Quinoa?

Yesterday I was asked an interesting question.  Can I eat the quinoa I prepared before the power went out nine days ago?  Two thoughts came to mind.  First, What is quinoa?  and second, food poisoning.  After a little research (ask and you shall be told) I now know what quinoa is.  Food poisoning is something that we should all be familiar with.  Food poisoning covers a variety of illnesses.  There is the standard bacterial food poisoning caused by E. coli or salmonella.  We have all gotten sick with diarrhea, vomiting and cramps because of something we ate.  Then there are parasites secondary to eating bad or poorly prepared food.  Yuck.  Food allergies are also a problem.  Everyone with a peanut allergy knows that peanuts are the number one cause of death due to food related anaphylaxis. 

So food poisoning is nothing to be ignored.  Rather we should all be taking precautions to avoid it.  Yet every year many, many people suffer from food poisoning.  Many due to their own decisions.  This is the time of the year when food poisoning ramps up.  We have treats left over from Halloween to consume.  Soon we will have thanksgiving leftovers.  Then day old trays from Christmas parties.  There are many websites to help you with your food related questions.  But this one is the best.   Use it frequently this holiday season, I know I will. 

Nine day old quinoa prepared with fresh fruit and a little milk that has been sitting at room temp.  According to Food Safety.gov, throw it away.  The question for you to answer; Is the risk of getting sick worth the deliciousness of the food?