(ARA) – Chances are you will be entertaining at least once or twice during this holiday season. Now is a good time to review some food safety rules so that you will know how to keep your family and guests safe from food borne illnesses. How would you answer the following:
* When preparing and cooking food at home, how often do you wash your hands with soap and water before you handle the food?
* The last time you prepared a meal with fresh fruits or vegetables using dishes or utensils (for example, knives), did you switch cutting utensils and clean your cutting board when switching from vegetables to a different food product, like meat or bread?
* The last time that you cooked raw meat, poultry or seafood on an indoor or outdoor grill or barbecue, what did you do with the dish (plate or other cookware) that held the raw meat, poultry or seafood?
To see how your answers stack up, visit a new Web site called meatsafety.org that features a quiz to assess whether you’re a “food safety star” or a “kitchen calamity” when it comes to following safety guidelines. The Web site is a project of the American Meat Institute, a trade association representing America’s meat and poultry industry, and is an important effort to ensure that dining is a pleasant and healthy experience for you and your family.
Turkey Trivia.
For those who consider themselves the diva of kitchen cleanliness, the quiz might be a sobering exercise. For instance, although most turkeys have recommended cooking times printed on the package, cooking experts say turkeys should be prepared with a meat thermometer because even experienced cooks can be overwhelmed by the size and dimensions of handling such a large entrée. “A thermometer is one of the best investments you can make for a happy Thanksgiving,” says Dr. Randy Huffman, vice president of scientific affairs at the American Meat Institute Foundation. “As USDA says, it’s safe to bite when the temperature is right.”
Your Dinner Guests
Another sure-fire step for ensuring a safe meal is to consider who will be dining. What many people fail to realize is that while the bacteria that can result from improper handling may have limited, or no effect on healthy adults, those very agents could prove dangerous, or lethal, to pregnant women, infants or those with compromised immune systems. “Many of us can eat foods that contain listeria, which can be found in a wide array of products, with little or no side effects,” says Dr. Michael Doyle, professor of food microbiology at the University of Georgia. “But those who are receiving immunosuppressant drugs because of a transplant or are receiving cancer therapy, which suppresses the immune system, could be highly susceptible and become seriously ill.” For these reasons, deli meats and hot dogs should always be reheated before serving to immunocompromised and pregnant people.
Experts also agree that ground products like hamburgers, turkey burgers and fresh sausage should always be cooked to 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
There is plenty of information you need to know about the most loved (or disliked!) part of nearly every meal: leftovers. According to meatsafety.org, leftovers should be chilled immediately -- not left out to cool -- before refrigerating. They should also be stored in shallow dishes to promote rapid cooling and avoid bacterial growth. And don’t forget to ensure that they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees when reheating them.
For Other Palates
Finally, for those who wish to delve into more “meatier” issues, the site devotes an entire section on commonly asked questions about the use of antibiotics to keep livestock healthy, genetic modification of foods, the use of hormones in food animal nutrition and common food additives, like sodium nitrite.
Have a safe and happy holiday season. For more information, visit www.meatsafety.org.
