Category: food safety

Handle with Care: Fruits and Vegetables

eminniha
Strawberries drying on paper towels

Excess moisture can cause most fruits and veggies to spoil prematurely. Avoid prewashing leafy greens and berries, but if you must, make sure the produce is dried thoroughly before storing. Wrap dried leaves in a clean towel to absorb excess moisture and store in a plastic bag in the fridge. Make sure berries are dried thoroughly before storing in the fridge in an air-tight container. It’s helpful to give berries space by using flat containers with abundant surface area. Storing cut vegetables, like carrots, celery, and potatoes, in water can help prolong their freshness.

food safety , ,
Leave a Comment on Handle with Care: Fruits and Vegetables

Update on Food Allergies

eminniha

The number of people with food allergies is increasing, and the number of foods to which people are allergic is also growing. In the United States, nearly 4% of people have a food allergy. In 2021, the FASTER (Food, Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research) Act was signed into law, making sesame the ninth major food allergen in the United States. The most common food allergies in children are allergies to peanuts, milk, shellfish, and tree nuts. The most common food allergies in adults are allergies to shellfish, milk, peanuts, and tree nuts. An antibody drug, Xolair, is a drug that can help reduce allergic reactions to multiple foods. Also, Peanut Allergen Powder is the first oral immunotherapy drug for treating children ages 4–17 with a confirmed peanut allergy.

Common allergens like eggs, nuts, milk
food safety, wellness , , , ,
Leave a Comment on Update on Food Allergies

It’s All about Handwashing!

eminniha
Washing hands

Simple but true: Handwashing keeps us healthy by removing germs that cause respiratory and stomach/gastrointestinal illnesses.

How to wash hands:

  1. Wet hands with warm water.
  2. Lather with soap.
  3. Scrub hands for 20 seconds. (That’s where singing Happy Birthday comes in!) Don’t forget wrists, backs of hands, between fingers, and under nails.
  4. Rinse with running water.
  5. Dry with a clean towel or air dryer.

When to wash hands: Before, during, and after preparing food; before and after eating; after using the restroom; after caring for someone who is sick; before and after treating a cut or wound; after changing a diaper or helping a child use the toilet; after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing; after handling an animal or animal waste; after touching garbage.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, go.iastate.edu/SLEVAQ

food safety, healthy living, wellness , ,
Leave a Comment on It’s All about Handwashing!

Safe Food Practices When Volunteering at Food Pantries

Kristin Taylor

Volunteering at a food pantry is a great way to help others. Keeping food safe and handling food safely at the food pantry is the top job of every volunteer. Food pantry volunteers must read, understand, and follow the food safety policies outlined in the food pantry handbook.

Food safety starts before the volunteer arrives at the food pantry. Don’t volunteer if you are ill; call the food pantry and tell them you won’t be in. Hands encounter many contaminants, so proper handwashing is key. Wet hands, apply soap, and scrub for 10–15 seconds, rinse fully, and dry with a paper towel. Always wear gloves when handling food and change gloves after touching nonfood items. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you sneeze or cough, dispose of the tissue, and wash hands well. Cell phones are not clean; it is best practice not to use them while volunteering. If cell phone use is necessary, remember to wash your hands after use.

Volunteer working in food pantry

Source: Adapted from Food Bank of Iowa, foodbankiowa.org/

food safety, wellness , , ,
Leave a Comment on Safe Food Practices When Volunteering at Food Pantries

Poultry Food Safety

Kristin Taylor

While some people think washing raw poultry is necessary before cooking, research indicates that doing so can spread bacteria to other surfaces, including the sink. To prevent illness, cook poultry to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F and avoid cross-contamination with ready-to-eat foods. After preparing raw poultry, wash hands for at least 20 seconds followed by cleaning and sanitizing countertops and equipment. For more questions, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854 or email questions to MPHotline@usda.gov. Hotline services are available in both English and Spanish.

Person testing temperature of roasted chicken

Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service , www.fsis.usda.gov/

food safety , , , ,
Leave a Comment on Poultry Food Safety

Tips to Eliminate Food Waste

eminniha
Cutting carrots on cutting board

Did you know that around 96% of food waste ends up in landfills? Instead of letting food go to waste, follow these tips to decrease food waste:

  1. Before grocery shopping, check your fridge, freezer, and pantry for ingredients you already have. This prevents buying duplicates!
  2. Plan out the meals you will be cooking that week, and only buy food items for those meals.
  3. Aim to cook the right number of portions to avoid throwing away extra food.
  4. If you have leftovers, refrigerate or freeze them in clear containers, labeled with the contents and dates.
  5. Check your refrigerator and freezer frequently so you do not let food go to waste.

Here’s to saving money and saving the environment!

Source: EPA, go.iastate.edu/BSGFIA

food safety, wellness , , ,
Leave a Comment on Tips to Eliminate Food Waste

Using and Calibrating Food Thermometers

eminniha

Checking food temperatures is a key step to ensure food safety. Calibrating a food thermometer ensures accurate readings, preventing undercooking and reducing the risk of food poisoning. The primary way to calibrate a manual food thermometer is by using ice water.

To calibrate your thermometer using ice water, put your thermometer in a glass of ice water and adjust until the reading is 32°F, the freezing point. Once this is done, you know that your thermometer will read the temperatures of foods correctly, which will keep your food safe.

Food thermometer testing meat on grill

Cook foods to these minimum internal temperatures for food safety:

  • Seafood: 145°F
  • Steaks, roasts, chops (beef, pork): 145°F; rest time: 3 minutes
  • Rabbit and venison: 160°F
  • Ground meat (beef, pork): 160°F
  • Any leftovers: 165°F
  • Chicken, poultry: 165°F
  • Casseroles: 165°F

Sources:
FoodSafety.gov, go.iastate.edu/WQIZY1
USDA, go.iastate.edu/ZFSABS

food safety, wellness , , ,
Leave a Comment on Using and Calibrating Food Thermometers

Camping Food Safety

eminniha
Cooking food over a camp fire

Summertime is perfect for outdoor activities like camping, but we need to keep our food safe during those hot summer days. Follow these quick tips to keep your food safe at the campsite:

  • Use shelf-stable foods such as canned goods, nuts, whole or dried fruits, dehydrated foods, and uncooked pasta and brown rice.
  • If you are packing perishable foods, make sure that food remains cold to avoid spoilage. Food items such as raw meat, dairy, eggs, leafy greens, and cut melons must stay at 40°F or below to avoid bacteria growth. Plan ahead to keep these foods cold and use equipment such as coolers with ice or gel packs.
  • Bacteria can multiply rapidly at 40–140°F. This is known as the “Temperature Danger Zone.” Perishable foods should not be left out of refrigeration for more than 2 hours, and only 1 hour if the outdoor temperature is above 90°F.
  • If possible, use separate coolers for raw meat and ready-to-eat items. If they need to share a cooler, put the raw meat on the bottom and ready-to-eat foods above.
  • Bring drinkable water and biodegradable soap for proper hand- and dishwashing.
  • Bring appropriate cooking equipment and a thermometer to check final internal cooking temperatures.
  • Discard any food that is suspected of contamination or exceeding time and temperature requirements. Better safe than sorry!

For more information about food safety during outdoor recreation activities, visit the
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, www.fsis.usda.gov.

food safety, healthy living , , , , ,
Leave a Comment on Camping Food Safety

Cool Food the Right Way to Protect Your Family

eminniha
Foods in refrigerator

Every year in the United States one in six people get sick from contaminated food. Cooling food quickly helps reduce the risk of foodborne illness. Avoid the Temperature Danger Zone (temperatures between 40°F and 140°F) by refrigerating perishable food within two hours—one hour if it is a hot day (above 90°F). Keep your fridge temperature at 40°F or below and use a fridge thermometer to keep food safe.

Keep food safe by dividing leftovers into smaller portions and storing in shallow containers for quicker cooling in the refrigerator, putting perishable foods in the refrigerator or freezer as soon as you get them home from the store, and always marinating food in the refrigerator.

Source: Partnership for Food Safety Education, www.fightbac.org/

food safety , , , ,
Leave a Comment on Cool Food the Right Way to Protect Your Family

Tips to Avoid Food Poisoning When Eating Out

eminniha
Hamburger and chips
  • Check inspection scores. Check a restaurant’s score on the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals website, iowa.safefoodinspection.com. Inspections are a “snapshot” of the day and time of the inspection.
  • Look for certificates that show kitchen managers have completed food safety training.Refrigerate your leftovers quickly.
  • Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of when the food was prepared (or 1 hour if the food is exposed to temperatures above 90°F, like in a hot car or at a picnic). Eat leftovers within 3 to 4 days. Throw them out after that time.

Source: CDC Food Safety and Eating Out, www.cdc.gov

food safety, wellness , , ,
Leave a Comment on Tips to Avoid Food Poisoning When Eating Out

Categories

Meta