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Safeguarding Your Food
Every year, an estimated 7 million Americans
suffer from cases of foodborne illness. Some cases are violent and even result in death.
Of course this is commonly known as "food poisoning." The culprit is food that
has dangerously high levels of bacteria due to improper cooking or handling.
Food safety is usually taken for granted by the buying public but
everyone's attention was recently directed to food poisoning involving some meat that was
undercooked. It was determined that the problem never would have happened if the meat had
been cooked properly. E.Coli 0157.H7 is a potent virus, but it can be completely destroyed
when the meat is fully cooked.
It is important for consumers to take an all-around safety approach to
purchasing, storing and preparing both traditional and new meat and poultry products.
Ultimately, consumers and food handlers bear the responsibility for keeping food safe once
it leaves the store.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about 85 percent of
foodborne illness cases could be avoided each year if consumers would handle food
properly. The most common foodborne illnesses are caused by a combination of bacteria,
naturally present in the environment, and food handling mistakes. Ironically, these are
also the easiest types of foodborne illnesses to prevent. Proper cooking or processing of
raw meat and poultry kills bacteria that can cause foodborne illness.
When you're out, grocery shop last, take food straight home to the
refrigerator. And never leave food in a hot car! Don't buy anything you won't use before
the use-by date. Don't buy food in poor condition. Make sure refrigerated food is cold to
the touch. Frozen food should be rock-solid. Canned goods should be free of dents, cracks
or bulging lids which can indicate a serious food poisoning threat.
The performance and maintenance of your refrigerator is of the utmost
importance. Check the temperature of your refrigerator with an appliance thermometer. To
keep bacteria in check, the refrigerator should run at 40 degrees F; the freezer unit at 0
degrees F. Generally, keep your refrigerator as cold as possible without freezing your
milk or lettuce. When you prepare food, keep everything clean and thaw
out any frozen food you plan to prepare in your refrigerator. Take it out of the freezer
in advance and place it in the refrigerated section of your refrigerator. Always wash your
hands in hot soapy water before preparing and handling any food as well as after you use
the bathroom, change diapers, handle pets, etc. Remember, too, that bacteria can live in
your kitchen towels, sponges and dish cloths. Wash them often and replace the dish cloths
and sponges you use regularly every few weeks.
Be absolutely sure that you keep all raw meats, poultry and fish and
their juices away from other food. For instance, wash your hands, your cutting board and
knife in hot soapy water after cutting up the chicken and before dicing salad ingredients.
It is best to use plastic cutting boards rather than wooden ones where bacteria can hide
in grooves. Don't take your food out of the freezer and leave it on the kitchen counter to
thaw. This is extremely dangerous since the bacteria can grow in the outer layers of the
food before the inside thaws. It is wise to do your marinating in the refrigerator too.
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