The holidays are almost here! Start planning now for menus, number of guests, and other details.
Keep food safety in mind to keep the uninvited guest of foodborne illness from ruining a great meal.
The basics of cook, chill, clean and separate should guide your meal preparation, serving and clean up. Use a thermometer to verify doneness of meats, casseroles and other dishes.
Insert a food thermometer in the thickest part of the meat and away from bones.
The concept of clean typically means we wash or rinse items to make them clean. We wash dishes, clothes, cars, etc. So, it may seem that rinsing meat or poultry before cooking makes them clean. This practice, in fact, can cause foodborne illness instead. It is an old practice that is very outdated.
Today’s modern food safety system provides cleaned meat during processing. No rinsing is required at home. If you do, any potential bacteria on the meat can be splashed onto other surfaces. If those are not cleaned, that leads to cross-contamination.
What is the best practice? Simply using a food thermometer to verify doneness and to destroy foodborne illness-causing bacteria. Follow these temperature guidelines:
While food pantries and food banks operate year around, they become especially important during the holidays. Food safety is important to give safe food to those in need.
Many communities have Blessing Boxes to offer easy access to foods. Because these are outside and subject to cold temperatures, not all foods are safe to donate. Consider non-food items, can openers, hygiene supplies, dry mixes, dried fruit, nuts, crackers and granola bars. Never donate perishable foods as they can spoil or attract pests. Avoid glass packaging, damaged cans or any open containers.
Spaghetti alla carbanara Photo: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0023643820301031
Spaghetti alla carbanara is a an Italian dish with a sauce made from raw eggs. The eggs are heated by the residual heat from the cooked pasta. But that heat treatment may not be sufficient to inactivate potential Salmonella bacteria.
Research was conducted by inoculating the beaten egg mixture with five strains of Salmonella. The recipe was prepared and temperatures were taken at various points to determine if the heat treatment reduced the Salmonella. It was found that the Salmonella was reduced by about half, but there was still enough viable bacteria to potentially cause foodborne illness.
Without knowing if eggs are contaminated or not, it is best to use pasteurized eggs to effectively reduce contamination risks. This is especially important for older adults and those with immuno-compromised health.
Are you buying a frozen turkey for your holiday meal? Remember to plan ahead to thaw it safely and in time for roasting. The refrigerator is the best choice to safely thaw frozen food. Do not leave it sit on the countertop at room temperature.
Allow about 24 hours for every 4-5 pounds of frozen turkey. It will likely take longer. So for a 12–pound turkey, plan for at least three days thawing time in the refrigerator.
The cold water method can be used in a pinch. Leave the turkey in the wrapper. Submerge it in a clean sink or large container full of cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes and allow about 30 minutes per pound of turkey. Cook immediately.
High temperature short time pasteurization Photo: USDA Flickr
As the holiday baking season approaches, recipes are being dusted off to make favorite goodies for family and friends. When shopping for milk products, they will be labeled as pasteurized.
The terms “pasteurization,” “pasteurized” mean heating every milk particle to a specific temperature and time to destroy pathogens in raw milk. There are three methods to do pasteurization and require refrigeration for storage.
Vat pasteurization means the milk is in a large vat and heated to at least 145°F for 30 minutes. For eggnog, the temperature must reach 155°F. This is primarily used for smaller operations or preparing starter cultures for cheese, yogurt and buttermilk. Some ice cream mixes are also vat pasteurized.
High temperature short time (HTST) pasteurization is a continuous heating system for a minimum temperature of 161°F for 15 seconds. Some operation use a higher temperature for a shorter amount of time. This method is the most common in the U.S.
Ultra pasteurization is a continuous heating system that reaches 280°F for 2.0 seconds. This product will have a longer shelf life.
Franken-BAC wants you to have a safe Halloween bash! Keep these tips in mind to keep your ghouls and goblins food safe.
Scare BAC! (foodborne bacteria) away by keeping all perishable foods chilled until serving time. These include, for example, finger sandwiches, cheese platters, cut fruit or tossed salads, cold pasta dishes with meat, poultry, or seafood, and cream pies or cakes with whipped-cream and cream-cheese frostings. Cold temperatures help keep most frightful bacteria from multiplying.
To keep party trays cold, fill lids with ice and place trays on top. Place bowls of salads cold by nesting them in larger bowls of ice.
Arrange food on several small platters. Refrigerate platters of food until it is time to serve, and rotate food platters within two hours.
Don’t leave perishable goodies out for more than two hours at room temperature (1 hour in temperatures above 90°F).
When whipping up Halloween treats, don’t taste dough and batters that contain uncooked eggs or raw flour.
Beware of spooky cider! Unpasteurized juice or cider can contain harmful bacteria such as E.coliO157:H7 and Salmonella. Serve pasteurized products at your Halloween party.
Remind kids (and adults too!) to wash their hands before and after chowing down to help prevent foodborne illness.
Save the date for the 2022 Urban Food System Symposium! This event will be September 26-29, 2022 in Kansas City, Missouri.
This symposium will bring together a national and international audience of academic and research-oriented professionals to share and gain knowledge on how we can build coalitions to adapt to this changing world and how urban food systems contribute to these solutions.
The Pandemic Response and Safety (PRS) Grant Program provides funding to help small specialty crop producers, food processors, manufacturers, distributors and farmers markets recover costs incurred by responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, including for measures to protect workers.
This program is for small specialty crop producers, food processors, manufacturers and distributors, as well as farmers markets. Funding will range from $1,500 to $20,000. Applications open September 23, 2021 and close November 8, 2021.
Local food entrepreneurs are a real benefit to their local community and economy. Food safety in their business is critical to success.
A new publication developed by North Dakota State University Extension and K-State Research and Extension called Food Safety Best Practices for Local Food Entrepreneurs outlines best practices to maintain safety standards. Always consult state regulations to be in compliance.
