Something scarier than lions and tigers and bears ... E. coli!

Welcome to another Review It Wednesday!

Have you been paying attention to all the scary news about E. coli (Escherichia coli) lately? It makes you a bit hesitant as you stand in the produce aisle of your local grocery store, doesn't it? Of course, with the harvest season upon us, most of us have the option of buying our fruits and vegetables from local farmers. Still, the E. coli and salmonella outbreaks have been a bit disconcerting.

That's why I'm thrilled to promote a product, I believe, no home should be without. You may have seen the advertisement for Eat Cleaner on the side of the blog. That's because it is a product I am happy to promote here. This all natural food wash can help keep your family safe! The good folks at Eat Cleaner sent me a bottle to try, along with some biodegradable food wipes for on the go eating, and I must say, I love this stuff. The wipes, by the way, were the Winner of the World’s Best Technologies 2011 Gold Prize! How's that for an endorsement?

The Fruit & Vegetable Wash is lab-proven to remove agricultural residue and wax that water can’t, and is made from safe and eco-friendly ingredients, which means it's chlorine and alcohol-free. It's also made in the States with FDA Approved, all-natural ingredients. Plus, it inhibits browning and helps food last up to 200 times longer! Another bonus, is it's easy to use -- just place your produce in a bowl, hit it with a generous spray of the cleaner, let it 'soak' for a couple of minutes and then fill the bowl with clean water, agitate the produce a bit and then thoroughly rinse. Your food will be clean, safe-to-eat, and have no soapy or chemical taste to spoil its own natural goodness.

The Eat Cleaner Fruit & Vegetable Wash helps keep food fresh longer!

The results speak for themselves!

Which would you rather feed to your family?

The Eat Cleaner website features an informative blog and they've graciously allowed me to repost the article below on ways to keep your food safe. So, rather than researching the E. coli mess myself, I'm just going to let Mareya S. Ibrahim explain it and give you some tips on food safety.

But before you read up on how to keep your kiddos and the rest of the family safe from food-related illness, let me share the good news that you can actually win a bottle of Eat Cleaner Fruit & Vegetable Wash!

Here's how:

• Follow Eat Cleaner on Facebook
• Sign up for the Cleaner Plate Club Newsletter, packed full of safer eating tips!
• Comment here or on the GG Facebook page and let me know you did both

Entries must be in by midnight, Monday, June 13, 2011. Winner will be selected via Random.org and announced on the blog on Tuesday, June 14, 2011.

European E. coli Food Scare: How to keep dangerous bacteria out of your kitchen

  

According to the AP, the food borne bacterial outbreak that has hit Germany and other European nations is unlike anything we’ve ever seen – 16 dead and more than 1,100 sick, including nearly 400 suffering severe and potentially fatal symptoms. The reason for infection is likely attributed to eating raw cucumbers, tomatoes or lettuce but exact causes have not been confirmed. The fact is contamination can happen at any number of points, from the farm to the processor to the truck it was delivered on.

You can take measures to avoid the potential disastrous effect of E.coli and other food borne bacteria with the help of the Fit Foody Mareya Ibrahim, an award winning food safety expert.

The Fit Foody’s Clean Kitchen Tips: 

• Clean your hands – Start with clean hands. Wash your hands thoroughly with a good quality soap. Avoid alcohol and triclosan which has raised health concerns recently. An alcohol-free hand sanitizer such as Clean Well is also an option but cleaning hands with soap and dirt are best.
• Clean cutting boards and countertops - Contact surfaces like cutting boards and counter tops should be wiped down with antibacterial products. Opt for natural products free of harsh chemicals. Seventh Generation and Method make good options featuring an antibacterial made with Thyme oil and are up to 99.99% effective in killing harmful bacteria, including E.coli. Use a separate cutting board for fruit and veggies, one for raw meat and poultry and one for seafood.
• Clean your food – The scare in Europe has been linked to fresh produce. Washing with water alone may not be effective, especially if produce has been waxed. Eat Cleaner makes an all natural food wash and wipes that are lab testing to kill E.coli and other bacteria and don’t change the way your food tastes or smells. You can use the wipes on your food, hands and utensils when you’re on the go.
• Chill out – Now that temperatures are rising, heat is a breeding ground for bacteria. Perishable food should never sit out for more than two hours. If the temperature is above 90°F, perishable foods shouldn’t sit out more than one hour. And no panicking…you can significantly cut down on the risk of infection with the right handling measures.

That's it for this Wednesday. Thanks, Mareya, for all the info and for hosting the giveaway!

Reviewing it for you,

Hana