COLLEGE STATION – Safe foods are vital to health. That’s why each year, federal, state and local agencies and consumer organizations mark September as National Food Safety Education Month.
“The purpose of this annual observance is to promote the importance of safe food handling for both the food service industry and for consumers,” said Britta Thompson, Texas Cooperative Extension food and nutrition associate.
Handling foods safely can help prevent many cases of foodborne illness, which is caused by “eating harmful microorganisms in food that cannot be seen, smelled or tasted,” Thompson said. “Each year it is estimated that one in four Americans will become sick from a foodborne illness, one in 1,000 will be hospitalized and more than 5,000 will die.”
This year, the emphasis is on “Four Steps to Food Safety” – or the Fightbac! principles – which are:
– CLEAN all utensils, surfaces, hands and anything else that touches food, both before and after food preparation.
– COOK all foods to the correct internal temperature. “Cooking destroys harmful microorganisms such as E.coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Campylobacter and Listeriosis,” Thompson said. Using a food thermometer is the best way to determine if the right internal temperature has been reached. This is especially important in protein-rich and combination foods such as egg casseroles, meats and poultry.
– SEPARATE raw foods from cooked or ready-to-eat foods in order to prevent transfer of harmful microorganisms from one food to another. This kind of cross-contamination can occur when, for example, vegetables and raw meat are prepared on the same cutting board without washing the board in between.
– CHILL refrigerated food to at least 40 F, and frozen foods to at least 0 F. Monitor the temperature of the refrigerator and the freezer with appliance thermometers. Never store foods in the danger zone – between 40 F and 140 F. Refrigerate or freeze perishables, leftovers and prepared foods within two hours. Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator.
For more information about using safe food practices to help prevent foodborne illnesses, contact a county agent or visit the Web at http://fcs.tamu.edu/ and click on the link to Food and Nutrition.
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