Chinese Food Culture

Timing Is Everything: Tips For Successful Introduction Of Solid Foods

Getting a healthy start at the family table is important for infants. Parents play a major role in the development of healthy habits—right from the beginning. Entrance into the wide world of solid food is a major milestone for baby, but it is important to enter into this new territory with clear goals in mind.

Generally speaking, infants begin eating sold foods between the ages of four and six months. The American Academy of Pediatrics—the go-to source of all healthy suggestions baby-related—recommends beginning solids no earlier than four to six months to avoid food allergies and other complications. Additionally, many pediatricians suggest giving cereal as a food item rather than adding it to the bottle. Signs of readiness to eat solid foods include: the ability to hold head up unassisted, showing interest in the food others eat at mealtime, reaching a weight that is double that of baby’s birth-weight, and loss of the tongue reflex that prevents baby from properly eating solid foods rather than drinking them. It is important to remember that baby, even at six months, will receive most—if not all-of his or her daily nutritional needs from breast milk or formula. Food is a novelty item being introduced, not a primary source of energy.

After baby has reached a stage when solid food can be introduced, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that children begin with baby cereal. Dry, mixable, single grain rice baby cereal from the baby food aisle of the grocery store is the best bet for the first feedings. Leaving more complex baby cereals including wheat and barley may stave off food allergy reactions in very young babies. Of course, cereals from the adult breakfast aisle are not recommended because they do not meet the needs of a growing infant at this stage in development.

Texture and consistency are extremely important for the first feedings. Adding water, breast milk, or formula to the cereal, parents should take care to ensure the cereal is not overly lumpy or thick as this might prove difficult to swallow.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, most pediatricians, moms, and baby food cookbooks recommend introducing only one food at a time. Each single food should be served over the course of a few days. Taking this slow approach helps caregivers keep a watchful eye for dangerous food allergies. Some common food allergies are soy, wheat, milk, tree nut, peanut, egg, and shellfish. Allergic reactions in baby can take the form of loose, runny stools (diarrhea), vomiting, or even hives. If a parent introduces a food and shortly thereafter the child experiencing any of the aforementioned symptoms, they should call their pediatrician for advice. Food allergies can be serious and need to be addressed quickly.

In the book Mommy Made and Daddy Too: Home Cooking for A Healthy Baby & Toddler, a book written by parents Martha and David Kimmel for parents which has been helping ease children into solid food since 1990, the authors recommend starting vegetables after the first two to three months of cereals. The idea is simple but elegant in its straightforwardness: leave the sweetest things and food items with the highest likelihood of allergy for last to keep baby safe and avoid developing a sweet tooth before the first tooth even sprouts! The Kimmels suggest this general rule of thumb for introduction of fruits and veggies, “yellow first, orange and pale next, dark green and red last.” They also advise dropping the following ingredients from baby’s diet in the first year entirely: white table sugar, artificial sweeteners, corn syrup, shellfish, eggs, fried foods, unripe fruit, chocolate, candy of any kind, honey, potato chips, tomatoes, corn, and processed meats like hot dogs or bologna.

It is particularly important to avoid the use of honey in baby food during the first year because, as the American Academy of Family Physicians notes, “Although the worldwide incidence of infant botulism is rare, the majority of cases are diagnosed in the United States. An infant can acquire botulism by ingesting Clostridium botulinum spores, which are found in soil or honey products.” Infant botulism is no laughing matter, and while honey may have a sweet taste and many benefits to adults, it should not be given to infants under one year of age for this reason.

Another important point parents should take into consideration is their own diet. Beyond maintaining a good health for the parents’ own needs, mothers, fathers, and other caregivers need to be role models from the very start. Giving baby a healthy start means making healthy choices. Children model the things they see in their environment. A child old enough to eat table food will notice his or her parent’s choices and mimic them—for better or worse. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends, “For your child’s sake as well as your own, cut out your salt use and watch how much fat you consume. Provide a good role model by eating a variety of healthy foods.”

There are two main options in baby food for parents: buy it at the store or make it at home. Many recipe books exist on the market for those interested in making their own home made baby food masterpieces. It can be cost effective and relatively simple. Meanwhile, store bought baby food has come a long way in recent times and also provides a flexible list of menu options for infants.

recipes for home made baby food exist by the score on both internet sites such as wholesomebabyfood.com or in the bookstore or library with titles like Mommy Made and Daddy, Too or Simply Natural Baby Food. Homemade foods can coincide family dinners with similar ingredients and therefore be made at the same time or made ahead of time and stored for later use. Generally speaking, homemade baby foods consist of cooked vegetables or fruits that have been reduced to a nice glob of mush. This means that parents planning to go the do-it-yourself route will need a blender. Other handy items include: a paring knife, slotted spoons, ladles, spatulas, measuring cups, graters, colanders, strainers, saucepans with lids, and a vegetable steamer. Storage generally takes the form of freezing or placing in the refrigerator.

Buying baby food at the store is a good choice for busy parents and offers a wide selection of foods. Store bought foods can be used in conjunction with homemade foods, as well. Organic baby foods exist for interested parents in addition to more traditional baby foods. The packaging is portable and easily stored in the pantry or the refrigerator. As with any packaged food, parents should be careful not to purchase swollen packaging (can indicate spoilage) or packages with broken seals (indicative of possible tampering).

Baby’s first foods are his or her gateway into a healthy life filled with all the wonders of solid foods. Foods introduced at this age will shape children’s eating patterns for the future. Whether making food at home or buying quality foods in the baby food aisle at the store, making good choices today will provide children with a good nutrition as they grow and healthier future in the years to come.

Check out these food images:

101 | Food


Image by The Doctr
April 10 101/366

Is this what FGR meant by playing with your food? It’s apple vs. asparagus vs. the Doctor!

Street Food in Wuhan


Image by Claire L. Evans
It was so snowy in Beijing that our flight was delayed and we had to cancel our show in Wuhan. When we finally got to the club, there were still some stragglers left, so we all just drank beer and played foosball for three hours.

Afterwards, this food. Very exciting. Street vendors open practically all night, roasting little snacks on smoky fire-pits, whipping you up the coolest fried rice on demand. We had grilled lotus root, mushrooms, bread, eggplant, and rice for something like Ǿ cents.

Miniature Food Blackberries


Image by PetitPlat Food Art – Stephanie Kilgast
Polymer clay
1:12

The basket is bought from cottonridge

Hazard Analysis In Food

Introduction

Food is a source of energy and other nutrients to support human life. But food can also become a vehicle for human health nuisance elements, which form a natural element that has become part of the food, and went into the food in a certain way. In general, the danger arising from the food is often referred to as food poisoning. Hazards may occur through the elements of microorganisms, chemical or natural. The disease is caused by the above three elements are classified into three types, namely:

1. Food related diseases caused by microbes that contaminate food and entering the body, then live and multiply, and cause infection in the digestive tract (food infection).
2. Food related diseases caused by poison / toxin produced by microbes in the food (food poisoning). Genesis intoxication is not always accompanied the entry of microbes into the body.
3. Diseases caused by food are not microbes, but the chemicals and natural elements.

Microbiological Hazards

Microbes are everywhere, both in soil, dust, water or air. Most of these microbes are harmless, but many also can cause infection in humans and animals. In certain circumstances the microbes can multiply and infect the body tissue and can spread between humans to humans, animals or animals with contagious from animal to human or otherwise, directly or through food. Food becomes toxic because it has been contaminated by certain microbes, and microbes that produce enough toxins that may harm consumers

Bacterial Infections

Food is generally the source of infection and poisoning by food bacteria are classified as low acidity like meat, eggs, milk and their products. Which includes bacteria that cause food infections include Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, and Vibrio cholerae.

Salmonella

Salmonella can be found in food because of contamination. Some sources of contamination include animal waste during cutting, feces, or from water polluted wastewater containing Salmonella. Contamination can also occur indirectly, such as food contamination by Salmonella by human hands or tools used.

Salmonella found in poultry and eggs, flies, mice and cockroaches. Turkeys, ducks and geese can be infected by different types of Salmonella which can be found in feces, eggs and so on. Products such as whole egg, egg powder and liquid eggs, need special attention because of potential as a source of Salmonella. Other food contaminated with Salmonella often is the fish meat and milk and processed products such as sausage, ham, smoked fish, fresh milk, ice cream, chocolate milk.

Salmonella poisoning symptoms are fever, headache, diarrhea, and vomiting. The incubation period from 5 to 72 hours, usually Ǭ to 36 hours after eating foods containing Salmonella.

Clostridium perfringens

Diseases caused by these bacteria is gastroenteritis (intestinal disorder), with symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, and the formation of toxic gases released from the digestive tract. The bacteria are relatively sensitive to heat and can deactivated at 60 ° C for 10 minutes. Symptoms occur within 8 – 24 hours after eating foods that contain these microbes.

Clostridium perfringens are scattered in the chicken and beef cooked. Other foods that may be contaminated are fish, poultry, dairy products, dry foods, soups, gravies, spices, gelatin, spaghetti, pasta, flour and soy protein.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Outbreaks of gastroenteritis by Vibrio parahaemolyticus common in Japan due to the consumption habits of the people contaminated fish and other sea products are raw. Seafood such as fish, shellfish, crabs, and shrimp are common foodstuffs infected with Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

The incubation period from 2 to 48 hours, usually 12 hours. Symptoms that arise are abdominal pain, diarrhea (watery feces and contain blood), nausea and vomiting, mild fever, and headache. Patients will recover after 2 – 5 days.

Escherichia coli

These bacteria normally (komensal) present in the bowel tract / small children and healthy adults and the number could reach 109 CFU / g. These bacteria are known as microbial indicators of faecal contamination and are divided into two groups, namely non pathogenic and pathogenic. There are four groups of pathogenic causes of diarrhea, namely EPEC (Enterophatogenic Escherichia coli), ETEC (Enterotoksigenic Escherichia coli), EIEC (Enteroinvasif Escherichia coli) and VTEC (verotoksin producing Escherichia coli).

Disease caused by EPEC group is watery diarrhea accompanied by vomiting and fever. Diarrhea often is cured itself, but EPEC can cause prolonged chronic enteritis that interfere with growth. EPEC is generally associated with babies and children under the age of 3 years.

Disease caused by ETEC is watery diarrhea with abdominal cramps, fever, malaise and vomiting. In very severe forms of infection by ETEC strains can produce a clinical picture that resembles diarrhea caused by V. cholerae, the rice water stool. ETEC is a major cause of diarrhea for infants in developing countries and diarrhea in people who are traveling from winter climates with good hygiene standards to tropical regions with hygiene standards are lower.

EIEC group causes diarrhea resemble clinical basiler often caused by Shigella. Initially acute diarrhea and watery, accompanied by fever and stomach cramps, continues until the phase of the colon (large intestine) with bloody stools and mukoid. Not all EIEC infection phase continues until the colon, so the blood does not always detected in feces. EIEC attack colonic mucosa and multiply in the cell-cell spread to neighboring cells after the cells are infected through lysis.

VTEC causes hemorrhagic colitis (HC) and hemolytic uremik syndrome (HUS). HC Symptoms often begin with abdominal pain and watery diarrhea followed by bloody diarrhea without fever generally. Well bloody diarrhea or not, followed by the emergence of HUS. HUS occurs in all age groups but most common in children. VTEC is the tool of the intestinal tract of cows and other animals.

Contamination of food derived from food manager or employee from contact with water containing human waste. Infection of healthy adults need a dose of at least 108 cells either through food or water contaminated.

Bacillus cereus

Bacillus cereus causes gastroenteritis in humans. The symptoms of nausea, stomach cramps, watery diarrhea, and vomiting for one day or less. Food is often contaminated serelia, flour, spices, starch, puddings, sauces, and fried rice.

Vibrio cholerae

Vibrio cholerae causes cholera outbreak, while the van Eltor Vibrio cholerae causes cholera disease eltor. The way it works is by attacking the intestinal lining and causes diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission of these bacteria through the water, fish and seafood.

Food intoxication due to Bacteria

Type of bacteria that cause food intoxication is Clostridium botulinum, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas cocovenenans. Toxins produced by bacteria more heat resistant than the bacteria itself.

Clostridium botulinum

Poisoning is caused by bacteria called “botulism”. Toxins produced can cause death. Symptoms begin with an acute indigestion, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, mental and physical weakness, dizziness and headaches, vision turned into two, difficulty in swallowing and speaking, the muscles become paralyzed and death is usually due to difficulty in breathing. In fatal cases, death can occur from 3 to 6 days.

Intoxication generally occurs in low acidity canned food. Canned food that causes botulism is often sweet corn, beets, asparagus and spinach. Botulism also may occur in smoked fish.

Staphylococcus aureus

Symptoms of poisoning Staphylococcus aureus is a lot of saliva, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea and mucus, headaches, muscle cramps, cold sweats, weakness, shortness of breath, body temperature below normal. These symptoms lasted 1 �� 2 days, death is rare.

Especially the human nasal cavity contains many sinusitis sufferers staphylococci, as well as with ulcers and suppurating wounds are a potential source. Patient dairy cow mastitis (infection of the udder) to transmit staphylococci in milk.

Bacterium S. aureus that has been entered into the food, can be turned off by heating the cooking time, but the toxins they produce can only be unraveled if the heating for several hours, or heated at a temperature of 115 ° C for 30 minutes. Food is heated at this temperature of course will change the texture and nutrient content damage is relatively great.

Pseudomonas cocovenenans

Bongkrek poisoning is a disease for this type of poisoning by this bacteria. Pseudomonas cocovenenans Bongkrek often contaminate tempe. Bongkrek tempe is made from fermented coconut pulp and fungus Rhizopus oligosporus. At tempe failed and fragile, in addition to Rhizopus oligosporus usually grow well the type of bacteria called Pseudomonas cocovenenans. The bacteria is what causes the formation of toxins in tempe Bongkrek and harmful if consumed by humans.

Bongkrek poisoning patients characterized by hypoglycemia, spasma / seizures, and unconscious. Patients with hypoglycemia usually died 4 days after consuming poisonous Bongkrek tempe.

Chemical Hazards

Food intoxication due Natural Materials

Food poisoning caused by microorganisms other than that derived from soil, water, air, animals and humans can also be derived from natural ingredients that is from animals, plants and chemicals. Toxins are in a natural food because it is toxic components of food, eg poison mushrooms, toxic cassava, fish poison, jengkol, and so on.

Poison Mushroom

Mushrooms poison is sometimes difficult to distinguish from edible mushrooms, so those who do not know the characteristics of plants often taken the wrong mushrooms poisonous mushrooms that cause food poisoning and can cause death.

Several types of poisonous mushrooms which resemble the mushroom Amanita muscaria that produce toxins and muskarin Amanita phalloides mushrooms that produces toxins phallin. The incubation period is relatively quick between 15 minutes to 15 hours. Symptoms of mushroom poisoning are abdominal pain, thirst arises, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, body becomes weak, sometimes accompanied by tears and can end in death.

Jengkol

Jengkol derived from plant origin lobatum Pithecolobium usually consumed in the form of emping jengkol, as a vegetable side dish and as a lalap jengkol raw form. Jengkol can cause poisoning if consumed too much. Jengkol have distinctive odor that is not delicious. The cause of poisoning is jengkolat acid. Jengkolat acid crystal form roset needles, easily soluble in acid or alkaline, soluble in hot water, hardly soluble in water, which can cause blockage in the urinary tracts and disruption of renal function.

Symptoms of poisoning is jengkol flatulence, nausea, sometimes accompanied by vomiting and unable to defecate. Arising pain (colic) in the waist or around the navel and sometimes accompanied by seizures. Urine little peculiar smell jengkol, sometimes mixed with red and white like rice washing water in the urine because there are red blood cells and white blood cells and in severe poisoning jengkol can not urinate at all because the channel is blocked by crystal urine jengkolat acid.

Cassava Poison

The cause of poisoning cyanide cassava is found both in leaves and cassava tubers. Cyanide would inhibit the transport of oxygen by red blood cells. Cassava poisoning symptoms such as cyanide poisoning is usually nausea, vomiting, dizziness, difficulty breathing and had to draw a deep breath, rapid heartbeat, and then passed out and could end in death.

Toxic Fish

Several types of sea fish and fresh water found in the internal organs contain toxins that can cause death to the victim of poisoning. Poisonous fish is the famous fish wrapping. Wrapping the fish’s body slightly rounded belly is not flat, teeth that grow berendeng jaws together and only separated by a small gap in the middle, so that looks like a four-toothed. The cause of poisoning in fish is toxic tetrodoksin wrapping from among neurotoksin (attacking the nerves) is highly toxic and contained in the ovaries and liver. Symptoms of poisoning occur 30 minutes to several hours after eating poisonous fish in the form of a tingling sensation around the mouth, thumbs, fingers and toes, and often followed by numbness in the legs, joint pain, itching, sweating, nausea, vomiting, muscle paralysis, respiratory disturbed and can end in death.

Scallops, Shrimp Toxic

Certain types of oysters known to contain toxins that attack the nerve (neurotoxin) and these toxins are not destroyed by heat. Symptoms of acute poisoning occur 5 to 30 minutes after eating shellfish or can also occur 24 – 48 hours after eating shellfish or shrimp allegedly poisoned. Shellfish poisoning symptoms can be seen with a tingling sensation around the mouth, nausea, vomiting, stomach twisting, muscles weaken, the body was paralyzed and could end in death due to respiratory disturbed.

Food intoxication due to Heavy Metals

Heavy metals into the food because of the pollution at the time of planting, maintenance, post-harvest storage and processing. Also contamination can also occur through the cooker containing hazardous metals and experienced erosion surface.

Mercury Poisoning compounds (Hg)

Mercury poisoning may occur due to disposal of industrial waste containing mercury into the sea or rivers and polluting fish and the like who live in seawater. If the river water is used as a source of drinking water without removing mercury processing so that water can cause chronic mercury poisoning. Mercury poisoning can also occur through the use of fungicides that are not in accordance with the instructions of use, so contaminating foodstuffs such as rice, meat, or the use of fungicides in error, because the label is not clear.

Symptoms of mercury poisoning is a burning sensation in the mouth, metallic taste, lots of drooling and thirst, abdominal pain, vomiting, liquid stool containing blood, the pulse rapid but weak, pale, weak legs, decreased vision, coma and death over premises.

Copper Poisoning

Copper and brass metal used widely used in containers or cookware such as pans, kettle, and the tank to drink. If the acidic food or processed in the container carbonate copper, some metallic copper will erode and dissolve in food that can cause poisoning. Copper as a chemical compound is also used in fungicides or insecticides such as copper and copper sulfate oksiklorida, these compounds can cause toxicity when mixed into the food, because the spraying is not appropriate instructions that leave a lot of residue in food.

The incubation period is relatively quick one hour or less. Symptoms of copper poisoning are headache, cold sweat, weak pulse, sweet taste and smell of metal in the mouth, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, convulsions and coma.

Arsenic Poisoning

Arsenic is widely used as an insecticide compound, which is mixed with pentoksida arsenic trioxide and copper chromium oxide. Arsenic can cause poisoning due to storage or the spraying of insecticides that are not in accordance with the instructions. Arsenic poisoning symptoms usually occur ½ – 1 hour after the arsenic poisoning. But can also occur within a few hours, especially if the food poisoning. Symptoms of arsenic poisoning are vomiting, diarrhea and may end in death.

Zinc Poisoning

Cooking utensils made of tin or zinc coated steel can cause metal poisoning due to zinc eroded and dissolved in food. Zinc poisoning incubation period of about 1 hour. Symptoms of zinc poisoning are headache, drooling, thirst, vomiting and diarrhea.

Poisoning Antimony (Stibium)

Antimony poisoning can occur because the cooker is made of alloy metals containing antimony. Foods that contain acid can erode and dissolve the antimony that contaminate food. Incubation period of several minutes to several hours. Symptoms arising from antimony poisoning are headache, vomiting, cramps and fainting.

Cadmium Poisoning

Poisoning food and beverages by cadmium compounds occurs because the surface of food containers lined with cadmium eroded and dissolved into the food. Incubation period of 1 hour less. Symptoms caused by cadmium poisoning is a pale, vomiting, convulsions, fainting and can be terminated by death.

Fluoride Poisoning

Fluoride poisoning can occur due to insecticide residues in food due to insecticide spraying. Insectisida one containing Na fluoride is a mixture of boric acid, arsenic pentoksida dihydrate, sodium dichromate and sodium borate tetra pentahidrat. The incubation period is about 1 hour or less. Cause symptoms of fluoride poisoning pale, vomiting, convulsions, fainting and ends with death.

Cyanide Poisoning

Cyanide poisoning can occur because glisten material containing silver cyanide compound and attached to the hand that can contaminate food causing food poisoning. The incubation period between 35 minutes to 6 hours. Symptoms caused by cyanide poisoning are fatigue, cold sweat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, possibly ending with death.

Lead Poisoning

Lead is used in metal alloys such as tin, solder while compound widely used in insecticides for fruits and vegetables. Use cooking utensils that contain lead can cause poisoning, since eroded and dissolved metals into the food. Incubation period for 30 minutes. Symptoms that may be caused by lead poisoning are headache, vomiting and possible death.

Nitrite Poisoning

Nitrite is used other than as a preservative in meat and also gives a red color. Nitrite poisoning can occur because of past use of the maximum limit the use, wrong use and accidentally mixed due to negligence and ignorance. Nitrite poisoning symptoms can be seen with blood pressure drops suddenly, nausea, vomiting, chills, convulsions lips, and fingertips turned blue, collapse and death.

Pesticide residues

Pesticides are widely used to protect plants and crops but can cause food poisoning / contamination in food and the environment because of residues left behind. Directly or indirectly due to pesticides can contaminate inhaled through breathing or digested with food and drinking water. Pollution of water can occur because the rest of pesticides or spraying the marshes or rice fields.

Early symptoms of the patient appeared anxious, headaches, fatigue, muscle twitches and spasms. Could further disrupt the workings of the brain system that is neurotoxic.

Prevention

Some things that need to be done to prevent food poisoning is to use strict hygiene standards. In aesthetics, good food is the food that when prepared should be in a hygienic condition. The purpose of food hygiene is to prevent microbial contamination of food causes food poisoning and prevent the multiplication of microbes cause food poisoning.
Food poisoning is caused by three sources of human, environmental, and food ingredients.

Humans

This person needs to be done to prevent contamination of food is necessary to wash hands before food processing because bacteria S. aureus can be attached to the skin surface.
Proper hand washing can reduce the risk of transfer of Salmonella bacteria and C. perfringens from feces to food. On food companies have rules that require employees to wash their hands after smoking, coughing, sneezing, and after using a handkerchief.

According to the rules of food hygiene, hand washing facilities which must be equipped laundry tub with hot water and cold water, no soap, nail brush, tissue or hand dryers. In addition, workers should not use jewelry and long nails, must wear protective clothing is always washed regularly, cloth head cover, as well as health care.

Environment

A clean environment to support health, so in addition to the kitchen to watch out for cleanliness, processing equipment must always be washed regularly. Washing is best done by using a tub containing washing detergents, wash tub of cold water containing a disinfectant, and rinse water bath. Rinse temperature should be between 77 to 100 oC.

Buildings should be designed with either the wall or floor must be easy to clean, but it must have adequate ventilation.

Food

Food handling needs to be done with caution. Meat (beef, lamb) and poultry should be cooked perfectly to bacterial pathogens and spores die. Cooking time should be long enough to ensure the achievement of temperatures that can damage the bacteria and spores. If food is stored in hot conditions before serving, then the temperature must be above 63 oC in order not to breed bacteria. Meanwhile, in a cold dish, then the temperature is below 10 oC until served.

If the hot food will be presented again later, it must be cooked quickly before it is placed in the refrigerator. Food should not be directly inserted into the refrigerator because heat will move on to other foods stored and bacteria multiply.

Some food products such as canned foods, dry foods should be stored in a refrigerator because cooling is a method for controlling microbial growth. Nearly all pathogenic bacteria can only reproduce themselves with the slow rate at temperatures below 10 oC, because the food was stored in the refrigerator is safe.

Meat and fish should be stored in the coldest part of refrigerator, the freezer section. As for fruits and vegetables either stored at temperatures slightly higher at the bottom of the fridge. Raw food should be separated by processed foods (which Sudak cooked) to avoid cross-contamination of bacteria cause food poisoning.
Disbursement of frozen foods (fish or meat) must be done carefully, which is allowed to thaw frozen foods at cold temperatures, preferably in the refrigerator. Do not be dissolved in warm water because it will encourage the growth of microbes.

To conduct a thorough investigation is required of a good investigation system that is supported by human resources as well as a good laboratory. A good investigation will provide meaningful results, so the investigation can cause poisoning and confirmed handling errors that cause of accidental poisoning that can be used as a guide for improving a process or  about general policy handling or processing of food to a similar incident does not happen again.

Food Poisoning Investigation System

Poisoning investigation system is needed to clear which institutions are responsible for an investigation and the authority possessed by these institutions and to whom reports should be given. Investigation team should consist of a group of people who come from various institutions over the lead by a competent person. The team must get information about the objectives, procedures and programs and the importance of investigative skills must be honed in order to perform the role / duties well during the investigation.

In addition to the team and the institution of clear duties and responsibilities, need to develop a good operating procedures and agreed upon by all parties, a reference laboratory with a known analytical skills and if necessary the expert group as a resource. It is important to establish who, who will move when a poisoning is reported, who will perform interviews, who is entitled to hold samples of an alleged cause of poisoning, or even to take samples for clinical investigations. In these systems, there should be publicity department to provide an appropriate explanation and no buzz about the food poisoning incident. In addition, the investigation should also be published in the form of scientific research in scientific publications to be learning the material.

Investigations in the field

Investigation of food poisoning especially made to narrow the cause of poisoning, food poisoning can be caused by the thousands of strains of bacteria and various toxins produced either by microbial or chemical materials that intentionally or unintentionally added to a food production chain from upstream processes (harvesting) up to the downstream (processing, packaging and so on). In the execution of the activities of candidates to narrow the cause of poisoning is done either through interviews mapun objective analysis on laboreatorium

Interviews with victims of poisoning is a strategic step that could lead an investigation team to the cause of poisoning most likely. Therefore, in addition to meet the rules of interviewing techniques to get results actually possible, the substance of interviews in the investigation of poisoning should also contain questions that are relevant that could lead to a variety of epidemiological data for analysis as the dominant symptom, time of onset, and type – types of food consumed in the last 72 hours. Epidemiological analysis and proper interpretation of the symptoms of poisoning, time of onset, type of food processing techniques with the understanding that is vulnerable to poisoning a certain contaminants, counting a food specific attack rates, as well as current knowledge about the types of contaminants are many causes of food poisoning can lead the team investigation on the type of suspect food poisoning and causes the most possible. In a banquet for example, typically presented a variety of side dishes, appetizers or dessert. A good interview results should be 2-5 lead investigator on the type of food most likely in accordance with the symptoms, time of onset, and the technology that allegedly causes food poisoning it.

Investigations in the laboratory

The results of analysis of good interviews to be an important capital in the implementation of laboratory tests. In fact the number of samples available in the food poisoning is often very limited for the purposes of this analysis for several potential causes of poisoning. Important note here that the cause of poisoning in the analysis could only be obtained if the analysis carried out against him, except for typical symptoms of poisoning with one type of food poisoning known as Bongkrek tempe, fish, bloated and others. If the analysis is only done for microbes A, for example, it would not be concluded that the microbial B-poisoning was the cause. In Europe and the United States, for example, today reported that Campylobacter jejuni is the biggest cause of food poisoning. Given the complexity of this bacterial test high enough, these bacteria likely not tested in poisoning incidents, so that although but poisoning may occur due to C. jejuni in Indonesia may not appear in the results of the investigation.

Understanding of cause and type of food poisoning is important, especially when it comes a variety of pathogens “emerging”. For example, if the interview results indicate the possibility of spore is a bacteria that causes food poisoning cause in  development materials mature protein, then more precise analysis focused on the Clostridium perfringens than Bacillus cereus, although they produce spores. If vomiting emerged as the main symptoms of food poisoning, with the onset of the short time (less than 1 hour) then the analysis of bacteria and Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin or B. cereus would be more appropriate.

In laboratory analysis, important to know the mode of a particular contaminant microbes in causing toxicity. Are these bacteria cause infection? Is this bacterium causes intoxicity? Is required for a large number of these bacteria in causing toxicity? This will provide input on whether the qualitative analysis alone is sufficient or necessary quantitative analysis, and also whether the analysis of metabolites (toxins) is required. For the laboratory analysis should be the use of standardized methods of analysis and power analysis of highly-skilled in order to obtain consistent results. Especially for poisoning because the microbes, it is important to use analytical methods approach the closest target. Prediction for the analysis phase Escherichia coli in lactose broth for example be able to bring the analysis to find E. coli, but this phase also negate E. Certain strains of Escherichia coli O157: H7, so on the condition of E. coli O1ș: H7 is suspected to cause toxicity, prediction stage in lactose broth should be modified, for example by the use of antibiotics.

Sample handling of food poisoning

Another important thing in the investigation of poisoning is handling the sample. If the toxin is the cause of chemical poisoning, the compound is generally stable during storage. However, if the microbe is a prime candidate cause of poisoning the correct handling of samples must be carried out. This is to avoid the “loss” cause of poisoning in the analysis because the sample storage at room temperature for example can cause the growth of other bacteria cause so as inhibiting the growth of food poisoning. In other conditions, freezing storage temperatures, also can eliminate bacteria such as C. fragile jejuni. Foreclosure samples by the police should consider this aspect, because the samples are at room temperature for > 12 hours may be irrelevant for the purposes of microbiological analysis.

Laboratory investigations will be able to give a good picture of what contaminants most likely cause of accidental poisoning. However, often this can not be applied because of lack of food samples. In cases like this the laboratory analysis of clinical samples (vomit, blood, feces victim) to be the only source of laboratory analysis. With reference to the results of interviews, the analysis of clinical samples can also to take to a group of “candidate cause of poisoning”. Epidemiological investigation methods and case control cohort to be important to determine the cause of poisoning candidates. If a specific microbe as the cause of food poisoning suspected, the analysis can become complex because in feces, for example, may be found in various types of microbes. In such circumstances, further analysis for example by serotyping, ribotyping, resistotyping (resistance to certain antibiotics) into the options for connecting the clinical symptoms, type of food, and the type of bacterial strain most likely to cause poisoning,

Investigations on the location of the cause of poisoning food processing

In ideal conditions, the results can be investigasiu maximum when relationship between clinical symptoms, types of microbes in food samples or clinical samples accordingly. In the investigation confirmed the results like that, it needs to do more advanced investigation in place / facilities such system food. Analysis of the processing is aimed to do reconstruction about how food poisoning was the cause of the poisoning produced in place. By using the data of laboratory analysis conducted by the investigation documenting the process, personnel and practices that are happening that can be made a scenario about at what stage and why hazardous materials (chemical or microbial) can be in food. This information is important to be able to improve suatru process step or procedure in the food industry and food industry alike.

Closing

Of this writing, we know that the investigation of poisoning is not something simple job but a job-level complex with a very high difficulty. In poisoning cases, asking the media often causes poisoning when poisoning occurs, which of course will not receive a satisfactory answer because the necessary investigative steps to answer the question correctly. It is therefore important for the government to have a reliable investigative team equipped with adequate resources, good cooperation system with the parties to give priority mail shipping and samples poisoned with the police for poisoning treatment can be carried out sampling well, the team publicist who can continue to provide a transparent explanation to the public and scientific publications on poisoning cases happened to be learning material for food industry and researchers.

November 12th, 2010 | 30-Minute Meals Recipes, Thai recipes | 1 Comment

On my Rasa Malaysia Facebook fan page (“like” me if you haven’t), a reader asked me how to prepare Thai-style chicken curry with bamboo shoots, like the ones commonly served at Thai restaurants here in the United States. It was a coincidence that I had some leftover bamboo shoots in the refrigerator so I made a small pot of  Thai chicken curry with the leftover.

Talking about bamboo shoots, some readers also commented that some bamboo shoots have a very strong and funky smell. That’s a truth as I recalled buying bamboo shoots reeking of horse urine (I am not kidding!). The safest option is to buy canned bamboo shoots, which have been cooked and sliced into pieces. They are available at most supermarkets and Asian grocery stores, or online..

Anyway, here is my quick and easy Thai chicken curry Recipe with bamboo shoots. If you love Thai food, you will certainly love this rich and creamy curry.

Related Blogs

• Thai Chicken Curry with Bamboo Shoots | Easy Asian Recipes at …
• Korean grocery stores in Ridgeland: Sweet and Sour Asian Market …
• Asian Grocery Store Map (New Asian Cuisine) | Easy Asian Recipes …
• Chocolate, Coconut, and Red Curry Crème Caramel | Evil Shenanigans …
• Red Curry Fried Rice – Notes From Home Plates

Phoenix would be the capital of the state of Arizona. According to City-data.com, Phoenix would be the fifth largest city within the United States using a population of just under 1.5 million. Since its inception from the 19th century, Phoenix has blossomed into a key metropolitan center, attracting tourists desiring to knowledge its renowned resorts and Sonoran Desert surroundings. Phoenix has also developed a thriving culinary scene, such as a good array of Chinese restaurants.

China Chili

China Chili serves a mix of Szechwan, Cantonese and Hong Kong-style dishes. Appetizer selections consist of crab cheese puffs, boiled wontons and fried prawns. Main dish examples include kung pao calamari, Peking duck, pillow chicken and oyster beef. China Chili has a total bar, which features Asian cocktails. The cafe is open up day-to-day for dinner, and lunch is served Monday via Saturday. Take-out program is obtainable.

China Chili

302 E. Flower St.

Phoenix, AZ 85012

(602) 266-4463‎

chinachilirestaurant.com

Autumn Court Chinese Eating place

Autumn Court is usually a past winner with the Phoenix New Times “Best Old-school Chinese” bistro category. The New Times describes the ambiance at Autumn Court as getting reminiscent of 1940s Chinatown in San Francisco. Guests at Autumn Court can commence their meal with appetizers just like Shanghai chicken wings, chicken lettuce wraps and crab puffs. Primary course selections contain honey-crisp chicken, mu shu pork and walnut shrimp. There is often a full bar, plus a happy hour on weekdays. Autumn Court is open up daily for lunch and dinner. Take-out company is offered, but the eatery doesn’t deliver.

Autumn Court Chinese Eating place

3752 E. Indian School Road

Phoenix, AZ 8켚

(602) 234-0512‎

autumncourt.com

Chino Bandido

Chino Bandido serves Chinese cuisine prepared using a local Southwestern twist. This exclusive culinary fusion prompted Chino Bandido to be featured on the common Food Network show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Menu examples involve Chinese fried rice jerk chicken, jenred pork and chopped bbq Chinese-style rice. The eatery has a casual environment, and its food is reasonably priced. Chino Bandido is open up daily for lunch and dinner. There is certainly no delivery support, but several diners acquire benefit of Chino Bandido’s fast program for take-out.

Chino Bandido

15414 N. 19th Ave.

Phoenix, AZ 85023

(602) 375-3639‎

chinobandido.com

Gourmet House of Hong Kong

The Gourmet House of Hong Kong provides upscale Chinese cuisine featuring conventional favorites along with gourmet selections not usually observed in American Chinese restaurants. Fodor’s suggests that adventurous diners try the beef tripe casserole, duck feet with greens or five-spice frog legs. Those seeking more familiar dishes can select from kung pao shrimp, crispy duck, chicken with lobster sauce and ginger beef. There can be a full bar on-site, as well as the restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner. Take-out assistance is available.

Gourmet Home of Hong Kong

1438 E. McDowell Road

Phoenix, AZ 85006

(602) 253񯃋‎

gourmethouseofhongkong.com

August 9th, 2010 | 30-Minute Meals Recipes, Indonesian recipes | 2 Comments

I have been so busy recently I can hardly find any time to have a breather. If you’ve been following my blog and Twitter, you will know that working on my cookbook has pretty much consumed all my time. As a result, I have been eating out more, and cook only when time permits.

In the past, I would always attempt to make my Asian dishes from scratch. If that means tedious work and hours of making my own spice paste, I would do it. But I can no longer afford the time. As a result, instant spice paste and seasonings have become my easy and go-to ingredients nowadays. I absolutely love them, especially the World Foods line of instant paste, condiments, and sauces, which I bought from my neighborhood Whole Foods market. (World Foods products are made in Malaysia and Thailand.)  As an Asian food enthusiast, I can’t live without my rice, noodles, and I am just so glad that I can still enjoy authentic and scrumptious Asian dishes in practically 15 minutes, with these instant paste products…

For my lunch today, I made Mie Goreng, or Indonesian fried noodles, using World Foods Indonesian Fried Rice Paste.  It was delicious and so easy to make. Most importantly, it satisfies every ounce of my craving for this noodle dish, and totally reminded me of my holidays in Bali when every lunch, the hotel butler would bring a serving of this flavorful noodles to me!

Here is my mie goreng (Indonesian Fried Noodles) Recipe. Please take note that this is a very simple version of this iconic Indonesian dish. It fits my busy schedules and doesn’t compromise on the taste. You can also use the same paste to make nasi goreng, or fried rice.

Inside the past, I would constantly attempt to make my Asian dishes from scratch. If that means tedious work and hours of producing my own spice paste, I would do it. But I can no longer afford the time. As a result, immediate spice paste and seasonings have turn out to be my effortless and go-to ingredients nowadays. I absolutely love them, specifically the Globe Foods line of immediate paste, condiments, and sauces, which I bought from my neighborhood Whole Foods market. (World Foods items are made in Malaysia and Thailand.) As an Asian food enthusiast, I can’t live without my rice, noodles, and I am just so glad that I can still appreciate authentic and scrumptious Asian dishes in practically 15 minutes, with these instant paste products…

For my lunch today, I made Mie Goreng, or Indonesian fried noodles, making use of World Foods Indonesian Fried Rice Paste. It was delicious and so effortless to produce. Most importantly, it satisfies each ounce of my craving for this noodle dish, and totally reminded me of my holidays in Bali when every single lunch, the hotel butler would bring a serving of this flavorful noodles to me!

Here is my mie goreng (Indonesian Fried Noodles) recipe. Please take note that this is a extremely simple version of this iconic Indonesian dish. It fits my busy schedules and doesn’t compromise on the taste. You’ll be able to also use the same paste to create nasi goreng, or fried rice.

Recently, my good friend S has been tempting me with the very best rad na in her neighborhood. All the rad na talks had me craving for it that I had to get my fix. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet uncovered a remotely worthy Thai restaurants in Orange County, which is very sad and I have pretty much given up dining out on Thai food simply because honestly, I make better Thai food than those observed at the Thai restaurants around. So, I created rad na, after consulting with Chez Pim about one of the ingredients applied. I even produced pickled green chilies (recipe coming soon) from scratch, to make sure that I had an authentic serving of rad na.

Rad na, or Rad Na Kuay Tiew is really a Thai-Chinese noodle dish. Originated in China, this dish is commonly uncovered all over Asia. In Malaysia, our variation is referred to as Char Hor Fun or Wat Tan Hor; in Laos, I believe it’s named Lad Na, and I am positive there is usually a variation of this common noodle dish in Vietnam, Cambodia, and elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Regardless of its regional variation, it is often delicious and satisfying—fried rice noodles drenched in a savory sauce with seafood, meat, and vegetables…

You can find two versions of rad na, one produced with preserved bean sauce (taucheo) and one particular without having. I choose the former, which can be absent from Malaysian Char Hor Fun or Wat Tan Hor. The preserved bean sauce adds an earthy nuance towards the sauce, and balances the somewhat sweetish flavor. Do try out my Rad Na Recipe (click on the gallery above for detailed step-by-step cooking course of action), I personally think that it was a massive achievement, so very much to ensure I had to make one more serving a number of days following this initial attempt.

Earlier nowadays, my stomach was making this embarrassing gurgling noise (made sense as it was already way past lunchtime), so I made a decision to pacify the hunger inside my body.

Unfortunately, Miss Fussy (me) was getting..
.nicely, fussy. There I was, weak from decreasing glucose and still becoming finicky over where I could grab a bite to eat.

I love carbs so I thought Chinese food would be yummy. Veggie rolls, Kung Pao chicken, and fried rice were enticing my belligerent stomach with a sweet promise of satiation. Then I remembered. My favorite Chinese place received a letter grade of B — yes, B!!!! — on its last health inspection visit. No way. Sigh. What ought to a starving brunette do?

One more carbs idea sprung to mind. Subway. I used to be thinking a tuna or cheesesteak sandwich. Gnawing hunger obtaining a lot more hostile every single second. I arrived at Subway….plus the line was endless! Not only was I being fussy, the Diva in me made a decision to make an appearance too. Forget Subway.

My time was running out and I was getting crabby from all the trips. Last chance. Carl’s Jr’s yellow star beckoned me as if I used to be one on the 3 Wise Men in search for the Messiah.

I went in and ordered the Well-known Star without onions and no ketchup. I had been debating about ordering a larger fries but the prudent side said no. Sigh. Okay. I attacked my french fries primary. Mmmm. Freshly cut fries — that’s what it said on the carton.

Next on the agenda was the cheeseburger. I took off a part from the lettuce initial. I took a bite. Blah. What the hell?! I did not like the taste, but I was still hungry so I took additional bite. Chewed and swallowed just so I could eliminate the hunger pangs entirely. Halfway via the burger, I concluded that I was done putting the partially burned and tasteless meat inside my mouth.

With the gurgling belly now satedly purring and the glucose level rising, my mind tuned in and I realized with shock..
.. I had been starting to hate fastfoods much more and more. Need to I be depressed? Must I cry? Ought to I scream “Bloody murder!”?

Eventually, I decreed that it was for the best. I would live longer if I did not crave fastfoods every single meal time. Maybe it was fate that I looked after my heart instead of becoming a selfish, ravenous, and fussy Diva. I finished the delicious fries and determined to eat the flat cheeseburger later (if I discovered the appetite for it).

Damned that letter B grade!!!

Nasi goreng or Indonesian fried rice is one of the most requested recipes on Rasa Malaysia. I’ve received a lot of emails from readers requesting for a nasi goreng recipe. For those who are anxiously awaiting a nasi goreng post, wait no much more as I have gotten just the perfect nasi goreng Recipe for you.

Adapted from James Oseland’s Cradle of Flavor coobook—a bible for authentic Indonesian and Malaysian/Singapore cuisines�”this nasi goreng is the Javanese version of fried rice. As Jim indicated in his cookbook, a truly authentic nasi goreng Indonesia is plain and basic, consisting of leftover rice stir-fried with a flavoring paste. Ingredients including shrimp, meat, and vegetables are rarely, if ever, added to it��� (get nasi goreng recipe after the jump)

Although nasi goreng is available in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, the Indonesian version is my favorite. Topped with a fried egg (a distinctive note of Indonesian’s version), nasi goreng is really a meal that is both hearty and gratifying. Making nasi goreng also reminded me of my fond memories although traveling in Indonesia—a country with vibrant and colorful culinary traditions which I intend to explore additional in the near future.
NASI GORENG (INDONESIAN FRIED RICE) RECIPE
INGREDIENTS:

1 shallot
1 garlic
1 red chili (seeded)
1/2 teaspoon toasted belacan (terasi)
1/2 teaspoon palm sugar
1/2 tablespoon kecap manis
8 oz. overnight rice
1 fried egg (well done)
2 tablespoons oil

METHOD:

Break the overnight/leftover rice using the back of a spoon so they don’t clump together. In a wok, toast the belacan on low heat until it becomes dry and aromatic. Toasted belacan should be somewhat powdery and appear like tiny granules. Fry an egg (well-done) and set aside.

Using a mortar and pestle or a mini food processor, blend the shallot, garlic, red chili, and toasted belacan. Transfer the blended flavoring paste into a small saucer.

Heat up a wok and add oil. Add the flavoring paste and stir-fry until aromatic or when the oil separates. Add the rice into the wok and stir well with the flavoring paste. Add kecap manis and palm sugar into the rice and continue to stir-fry and make sure that they are well blended with the rice. Dish out, top the nasi goreng with the fried egg and serve immediately.

COOK’S NOTE:

In Indonesia, nasi goreng is often served with various sides such fried prawn crackers, fresh vegetables such as lettuce, sliced cucumber, and sliced tomatoes. However, you can just make it plain like what I did. I also love sliced red chili dipped in kecap manis as a condiment. It’s great with the fried egg!