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 Nutrition
Guide lines provided by the USDA
Protect Your Family from Foodborne Illness
Good times with family and friends often include buffet
tables, picnics, and bar-be-ques. Be aware of the invisible food-enemy
bacteria. You can’t see, taste or smell bacteria. But it can be
on food and multiply rapidly in moist, warm conditions. If consumed, harmful
bacteria can cause foodborne illness.
Foodborne illness continues to be an urgent issue across
the United States. In fact, there are an estimated 76 million cases of
foodborne illness and up to 5,000 deaths in our country each year. The
good news is that foodborne illness is preventable by following these
food safety tips.
Wash hands and surfaces often
- Always wash your hands with soap and water before
and after handling food. Unwashed hands are a prime cause of foodborne
illness.
- Use paper towels for cleaning surfaces.
Separate-Don’t Cross-Contaminate
- Keep raw meat juices from
coming into contact with ready-to-eat foods.
- Wash all fruits and vegetables (onions and melons,
too!)
Cook to Proper Temperature
- Learn to use a food thermometer.
Meat and poultry often brown very fast on the outside, but they may
be undercooked on the inside.
- Never partially cook meats
or poultry and finish cooking later.
- Do not eat lightly cooked
eggs.
- Thoroughly reheat frozen or
refrigerated processed meats (like hot dogs).
- Carefully observe sell-by
and use-by dates on packages.
Chill-Refrigerate Promptly
- Do not eat food that has been out of the refrigerator
or an ice chest for more than two hours. For outdoor picnics, and if
it’s a hot day (over 90), food should not be left out over one
hour.
- Keep foods cold on a buffet table by “nesting”
a bowl of potato salad in a larger bowl of ice.
- Leftover foods are stored best in shallow containers
with lids and refrigerated promptly.
- Buy a thermometer for your refrigerator.
Refrigerators should be maintained at 40 degrees.
And Remember…..When In Doubt, Throw It Out.
Sources
For more information about food safety, visit these web sites or call:
USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline (800) 535-4555
USDA Ask Karen www.fsis.usda.gov
Fight Bac! www.fightbac.org
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