"Food Safety"

Submitted by Leon Moffat

Our busy schedules often force us to hurry food preparation, or, even worse, neglect proper preparation. When we choose to take short cuts, let's not neglect food safety. Down-time for illness never justifies the time saved when preparing food. Follow good rules of personal hygiene. Wash your hands with an effective anti-bacterial soap and rinse them well. If using the kitchen sink, make sure that you clean and rinse the sink before contact with food. Remember, bacteria may be killed in the cooking process, but some of their toxins are not. Contamination is the number one cause of food borne illness.

The second most common cause of food borne illness is improper cooking or cooling of foods. Foods intended to be served cold should not exceed 40 degrees. Foods that are to be served hot should be held above 140 degrees. Rapid cooling of leftovers is very important. Do not leave foods to cool on the kitchen counter. Put them in smaller portions and refrigerate as soon as the meal is completed. Large portions of leftovers left in large family serving bowls are great places for bacteria because the center of the food takes longest to cool. Other practices to protect your hurried world:

• Buy fresh meats and vegetables.
• Don't hold meats longer than the date on the package unless you freeze them.
• Vegetables and fruits should be crisp, have a pleasant odor and not be slimey or have rotten or moldy growth.
• Make sure that you don't cross-contaminate foods.
• Store cooked foods and those to be served raw on the upper shelves, uncooked raw foods on the bottom shelves. This prevents juices from raw foods from contaminating ready-to-eat foods.
• Keep raw prepared foods in a covered bowl that is easy to open and close.

When you're in a hurry and want a fast healthy snack, you can find it in your refrigerator ready to eat. Take time to choose what you want, prepare it, and make sure it stays health-wise for you in your hurried life.

Faculty/Staff Bulletin--March 26, 1998