September is National Food Safety Education Month
Safe Food Practices: What you Need to Know
Food is fuel for our body providing energy and important nutrients for our health. However, when the food we eat is not handled safely, it can cause illness and sometimes even death. As we turn toward fall and the return to school for many, September is a good time to remind ourselves of the importance of good food safety practices so we can enjoy healthy foods without fear of foodborne illness.
The food supply in the United States is among the safest in the world. However, foodborne illness, often called “food poisoning,” can make us feel really sick with symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting and flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache and body aches. Illness may occur within 1-3 days of eating contaminated food and not following food safety practices can especially be harmful to those are high risk—people 65 years and older, children younger than 5 years, those with a weakened immune system, and those who are pregnant. It’s the simple things we forget to do in the kitchen that can cause foodborne illness.
In terms of food safety, it comes down to the following four steps:
CLEAN
Wash your hand with soap and water for 20 seconds before and after handling food and after using bathroom, changing diapers, and handling pets.
Wash your cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and counter tops with hot soapy water after preparing food items.
Rinse fresh fruit and vegetables under running tap water.
With canned goods, remember to clean lids before opening.
SEPARATE
Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs from other foods in your grocery cart, bags and refrigerator.
Use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry and seafood.
Never placed cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry, seafood or eggs unless the plate has been washed in hot, soapy water.
Do not reuse marinades used on raw foods unless you bring them to a boil first.
COOK
Follow food safety guidelines using a food thermometer to ensure foods are properly cooked to safe minimum internal temperatures.
Color and texture are unreliable indicators of safety. Foods must be cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature to destroy any harmful bacteria.
When cooking in a microwave oven, cover food, stir, and rotate for even cooking. Check the internal temperature with a food thermometer.
Bring sauces, soups and gravy to a boil when reheating.
CHILL
Refrigerate foods promptly at 40 F or below, freeze foods at 0 F or below.
Refrigerate or freeze meat, poultry, eggs, seafood, and other perishables within 2 hours of cooking or purchasing. Refrigerate within 1 hour if the temperature outside if above 90 F.
Never thaw food at room temperature such as on the countertop. There are three safe ways to defrost food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave. Food thawed in cold water or in the microwave should be cooked immediately.
Divide large amounts of leftovers into shallow containers for quicker cooling in the refrigerator.
Here are some other tips I share to ensure food safety in our kitchens:
Wash Our Hands Often—sometimes we forget how important this is even and especially in our own home! Washing our hands is one of the most safe and effective practices of food safety!
Don’t Rinse Meat before Cooking—I know for years many of us were told to do this—especially for poultry, but new guidelines now recommend NOT rinsing meat and poultry as the water from the sink will splash with the bacteria and contaminate the sink and countertop.
Use a Thermometer—yes, even in our homes, we need a good thermometer to verify that food is cooked to the correct safe internal temperature. We cannot determine doneness by the color of the meat. USDA tells us 25% of burgers will turn brown before they reach the safe cooking temperature, and an undercooked burger can lead to food borne illness such as E. Coli. Thermometers are easy and inexpensive and verify properly cooked food.
Use Clean Sponges—Kitchen sponges retain moisture which make them the perfect environment to harbor bacteria. Clean sponges and replace them often.
Information contributed by Denise Cleveland, TEAM Dietitian
For more information, check out www.foodsafety.gov , and https://www.fda.gov/food/resources-you-food/consumers to make sure we buy, store and serve Safe Food to fuel our bodies.
