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Category: April 2021

Presto Digital Pressure Canner

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee
Presto Digital Pressure Canner
This appliance has not been evaluated by USDA or university research laboratory.

Many questions have been received about the Presto Digital Pressure Canner. Here is advice, shared with permission, from the University of Georgia National Center for Home Food Preservation.

Presto is a well-respected and conscientious name in the industry. The University of Georgia has not independently verified their marketing statements for you at this time. If someone wants to use this canner, they have to be willing to trust the manufacturer at this time.

Presto has carried out the research on their own to make the claim that the appliance meets USDA guidelines for processing, and so it is up to the company to stand behind it.  The type or extent of research Presto has done is not available.

It does seem like Presto is aware that they have to meet a minimum temperature inside the canner, not just a pressure, which is a positive indication.

The Presto instruction booklet does not contain at least two USDA low acid processes that have special canner and water level requirements in the canner different from other low acid canned foods in the USDA manual.  Therefore, follow the Presto instruction manual and not directions from other sources including the USDA book or the NCHFP if you are going to use it.  They do put full instructions for preparing and processing foods in their user manual, which is also a positive approach.

One can read through the online instruction manual to see how the canner operates and the features built into the appliance.

Other questions about their research will have to be directed to Presto at this time.

The National Center for Home Food Preservation does not recommend or approve any specific brand of canners.  The USDA also does not approve specific home appliances or canners.  If you have noticed the little USDA round seal on some of the Presto promotional materials, that symbol was developed by Presto and is not an official USDA seal. It does not indicate USDA approval. (Even official USDA symbols, which this is not, are not allowed to be used by anyone to imply or endorse a commercial product or service.)

Source: The National Center for Home Food Preservation, March 2021

 

Food Safety and Nutrition Survey

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee
Menu Labeling
Menu labeling at restaurants is required for businesses that own 20 or more locations.

Assessment of consumer behaviors in the areas of food safety and nutrition helps drive many public health issues. This includes the types of education and risk-management decisions to protect public health.

The 2019 FDA Food Safety and Nutrition Survey Report includes data collected in October and November of 2019 and had 4,398 responses via telephone interviews. Some key findings include:

  • More consumers think it is “very common” to get foodborne illness from food prepared in restaurants compared to home prepared food.
  • Consumers are more concerned about raw meat or poultry contamination compared to raw vegetables and fruit.
  • When consumers read a Nutrition Facts Label, the top four items they read include Calories, Total Sugar, Sodium, and Serving Size.
  • Most consumers have seen restaurant menu labeling and it has helped them avoid high-calorie foods.

 

Safe Handling of Take-Out Foods

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee

The food delivery business has grown in the last year. It is still important to remember food safety!

Remember the two-hour rule and keep foods out of the temperature danger zone of 40-140°F. If you plan to eat hot foods later, divide into smaller portions and refrigerate. Keep cold foods cold too!

Got leftovers? If leftovers are at room temperature more than two hours, discard them. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers for later use.

Learn more at www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/safe-handling-take-out-foods.

The website for the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service has a new look!

 

KDA Food Safety Webinars

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee

The Kansas Department of Agriculture has been offering monthly webinars on a variety of topics.

There are four webinars left in the series. Recordings of past webinars are also available. Here are the final four topics:

  • Food Safety on the Go: Food Trucks, Trailers, Tents and Carts
  • Staying Ahead of the Game: What Food Service Managers Need to Know
  • Dealing with Pests in a Food Establishment
  • Limiting the Spread of Germs: How Employees Can Make a Difference

More information, webinar recordings and registration.

KDA Webinars

Reminders for Food Preservation Safety

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee
Food Preservation
Photo: USDA Flickr

In home canning, botulism is rare, but it can happen if unsafe methods and untested recipes are used. In the last few months, several cases of foodborne botulism were identified in Colorado. Foodborne botulism does not spread from person to person, it comes directly from food. Get started on the path to safe home canned foods with these tips:

  • Learn how to use equipment properly. Practice by canning water to learn how your stovetop works with the canner. Read canner and stove manufacturer instructions.
  • Follow reliable recipes. They will safely guide you through the steps and also tell you how to adjust processing for your elevation.
  • Use the proper canning method for the food being canned. High acid foods can be safely canned in a water bath canner. Low acid foods must be canned in a pressure canner.

Learn more with the resources in Preserve it Fresh, Preserve it Safe.

 

CFSAN Education Resources

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has many education resources available through the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) website.

Most of these resources are available by download, but some printed copies are available to order in limited quantities for no cost. There are also links to videos.

Search these publications by audience, format, subject, and more. Many are translated into many other languages such as Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese.

See the complete collection at https://epublication.fda.gov/epub/.

To contact CFSAN, email CFSANPublicationRe@fda.hhs.gov

Subscribe to the quarterly CFSAN newsletter at https://updates.fda.gov/subscriptionmanagement

 

Botulism Survivor Urges Safe Canning

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee
pressure canner
Contact your local Extension office to get your dial gauge tested for accuracy.

Take it from one who has survived botulism. Get educated and learn about safely canning foods before you start canning!

While Debbie Miller survived botulism, it was a long recovery. And all of it could have been prevented. Now she is on a mission to tell her story and educate home canners about what could happen if improper methods are used.

Debbie canned green beans. While she did use a pressure canner, she had no idea how to use it to safely can the beans. The dial-gauge canner was not calibrated correctly and she used it like a water bath canner. Therefore, the beans did not reach the proper temperature to kill Clostridium botulinum. After eating the beans, she had double vision, swollen tongue, muscle weakness in her neck and other symptoms. Tests confirmed the diagnosis.

Watch and learn the Utah State University video about Debbie’s experience so this doesn’t happen to you!

 

Benefits of Physical Activity

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee

As we get closer to Spring and the start of Walk Kansas 2021, keep in mind of the many health benefits you receive with physical activity.

The immediate benefits include better sleep quality, less anxiety, and reduced blood pressure.

The long-term benefits include better brain health, lower heart disease risks, many cancer prevention benefits, improve bone strength, balance and coordination, and reduced weight gain.

Now get out and walk!

Source: CDC

Physical Activity Benefits

 

USDA Pomological Collection

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee

StrawberriesIn the late 1800’s, the USDA hired an artist for the USDA Division of Pomology. Her name was Debora Griscom Passmore, a watercolor artist. Many of her works are found in publications such as the USDA Bulletin No. 7, Fruit Industry and the Yearbook of the United States Department of Agriculture, 1902-1992.  For the time period, her artistic work was unmatched and is considered one of the USDA’s prized possessions.

Along with thousands of portraits of fruit, she also painted a collection of flowers and cacti. See the digital collection on the USDA National Agricultural Library website.

Source: Deborah Griscom Passmore Watercolors

Source:

U.S. Department of Agriculture Pomological Watercolor Collection. Rare and Special Collections, National Agricultural Library, Beltsville, MD 20705

 

Reference to any specific commercial products, process, service, manufacturer, or company does not constitute its endorsement or recommendation. Paid for by Kansas State University