- With Mayo Clinic nutritionist
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
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Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the Food & Nutrition Center, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.
A Marinette, Wis., native, she is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in pediatrics at Mayo Clinic Rochester and nutrition education related to the physiology and recommended intakes for premature infants.
Other areas of interest include breast milk and formula safety, neonatal feeding, and nutrition for breast-feeding mothers.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
Nutrition basics (24)
- Multigrain vs. whole grain: Which is healthier?
- Healthy chocolate — Dream or reality?
- Yerba mate: Is it safe to drink?
- see all in Nutrition basics
Healthy diets (9)
- Water after meals: Does it disturb digestion?
- Diverticulitis diet: Should I avoid nuts and seeds?
- Diverticulitis diet: Can certain foods trigger an attack?
- see all in Healthy diets
Healthy cooking (8)
- E. coli: How can I tell if food is contaminated?
- Canned pumpkin: Better than fresh?
- Food poisoning: How long can you safely keep leftovers?
- see all in Healthy cooking
Healthy menus and shopping strategies (7)
- Calories in sushi: What are the low-cal options?
- Vegetable juice: As good as whole vegetables?
- Buying beef? A guide to choosing the leanest cuts
- see all in Healthy menus and shopping strategies
Nutritional supplements (14)
- Vitamin C: Can too much be harmful?
- Chocolate: Does it impair calcium absorption?
- Percent Daily Value: What does it mean?
- see all in Nutritional supplements
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Question
E. coli: How can I tell if food is contaminated?
E. coli: How can I tell if food is contaminated?
Answer
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
You can't tell whether a food is contaminated with E. coli by the way it looks, smells or tastes. Although most types of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria are harmless, a few nasty strains, such as E. coli O157:H7, can cause serious food-borne illness. To protect yourself from E. coli and other food-borne illnesses, follow basic food safety guidelines:
- Rinse raw produce thoroughly; scrub those with a firm surface.
- Wash your hands, utensils and kitchen surfaces with hot, soapy water before and after preparing or eating food.
- Keep raw foods, especially meats, separate from ready-to-eat foods.
- Cook your food thoroughly, especially ground beef to a minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Refrigerate or freeze perishable foods promptly.
- Avoid unpasteurized juices, ciders and dairy products.
- Don't drink untreated water from lakes or streams.
Canned pumpkin: Better than fresh?
- Meat preparation. U.S. Department of Agriculture. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Factsheets/Ground_Beef_and_Food_Safety/index.asp. Accessed Dec. 4, 2009.
- Escherichia coli. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/dfbmd/disease_listing/stec_gi.html. Accessed Dec. 4, 2009.
