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...]
Celebrate the Fourth of July Without Foodborne Illness
Celebrate the Fourth of July this year without foodborne illness, with tips from the USDA about safe grilling. There are inherent risks that come with cooking in hot weather too. First, always wash your hands before cooking and handling and serving food. Handle raw meat with care, since it can be contaminated with pathogen bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Campylobacter. Keep raw meats away from foods that are eaten uncooked such as raw fruits and vegetables. When you form hamburgers or season steaks, using a separate cutting board and plate. And wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after touching uncooked meat and poultry. If you marinate the meat or poultry, keep the used marinade away from other foods, and discard it when you put the … [Read more...]
It’s World Food Safety Day. Time to Review Food Safety Rules
June 7 is World Food Safety Day. This day is a good time to review food safety rules that everyone should know to try to avoid food poisoning. While Corporations are not allowed to sell food contaminated with enough bacteria to make people sick, it happens a lot. The consumer is the last line of defense against pathogenic bacteria. The main things to remember are four key words: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill. That means you need to clean your hands before you start cooking, and wash fruits and vegetables before you prepare them. (Never wash poultry or raw meat!) Make sure your kitchen is clean, along with utensils and dishes. Then keep uncooked foods and raw foods separate. Do not let meat or poultry juices touch fruits and vegetables, store them apart from each other in the … [Read more...]
Food Safety Tips For Passover and Easter
These food safety tips for Passover and Easter will help you celebrate while keeping everyone safe from food poisoning. Every time a group of people gather to eat, food safety rules are very important, especially if the group includes people at high risk for serious complications from foodborne illness. Of course, follow the rules of Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill. Clean your kitchen before you start and wash your hands and utensils to avoid spreading pathogens. Separate by keeping raw meats, poultry, and eggs from foods that are eaten uncooked such as produce. Cook food to safe final internal temperatures and test with a food thermometer. Chill leftovers within two hours of taking food out of the oven or fridge; one hour if the air temperature is 90°F or higher. Eggs Eggs … [Read more...]
FDA on Food Waste and Food Safety: What About Expiration?
The FDA is offering information on food waste and food safety, or what do you need to know about expiration dates? Most products have a "best by" or "best if used by" date stamped somewhere on the container. What do they mean? And can you eat a food that is past that date? This information is important because food waste is a terrible problem in this country. For instance, 80% of our freshwater is used getting food on the table, along with half of our land. Organic waste, mostly food, is the second biggest component of landfills. And those landfills are the third largest source of methane emissions, a greenhouse gas. Since between 30 to 40% of food in the U.S. goes uneaten, we are discarding $165,000,000,000 in food every year. Food waste and food safety are connected because … [Read more...]
Food Safety For Your Super Bowl Party From the USDA
The Super Bowl is this Sunday. Are you having a party? Get food safety tips for your Super Bowl party from the USDA to stay safe and protect your guests from food poisoning. USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety, Dr. Emilio Esteban, said in a statement, "Many Americans enjoy delivery and takeout foods during the Super Bowl for convenience, but food safety precautions are the same as food prepared at home. To prevent foodborne illness, food should not be left out for over two hours without proper heating or cooling and should be placed out in small amounts and replenished as needed to keep your family and friends safe." Always follow the rules of Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill to keep food that you make at home safe to eat. Clean after handling raw meats and poultry, keep foods … [Read more...]
FDA Releases Guidance Document For Food Delivery Services
The FDA has released a guidance document for food delivery services that is designed to ensure that food ordered online or over the phone is safe to eat. The parameters cover proper packaging, temperature control, verification practices, receiving and storage, and controls for physical contamination and allergen control. The FDA coordinated with the USDA and the CDC to produce this document. The New Era of Smarter Food Safety blueprint identified the safety of foods ordered online and delivered directly to consumers as a priority. Since the pandemic there has been a huge increase of food ordered from retailers. The food includes produce and meal-kit subscription services, food from ghost kitchens, grocery stores, and third-party delivery services. The "last mile" of delivery is … [Read more...]
New Ozone Marinade Kills Pathogens on Meat and Surfaces
A new ozone marinade kills pathogens on meat and food contact surfaces, according to research from the ARS Meat Safety and Quality research Unit. Microbiologists Mick Bosilevac and Nor Kalchayanand, along with food technologist Tommy Wheeler, conducted the research about spraying beef and pork carcasses with an ozone solution. The "marinade" is applied at meat processing plants. Bosilevac said in a statement, "This project was part of a large farm-to-fork project that focused on cattle and swine, following them through harvest and concluding with finished beef and pork products ready for consumers. During harvest we improved on many processes to help reduce contamination." Beef and pork are often contaminated with pathogens that include E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and … [Read more...]
Treat Plant-Based Meat Like the Real Meat For Safety’s Sake
You should treat plant-based meat like the real thing for safety's sake, according to the USDA. Many people think that "burgers" made with plants are automatically safer to eat, but that's not the case. Plants can harbor pathogens and, in fact, have made many people sick over the years. In fact, according to a 2015 study conducted by Center for Science in the Public Interest, produce was the most common source of food poisoning. Produce can be contaminated by agricultural water used for irrigation, by animals and birds defecating in the fields, by contaminated harvesting equipment and storage bins, and through handling after harvest. Any raw agricultural product has the potential to be contaminated. And plant-based meats are "ultra processed," according to John Luchansky, lead … [Read more...]
