Easter egg safety: Tips to keep your family healthy

The egg has a long history as a symbol for the arrival of spring. Decorating eggs for Easter is a tradition that dates back to the 13th century and in fact, decorating eggs pre-dates Christianity. In many cultures and religions, the egg is a symbol of new life, fertility and rebirth.

However, tradition and celebration aside, eating eggs that are not handled with proper care can cause food poisoning. Salmonella, an organism that causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, and fever, can be found on both the outside and the inside of eggs that look perfectly normal. In otherwise healthy people, the symptoms generally last a couple of days and taper off within a week. But Salmonella can cause severe illness and even death in at-risk individuals, such as pregnant women, young children, older adults and persons with weakened immune systems.

The FDA offers the following tips for egg food safety:

Refrigerate Eggs Promptly

• Buy eggs only from stores that keep them refrigerated.
• At home, store eggs in their original carton and keep them refrigerated at 40 degrees.
• Promptly refrigerate unused eggs or leftovers that contain eggs.

Keep Clean

• Wash hands and all food contact surface areas (e.g., counter tops, utensils, dishes, and cutting boards) with soap and water after contact with raw eggs.
• Discard cracked or dirty eggs.

Cook Eggs Thoroughly

• Eggs should be thoroughly cooked until both the yolk and white are firm and not runny. Recipes containing eggs mixed with other foods should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees.
• Eat eggs promptly after cooking; Cooked eggs, including hard-boiled eggs and egg-containing foods, should not sit out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
• For recipes that call for eggs that are raw or undercooked when the dish is served (like homemade Caesar salad dressing or ice cream) use either eggs that have been treated to destroy Salmonella, by pasteurization or another approved method, or pasteurized egg products.

For more tips on egg and food safety, visit the FDA website or call the FDA Food Information Line at 1-888-SAFEFOOD.

@ypmazzy

Sexual Assault Awareness Month: It’s time to talk

What began as organized protests in England in the 1970s, to raise awareness for sexual violence against women, has developed into a global initiative to raise awareness about the rape, sexual harassment, incest, molestation, and sex trafficking of both genders. Through tireless efforts from the National Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NCASA), in 2001, April was designated as Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM).

With a theme of “Talk Early, TalkOften,” the 2013 SAAM campaign focuses on healthy sexuality and its connection to child sexual abuse prevention. Talking with our children about sex isn’t a comfortable subject for some parents, but avoiding an uncomfortable conversation is not giving your child your best. The SAAM campaign encourages parents to start talking with their children to prevent child sexual abuse and offers a plethora of tools to engage in age appropriate talks with children. Materials are available in both English and En Espanol.

Guess what? Child sexual abuse is not gender specific. According to the study, “Prevalence and Psychological Sequence of Self-Reported Childhood Physical and Sexual Abuse in General Population,” Briere, one in seven boys will be sexually abused at some point in their childhood. In the report, as with many others, it is acknowledged that the statistic is actually higher due to the fact that often the crime of child sex abuse is not reported.

While we as adults can choose to become polarized in the fear of discomfort, imagine how a child must feel. How often have you heard a friend say that they wish that they’d been able to talk to their mom or dad about sex? Unfortunately, this writer hears it too often. The ability, the comfort that our children have to speak with us about sex, is our responsibility. So take some time, check out the SAAM website and talk to your kids.

Follow @ypmazzy