Bacteria free thaknsgiving;
A popular way to celebrate holidays or any party occasion is to invite friends and family to a buffet. However, this type of food service where foods are left out for long periods leave the door open for uninvited guests—bacteria that cause foodborne illness. Festive times for giving and sharing should not include sharing foodborne illness. Here are some tips from the USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline to help you have a SAFE holiday party.Safe Food HandlingAlways wash your hands before and after handling food. Keep your kitchen, dishes and utensils clean also. Always serve food on clean plates—not those previously holding raw meat and poultry. Otherwise, bacteria which may have been present in raw meat juices can cross-contaminate the food to be served.Cook ThoroughlyIf you are cooking foods ahead of time for your party, be sure to cook foods thoroughly to safe minimum internal temperatures.
Beef, veal and lamb steaks, roasts and chops may be cooked to 145 degrees F.
All cuts of pork to 160 degrees F.
Ground beef, veal and lamb to 160 degrees F.
All poultry should reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F.Use Shallow ContainersDivide cooked foods into shallow containers to store in the refrigerator or freezer until serving. This encourages rapid, even cooling. Reheat hot foods to 165 degrees F. Arrange and serve food on several small platters rather than on one large platter. Keep the rest of the food hot in the oven (set at 200 to 250 degrees F) or cold in the refrigerator until serving time. This way foods will be held at a safe temperature for a longer period of time. REPLACE empty platters rather than adding fresh food to a dish that already had food in it. Many people's hands may have been taking food from the dish, which has also been sitting out at room temperature.The Two-Hour RuleFoods should not sit at room temperature for more than two hours. Keep track of how long foods have been sitting on the buffet table and discard anything there two hours or more.Keep Hot Foods HOT and Cold Foods COLDHot foods should be held at 140 degrees F or warmer. On the buffet table you can keep hot foods hot with chafing dishes, slow cookers and warming trays. Cold foods should be held at 40 degrees F or colder. Keep foods cold by nesting dishes in bowls of ice. Otherwise, use small serving trays and replace them. Foodborne BacteriaBacteria are everywhere but a few types especially like to crash parties. Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens and Listeria monocytogenes frequent people's hands and steam tables. And unlike microorganisms that cause food to spoil, harmful or pathogenic bacteria cannot be smelled or tasted. Prevention is safe food handling.If illness occurs, however, contact a health professional and describe the symptoms.Excerpted from the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA. Last Modified: March 25, 2008.
Lastly, I want to wish all of you a very safe and happy thanksgiving, to your families also. Please don't forget to give thanks for all that you have and please say a special prayer for those that are serving our country and are unable to be at the table with us, just know that they are there in their hearts, no matter where they are! Happy Thanksgiving!
Beef, veal and lamb steaks, roasts and chops may be cooked to 145 degrees F.
All cuts of pork to 160 degrees F.
Ground beef, veal and lamb to 160 degrees F.
All poultry should reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F.Use Shallow ContainersDivide cooked foods into shallow containers to store in the refrigerator or freezer until serving. This encourages rapid, even cooling. Reheat hot foods to 165 degrees F. Arrange and serve food on several small platters rather than on one large platter. Keep the rest of the food hot in the oven (set at 200 to 250 degrees F) or cold in the refrigerator until serving time. This way foods will be held at a safe temperature for a longer period of time. REPLACE empty platters rather than adding fresh food to a dish that already had food in it. Many people's hands may have been taking food from the dish, which has also been sitting out at room temperature.The Two-Hour RuleFoods should not sit at room temperature for more than two hours. Keep track of how long foods have been sitting on the buffet table and discard anything there two hours or more.Keep Hot Foods HOT and Cold Foods COLDHot foods should be held at 140 degrees F or warmer. On the buffet table you can keep hot foods hot with chafing dishes, slow cookers and warming trays. Cold foods should be held at 40 degrees F or colder. Keep foods cold by nesting dishes in bowls of ice. Otherwise, use small serving trays and replace them. Foodborne BacteriaBacteria are everywhere but a few types especially like to crash parties. Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens and Listeria monocytogenes frequent people's hands and steam tables. And unlike microorganisms that cause food to spoil, harmful or pathogenic bacteria cannot be smelled or tasted. Prevention is safe food handling.If illness occurs, however, contact a health professional and describe the symptoms.Excerpted from the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA. Last Modified: March 25, 2008.
Lastly, I want to wish all of you a very safe and happy thanksgiving, to your families also. Please don't forget to give thanks for all that you have and please say a special prayer for those that are serving our country and are unable to be at the table with us, just know that they are there in their hearts, no matter where they are! Happy Thanksgiving!
posted by todd at 8:47 AM
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