Safety tips for preventing food-borne disease this summer

As picnic and grilling season is upon us so much of our focus is on enjoying warmer and Alfresco dining. But now is also a good time to refresh our memory on food handling safety and prevention of diseases, food borne illness. We can take two approaches to protect our health food illness: cleaning of the kitchen and food storage and preparation of food.

Cleaning kitchen: even in a kitchen immaculate contamination can occur. Media practice good practice immediately flush anything that comes into contact with raw meat using a cleaning rag is dedicated exclusively to the cleaning of instruments and surfaces that have come into contact with raw meat or poultry. Some restaurants use dish cloths pink to work in areas where raw meat is treated and white cloths in areas where the cooked food is handled. It is advisable to confine the handling raw meat for so small area as possible, as the collector and clean thoroughly after the preparation of meat.

A diluted mixture of bleach and warm water is an effective disinfectant chlorine sterilization of surfaces where raw meat has been treated. To maintain convenience hand disinfection wipes or Lysol for Clorox that kill 99% of bacteria. Use the wipes to wipe counters and tools, and then drop to avoid spreading bacteria and contamination of cloth to other surfaces. I keep a spray bottle with 1/3-part chlorine 2/3-parts water on hand for spray surfaces and wipe with paper toweling. Allow the mixing of chlorine set on the surface of a few minutes before clearing clears and discarding the toweling paper.

Food handling: handling food safety begins at the time of purchase. At best the meat or poultry will be used soon after purchase, but if not they must be stored between 28F and 32F on meat refrigerator compartment. If the meat is not used within two days should be wrapped in a plastic not permeable and stored in the freezer until use, but not more than 6 to 12 months. Meat should only be thawed in the refrigerator, never the temperature where bacteria, yeasts, moulds and viruses could develop.

E. coli is the most well-known food borne bacteria can live on meat and vegetables. In fact, any food can be contaminated with it: undercooked hamburger and roast beef, unpasteurized milk, raw unpasteurized cider apples unwashed that fell in soil contaminated by manure from sick cows, vegetables grown in soil fertilized with cow dung. There is no way a farmer, however careful and aware can know which cow is contaminated and what is not. so is the Cook to prepare the food they serve correctly according to handling food safety guidelines.

The US Department of Agriculture has prepared a list of Fahrenheit temperatures for meat, poultry and eggs should be cooked to kill food-borne bacteria. Temperatures shall be measured with a thermometer instant-read cleanup inserted in thickest part of beef. See the table below:

Fresh ground beef, veal, lamb, pork: 160fs

Beef, veal, lamb: roasted, steaks, chops: 145F (medium rare); 160fs (medium). 170F (well done)

Fresh pork roasts, steaks, chops: 160fs (medium). 170F (well done)

Ham: cooking before eating: 160fs

Ham: fully cooked, to reheat: 140F

Poultry: chicken, Ground Turkey: 165F

Whole poultry: chicken, Turkey: 180F

Poultry breasts, roasts: 170F

Poultry: thighs, and wings: Cook until juices run clear

Stuffing (cooked alone or in bird): 165F

Egg dishes, casseroles: 160fs

Leftovers: 165F

For more information contact the USDA meat and poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555.

Fruit and vegetables: raw foods, such products must be washed in cold water running in an area free of contamination from preparation of raw meat. Separate utensils and cutting boards should be used to produce and meat to avoid cross contamination.

Vegetables are best stored refrigerated to slow deterioration. Refrigeration of fruit and vegetables makes all the metabolic activities, including breathing, slow down. Most fruits and vegetables are best stored at refrigerator temperatures and under conditions where oxygen is limited. Store crisp vegetables in the refrigerator compartment, unwashed, until the time of use.