Managing and Preventing Hypertension
| Health tips: Food safety for Labor Day gatherings | | | Dear Reader,
Labor Day is often thought of as the unofficial end of summer. The three-day weekend is an opportunity to squeeze in a bit more fun before school starts, leaves begin to fall and cooler temperatures. And for many, the holiday weekend includes a meal shared with family and friends.
Here are some food safety tips to keep your end-of-summer get-together free from foodborne illnesses:
Food preparation and storage: Wash your hands with warm, soapy water before and after handling or preparing food, especially raw meat, poultry, fish, shellfish and eggs Use hot, soapy water to wash utensils, cutting boards and other surfaces where food will be prepared Keep raw foods separate from ready-to-eat foods to prevent cross-contamination and refrigerate raw foods in containers Thaw meat, poultry, fish or shellfish in the refrigerator, microwave or in cold water that’s changed every 30 minutes If you marinate meat or poultry, don’t serve the unused marinade Safe-cooking temperatures: Use a food thermometer to safely cook meat, poultry or fish to their recommended temperatures 145 F – Steaks, roasts, fish 160 F – Ground beef, pork and egg dishes 165 F – Chicken breasts and whole poultry | | Heat sauces, soups and gravies to a boil Reheat leftovers thoroughly and don’t consume raw or partially cooked eggs, unpasteurized milk products or unpasteurized juices Serve foods safely: When serving large quantities of food, bring out small batches at a time Throw out leftovers that have been at room temperature more than two hours or have been in hot weather more than an hour Refrigerate leftovers up to three to four days—after that, the risk of food poisoning increases Freeze leftovers immediately if you don’t think that you’ll be able to eat them within four days When in doubt, throw it out If you’re unsure if a food has been prepared, served or stored safely, it’s best to discard it. Food that’s been left at room temperature too long may contain bacteria that can’t be destroyed by cooking. Don’t taste food that you’re unsure about and discard foods that are moldy. |
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