Security tips to prevent food borne illness this summer

Picnic and grilling season is upon us, much of our focus is on enjoying the warmer weather and outdoor dining area. But now is also a good time to refresh our memories about handled security and disease prevention from food borne illness foodstuffs. We can take two methods to protect our health from food illness: kitchen cleanliness and proper food storage and preparation.

Kitchen cleanliness: even in a spotless kitchen cross contamination can occur. Good housekeeping practices means immediately wash something comes into contact with raw meat, by means of a cleaning rag is dedicated exclusively to the cleaning of instruments and surfaces that come into contact with raw meat or poultry. Some restaurants use pink dish cloths for work in areas where raw meat is handled, and white wiping rags in areas where food is handled or cooked. It is wise to limit handling raw meat into such a small area as possible, such as washing, and wipe thoroughly the meat preparation.

A diluted mixture of hot water and chlorine bleach is a powerful disinfectant for sterilisation surfaces where raw meat is been handled. Convenience to keep on hand disinfection wipes financial or Clorox to kill 99% of bacteria. Use wipes clean counters and tools, and then delete in order to avoid the spread of bacteria and pollution from cloth to other surfaces. I keep a spray bottle with 1/3-part chlorine 2/3-parts water at your fingertips to spray surfaces and then wiped off with paper toweling. Allow chlorine mixture to set on the surface a few minutes before wiping clean and discard paper toweling.

Food handling: safe food handling begins at the time of purchase. At best, meat or poultry must be used soon after the purchase, but if not should be kept between 28F and 32F in meat space in the refrigerator. If the meat is not to be used within two days, it should be wrapped in a non-high permeable plastic and stored in the freezer until use, but not longer than 6 to 12 months. Meat should only be thawed in the refrigerator never at room temperature where bacteria, yeast, moulds or virus could develop.

E. coli is the best-known of food borne bacteria, and can live in the meat and vegetables. In fact, any food can be contaminated with it: undercooked hamburger and roast beef, unpasteurized milk, unpasteurized cider processed uvaskede apples, which fell on soil contaminated with dung of sick cows, vegetables grown in soil fertilized with cow manure. There is no way a farmer, but careful and conscientious, can know which cow is contaminated and which are not. It is therefore up to cook to prepare the foods they serve properly in accordance with safe food handling guidelines.

United States's agricultural Ministry has drawn up a list of Fahrenheit temperatures such as meat, poultry and eggs should be cooked to kill food-borne bacteria. Temperatures shall be measured with a clean instant-Read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the flesh. The Reference in the table below:

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

Beef, veal, lamb: roasts, steaks, chops: 145F (medium rare); 160F (medium); 170F (Bravo)

Fresh pigmeat: roasts, steaks, chops: 160F (medium); 170F (Bravo)

Ham: Cook before eating: 160F

Ham: fully cooked, to reheat: 140F

Ground poultry: chicken, Turkey: 165F

Poultry: whole chicken, Turkey: 180F

Poultry: breasts, roasts: 170F

Poultry: legs & wings: Cook until juice runs clear

Fills: (cooked alone or in bird): 165F

Egg dishes, casseroles: 160F

Leftovers: 165F

Contact the USDA meat and poultry Hotline at kl-800-535-3406 for more information.

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

Vegetables stored best chilled to slow deterioration. Chilling of fruits and vegetables creates all the metabolic activities, including respiration, that the brake. Most fruits and vegetables are best stored at refrigerator temperatures and in conditions where oxygen is limited. Save the vegetables in the refrigerator until use sharper, uvaskede spaces.