Tips on How to Keep Cooked or Uncooked Products as Safe as Possible

Food Safety and Protection from Bacteria

Summer is the time for family reunions, road trips, summer vacations, and days off. Cooking out always brings out family, friends, and neighbors following the lingering aroma of charcoal and chicken, and the sounds of the radio blasting.

As we eat together, laughing and sharing stories, swatting away flies and mosquitoes that can spoil a great cookout, we often do not think about bacteria, which could spoil it also.

Salmonella, Escheria coli, Campylobacter, Clostridium, Staphylococcus, and Listeria are toxins that can grow in your food and destroy your event. These pesky little bacteria can cause symptoms like diarrhea, stomach pain, headaches, muscle aches, exhaustion, dizziness, nausea or vomiting.

Remember these tips to keep your products safe:

1. Thaw your meats properly before cooking: under cool running water, in the microwave, in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. Thawing it on the kitchen counter allows the meat to reach room temperature, or above 40 degrees, which is prime condition for bacteria growth.

2. Keep your hot foods hot, and cold foods cold. Do not allow food to sit around at room temperature. Cover cooked meats with aluminum foil to keep warm. Keep macaroni and potato salads in ice-filled coolers with the sodas, condiments, and drinks.

3. Cook to Proper Temperatures. Use a meat thermometer to make sure your meats are thoroughly cooked. Temperatures should be 140 degrees and above.

4. When in doubt, throw it out. If you have to smell it, then get your cousin to smell it, then your mom to smell it before deciding that it’s safe to eat, there’s a good chance that dangerous bacteria is present. A mere taste can cause serious damage.

5. Wash your hands. Wash your hands in hot, soapy water before preparing foods and after handling raw meats, including poultry and seafood.

6. Keep Raw Meats and Ready-to-Eat Foods Separate. When the juices from raw meats or germs from unclean objects accidentally touch cooked or ready-to-eat foods, cross-contamination occurs. It also occurs when switching from one raw meat, say ground beef, to another, say chicken. Make sure to use two separate cutting boards; one for raw meat, the other for ready-to-eat foods, like breads and vegetables. Make sure to wash them thoroughly after each use in hot soapy water.

7. Refrigerate promptly. Make sure all of the uneaten foods are refrigerated within the hour after your meal.

Make your meal being enjoyable and safe at the same time.

Reference Sites

Nutritional-habits.com

Eatingrawfood.org

Reference Articles

Article about Foodborne Diseases and How to Keep Away From Them

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