10 Tips for Summer Food Safety
Don’t Risk Food Poisoning from Poor Food Handing in Hot Weather
Jul 30, 2009
Summer is a time for lighter fresher food, and enjoyment of it outdoors. Barbecues, picnics, or just eating out on the patio.
But the warm weather that makes outdoor eating so pleasurable is also perfect for any bacteria in the food. Warmer temperatures allow bacteria such as E. coli, salmonella, pasteurella and listeria to multiply rapidly.
Food Safety is Simple but Important
The problem is, food can look and smell fine, but the levels of bacteria in it can cause food poisoning, either just a nasty bout of vomiting and diarrhoea, or bad enough to require an emergency trip to hospital. According to the Mayo Clinic, about 325,000 people in the USA are hospitalized every year because of food poisoning. Even worse, some 5,000 people die.
Restaurants and food outlets are governed by State and federal regulations, but many cases of food poisoning occur at home as a result of poor food handling methods. Because most of these casualties are avoidable by commonsense in food handling in the kitchen, the Mayo Clinic has provided food safety tips in its July Women’s HealthSource newsletter.
Ten Tips to Store Food Safely
- Observe the ‘two-hour’ rule: Don’t leave food requiring refrigeration out on the kitchen bench for longer than two hours. Better still refrigerate as soon as you get them home. These foods include poultry, meat, eggs, cooked seafood, produce, leftovers and takeout food.
- In really hot weather observe the one hour rule: When the air temperature is above 90 F (32 C), put food in the fridge within an hour.
- Store leftovers safely: leftovers in the fridge should be eaten up within three to five days. If you don’t plan to eat them within three to five days, freeze leftovers straight away.
- Don’t leave hot foods to cool before refrigerating: Hot foods can go straight into the fridge or freezer. They can be rapidly cooled first by dipping the bowl or container in ice or a cold-water bath.
- Pack leftovers into small containers: Leftovers from a large pot of food will cool more quickly in the fridge when divided into smaller, shallower containers.
- Don’t crowd: A refrigerator that is too full blocks air circulation, slowing down the cooling process. Move some containers to the freezer, but don’t overcrowd that either.
- Set the thermostat: Make sure the refrigerator temperature is set at or below 40 F (4 C) . The freezer should be kept at 0 F (-18 C).
- Know when to toss – the three-five day rule: An opened package of luncheon meat can be safely stored in the fridge for three to five days. Unopened, it will keep for two weeks. Three to five days is a safe storage time for deli or homemade egg, chicken, ham, tuna or pasta salads.
- Know when to toss – the one-two day rule: Don’t keep fish – cooked or uncooked – for more than 48 hours. Fresh sausage and uncooked ground meats should also be thrown out after one or two days. Cook or freeze as soon as possible after bringing them home.
- If in doubt, throw it out: Any foods that look or smell suspicious, or you think have been in the fridge too long should be tossed. Better to be safe than sorry!
You might also like to read E coli Profits from Human Diet and Save Money on Groceries.
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