Foodborne Illness Can Cause More than a Stomach

Foodborne Illness Can Cause More than a Stomach Ache!

Signs and symptoms Upset stomach Vomiting Fever Diarrhea Dehydration (sometimes severe)

Don’t count on these to test for food safety! Sight Smell Taste

Even IF tasting would tell … Why risk getting sick? A “tiny taste” may not protect you … as few as 10 bacteria could cause some foodborne illnesses!

Why gamble with your health? It takes about ½ hour to 6 weeks to become ill from unsafe foods. You may become sick later even if you feel OK after eating.

Why risk other people’s health? Is the food safe for everyone at the table? Some people have a greater risk for foodborne illnesses. A food you safely eat might make others sick.

People with a higher risk of foodborne illness Infants Pregnant women Young children and older adults People with weakened immune systems and individuals with certain chronic diseases

Be a winner! Increase your odds of preventing a foodborne illness in YOUR HOME!

Recommendation 1: CLEAN Clean hands, food-contact surfaces, fruits and vegetables. Do NOT wash or rinse meat and poultry as this could spread bacteria to other foods.

Wash your hands! Hand washing is the most effective way to stop the spread of illness.

How to wash hands 1. Wet hands with WARM water. 2. Soap and scrub for 20 seconds. 3. Rinse under clean, running water. 4. Dry completely using a clean cloth or paper towel.

Wash hands after … Using the toilet or changing nappies Handling pets Sneezing, blowing nose & coughing AND before. . . Touching a cut or open sore Handling food

Clean during food preparation Wash cutting boards, knives, utensils and counter tops in hot soapy water after preparing each food and before going on to the next.

Avoid spreading bacteria • Use paper towels or clean cloths to wipe up kitchen surfaces or spills. • Wash cloths often in the hot cycle of your washing machine and dry in a hot dryer.

Dirty dishcloths spread bacteria • Wet or damp dishcloths are ideal environments for bacterial growth. • Have a good supply of dishcloths to avoid reusing them before laundry day. There are more germs in the average kitchen than the bathroom. Sponges and dishcloths are worst offenders. ~ research by Dr. Charles Gerba

Recommendation 2: SEPARATE Separate raw, cooked, and ready-to-eat foods while shopping, preparing or storing foods.

Use different cutting boards Use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry and seafood.

When groovy isn’t a good thing Replace cutting boards if they become excessively worn or develop hard-to-clean grooves.

Use clean plates NEVER serve foods on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry or seafood unless the plate has first been washed in hot, soapy water.

Recommendation 3: COOK Cook foods to a safe temperature to kill micro-organisms.

Chicken and turkey Thermy™ says: Cook chicken and turkey (whole birds, legs, thighs & wings) to 82 degrees C.

Minced meats Thermy™ says: Cook hamburger, minced beef and other minced meats to 71 degrees C and minced poultry to 74 degrees C.

The ONLY way to know food has been cooked to a safe internal temperature is to use a food thermometer!

Which minced beef patty is cooked to a safe internal temperature? Source: United States Department of Agriculture/Food Safety & Inspection Service http: //www. pueblo. gsa. gov/cic_text/food/therm/researchfs. htm

This IS a safely cooked hamburger, cooked to an internal temperature of 71 degrees C, even though it's pink inside. This is NOT a safely cooked hamburger. Though brown inside, it’s undercooked. Research shows some ground beef patties look done at internal temperatures as low as 57 degrees C. Source: United States Department of Agriculture/Food Safety & Inspection Service http: //www. pueblo. gsa. gov/cic_text/food/therm/researchfs. htm

1 out of 4 hamburgers turns brown before it has been cooked to a safe internal temperature Source: United States Department of Agriculture/Food Safety & Inspection Service http: //www. pueblo. gsa. gov/cic_text/food/therm/researchfs. htm

Recommendation 4: CHILL Chill (refrigerate) perishable foods promptly and defrost foods properly.

The TWO-hour rule Refrigerate perishable foods so TOTAL time at room temperature is less than TWO hours or only ONE hour when room temperature is above 32 degrees C. Perishable foods include: • Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu • Dairy products • Pasta, rice, cooked vegetables • Fresh, peeled/cut fruits and vegetables

DANGER ZONE Bacteria multiply rapidly between 4 and 60°C.

A multiplication quiz Bacteria numbers can double in 20 minutes! How many bacteria will grow from 1 BACTERIA left at room temperature 7 hours?

Answer: 2, 097, 152! Refrigerate perishable foods within TWO hours.

How to be cool – part 1 • Cool food in shallow containers. Limit depth of food to 2 inches or less. • Place very hot foods on a rack at room temperature for about 20 minutes before refrigeration.

How to be cool – part 2 It’s OK to refrigerate foods while they’re still warm. Leave container cover slightly open until the food has cooled.

Recommended refrigerator & freezer temperatures • Set refrigerator at 5 degrees C or below. • Set freezer at -18 degrees C.

Place an appliance thermometer in your refrigerator AND freezer

The THAW LAW • Plan ahead to defrost foods. • The best way to thaw perishable foods is in the refrigerator.

When to leave your leftovers • Refrigerated leftovers may become unsafe within 3 to 4 days. • If in doubt, toss it out!

Time to toss … "If it walks out, let it go!" ~ seen on a refrigerator magnet

Cleaning fruits & vegetables 1. Remove and discard outer leaves. 2. Rinse under clean, running water just before preparing or eating. 3. Rub briskly – scrubbing with a clean brush or hands – to remove dirt and surface micro-organisms. 4. Don’t use soap or detergent.

Cleaning fruits & vegetables 5. After washing, dry with a clean cloth or paper towel. 6. Moisture left on produce may promote survival and growth of microorganisms. Drying is critical if food won’t be eaten or cooked right away. 7. Cut away bruised and damaged areas.

Separate fruits & vegetables from other foods Keep fruits and vegetables separate from raw meat, poultry and seafood while shopping, preparing or storing them.

Read labels on bagged produce to determine if it is ready-to-eat. Ready-to-eat, pre-washed, bagged produce can be used without further washing if kept refrigerated and used by the “use-by” date.

Dairy do’s and don’ts • Avoid raw (unpasteurized) milk or milk products such as some soft cheeses. • Refrigerate dairy foods promptly. Discard dairy foods left at room temperature for more than two hours – even if they look and smell good. Do NOT drink milk directly from the carton.

Avoid washing raw meat & poultry Do NOT wash raw meat and poultry. Washing is not necessary. Washing increases the danger of cross -contamination, spreading bacteria present on the surface of meat and poultry to ready-to-eat foods, kitchen utensils, and counter surfaces.

Refrigerator storage Store raw meat, poultry and seafood on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator so juices don’t drip onto other foods.

Cook to safe temperatures Avoid raw or partially cooked eggs or foods containing raw eggs and raw/undercooked meat and poultry. Scrambled, poached, fried and hard-cooked eggs are safe when cooked so both yolks and whites are firm, not runny.

Should you keep or toss … Pizza left on the counter overnight?

Toss it out! Even if you reheat pizza left on the counter overnight, some bacteria can form a heat resistant toxin that cooking won’t destroy.

Should you keep or toss … Beef burger thawed on the kitchen counter?

Toss it out! • As with pizza left out more than TWO hours, bacteria may have formed heatresistant toxins. • The best way to thaw perishable foods is in the refrigerator. • Thaw packages of meat, poultry and seafood on a plate on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator to prevent their juices from dripping on other foods.

Should you keep or toss … Perishable food left out from the mid-day meal until the evening meal?

Toss it out! Perishable foods – such as meats, gravy and cooked vegetables – should be refrigerated within TWO hours.

Should you keep or toss … Cut/peeled fruits and vegetables at room temperature for over TWO hours?

Toss it out! • Once you have cut through the protective skin of fruits and vegetables, bacteria can enter. • Refrigerate cut or peeled fruits and vegetables within TWO hours.

Should you keep or toss … Leftovers in the refrigerator for over a week?

Toss it out! • Refrigerated leftovers may become unsafe within 3 to 4 days. • You can’t always see or smell if a food is unsafe. It may be unsafe to taste a food.

Should you keep or toss … A FULL pot of chicken soup stored in the refrigerator while still hot?

…(can you guess? ) How long would it take an 8 -inch stock pot of steaming chicken soup to cool to a safe temperature in your refrigerator?

Would you believe … 24 hours! TOSS IT OUT! Remember: Transfer hot foods to shallow containers to speed cooling.

Should you keep or toss … A turkey in your freezer for five years?

You decide! Food kept frozen at -18 degrees C is still safe to eat. However, it may not taste as good. To assure best flavour, eat a frozen turkey within a year.

Remember: