Food Safety 101

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• Family Educator Says Store Food Properly To Avoid Illness Or Worse

  Whether a person in charge of meals is a gourmet chef or a novice in the kitchen, it’s important for them to know how to store food safely — especially given that consuming contaminated food can result in illness or worse.

  Judy Knudsen, a University of Wisconsin-Extension family living educator for Brown County, said that according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 48 million cases of foodborne illness each year in the U.S.

  “That’s the equivalent of sickening one in six Americans every year. So, we really do need to think about how we handle food safely,” she said.

  Knudsen offers three general guidelines for storing items in a refrigerator properly: Be mindful of shelf life, keep an eye on the temperature and avoid cross-contamination.

  While refrigerating perishable items is always a good first step, Knudsen said it’s also important to discard products when they get too old. She said that dairy items can be used safely for up to seven days past the expiration date, while eggs will be good for two to three times that long.

  Knudsen noted that people sometimes will think that if a package hasn’t been opened yet, its shelf life will be longer. However, she said that expiration dates apply whether or not the container has been opened and exposed to air, so it’s safer to replace the item with a fresh one.

  “Getting foodborne illness certainly is going to be more costly time-wise, even if not having to go to the doctor, than throwing away something that should have been discarded in the first place,” Knudsen said.

  Condiments can often be found languishing at the back of the fridge, and Knudsen said that even with their high acidity those products don’t have indefinite shelf lives. They will, however, often be good for several months after the date on the container.

  For all types of refrigerated food, the duration of storage is important, but it’s also crucial that they are kept at appropriate temperatures. That means getting a refrigerator thermometer, if one isn’t already around. Knudsen said that the temperature of the refrigerator should be below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, while a freezer needs to be kept at zero degrees Fahrenheit.

  Cross-contamination can also cause illness. Knudsen recommended wiping down a refrigerator’s interior after throwing out expired or spoiled foods as a good additional step for keeping food safe. She said that it’s best to use paper towels so that any harmful bacteria are thrown out immediately.

  In the end, Knudsen said, using common sense to err on the side of safety is always a good idea.

  “When you start to see green things growing on food products in the refrigerator, it’s a really good time to do some cleaning,” Knudsen said.

  That includes discarding products that are significantly past their expiration date or that “just don’t look good.”

• 4 Food Safety Tips For Storing, Cooking Meat

  Meat can be a healthy part of a diet, but only if it is prepared, stored and cooked correctly.

  Judy Knudsen, a University of Wisconsin-Extension family living educator for Brown County, said that safety is an important consideration with any food in the kitchen, but handling meat carries with it some additional concerns.

  Here are some guidelines that she has to offer for consuming meat safely:

  1. Even with frozen meats, take care.

  Meat isn’t always used up immediately — something that’s especially true if it’s purchased in a value package at the grocery store, or if there is a surplus after a hunt. Knudsen said most types of meat, if frozen as soon as they are brought home, can be kept frozen safely for up to a year.

  Even if the meat is within that one-year window, though, Knudsen said to visually inspect it as it thaws.

  “If you take it out and it’s starting to not look good, or it has some freezer burn on it, then it’s a concern,” she said.

  2. Avoid contaminating surfaces.

  Avoiding contamination of cooking and food preparation surfaces with raw meat is an important food safety concern. Knudsen said that ideally, a kitchen should be stocked with separate cutting boards that are designated for meat, fish, poultry and vegetables. She recommended labelling each board with a permanent marker so that all family members can tell at a glance which one to use.

  Besides having separate cutting boards handy, Knudsen also said that proper cleaning after use is important. She recommended that boards used for meat, poultry or fish be cleaned with a mixture of water and chlorine bleach. That will kill any bacteria left behind.

  3. Use a food thermometer.

  With some preparation techniques, like browning ground beef, it’s simple to tell if meat has been cooked sufficiently. But for other cuts of meat, poultry and fish, food thermometers are an important food safety tool to use.

  On her food safety blog, Knudsen makes the point that there is a difference between when meat is “done” and when it is “safe.” As a result, checking the internal temperature is important for avoiding potential illness.

  Knudsen said that minimum internal temperatures for meat are 165 degrees for poultry; 160 degrees for ground meat; and 145 degrees for fresh beef, veal and lamb. The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers detailed information on cooking times for many cuts and varieties of meat.

  4. Keep tabs on leftovers.

  Once meat is cooked, leftovers should be refrigerated within two hours, Knudsen said. Any longer than that — and certainly if the meat was forgotten on the counter overnight — and the leftovers need to be thrown out.

  It’s also important to keep track of how long the leftovers are kept. A refrigerator storage chart will help to keep tabs on saved food items. A version for the freezer is also a good idea, Knudsen added.

  Knudsen said that three days is a good maximum amount of time to hold onto leftovers, especially if they are from poultry. After that, the meat starts to deteriorate, she said, and there is a risk of food poisoning. Even if less than 72 hours has passed, she said to throw it out if there is an odd smell or taste.

  “I know people hate to throw food away … but the consequences of not throwing it away and consuming it can be miserable. So, it’s always better to rule on the side of safety rather than taking risks when it comes to food,” said Knudsen.