WHAT'S NEW IN FOOD SAFETY September 7, 2005 Susan Noble Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent

They say you can't teach old dogs new tricks, but I'm hoping this is not the case. Obviously, I've assumed there are some old dogs out there in reader land. Try this food-handling quiz to determine your status.

You're making sandwiches for a crowd and open a bag of sliced bread to discover that several slices are sporting green mold. Do you use the bread anyway, since green is the color of vegetables or do you toss all the bread in the bag?

You're having guests for supper on the deck and plan to serve deviled eggs. You want the shells to peel neatly off your hard-cooked eggs, so you "age" the raw eggs by letting them sit on the kitchen counter overnight before cooking them. Good idea or will food poisoning be coming to your party?

Chicken's on the menu tonight, so you start by rinsing the raw pieces in the sink. Mom taught you to rinse meats, eggs, fruits, and vegetables to make them safer to eat. With all the chemicals in our food today, is Mom still right?

Now, here comes your rating. If you used the molded bread, aged your eggs, or rinsed the chicken, it's time for new tricks. I won't actually call you an old dog, but some habit changes are in order.

However, if you did the opposite, I declare you the leader of the pack. You're on top of the latest developments in food safety.

I will explain the correct techniques in more detail, but let's do a few statistics first. I know you're rolling your eyes and saying to yourself that I'm over zealous about food safety. Please don't stop reading.

Each year there are an estimated 76 million cases of food-borne illness in the United States. Much of what we pass off as just the flu is food-borne illness. And it's serious business; 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths result from these cases. Now that I have your attention, here are the explanations.

Moldy bread should be discarded for several reasons. Though you may see mold in only one location, if the entire outer surface of a bakery product has been exposed to air, mold is probably growing in several spots. Also, what you see is only part of the mold organism; some of the mold extends below the surface of the bread like roots of a plant. Even if the mold is a "good" mold, like penicillin mold, harmful toxins or poisons can also be present.

Eggs should be stored in their carton near the coldest part of the refrigerator till you are ready to cook them. If an egg came from a chicken with harmful salmonella bacteria, the egg also likely contains the bacteria. This bacteria grows especially well at room temperature, so refrigeration of eggs is critical.

As for rinsing food, studies show there is no benefit to washing meat and poultry. Proper cooking will destroy any bacteria that are present.

In fact, washing meats and poultry can allow bacteria to spread to the sink and countertops, creating dangerous potential for contaminating other foods. It is important to prevent cross contamination from meat and poultry juices with a three-step process.

First, wash the sink and countertops with warm soapy water. Rinse with clean water. Then sanitize by spraying or wiping the surfaces with a solution of one tablespoon of unscented bleach to one gallon of warm water; let air dry.

To help you acquire these and other new tricks, plan to attend one of my upcoming food safety programs. Emphasis will be placed on preparing meals for large groups. These occasions have special challenges, such as cooling down quantities of hot food prepared in advance for later reheating.

Programs will be Tuesday, September 27, at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the Robeson County Center of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, Highway 72 West, Lumberton, and Wednesday, September 28, at 2 p.m. at the St. Pauls Library. Call 671-3276 to register. The first 15 people to register and attend will receive a free food thermometer.

If you are unable to attend, call me at the above number for the written materials which will be distributed.

Now try this recipe without rinsing your chicken. You'll be the top dog.

Place oven rack in highest position; heat oven to 450 degrees F. Coat a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Mix mustard and sour cream in small bowl. In shallow dish, combine bread crumbs, thyme, and oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Spread mustard mixture on top of chicken pieces. With mustard side down, dip chicken pieces into crumb mixture, pressing crumbs firmly to chicken. Place chicken pieces on baking sheet with coated sides up. Bake 15 minutes or till crumb mixture has lightly browned and chicken is cooked through.

Yields 6 servings at 168 calories per serving.

The use of brand names in this column does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service of the products or services named or criticism of similar ones not mentioned.

E-mail address: Susan_Noble@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 9/23/05