Can I make the pork and apple baby food recipe due to swine flu now?

Apr 28, 2009 Food Safety Tips

We received this question earlier today from a visitor “Is it safe to make the pork and apples recipe because of the swine flu outbreak?”. We’re posting our answer here as many of our visitors might be wondering the same thing!

The answer is Yes, it is safe to continue to eat pork.

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control), the WHO (World Health Organisation) and the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) all state that eating pork products is safe. Swine flu is not transmitted via the eating of pork rather it is transmitted as any other flu is, through coughing and sneezing.

“”Eating properly handled and cooked pork or pork products is safe,” said USDA Sec. Tom Vilsack in a statement issued this morning. “I [want] to reassure the public that there is no evidence at this time showing that swine have been infected with this virus.

“According to scientists at USDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, swine flu viruses are not transmitted by food, so you cannot get swine flu from eating pork or pork products.”

On Thursday, the CDC said humans cannot contract from eating pork the hybrid influenza that has infected more than 20 people in the United States, more than 1,300 in Mexico and a number of people in several other countries.” from the AP

The WHO states the following:

Is it safe to eat pork meat and pork products?
Yes. Swine influenza has not been shown to be transmissible to people through eating properly
handled and prepared pork (pig meat) or other products derived from pigs. The swine influenza virus is killed by cooking temperatures of 160°F/70°C, corresponding to the general guidance for the preparation of pork and other meat.

Please click on the links below to be taken directly to the CDC, WHO, USDA pages devoted to swine flu:

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control), the WHO (World Health Organisation) and the  USDA

Tags: apples, flu, pork

Fruits and Veggies from April through June

Apr 27, 2009 Fruits and Veggies

Spring is slowly turning into summer here in the US and with the season change comes some of our favorite fruits!  We’ve outlined a few fruits and veggies that should be available at your grocers – fresh and grown in the US.  Many of these tasty foods are available all year around even if they are not “in season”.  Be on the lookout and prepare some fresh fruits & veggies for your little one!

Fruits

Apricots     June – July
Avocados     All year
Bananas     All year
Cherries     May – June
Grapes     June – December
Kiwi     June – August
Mangoes     April – August
Melons -
Cantaloupes     May – September
Honeydews     February – October
Watermelons     May – August
Nectarines and Peaches     June – September
Papayas     All year
Plums     June – September

Veggies

Artichokes     March – May
Asparagus     March – June
Beans:
Green or Wax     April – October
Limas     April – August
Beets     June – October
Cabbage     All year
Carrots     All year
Corn     May – September
Cucumbers     May – August
Onions     All year
Peas, green     April – July
Peppers     All year
White Potatoes     All year
Summer Squash  June – August
Tomatoes     May – August
Spinach     March – May

Tags: fruits, vegetables

We have heat and sun here in New England – bring on the freezies!

Apr 26, 2009 Baby Food Recipes Updated, Fruits and Veggies, New Baby Food Recipes, juice

Ahhhh the joy of the hot sun beating down! It has been so wonderful to have temperatures actually above 45 degrees and we welcomed 80 degrees over the weekend. Now these wonderful temperatures also brought on the “i’m sooooooooooooooo hot” cries from the kiddos. One of my favorite things to make for my twins when they were sooooooooooooooo hot was a freezie!

They have been having freezies since they were 8 months old! Simply put, you toss fruits, yogurt and some ice cubes in a blender and whizz away. You can present the freezie in a bowl and watch your little one delight in the joy of the texture and the cool temperature. This is great for spoon practice but not so great for the floor, the walls and your clothing! Another way to offer this treat is in a sippy cup or a lidded cup with a straw. Did you know, many babies are able to manage a straw before they are able to manage a sippy cup?

Today we used bananas, strawberries, splash of peach/mango/orange juice and ice cubes. So here are a few ideas for your little ones – (be sure to wash fruits!)

1/2 banana, 1 ripe peach (skin on but totally cleansed!), splash of apple juice, 1/4 cup plain yogurt and ice cubes as desired

1 cup seedless grapes, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup cubed mango, 1 cup of ice

1/2 cup mango, splash of orange juice, 2 peaches (skin on but totally cleansed!) – 1 cup of ice

Do you have any favorite freezie mixes?