Learn yow to safely thaw your Thanksgiving turkey with these timely tips from the USDA. If you bought a frozen turkey, now is the time to start thawing it so it's ready to cook on the big day. It's critical that you learn this fact: never ever thaw your turkey, or any frozen food, at room temperature unless the package specifically states that it's safe to do so. If you thaw meat products, especially, at room temperature, the product will sit at the danger zone of 40°F to 140°F for too long. And bacterial counts double in amount every hour in that temperature range. Since bacteria can produce toxins as they grow that are not destroyed by heat, cooking a contaminated turkey may not make it safe to eat. And you could get sick. The USDA says that one of the most common question … [Read more...]
Should You Buy a Fresh or Frozen Turkey For Thanksgiving?
Should you buy a fresh or frozen turkey for Thanksgiving? That holiday is next week. The USDA has some tips to make sure you have a safe and healthy dinner. Turkeys are sold both fresh and frozen. You can often order the type and size of turkey that you want ahead of time, but if you haven't done this, you need to make some decisions. Food safety is critical at all times, of course, but holiday dinners are special. You may have elderly guests at your dinner, or a pregnant woman, or small children, or someone with a chronic illness or compromised immune system. In that case, you must be very careful to make sure that the food you serve is completely safe to eat. And turkey storage and preparation play a large part in food safety. Here's what the USDA says about which type of … [Read more...]
FDA Plans to Ban Brominated Vegetable Oil in Food
The FDA plans to ban the use of brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in food, after studies conducted with the National Institutes of Health found the product is potentially dangerous for human consumption. Brominated vegetable oil is a mixture of brominated triglycerides that are made by combining bromine with unsaturated vegetable oils. BVO is authorized for use in small amounts to keep citrus flavoring from separating and floating to the top of some beverages. The FDA took BVO off the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) list in 1970 and began overseeing its use under food additive regulations. Many beverage makers have reformulated their products to replace BVO. Now, few beverages available in the United States contain BVO. Scientists found that the thyroid is a target organ of … [Read more...]
Halloween Food Safety Tips From Fight Bac
These Halloween food safety tips from Fight Bac will help you have a happy and safe holiday. The tips cover trick-or-treating safety and how to host a healthy party. When your kids go out trick-or-treating, make sure they know they should not eat any candy they receive until they get home and you can check it. Look for rips or tears or pinholes in the wrapping. Throw away any homemade candy or candy that looks different or strange. And feed your kids dinner before they go out so they are less likely to want to snack on the way. If you are having a Halloween party, make sure that all perishable foods are chilled until serving time. Those foods include cheese platters, cut fruit, tossed salads, finger sandwiches, cold pasta dishes, any food with meat, poultry, or seafood, and … [Read more...]
A Government Shutdown Will Threaten Food and Water Safety
A Government shutdown will threaten food and water safety, according to Food & Water Watch. The odds are good that the government will shut down on November 15, 2023, especially given the current chaos in Congress. A shutdown would affect every area of government. WIC and SNAP benefits would be threatened. Regional VA offices may close, and critical research on diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's would stall. The threats to human health include FDA inspectors being forced to reduce or delay inspections at food processing facilities. This will put consumers at risk of foodborne illness. During the shutdown in 2013, about 900 of these inspections were postponed. $EPA regulators could be forced to suspend safety inspections at drinking water sources, hazardous Superfund … [Read more...]
Your Kitchen Sink is an Important Part of Food Safety
Your kitchen sink is an important part of food safety and preventing foodborne illness, according to the USDA. Think about everything you use your sink for: rinsing produce, cleaning pots, pans, plates, cups, and utensils, and discarding meat and produce scraps. All of those things can carry pathogenic bacteria. The USDA recently completed a study looking at how consumers handle food and how good they are at preventing cross-contamination. Participants prepared a meal with raw sausage, shell eggs, and a fruit salad made with cantaloupe. That study showed that the kitchen sink was the most cross-contaminated part of the kitchen at 34%. And 26% of samples of cut-up cantaloupe removed from the completed fruit salad was contaminated with bacteria. There are several ways this can … [Read more...]
Surprising Bacteria Source: Wash Your Wrist Bands!
A new study from Florida Atlantic University's Charles E. Schmidt College of science reveals a surprising bacteria source: your wrist band. If you wear a watch, you should wash your wrist bands regularly. Most people do not clean wristbands. The researchers tested plastic, rubber, cloth, metal, and leather wristbands to see if there is a correlation between the material the wrist bands are made of and the level of contamination. They also clarified the best way to disinfect them. The results of the study, which were published in the journal Advances in Infectious Diseases, suggested that metal wristbands are cleaner. In spite of the fact that 95% of all wristbands tested were contaminated, gold and silver bands had little or no bacteria. Nwadiuto Esiobu, Ph.D., senior author … [Read more...]
FDA Food Safety Tips For the Hurricane Season
The FDA is offering food safety tips for the hurricane season, including what to do about power outages and flooding. There are lots of things to think about and do, including safeguarding medications, water, and pets. Everyone, not just people in hurricane-prone areas, should maintain a waterproof emergency kit that is stocked with non perishable food, extra medication, and hygiene supplies. Non perishable food includes shelf stable items including canned food such as tuna, vegetables, fruits, and soups, bread, peanut butter, granola bars, crackers, nuts, trail mixes, mayonnaise, mustard, dried milk, and jams and jellies. Be sure to include a can opener. Food, water, and medical supplies will be hard to find both before and after a storm. Make sure that you have enough of your … [Read more...]
Labor Day Weekend Food Safety Travel Tips From the USDA
Labor Day weekend food safety travel tips come from Jesus Garcia, Public Affairs Specialist with the Food Safety Education Staff with the USDA. While many people stay at home during this long holiday weekend, others travel, especially to campsites and to go on picnics. And food safety is even more critical when you are away from home. First pack perishable foods into your cooler directly from the fridge or freezer. You can pack meat and poultry products while they are still frozen. Put an appliance thermometer in your cooler to make sure that the food stays safe and cold at 40°F or below. The danger zone, when bacteria counts can double in food every 20 minutes, is from 40°F to 140°F. Keep raw meat and poultry away from cooked foods and produce that is eaten raw, in the cooler … [Read more...]
USDA Offers Guide to Food Safety For School Lunches
Yes it's that time of the year. The USDA is offering parents a guide to food safety for school lunches. There is an inherent risk in packing perishable foods for your child to take to school every day, but with these rules you need to follow you can make sure the food stays safe to eat. USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Emilio Esteban said in a statement, "While there have been huge strides in food safety, at least 48 million people in the U.S. are still affected by foodborne illness every year. Our children’s health and safety depend on the safe food handling practices we teach and practice at home." Food safety for school lunches starts in your kitchen. When you prepare food for your child's lunch, and your own too, follow the steps of clean, separate, cook, and chill. … [Read more...]
