Obama: Forget the fashion and focus on food safety basics

Baby Sorenne woke up around 4 a.m. and, after nursing, hung out with daddy and watched Mallrats until she went back to sleep.

Daddy – that’s me – started prepping for the Christmas meal: boneless leg of lamb marinated in fresh rosemary – the one herb that seems to flourish indoors – and lime-garlic sauce. And some other stuff, which I could describe in pornographic detail, but will instead call side dishes.

As I prepare the lamb, I’ll keep in mind the World Health Organization’s factors that contribute to foodborne illness:

• improper cooking procedures;

• temperature abuse during storage;

• lack of hygiene and sanitation by food handlers;

• cross-contamination between raw and ready-to-eat foods; and,

• foods from unsafe sources.

Yet increasingly, food safety is used as a catch phrase to encompass whatever political goals some group wants to achieve

The N.Y. Times yesterday encapsulated what has been circulating on the Interwebs for weeks, stating that,

“From the moment it was clear that Barack Obama was going to be president, people who have dedicated their lives to changing how America eats thought they had found their St. Nicholas. It wasn’t long before the letters to Santa began piling up.

“Ruth Reichl, the editor of Gourmet magazine, wants a new high-profile White House chef who cooks delicious local food. Wayne Pacelle, head of the Humane Society of the United States, wants policies requiring better treatment for farm animals. …

“Not only does (Obama) seem to possess a more-sophisticated palate than some of his recent predecessors, but he will also take office in an age when organic food is mainstream, cooking competitions are among the top-rated TV shows and books calling for an overhaul in the American food system are best sellers.”

Running through all of this is some kind of food snobbery that assumes whatever is fashionable is somehow safer.

Even the groups advocating more food safety are reeking of political ambition rather than focusing on the things that make people sick.

Like Brody in Mallrats, no one wants a stink palm.

This entry was posted in Food Safety Policy, Raw Food and tagged , , , by Douglas Powell. Bookmark the permalink.

About Douglas Powell

A former professor of food safety and the publisher of barfblog.com, Powell is passionate about food, has five daughters, and is an OK goaltender in pickup hockey. Download Doug’s CV here. Dr. Douglas Powell editor, barfblog.com retired professor, food safety 3/289 Annerley Rd Annerley, Queensland 4103 dpowell29@gmail.com 61478222221 I am based in Brisbane, Australia, 15 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time