It seems not a day goes by without some report of a foodborne outbreak or recall. In the last month alone, there have been 30 recall notices from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, many of which highlight microbial contamination. The problem is so common the government has a Food Illness Outbreak Response Protocol in place to deal with the continual threat.

Several different bacteria and viruses have the potential to contaminate food, yet two species seem to dominate the headlines these days. They are listeria and salmonella. For decades, these two species have been the root of many outbreaks in Canada leading to numerous illnesses and deaths. Yet, how exactly these two culprits manage to get past the manufacturing process — which includes pathogen-killing steps — has been a mystery.

Now, a team of British researchers may have solved this microbiological riddle. They have discovered the two bacterial species possess an ingenious method to stick around on foods after decontamination and to avoid detection. The results may force public health officials to re-think the current methods for surveillance to ensure a safer food supply.

The team wanted to know whether these species were taking on a different type of living during the manufacturing process, specifically the decontamination step. It’s known as the Viable-But-Nonculturable — or VBNC — state. As the name implies, the bacteria are alive, but they do not grow to high enough numbers to form colonies on a petri plate. Certain bacteria adopt this state when the environment is threatening and they need to protect themselves instead of forming large communities. If these two bacteria types were capable of using this phenomenon, it could answer the question regarding how outbreaks could occur even with proper processing.

The researchers focused on a common source for the bacterial species, spinach. It’s one of the more hardy leafy greens and known to be involved in outbreaks. About 50 million bacteria were added to the leaves and allowed to incubate for a day. Then the samples were sent through a decontamination step similar to those done in processing plants. The leaves were washed with a chlorine solution — similar to diluted bleach — for two minutes, a time usually long enough to kill most bacteria, and then analyzed the results. If any bacteria survived, the group determined if they were in their normal or VBNC state.

Not surprisingly, the team found VBNC bacteria after the washing step. But rather than a fraction of the surviving bacteria choosing this state, the group realized all of the bacteria switched within two minutes of exposure to levels of chlorine normally used in food processing. The team confirmed this by attempting to grow the bacteria on petri plates. As expected, no colonies formed. The bacteria had evaded the standard method for surveillance.

The discovery was troubling enough but the team wanted to make sure the VBNC bacteria could still cause infection. After all, even if bacteria survive the washing process, unless they can cause illness, the food still could be considered safe.

The experiment was done using a well-known model for determining bacterial pathogenicity. It’s a microscopic worm known as Caenorhabditis elegans, although most people just call it C. elegans. It has a hunger for bacteria and finds both Salmonella and Listeria tasty.

The VBNC bacteria were fed to the worms, who were then observed for any sign of infection. If the bacteria were still pathogenic, the worms would die quickly. They did. Some or all of the bacteria maintained their ability to cause infection.

As to how many bacteria were capable of causing infection, the team performed a comparable experiment using petri-plate-grown bacteria. There were no differences in the worms’ lifespans. The team showed both normal and VBNC states were pathogenic and could cause infections — and possibly outbreaks.

The ramifications of this study are fairly obvious, but they do need to be repeated and confirmed by wider labs. There’s little doubt the Canadian government also will be paying attention to this study. If VBNC bacteria really are the reason for the high number of food safety problems, the entire process of assuring food safety may need to be reviewed and possibly altered.

However, even if VBNC is the answer to food safety problems, don’t expect changes to occur quickly. Food manufacturing and processing facilities must follow regulations in order to be approved in Canada. Each food type has a different set of regulations for every step of the continuum from the farm to the consumer. Companies must invest heavily into compliance and any change in these regulations would be costly. A massive alteration such as the one suggested by this study would take years to implement.

Due to this reality, Canadians need to think more seriously about food safety at home. The best option to reduce the likelihood of illness from these two species is to wash these products with safe, clean water and give them a vigorous massage with your fingers. The friction and the running water can help to reduce the microbial levels up to 99 per cent. Just be sure to do this step before you cut any vegetable or fruit with a knife. Once that has happened, it’ll be impossible to get rid of all the bacteria.

How many times have you heard yourself say, “They’re just not my type”?

Whether you’re into bad boys, funny girls or your complete opposite, chances are you have some preferences when it comes to sex and relationships. Who you like is who you like, and that’s totally okay, but how do we know when our preferences cross the line into prejudices?

You may have heard people describe their type in physical terms: “I love tall guys” or “I’m really into redheads.”

But when someone says, “I don’t date Asians,” or “I’m only into skinny chicks,” that’s not a preference: that’s straight up discriminatory.

What you’re really saying is “this person is not attractive because they do not fit white, Western beauty standards.” You’re saying that you believe negative stereotypes are associated with this person’s appearance or culture.

This kind of exclusion works both ways.

Fetishization

If someone says they only date a certain race or body type, that’s fetishization. They’re objectifying people by reducing them to a sexual fantasy. While this sort of discrimination can apply to fat, disabled and trans and gender-nonconforming people, let’s use race as our main example.

Wanting to only date a specific race (a race that is not your own) defines people solely by their race, and also plays into stereotypes that there’s a specific way people of certain races are “supposed” to look or act. Implicit in this is the assumption that all people of a certain race look the same, which is obviously not true.

Desire turns into fetishization when someone views a person as “other” and therefore “exotic”; they regard dating that person as cool, mysterious or adventurous. It’s most definitely not flattering. In fact, it’s actually pretty gross.

Wanting to date someone solely because of physical attributes related to their race relies on harmful colonialist attitudes toward people of colour. If skin colour alone is enough to determine if you’re attracted to someone, it’s time to think about why.

Western pop culture’s role

While some preferences are unexplainable, favouring certain ethnicities or body types is often a learned cultural bias. Western pop culture celebrates a very narrow definition of beauty, one that is mostly white, thin, cis and able-bodied. Anyone that doesn’t fit that standard is excluded from our cultural definition of what is ideal or attractive.

If we’re not surrounded by diverse images of what normal humans look like, there’s little room for a more inclusive narrative of beauty.

As a white woman, I have to be careful to reflect on what shapes my “type.” One of my first serious partners was mixed, half black and half white. Do I find mixed black men attractive because I dated one, or did I date a mixed black man because I find them attractive? Questions like this are especially tricky when considering how colourism in pop culture favours light-skinned celebrities. Multiracial identities are also often subject to the legacy of the “one-drop rule,” categorizing mixed people as black instead of white, for example.

There’s no such thing as reverse racism

Conversely, many people of colour prefer to date only other people of colour, even more specifically, people of the same race. For example, one of my friends, a second generation Korean-Canadian, highly prefers to date East Asian men. For her, dating men as a feminist is hard enough. Dealing with racism on top of that is just too much. After dating a Chinese-Canadian, she realized how important it was to her to have a common cultural experience with her partner.

In the same way that reverse racism doesn’t exist, it’s not racist for a person of colour to only want to date another person of colour, because they’re not discriminating against people whom they have a history of oppressing.

There is a fine line between having a type and a fetish — so how do we find it?

Make sure that you’re looking at people, not stereotypes

Being attracted to certain traits is fine, but discounting an entire group of people? Not cool. There are so many amazing, multi-dimensional people out there who deserve to be appreciated for their full selves, not just one aspect of their identity.

This article was originally published on Bellesa.co

It’s safe to say Greater Toronto Area (GTA) residents have long been concerned with the price of housing, and according to a recent study, almost all of them are also worried young people won’t be able to afford to buy homes.

Ipsos poll data released this week by the Toronto Real Estate Board and the Building Industry and Land Development Association showed that the concern is highest among adults 35 and under.

Of those aged 18 to 35, 94 per cent of respondents said they’re concerned with the ability of today’s youth to afford a home in the GTA, compared to 84 per cent of respondents aged 35 to 54, and 80 per cent of those 55 and over.

Earlier: Not enough young Canadians to support high house prices: CMHC

Most residents also don’t think the GTA is well-prepared to provide housing for the new residents that settle there every year, though millennial respondents (aged 18 to 35) are the most optimistic, with 41 per cent believing it is, compared to less than a third of those aged 35 to 54 (31 per cent) and those over 55 (27 per cent).

Almost all respondents (92 per cent) agree that the dream of home ownership is becoming more difficult to achieve for young people living in the GTA.

In a news release about the study, TREB president Garry Bhaura said the hope is that the poll shows municipal decision-makers need to “start thinking about housing choice and supply” for GTA residents who want to own a home.

“The best public policy is proactive, not reactive,” Bhaura said.

Board CEO John DiMichele said in the release that the upcoming Toronto municipal election is an opportunity for the public to get candidates to commit to policies “that will make it easier to fill their housing needs.”

“GTA home buyers do not have adequate choice in housing available for sale or rent and municipal government policy is one of the key reasons,” DiMichele said.

A sample of 1,503 GTA residents from the Ipsos i-Say panel were interviewed from Aug. 23-28, 2018, with quotas and weighting employed to ensure the sample reflected the overall population according to census information. The results are accurate to within +/- 2.9 percentage points 19 times out of 20.

Are you looking to buy your first home? Join our new Facebook group “So You Want To Be A Homeowner” for advice, tips and more.

Also On HuffPost:

Funcom has announced a new Conan game.

Conan Unconquered is a strategy game developed by Petroglyph, the studio behind Star Wars: Empire at War, Grey Goo and the recently-announced Command & Conquer remasters. It’s due out during the second quarter of 2019.

Conan Unconquered is described as a “high-pace” strategy game where you face wave after wave of enemies in increasing numbers and difficulties. To defend, you have to build a stronghold, putting up walls and other defenses. You can summon massive avatar units, too.

It can be played single-player or in two-player co-op, with each player working together online to build a shared stronghold.

Here’s the official blurb:

“Similar to games such as They Are Billions, the enemy hordes will keep coming at you and how long you can resist the invasion depends entirely on your ability to build your stronghold and lead your army. Gameplay is real-time, but you can also pause at any time to issue commands and start construction of new buildings. Battles will be bloody and savage with players having to deal with anything from fires raging through their stronghold to piles of corpses spreading death and disease.”

You can unlock hero units, such as Conan himself, which have special abilities. Your army is made up of foot soldiers at first, but eventually you’ll get heavy cavalry, sorcerers and other powerful forces. You have to train your units and keep them fed and paid in order for them to grow.

As for your stronghold, you have to manage resources such as food, gold, wood and iron to fuel your expansion. You can build housing, temples and barracks, among others units. Defensive options include oil cauldrons.

Funcom has already released Conan Exiles. It’s now publishing Conan Unconquered, and is working on a single-player Conan game it’ll reveal at a later date.

SAULT STE MARIE, Ont. — Doug Ford won’t say whether he’ll march in Toronto’s annual Pride parade if elected Ontario premier, prompting his rivals to question the Tory leader’s support of the LGBTQ community.

Ford said Friday that he has not yet decided whether he will attend and participate in the event if he wins the June 7 vote.

“When I get elected we’ll sit down and we’ll make that decision,” the Progressive Conservative leader said at a campaign stop in Sault Ste Marie, Ont. “My main focus is the economy, is making sure we create jobs and have this province thrive. I am zoned in on that.”

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said Ford’s indecision sends a message.

“The perception of (Ford’s) message is that he’s not interested in supporting that community,” said Horwath, who has marched in the summer event. “That’s something he’s going to have to answer to.”

Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne compared Ford’s refusal to say whether or not he would attend Pride to his refusal to release a fully costed election platform, saying Ford seemed to be trying to say as little as possible.

“It would be great if all of us agreed that inclusion and acceptance of difference was what we believed in and we shared that value system,” Wynne said.

“I don’t know what Doug Ford thinks about the Pride parade, I don’t know what he thinks about a lot of things. But … as a member of the lesbian, gay, bi community I can tell you it’s important to have political leaders acknowledge that differences are OK and we can take pride in those differences.”

Ford, a former Toronto city councillor, has made controversial remarks about the Pride parade before, describing it in 2014 as an event where “middle-aged men with pot bellies” ran down the street “buck naked.”

At the time, Ford also accused critics of labelling him as homophobic because he didn’t attend the event.

“I think it’s good for tourism,” Doug Ford said in 2014 on a YouTube show he made with his brother, late former Toronto mayor Rob Ford. “But don’t try to put a gun to anyone’s head that disagrees with you. It doesn’t mean that they hate gays.”

Rob Ford, courted controversy by never attending the Pride parade during his time in office, saying once that the event conflicted with a scheduled family weekend at the cottage.

When Doug Ford ran for mayor of Toronto in the fall of 2014 he said he would attend and march in the Pride parade.

On Friday, he stressed he had not made up his mind on attending the colourful event.

“Reducing taxes, reducing hydro rates, putting money back into the people’s pocket. That’s my main focus for the next six days,” he said.

Former Progressive Conservative leader Patrick Brown became the first Tory leader to head an official delegation in the parade in 2015. During his tenure, Brown said often that he was building a “modern, inclusive” Tory party.

It was a move that angered some social conservatives who helped him, as they helped Ford just a few months ago, to win the party leadership.

Imagine being so rich you can lose US$37 billion (C$48.6 billion) and not even feel it.

That’s the boat Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos is in, after Amazon stocks tanked over the past several days following unimpressive earnings at the world’s largest online retailer.

Since Amazon warned last Thursday that it may see weak sales this holiday season, shares have dropped to around US$1,520 from a peak of US$1,787 last week, down about 15 per cent.

As Amazon’s largest shareholder, Bezos saw his net worth drop by US$19.6 billion in just the first two trading days of the week, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. It’s the largest loss of wealth ever recorded in that data set.

Fear is gripping the stock markets these days, and jittery investors have been dumping the stocks of tech companies that don’t exceed or at least match expectations.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq stock index has lost 12 per cent since the start of October, well into “correction” territory. Bezos himself is US$37 (C$48.6 billion) billion poorer than he was at the start of the month, Bloomberg’s data shows.

But he probably isn’t freaking out. Even after the stock price drop, he remains the world’s richest person, with a net worth of US$128 billion. He’s about US$28 billion richer than he was a year ago.

So don’t feel too badly for Bezos — and don’t fret over visiting your local bricks-and-mortar retailer. Amazon will be just fine.

Can’t stand the heat? Get out of the kitchen and head outside to your grill. It’s time to give your stove and oven a break; what better way to celebrate summer than by inviting family and friends over for a good ‘ol backyard get-together.

It doesn’t take much to get us fired up about BBQ season. Whether you’re keeping it simple with our Grilled Swordfish, getting saucy with our Grilled Chicken Teriyaki, or spicing things up with our Chipotle Burger with Creamy Coleslaw, everyone loves a finger-licking backyard barbecue.

So don’t delay; fire it up and satisfy their barbecue cravings with these delicious recipes.

Grilled Asian Tuna Burgers

Try this easy and delicious Asian Tuna Burger recipe. Topped with a spicy wasabi mayonnaise, this tasty tuna burger will give you plenty to bite in to.

Grilled Beef Satay With Peanut Sauce

Whether you’re eating yakitori in Japan, shish kebab in Turkey or chuanr in China, there is a universal caveman-thrill from eating meat off a stick. Looking for inspiration, we bypassed the North American corn dog. Aromatic lemongrass and smooth peanut sauce lend our easy beef satay full-bodied flavour.

Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich

This Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich is one very mouthwatering reason to get fired up about BBQ season. A soaring, sky-high sandwich, toasted rye bread is slathered in homemade Russian dressing and layered with juicy, lime-marinated grilled chicken, creamy avocado, ripe tomatoes and crispy bacon.

Lemon Dill Grilled Chicken

You’re never going to mind the “Guess-who’s-coming-to-dinner?” question again. Nope, this Lemon Dill Grilled Chicken is quickly going to become your dependable, delicious and easy “old faithful” in your recipe repertoire, a simple yet hugely flavorful grilled chicken that has been marinated in a zesty lemon, lime, dill and dijon mixture.

Grilled Chicken Teriyaki

Our mission is to make your life easier, and that’s why we’re giving you this simple Grilled Chicken Teriyaki recipe. Why then are we telling you how to make teriyaki sauce from scratch versus buying it? You’ll never achieve the lustrous teri (sheen) when you yaki (grill) with preservative-laden bottled versions. Our perfectly balanced easy and delicious sauce is a tasty payoff for 10 minutes’ work.

Chipotle Burger With Creamy Coleslaw

If you can stand the heat and want to get out of the kitchen, it’s time to go outside and get grilling these fiery fantastic Chipotle Burgers. Infused with smoky chipotle peppers, adobo sauce and cumin, these tasty beef burgers are topped with a kickin’ creamy coleslaw and a spicy special sauce. Yes Siree, spice up your life and bring on the heat with these easy and delicious Southwestern-style burgers!

Grilled Swordfish With Olive Relish

Open secret. Free gift. Tight slacks. All oxymorons. If you’d add “meaty fish” to the list, think again. Mild and firm swordfish is both hearty and filling. Why else would it be sold as “steaks”? Move aside, beef. Straight off the grill, topped with an aromatic, bold relish of olives and capers – this swordfish is terribly good.

Balsamic Grilled Vegetables

Stuck for the perfect side dish? Can’t get your family to eat their vegetables? We’ve got a healthy and simple solution: fire up the barbecue. These balsamic and olive oil-marinated peppers, zucchini and portobello mushrooms are grilled to perfection and then stacked and served with a fresh rosemary sprig.

Grilled Cola Chicken

When the kids ask, “What’s for dinner?” you’ve now got the answer that’s guaranteed to get cheers: Cola Chicken. Easy to prepare and quick to disappear, this sweet and savory BBQ chicken is a hit every time. What are you waiting for? Fire up the grill!

Teriyaki Flank Steak Recipe

What’s for dinner? This simple and delicious Teriyaki Flank Steak, a lean cut of beef marinated in Asian flavours, grilled to juicy perfection and topped with an easy homemade teriyaki sauce.