nutritionbitsandbobs

Food Safety isn’t the most exciting topic, nonetheless an important one and worth mentioning with the holidays just around the corner. Most of us prepare at least one or two dishes for holiday gatherings and no one wants to be responsible for making someone sick with food poisoning. Surprisingly, it isn’t that difficult to do. 1 in 6 Americans will get sick from food poisoning this year. Food-borne illnesses are the cause of 128,000 hospital visits annually.

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Here are a few tips for getting through holiday feasts sans consequences of poor food safety:

Wash hands frequently
Always wash your hands with soap and warm water after using the restroom, blowing your nose, sneezing or coughing, changing a diaper, petting or feeding animals, after handling raw meats, seafood, eggs or garbage. Use a clean towel to dry your hands and change dish and bathroom towels often, as they are hot spots for bacteria.

Use separate cutting boards for raw and cooked foods
Prevent cross-contamination by having a designated chopping board for raw meats only. Use separate plates and utensils for cooked and raw foods as well. Contrary to popular belief, washing meat and poultry before preparing is not advised. Proper refrigeration and cooking will diminish lurking bacteria but, spreading invisible germs all over your sink and counter is risky.

Keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood away from produce and ready-to-eat foods
This goes for your shopping cart as well as your refrigerator! Think raw chicken juice on your pre-washed grapes. Yikes!

Use a food thermometer
There’s only one way to be certain your casserole has been cooked to the minimum temperature to kill bacteria that can make you sick. Guessing could result in undercooked chicken thighs or dry, rubbery pot roast. Use the chart below as your everyday guide to ensure your hard work in the kitchen is safely cooked, not overcooked. Don’t ignore leftovers! Re-heating temperatures are also important!

Keep food out of the temperature danger zone
If food will be sitting out for a significant amount of time, use containers of ice beneath cold food dishes to keep the temperature at or below 41°. Place hot foods in chafing dishes or a slow cooker to keep the temperature at or above 140°. Whether cooking or catching up with family, don’t forget to refrigerate perishable foods within 2 hours. If your outdoors in the heat, pack up foods in a cooler within 1 hour. Bacteria allowed to sit between 41° and 140° doubles in number every 30 minutes.

Get more information on storage safety at www.foodsafety.gov

Safe Minimum Cooking Temperatures Charts

Food	Type	Internal Temperature (°F)
Ground meat and meat mixtures	Beef, pork, veal, lamb	160
	Turkey, chicken	165
Fresh beef, veal, lamb	Steaks, roasts, chops Rest time: 3 minutes	145
Poultry	All Poultry (breasts, whole bird, legs, thighs, wings, ground poultry, giblets, and stuffing)	165
Pork and ham	Fresh pork, including fresh ham Rest time: 3 minutes	145
	Precooked ham (to reheat) Note: Reheat cooked hams packaged in USDA-inspected plants to 140°F	165
Eggs and egg dishes	Eggs	Cook until yolk and white are firm
	Egg dishes (such as frittata, quiche)	160
Leftovers and casseroles	Leftovers and casseroles	165
Seafood	Fish with fins	145 or cook until flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork
	Shrimp, lobster, crab, and scallops	Cook until flesh is pearly or white, and opaque
	Clams, oysters, mussels	Cook until shells open during cooking

Jo Jo

 

Click here to read up on how to beat holiday weight gain!

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