This weekend I read the following post on Facebook from a blogger who specializes in crock pot recipes in offering weekly ideas for menu plans:

“Help! I think I just had a major crockpot fail. I cooked a very large bone-in pork roast over night for bbq at the graduation party next weekend. The roast barely fit in the pot and overnight, it expanded and lifted the lid a bit. This morning, the middle part is not cooked through. It’ still running red juice Do you think I could put it in the oven and finish it? Or will I risk food poisoning our guests next weekend?”

The post received nearly 40 comments in about two hours. The comments ran adamantly both ways.  The blogger did post this update later: “I decided to start over with a new roast. Live and learn!”

When I saw this message, I felt relieved for both her and her guests.  Who wants to spend the next week worrying if you are going to poison your family and friends? Why run the risk?

I have followed this blogger for a while and had started to worry about some of her crock pot habits. This post confirmed my suspicion.  She needs a better understanding of food safety and slow cookers. “Live and learn” should be her motto, or rather “Learn and live.”

 Reader beware. Be careful who you “like.” For food blogging, it is a jungle out there.

Submitted by Janell

Chill is keeping cold foods cold. Using the refrigerator to thaw frozen meats is better than placing these items in the sink or on the counter to thaw during the work day.

Separate raw from cooked or ready to eat foods – in the refrigerator and during preparation. Think about establishing fresh produce work stations in your homes – that is what many restaurants and culinary schools do. This helps avoid risk of cross contamination. Also separate clean surfaces from soiled surfaces.

Clean means different things to different people – as a mom, I have had conversations with my youngsters as to its definition. In terms of food safety, it means surfaces are free of any visible soil; the next step is sanitary which means no disease causing microorganisms are present. Those nasty microbes can’t be seen – so how we clean things is important. You can’t go wrong with hot soapy water and a good rinse. But make sure you are cleaning surfaces with clean tools – sponges and dish cloths are can get gunked up pretty quickly.

Cooking is a way to be sure that we have killed off enough microorganisms that are naturally present in the food. It is hard to touch or see this is done – use a thermometer and check the temperatures. (See previous blog about the SafeFood© Grilling.)