Salem-News.com Food articles Page 27

Oregon Restaurant Owners Reminded Refrigeration Change Takes Effect January 1st

Oregon has more than 10,000 restaurants and 19,000 total food service establishments.

(SALEM) - Public health officials in the Oregon Department of Human Services are reminding restaurant owners of a new refrigeration requirement that reduces the risk of foodborne illness.

Starting Jan. 1st, restaurants must hold cold foods at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, said Eric Pippert, manager of the foodborne illness prevention program in the DHS Public Health Division.

Oregon adopted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration food safety standards in 2002 that reduced the holding temperature for cold foods from 45 F to 41 F.

Oregon Department of Agriculture Offers Food Safety Advice For The Holiday Season

Holiday food safety actually begins as you do your grocery shopping. Cross-contamination of foods can take place right in the grocery cart.

(SALEM) - The holiday season is here. That means get-togethers with friends, family, and food. Lots of food.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture is reminding you to practice good, safe food handling and preparation techniques at all times, but with perhaps a little extra attention to detail for the Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday meal.

A safe meal can be ensured through proper food handling, preparation, and storage. Slacking off in any of the three areas could spell trouble.

Americans Spend Less Than 10 percent of Disposable Income on Food

The Department of Agriculture reports that food remains a bargain for Oregon and U.S. consumers.

(SALEM) - The U.S. consumer is spending a bit more of their disposable income to purchase food than the previous year, but they still enjoy the cheapest, most abundant food supply in the world, according to new statistics released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

BBQ Season Starts NOW

Salem barbecue professionals gear up for 2006 season

(KNOXVILLE, TN) - America`s top barbecue professionals, including Salem`s Mike and Katrina Adams of Adams Ribs Smokehouse, recently spent four days at the 2006 National Barbecue Association Conference and EXPO in Knoxville, Tenn., honing their skills for the barbecue season that is already upon us.

`Most people think begins on Memorial Day. But, what we learned is that over 89% of people barbecue year round,` said Katrina Adams.

2006 show attendees loaded buses for a tour which included two of the hottest barbecue restaurants in the Knoxville area; Buddy`s BBQ and Calhoun`s Tennessee Microbrewery. This gave plenty of time for attendees to visit with barbecue restaurant owners and caterers from all over America.

OSU Extension, Oregon Food Bank Launch Food Resource Web Site

The main feature of the Web site is a searchable database of non-emergency food resources throughout Oregon, along with many links to other food resource Web sites

(CORVALLIS) - Wherever you live in Oregon - be it in a larger city or smaller town - finding up-to-date information about local food resources will be a lot easier with the introduction of Food for Oregon, an online database just launched by the Oregon State University Extension Service in cooperation with Oregon Food Bank.

Food for Oregon fulfills a recommendation to develop a database to "provide information and to help coordinate community food security efforts across the state," that is part of the Oregon Hunger Relief Task Force's Act to End Hunger.

"The Food for Oregon database will include a broad range of locally available food outlets, including community gardens, farmers' markets, community kitchens and gleaning organizations, faith-based food providers, and other local food producers and processors," said Sally Bowman, OSU Extension family and community development specialist.

2006 Newport Seafood & Wine Festival Next Weekend

Results are in for the 2005 Commercial Wine Competition; winners will be in the spotlight during Newport's annual event, drawing thousands to the Oregon Coast.

(Newport) - Winter on the Oregon Coast is becoming more popular with visitors, with storm watching, big wave surfing, and always a big draw, the annual Newport Seafood & Wine Festival. It's the premier seafood & wine event of the west coast, the original Northwest seafood and wine festival, and certainly a great choice for a destination this weekend.