Latest news with #Shumaker
Buzz Feed
a day ago
- Health
- Buzz Feed
Avoid These Foods At Your Hotel's Breakfast Buffet
Most food lovers agree that when you're on vacation, one of the perks of staying at a hotel is the free continental breakfast or breakfast buffet included with your visit. On the other hand, one of the biggest setbacks you can have on a vacation is being relegated to the bathroom after you've contracted a foodborne illness. And food that's been sitting out all morning can be at high risk of potential bacteria contamination, so it's important to know which items are safe to eat — and which you may want to skip. 'There are two main factors I think about … that can increase [the] risk of getting foodborne illness,' explained Dr. Ellen Shumaker, director of outreach for the Safe Plates program at North Carolina State University. '[Those are] temperature control of foods [and] … other guests potentially contaminating utensils or food due to lack of handwashing.' A lot of the time you can't taste the difference when food is contaminated, so it's key to know what to look out for ahead of time. 'There's a number of different microorganisms [that can contaminate food and] can prove to be pathogenic or produce toxins,' said Dr. Bryan Quoc Le, food scientist and food science consultant. 'For example, [with] certain species of E. coli, salmonella or listeria, you only need a couple cells to really cause havoc.' We talked to food safety experts about what they usually avoid at a hotel breakfast — and what they feel comfortable eating and drinking. 'Hot foods [should be] staying hot, and cold foods [should be] staying cold,' Shumaker said. '[This helps to] avoid … the temperature danger zone where bacteria like to grow.' When foods are left out in the 'danger zone' (between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit) for more than two hours, germs that make you sick can rapidly reproduce, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And in a buffet or continental breakfast setting, food is likely sitting out longer than that. If you see sausage patties, bacon, scrambled eggs, quiches or other meat and egg products sitting out without any heating appliance, you're going to want to skip those. These types of foods should be kept warm with a device such as a hot plate or chafing dish, Shumaker explained. 'This does not give the exact temperature, of course, but is an indicator that measures are being taken to keep food in a safe temperature range,' she said. 'If there's milk that's been sitting around and it's not on ice or hasn't been refrigerated, that's certainly something that I'm planning on avoiding,' Le said. You're going to want to make sure perishable items (like yogurt, cheeses and deli meats) are kept cold and stay out of the temperature 'danger zone.' Some precut fruits and veggies (like tomatoes, leafy greens and melon) also should be chilled because 'when cut, the fleshy part … has the level of moisture and pH to allow bacteria that can cause illness to grow,' according to Shumaker. As for juices, both fresh and pasteurized should be cold. Since fresh juice isn't pasteurized, it's at a higher risk for growing harmful bacteria when left out at room temperature. Shelf-stable juice packaged in boxes, bottles or cans don't need to be refrigerated, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Individually wrapped creamers and butter packets also don't need to be kept cold. These types of creamers have been treated to kill off bacteria, and the salt in the butter helps it maintain shelf stability, Shumaker explained. While Le generally eats from the salad bar if it looks clean and fresh, he pays attention to signs that the fruits and veggies aren't being properly handled. For example, if they have soft edges or if there's any dirt or other material on the surfaces, this could indicate that they're old or haven't been thoroughly washed. Melons, like cantaloupes, can be particularly risky because people often don't wash the rinds, he said. If the rind is damaged and there's bacteria on it, it can spread to the inside part of the melon. It can also cross-contaminate other fruits or veggies it touches. 'Fresh vegetables that are normally picked from the ground, like a lettuce or a cabbage … can pick up dirt quite a bit and then spread that … if they haven't been washed carefully,' Le added. 'Dirt can … start to produce a number of different microorganisms.' Raw sprouts (such as alfalfa or mung bean) should be avoided, Shumaker explained. They're grown from seeds and beans under warm, humid conditions, which are ideal for the growth of E. coli, salmonella and listeria, according to the FDA. 'If just a few harmful bacteria are present in or on the seed, the bacteria can grow to high levels during sprouting.' Sure, that tray of fruit may look appetizing — until you notice there's no serving utensil for it and people are touching it with their bare hands. If they haven't washed their hands after using the restroom, coughing or blowing their nose, they could be contaminating the other food on the plate, Shumaker said. When you do use serving utensils or shared condiments that a lot of other people are touching, you want to make sure your hands are clean before picking up the food on your plate. 'Other guests may have hands that have not been washed thoroughly after using the restroom or … have been in their mouths for their finger-licking first course,' said Dr. Jonathan Deutsch, professor of culinary arts and science at Drexel University. 'I always try to sanitize my hands between making my plate and sitting down to eat.' Norovirus, known as the 'stomach bug,' is the most likely culprit to be transferred from unclean hands to utensils and surfaces. 'If not cleaned and sanitized, norovirus can persist on surfaces for weeks,' Shumaker said. Making sure food and beverages are served at the appropriate temperature and washing your hands before eating are two of the most important guidelines. There are a few other items experts say are safest to consume. 'I'm going to trust [packaged foods, like muffins or individual yogurts] more just because there's a lot of processes that are involved to make sure that [they] are kept safe,' Le said. '[And] no one's touching them or handling them.' Deutsch said whole fruits that haven't been cut (like bananas or oranges), cooked-to-order options like omelets, and cereal in a dispenser (wash your hands after touching the handle) are also usually safe bets, particularly if you're immunocompromised. For people who are at a higher risk of food poisoning (weakened immune system, pregnant, aged 65 and older, or younger than 5), they should especially be aware of options that are safer to eat and what to avoid. While anyone can get food poisoning, individuals in these groups could get severely sick from it, according to the CDC. Do your research — and follow your gut. Besides the above safety guidelines, you can also check out inspection reports for restaurants and hotels. (They are usually publicly available in the United States and many other countries, according to Deutsch.) And when you're eating out at a restaurant or hotel, 'don't be afraid to ask questions regarding how food has been handled,' Deutsch said. 'And follow your gut — if you see something that's questionable or if you have a health condition that makes you particularly vulnerable, pack some protein bars.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Golden Gators: Florida softball's Falby, Erickson Gold Glovers again, Shumaker earns top honor
OKLAHOMA CITY — Taylor Shumaker has made history all season for Florida softball. In her maiden voyage with the Gators, she set not only freshman records, but also overall program records. Tuesday night, on the sport's biggest stage, she added one more, and it was more prestigious one of all. Advertisement Shumaker was named the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Freshman of the Year on Tuesday in Oklahoma City – two days before the Gators kick off the WCWS vs. Texas. Shumaker became the second freshman to claim the award for the Gators – joining Amanda Lorenz. Lorenz, a UF legend, grew up in Moorpark in Southern California, not far from Shumaker's hometown of Fullerton. The two played in many of the same AAU circuits. She currently sits at 23 home runs and 86 RBIs. Both of those tie program records. For home runs, she ties with Brittany Schutte in 2011, and RBIs with Jocelyn Erickson last season. During Florida's pre-WCWS press conference Wednesday, Shumaker touched on what the experience of OKC has been like. Advertisement 'It's all really surreal. It's crazy to think I'm here after watching it for so many years,' Shumaker said. 'It's an unreal venue, so many amazing softball fans. We're growing the game we have been playing since we were five, six years old.' Shumaker wasn't the only Gator to leave Wednesday with hardware. Kendra Falby and Erickson made history by going back-to-back with Gold Gloves, becoming just the second and third player to do so. Falby was a no brainer. She awed players, coaches and fans alike with a new home run-stealing catch almost every week. This season, though, came with the new honor of All-American as she was named a second teamer – the first of her career. The speedster said she credits her teammates more than anyone for her success. Advertisement 'The numbers that I've been able to put up when it comes to runs wouldn't be any help without Jocelyn and Taylor Shumaker and like the list goes on,' Falby said. 'It's really thanks to my teammates and pushing me every single day.' Erickson credited outfielders like Falby for pushing her. Falby, along with fellow outfielders Shumaker and Korbe Otis, have mentioned how competitive the outfielders are in practice. Erickson said that mantra rubs off on the rest of the team. 'Our team feeds off of each other. When the outfield makes insane plays, like when Kendra robs a home run, it just makes me want to be so much better,' Erickson said. 'Having teammates around you that want to push you to be your best is honestly surreal.' In total, Shumaker was named as a first team All-American by the NFCA, and Falby and Mia Williams were named second team. Advertisement Florida begins its WCWS journey vs. Texas at 12 p.m. ET from Devon Park in Oklahoma City. Noah Ram covers Florida Gators athletics and Gainesville-area high school sports for The Gainesville Sun, and the USA TODAY Network. Contact him at nram@ Follow him on X @Noah_ram1. Read his coverage of the Gators' national championship basketball season in 'CHOMP-IONS!' — a hardcover coffee-table collector's book from The Sun. Details at This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida softball's Kendra Falby, Jocelyn Erickson, Taylor Shumaker win awards
USA Today
26-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Florida softball beats Georgia Bulldogs in Super Regionals, advances to WCWS
Florida softball beats Georgia Bulldogs in Super Regionals, advances to WCWS The Florida softball program earned its second-straight trip to the Women's College World Series on Sunday with a win over the Georgia Bulldogs in Game 3 of the 2025 Super Regionals, 5-2, inside Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. It will also be the Orange and Blue's 13th appearance in the WCWS over the past two decades spanning coach Tim Walton's tenure in Gainesville. Freshman outfielder Taylor Shumaker hit the second of Florida's two fifth-inning home runs — her 22nd of the season — tying the single-season school record for both homers and RBI to help catapult the third-seeded Gators into the next phase of the postseason. She will make her first appearance in Oklahoma City touting a .389 batting average this season. Senior shortstop Rylee Holtorf smacked a two-run shot before Shumaker's dinger, marking a pivotal moment in the game. Prior to her going yard, Florida's offense had scored just two runs through 11 2/3 frames over the previous two games and had left 23 runners on base. Sophomore hurler Keagan Rothrock threw all seven frames for her 16th win this season, holding the 'Dawgs to two runs (one earned) on four hits and a walk while striking out five with 94 pitches. She worked with a lead all game long and was only bitten only at the very end of her outing by a two-run dinger. With the win, the Gators improved to 7-1 all-time in Super Regional Game 3s, with all but one of those series coming at home. Tim Walton's opening statement "Congratulations to Georgia on an outstanding postseason run. (They) gave us a run for our money, that's for sure. Nothing was easy at all this whole entire weekend. A lot of respect for what they do. Tony Baldwin and his staff work really hard and I know what that feeling is like, so hats off to them," Walton began. "I couldn't be more proud of not just these two up here, but my entire team, program and staff for working really hard and staying focused on the goal; the goal is getting to the College World Series. Now we have to re-assess our goals and get ready in a short period of time for the College World Series. Just really proud and thankful too for our crowd. Our crowd did a fantastic job, not just this weekend, but the entire season," he continued. "Obviously, the attendance was fantastic. We decided to play three games so we could increase our revenue for postseason, so it was an awesome run for us. We sold a lot of beer and concessions and made it interesting, made everybody stay to the end, so thanks to everybody for sticking with us." Tim Walton on Shumaker's performance "If she would have taken the collar today, she would have been 0-fer for the series. That's never happened for her, I would imagine. But she had four walks in the first game. I don't think that frustrated her. Just the fact that she had so many opportunities to deliver (on Saturday) that she didn't, she came out today and put the work in. I wake up this morning to a text message that she was hitting already," Walton noted. "She's a worker, not a talker. The more we can get work and more swings and watch the ball flight, the better she gets." Rylee Holtorf on her clutch home run "Going into the at-bat, it wasn't the best series, best weekend [for me], but we talked all year about the pitch that matters now is most important. Just being in the moment and knowing my teammates have my back. Keagan was pitching a really good game. We were getting people on base, so doing it for the Gators, together, is what we were all trying to do." Kendra Falby on top of order capitalizing "That's how it's been all year. Rylee has been turning the lineup all year, then with me giving it to Taylor. It was a little slow, but when we go we go – and in that inning, we went. For sure. That home run was huge and I was so glad she was able to do that today." Next up for Florida softball The Gators open the WCWS Thursday against sixth-seeded Texas Longhorns, who defeated the Clemson Tigers in their three-game Austin Super Regional. The game will be the first of the of the double-elimination tournament, with a start time of noon ET on ESPN. The Longhorns took two of three from the Gators in their regular-season Southeastern Conference series at Gainesville, with UT winning the first two games 7-2 and 13-7, and UF winning the third 3-1. Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
Hamilton Spectator
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Taylor Shumaker, Keagan Rothrock help Florida beat Georgia 5-2, advance to WCWS
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Taylor Shumaker had three hits and three RBIs — including a two-run home run in the fifth inning — and Keagan Rothrock pitched a complete game on Sunday to help Florida beat Georgia 5-2 to win the best-of-three Gainesville Super Regional and clinch a berth in the Women's College World Series. No. 3 seed Florida (48-15) will make its second consecutive trip to the WCWS and its 13th since 2008. Rothrock (16-6) gave up two runs — one earned — on four hits with a walk and five strikeouts. Kendra Falby drew a lead-off walk in the first inning, stole second and then scored when Shumaker hit a single up the middle. Ava Brown walked on four consecutive pitches to lead off the fifth inning and scored when Rylee Holtorf hit a two-out two-run homer. Falby followed with a bunt single before Shumaker hit the seventh pitch of the at-bat over the wall in right field to give the Gators a 5-0 lead. Tyler Ellison reached on an error to lead off the seventh and Jaydyn Goodwin followed with a home run that made it 5-2. The game was delayed about an hour in the middle of the fourth due to lightning in the area. Georgia (35-23) beat the Gators 2-1 on Saturday to avoid elimination. ___ AP college sports:
Winnipeg Free Press
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Taylor Shumaker, Keagan Rothrock help Florida beat Georgia 5-2, advance to WCWS
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Taylor Shumaker had three hits and three RBIs — including a two-run home run in the fifth inning — and Keagan Rothrock pitched a complete game on Sunday to help Florida beat Georgia 5-2 to win the best-of-three Gainesville Super Regional and clinch a berth in the Women's College World Series. No. 3 seed Florida (48-15) will make its second consecutive trip to the WCWS and its 13th since 2008. Rothrock (16-6) gave up two runs — one earned — on four hits with a walk and five strikeouts. Kendra Falby drew a lead-off walk in the first inning, stole second and then scored when Shumaker hit a single up the middle. Ava Brown walked on four consecutive pitches to lead off the fifth inning and scored when Rylee Holtorf hit a two-out two-run homer. Falby followed with a bunt single before Shumaker hit the seventh pitch of the at-bat over the wall in right field to give the Gators a 5-0 lead. Tyler Ellison reached on an error to lead off the seventh and Jaydyn Goodwin followed with a home run that made it 5-2. The game was delayed about an hour in the middle of the fourth due to lightning in the area. Georgia (35-23) beat the Gators 2-1 on Saturday to avoid elimination. ___ AP college sports:
