To Your Health!
Food safety experts agree that foods are properly cooked when they are heated for a long enough time and at a high enough temperature to kill the harmful bacteria that cause foodborne illness. The best way to Fight BAC!™ is to:
Use a clean food thermometer, which measures the internal temperature of cooked foods, to make sure meat, poultry, casseroles and other foods are properly cooked all the way through.
Cook roasts and steaks to at least 145°F. Whole poultry should be cooked to 180°F for doneness in the thigh. Chicken breast should be cooked to 170°F.
Cook ground beef, where bacteria can spread during processing, to at least 160°F. Check the temperature with a food thermometer.
Cook eggs until the yolk and white are firm. Don't use recipes in which eggs remain raw or only partially cooked.
Fish should be opaque and flake easily with a fork.
When cooking in a microwave oven, make sure there are no cold spots in food where bacteria can survive. To do this, cover food, stir and rotate the dish by hand once or twice during cooking. (Unless you have a turntable in the microwave.) Use a food thermometer to make sure foods have reached a safe internal temperature.
If you are reheating food, leftovers should be heated to 165ºF. Bring sauces, soup and gravy to a boil.
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Use a food thermometer to make sure foods have been properly cooked to a safe internal temperature. Plus you won't over cook your food. There are several types of thermometers available:
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At room temperature, bacteria in food can double every 20 minutes. The more bacteria there are, the greater the chance you could become sick.
So, refrigerate foods quickly because cold temperatures keep most harmful bacteria from multiplying. A lot of people think it will harm their refrigerator to put hot food inside--it's not true. It won't harm your refrigerator and it will keep your food--and you--safe.
Set your home refrigerator no higher than 40°F and the freezer unit at 0°F. Check the temperature occasionally with an appliance thermometer.
The, Fight BAC!TM by following these steps:
Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared food and leftovers within 2 hours
Divide large amounts of leftovers into shallow containers for quick cooling in the refrigerator.
Never thaw foods at room temperature. You can safely thaw food in the refrigerator. Four to five pounds takes 24 hours to thaw.
You can also thaw food outside the refrigerator by immersing in cold water. Change the water every half hour to keep the water cold.
You can thaw food in the microwave, but if you do, be sure to continue cooking right away.
Marinate foods in the refrigerator.
Don't pack the refrigerator too full. Cold air must circulate to keep food safe.
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Some foods may contain bacteria that can be especially harmful to young children and cause serious illness. This section highlights foods preschool children are advised not to eat. It also explains important safe food handling tips for some ready-to-eat foods.
Foods Young Children are Advised Not to EatTo reduce risks of illness from bacteria in food, young children (and others who face special risks of illness) are advised not to eat:
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It's important to reheat some foods that you buy pre-cooked. That's because these foods can become re-contaminated with bacteria after they have been processed and packaged at the plant.
These foods include: hot dogs, luncheon meats, cold cuts, fermented and dry sausage, and other deli-style meat and poultry products.
Reheat these foods until they are steaming hot. If you cannot reheat these foods, do not eat them.
Wash your hands with hot, soapy water after handling these types of ready-to-eat foods. (Wash for at least 20 seconds.) Also wash cutting boards, dishes and utensils. Thorough washing helps eliminate any bacteria that might get on your hands or other surfaces from the food before it's been reheated.
Let's face it. Sometimes it's just easier and more enjoyable to let someone else do the cooking. And for today's families there are many eating options. All of these options, however, do have food safety implications that you need to be aware of.
When you want to eat at home but don't feel like cooking or aren't able to, where do you turn?
Many convenience foods, including complete meals to go, are increasingly popular.
Purchased from grocery stores, deli stores or restaurants, some meals are hot and some are cold.
Ordering home delivered meals from restaurants or restaurant-delivery services is an option many consumers like to take advantage of.
Hot or cold ready-prepared meals are perishable and can cause illness when mishandled. Proper handling is essential to ensure the food is safe.
Harmful bacteria can multiply in the "danger zone" (between 40 and 140 degrees F). So remember the 2-hour rule. Discard any perishable foods left at room temperature longer than 2 hours.
(When temperatures are above 90°F, discard food after 1 hour!)
HOT FOODS: When you purchase hot cooked food, keep it hot. Eat and enjoy your food with 2 hours to prevent harmful bacteria from multiplying
If you are not eating within 2 hours—and you want to keep your food hot—keep your food in the oven set at a high enough temperature to keep the food at or above 140 degrees F. (Use a food thermometer to check the temperature.) Side dishes, like stuffing, must also stay hot in the oven. Covering food will help keep it moist.
However, your cooked food will taste better if you don't try to keep it in the oven for too long. For best taste, refrigerate the food and then reheat when you are ready to eat. Here's how:
Divide meat or poultry into small portions to refrigerate or freeze.
Refrigerate or freeze gravy, potatoes, and other vegetables in shallow containers.
Remove stuffing from whole cooked poultry and refrigerate.
COLD FOODS should be eaten within 2 hours or refrigerated or frozen for eating another time.
You may wish to reheat your meal, whether it was purchased hot and then refrigerated or purchased cold initially.
Heat the food thoroughly to 165°F until hot and steaming.
Bring gravy to a rolling boil.
If heating in a microwave oven, cover food and rotate the dish so the food heats evenly and doesn't leave "cold spots" that could harbor bacteria. Consult your owner's manual for complete instructions.
Whether you're eating out at a restaurant or a fast food diner, it can be both a safe and enjoyable experience. All food service establishments are required to follow food safety guidelines set by State and local health departments. But you can also take actions to insure your food's safety. Keep these Fight BAC!™ rules in mind: Clean, Cook, Chill.
Clean: When you go out to eat, look at how clean things are before you even sit down. If it's not up to your standards, you might want to eat somewhere else.
Cook: No matter where you eat out, always order your food cooked thoroughly to a safe internal temperature. Remember that foods like meat, poultry, fish, and eggs need to be cooked thoroughly to kill harmful bacteria. When you're served a hot meal, make sure it's served to you piping hot and thoroughly cooked, and if it's not, send it back.
Don't eat undercooked or raw foods, such as raw oysters or raw or undercooked eggs. Undercooked or raw eggs can be a hidden hazard in some foods like Caesar salad, custards and some sauces. If these foods are made with commercially pasteurized eggs, however, they are safe. If you are unsure about the ingredients in a particular dish, ask before ordering it.
The Doggie Bag
It seems like meal portions are getting bigger and bigger these days. A lot of people are packing up these leftovers to eat later. Care must be taken when handling these leftovers. If you will not be arriving home within 2 hours of being served, it is safer to leave the leftovers at the restaurant.
Also, remember that the inside of a car can get very warm. Bacteria may grow rapidly, so it is always safer to go directly home after eating and put your leftovers in the refrigerator.
Those are the food safety rules—the way you can help yourself and others Fight BAC!™
If you have questions and you'd like to talk to an expert, please call the following toll-free hotlines:
The Food and Drug Administration Hotline can answer questions about safe handling of seafood, fruits and vegetables, as well as rules that govern food safety in restaurants and grocery stores. You can reach them by calling: 1-888-SAFEFOOD.
The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline can answer questions about safe handling of meat and poultry as well as many other consumer food issues. Call them at 1-800-535-4555.
Federal food safety—including the Food and Drug Administration (http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/) the Food Safety and Inspection Service (http://www.fsis.usda.gov/) and joint-Federal information at (http://www.foodsafety.gov/)
Partnership for Food Safety Education at http://www.fightbac.org/
Hypertext revised by UMass Extension 2004-June 18