Grill Safely This Summer: Food Safety Tips for Memorial Day and Beyond
Memorial Day is often seen as the unofficial kickoff to summer. And what better way to celebrate than pulling out the grill and inviting friends and...
Construct your portable handwashing station this season
Handwashing is one of the key hygienic practices that can reduce the spread of diseases and foodborne illnesses along the farm to fork continuum. We...
Could nanoplastics in the environment turn E. coli into a bigger villain?
URBANA, Ill. — Nanoplastics are everywhere. These fragments are so tiny they can accumulate on bacteria and be taken up by plant roots; they’re in our food, our water, and our bodies. Scientists don’t know the full extent of their impacts on our health, but...
Illinois Extension offers free dial-gauge pressure canning testing for home canners
OREGON, Ill. — With summer gardens gearing up, it’s time to take canning equipment out of storage. Illinois Extension in Boone, DeKalb, and Ogle counties offers free dial-gauge pressure canner testing to ensure the equipment works accurately. Testing should be done annually since the needle on a...
Allergy Awareness Month
May is Allergy Awareness Month! Did you know 33 million Americans have food allergies? That’s 1 in 10 adults and 1 in 13 children, and allergy prevalence is on the rise. A food allergy is when your body’s immune system reacts to a certain food. Signs and symptoms can include hives,...
Illinois Extension offers free dial-gauge pressure canner testing for home canners
URBANA, Ill. — With summer gardens gearing up, it’s time to take canning equipment out of storage. Illinois Extension offers free dial-gauge pressure canner testing to ensure the equipment works accurately.A variety of foods can be canned at home through boiling water bath canning and...