Graduate student Michele Samarya-Timm admits there are those who consider
her "a bit paranoid" when it comes to cleanliness. She counters,
however, that her preoccupation is predicated on a health education background
that has focused on food safety.
The consumer concern Samarya-Timm refers to as her passion got some healthy recognition in March when she won the gold medal in the world's only international hand-washing competition.
Sponsored by Kimberly-Clark during a Food Safety Summit in Washington, D.C. attended by more than 1,300 people, the event drew industry professionals who competed to see how well they could remove doses of artificial germs from their hands. Upon completion, hands were inspected under UV light and judges scored each hand wash from one to 100. Samarya-Timm scored a perfect germ-free 100.
A health inspector for Franklin Township in Somerset County, Samarya-Timm says she does a lot of one-on-one training in her job.
"The problem of contamination is a growing one," she said. "Even though people are more aware than they once were of the risk of salmonella and other forms of food poisoning, we have to be concerned about the safety of the food we eat. Consumers need to know there is danger lurking in food--from farm to table."
The hand-washing champion visits fast food restaurants to talk with employees and customers about misconceptions that could lead to health risks. "Many people wash their hands routinely and neglect important hazards, such as dirt that clings to the crevices around rings, under fingernails or between fingers," she explained. "We need more public education to alert people about risks."
The Food Safety Summit, featuring keynoter U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ann Venneman, included more than 100 exhibiting companies demonstrating technologies to detect e-coli, salmonella, listeria and other microbes, as well as methods of cleaning, sanitizing and pasteurizing through steam systems, ozone devices and food irradiation.
"Understandably, many people reacted as if the competition were frivolous," Samarya-Timm said. "But that's OK because it gave me an opportunity to promote the importance of cleanliness to food safety. I did a number of radio interviews after getting the award and I found that once people are informed of the risks, they become interested in what they can do to avoid them."