Recently there has been a rather devastating outbreak of Listeria being spread through consumption of contaminated cantaloupes. According to CNN, The Center for Disease Control has already reported the death of 13 people and 72 people who have been ill because of these contaminated melons. Even more important is the fact that this illness has the potential to keep growing, even after the contaminated melons have been recalled. The CDC has said that sometimes the illness remains dormant for a small time then begins to show itself. This contamination of food is one of the worst that the United States has ever seen. It makes the elderly and the pregnant women are extremely susceptible.
This brings to mind the necessity for better food safety measures. The spread of Listeria is primarily through consumption or contact with contaminated foods. The fact that so many people died because of it is depressing. Four very practical steps advocated by CNN.com on how to keep food safe is to throughly clean your food, separate uncooked food from others so as to not contaminate them, cook food so as to kill all the bacteria inside, and to keep foods that are being stored cold. I hope to advocate these four steps and the importance of food safety measures when I become a physician. I think that these measure are practical and important for preserving health.
