Food Sanitation and Safety

People with Weakened Immune Systems BAC (foodborne bacteria) could make you and those you care about sick. In fact, even though you can’t see BAC—or smell him, or feel him—he and millions more like him may have already invaded the food you eat. Foodborne illness can strike anyone. People who are at a higher risk for developing foodborne illness include: Pregnant Women People with Weakened Immune Systems Older Adults Young Children

Chill Clean Cook Separate Following these four simple steps are critically important: Chill Clean Cook Separate

Chill : Frig Quiz!! Is it safe to put hot food directly into the refrigerator? Yes! Separate large amounts of hot food into shallow containers so the food can cool quicker. Does refrigeration prevent bacterial growth? No – refrigeration helps slow bacterial growth At what temperature should you set your refrigerator? 40° or below

is one of the most effective ways to reduce risk of foodborne illness. Chill : According to both the USDA and the Department of Agriculture, refrigeration at 40°F or below is one of the most effective ways to reduce risk of foodborne illness. Microorganisms grow more rapidly at warmer temperatures, and research shows that keeping a constant refrigerator temperature of 40°F or below helps s l o w growth of these harmful microbes.

Chill: The Cool Rules “Use This Tool To Keep It Cool” Use a refrigerator thermometer to be sure the temperature is consistently 40°F or below. “The Chill Factor” *Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared foods and leftovers within two hours of purchase or use. *Always marinate foods in the refrigerator. “The Thaw Law” NEVER defrost food at room temperature or on the kitchen counter! Thaw food in the refrigerator. For a quick thaw, submerge in cold water in an airtight package or thaw in the microwave if you will be cooking it immediately.

“Divide and Conquer”: Separate large amounts of leftovers into small, shallow containers for quicker cooling in the refrigerator. “Avoid the Pack Attack” Do not over-stuff the refrigerator. Cold air must circulate to keep food safe. “Don’t Go Too Low” As you approach 32°F ice crystals can begin to form and lower the quality of some foods such as raw fruits, vegetables and eggs. “Rotate Before It’s Too Late” Use or discard chilled foods as recommended in the USDA Cold Storage Chart found at http://www.foodsafety.gov/~fsg/f01chart.html.

Goin’ to a Picnic…  When serving cold food at a buffet, picnic, or barbecue, keep these “chilling” tips in mind: Cold foods should be kept at 40° or colder. Keep all perishable foods chilled right up until serving time. Place containers of cold food on ice to make sure they stay cold. It’s particularly important to keep custards, cream pies, and cakes with whipped-cream or cream-cheese frostings refrigerated. Don’t serve them if refrigeration is not possible.

Keep Hot Foods HOT, and Cold Foods Cold! Keep Food Out of the Danger Zone 40oF

Clean

How long should you wash your hands to send bacteria down the drain? a. 5 seconds b. 10 seconds c. 15 seconds d. 20 seconds Answer: 20 seconds

Wash hands, utensils, and surfaces in hot, soapy water before and after food preparation and especially after preparing raw meat, poultry, eggs, or seafood. Also, remember to wash your hands after using the bathroom, changing diapers, or handling pets. Cutting boards (including plastic, non-porous, acrylic, and wooden boards) should be run through the dishwasher or washed in hot, soapy water after each use. Discard boards that are excessively worn. Consider using paper towels to clean up kitchen surfaces. When done, throw away the towel. If you use cloth towels, wash them often in the hot cycle of your washing machine.

Fruit & Veggies: Recipe for Safety Prep the Kitchen — Before preparing fruits and vegetables, wash your hands and clean your cutting board and utensils with hot, soapy water. Add Water — To remove any lingering dirt, thoroughly wash fresh produce under running water. Scrub Thoroughly — Use a vegetable brush to scrub fruits and vegetables that have firm surfaces, such as potatoes, carrots, etc. Cut Accordingly — Cut away any damaged or bruised areas. Bacteria can thrive in these places.

Cook

Safe Cooking Quiz C o o k i n g Hot dog Bacteria in food can be destroyed by thorough — — — — — — —. 2. What’s the best way to make sure meat and poultry are cooked thoroughly? a. Feel it with your fingers. c. Use a food thermometer. b. Judge it by its color. d. Taste it. 3. After you’re done checking the temperature of a food, what should you do with the food thermometer before using it again? a. Wipe it off with a paper towel. b. Place it in another food item and check its temperature. c. Shout “hooray!” d. Wash the food thermometer in hot, soapy water. 4. Who Am I? I’m an All-American favorite, especially among kids. Before eating me, make sure I’m steamy hot. C o o k i n g Hot dog

Cook It Right . . . . . . And Keep It Hot Foods are properly cooked when they are heated for a long enough time and at a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria that can cause foodborne illness. And these temperatures vary, depending on the food. . . . And Keep It Hot On a buffet table, hot foods should be kept at 140° F or higher. Keep food hot with chafing dishes, crock pots, and warming trays.

Beef/Pork • Cook beef roasts and steaks to 145° F for medium rare -160° F for medium. • Cook ground beef to at least 160° F. • Cook raw sausages to 160° F. • Reheat ready-to-eat sausages to 165° F. • Cook pork roasts, chops, or ground patties to 160° F for medium, or 170° F for well done. Poultry • Cook whole poultry to 180° F. • Cook chicken breasts to 170° F. • Cook stuffing to 165° F. Eggs • Cook eggs until the yolks and whites are firm. • Don’t use recipes in which eggs remain raw or only partially cooked. Fish • Cook fish until it’s opaque and flakes easily with a fork. • For food safety reasons, avoid eating uncooked oysters or shellfish. Leftovers • When reheating leftovers, heat them thoroughly to at least 165° F.

Separate

Don’t Cross-Contaminate Lather Up Always wash hands, cutting boards, dishes, and utensils with hot, soapy water after they come in contact with raw meat, poultry, and seafood. Take Two If possible, use one cutting board for fresh produce and use a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood. Clean Your Plate Never place cooked food back on the same plate or cutting board that previously held raw food. Safely Separate Separate raw meat, poultry, and seafood from other foods in your grocery shopping cart and in your refrigerator. Seal It To prevent juices from raw meat, poultry, or seafood from dripping onto other foods in the refrigerator, place these raw foods in sealed containers or plastic bags. Marinating Mandate Sauce that is used to marinate raw meat, poultry, or seafood should not be used on cooked foods, unless it is boiled before applying.

Meat Meat contains the following nutrients: Protein Iron Fat B vitamins

Protein Protein is made up of building blocks called: amino acids When the diet does not contain enough complete protein, growth stops and muscles weaken.

Iron Iron is needed to make hemoglobin, which is present in red blood cells. Hemoglobin transports oxygen from the lungs to the cells and removes waste. When the supply of iron is low, there are too few red blood cells and a condition known as anemia occurs.

Fat Meat also contains fat, which is an essential nutrient. Often meat contains a thick layer of fat around the meat muscle, which can be removed before cooking or eating. Marbling- small amounts of fat throughout the lean that provide tenderness, flavor, and moistness. more marbling occurs in prime cuts of meat.

Types of Meats: Beef - from cattle over one year in age and the meat is bright red in color. Veal – from cattle three to fourteen weeks old and the meat is pink in color. Pork – from hogs or pigs usually not more than one year old. Lean pork is usually grayish pink. Mutton – from mature sheep and the meat is dark red. Lamb – from sheep not more than fourteen months old and the meat is dark red. Game – duck, pheasant, etc. Poultry – chicken, turkey, etc. Venison – very lean meat from deer. Variety meats – organs of animals including brain, liver, kidneys, heart, tongue, etc.

Amount needed per person Boneless meat (ground beef/hamburger): 4-5 servings per pound Small amount of bone (steak): 3-4 servings per pound Large amount of bone (spareribs): 1-2 servings per pound

Methods of tenderizing meats: Pounding Grinding Scoring Marinating

Preparation methods: Dry heat – roasting, broiling, grilling Moist heat – braising, stewing

Meat Vocabulary Saute – cooking foods in a small amount of fat Marinate – to cover in liquid to tenderize and flavor foods Marbling – flecks of fat that are visible within the muscle tissue of meat Baste – to coat with a liquid to tenderize Cottagen – tough protein material that forms connective tissue and holds muscle fibers together Elastin – another type of connective tissue (gristle) Papain – enzyme from a papaya used in meat tenderizers

Meat Storage Fresh meat should be stored in the refrigerator (covered) for no longer than 2-4 days. Ground meat will lose its bright red color, but is safe to use. If not used within 2-3 days, wrap and store in the freezer.

Inspection and Grading of Meat: The U.S. government agency responsible for inspection and grading of meat is the USDA. They make sure that the meat is safe to eat. The three general grades of beef are: Prime – most expensive and highest quality Choice – very good quality most commonly found in supermarkets Select – good quality also found in supermarkets $

Meat cookery: Cook meat at a low temperature. The best way to test for doneness is to use a meat thermometer. The thermometer should be placed in the center of the meat away from fat and bones so that you get an accurate temperature reading. Salt is added at the end of cooking to help retain water so that the meat doesn’t dry out. The safest way to thaw frozen meat is to put it in the refrigerator. If thawing under cold water or using the microwave, make sure to cook the meat immediately after thawing.

Ground Meats Ground beef has up to 30% fat Lean ground beef has up to 22% fat and is called ground chuck. Extra lean ground beef has up to 15% fat and is labeled ground round. To reduce the fat in ground beef thoroughly drain and rinse beef after cooking. Cook ground meats until they are no longer pink to ensure that all bacteria/e.coli is killed.

Poultry Poultry is tender and can be cooked using dry heat methods. Light meat is leaner and has a milder flavor than dark meat. Dark meat is more flavorful and tender because it contains more fat. Skins are non-digestible and are high in fat. Cook poultry and test with a meat thermometer for an internal temperature of 107° for parts and 180° for the whole bird. Juices should run clear.

Food Safety Quiz T or F After buying poultry, you should remove the store wrapping, wash the meat thoroughly and rewrap it before refrigerating or freezing. T or F You store an already opened bottle of salad dressing in the refrigerator. You notice the dressing has become cloudy. You should discard the dressing because of possible contamination. T or F Eating rare hamburger is riskier than eating rare steak. T or F You usually can tell if a food is contaminated by how it looks, smells or tastes. _____ Which of these is still safe to eat after sitting at room temperature for more than two hours? (A) baked potato, (B) meat loaf wrapped in foil, (C) meat loaf in a pan, (D) boiled rice, (E) none of the above. False. Handling raw poultry or meat increases the chance of bacterial infection. Leave the food in the store wrap to refrigerate. To freeze, add a layer of foil or freezer wrap. False. Oils will last longer (once opened) in the refrigerator. They tend to become cloudy, but quickly clear up at room temperature. True. Hamburger is chopped meat, that means it has been handled more than the steak. The extra handling in grinding and cooking makes it more likely to harbor bacteria. It is possible but unlikely for raw steak to be contaminated. False. A food can be contaminated with dangerous bacteria yet look, taste, and smell perfectly normal. E—None of the above. These are cooked foods and should be kept hot or refrigerated immediately after mealtime. Bacteria thrives at room temperature. Although rare, cases of potentially fatal botulism have been reported from baked potatoes left at room temperature too long.

T or F Adding mayonnaise to food increases the risk of food poisoning. _____ Which of these CANNOT be safely stored at room temperature? (A) An already opened jar of peanut butter, (B) an unopened canned ham, (C) an opened can of solid shortening. P. S. We assume the peanut butter will be stored with the lid tightly shut and the shortening will also be stored with a lid in place T or F When packing foods for a picnic, it’s better to keep the cooler in the trunk while you travel than in the car. T or F Eggs will stay fresh longer when stored in the refrigerator’s egg holder than when left in their original container. T or F You bring raw steaks to the barbecue on a plate and place them on the barbecue with tongs. When the steaks are finished grilling, it is NOT safe to remove them with the same tongs or put them back on the same plate. False. Mayonnaise has an undeserved “bad reputation” as a food spoiler. Most mayonnaise contains acid (in the form of lemon juice or vinegar) and salt, which slow the growth of bacteria. But, like any perishable food, those containing mayonnaise should be refrigerated to be safe. B—the unopened canned ham. Some canned hams are partially cooked in the processing. This means bacteria might survive until the ham is fully cooked. Fully cooked canned hams can be stored without refrigeration. How can you tell? Read the label for storage instructions. False. Trunks are heat boxes. The car might be hot from standing in the sun, but while driving either air conditioning or open windows will cool it. If the car is left standing in the sun on a hot day, food should not be left in either the trunk or the passenger compartment. False. Store eggs in the original container. Egg holders in refrigerators are usually built into the door and often do not stay cold enough. The container also helps prevent eggs from picking up the odors of other foods. Do not wash eggs before storing as this removes a natural firm that protects against spoiling. True. Remember to assume raw meat and poultry might contain bacteria. This means the tongs and plate might be contaminated. The grilled steaks might be bacteria free, but reusing the plate or tongs could infect them. Use a clean plate and tong.