It's All About Nutrition!

Food Safety Tips for Handling Eggs

Avoiding the possibility of food borne illness while handling fresh eggs it is important to understand that even eggs with clean, uncracked shells can sometimes contain bacteria called Salmonella which can cause an intestinal infection. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been working to prevent this problem by requiring that egg producers comply with several guidelines when obtaining chicks. These guidelines include chicks needing to be certified Salmonella free, that the hens are kept in houses that are free from rodents and other Salmonella carrying sources, that the houses are continually tested for Salmonella, and that the eggs are stored at temperatures that retard Salmonella growth. Consumers must ne aware that the most effective way to prevent egg-related illness is by knowing how to buy, store, handle and cook eggs, or foods that contain the safely.

The FDA requires that all cartons of shell eggs that have not been treated to destroy Salmonella carry the following safe handling statement:

Safe Handling Instructions: To prevent illness from bacteria: keep eggs refrigerated, cook eggs until yolks are firm, and cook foods containing eggs thoroughly.

Following the above instructions is important for everyone but especially for those most vulnerable to food borne disease. Those most vulnerable include children, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems due to steroid use, conditions such as AIDS, cancer or diabetes, or such treatments as chemotherapy for cancer or immune suppression because of organ transplants.

Eggs that have been treated to destroy Salmonella using in-shell pasteurization for example, are not required to carry safe handling instructions.

What to look for when buying eggs…
Buy eggs only if sold from a refrigerator or refrigerated case and then refrigerate promptly.
Open the carton and make sure that the eggs are clean and the shells are not cracked.
Store eggs in their original carton and use them within 3 weeks for best quality.

Remember that cleanliness is key when preparing any food containing eggs. Wash hands, utensils, equipment, and work surfaces with hot, soapy water before and after they come in contact with eggs and egg-containing foods.

Thorough cooking is perhaps the most important step in making sure eggs are safe. Eggs should be cooked until both the yolk and the white are firm. Scrambled eggs should not be runny. Casseroles and other dishes containing eggs should be cooked to 160°F (72°C). Make sure to use a food thermometer to be sure.

For recipes such as Caesar salad dressing and homemade ice cream that call for eggs that are raw or undercooked when the dish is served use either shell eggs that have been treated to destroy Salmonella, by pasteurization or another approved method, or pasteurized egg products. .

You should always serve cooked eggs and egg-containing foods immediately after cooking. For buffet-style serving, hot egg dishes should be kept hot, and cold egg dishes kept cold. Eggs and egg dishes, such as quiches or soufflés, may be refrigerated for serving later but should be thoroughly reheated to 165°F (74°C) before serving.

Cooked eggs, including hard-boiled eggs, and egg-containing foods should not sit out for more than 2 hours.
Hard-cooked eggs either in the shell or peeled should be used within 1 week after cooking.

Frozen eggs should be used within one year and should not be frozen in their shells. If you are planning on freezing whole eggs, beat yolks and whites together. Egg whites can also be frozen by themselves.

Leftover cooked egg dishes should be refrigerate and used within 3-4 days. When refrigerating a large amount of a hot egg-containing leftovers divide into several shallow containers so it will cool quickly.

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Being a return visitor it would be helpful if you would leave a thoughtful comment below...Thanks, Jeanne

Food Additives to Avoid

I just read an article about what food additives to avoid and thought the information was valuable enough to pass on to you. It was written by Jean Weiss for MSN Health & Fitness.

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Whoever coined the term food additives had it all wrong. Including something new in a food doesn’t always add up to more, at least when it comes to your health. Studies that test the safety of additives are based on animal trials. It is difficult to deduce whether the results of an animal study equate to human health, though many of these studies show that some additives could be cancer-causing. Read the full article here

Woodlake Naturals Blog Launched

We launched a new blog this week themed to our new line of Natural and Organic Soaps called Woodlake Naturals. This is a very exciting project for us and something we have been working on for quite some time.

Our initial product line consists of 10 different variations of bar soap which are detailed below. We will soon be expanding our natural and organic line to include bath and shower gels, foaming hand soaps, shampoos, liquid soaps and other like themed items.

All of our soap products are made with USDA Approved Organic Oils…

Woodlake Spice
Deodorant bar and antiseptic foot soap.

Ingredients:
Saponified Organic Oils of Palm, Coconut, Olive and Palm Kernel, Natural Woodspice Essential Oil Blend, Organic Cinnamon, Rosemary Extract

Tea Tree
Mild and medicinal – May help prevent athletes foot, acne, etc.

Ingredients:
Saponified Organic Oils of Palm, Coconut, Olive and Palm Kernel, Natural Tea Tree Essential Oil, Organic Aloe Vera, Rosemary Extract

Smooth Shea Butter
Dry or Sensitive Skin – Super moisturizing – Made with shea nut butter.

Ingredients:
Saponified Organic Oils of Palm, Coconut, Olive and Palm Kernel, Raw Shea Butter, Organic Calendula Extract, Rosemary Extract

Silken Honey
Combination Skin – Gentle exfoliant – Super moisturizing formula made with shea nut butter.

Saponified Organic Oils of Palm, Coconut, Olive and Palm Kernel, Raw Shea Butter, Organic Calendula Extract, Rosemary Extract

Herbal Rosemary
For all skin types – Sweet, refreshing, light.

Ingredients:
Saponified Organic Oils of Palm, Coconut, Olive and Palm Kernel, Natural Rosemary Essential Oil Blend, Organic Rosemary Herb, Rosemary Extract

Peppermint Sensation
Oily/Combination Skin – Mild astringent – Look for the mint tingle.

Ingredients:
Saponified Organic Oils of Palm, Coconut, Olive and Palm Kernel, Natural Peppermint Essential Oil Blend, Organic Spearmint Leaves, Rosemary Extract

Oatmeal and Lavender
Dry Skin – A superior face and body bar – Our most popular bar soap.

Ingredients:
Saponified Organic Oils of Palm, Coconut, Olive and Palm Kernel, Natural Lavender Essential Oil Blend, Organic Lavender Oil, Organic Oatmeal, Rosemary Extract

Lemongrass
All skin types – Uplifting lemon scent.

Ingredients:
Saponified Organic Oils of Palm, Coconut, Olive and Palm Kernel, Natural Lemongrass Essential Oil Blend, Rosemary Extract

Citrus Sunshine
Refreshing scent for normal skin.

Saponified Organic Oils of Palm, Coconut, Olive and Palm Kernel, Natural Citrus Essential Oil Blend with Organic Orange Oil, Organic Orange Peel, Rosemary Extract

Aloe and Oats – Unscented
Dry Skin Therapy for the most sensitive hair, face & body.
Ingredients:
Saponified Organic Oils of Palm, Coconut, Olive and Palm Kernel, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Powdered Oatmeal, Organic Aloe Vera, Rosemary Extract

You can visit our new Natural and Organic Soap Blog here

New Amazon Sales Tax Law Threat

As Internet marketers we are compelled to deviate from the theme of this blog to bring you breaking news regarding a major threat to affiliate marketers. This may not be affecting you at the moment but this type legislation is sweeping across the country.

Rhode Island has now joined New York and North Carolina in enacting this type tax.

This is a copy of an email sent to me this morning from Amazon… speaks for itself I think. Below that is a copy of an email I sent to the Governor of Rhode Island, State Reps and Senators this morning regarding the same.

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Amazon email…

We are writing from the Amazon Associates Program to notify you that your Associates account has been closed as of June 29, 2009. This is a direct result of the unconstitutional tax collection scheme passed by the Rhode Island General Assembly with a veto-proof majority. As a result, we will no longer pay any referral fees for customers referred to Amazon.com or Endless.com after June 29. We were forced to take this unfortunate action in anticipation of actual enactment because of uncertainties surrounding the legislation’s effective date. The governor could sign the bill — or have his veto overridden — any day now.

Please be assured that all qualifying referral fees earned prior to June 29, 2009 will be processed and paid in full in accordance with our regular referral fee schedule. Based on your account closure date of June 29, 2009, any final payments will be paid by September 1, 2009.

In the event that Rhode Island repeals this tax collection scheme, we would certainly be happy to re-open our Associates program to Rhode Island residents.

The Rhode Island General Assembly’s website is http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/, the governor’s website is http://www.governor.ri.gov/, and additional information may be obtained from the Performance Marketing Alliance at http://www.performancemarketingalliance.com/.

We have enjoyed working with you and other Rhode Island-based participants in the Amazon Associates Program, and wish you all the best in your future.

Best Regards,

The Amazon Associates Team

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My letter to the Rhode Island officials…

Hello Governor Carcieri,
I am writing to you today because of a sense of overwhelming frustration.

I am a work at home Internet entrepreneur that derives a portion of my income from affiliate programs such as Amazon.com. Just in case you are not aware… Amazon is the worlds largest online retailer.

Seems that in an attempt to find new and creative ways to tax small business in Rhode Island the Legislature has passed an Internet sales tax. I have often thought that the Rhode Island state government is completely out of touch with reality and this just proves it.

Here is an excerpt from an email I received from Amazon this morning.

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We are writing from the Amazon Associates Program to notify you that your Associates account has been closed as of June 29, 2009. This is a direct result of the unconstitutional tax collection scheme passed by the Rhode Island General Assembly with a veto-proof majority. As a result, we will no longer pay any referral fees for customers referred to Amazon.com or Endless.com after June 29. We were forced to take this unfortunate action in anticipation of actual enactment because of uncertainties surrounding the legislation’s effective date.

***

With Amazon leading the way there is no doubt that many other companies conducting business online using affiliate type programs (which there are at minimum 1000′s) will have no choice but to follow suit.

Interesting that in an effort to increase revenues off the back of small business, Rhode Island could very well see a decrease in revenues. Not only will people like me not be making Internet sales that can be taxed but because of the loss in sales we will not be paying income tax on the money we would have earned from those sales.

The state of Rhode Island has given the majority of Internet entrepreneurs 3 choices as I see it. Shut down operations, create an out of state corp. and run their Internet business from there or simply do what many others have either already done or are considering doing and move out of the state.

Now that I have that off my chest I am off to remove all of the income generating affiliate program links from my websites and blogs.

Regards,
Michael Silva