Briefly . . .


Summer Shopping Tips Keep Foods Safe


K-State Intern Spending Summer Promoting Safe Disposal of Medications


K-State Extension Veterinarian Reminds Horse Owners to Vaccinate


Sooty Molds in Wheat Typically Cosmetic, But Can Make Harvest a Dirty Job

Summer Shopping Tips Keep Foods Safe

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Summer heat can increase food safety risks. If the temperature is 90 degrees F or above, perishable food at room temperature can be at risk of contamination after one, rather than two, hours, said Karen Blakeslee, Kansas State University Research and Extension Rapid Response Coordinator.

Summer food safety mistakes before, during or after food shopping can put consumers at risk for foodborne illness, said Blakeslee, who offered food safety tips to minimize risks:

* Running errands? Make the stop at the farmers’ market or grocery store the last stop before going home.

* Separate groceries as you shop -- or at checkout. Place perishable foods in a cooler; pack fresh produce gently.

* Place groceries in an air-conditioned car or truck, out of direct sunlight.

* At home, store perishable foods first.

* Brush dirt from produce before storing it; wash produce before eating it raw, cutting into it, or adding it to a recipe. Cutting into fruits and vegetables without first washing them may transfer microorganisms to the edible portion.

* Separate raw foods from cooked foods; wrap or cover foods before refrigerating them to prevent cross contamination and migration of flavors.

“Wash hands with hot, soapy water before and after handling raw and cooked foods,” Blakeslee said. “If water will be unavailable at a picnic or outdoor event, packing a wet washcloth and soap in a re-sealable plastic bag; hand sanitizer or towelette can help to reduce risks.”                   

More information on food and food safety is available at county and district K-State Research and Extension offices and on Blakeslee’s food safety Web site: www.ksre.ksu.edu/foodsafety/.

Note to Editors: Newspapers in the counties in which this program is active have received or will receive a short news release with more detailed information about proper medication disposal sites in those counties.

K-State Intern Spending Summer Promoting Safe Disposal of Medications

WICHITA, Kan. — A college student working for Kansas State University’s Wichita-based Pollution Prevention Institute is traveling to several communities this summer to encourage people not to flush – that is, not to flush medications down the toilet.

For years, what seemed like the easiest and best way to dispose of excess or expired medications was down the toilet. But, that isn’t always the best method, according to the Food and Drug Administration and other environmental experts, said Wayne Larson, intern with K-State’s Pollution Prevention Institute.



“National studies have shown this common technique can negatively impact aquatic life,” he said.

Larson, who is a University of Kansas senior from Wichita, is going out armed with posters that explain two environmentally-preferred disposal techniques. He is visiting retail pharmacies, medical clinics and public venues in Douglas, Harvey, Sedgwick, Saline, Ellis and Rooks counties. He informs residents where they can go in their own communities to dispose of medications safely.

If residents cannot take their medication to a nearby municipal site, however, they can use the kitty litter or coffee grounds method recommended by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Larson said this involves crushing or dissolving solid medications in water, coffee or another liquid and then making a paste by adding the liquid to an absorbent substance, such as coffee grounds or kitty litter. The steps after that are to put the paste in a closeable container and to place the closed container in the trash.

The K-State Pollution Prevention Institute is funded in part by the Kansas Health Foundation. Established in 1995 as a part of the K-State College of Engineering, the institute provides free, nonregulatory technical assistance, as well as training in pollution prevention and environmental compliance.

More information about the PPI is available on the Web at http://www.sbeap.org. More information on disposing of medications is available on the FDA Web site: http://www.fda.gov/consumer/update/drug_disposal062308.html.

K-State Extension Veterinarian Reminds Horse Owners to Vaccinate

MANHATTAN, Kan. – This summer’s warmer weather has horse owners out riding, tending to foals, heading to shows and other activities. In the midst of it all, a Kansas State University veterinarian is reminding owners to make sure their horses are vaccinated.

“Rabies, tetanus, western and eastern equine encephalomyelitis and West Nile Virus are the four core vaccines recommended for all horses by the American Association of Equine Practitioners

(veterinarians),” said Larry Hollis, extension veterinarian with K-State Research and Extension.

Rabies vaccination is recommended because people commonly put their hands in horses’ mouths when placing the bit in their mouth. They could be exposed and not realize their horse had rabies if it died and they didn't have the brain sent in and tested for rabies.

More information is available by contacting Hollis at 785-532-1246 or lhollis@ksu.edu.

Sooty Molds in Wheat Typically Cosmetic, But Can Make Harvest a Dirty Job

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Heavy late spring rains have triggered reports of sooty molds in wheat from eastern and central Kansas, according to Kansas State University plant pathologist Erick De Wolf. 

“In most situations sooty molds are considered to be a cosmetic problem and will not result in any reduction in yield,” said De Wolf, who specializes in wheat diseases for K-State Research and Extension. “However, if wet weather persists, the fungi can begin to colonize the kernels, resulting in small dark lesions known as black point. Black point symptoms can reduce grain quality.”

No management of sooty molds is possible or needed, he said. Fields with an abundance of sooty molds will make harvest operations a dirty job, because the black spores are disturbed and blown into the air by the combines. Individuals with severe mold allergies should take precautions to minimize exposure to the dust and spores produced during harvest.  

Symptoms of sooty mold include a dark olive green or black fungal growth on the heads of mature wheat. The small mold patches are superficial and randomly distributed on the glumes, chaff and awns. The fungi that cause sooty molds are common. They specialize in the decomposition of plant debris and are often among the first to colonize the dead tissues of mature plants.

“Interestingly,” De Wolf said, “the distribution of sooty molds can provide insights into other production problems that were previously unidentified. For example, when sooty mold is found in patches within a field it suggests that these plants matured earlier and have weathered longer than the other areas of the field. Clearly, many things can cause wheat to mature early including standing water, dry soil conditions, fertility problems, or diseases such as barley yellow dwarf. In many cases, plants that matured early will have smaller kernels. In most cases, however, the sooty mold was not responsible for the reductions in grain fill, but is simply an indicator of other earlier problems.” 

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