings. This means a new school year, new episodes of your favorite TV show and the start of football season.

The summer months are the perfect excuse to spend time at the beach. The best memories in my childhood are with my family enjoying a day at the beach grilling. My parents organized every detail of the trip but looking back and knowing what I know now about food safety, our beach grilling fun could have easily been spoiled with bacteria that could have made us sick.

With each holiday season, there are hundreds of people in the Midwest who are sickened after eating cannibal sandwiches – a dish featuring raw ground beef, often seasoned with spices and onions and served on bread or a cracker.

At this time of year, many community groups, volunteer organizations, work places and other groups celebrate Thanksgiving with a potluck meal. When cooking for a large group, it is important to keep in mind the needs of your guests. Do any of your guests have food allergies or dietary restrictions? Could some be at higher risk for foodborne illness because they may be transplant recipients, cancer patients or diabetics? Pregnant women and seniors are also at higher risk.

Everyone is busy these days, but there’s no busy like holiday busy. Now is the time to start making your plans so that your Thanksgiving dinner will be safe and stress-free.

The FoodKeeper app has received an update! The update adds 85 new food items to the FoodKeeper, including chorizo, prosciutto, edamame, fresh salsa, canned tuna, cereal bars, and salad dressings.

Every year during National Hispanic Heritage Month, we recognize the contributions made by Hispanic and Latino Americans to the United States. Approximately 50.5 million Hispanics live in the U.S., according to the U.S. Census Bureau (PDF, 1.5 MB).

Have you ever seen someone handling food in a way that you would never do yourself? Maybe they were preparing raw poultry and then immediately handled lettuce without washing their hands. Or maybe they did wash their hands, but they dried them by wiping them on their pants. You would never do that, right? Then again, maybe there are things we all do that might increase our risk for foodborne illness.