East Texans' concern of bacteria varies

From Staff Reports

May 1, 2003 -- Northeast Texas cooks have varied opinions about salmonella, yet those recently surveyed say they take plenty of care with the food they prepare.

Last week, several folks were contacted and asked their level of concern (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the highest) regarding the chicken or beef they purchase having salmonella, or E. coli; and what they do when preparing meat to keep it safe. Here are their responses:

Candy Sanders of Mount Pleasant said her level of concern is ranked at a 1. "I don't worry about it," she simply said. When preparing any type of meat product, she lets it thaw in the refrigerator and then cooks it the same day.

Betty Pinson of Longview noted worrying about salmonella in the meat she buys is "at the bottom of my list. I have too many other things to worry about." Using the most common food safety advice, Pinson said she thaws frozen meat in the refrigerator and cooks it until it is well done.

On the opposite end of that scale, two Northeast Texans ranked their concern fairly high.

Audrey Basham of Gilmer said her concern level is a 4 or 5. "I take food contamination very seriously. There is always a risk and the proper precautions should be taken every time food is prepared," she said. Basham said she cooks at home for herself and her husband David, plus she often takes food to social and church events. When preparing meat for cooking, she said she never allows the meat, of any kind, to "sit out" for a long period of time. Also, Basham noted she "makes a strong effort to sanitize anything that will come in contact with the meat" such as utensils and cutting boards. "I take these precautions especially serious with chicken and fish," she concluded.

Also ranking the level of concern at 4, Susan Rimpel of Athens stressed food safety is important to her, especially since she is the primary cook for her family (husband and three young children). Rimpel, who works at a health clinic, also pointed out the symptoms of E. coli and salmonella poisoning are so similar to many common "viral syndromes" that could be misdiagnosed by a physician. To lessen the chances of contamination, Rimpel said she washes everything in hot water, with soap. "Everything - and that includes utensils, counters, and anything else that may have come in contact with uncooked meat. ... I also wash the meat itself before cooking it."

Declaring the mid-range on the level of concern, Julie Thrapp of Pittsburg said "3, because you don't know where it's been" to the question posed her last week. To safely prepare meat, Thrapp said she washes it, then keeps it in the refrigerator until it is time for cooking, and cooks it thoroughly.