Penn State Ag Sciences Newsline -- June 24, 2008
Wild animals can bring foodborne illness into your backyard garden (:45)
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Suggested Intro:
ATTRACTING DEER, RABBITS AND OTHER ANIMALS TO YOUR BACKYARD CAN BE A GREAT WAY TO COMMUNE WITH NATURE. BUT A FOOD SAFETY EXPERT IN PENN STATE'S COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES SAYS THEY CAN TURN HOME-GROWN VEGETABLES INTO A HEALTH HAZARD. GARY ABDULLAH HAS THE STORY:
Story:
(:14) SOME PEOPLE MAY ENJOY THE SIGHT OF BIRDS AND SMALL ANIMALS STROLLING THROUGH THEIR BACKYARD IN THEIR NATURAL HABITAT. BUT PENN STATE FOOD SCIENTIST LUKE LABORDE EXPLAINS THAT SHARING YOUR VEGETABLE GARDEN WITH WOODLAND CREATURES MAY BE ASKING FOR FOODBORNE ILLNESS, AS WELL:
LaBorde Actuality:
(:18) "YOU DON'T WANT TO PUT A POST IN YOUR VEGETABLE PATCH THAT HAS A BIRD FEEDER ON IT BECAUSE BIRD DROPPINGS CAN CONTAIN HARMFUL BACTERIA. SO JUST KEEP IT SEPARATE. YOU KNOW, DEER ARE NICE AND CUTE AND ALL THAT, BUT THEY MAY LEAVE SOMETHING BEHIND. SO, TREAT IT LIKE IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE GOING TO EAT, AND YOU DON'T WANT WILD ANIMALS SNOOPING AROUND WHERE YOUR FOOD IS. IT'S JUST COMMON SENSE."(:13) LABORDE SAYS A SMALL FENCE CAN KEEP CATS AND OTHER DOMESTIC PETS FROM TURNING YOUR GARDEN INTO A LITTERBOX. AND YOU SHOULD PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO FOODS THAT ARE CONSUMED RAW, SUCH AS LETTUCE, CARROTS AND TOMATOES. FROM PENN STATE, I'M GARY ABDULLAH.
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