Do you ever wonder how safe your kitchen is? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 76 million incidences of foodborne illness occur each year. Believe it or not, many foodborne illnesses occur in the home. Many times these illnesses are disguised as a bad case of the flu. There are several ways you can make your kitchen safe for the entire family. So, for safety's sake, always practice the following tips in your kitchen.
*Make sure your refrigerator temperature
is at 40 degrees F or less. This temperature is important
because it slows the growth of most bacterial that cause
foodborne illnesses. An Audits International study reported that
23% of consumers' refrigerators are 45 degrees F or above. Make
sure that your refrigerator is kept at the proper temperature so
that the growth of bacteria is slowed and you are less likely to
get sick.
*When serving food, remember the rule: Keep hot foods hot
and cold foods cold. Food should not remain in the danger zone
of 40 degrees F to 140 degrees F for more than two hours.
*Cooked food should always be refrigerated within two hours
after cooking. Cooling hot foods in an ice bath or by stirring
until the food cools before refrigerating is also a good rule.
*Be sure to defrost meat, poultry, and fish products on the
bottom shelf of your refrigerator, in the microwave, or in cold
water that is changed every thirty minutes. After defrosting in
the microwave, be sure to cook food immediately. Never leave
frozen meat, poultry and fish products on the counter to thaw.
The outer layer will warm and cause bacteria to grow before the
center thaws.
*Regularly sanitize your dish cloths and sponges.
Sanitizing your dish cloths and sponges will prevent you from
spreading millions of bacteria all over your kitchen. You can
sanitize your cloths and sponges by washing them often in the hot
cycle of your washing machine. Try using paper towels as an
alternative to dish cloths and sponges. Allowing dishes to air
dry is another way that you can cut down on spreading bacteria
throughout your kitchen.
*Always cook meat products until they are no longer red in
the middle and the juices run clear. The best way to make sure
that the meat has been cooked all the way through is to use a
meat thermometer. The meat thermometer reading will let you know
if the meat has reached a safe internal temperature to kill
harmful bacteria. Insert the thermometer into the thickest
portion of the food for an accurate temperature. Heat all
leftovers to at least 165 degrees F before serving as well.
*Don't forget to sanitize your cutting boards and counter
tops after each use. Replace old cutting boards that have deep
cuts in them. Often we spread bacteria from one food to another.
Scrub your counters routinely, and thoroughly clean cutting
boards between each food preparation step.
*Wash your hands with soap and warm water for twenty seconds
after: handling raw food; using sanitizing solutions; playing
with pets; smoking; touching fair, face or body; eating or
drinking; and after sneezing or coughing. Washing your hands
frequently will help reduce the spread of bacteria.
*Never eat raw eggs due to the risk
of Salmonella poisoning.
Eggs must be cooked until they are done. Throw out any older
recipes that call for eggs to remain raw and replace with a
recipe that contains thoroughly cooked eggs. If you have
questions about these recipes, don't hesitate to call me.
