Wednesday, August 3, 2005BY LOIS MAHARG
Ann Arbor News Bureau
‘When in doubt, throw it out” is never better advice than during picnic season, when food sits out in the hot summer sun.
“Bacteria grow well between 70 and 120 degrees, but they grow most rapidly between 90 and 110 degrees,” said Joan Miller, extension educator at Michigan State University Extension. “And in a picnic setting generally there’s a lot of moisture in the air that allows bacteria to grow fast.”
These bacteria – E. coli 0157, Salmonella, Listeria, Campylobacter – can wreak havoc on the gastrointestinal tract and, in some cases, lead to serious illness and death.Continue Reading Cutting down onfood-borne illness Leave E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria and Campylobacter off the guest list