SURE-FIRE WAYS TO GET FOOD POISONING THIS SUMMER: A selection of dumb food-handling habits – and what you should be doing instead … • Allow Meat to Mingle – Cross-contamination happens when bacteria-infested juices from uncooked foods come into contact with other foods … sometimes even in a grocery bag. • Leave Groceries in Trunk While You Shop the Mall – Foodsafetysite recommends that perishable food should not be left out more than 1 hour if it’s hotter than 90 degrees F (32 C). • Always Use the Same Cutting Board – If you’re using the same cutting board, tongs, knives and plates to handle raw meat as you are to handle cooked meat, you’re asking for trouble. • Skip the Cooking Directions – Different meats require different cooking times and different cooking temperatures. When in doubt, check the packaging. • Only Check Surface Temperatures – Meats like burgers & sausages need to be cooked all the way through. Do yourself a favor, stick that thermometer in deep, where the Sun don’t shine. • Leave Fridge/Freezer Door Open – Meat should be stored at 35-40 F (1.5-4.5 C) in the refrigerator, and at 0 F (-18 C) in the freezer. Tough to maintain those levels with the door ajar. • Don’t Wash Your Hands – The rinse-soap-rub-rinse routine should take you at least 20 seconds. Your stomach and everyone else’s appetite will thank you for it. • Leave Cooked Food Out Forever – 2 hours is the recommended maximum time you should leave your food out before it needs to be refrigerated. • Practice Food Cryogenics – As a general rule of thumb, food can only be kept 3-4 days in the fridge and 2-6 months in the freezer … unless you want to end up with a mouthful of carpet. – Condensed from FoodBeast
Posted on: Wed, 26 Jun 2013 00:43:52 +0000
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