While the holidays are often viewed as a time of inevitable weight gain, it’s possible to enjoy some of the same foods while still maintaining a healthy diet.

For children, there’s hardly a downside to the holidays; toys, treats and time away from school are enough to bring on dreams of sugarplums. For adults, the holidays can conjure a string of mental to-do lists and tension that make those sugarplums feel more like a sugar crash.

The current highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 outbreak in the United States is a concern for the commercial poultry industry, not the general population, says a University of Georgia poultry expert. Humans won’t be infected with avian influenza by eating chicken or other poultry products. Nearly all previous cases of human infections with other avian influenza viruses involved close, direct contact with infected poultry, but little to no direct transmission from person to person. While the HPAI H5 virus has caused some severe devastation for the U.S. commercial poultry industry, there have been no reports of infections in humans, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers the risk to people from this virus to be low.

In a recent study funded by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, University of Georgia researchers found that produce containing bacteria are likely to contaminate other produce items through the continued use of knives or graters — the bacteria latches onto the utensils commonly found in consumers’ homes and spreads to the next item.

Children are like sponges—they absorb everything. That’s why University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agents are teaching children, at an early age, the importance of decreasing sugar consumption and properly washing their hands.

For residents in some metro Atlanta neighborhoods, it can be impossible to find fresh produce because the closest well-stocked supermarket is geographically out of reach.

Keeping produce safe means keeping harmful bacteria, viruses and parasites from contaminating fruits and vegetables. Enjoy the rewards of growing food through planning and some practical food safety tips.

Pumpkins are a staple of fall-time cuisine and festivities. Whether canned, dried or pickled, there are some important tips to keep in mind when preserving this holiday favorite. Due to natural acidity levels, pumpkins require certain precautions be taken when canning in order to make preserves that are safe to eat.

Maxwell Lamptey is visiting America, specifically Griffin, Georgia, in the hopes of learning new methods to fight aflatoxin — a carcinogen produced by soil fungus that can grow on peanuts — in his home country of Ghana.