 During the time food is growing in the fields, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, they need to be watered regularly. If that water contains human or animal waste, it can get in our foods, especially if the foods are not rinsed thoroughly before we eat them.

 During processing, small intestines of the animal can have bacteria in it. Even the more healthy animals can have the bacteria in the small intestines. But if bacteria should come into contact with the food being processed, it will contaminate the good meat.

 When our food is handled, bacteria and other germs can be transmitted from hands to food. Anytime one food has a chance of coming into contact with another food that may contain harmful bacteria, the chances are good that the clean healthy foods will contract the bacteria as well.

 Wash your hands after using the restroom. This will stop the spread of fecal matter into any food or food preparation area.

 Do not put cooked food on the same platter as uncooked. Unless you plan to save them.

 Disinfect cooking area prior to cooking. Use bleach to sanitize the area prior to cooking so that germs are killed.  Do this before and after preparing meals.

 Do not cook or use food that is past the expiration date.

 Make sure food is cooked thoroughly. Uncooked food has a higher chance of containing infectious bacteria.

 If you are at a restaurant and your food arrives not thoroughly cooked send it back and request it to be fixed and also request a new plate. This will correct your food and keep contaminants from remaining on your plate.

 The USDA dose NOT have the power to shut down meat packing factories that don’t pass inspection.

 Don't leave eggs, milk, meat, sea food, poultry etc out for extended periods of time. These items are in the refrigerated section of the supermarket for a reason. Keep them cold until you are ready to use them.

 Wash hands after petting the animals/pets before cooking again.

 After cutting foods on the cutting board wash your hands, board, and knives in very hot water and antibacterial soap. Don't leave it until you are done cooking as this leaves more time for the bacteria to grow and spread.

 Don't cross-contaminate. Keep raw meat and their juices away from other types of food. This will allow you to be sure and wash it in time and avoid cross contamination.

 Use cooked leftovers within four days.

 Don't leave food out for more than two hours because bacteria grows in a rapid pace at room temperature.

 Use a meat thermometer to ensure that your meat is hot enough to be completely cooked.

 Place food in leak proof baggie and emerge it into cold water.

 Wash your cooking utensils thoroughly and keep them in a clean dry place.

 Cook all of your meats and eggs thoroughly before eating them. Internal temperature should be at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

 The U.S. Department of Agriculture states that 85 percent of food poisoning cases can be avoided by using proper food handling techniques.

 Campylobacter jejuni is one of the most common causes of food poisoning, with well over 2 million cases diagnosed in the United States per year.  Campylobacter causes cramping, fever, and diarrhea (sometimes bloody).  Campylobacter jejuni flourishes in poultry and can also be present in other meats including beef. It is also found in unpasteurized milk, insects, and untreated water.

 Campylobacter infection can be serious, especially in those with weakened immune systems. In rare cases, campylobacter infection can cause additional problems such as arthritis or brain and nerve problems. Occasionally, these problems occur after the diarrhea has stopped.

 In 1999 an estimated 5,000 deaths, 325,000 hospitalizations and 76 million illnesses were food borne related in the US alone.

 Salmonella is a bacterial infection that can be passed on to humans from domestic and wild animals, including poultry, pigs, cattle, and pets. But most often, it is caused by drinking unpasteurized milk or by eating undercooked poultry and poultry products such as eggs.

 Although most people recover completely, salmonella infection may cause a condition known as Reiter's syndrome in a small percentage of people. Symptoms of Reiter's syndrome include joint pain, eye irritation, and pain when urinating. The joint pain of Reiter's syndrome may develop into chronic arthritis.

 E. coli O157:H7 is a growing cause of food borne illness. An estimated 73,000 cases of these E. coli infections occur in the U.S. every year, according to the Center for Disease Control.

 Symptoms of E.coli infection can include severe bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps, but sometimes the infection causes non-bloody diarrhea, a slight fever, or no symptoms at all

 Most E. coli 0157:H7 infections have been associated with eating undercooked, contaminated ground beef.  Meat factories with production lines that are to fast cause fecal matter to spill onto clean meat.  Most labor in the meat factories are unskilled, immigrants.

 Feed lots shove too many cattle into such a tight space not allowing space to separate fecal to be disposed of naturally.  This causes E coli to spread much easier than on traditional pastures.

 "Kevin's Law" (as referred to in the 2008 documentary Food, Inc.) was proposed legislation that would have given the U.S. Department of Agriculture the power to close down plants that produce contaminated meat.  This law gets its name from the two- year-old Kevin Kowalcyk, Colorado who died in 2001 after eating a hamburger contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.

 Kevin’s law was originally introduced by Rep. Anna G. Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, as H.R. 3160, in the 109th Congress.  It’s formally known as the Meat and Poultry Pathogen Reduction and Enforcement Act of  This proposed bill has never gotten out of committee.

 If you would like to get involved contact your congressmen or congresswoman. Tell them to support Kevin’s Law.  You can also choose to stop supporting large food industry giants.  Get meat and produce from local farmers markets.  Don’t eat at McDonalds.  Eat organic. (That is if you can handle the taste)

 A feedlot or feed yard is a type of animal feeding operation (AFO) which is used in factory farming for finishing livestock.

 The tissues of feedlot-raised cattle have far more saturated fat than that of grass- fed cattle, some sources estimate up to 500 percent more.  Feedlot-raised beef, may after long periods on feed, have reduced healthy omega-3 fatty acids because of the corn-and-grain diets of the cattle.