Saturday, March 31, 2007 another piece of detail>Safe Shopping
Buy cold food last; get it home fast. Never choose packages which are torn or leaking. Don't buy foods past "sell-by" or expiration dates. Put raw meat and poultry into a plastic bag so meat juices won't cross-contaminate cooked foods or those eaten raw, such as vegetables or fruit. Place refrigerated or frozen items in the shopping cart last, right before heading for the checkout counter. When loading the car, keep perishable items inside the air-conditioned car -- not in the trunk. Drive immediately home from the grocery. If you live farther away than 30 minutes, bring a cooler with ice from home; place perishables in it.
Safe Storage of Foods
Keep it safe; refrigerate. Unload perishable foods from the car first and immediately refrigerate them. Place securely wrapped packages of raw meat, poultry, or fish in the meat drawer or coldest section of your refrigerator. Check the temperature of your unit with an appliance thermometer. To slow bacterial growth, the refrigerator should be at 40° F; the freezer, 0° F. Cook or freeze fresh poultry, fish, ground meats, and variety meats within 2 days; other beef, veal, lamb or pork, within 3 to 5 days.
Safe Food Preparation
Keep everything clean! Hands should be washed thoroughly after using the bathroom or changing diapers, and before preparing or eating food. Wash hands before and after handling raw meat and poultry. Sanitize cutting boards often in a solution of 1 teaspoon chlorine bleach in 1 quart of water. Wash kitchen towels and cloths often in hot water in washing machine. Don't cross-contaminate. Keep raw meat, poultry, fish, and their juices away from other food. After cutting raw meats, wash hands, cutting board, knife, and counter tops with hot, soapy water. Marinate meat and poultry in a covered dish in the refrigerator. Always wash fresh fruits and vegetables under cool running tap water before eating. This removes any lingering dirt while also removing or reducing any bacteria or other substances. Certain hearty vegetables, such as potatoes and carrots. can be scrubbed with a produce brush if consumers plan to eat the fiber and nutrient-rich skin. When preparing fruits and vegetables, cut away bruised or damaged areas.
Thaw Food Safely
Refrigerator: Allow slow, safe thawing. Make sure thawing juices do not drip on other foods. Cold Water: For faster thawing, place food in a leak-proof plastic bag and submerge in cold tap water. Microwave: Cook meat and poultry immediately after microwave thawing. Safe Cooking Cook ground meats to 160° F; ground poultry to 165° F. Beef, veal and lamb steaks, roasts, and chops may be cooked to 145° F; all cuts of fresh pork, 160° F. Whole poultry should reach 180° F in the thigh; breasts, 170° F.
Serving Food Safely
Never leave it out over 2 hours. (1 hour in temperature above 90 °F) Bacteria that cause food borne illness grow rapidly at room temperature.
Keep hot food hot! Cold food cold!
When serving food at a buffet, keep hot food over a heat source and keep cold food on ice. Keep platters of food refrigerated until time to serve or heat them. Carry perishable picnic food in a cooler with a cold pack or ice. Set the cooler in the shade and open the lid as little as possible.
Handling Leftovers Safely
Divide foods into shallow containers for rapid cooling. Put food directly in the refrigerator or freezer. Cut turkey off the bone and refrigerate. Slice breast meat; legs and wings may be left whole. Use cooked leftovers within 4 days. Cut or cooked produce items. such as baked potatoes or vegetable casseroles, should never be left out or held at room temperature for an extended time period.
Re-freezing Food
Meat and poultry defrosted in the refrigerator may be re-frozen before OR after cooking. If thawed by other methods, cook before re-freezing
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care to know?>Perishable leftovers from a meal should not stay out of refrigeration longer than two hours. In hot weather (80¡F or above), this time is reduced to one hour. Here are general guidelines for storing leftovers: Leftovers Keeps Up To Cooked fresh vegetables 3-4 days Cooked pasta 3-5 days Cooked rice 1 week Deli counter meats 5 days Meat: Ham, cooked and sliced 3-4 days Hot dogs, opened1 week Lunch meats, prepackaged, opened 3-5 days Cooked beef, pork, poultry,fish and meat casseroles 3-4 days Cooked patties and nuggets,gravy and broth 1-2 days
Seafood, cooked 2 days Soups and stews 3-4 days Stuffing 1-2 days
Who's At Risk? Everyone is at risk for developing foodborne illness from some types of food like undercooked eggs.However, older adults, pregnant women, very young children and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk, and need to be extra careful with the food they eat. Immune systems may be suppressed by medical treatments or by chronic illnesses such as AIDS, cancer, diabetes or liver or kidney disease.Those suffering from alcoholism or decreased stomach acid due to surgery or regular use of antacids are also at increased risk. Below is a list of foods that high-risk individuals should not eat.
If you are in a "high-risk" category... (Do not eat): Raw or undercooked eggs:
Soft-cooked (runny) or poached eggs Unpasteurized egg nog Monte Cristo sandwich French toast Caesar salad dressing Hollandaise sauce Some puddings and custards Chocolate mousse Tiramisu Cookie dough, cake batter
(Reheat): Ready-to-eat foods:
Hot dogs Luncheon meats (cold cuts) Fermented and dry sausage Other deli-style meat and poultry products
1st trial info 4 safety abt foods?>Keeping your Convenience Foods Safe People are turning to convenience foods such as canned foods, frozen foods and prepared salads to fill their plates at dinnertime instead of preparing meals from scratch. Below are tips from the American Dietetic Association to help you purchase and store convenience foods safely. Deli Meats Use poultry products purchased from the deli counter within 3 days of purchase, use red meat deli products within 5 to 7 days of purchase At-risk consumers (pregnant women, older adults, babies and people with weakened immune systems) should consult their medical practitioners for advice on consuming deli meats For best eating quality, always reheat hot dogs before eating Pre-Prepared Foods If eating from a salad bar, go early or ask for fresh batches of the items Make sure items like egg salad, macaroni salad and potato salad are properly refrigerated below 40° Check to make sure containers are well-packed in ice Be sure to reheat pre-cooked foods such as stuffed chicken breasts, pre-roasted chickens, etc., and eat them the same day you purchase them Canned Foods Avoid buying canned goods that show signs of bulging, denting or leaking. Throw away any canned goods in your pantry with similar signs of bulging, denting or leaking Store canned goods in a cool, dry place--not above the oven or under the sink. As a general rule, canned goods can be kept up to 12 months unopened Clean cans before opening them to avoid contamination of contents Frozen Foods Choose frozen foods, like dinners or vegetables, from the back of the freezer case; the items in the back usually remain the coldest and most frozen Keep frozen foods tightly wrapped at 0° F or below and date them Don't refreeze thawed food items Dried or Cured Meats Don't buy hanging dried or cured meat if the package is cut open An unopened package of dried meat will keep for up to one year without refrigeration. Refrigerate after opening
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