Food Safety

It is holiday time, and everyone is getting ready to cook up a feast. This includes everyone’s favorite dishes, from stuffing to pumpkin pie. Friends and families are gathering together and sharing in the love that speaks so loudly this time of year. There are many things rushing through our minds during this time of year, but one of the things that most people forget to consider is food safety. This is actually a very important issue, when you consider how much cooking is going on, and you want to make sure that you take care in the preparation of your food in order to ensure that no one gets sick.

While the United States’ food supply is one of the safest in the entire world, there are still some 76 million people each year that get sick from food borne illnesses. Food safety can be especially challenging during the holidays, as not only is it already cold and flu season and so many people are already sick to begin with, but also because the menu includes many more dishes than normal.

It is important to know that there are certain people who are going to be especially vulnerable to food borne illnesses, and this includes children, pregnant and nursing women, and the elderly. There are many tips that you can use to help keep your menu as delicious as possible while also making sure it is safe for your guests to eat. The following are ten of the most important suggestions to implement here:

Food Safety Guide #1 - Set Out A Plan

One of the best things you can do during the holiday season is to have a master plan set out for yourself. After all, the top chefs do it, and so should you. You will want to have the proper heating and cooling devices ready, as although a single oven and refrigerator or freezer is enough for most people, those who are cooking larger amounts of food may require more, and you want to be prepared for this rather than realizing it when it is too late. You need to have plenty of clean ice and always keep foods properly heated or cooled, depending on what is called for.

Food Safety Guide #2 - Wash Your Hands

It is important when cooking that you wash your hands frequently, especially around the holidays when there are so many colds and flu going around. Washing your hands is one of the easiest ways to minimize bacterial contamination and keep your food safe. You especially need to make sure you clean your hands thoroughly after handling the turkey or any other raw meat.

Food Safety Guide #3 - Wash all Fresh Produce

Besides washing your hands, you should wash all fresh produce as well. Even greens that are prepackaged should be washed before cooking in order to minimize potential bacterial contamination, and simply rinsing it under cool water will be enough.

Food Safety Guide #4 - Defrost Properly

Defrosting your food completely before cooking it is very important when it comes to food safety issues. If you choose to use a frozen turkey then you are going to want to allocate 24 hours per 5 pounds to defrost in the refrigerator and then you can leave the bird on the counter to defrost the rest of the way, if necessary. Also, in consideration of drought conditions in certain areas of the country, defrosting the turkey using water may seem wasteful but it is one of the safest methods, especially if you need it defrosted in less time.

Food Safety Guide #5 - Cook all Foods to the Proper Temperature

This is quite obvious, but it is alarming how many people assume they have cooked food to the right temperature when it really is not. This is why it is ideal to use a thermometer when cooking, especially when it comes to meat which is very bacteria prone. It is necessary to cook meat to a specific temperature in order to ensure that any potential bacteria are destroyed.

Food Safety Guide #6 - Refrigerate Leftovers Within Two Hours of Preparation

Another incredibly important rule that should be followed, it is important to remember that leaving food out too long is one of the biggest holiday food safety problems. It is fine to leave food out right after eating to give you time to relax, but when food sits out for more than two hours in the danger zone, which refers to any temperature ranging between 40 and 140ºF, then it is prime for bacterial growth. You should store any leftovers in 2-inch deep, shallow containers and make sure that the refrigerator is never too full so that there will be plenty of air circulating throughout it.

Food Safety Guide #7 - Serve Only Pasteurized Apple Cider

One food safety tip that most people would not realize involves apple cider. It is best to serve only pasteurized apple cider because this means that the juice has been pasteurized in order to destroy any harmful bacteria. While you can buy unpasteurized juice you will have to remember that it will contain a warning that it can cause serious illness in vulnerable people.

Food Safety Guide #8 - Be Extra Careful With Eggs

It is important to be careful when cooking meat, but also with eggs. Many eggnog recipes call for uncooked eggs but keep in mind that in these cases you should be using pasteurized eggs or at least cook the yolks lightly to make sure you kill any potential salmonella bacteria. Eggs should be kept refrigerated until used and if you spill any on the counter or floor it should be cleaned up immediately.

Food Safety Guide #9 - Keep Guests Out of the Kitchen

Of course this is the holiday season and you want to be around those that you love, but you should really keep guests out of the kitchen while you are preparing the food. As few people as possible should be around food while it is being prepared in order to prevent anyone from picking at the food and reduce the risk of contamination, especially during this time of year which is cold and flu season.

Food Safety Guide #10 - Reheat Leftovers Properly

It is important that when you go to reheat any leftovers you heat them to a proper temperature. Filling a plate of leftover food and popping it in the microwave may seem safe enough, but there is actually cause for concern here. You still really should use a thermometer in order to make sure that all the food has been reheated to a suitable temperature, to avoid sickness as best you can.

Author: Nahar Efendy Noordin

Keeping food safe is not difficult! Basically food safety is about common sense and a bit of food safety education. It is highly recommended that anyone who engages in food preparation, do a little homework about how to keep food safe.

Visit a couple of food safety websites. If you have questions… ASK! Do not ever be afraid to ask questions! Most of the food safety sites should have toll free hotlines.

The following list is not a complete list. However, this list includes 10 of the most common tips that I shared with my food preparation staff when I was in the catering and special event business.

1. Secure your hair. Tie it back. Cover it or at least spray it liberally with hairspray before you step into the kitchen. Make sure you don’t have any hair on your clothes, too! Use a lint brush before you go into the kitchen to start cooking. While loose hair is not necessarily a big food safety issue, it is very unappetizing in food!

2. Remove all rings and other jewelry from your hands. Wash your hands and lower arms with hot soapy water before, during and after preparing food. During food preparation you will need to wash your hands often. Just use common sense and remember to wash between tasks, if you cough, if you scratch yourself, etc.

3. Start every new session with an immaculate kitchen. Wash down your prep area and counter tops. Use a solution of 1 quart water to 3 teaspoons bleach. (Bleach in a kitchen can ruin nice clothes fast. Don’t wear your best clothes in the kitchen! There is nothing worse than finding tiny bleached dots or splotches of white on a favorite nonwhite garment. Believe me I have had this happen more times than I want to remember.)

4. Keep a supply of disposable food service gloves on hand. The choice to wear gloves is up to you. If you keep your hands spotless, you will not need to wear gloves, unless you want to do so. However, if you have any type of cuts or wounds on your hands or exposed arms - it is very important that the wounds be properly bandaged. If the wound is on your hand, you need to wear a glove on that hand. There is nothing more disgusting than finding a Band-Aid in food. Yuk.. you really don’t want to give new meaning to the term “cold cuts”!

5. If you are going to be cooking with raw meat, fish or poultry always keep the raw food on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Do you know the reason for this? The reason is that you do not want any raw juices to accidentally drip onto other food in the refrigerator.

6. The temperature of your refrigerator should always be below 40 degrees. Keep a thermometer in it and monitor it. When you use the refrigerators at your wedding reception venue… check the temperature. Make sure the refrigerators are working properly. Ask the venue staff at the reception site to check the temperature of the refrigerator for you in the days preceding your reception. Also ask the venue staff, very nicely, if they will make sure to have the refrigerator clean for you.

7. Perishable food needs to stay under refrigeration! Only take food out of the refrigerator as you need it in the different stages of preparation. As soon as you are done preparing food get it back into the refrigerator or freezer.

8. Wash, rinse, sanitize, and rinse cutting boards between steps. Use common sense!

9. Transport food in insulated coolers. Borrow or rent big coolers.

10. Leftover food should never be kept out of refrigeration for more than two hours. If in doubt, throw it out.

Again this is not an all inclusive list. Depending on the menu you choose for your reception, different precautions may need to be taken. As you decide your menu, think through the food safety logistics. For example, if you are having an outdoor reception during warm weather months you need to read up on food safety for picnics or tailgate parties. Follow those safety measures exactly! The amount of time that food can go unrefrigerated outside is only about one hour. After that hour, if the food is not chilled or iced down … dangerous bacteria can begin growing in the food. That is bad! If food that has not been properly refrigerated is consumed, it is possible that the person eating the food can become very, very sick. A person with a weakened immune system could even die.

If you are self-catering or semi-catering your wedding reception appoint someone trustworthy who will be vigilant about food safety!

If you are having your reception catered always ask the caterer to describe their food handling procedures to you.

Just because you are not a full-time licensed caterer - do not feel intimidated by the issue of food safety. Chances are the food that you prepare for your own wedding reception will be superior in taste and free of germs. You will be confident because you know your kitchen was spotless, your hands were clean, and your food did not sit out of refrigeration a minute longer than was necessary in the preparation process.

You might want to consider asking a family member, friend or hired assistant to help you with food safety issues. Contact one of the state or national food safety organizations and ask for their help, too.
They can offer you a wealth of information to help you to learn the do’s and don’ts of food safety.

Food safety is not difficult! Food safety does not take long to learn! Set aside an hour or two to educate yourself about food safety before you start preparing food for your wedding reception.

© 2006 Kathi Dameron, Kathi Dameron and Associates

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Author: Kathi Dameron

Its no myth that we all are responsible for own actions & the respective consequences of these actions can be determined, altered & modified based on the fact whether we have been safe players in our lives or no?

If yes, then should we confine these qualities only to ourselves or make it spread like a fragrance of fresh flowers as even if 10 % of this world’s population practices safer ways of living & testify the experiences now, I am certain 7 - 10 years down the line, if not 10% at least 75% shall have taken the cue & started living more safely.

We need safety precautions today in almost each & every diverse activity that we undertake, the safety lessons should first be learn in each & every house right from the basics such as cooking food, handling various electrical, electronic appliances etc., we need to instill safer habits in our children. Once we are addicted to the safety habits in our house, Safety while we are on road or in work place shall automatically tune us to take necessary precautions.

While at work place, we need to understand that the safety precautions are not just for flamboyance but for usage of the same optimally. Most responsible managements’ take due care in providing the right Personal Protective Equipment (PPE’s) to their employees to maintain a healthy & a safe zone but its for the employees also to reciprocate by using these PPE’s in a responsible manner. In order to do this the employees can sacrifice a bit of their comfort as the basic principal which applies almost everywhere is:

” No Pain No Gain”

” Know Pain to Know Gain”

Do we have to go through this pain each day, the answer is a BIG NO as this pain would be temporary until we adapt our body with the protective equipment as provided.

“Now to sum it all, will we be in a position to lead a safe life as with our lives are attached the lives of various others who depend on us, therefore, the choice of drinking this cup of tea is solely ours.”

To Blow up safety in simple words without mincing words would be

S : SELF

A : AMPLIFIED

F : FACULTY

E : ENABLING US

T : TO SURVIVE

Y : YESTERDAY ( THE BYGONE MOMENT)

Author: Lal Bolaki

It’s a lovely day and what better way to spend your time than loading up the car and setting off to the countryside for a family picnic.

In theory that’s a great idea, but in practice, there are many picnic safety elements to take into consideration to ensure your day is as enjoyable and trouble free as possible.

Listed below are a few picnic safety pointers.

• Before laying out the blanket and unpacking the food and drink, have a good look around the site you have chosen making sure there are no obvious problems on the ground and surrounding areas.
• Picnic safety affects everyone, and although the enjoyment of the picnic is intended for all family members, children have a tendency to stray off sometimes and do their own thing. Make sure to keep them involved with setting up your picnic and within close proximity for the duration of the day
• Be sensible with your choice of clothes for your picnic. Depending on the landscape of your site, you may need to wear clothes which will protect you from bramble bushes or bracken. If you are planning to stay out all day, take a warm top and a pair of jeans with you in case it comes in a bit chilly later.
• With picnic safety in mind, it makes sense to check in with the park ranger or station if you are picnicking in a supervised area. It is best to inform the ranger of your location so he will know where to find you should an emergency situation arise. If swimming is one of the activities you will partake in whilst on your picnic, the person in charge of the park will be able to tell you about safe bathing and likewise, which areas are off limits.
• Most of us love animals and you are likely to come across various species whilst picnicking. You should make sure your children are educated about proper behavior towards animals, both the wild ones and the ones which belong to other picnicking families. Once again, the park ranger will be able to advise you about type of animals you may encounter in the park.
• Keep an eye on the weather - you may need to pack away quickly if the rain decides to fall.
• Picnic safety is not just about location. You are going to be eating some delicious food throughout the day so you must ensure you always handle food hygienically and keep it chilled and out of the sun. If you do not do this, it can lead to stomach upsets or even worse, food poisoning. Have lots of water available to prevent dehydration.
• Take care of your skin, and especially the children’s skin when sitting in the sun for a long time. If you are not used to the rays, make sure you use a high protection sun screen and spell your time in the sun with time in the shade. Wearing a hat is always a good idea too! Just in case you get too much sun on your head, a hat will stop the dizziness and nausea.

So now you are aware of all the picnic safety tips, as long as you put the tips into practice, there is absolutely no reason why you should not have a fantastic day out with the family.

Author: Richard Roper

Many pet owners are considering the option of feeding their pet a homemade diet. This can be for many reasons, whether they feel guilty about feeding their pet out of a bag or are concerned about the quality or safety of commercial pet food.

Domesticated pets can become ill from ingesting contaminated food. The source of the food can be from either commercial or home prepared diets. Foodborne illnesses in dogs and cats can be caused by bacterial infection, bacterial toxins, mycotoxins, chemicals, metals and other contaminants.

A mycotoxin is a toxin produced by a fungus and estimates suggest that one-quarter of the world’s annual food crop is affected by these tiny molds. In fact, mycotoxin litigation alone has cost the pet food industry an estimated $7 million since 1990.

It is important to distinguish the difference between food infections and food poisonings. They are not the same thing despite the fact that some people use the two terms interchangeably.

Food infections result from the ingestion of infectious microbial cells (like salmonellae) that invade the pet’s tissues and after a period of time reproduce to pathogenic levels. Often clinical disease does not become evident until at least 12 to 24 hours after ingestion.

Food poisonings result from the ingestion of food that already contains a microbial toxin (like aflatoxin). The signs of food poisonings usually appear rapidly, sometimes less than one hour after ingestion. In a recent study done by the American Association of Poison Control Centers, food poisonings accounted for only 1.7% of reported causes of poisonings in dogs and cats. The most common causes of poisonings according to the study are (in descending order), drugs, insecticides, and plants.

While the risk of litigation and bad press encourages pet food manufacturers to be diligent in maintaining high product quality standards, there is always the chance for miscalculations and errors. However, the same can also be said for manufacturers of human food products.

The USDA keeps a running tally of recalled human food products on its Food Safety and Inspection Service website. The latest recalls involve 16,743 pounds of ground beef and 2.8 million pounds of chicken breast cuts and strips.

Many health-conscious pet owners abandon commercial pet food products and prepare homemade diets for their pets. While I applaud their efforts wholeheartedly it must be understood that this has not eliminated the risk of their pet acquiring a foodborne illness. In some cases, it may even increase the chances if the owner is not careful about food preparation, storage, and supplementation.

Nevertheless, it does put the owner more in control of the pet’s diet (for better or worse) which does seem to offer some level of emotional comfort and bonding.

Author: Amanda K. Jones

When it comes to cooking, there aren’t many kids who at one time or another don’t get curious about what goes on in the kitchen. It is not at all uncommon for a boy or girl to want to try their hand at preparing a meal or dessert, and parents should be very encouraging about it, as knowing how to cook is a life skill that the kids will use forever. It’s also a good time to teach them about food safety at home.

The great thing about teaching about food safety is that it allows you to work in so many other topics. For younger kids, spark their interest in chemistry by telling them about how surfactants, the things in cleaning products that allow them to penetrate dirt and grease and lift it away, work. Let them try cleaning the same grease with plain water, then with your favorite cleaning spray. If you have a microscope (you can get them fairly cheaply), swab a dirty countertop and let the kids see all the microscopic beasties crawling around in the goo.

For older kids, set up a biological experiment. Get some Petri dishes and nutrient agar, and then swab various kitchen surfaces before and after cleaning after a big cooking session. Help them identify the various colonies of bacteria that grow in the agar solution.

Pay attention to your kids’ interests and try to tailor the science activities to what they like. You are the best judge of what will work to get your message across.

Many kids won’t initially want to do the dirty work of cleaning up after they cook. The kitchen piled high with dirty pots and pans after a kid cooking session is one of the oldest jokes in the book, but it can be a thing of the past if you take the time to teach your children that cleaning up isn’t just the polite thing to do … practicing food safety at home could also save their lives and the lives of their diners!

Author: Andrew Krause

As food distribution chains are increasingly stretched around the world, urgency has arisen for the creation of new food safety standards and stricter enforcement of existing food safety laws to ensure that food industry quality control and food processing standards provide for a safe global food supply.

The global food and beverage industry is the world’s largest industry. In fact, it is larger than all of the world’s other industries combined. In the quest for market share and increased profits, quality and food safety may sometimes be sacrificed. Consumers depend upon the interaction and the cooperation between government agencies to set and enforce standardized safety guidelines and food safety laws that ensure that there are no compromises in terms of quality and safety. Consumers need to know that produce from agriculture is safe from farm through processing to grocery shelves, that fish is safely wild harvested or raised by aquaculture, that poultry and livestock are free from pathogens and that food and food supplements contain ingredients generally recognized as safe. Processed foods must be pasteurized or sterilized, and canned or otherwise packaged aseptically sealed containers. Fresh food must be inspected by government agencies.

Coordinating those International Governmental efforts is no easy task however. In the United States alone, Food Safety Regulations are divided among multiple government Agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). These U.S. agencies must then communicate with the equivalent Government Agencies of other countries.

Food Safety Regulations and Compliance Information at www.fdaregistrar.com

In this complex maze of food safety regulations, it is beneficial for food and beverage companies throughout the world to have one central organization to assist them with FDA food safety guidelines. FDA Registrar Corp helps companies comply with the U. S. food and beverage safety laws that are required of companies doing business in the USA. These services are particularly helpful to non-U.S. companies that may need to overcome language barriers, time barriers and cultural barriers with regard to U.S. FDA requirements.

FDA Registrar Corp assists U.S. and non-U.S. companies with the completion of FDA regulations in the Food and Beverage, Medical Device and Cosmetics Industries. At www.fdaregistrar.com registration and compliance is quick and easy. FDA Registrar Corp’s food safety consultants, medical device experts and cosmetic specialists all make compliance procedures simple and affordable.

FDA Registrar Corp quickly helps companies with all of the following regulatory requirements based on FDA food safety guidelines thus improving relations with global trading partners:

Compliance with U.S. FDA Food Facility Registration

*U.S. Prior Notice (Forms to ship food and beverages to the USA)

*U.S. Food Labeling Regulations

*U.S. Food Canning Establishment Registration (FCE) and Process Filings (SID)

*U.S. FDA Medical Device Establishment Registration

*U.S. FDA Medical Device Listings

*U.S. FDA Cosmetic Registration

*U.S. FDA Cosmetic Formulation Filings

FDA Registrar Corp was organized in response to the U.S. FDA Bioterrorism Act of 2002 that required all companies involved with the manufacturing, processing, packaging and storing of food and beverages to be consumed in the United States, to register with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and to adhere to FDA food safety guidelines. FDA Registrar Corp is the world’s largest FDA Agent assisting some of the Industry’s best-known companies with food safety regulations. With a systematic and conscientious approach, FDA Registrar Corp has helped all parties work towards providing food industry quality control standards to provide safe handling, storage and preparation of food and beverage products.

Author: Russell K Statman