Dun dun dun!  The kitchen can be a bathhouse for germs and bacteria.  As a matter of fact, improper cleaning or cross contamination can cause some serious health issues.  As a prior salmonella victim, I take all precautions to make sure my kitchen sink, stove, and counter top are wiped clean after every meal I prepare (and sometimes before I prepare just to be safe).  Here are some tips from silive.com in protecting you and your family from falling ill.

Sponges
It’s best not to buy them. Unless you plan on …

(CNN) — FBI agents Monday raided a rural Georgia peanut butter plant suspected as the source of a nationwide salmonella outbreak, a CNN affiliate reported.
The Peanut Corporation of America plant in Blakely, Georgia, was sealed off by federal authorities Monday morning, WALB reported.
The company is accused of knowingly shipping tainted products now linked to nearly 600 illnesses, including eight deaths, in 43 states. The recent outbreak has led to one of the largest food recalls in U.S. history, encompassing more than 1,000 products.
The Food and Drug Administration’s Office of …

Ah, the plot thickens.  Seems like the nationwide salmonella outbreak was something that was bound to happen.  The peanut butter plant in Georgia responsible for the outbreak has a history of cleanliness standard violations.  The plant is no longer in operation.
From New York Times.com
The plant in Georgia that produced peanut butter tainted by salmonella has a history of sanitation lapses and was cited repeatedly in 2006 and 2007 for having dirty surfaces and grease residue and dirt buildup throughout the plant, according to health inspection reports. Inspection reports from 2008 …

More companies have joined the peanut butter recall list in the attempt to mitigate salmonella exposure to the public.  General Mills Inc., Kroger Co., Safeway Inc., and Meijer Inc. are the recent addtions to the list.  The source of the outbreak has been traced back to Peanut Corporation of America’s peanut butter and peanut paste plant in Georgia.
Head on over to the FDA’s website for a complete list of recalled products.
Full article here

The source of the salmonella outbreak that has spread to 43 states has been traced back to a peanut butter supplier. The peanut butter was sold to food service providers by King Nut Companies, so those off-the-shelf brands like Skippy and Jif look to be quite alright. The outbreak has sickened over 400 people and is also linked to three possible deaths. About two years ago, a similar salmonella outbreak came from Peter Pan brand peanut butter and was linked to at least 625 cases.
Read the full …

The source of a salmonella outbreak that has spread to forty-two states is still unknown.  So far, nearly 400 people have been sickened.
Read
~ Kin

The source of the tomato salmonella outbreak still eludes the food and safety health officials.  The outbreak so far has affected more than 900 people nationwide.  What’s worse is that the FDA is now questioning the source of the outbreak.  It might not be the tomatoes after all.   The other suspects are jalapeno peppers, Serrano peppers, and yes, my beloved cilantro.  What is one to do without any cilantro?
Source
 
~ Kin