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Food City's Food Safety Tips
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| [+]How Long will Leftovers Keep? [-]How Long will Leftovers Keep?
You will probably have leftovers after holiday meals….after all, that's a big part of the meal for many people! It's important to handle leftovers properly and use them up in a timely manner. Start by dividing leftovers into smaller containers and refrigerate or freeze within two hours of when you start eating. Be sure to remove any stuffing from inside the turkey and carve any remaining turkey meat from the bones. (Invest in an appliance thermometer so you know your refrigerator is 40° or a little colder and the freezer is 0° or colder.) Reheat cooked leftovers to 165° as checked with a food thermometer. Gravy, soup or sauces should be reheated to a boil and other foods should be steaming hot. If reheating in the microwave, cover food, stir and rotate during heating. Check that there are no “cold spots” in the dish of food. Use cooked meat, casseroles, stuffing and gravy within 3 to 4 days if kept in the refrigerator. If you won’t finish up leftovers by then, wrap or store in airtight packaging and store in the freezer about 2 to 3 months for best quality. (Stuffing should be used within one month.) | |
[+]Tips to Fight Bacteria in your Kitchen [-]Tips to Fight Bacteria in your Kitchen
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[-]BAC!® to School: Quick Tips to Packing a Safe Lunch
When it's back-to-school time, Fight BAC!® wants to remind parents and families across the country that the first important lesson of the school year is packing a safe lunch. All it takes is a quick refresher course: Pack a Safe Lunch 101 Quick Tips to Packing a Safe School Lunch * Always keep it clean. Wash your hands in with warm water and soap, and use hot, soapy water to make sure food-preparation surfaces and utensils are clean. Teach your children to wash their hands with warm water and soap before they eat. Also, rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running tap water and blot dry with a paper towel before packing them in your child's lunch. * Be sure to keep hot foods such as soup, chili or stew hot by using an insulated bottle. Fill the bottle with boiling water and let it stand for a few minutes. Empty the bottle and then fill it with piping hot food. Keep the bottle closed until lunchtime. * Insulated, soft-sided lunch totes are best for keeping perishable food cold, but metal or plastic lunch boxes and paper bags can also be used. If using paper lunch bags, create layers by double bagging to help insulate the food. A cold source, such as a small frozen gel pack or frozen juice box, should be packed with perishable food in any type of lunch bag or box. After lunch, discard all used food packaging and paper bags. Do not reuse paper or plastic bags. * Freezer gel packs will keep foods cold until lunchtime, but are not recommended for all-day storage. * Try freezing single-sized juice packs overnight and placing the frozen drink in your child's lunch. If your child's lunchtime is late enough, the juice will thaw by lunchtime, but it will still be cold. The frozen drink will also keep the rest of the lunch cold. * Tell your child to use the refrigerator at school, if one is available. If not, make sure he or she keeps the lunch out of direct sunlight and away from radiators, baseboards and other heat sources found in the classroom. * Any perishable food (such as meat, poultry, egg sandwiches, fresh-cut fruits and vegetables) not eaten at lunch should be thrown away. * Every parent should have a supply of shelf-stable foods for easy packing. These include crackers, peanut butter sandwiches, packaged pudding and canned fruits or meats. * If you make sandwiches the night before, keep them in the refrigerator until packing up to go in the morning. Resources If you have more questions or concerns about food safety, contact: * The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854). The TTY number for the hearing impaired is 800-256-7072. Or visit http://www.fsis.usda.gov/. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Information Line at 888-SAFE-FOOD. Or visit online at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/. Information provided by the Partnership for Food Safety Education Fightbac web site. | |
[-]Tips for Handling Leftovers
Throw away all perishable foods, such as meat, poultry, eggs and casseroles, left at room temperature longer than two hours; one hour in air temperatures above 90 °F. This includes leftovers taken home from a restaurant. Some exceptions to this rule are foods such as cookies, crackers, bread and whole fruits. Whole roasts, hams and turkeys should be sliced or cut into smaller pieces or portions before storing them in the refrigerator or freezer. Turkey legs, wings and thighs may be left whole. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers in shallow containers. Wrap or cover the food. The above information came from the Partnership for Food Safety Education Fightbac web site. www.fightbac.org | |
[-]Egg-Stra! Egg-Stra!
Before the hunt . . . * Wash your hands thoroughly before handling eggs at every preparation step, including cooking, cooling, dyeing, and hiding. * Only use eggs that have been refrigerated and discard eggs that are cracked or dirty. * When cooking, place a single layer of eggs in a saucepan. Add water to at least one inch above the eggs. Cover the pan, bring the water to a boil, and carefully remove the pan from the heat. Let the eggs stand (18 minutes for extra large eggs, 15 minutes for large, 12 minutes for medium). Immediately run cold water over the eggs. When the eggs are cool enough to handle, place them in an uncovered container in the refrigerator where they can air-dry. * When decorating, be sure to use food grade dyes. It is safe to use commercial egg dyes, liquid food coloring, and fruit-drink powders. When handling eggs, be careful not to crack them. Otherwise, bacteria could enter the egg through the cracks in the shell. * Keep hard-cooked Easter eggs refrigerated until just before the hunt. Keep them fully chilled by storing them on a shelf inside the refrigerator, not in the refrigerator door. * Consider buying one set of eggs for decorating only and another set for eating. During the hunt . . . * Hide the eggs in places that are protected from dirt, pets, and other potential sources of bacteria. * To prevent bacterial growth, don't let eggs sit in hiding places for more than 2 hours. After the hunt . . . * Discard any eggs that were cracked, dirty, or that children didn't find within 2 hours. * Place the eggs back in the refrigerator until it's chow time! HAPPY SPRING! The above information came from the Partnership for Food Safety Education Fightbac web site. For more information on handling eggs safely visit www.fightbac.org. | |
[-]Proper Use of Cutting Boards
Using cutting boards properly is an important step in keeping your food safe. * You should always wash your cutting board after you have raw meat on it. If fact you need to wash the cutting board after preparing each food item and before going on to the next food item. * If possible, use a different cutting board for raw meat products. * When your cutting board becomes excessively worn or gets hard to clean grooves, you need to replace it. | |
[-]Frozen Food
Handling frozen food correctly is important for the safety and quality of frozen products. It is important to remember that freezing does not kill all bacteria. It does slow its growth however once the product is thawed the growth could continue. So it is important to follow these guidelines when storing food in the freezer. * All frozen food should remain in a frozen state. * Make sure to rotate items in your freezer use the product that has been in the freezer the longest first. * Keep your freezer door closed as much as possible. * Never refreeze a thawed product, cook it and then place it in the freezer. * Use the proper freezer containers, baggies and wrapping when placing items in the freezer. * Always label the items that you put into the freezer with a date and the contents. * Do not place hot items in your freezer it will cause the temperature of the unit to rise and allow for thawing of food. By following these simple steps you can keep your frozen items safer. | |
[-]Thermometers
No kitchen should be without a food thermometer. After all a food thermometer is the only way to ensure a proper cooking temperature. If you need a thermometer make certain you buy one that is easy to use, read and understand. When you get it home make sure to read and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Before the first use wash it and make sure to wash it after every additional use. It must be stored properly and handled with care. Tossing a thermometer around, dropping it or exposing it to extreme temperature changes will cause it to need calibration more frequently. To check a thermometer to see if it needs calibration follow these steps: * Fill a cup with ice and then add water. * Place the thermometer in the glass. * It should read 32 degrees fahrenheit. If the temperature is not 32 degrees fahrenheit follow the manufacturer's direction on how to calibrate it. (Some thermometers are not made to be calibrated. This type must be discarded when its out of calibration.) When using the thermometer be sure to use it in the thickest part of the food and away from the bone. | |
[-]Proper Cooking Temperatures
Cooking food(s) to the proper internal temperature is one of the most important things you can do to keep foods safe. Remember you can not rely on sight to tell if an item is done. Using a food thermometer to check the internal temperature, is the only way to ensure food(s) have been cooked properly. When using a food thermometer be sure to put the thermometer in the thickest part of the food, away from the bone. Below is a list of the proper internal cooking temperatures. Ground Beef....................160° Poultry..............................165° Pork (at least)..................160° Fresh beef (steaks and roasts) Medium rare....................145° Medium............................160° Well done.........................170° Left overs.........................165° | |
[-]Ground Beef Safety
Food City is dedicated to delivering the highest quality and safest products to our customers. To ensure the safety of our ground beef products after it leaves the store, we would like to offer these food safety tips: * Always make Food City your last stop before home. * Place your ground beef in refrigerator as soon as you arrive home. * Always thaw frozen ground beef in the refrigerator. Never set it out on the counter at room temperature. * Never put any product on the same plate that held the raw ground beef. * Keep everything clean-hands, counters and utensils. * Always cook ground beef to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. * Use a clean thermometer to check the internal temperature of all ground beef products you cook. | |
[-]How to Properly Thaw Frozen Food
Proper thawing of frozen food is critical to help prevent contamination and/or spoilage. You should never thaw food at room temperature. This can cause bacteria to grow and multiply on the surface of the item. Thaw food by one of these four methods: * Allow to thaw in a refrigerator. Foods must remain below 40 degrees F.Also remember large items will take longer to thaw so you will need to plan ahead. * Thaw under drinkable running water. The water temperature must always remain below 70 degrees F. * As part of the cooking process. This method will require a longer cooking time. * In the microwave oven. This can only be done if the item is going to be cooked immediately after it is thawed. | |
[-]How to Properly Wash Hands to Prevent Foodborne Illness
Do you know what the single most important thing you can do to prevent the spread of foodborne illness? Properly washing your hands! Just like in the food service industry, when cooking at home you should always try to be a barrier against bacteria. So what can you do to properly wash you hands? First, lets go over how to wash you hands. * Wet them with warm water. * Apply soap, lather vigorously for 20 seconds (that's long enough to sing Happy Birthday to yourself twice) * Rinse with warm water. * Finally dry with a single use paper towel. I know all that sounds simple enough, but next time you wash your hands time yourself. Most people never make the 20 second mark, and if you are not washing for 20 seconds, you may be leaving bacteria on your hands. So now that you know how to wash your hands let's go over some times when you you should wash them. 1. Everytime you use the restroom facilities. 2. After you cough, sneeze or use a disposable tissue. 3. After you touch floors, walls, doorknobs and garbage. 4. After you touch hair, nose, mouth, etc... 5. When switching between working with raw food, fresh shell egg and unwashed produce to cooked/ready to eat product. Remember the main point is, your hands must always be clean when handling food. | |
[-]Ground Beef Facts
If you have ever bought a package of ground beef and it was a nice bright red color on the outside, but a dull, gray-brown or even purple color on the inside, THAT’S NORMAL! The meat is NOT SPOILED! The natural pigment in meat reacts with oxygen in the air to produce a bright red color called “bloom.” The special packaging used for ground beef allows oxygen to penetrate the plastic so the outside of the meat more quickly “blooms.” The oxygen doesn’t usually reach the inside of the meat package so the meat on the inside doesn’t “bloom” and has a darker color. When the interior is exposed to oxygen, you will see the color change to bright red. For more information about meat food safety, call the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Meat and Poultry Hotline toll-free at 1-888-674-6854 or visit their website: www.fsis.usda.gov. |
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