Food Safety
Food Preparation
What is the temperature danger zone?
The temperature danger zone is the temperature at which bacteria multiply rapidly. The temperature is from 40 degree Fahrenheit to 140 degree Fahrenheit. Foods should not be allowed to stay in this temperature zone for more than 2 hours (1 hour on a very hot day).
What is the safest way to defrost meat, poultry, and fish products?
Food safety experts recommend thawing foods in the refrigerator or the microwave oven or putting the package in a water-tight plastic bag submerged in cold water and changing the water every 30 minutes. Changing the water ensures that the food is kept cold, an important factor for slowing bacterial growth that may occur on the outer thawed portions while the inner areas are still thawing.
When microwaving, follow package directions. Leave about 2 inches (about 5 centimeters) between the food and the inside surface of the microwave to allow heat to circulate. Smaller items will defrost more evenly than larger pieces of food. Foods defrosted in the microwave oven should be cooked immediately after thawing.
Do not thaw meat, poultry and fish products on the counter or in the sink without cold water; bacteria can multiply rapidly at room temperature.
Is a slow cooker safe?
The answer to this question can be found in a document entitled: FOCUS ON: Slow Cooker Safety which is maintained on the web site of the Food Safety and Inspection Service.
How should you select and use cutting boards?
Cutting boards can harbor bacteria in cracks and grooves caused by knives. But with little effort, plastic, a hard wood, such as maple, or any nonporous surface can be used safely if used properly. Here's how:
1. CHOOSE A GOOD SURFACE: Select a board that can be cleaned easily, that is smooth, durable, and nonabsorbent. Plastic is less porous than wood, making it less likely to harbor bacteria, and easier to clean.
2. WASH YOUR BOARD: Wash your cutting board with hot water, soap, and even a scrub brush, to remove food and dirt particles.
3. SANITIZE YOUR BOARD: After washing it, sanitize your board in the dishwasher or by rinsing it in a diluted chlorine bleach solution of 1 tablespoon bleach to 1 gallon water. You can keep such a solution handy in a spray bottle near the sink.
REMEMBER: Always clean and sanitize your board after using it for raw meat, poultry, and seafood and before using it for ready-to-eat foods.
How do you safely prepare food for a picnic?
The answer to this question can be found in a document entitled: Food Safety While Hiking, Camping and Boating which is maintained on the web site of the Food Safety and Inspection Service.
What is the safest way to handle and prepare eggs?
Consumers should take the following precautions when handling both raw eggs and foods in which eggs are an ingredient, such as quiche or baked custard.
1. Avoid eating raw eggs and foods containing raw eggs: Homemade caesar salad, homemade hollandaise sauce, and homemade mayonnaise, for example. Likewise, homemade ice cream and homemade eggnog should be avoided unless made with a cooked, custard-type base. Commercial forms of these products are safe to serve since they are made with pasteurized liquid eggs. Commercial pasteurization destroys Salmonella bacteria.
2. Cook eggs thoroughly until both the yolk and the white are firm. This is especially important for people most at risk for foodborne illness. Those electing not to consume hard-cooked eggs can minimize their risk by cooking the egg until the white is completely firm and the yolk begins to thicken but is not hard. Fried eggs should be cooked on both sides or in a covered pan. Scrambled eggs should be cooked until firm throughout.
3. Realize that eating lightly cooked foods containing eggs, such as meringues, and French toast, may be risky for people in high-risk groups.
Consumers should also follow the usual safe food-handling practices for eggs:
1. Buy refrigerated grade AA or A eggs with clean, uncracked shells.
2. At home, keep eggs in their original carton and refrigerate as soon as possible at a temperature no higher than 40 F. Do not wash eggs before storing or using them. Washing is a routine part of commercial egg processing and rewashing is unnecessary.
3. Use raw shell eggs within 5 weeks after bringing them home. Use hard-cooked eggs (in the shell or peeled) within 1 week after cooking. Use leftover yolks and whites within 4 days after removing them from the shell.
4. Avoid keeping raw or cooked eggs and egg-containing foods out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours, including time for preparing and serving (but not cooking). If you hide hard-cooked eggs for an egg hunt, either follow the 2-hour rule or do not eat the eggs.
5. Wash hands, utensils, equipment, and work areas with hot, soapy water before and after they come in contact with eggs and egg-containing foods.
6. Review traditional recipes that, when served, contain raw or under-cooked eggs. Replace with recipes that, when served, contain thoroughly cooked eggs.
7. Serve cooked eggs and egg-containing foods hot, immediately after cooking; or hold for buffet-style serving at 140 °F or higher; or refrigerate at 40 °F or below for serving later. Use within 3-4 days.
8. When refrigerating a large amount of a hot egg-containing food or leftover, divide it into several shallow containers so it will cool quickly.
How do you safely prepare hot dogs?
The answer to this question can be found in a document entitled: FOCUS ON: Hot Dogs which is maintained on the web site of the Food Safety and Inspection Service.
How do you safely prepare beef?
The answer to this question can be found in a document entitled: FOCUS ON: Beef - from Farm to Table which is maintained on the web site of the Food Safety and Inspection Service.
How do you safely prepare corned beef?
The answer to this question can be found in a document entitled: FOCUS ON: Corned Beef which is maintained on the web site of the Food Safety and Inspection Service.
How do you safely prepare ground beef?
The answer to this question can be found in a document entitled: FOCUS ON: Ground Beef which is maintained on the web site of the Food Safety and Inspection Service.
How do you safely prepare giblets?
The answer to this question can be found in a document entitled: FOCUS ON: Giblets which is maintained on the web site of the Food Safety and Inspection Service.
How do you safely prepare egg products?
The answer to this question can be found in a document entitled: FOCUS ON: Egg Products which is maintained on the web site of the Food Safety and Inspection Service.
How do you safely prepare ham?
The answer to this question can be found in a document entitled: FOCUS ON: Ham which is maintained on the web site of the Food Safety and Inspection Service.
How do you safely prepare turkey?
The answer to this question can be found in a document entitled: FOCUS ON: Turkey which is maintained on the web site of the Food Safety and Inspection Service.
How do you safely prepare lamb?
The answer to this question can be found in a document entitled: FOCUS ON: Lamb which is maintained on the web site of the Food Safety and Inspection Service.
How do you safely prepare ratites (emu, ostrich, reah)?
The answer to this question can be found in a document entitled: FOCUS ON: Ratites which is maintained on the web site of the Food Safety and Inspection Service.
How do you safely prepare sausage?
The answer to this question can be found in a document entitled: FOCUS ON: Sausage which is maintained on the web site of the Food Safety and Inspection Service.
How do you safely prepare fresh pork?
The answer to this question can be found in a document entitled: FOCUS ON: Safety of Fresh Pork..from farm to table which is maintained on the web site of the Food Safety and Inspection Service.
What is the correct way to reheat foods?
- Bring sauces, soups and gravies to a boil. Heat other leftovers thoroughly to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Microwave leftovers using a lid or vented plastic wrap for thorough heating.
What is the correct way to cool leftovers?
- Don't cool leftovers on the kitchen counter. Put them straight into the refrigerator.
- Divide large quantities of food into smaller portions. Food in small portions cool more quickly to temperatures where bacteria quit growing.
Can I defrost food in a microwave?
Yes, but follow these easy tips:
- Remove food from store wrap prior to microwave defrosting.
- Cook meat and poultry immediately after micro-thawing.
- Remember to take food out of the microwave!
What utensils are safe to use in a microwave?
- Safe utensils for microwave cooking include glass and glass ceramic cookware, and those labeled for microwave use.
- Don't use cold storage containers. Margarine tubs, whipped topping bowls, cheese containers, and others can warp or melt from hot food, possibly causing chemical migration.
- Wax paper, oven cooking bags, parchment paper and white microwave paper towels should be safe to use. Avoid letting plastic wraps and thin plastic storage bags touch foods during microwaving. Never use brown grocery bags or newspapers in the microwave.
How do I safely cook foods in the microwave?
- Debone large pieces of meat.
- Arrange food items uniformly in a covered dish and add a little liquid.
- Cook large pieces of meat on medium power (50%) for longer times.
- Stir or rotate food once or twice during microwaving.
- Do not microwave whole, stuffed poultry.
- Never partially cook food. When microwaving food partly done, to finish cooking on the grill or conventional oven, transfer the microwaved food to another heat source immediately.
- Use a meat thermometer or the oven's temperature probe to verify the food has reached a safe temperature. Red meat should be 160 °F and poultry should be 180 °F.
How do I safely cook meats on the grill?
- When shopping for meat and poultry put them in the shopping cart last, right before checkout. Load meat and poultry into the air-conditioned car - not the trunk - and take the groceries straight home. In the summer if home is more than a 30-minute drive away, bring a cooler with ice from home and place perishable food in it for the trip. At home, place meat and poultry in the refrigerator immediately. Freeze poultry and ground meat that won't be used in 1 or 2 days.
- Completely thaw meat and poultry before grilling so it will cook more evenly.
- If the recipe calls for marinating the meat, always marinate the food in the refrigerator, not on the counter. If some of the marinade is to be used as a sauce on the cooked food, boil it first to destroy any bacteria.
- Pre-cook immediately before grilling to destroy bacteria if you want to save time.
- Use a meat thermometer to be sure the food has reached a safe internal temperature, and cut into the food to check for visual signs of doneness.
- After cooking meat and poultry on the grill, keep it hot until served.
- When taking food off the grill, don't put the cooked items on the same platter which held the raw meat.
How do I safely smoke meats?
Grilling slowly over indirect heat in a closed charcoal cooker is called "smoking". It is used to add flavor to large cuts of meat and keep them tender. It can require up to 8 hours, depending on the meat's size and the outdoor air temperature.
Use high quality charcoal to build a hot fire. Pile about 50 briquets in the center, and when they are covered with grey ash, push them into two piles. Center a pan of water between the two piles.
Wood chips such as mesquite are used for additional flavor. Using dry chips at the start creates a fast smoke: wet them later for sustained heat.
Center the food on the grill over the water pan, close the lid and keep the grill vents open. The temperature in the smoker should be maintained at 250-300 degrees Fahrenheit for safety. Add about 9 coals every 1 to 2 hours.
What is the safe way to handle baby bottles?
Clean
- Wash bottles, bottle caps and nipples in the dishwasher or hand wash, rinse and boil for 5 minutes or more just before refilling
Refrigerate
- Keep filled bottles of formula or breast milk in the refrigerator until just before feeding.
- Refrigerate open containers of ready-to-feed or concentrated formula.
Warming
- Place bottles in hot (not boiling) water for 5 minutes.
- Shake well and test milk temperature to make sure it's not too hot before feeding.
Microwave
- Never microwave baby bottles. Microwaves heat unevenly resulting in "hot spots" that can scald the baby's mouth and throat.
Can I microwave my infant's baby bottle?
No, because microwaves heat unevenly. Resulting "hot spots" can scald the baby's mouth and throat.
Can I feed my infant directly from the jar of baby food?
No, because the surface of the container hasn't been cleaned and may contain harmful bacteria. Also, bacteria from the baby's mouth contaminates the food and the bacteria can grow and multiply before the food is served again. Too many bacteria can make the baby sick