Among the many e-newsletters I receive is the food industry-based MorningNewsBeat.com. The April 21 edition ran a short story and commentary on leftovers, a subject near and dear to my heart in these days following our Passover seder. Chicken stew, made with leftover chicken and vegetables, is on tonight’s menu.

Here are a couple of words of caution about leftovers: First, they can’t be left over forever. For food safety purposes, eat leftovers within two days, or freeze them immediately after the original meal and defrost and eat within a couple of months. Second, watch for adverse reactions to foods that have been fried or sauteed, cooled, and then reheated. The cooling and reheating process creates ring-shaped fatty acids that some people cannot break down. The end result may be cramps and a quick trip to the bathroom. So you may be among the small group of people “allergic” to leftovers.

Do you have high risk food behaviors? Your answer may differ depending on whether you’re a man or woman. According to research presented at a conference in Atlanta and reported on by the New York Times, men are more like to eat undercooked burgers and runny eggs, two foods that can harbor unsafe bacteria (proper cooking kills the bacteria). Among women, risky behavior was limited to eating raw alfalfa sprouts, also an occasional carrier of harmful bacteria. And while a green salad may not sound risky, leafy greens have been connected to a growing number of foodborne illnesses.

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When I read the above headline in an industry newsletter, I expected a story about Chinese restaurants. Instead, the article discussed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and its stepped up inspection of foods produced in China and headed to the US. I love shopping for ingredients in ethnic food markets and have been putting my blind faith in our government to keep our food supply safe. Silly me. Recent food safety incidents are a reminder that the FDA is understaffed for the job of inspecting foods in this country, let alone foods coming in from abroad. Will this change my food buying habits? Probably not, although I certainly will start watching for unusual physical reactions to my cooking.

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