This is such a hard thing to address, probably because there are iffy things put out there in the media that change from day to day. There's one organization that I don't guess I'll name because they come out with so many ridiculous, obvious "revelations" (i.e., the extra pseudo butter on movie popcorn is fattening. That if all you eat at Chinese restaurants is deep-fried pork with a sugary sauce, deep fried egg rolls, etc, it isn't healthy? It seems every few years this organization comes out with a new healthy risk that strikes me as so obvious that all I can hope is that they aren't getting millions in grants from my money!
A few years ago a friend refused to eat some sauteed greens I served, because of the spinach scare. I looked at him and said, this isn't bagged spinach, from Mexico or California or anywhere else. It is from right over there in my garden, I grew it from seed, harvested it myself, had a good year and used no fertilizer or insecticide, washed it and my hands. But still, I don't think he ate greens for something like two years. Sometimes a little common sense is in order.
No one has gotten sick from my table, and I'm not paranoid about every food safety revelation that comes out. I do have friends with immunity problems, and some with stomach cancer/diverticulitis. If I can cook without them getting sick then common sense obviously rules the day.
A comic (I chose to laugh at it) is that I like my beef anywhere from rare to raw. I would never, and I do men NEVER impose that choice on anyone else. I'll take my chances. But when I cook for others, I ask, and if they're in the "cook it until it looks gray" camp, I buy two pieces, or slice theirs off and cook it some more (if it is a roast). Do you know what happens, every danged time? After everyone else has taken their beef, my husband and I go to get ours, and it is gone. GONE. Everyone who swears they cannot stomach beef that is even remotely pink, grab our red meat and eat seconds. When we go to get our meal (or the platter is passed to us) there isn't a drop of pink to be found!
I do think there is a bit of panic mode out there. The food that has given me the most trouble in recent years has been restaurant salads. Don't know if it is part of the harvesting process or the personal habits of the "salad chefs". I've never been sick-sick, but have had an uncomfortable night or weekend. I notice that a lot of the food problems are from prepared foods -- pre-made hamburger patties, fast food, and the aforementioned prepared salads in restaurants. Just an interesting observation.
