If you read the headlines about the multitude of Food recalls over the last several months, it is becoming more apparent that our regulatory agencies may not be able to prevent various outbreaks of bacteria that could lead to safety issues across the country.

Salmonella is a group of bacteria that live in the intestinal tracts of humans, animals and even birds. Food that has been tainted will usually have no visible signs of being contaminated and look and smell normal.

Eating raw unwashed foods can spread the bacteria which is why people should not eat raw or undercooked eggs, poultry, or meat. Even though you do not intentionally eat raw eggs, they may be found in some of the foods you eat at your typical restaurant or at home without even thinking about it. These foods could include homemade Hollandaise sauce, Caesar dressing, tiramisu, homemade ice cream and cookie dough.

Cross-contamination is a common way many people ingest the bacteria. Having uncooked meats or poultry sit away from raw vegetables and fruit will help avoid this issue. When cutting meats, use a separate cutting board and utensils when dicing vegetables. Wash hands often and do not wipe off the counter with towels tainted with the liquid from meat packaging and then dry dishes.

As a way to minimize exposure from outside food sources, some are adopting the strategy of growing their own food to combat this issue. Not only does this help in saving money toward sky rocketing food costs but overall health and safety issues are becoming the forefront of our daily lives.

If you refer to the the FDA's web pages (FDA.GOV), you will see that there have been several recalls over the past two years that seem to question the safety of our national food supplies.

Salmonella in peanuts or pistachios, botulism in canned green beans or E-Coli in leaf spinach are some of the many issues that have reached the headlines with more to come as the nation becomes more aware of the cracks in our regulatory agencies and their ability to keep us safe.

Each individual needs to become more aware of this expanding problem and take into account the safety of themselves and their families that consume these potentially dangerous foods. Creating your own garden in the back yard may not sustain all your food needs, but as you begin to reduce your dependency on external food sources, you begin to reduce the risk of contracting food poisoning from these very real threats.

If you do not have a large plot of land to plan your home based garden, there are smaller alternatives that can provide a creative smaller scale approach to this issue. Hanging tomato, pepper or strawberry gardens can be added to the back patio as a source of fresh fruits and vegetables. You can also grow indoor herbs and vegetable gardens using units specifically designed to provide artificial sunlight and hydroponic technologies.

In summary, if you are concerned about the various issues that threaten your family's health, you may want to consider adopting a "do it yourself" attitude to combat the continuing threats to your food supply.