Page 16 - Ft. Huachuca Scout 6-19-15

1B The Scout
Bear this in mind — avoid feeding wildlife on post
By Lindsey Troutman
ENRD
Arizona is black bear country although
their fur can be a variety of colors, and
bears can be found in many locations
statewide.
Those who enjoy the outdoors and
regularly hike the mountain trails, should
remember that bears, like people, need the
essentials to live — food, water and shel-
ter. Being omnivores, they will eat a wide
variety of items including berries, nuts,
grasses, small animals and carrion. They
can sometimes be seen near ponds either
drinking or swimming.
As with many animals, curiosity is a
normal behavior exhibited by black bears,
and they can be curious about people.
Those who see them can enjoy a sighting
from a distance but if people see one, they pear larger. Do not run — keep your eyes
should leave the area within a short time
to avoid an unpleasant bear encounter.
Commissaries remind patrons to handle food items safely
By Kevin Robinson
DeCA Public Affairs Specialist
FORT LEE, Va. — Food safety is a
group hug, when you consider everyone
who has a role in protecting consumers
from foodborne illnesses.
For the Defense Commissary Agency,
that process begins where the food origi-
nates and continues all the way to the
store shelf. However, with summer and
barbecue season in full swing, DeCA is
reminding its patrons that they also play
a significant role to “Be Food Safe” at
home.
“From the store to their kitchen table,
our patrons should ‘Be Food Safe’against
potential harmful bacteria,” said Army
Col. Michael Buley, DeCA’s director of
public health and safety.
Every day a network of military and
Civilian food safety specialists are en-
gaged in a multitiered inspection process
designed to safeguard commissary prod-
ucts from any potential security and sani-
tation problems. That entire process can
be undone if commissary patrons don’t
pay attention to the basic principles of
Chances of a bear becoming aggressive
when a human is present will usually be
low, but may increase the closer a person
gets or the longer he or she is present.
Usually, a bear will be startled by hu-
man presence and leave the area. A fe-
male with cubs will be more protective
and may exhibit behavior that humans
may perceive as aggressive, defensive or
dominant. Defensive behavior includes
huffing, jaw popping, direct eye contact,
swatting and bluffing or charging. When
a bear displays these behaviors it is trying them to find. This includes garbage, pet
to establish a hierarchy of dominance to
avoid physical confrontation and is con-
sidered normal bear behavior.
If a bear gets defensive, stay calm. To
deter the animal, make loud noises such as
yelling, and whistling. Make yourself look
as large as possible by waving your arms.
If wearing a jacket, spread it open to ap-
on the bear and back away slowly. Many
“Be Food Safe,” said Richard Stith, De-
CA’s lead consumer safety officer.
“Food safety isn’t just about cooking
temperatures,” Stith said. “It’s the entire
process from ‘Farm to Fork,’ which in-
cludes how you as a consumer treat your
food once purchased until it’s served at
the table.
“If you have several stops to make
while you’re out shopping — like the
exchange, the gas station and the medi-
cal clinic — do that before you hit the
commissary to decrease the risks of
temperature abusing your food, which
increases the probability of dangerous
microbial growth that can turn into a
foodborne illness,” he added. “Once
you purchase your perishable items, re-
member to keep cold items cold and hot
foods hot.”
The “Be Food Safe” message of
‘clean, separate, cook and chill’ are the
foundation of a patron’s food safety de-
fense at home, Stith said. The Centers for
Disease Control and the U.S. Department
of Agriculture-Food Safety Inspection
Service recommend the following safe
handling techniques:
bears will view you as dominant and leave
the area.
While there have been no bear attacks
in recent Fort Huachuca history, if a bear
does attack, defend yourself.
Black bears often wander into Fort
Huachuca housing areas as these lie in
the backyard of their habitat. Residents
should take preventative measures to en-
sure bears do not stick around. The main
one is to not leave food of any kind for
food, bird seed, food intentionally set out
by humans and even small pets left out-
doors.
Bears are most likely to wander into
post housing areas between dusk and
dawn. Ensure that potential food items
are brought indoors during this time.
Store garbage cans inside the garage as
their various smells can potentially attract
bears. The most effective way to keep
bears out of garbage cans is to store them
Clean
Wash hands with warm soapy water
for 20 seconds before and after handling
raw meat, poultry or seafood. Wash uten-
sils, cutting boards, dishes and counter-
tops with hot soapy water after preparing
each food item and before you go on to
prepare the next item. Food contact sur-
faces may be sanitized with a freshly
made solution of one tablespoon of un-
scented, liquid chlorine bleach in one gal-
lon of water.
Separate
Separate raw meat, poultry, and sea-
food from other foods in your grocery
shopping cart and in your refrigerator. If
possible, use one cutting board for fresh
produce and a separate one for raw meat,
poultry and seafood. Never place cooked
food on a plate that previously held raw
meat, poultry or seafood.
Cook
Cook poultry to a safe minimum in-
ternal temperature of 165°F as measured
with a food thermometer. This should be
done when using the barbecue, as well.
FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2015
inside the garage until trash pick-up day.
Do not feed wildlife — it is illegal.
When bears are both intentionally and
unintentionally fed they will target that
location as an easy place to find food, cre-
ating a potentially dangerous situation for
people.
For general questions about wildlife,
call the Environmental and Natural Re-
sources Division at 520.678.8112. Those
who believe a bear poses a possible
danger to public safety should call the
Military Police Station at 520.533.2181.
Reported bears will be observed for con-
tinual aggressive behavior. If a bear is
found to be a danger to public safety it
will be either relocated or euthanized.
Most relocated bears will return to the
area it was taken from, or die trying to
survive.
A fed bear is a dead bear. Be bear aware
and take the necessary precautions to not
attract them.
Chill
Chill food promptly and properly.
Refrigerate or freeze perishables, pre-
pared foods and leftovers within two
hours (or one hour if temperatures are
above 90°F). This is especially impor-
tant for foods such as potato salad which
contains mayonnaise or other items that
spoil easily.
“Prevention of foodborne illnesses
never stops,” Buley said. “It’s a collective
effort from start to finish. Our patrons
have a crucial role in safeguarding their
health once they leave the commissary
and take their groceries home.”
For more food safety information,
visit http://www.commissaries.com and
choose “News & Info” then “Food Safe-
ty” from the dropdown menu. You can
also choose “Links” then “Health/Food
Safety” to see a list of websites on the lat-
est health and safety reports and informa-
tion from other agencies.
To find the latest food safety alerts and
product recalls affecting military com-
missaries, visit http://www.commissar-
ies.com and click on the “Food & Prod-
uct Recalls” box on the front page.