Kitchen Companion: Your Safe Food Handbook (Single Page Layout)
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Kitchen Companion Clean Separate Cook Chill Your Safe Food Handbook 2 Kitchen Companion Your Safe Food Handbook “Food safety.” You hear a lot about it . and you know a lot about it. But as with any comprehensive topic, there may be simple steps that are second nature that you’ve practiced forever — like hand washing — and then there may be current or updated information that is less familiar, or that may have changed since the last time you looked. That’s what Kitchen Companion: Your Safe Food Handbook is all about. This food safety handbook contains all the basic information you need to know about food safety . some old, some new . and all in one place. Between the information-rich chapters and the easy index in the back, Kitchen Companion will likely answer all of your food safety questions. But if not . don’t miss the food safety contact information on page 44. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is always there to help. So read on . and Be Food Safe. 1 A Special Note to Those Most “At Risk” Some people are at higher risk for developing foodborne illness. These include pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. If you — or someone you care for — are in one of these at-risk groups, it’s important to pay extra attention to handling food safely. For more on those most at risk, visit www.fsis.usda.gov. United States Department of Agriculture AboutFood Saf USDA’sety and FoodInspection Safety Service and Inspection Service (FSIS) FSIS is the public health agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture that is responsible for ensuring that the Nation’s commercial supply of meat, poultry, and processed egg products is safe, whole- some, and correctly labeled and packaged. FSIS focuses on inspecting and protecting the U.S. food supply . and educating consumersUnited Statesabout safe Depar foodtment handling of Agriculture and reducingFood Saftheety risks and of foodborneInspection illness.Service Visit FSIS online at www.fsis.usda.gov. 2 table of contents Foodborne Bacteria Turkey and Other Poultry. 24 Spoilage Bacteria. 4 Eggs and Egg-Rich Food . 28 Pathogenic Bacteria . 4 Egg Storage Chart . 29 Major Foodborne Pathogens . 6 Hot Dogs and Luncheon Meat . 30 Leftovers . 30 Shopping for Food At the Store . 8 Specific Preparation and Focus on: The “Danger Zone”. 9 Cooking Methods Transporting Groceries . 9 Marinating. 31 About Food Labels. 10 Microwave Cooking . 31 Storing Food Grilling and Barbecuing. 32 Refrigerated Perishable Food . 11 Smoking . 33 Frozen Food . 12 Slow Cooking . 34 Cold Storage Chart. 13 Serving Food Safely Shelf-Stable Food. 14 General Guidelines. 35 Food Preparation Buffets . Cooking for Groups. 36 Keeping It Clean . 15 Take-Out and Delivered Food. 37 Preparation Tips for Produce. 16 Transporting Food Thawing . 16 Bag Lunches. 38 Cooking Food Safely Coolers . 39 About Food Thermometers . 17 Food Safety for How to Use a Food-by-Mail Food Thermometer. 17 Mail-Order Food. 40 Food Thermometers and Temperature Indicators. 18 Food Safety in an Emergency Done Versus Safe. 18 Product Recalls . 41 Safe Minimum Internal Power Outages . 41 Temperature Chart . 19 In Case of Flood. 42 Avoid the “Danger Zone” . 19 In Case of Fire . 43 Special Guidelines for Food Safety Contacts Certain Food “Ask Karen”. 43 Ground Meat and Poultry. 20 USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline . 44 Ham . 20 For More Information . 44 Roasts . 21 Index . 45 Roasting Chart . 22 Four Simple Steps to Food Safety Clean Separate Cook Chill 3 foodborne bacteria There are two kinds of foodborne bacteria: one that spoils your food and one that makes you sick. It’s good to be familiar with both . but it’s critical that you follow safe food handling practices to keep the second one at bay. Spoilage Bacteria Foodborne Illness Spoilage bacteria are bacteria that cause Often called “food poisoning,” foodborne food to go bad — in other words, to illness comes from a food you eat. It’s “spoil.” With spoilage bacteria, the food caused by ingesting pathogenic bacteria. looks or smells funny or bad, so you know to throw it out. These bacteria can grow at lower temperatures — even in Pathogenic Bacteria: The the refrigerator. But while they can make Cause of Foodborne Illness food unappealing and inedible . they Pathogenic bacteria cause illness — do not usually cause illness. and they can get in food in a number of Pathogenic Bacteria ways. Sometimes these bacteria occur naturally and are destroyed by cooking These are the ones you need to watch food to safe temperatures. Pathogenic out for — in fact, it’s pathogenic bacteria can also end up contaminating bacteria that the food safety precautions food when proper guidelines for throughout this handbook are intended cleaning hands, surfaces, and utensils to prevent. You can’t see, smell, or taste and for avoiding cross-contamination are these pathogens — and this makes not followed. them difficult to detect. What’s more, they cause a variety of foodborne • Different bacteria are present in illnesses — and can make you really, different foods . and some are more really sick. common in certain situations. Foodborne Illness in the United States The food supply in the United States is safe. However, when certain disease-causing bacteria or pathogens contaminate food, they can cause foodborne illness. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 76 million persons get sick, 325,000 are hospitalized, and 5,000 people die from foodborne illness and infection each year. Many of these are very young, very old, or have weakened immune systems and may not be able to fight infection normally. Since foodborne illness can be serious — or even fatal — it is important for you to know and practice safe food handling behaviors to help reduce your risk of accidentally getting sick from contaminated food. 4 For example, Salmonella is most often Foodborne Illness: Know the found in poultry or eggs, whereas Signs and Symptoms . and E. coli is more typically found in or on Take Action meats and vegetables. Meanwhile, The signs and symptoms of foodborne Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium illness range from upset stomach, perfringens frequent people’s hands diarrhea, fever, vomiting, abdominal — and even buffet lines. cramps, and dehydration to more severe • Throughout this Handbook, you’ll find illness — even death. If you become ill effective strategies for preventing and believe your illness is due to a food illness from pathogenic bacteria. product: Food safety is extremely important • Seek treatment as necessary. and should be practiced with every Contact your doctor — especially if meal you eat or prepare. The Major symptoms persist or become severe Pathogens chart (on pages 6-7) gives (bloody diarrhea, excessive nausea greater detail regarding the most and vomiting, or high fever). For common foodborne bacteria . where victims in an at-risk group (pregnant they are found . and what they can women and their unborn babies, do if ingested. newborns, young children, older adults, and people with weakened About Mold on Food immune systems), seek medical care Molds are not bacteria. To learn about immediately. mold on food, visit www.fsis.usda.gov/ • Call your local health department fact_sheets/molds_on_food/index.asp. if the suspect food was served at a large gathering, at a restaurant or other food service facility, or if it is a commercial product. 5 6 Major Pathogens That Cause Foodborne Illness (Bacteria, Parasites, Viruses) Pathogen Methods of Transmission Symptoms and Potential Impact Campylobacter • Contaminated water • Fever, headache, and muscle pain followed by diarrhea jejuni • Raw milk (sometimes bloody), abdominal pain, and nausea that • Raw or undercooked meat, poultry, appear 2 to 5 days after eating; may last 7 to 10 days. or shellfish • May spread to bloodstream and cause a serious life-threatening infection. Clostridium • Called the “cafeteria germ” because many • Intense abdominal cramps and diarrhea begin 8 to 22 perfringens outbreaks result from food left for long periods hours after eating; usually lasts 24 hours. In the elderly, on steam tables or at room temperature. symptoms may last 1 to 2 weeks. • Meats, meat products, and gravy • Complications and/or death occur only very rarely. Escherichia coli • Undercooked beef, especially hamburger • Severe diarrhea that is often bloody, abdominal cramps, and O157:H7 • Unpasteurized milk and juice vomiting. Usually little or no fever. One of several • Contaminated raw fruits and vegetables, • Can begin 1 to 8 days after food is eaten; lasts about 5 to 10 strains of E. coli that and water days. can cause human • Person-to-person • Some, especially the very young, have developed hemolytic- illness uremic syndrome (HUS) that causes acute kidney failure or even death. Listeria • Contaminated hot dogs, luncheon meats, • Fever, chills, headache, stiff neck, backache, sometimes monocytogenes cold cuts, fermented or dry sausage, and upset stomach, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. May take up Can grow slowly other deli-style meat and poultry to 3 weeks to become ill. at refrigerator • Soft cheeses and unpasteurized milk • At-risk patients (including pregnant women) may later temperatures develop more serious illness from this bacteria that could result in death. • Pregnant women who think they have eated contaminated food should seek medical advice. Noroviruses • Shellfish and fecally contaminated foods • Nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, fever, muscle aches, and (and other or water some headache usually appear within 1 to 2 days and may calciviruses) • Ready-to-eat food touched by infected last 1 to 2 days. food workers, e.g., salads, sandwiches, ice, • Diarrhea is more prevalent in adults, and vomiting is more cookies, fruit prevalent in children. Salmonella • Raw or undercooked eggs, poultry, • Stomach pain, diarrhea, nausea, chills, fever, and headache (over 2,300 types) and meat usually appear 8 to 72 hours after eating; may last 4 to 7 days.