Food contamination is one of the major problems faced by pets and so it becomes the duty of pet owners to ensure that the pet’s food and water bowls are cleaned properly with hot soapy water and drying them before refilling them everyday. It is often advised to keep raw meat separate from fresh food, wash your hands after handling the pet food and many other precautions to minimise the chances of illness in pets.

But have you ever thought that the contamination that you are worried about is actually hiding in the dog or cat’s food? Pet food is one of the major reasons for the contamination. Hence, it is extremely important that you take care of yourself and your furry companion from potential contamination.

Let us now look at different types of contamination:

Salmonella

This bacteria is responsible for food-borne illnesses. There are different types of bacteria that can cause food poisoning in people as well as pets. Young children, infants, elderly and people with suppressed immune systems are more prone to Salmonella.

Some of the symptoms of this disease in people include:

• Cramping
• Diarrhoea
• Fever
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Symptoms of Salmonella in pets include:

• Constant diarrhoea
• Dehydration
• Drinking water excessively
• Fever
• Lethargy (sluggishness or lack of energy)
• Loss of appetite
• Vomiting

Listeria

Listeria monocytogenes is another type of bacteria in contaminated food that causes infection. It puts pregnant women at significant risk, as there is a huge probability of miscarriage or transfer of infection to the foetus. Newborns, elderly and people with suppressed immune systems are at risk.

Symptoms of this disease in humans include:

• Complications in the intestinal tract
• Diarrhoea
• Fever
• Muscle aches

Symptoms of Listeria in dogs include:

• Abortions
• Septicaemia
• Sudden death.
• Uterine infections

Mould & Fungus

This contamination does not require the contact of the pet with the food. Pets can suffer from pneumonia due to fungi in the environment. It is not always the result of bacteria.

Symptoms include:

• Coughing
• Difficulty in breathing
• Lethargy
• Loss of appetite
• Skin and respiratory infections

If you have any type of mould in your house and your pet is having a veterinary procedure performed, inform your veterinarian that your pet might have been exposed to mould. This is extremely crucial if your pet will be given anaesthesia.

How Contamination Spreads Between Humans & Pets?

Contamination can be spread between humans & pets through:

• Food
• Other areas of discharge
• Saliva
• Surfaces that have come in contact with an infected pet or person
• Touching faeces

Pet food that has been contaminated is most likely to incept from an infected worker, an additive applied after the cooking process in the manufacturing the dog food or equipment used to package the product. Even wet dog food bag can be a place where mould and fungi can be found. The problem is that most testing of the suspected contaminated materials happens in the laboratory and can take a maximum of 24 hours to complete. There are other forms of tests that are being investigated like an application that employs light to detect the signature pattern by bacteria in the food and be completed in half an hour.

If you see contaminated food in your household follow these steps:

• First of all check whether anyone in the household is showing symptoms of illness. If so, take the person to the doctor or the pet to a veterinarian as soon as possible.
• Seal the food in an airtight container and isolate it. Take a small sample if needed later for identification or further testing. Take the photograph of the packaging and UPC code before disposing it off.
• Empty all pet dishes and wash them properly with hot soapy water.
• Clean all items, kitchen surfaces and floor with hot soapy water.
• Inform other members in the household about the contaminated item and tell them to take care when handling pet’s items, food or toys. Wash your hands properly before and after using the restroom or handling food.
• If you want to return the food to the store for refund seal the food by cutting the identifying label and place it on the outside of the package. Cover it up properly with a tape and wash your hands properly.
• Monitor people and other pets for illness.

Nature provides everything healthy to mankind – food, air, water or anything else, it’s our actions that pollute and make it toxic. The growing popularity of organic and naturally grown food is proof that people are slowly becoming aware of this fact – that the only way to live healthy is by choosing natural products. When your food is all-natural, shouldn’t your cookware be the same?

Natural Food – Natural Cookware

As we know the best food comes from that which is grown using non-toxic, pure methods and without the interference of dangerous chemicals and heavy metals. In the same way, natural cookware comes from using a natural material and then making it without using ANY chemicals. Is that even possible in the world of metal and ceramic cookware? Luckily, yes!

An All-natural Cookware

Pure clay is an all-natural, material that can be harvested from the earth’s surface without causing any harm to the environment and wildlife. As clay is formed through a natural and on-going process, it’s renewable. To ensure the purity of clay, it’s important to test the land for any chemicals or pollutants present in it due to dumping of industrial waste or use of chemical fertilizers in the past.

This pure raw material must be treated without using any chemicals (we don’t want another chemical laden ceramics, do we?) – it might be a challenge to make pots without treating the raw material with chemicals but it’s worth the effort. This is the only way to make 100% natural and non-toxic cookware.

The presence of any metal or chemical toxins in clay may cause these added elements to leach into food while cooking. Eating food contaminated with these toxins over a long time can make you sick. Moreover, the toxins react with nutrients in food – leaving it deficient in essential nutrients.

How This Natural Cookware Keeps Food Healthy

Pure clay cookware is naturally inert and doesn’t leach, it keeps the nutritional value of food intact. They generate the unique far infrared heat that cooks food gently without causing any harm to its nutrients. When the body is nourished with such healthy and nutritious food, it can start the process of healing and restoration.

With so many health benefits and guarantee of being 100% non-toxic, this all-natural healthy cookware definitely deserves a try. If you agree then choose a pure clay pot to get the natural taste of food cooked in a natural cookware!

With hectic schedules and busy lifestyles, most families choose to cut down on preparation time when it comes to meals and go for quick fix dinner options. This has brought about the immense popularity of frozen foods, which ensures that there is always something to eat at home and on top of this, freezing leftover meals can actually prevent wastage of food too. However, with many people opting for frozen food, misconceptions regarding it have been rising as well.

Frozen food is not nutritious

Frozen food could sometimes lose out on some nutritional value but the reality is that they are generally more nutritious than the fresh food that’s available at the grocery store. The reason for this is that out-of-season produce is picked before it has completely ripened and then stored, cutting down a great deal of nutritional value before you finally eat it. By comparison, frozen food is picked when it’s ripe and then frozen, so it only loses some nutritional value during storage.

Too processed

While grocery freezers are packed with unhealthy frozen dinners, there are some great healthy choices as well. This is why it’s important to go for whole and natural foods by checking through the list of ingredients and avoiding any that include additives or preservatives. Another interesting fact to note is that the process of freezing can actually stop bacteria from developing because microbes cannot grow of food that are stored at minus 0 F, making it far healthier than most people think.

Way too expensive

Generally, it is less expensive than fresh food. For example, most fruits and vegetables that are not in season are priced very high but stocking up frozen fruits and vegetables can actually save money on your grocery bills.

All food can be frozen

While there are plenty of foods that can be frozen and yet retain the original texture and flavor, this is not the case with all food. There are certain foods that tend to lose its flavor when frozen and these include cream-based sauces and fruits and vegetables that contain high water content.

Can last forever

Frozen foods have a longer lifespan than when it’s fresh but it can lose the taste and quality when stored for too long. However, there are some ways in which the storage life of frozen food can be extended and this is done by blanching vegetables before freezing and covering the food in moisture-proof packaging.

If you are looking to prevent eye conditions like macular degeneration and cataracts, a good way to start is to consume the right diet. You need specific nutrients and foods for healthy eyes, but of special note are lutein and zeaxanthin. What are they and how do they keep your eyes healthy?

Lutein and zaexanthin are carotenoids, pigments that give plants red, orange, and yellow colors. Among their functions is protecting plants from high-energy light rays called blue light. These substances are also highly concentrated in the macula of the eye, giving it a yellowish color. In fact, the macula contains a third form of carotenoid, as stated in recent research. This pigment, called meso-zeaxanthin, is produced in the retina using ingested lutein and is not found in any food source.

The Benefits Of Lutein And Zeaxanthin

The primary benefit of lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin has to do with how they protect the eyes from blue light. They block blue light from reaching the retina which prevents light-induced oxidation that leads to macular degeneration (AMD). They also work with other antioxidants like vitamins C and E and beta-carotene to protect the body from free radicals that damage the cells and cause many diseases.

The benefits of these three carotenoids are well-documented in a number of studies published in reputable journals. The American Journal of Epidemiology, Ophthalmology and Archives of Ophthalmology released research associating high levels of lutein and zeaxanthin with low incidences of macular degeneration. Two studies in Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science found roughly similar results in that increased levels of macular pigments meant lower risks of developing AMD.

Furthermore, the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS and AREDS2) formulated a daily antioxidant containing vitamins C and E, zinc, and copper, as well as lutein and zeaxanthin. It was found that this combination reduced the risk of AMD progression by 10 to 25 percent. The said research did not clarify if lutein and zeaxanthin also reduced the risk of cataracts.

Foods Containing Lutein And Zeaxanthin

These two nutrients are abundant in green and yellow vegetables, especially leafy ones. Cooked spinach and cooked kale are considered top sources. They are also found in non-vegetarian sources, particularly egg yolks. However, it would be best to stick to vegetarian items if you have high cholesterol levels.

Conclusion

Just like the rest of the body, the eyes need proper nutrition to stay healthy and free from diseases. Consuming food items rich in lutein and zeaxanthin is a good way to maintain excellent vision.

Nothing beats the taste of homemade food and it is when you are in a foreign land that you certainly appreciate your native cuisine. Do you know that you can courier your food items from India to any part of the world? In this article, we will be looking at 3 tips when it comes to choosing an international food courier.

Simplicity

First of all, you want to consider the ease of use of the service. You would want a courier service that will make documentation as well as customs clearing as easy as possible. Foods are highly perishable items and you would want the items to reach their destination quickly. Choose a courier service that provides online tracking so that you can monitor your shipment. Some courier service will require a lot of paperwork while others will take care of the documentation procedures for you. This is where a service such as Translink Express might come in handy as they take care of all documentation and guarantee a door to door delivery.

International service

When choosing an international food courier you would want to choose a service that provides a wide range of destination. This will allow you to get your homemade dishes couriered to you wherever you are located in the world. A service such as Translink Express offers a wide variety of destination such as UK, USA, Canada, Dubai and many parts of the world. Moreover, they have some good experience of the customs regulations of these destinations guaranteeing you a fast and effective customs clearance.

Packing service

When it comes to courier food items it is important that you pay attention to the packing. Indeed food can easily get spoiled during transit and only a courier service that is specialized in the transportation of food items can guarantee you a hassle-free service. Also, inquire whether you will be given an insurance on your shipment to protect your food items. A courier service such as Translink Express will provide you with free packing service as well as a money back guarantee in case they cannot deliver your items.

Nowadays if you are working or studying abroad there is no reason why you should miss any of your homemade dishes. With the numerous international food courier service that exists it is easy to get your favorite homemade items to your doorstep. We hope that the tips given above will help you in choose the right courier service for your foodstuffs.

Emergency food becomes necessary when disaster strikes and your grocery stores are forced to close or have run out of food. Interestingly, grocery stores only stock approximately one week’s worth of food at any given time. So running out is a real possibility, especially if they’re forced to close due to bad weather or can’t get resupplied.

The question then becomes how much food should you store to keep your family safe. The government would have you believe that 72 hours is enough time for them to restore critical infrastructure and rescue your family. I’m here to tell you that’s baloney. You only have to look at recent examples around the U.S. to see that’s not true. From Hurricane Katrina, Harvey and Irma to the California wildfires and many floods that occur every year.

You should attempt to store a minimum of 30 days worth of emergency food for each family member. Trying to stockpile more than a couple of months worth of food or even a year’s worth is unrealistic and inefficient.

It’s unrealistic because attempting to store that much food will require you to control various factors such as temperature and humidity. You will need to rotate the food to ensure it doesn’t spoil or become ruined by pests. Also, if you’re forced to evacuate you won’t be able to carry all your food, so you’ll have to abandon it.

Unless you are an expert in storing your food, the process will become inefficient. And even if you are an expert, you’ll still experience loss due to pests, rodents, and insects. You’ll also be forced to inspect your food regularly and toss out anything that’s contaminated and spoiled. This process is not only inefficient and time-consuming but could result in very low morale for your family. For a better way, consider storing freeze-dried food that has a long shelf life. In our opinion Mountain House Freeze Dried Food is by far the best and here’s why:

The freeze-drying process used to create mountain house freeze-dried food preserves the finest qualities of the food. More importantly, it retains the natural enzymes in the food, so you are eating healthy. The food is also guaranteed to taste great after 30 years.

Mountain House freeze-dried food is cooked from the same ingredients as home-cooked meals but only takes 10 minutes to prepare. The freeze-dried food is created using three fundamental processes.

First, they source quality raw ingredients. Second, their freeze drying food equipment has distinct advantages over others, making their food taste, look and stay fresher, weigh less and retain more nutrients. And third, their cooking process makes mountain house freeze-dried food, one of the only companies that cook their recipes fresh before freeze drying. Others, merely assemble freeze-dried ingredients in a package.

Mountain House freeze-dried food should be stored under dry, sanitary conditions, without prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures and avoiding any environment that could cause damage to the packaging, such as punctures, dents, or rust.

Mountain House freeze-dried food is your home away from home.

The world is facing a food crisis due to the extreme drought, the deadly disasters, and so many other decisions that have been made by different governments in the world. There are different signs that indicate that there is a food crisis on the way and there are experts that agree that we are just a few moments from a real disaster. Natural disasters can also occur and you may find yourself at a loss of options that you can use to feed your family.

It is for the above reason that many people, especially the preppers choose to have a stockpile in case they need it for survival. There is a way that you can save yourself and your family from the food crisis that could hit. It is important to prepare for times when the store shelves could be bare and you do not have a place to get supplies.

How to handle food shortage?

You can handle the food crisis in two ways. You can rely on the government-based organizations to receive handouts. As an option, you can choose to prepare by yourself. The second option is one of the best for Preppers.

As much as government agencies can be relied upon during a crisis, the action taken can be very slow and completely inadequate. This means that you and your family may not have enough nourishment.

To be on the safe side, you will need to set aside an amount of money from your budget every month so as to buy some survival items. You can include kits that can be used for 72 hours. You can also get as much food as you can. There are those who can store up to a year’s worth of food supply, medical, water, as well as survival gear. There are some items that can serve you better than others and with the correct strategies in mind, you can handle any crisis.

Stockpiling food: your food bank is important. Buy things that you actually enjoy eating. This means that you will not have to leave the items to go to waste. You eat them before the expiry date and then restock. Get an extra storage area and freezer so as to have as much food as possible.

Water: you will need to have some bottled water stored away. Make sure that you have enough water for the whole family. The water should be able to last you a whole month. It is important to know that humans can survive over a month on water only making this a must for all preppers.

Salt: Salt is important can be used in many situations. It can be used in flavoring, curing food, and for storing food.

Supplements: minerals and multivitamins replace nutrients that may not be available in your diet during times of crisis. Include this in your budget.

Peanut butter: this is an amazing protein source and it is packed with calories and fat. It can be stored up to 5 years.

Fish: contains essential fatty acids and boosts the immune system.

Powdered milk is also necessary to have. There are many more items that can help you deal with a food crisis.

Computers have revolutionized the food and beverage industry as they have nearly every other industry. Computers have had positive, measurable effects on the front end and back end of hospitality operations. Computers systems have improved employee performance, and food and beverage quality and consistency. Within the food and beverage industry there is no longer a question of should technology be used, but rather a question of which technology to use? In the food and beverage business, computers are here to stay.

In the hospitality industry, customer service is an absolute critical factor for success. Computers are helping in this area in several ways. In many restaurants, the wait staff can process various forms of payment at guest tables, which allows guest to leave directly from their table without the need to stop at a centralized checkout station. This has removed long unsightly lines, which annoy customers, and disrupt the flow of traffic in food and beverage businesses. This service is made possible by either small hand held computers which handle credit card transactions using wireless technology, or via remote point of sale systems that interact with a central computer system. This improves the customers dining experience, which should be the goal of any food service business.

A key management concern of any food and beverage business is the profit margin. In this vital area of business, computers have also proven to be an indispensable tool. Computer systems help manage the entire food service process from ordering the ingredients needed to produce menu items, to forecasting the amount of items to prepare for each dining period based on historical patterns. This helps to reduce wasted food, which is very expensive and comes out of the businesses profit. It also helps in preparing menu items before hand, which reduces customer wait time. Computer can also forecast with high accuracy rates the volume of business to be expected which allows managers to properly staff their business. This is vital because having too much staff on hand can consume unnecessary amounts of payroll, and not having enough staff on hand will cause customer service problems.

Computers are also being used in very innovative ways by some food and beverage businesses. For instance, Darden Restaurants that owns and operates the Red lobster and Olive Garden chains uses computers to help choose new building sites. This computer system uses a software program called the Darden Site Analyzer. The software gathers critical information needed to select a site, such as demographics, distance to other restaurants and customer information specific to the Darden business model. The program then analyzes the site and provides a series of reports to help Darden make the final decision. Darden plans to improve the software so that it can evaluate things such as whether a new Darden restaurant will negatively effect other Darden restaurants in the same area.

Computer systems have become a vital part of all aspects of the food and beverage industry, they help with purchasing decisions, inventory control, employee scheduling and training, and customer acquisition and retention. A leading indicator of this growing trend is the fact that many hospitality training programs now include computer and technology courses in the curriculum.

Each year innovators are creating more unique ways that technology can be used to enhance the overall commercial dining experience. Computers make out of home dining a more enjoyable experience for the consumer and a more profitable manageable experience for business managers and owners.

(c) 2006, Marcus Barber

There is little doubt that the world truly has a lot to offer when it comes to culinary goodness. Whether it may be in your home town or a totally different country, there will always be an abundance of really delectable food that will have you begging for more. One of the most sought-after cuisines these days is Spanish food. It is often labeled as the “people’s cuisine”, mainly for the reason that it possesses a down to earth goodness, and is also generally very easy to make. What makes it even more popular with a lot of folks is the fact that its ingredients can be obtained either regionally or locally.

One may notice that every region in Spain has its own unique brand of signature dishes. This is because of the fact that it was difficult to travel from one region to another until the late 20th century. The area is filled with mountains which run in different directions, making it somewhat of a challenge to cross over to another area. This caused people to concoct their own recipes for foods we know now recognize as Spanish cuisine. Even up to now, a lot of the recipes are still cooked very much the same way they were several hundreds of years ago, while there are some which have notable influences from other cultures, say American, as well. Despite all this, there is little question that the food in Spain will always be tasty and delicious. Below are some of the unique characteristics which best describe Spanish cuisine:

· Many of the dishes in Spain make use of olive oil. This is due to common knowledge in the region that olive oil can offer a lot of health benefits, even more so than vegetable or corn oil.

· For the most part, Spanish dishes are known for their Mediterranean roots. What this means is that there’s a good chance you’ll be getting dishes which are filled with seafood for ingredients. One fine example of this is Paella.

· Most people often mistake Spanish cuisine for Mexican. However, both of them could be further away from each other. One example of this is the fact that you’ll be expecting bread to be served with your dishes. If you order tortillas, you’ll be treated with an omelet instead.

· Generally speaking, Spanish cuisine mainly consists of tapas. The food prepared is usually for large groups of people, unlike other countries that serve for one person.

· Unlike other countries, Spanish food offers a lot of variations, especially from region to region. The northern regions of Spain often incorporate meat and chicken in their dishes, while the southern parts are all about shellfish and other types of seafood.

We get it, cooking delicious food and keeping it healthy can be a real problem, because if you want tasty food many times you have to compromise on the health of the ingredients etc. But will you believe it if I say, food can be both extremely healthy and delicious by changing this one thing you may be overlooking all the time – the cooking pot!

How can this possibly be true? Can you make healthy food by just changing the pot and not having to add unhealthy ingredients (like heavy cream, canned tomatoes, etc.)? Yes. A pot made of the right material and of the right design, can take care of all these things and cook delicious food every time. And what is this right material? PURE CLAY – All-natural clay cookware, unglazed and made without any contaminants. How can it do this? Read on to find out:

Cooking Delicious Food, Reason #1: The Heat Cooking Your Food is very different!

The heat radiating from the walls of a pure-clay pot is very different: The gentle far infrared heat from pure clay pots penetrates deep into every grain and cooks food evenly and thoroughly. This preserves delicate nutrients that are destroyed with conventional cookware. Well-cooked food – not overly cooked or undercooked – is what one expects from a good cookware. On the other hand, metals and ceramics radiate harsh heat that cooks unevenly and food turns out mushy and even gets burnt at times. As most of the nutrients are destroyed, the result is nutrition-deficient food that tastes bland!

Cooking Delicious Food, Reason #2: Preserves Steam – Water Soluble Nutrients

Food cooked in pure clay is rich in water-soluble vitamins – all thanks to excellent steam management. The gentle heat causes steam to be delayed till the end of the cooking process and when it is released, it gets condensed on the inside of the lid, which stays cooler than rest of the pot and falls back into the food. This unique feature allows food to be moist and juicy! In contrast with conventional cookware, the steam is released right from the beginning of the cooking process and has to be let out through vents to prevent the pot from exploding and thus water-soluble nutrients are lost and food turns out dry and less tasty!

Cooking Delicious Food, Reason #3: Food Retains essential Phytonutrients – YUM!

In conventional cookware, the food generally loses its natural color, and thus its fresh taste. This is due to the loss of an important group of phytonutrients (plant chemicals) called flavonoids. Up to 80 percent of flavonoids can be lost in the cooking process. This is exactly what happens while cooking in the conventional.

When food is cooked in pure clay, the flavonoids are completely preserved too, so food retains its natural color. People who have been cooking in pure clay have reported that food tastes better and has a rich color every time.