As the holiday season arrives, the traditional images of loved ones crowded around a dinner table groaning under the weight of the holiday feast may look a little different this year: The recent surge in COVID-19 cases has prompted rising fears that holiday gatherings may accelerate the spread of the virus.

Summer brings warm, sunny days and time outdoors, including grilling and eating outside. But just as we like the warmth and freedom of partying in the yard, so do bacteria that could make our food unsafe. They could turn a perfectly planned holiday cookout into a health concern, and even nightmare for some.

Freezing is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to extend the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Buying takeout food is a good choice to lower risks of exposure to COVID-19 because it reduces the number of touchpoints relative to eating in a restaurant, said Elizabeth Andress, a UGA Extension food safety specialist in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences.

As we approach the holiday season, people begin to find comfort in comfort foods, rationalizing that they can work on their diet after the beginning of the new year. 

Georgia farmers devote about 900 acres to growing pumpkins — technically a squash and a cousin to the cucumber. Most Georgia-grown pumpkins come from the northernmost part of the state where the climate is cooler and there is less disease pressure. UGA-bred ‘Orange Bulldog' is disease resistant.

Two interventions created by the University of Georgia Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) team have been added to the national SNAP-Ed Toolkit.

Food safety experts have been warning consumers against washing and rinsing raw poultry for many years, citing how the bacteria in poultry juices can spread and cross contaminate other foods, utensils and surfaces. A USDA report shows that many aren't listening.

Consumers have long been warned against the hazards of eating raw cookie dough. As more cases of foodborne illness are linked to contaminated wheat flour, University of Georgia food safety experts are touting the risk in a louder, more forceful voice, while searching for ways to eliminate foodborne pathogens on wheat products.