How do the experts outsmart food-borne bugs at home?

• "I use a meat thermometer and annoy my family by making them use one, too," says Chris Waldrop of Consumer Federation of America. "It's the only way to be sure your meat and poultry are cooked to the proper temperature."

• "I buy my salad greens whole," says Michael Doyle, Ph.D., of the University of Georgia's Center for Food Safety. "If there are germs in bagged salad, it's almost impossible to rinse them all out." Instead, he buys heads of lettuce, removes the outer leaves and rinses the inner ones thoroughly.

• "I check labels for the country of origin," says Waldrop. As of last March, food products are required to carry stickers or labels that tell where they came from. "If I hear there's an outbreak from, say, Mexican green onions, I can buy products from another country instead," Waldrop explains.

• "I eat probiotic yogurt," says Labuza. Some research suggests that probiotics, or good bacteria, may help protect the stomach against nasty bugs.

— Fitness Magazine

FESTIVAL THEME IS SELF-DEFENSE

Girl Fest Hawaii, the annual all-volunteer nonprofit festival working to prevent violence against women and girls, will return to Honolulu for its sixth year. The event has set its dates, and will be held Nov. 7 to 14.

Girl Fest features film, art, spoken word, music and other performances and speakers. This year's theme is self-defense.

For more information, go to www.girlfesthawaii.org.

— Advertiser Staff