Browse Handling and Preparing Stories

Though flour does not seem to be a raw ingredient, most flour is raw and is considered a "not-ready-to-eat" ingredient, meaning it should not be consumed uncooked. Flour is at risk of contamination with harmful bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella, pathogens that can cause foodborne illnesses in people who consume contaminated, raw flour.

According to the University of Georgia Center for Food Safety study, SARS-CoV-2 experimentally introduced onto berries remained infectious on frozen berries for at least a month. Refrigerating berries at 39 degrees Fahrenheit showed a 90% reduction in SARS-CoV-2 infectivity over the course of three days, as did washing berries before freezing.

The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension’s novel Master Forager program has spots available for curious Georgians interested in learning how to safely harvest and use herbs, fungi and more. The first class for the program, which begins Aug. 24, will be held at the UGA Research and Education Garden in Griffin, Georgia.

When Angelos Deltsidis isn’t in the lab or in the field, he can usually be found on the road or trail, putting in miles on a long run through nature. But his runs aren’t simply spent enjoying the greenery—he is also focusing on what the plants produce, how they do it and gathering research ideas. He is finding inspiration.

Carla Schwan has been hired as an assistant professor and University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist in food safety and home food preservation in UGA’s College of Family and Consumer Sciences. She is slated to get started January 2022.

Adulting is hard.

A team of University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agents, led by a faculty member in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, will address consumer questions on food safety and preservation while overseeing the National Center for Home Food Preservation on an interim basis.

As the holiday season arrives, the traditional images of loved ones crowded around a dinner table groaning under the weight of the holiday feast may look a little different this year: The recent surge in COVID-19 cases has prompted rising fears that holiday gatherings may accelerate the spread of the virus.

Summer brings warm, sunny days and time outdoors, including grilling and eating outside. But just as we like the warmth and freedom of partying in the yard, so do bacteria that could make our food unsafe. They could turn a perfectly planned holiday cookout into a health concern, and even nightmare for some.

Freezing is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to extend the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables.