Culinary arts

Who Is At Risk for Food Poisoning?

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:42:03 +0000

Question:

Who Is At Risk for Food Poisoning?

Answer:

Two factors increase the risk of food poisoning: age and physical condition. Very young children, pregnant women, people with compromised immune systems and the elderly are at the most risk.

Question:

I Think I May Have Food Poisoning. What Should I Do?

Answer:

Follow these general guidelines:

First and foremost, seek medical treatment if necessary, especially if you are in an “at risk” group. Similarly, if your symptoms persist or if they are severe (for instance, excessive nausea and vomiting, high temperature or bloody diarrhea ), contact a doctor or call 911.

Preserve any evidence. If any of the suspect food is still left, wrap it up securely, mark it with the word “DANGER” to prevent anyone else from eating it, and freeze it.

If you have the packaging, like the cartons or cans the food came in, save them. Write down the type of food, the date, any other identifying marks on the package, what time the food was eaten and when the symptoms first began. Information like this is critical in identifying the pathogen involved.

If the suspect food was served at a restaurant or food service facility, or if it was served at a large gathering, call the local health department.

Plastic Vs. Wood: Which Cutting Boards Are Better?

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:41:55 +0000

Choosing Between Wooden or Plastic Cutting Boards Is a No-Brainer

Are Plastic Cutting Boards Better Than Wood?

A thoughtful reader kindly sent me a fascinating article on cutting boards. Originally published in the Feb. 6, 1993 edition of Science News, the article describes research claiming that wooden cutting boards possess some sort of bacteria-killing properties, thus making them less likely to contaminate food than plastic or acrylic cutting boards. “Pathogens prefer plastic,” the article declares.

Nearly twenty years later, however, experts are still recommending nonporous plastic cutting boards, and local health departments continue to prohibit the use of wooden cutting boards in commercial foodservice.

So what happened? A careful reading of the article reveals the disconnect between what the researchers observed and the conclusions they drew from those observations. It’s a great example of why it’s never a good idea to let someone else do your thinking for you — because scientists make mistakes just like anyone else.

Do Pathogens Prefer Plastic Cutting Boards or Wood?

The claim was based on an experiment in which wooden cutting boards were infected with common food-borne pathogens and then allowed to sit overnight. The next morning, researchers found that “99.9 percent of the bacteria were unrecoverable and presumed dead.”

Presumed dead? That’s quite a leap, especially when, by the researchers’ own admission, “We’ve not recovered the little critters’ dead bodies.” They did allow for the possibility that, instead of dying, the “little critters” may have simply taken refuge within the nooks and crannies of the porous wood, where they would then be free to breed like — well, like bacteria. And since we know that bacteria can live on a cutting board for up to 60 hours, that wooden cutting board could be hosting an entire colony of pathogens by then. “As best we can tell, that isn’t going to happen,” one of the scientists said, though he did not specify why he didn’t think it would happen.

As for what mechanism or agent might be responsible for wood’s alleged antibacterial powers, the researchers admitted that they had no clue. One begins to see why this particular piece of “science” didn’t exactly blow the doors off the conventional thinking on food safety.

Finally, though, the kicker: One of the microbiologists responsible for the study shares his recommended technique for cleaning wooden cutting boards: “A good wipe will do fine – and if you forget to wipe the board, you probably won’t be too bad off.”

Cutting Boards and Food Safety

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:39:29 +0000

Wondering about the best kind of cutting board to use to help avoid a food-related illness? Here’s all the info you need.

Cutting Board Basics – Wood Vs. Plastic:

Nonporous surfaces like plastic or glass are easier to clean than wood and thus better in terms of food safety. Wood is naturally porous, and those tiny fissures and grooves in wooden cutting boards can harbor bacteria. Which is why cutting boards made of wood aren’t allowed in commercial kitchens. That being the case, why use them at home? As for glass cutting boards, they’re just awful for your knives and aren’t allowed in commercial kitchens, either. Why? Because things get dropped in kitchens, and broken glass in the soup is a real no-no.

Bottom line: Use plastic or acrylic cutting boards, not wood or glass.

Avoid Cross-Contamination:

Consider using separate cutting boards for fresh produce and bread, raw meats, poultry and seafoods, dairy products, and cooked foods. This will prevent bacteria on a cutting board that is used for raw meat from contaminating a food that requires no further cooking. You can even purchase color-coded cutting boards to help you keep them separate.

Cleaning Cutting Boards:

Cutting boards should be washed with hot, soapy water after each use, rinsed with clear water and air dried. You can also pat them dry with clean paper towels — but don’t dry with a dishtowel. Why? Dishtowels hang around the kitchen and get wiped on everything, making them the ideal vehicle for spreading bacteria from one kitchen tool or surface (or even your hands) to another. Acrylic or plastic boards can be run through a dishwasher, which is a great way to clean and sanitize them. It’s another reason they’re superior to wooden boards, because wooden boards may warp, crack or split if washed in the dishwasher.

Sanitizing Cutting Boards:

Don’t have a dishwasher? You can sanitize plastic cutting boards in a chlorine solution consisting of 1 tablespoon of liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water. (Use unscented bleach only — don’t use bleach that has lemon or pine scent added!) Ideally you’d fill a sink with this solution and then soak the cutting boards in it for half an hour or so, then rinse them with clear water and air dry. If your sink isn’t big enough, you can fill a spray bottle with the sanitizing bleach solution and spritz the surface of the boards generously and let them stand for a few minutes, then rinse and dry as described.

Replace Worn Cutting Boards:

Cutting boards wear out over time: they may develop hard-to-clean grooves from your knife, or they may just get dinged up from heavy use. Cutting boards are nothing to get sentimental over. When they wear out, toss them out and replace them.

What Is The “Food Temperature Danger Zone?”

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:38:22 +0000

Question:

What Is The “Food Temperature Danger Zone?”

Answer:

Bacteria multiply rapidly between 40°F and 140°F, a range known as the Food Temperature Danger Zone. The key to keeping food out of this “Danger Zone” is to make sure cold food stays cold and hot food stays hot. Here’s how:

Store food in the refrigerator (40 °F or below) or freezer (0 °F or below).
Maintain hot cooked food at 140 °F or above.
When reheating cooked food, reheat to 165 °F.

Common Food-Borne Pathogens

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:21:54 +0000

Find out about the most common food-borne pathogens, where they come from, how they’re commonly transmitted and what their symptoms are.

Salmonella and Salmonella Poisoning

Salmonella bacteria are the cause of most cases of food poisoning in America.

Salmonella Bacteria:

By far, most cases of food poisoning in America are caused by the Salmonella bacteria. That’s over 1.4 million cases of food poisoning a year, including over 400 deaths from Salmonella poisoning. While there are more than 2,300 types of the bacteria, two types, Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium, are responsible for half of these cases. Despite its name, Salmonella actually has nothing to with salmon — the bacteria is named after the scientist who first discovered it in 1885.

Where Salmonella is Found:

Salmonella bacteria are found in the intestinal tracts and feces of animals and people, but water, soil, insects and live animals can also carry the bacteria. Raw eggs and poultry products are known to carry the Salmonella bacteria naturally. Other sources of Salmonella include meat, fish and shellfish, and also milk. Cooked custards and sauces such as pastry cream are also potential sources of Salmonella poisoning, as is tofu and other foods that are high in protein. And in addition, fresh produce like melons, tomatoes, lettuce and sprouts can carry salmonella.

How Salmonella is Transmitted:

Salmonella bacteria can be transmitted either through foods in which the bacteria naturally occur, or via cross-contamination. For this reason, any food can be a potential Salmonella hazard is it is not handled properly. Salmonella bacteria are killed when cooked, but foods like the fresh produce items listed above can be even more dangerous since they are not generally cooked before serving them. That’s why proper hygiene and good food handling techniques are so important in preventing the transmission of Salmonella.

Salmonella Symptoms:

Salmonellosis, an infection cause by Salmonella bacteria, is characterized by abdominal cramps, stomach pain, diarrhea, nausea, chills, fever, and headache. Symptoms usually appear six to 48 hours after eating. The illness can last a day or two, and sometimes longer. In some cases, people who’ve suffered from Salmonella poisoning can experience joint pain and bowel discomfort for three to four weeks after they first got sick. You can read more here about food poisoning symptoms.

Preventing Salmonella:

Good food handling practices — properly refrigerating food, washing hands and utensils, avoiding cross contamination — can minimize the risk of salmonella poisoning. Cooking food to temperatures of 165°F for at least 15 seconds will kill the bacteria, but, as discussed above, this isn’t always possible, which is why safe food-handling practices are so important in preventing salmonella poisoning. Also, it’s a good idea to be especially careful when preparing poultry products. When you’re preparing recipes that call for raw eggs, consider using pasteurized eggs.

Escherichia coli – “E. coli”

E. coli is a bacteria known for causing food poisoning via undercooked ground beef, as well as contaminated spinach and sprouts.

E. Coli Bacteria:

Escherichia coli, or “E. coli” as it’s more commonly known, is a type of bacteria that can cause food poisoning in humans. Sometimes referred to as “hamburger disease” because it can be transmitted through undercooked ground beef, E. coli has also caused outbreaks of food poisoning linked to raw produce like spinach and sprouts.

Where E. Coli is Found:

E. coli (sometimes also referred to as E. coli O157:H7) is found in the intestinal tracts of some mammals, such as cattle, and also in raw milk, and unchlorinated water.

How E. Coli is Transmitted:

E. coli bacteria can be transmitted through consumption of contaminated water, raw milk, raw or rare ground beef, as well as unpasteurized apple juice or cider, uncooked fruits and vegetables. It can also be passed from person to person through improper hygiene. In the case of beef, E. coli bacteria from the intestine of the cattle can contaminate the meat during slaughter. With steaks this is not a big issue as the bacteria stay on the surface and are killed when the steak is cooked. But when the contaminated meat is ground up for making burgers, the E.coli bacteria are distributed throughout the meat, and if it isn’t cooked all the way through (i.e., well done), it can cause illness.

E. Coli Symptoms:

E. coli bacteria cause an illness called E. coli enteritis, in which the small intestine becomes inflamed. Symptoms include diarrhea (which can be watery or bloody), abdominal cramps, pain, nausea, and sometimes a mild fever. These symptoms can begin two to five days after the contaminated food is eaten, lasting a week or more. Some patients, especially the very young, can develop kidney failure. You can read more here about food poisoning symptoms.

E. Coli Prevention:

E. coli bacteria can survive in the refrigerator and freezer, and it can multiply rapidly in the refrigerator, making E. coli particularly difficult to manage. E. coli will also survive in highly acidic environments, which is also unusual for most food-borne pathogens. They are killed by cooking, however, so the best prevention against E. coli is to heat foods to 160°F or hotter for at least 30 seconds. That means burgers should not be served rare.

In the case of other foods, it’s important to rinse fruits and vegetables that won’t be cooked, such as lettuce and sprouts, under running water. Avoid drinking unpasteurized milks and juices. And of course, use good personal hygiene and food handling practices. Wash your hands after handling pets, using the bathroom or changing diapers.

Clostridium Botulinum (Botulism):

One of the most toxic substances known, Clostridium botulinum is the bacteria that causes botulism, a life-threatening paralytic illness. Clostridium botulinum bacteria produce a toxin that leads to to respiratory failure through paralysis of the muscles used for breathing.

Where Clostridium Botulinum is Found:

The bacteria that cause botulism are widely distributed throughout nature. Botulism can be found in soil, water, on plants, and in the intestinal tracts of animals and fish. The key is that C. botulinum only grows only in an environment with little or no oxygen. This is why botulism is described as an anaerobic bacteria. This makes botulism unique among food-borne pathogens, as most bacteria associated with food poisoning will die without oxygen. Botulism is the exact opposite, making it tricky to deal with.

How Clostridium Botulinum is Transmitted:

Botulism is transmitted through improperly canned foods, garlic stored in oil, vacuum-packed and other tightly wrapped food. The common thread here is that these are all storage methods where there is no oxygen. If you see a can of food that is bulging, that is a sign of botulism contamination. Uncured or nitrate-free meats are also a potential source of Clostridium botulinum since sodium nitrate kills the bacteria. Another possible source of botulism poisoning can be foods prepared sous vide, which involves sealing the food in plastic and then poaching it. The plastic bag creates an oxygen-free environment in which the botulism bacteria can grow.

Foods Involved in Botulism Poisoning:

In addition to improperly canned foods and such, as described above, botulism can grow in foods you might not think of. For instance, a baked potato is not something you might think of as a hazardous food. But a potato is airtight, which is why we need to poke holes in it before baking it. Thus, leftover baked potatoes can present a risk of botulism as the bacteria can grow inside the cooked potato where little or no oxygen is present. Similarly, cooked meatloaf or even onions sautéed in butter and then left out at room temperature can present a botulism risk.

Symptoms of Botulism Sickness:

The botulism toxin affects the nervous system. Symptoms of botulism usually appear in 18 to 36 hours, but can sometimes appear as few as four hours or as many as eight days after eating the contaminated food. Botulism symptoms include double vision, droopy eyelids, trouble speaking and swallowing, and difficulty breathing. Botulism is one of the most dangerous forms of food poisoning as the illness can be fatal in three to 10 days if not treated. You can read more here about the symptoms of food poisoning.

Preventing Botulism:

While botulism is unique in that it grows in an oxygen-free environment, it is the same as other food-borne pathogens in other respects. Which is to say, proper refrigeration will slow the growth of the bacteria, and cooking will kill it. Note, however, that the botulism toxin (as opposed to the bacteria that produces it) needs to be boiled for at least 20 minutes to destroy it. An acidic environment will also prevent the growth of C. botulinum. When making stews and thick soups, you should cool the leftovers quickly and then refrigerate right away. And to be extra safe, avoid eating home-canned foods, homemade garlic in oil and that sort of thing.

Clostridium Perfringens:

Clostridium perfringens is a bacteria that causes food poisoning, especially in cooked food that is kept warm in steam tables such as those in cafeterias and buffets. Because outbreaks of Clostridium perfringens tend to occur in hospitals, school cafeterias, nursing homes and prisons, it is sometimes referred to as the “cafeteria germ.”

Where Clostridium Perfringens Is Found:

The Clostridium perfringens bacteria can be found in the intestinal tracts of animals and humans, and also in sewage, as well as dust and soil that have been contaminated with feces. Clostridium perfringens is an anaerobic bacteria, which means that it grows only in environments where there is little or no oxygen. It is similar to Clostridium botulinum in this regard.

How Clostridium Perfringens Is Transmitted:

The reason Clostridium perfringens is transmitted through cafeterias and other high-volume food service kitchens is that the bacteria can reproduce rapidly in food that sits in steam tables or at room temperature for a long period of time. Although the Clostridium perfringens bacteria itself is destroyed by cooking, some toxin-producing spores created by the bacteria can survive the cooking process. That’s why holding cooked food in a steam table allows the bacteria to multiply. Cooked meats, stews, gravies and beans are common vehicles of Clostridium perfringens outbreaks.

Clostridium Perfringens Symptoms:

Symptoms of Clostridium perfringens poisoning include abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and dehydration. The diarrhea and pain can appear within eight to 24 hours after eating the contaminated food. The symptoms usually last about a day, which is why people who are sickened by Cl. perfringens often say believe they’ve suffered from a “24-hour flu.” In some cases, less severe symptoms can persist for a week or two, particularly in the very young, the very old and others with compromised immune systems. You can read more here about food poisoning symptoms.

Preventing Clostridium Perfringens:

Because Clostridium perfringens contamination occurs specifically in cooked foods in foodservice settings, preventing contamination from Cl. perfringens requires minimizing the amount of time that food spends in the food temperature danger zone. This in turn requires the foodservice workers to monitor the temperature of the food. If the temperature of the drops below 140°F, it needs to be reheated to 165°F to kill any bacteria. Also, food shouldn’t be held on the buffet line for more than four hours, even when proper temperatures are maintained.

Campylobacter Jejuni Bacteria:

Campylobacter jejuni is a bacteria that causes food poisoning, and is the second most frequent cause of food poisoning after Salmonella.

Where Campylobacter Jejuni is Found:

Campylobacter jejuni bacteria are found in all kinds of places, including the intestinal tracts of animals, including cats and dogs as well as poultry, cattle, pigs and other animals. The campylobacter bacteria is also present in human intestinal tracts, where it can exist without causing harm. Raw milk, untreated water, and sewage sludge are also potential sources of campylobacter jejuni.

How Campylobacter Jejuni is Transmitted:

Campylobacter jejuni is transmitted mainly through consuming unpasteurized milk and dairy products as well as raw or undercooked meat, poultry, or shellfish. Unsafe food handling and sanitation practices in kitchens, food processing plants, farms and retail establishments can also transmit the campylobacter bacteria, as can contact with untreated (i.e. unchlorinated) water and feces.

Campylobacter Jejuni Symptoms:

Campylobacter jejuni causes an infection called campylobacteriosis, which is classified as a diarrheal sickness. Thus, symptoms of the campylobacter bacteria are characterized by diarrhea, which can be water and/or bloody. Other campylobacter symptoms include fever, headache and muscle pain, as well as abdominal pain, and nausea. These symptoms tend to appear two to five days after becoming infected. The illness can last up to 10 days, although most people recover within five days of the first symptoms. As with all food-borne illnesses, children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems are at greater risk of infection from Campylobacter jejuni. You can read more here about food poisoning symptoms.

Preventing Campylobacter Jejuni:

Because the Campylobacter jejuni bacteria are easy to kill by cooking, the best way to prevent illness from campylobacter is to cook meat and poultry products to a safe internal temperature (160°F for poultry and ground beef). Following proper food-handling techniques, such as observing the food temperature danger zone and avoiding cross-contamination when preparing is also important, as well as practicing good personal hygiene. Also, as mentioned above, avoid consuming raw milk and dairy products.

Shigella and Shigellosis Bacteria:

Shigella is a type of bacteria that causes a form of food poisoning known as shigellosis.

Where Shigella is Found:

The Shigella bacteria is found in the human intestinal tract. It’s also carried by flies, and it is sometimes found in water that’s been contaminated by feces. While most cases of Shigellosis worldwide occur in developing countries, where it frequently leads to dysentery, Shigella is a major cause of food poisoning in industrialized nations as well, including at least 18,000 cases per year in the United States alone.

How Shigella is Transmitted:

Because Shigella is carried by humans almost exclusively, and specifically the human intestinal tract, the way the bacteria is spread is almost always via poor personal hygiene. To be precise, that means food workers not washing their hands after going to the bathroom, and then transferring fecal matter to the food they are preparing, or directly to another person. Because the Shigella bacteria is killed by cooking, most outbreaks of shigellosis result from contamination of cold foods such as prepared salads (potato salad, tuna salad, macaroni salad and other cold deli salads) as well as raw vegetables and lettuce.

Symptoms of Shigella Poisoning:

The Shigella bacteria causes a disease called shigellosis, or bacillary dysentery. Symtpoms of shigellosis include diarrhea containing blood and mucus, fever, abdominal cramps, chills, and vomiting. These symptoms can appear anywhere from 12 to 50 hours after the bacteria are ingested, although the incubation period is normally between one and three days. Shigellosis symptoms can last a few days or up to two weeks, or even longer, depending on treatment. You can read more here about food poisoning symptoms.

Preventing Shigella:

As mentioned above, the main and most effective way of preventing food poisoning caused by the Shigella bacteria is by ensuring good personal hygiene on the part of foodservice workers. That means washing hands frequently, especially after using the bathroom. Avoiding cross-contamination is also important, as is ensuring there is clean water and keeping flies out of the kitchen.

Listeria Monocytogenes Bacteria:

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne bacteria that is responsible for more food-poisoning fatalities than any other, even Salmonella or E. coli. Listeria monocytogenes is especially dangerous for pregnant women.

Where Listeria Monocytogenes is Found:

The Listeria monocytogenes bacteria are found in up to ten percent of human intestinal tracts, as well as other mammals and birds, and even fish and shellfish. An unusually stubborn pathogen, Listeria monocytogenes can multiply even in foods stored in the refrigerator, and the standard procedures of freezing, drying and heating are not always effective at eradicating it.

How Listeria Monocytogenes is Transmitted:

Listeria monocytogenes bacteria are typically transmitted by way of ready-to-eat foods like hot dogs, lunch meats and cold cuts, sausages and other smoked and cured meats and seafoods, as well as soft cheeses and unpasteurized milk products.

Listeria Symptoms:

Listeria monocytogenes poisoning, or listeriosis, is something of a stealth illness in the sense that it has a very long incubation period — as long as 70 days in some cases. Thus, you could consume food that was contaminated with Listeria and not feel any symptoms for over two months. With that kind of lag time, it’s not likely that you’d make the connection between your symptoms and the food that got you sick. In most cases of listeria poisoning, the symptoms appear in about three weeks. The early symptoms of listeriosis include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, an upset stomach and diarrhea. Later symptoms can include a stiff neck, dizziness and even convulsions. In pregnant women, listeriosis is especially dangerous as it can cause miscarriage or premature delivery. You can read more here about food poisoning symptoms.

Preventing Listeria Monocytogenes:

The threat of illness from Listeria monocytogenes is the reason pregnant women are generally advised to avoid eating foods like deli meats, pâtés and other meat spreads, smoked salmon and other smoked fish. Soft cheeses like Brie, Camembert and blue-veined cheeses like Gorgonzola should also be avoided, unless they specifically state that they are made with pasteurized milk. Deli-made salads like chicken salad, ham salad, tuna salad and seafood salads are also potential sources of Listeria monocytogenes and should be avoided by pregnant women and others who are at high risk of food poisoning because of compromised immune systems.

Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteria:

Staphylococcus aureus is the bacteria that causes staph infections and a frequent culprit in cases of food poisoning, generally due to improper food handling and inadequate hygiene by food handlers. Rather than causing an infection directly, the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria produce a toxin which is what causes the illness.

Where Staphylococcus Aureus is Found:

Staphylococcus aureus bacteria are found on human skin, hair, noses, throats and infected cuts and sores. The bacteria can live on the skin of people who are otherwise healthy. By some estimates, the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria live on the skin of up to 25 percent of people. Staphylococcus aureus bacteria reproduce very quickly at room temperatures, and produce a toxin that can’t be destroyed by cooking.

How Staphylococcus Aureus is Transmitted:

Staphylococcus aureus bacteria are mostly transmitted via person-to-person contact and through food as a result of improper food handling and inadequate hygiene on the part of foodservice workers. The foods involved in outbreaks of poisoning from Staphylococcus aureus include meats and poultry, as well as other proteins such as eggs and tofu. Sandwiches and deli salads (tuna salad, egg salad, macaroni salad etc.) are also frequently involved in Staphylococcus aureus outbreaks. Dairy products including milk, cheese and cream-filled pastries can also be contaminated. Finally, because the Staphylococcus aureus toxin isn’t killed by cooking, reheated foods of all kinds which have been handled by infected workers can also cause illness.

Staphylococcus Aureus Symptoms:

Symptoms of Staphylococcus aureus intoxication include severe nausea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea. In severe cases, headache, muscle cramping and changes in blood pressure and heart rates can also occur. The incubation period of Staphylococcus aureus is short, with symptoms appearing in as little as an hour after the contaminated food has been eaten. Symptoms are generally felt within two to four hours. The illness itself usually lasts two to three days, but it can last longer if there is extreme dehydration.You can read more here about food poisoning symptoms.

Preventing Staphylococcus Aureus:

Preventing Staphylococcus aureus sickness is complicated by the fact that the illness is caused by the toxins which are produced by the bacteria rather than from the bacteria alone. Although the bacteria themselves are easily killed by cooking, the toxins that actually cause the sickness are not. Therefore, the usual regime of heating foods to 165°F to kill the harmful pathogens isn’t enough. Thus, the best thing you can do to prevent illness from Staphylococcus aureus is to prevent the food from becoming contaminated in the first place. That means washing hands frequently, and avoiding cross-contamination.

What Is Food Poisoning?

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:20:11 +0000

Question:

What Is Food Poisoning?

Answer:

Foodborne illness, also known as food poisoning, is any illness caused by bacteria or other pathogens in food. It often appears as flu-like symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or fever, so people may not realize it was caused by something they ate.

How Do Bacteria Get Into Food?

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:16:59 +0000

Question:

How Do Bacteria Get Into Food?

Answer:

Bacteria are naturally present in our environment, and they may be present on in the food when you buy it. Poultry and eggs naturally contain salmonella bacteria, for instance. Cooked foods can become contaminated with bacteria from raw meat juices or other contaminated products. Food handlers with poor personal hygiene can also spread pathogens.

Food Handling Guidelines for Ground Beef Safety

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:42:38 +0000

What’s the best way to handle raw ground beef when I buy it?

Choose a package that feels cold and shows no signs of leakage. Enclose it in a plastic bag so that any juices that do leak out won’t contaminate other items in your grocery cart.

Ground beef should be one of the last items to go into your cart, and should be kept separate from other foods. And when you check out, the clerk should pack raw meat, poultry, and fish in separate bags, not together with your other items.

Also, you should drive straight home from the store after shopping. If your drive is long, bring a cooler with ice and pack your perishables in it for the drive home.

How should raw ground beef be stored at home?

Refrigerate or freeze ground beef as soon as possible after purchase. This preserves freshness and slows growth of bacteria. Make sure your refrigerator is at 40°F or colder, and use refrigerated ground beef within 2 days.

For storing in the freezer for longer periods, wrap ground beef securely in heavy duty plastic wrap or foil. Assuming your freezer is at 0°F, ground beef stored this way should be fine for a couple of months. Make sure you mark the packages with the date you froze them so you don’t forget how long they’ve been in there.

What is the best way to thaw ground beef?

Thaw frozen ground beef by leaving in the refrigerator overnight. Take the package you created in the step described above and place it a shallow pan, then set the pan on the lowest shelf of your refrigerator, so that any juices won’t drip onto other food.

Keeping meat cold while it is defrosting is essential to prevent growth of bacteria. Once it thaws, cook it within 1 or 2 days, but don’t refreeze it. Never thaw ground beef in the microwave or by leaving it out at room temperature. And while thawing under cold running water is acceptable for most frozen foods, doing so with ground beef isn’t recommended.

A good general tip: Never leave ground beef or any perishable food out at room temperature for more than 1 hour.

Is it dangerous to eat raw or undercooked ground beef?

Since raw and undercooked meat can harbor dangerous bacteria, the USDA discourages eating or tasting any raw or undercooked ground beef. Meat loaf, meatballs, casseroles and hamburgers should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 160°F as measured with an instant-read thermometer.

Are microwaved hamburgers safe?

Yes, provided they’re handled and cooked properly. If you cook hamburgers in the microwave, covering them helps distribute the heat more evenly. Flip each patty midway through cooking, and rotate it, too, if your microwave doesn’t have a revolving carousel. Let cooked patties stand in the microwave for a minute or two after the timer goes off, then use an instant-read thermometer to make sure their internal temperature is at least 160°F.

Is it safe to cook ground beef part way, then store it to use later?

No. Partial cooking of food won’t kill pathogens, but instead allows them to multiply to the point that they can’t be killed by subsequent cooking.

Can I refrigerate or freeze leftover cooked hamburgers? How should they be reheated?

If properly cooked ground beef is refrigerated within 1 hour of cooking, it can be safely refrigerated for about 3 days. If frozen, it should keep its quality for a couple of months — assuming your freezer is at 0°F.

How can I know for sure what’s in my ground beef?

The best way to know for sure what’s in your burgers, ground beef or other ground meats is to grind the meat yourself. Check out this illustrated tutorial on how to grind your own burgers at home.

What kind of bacteria are there in ground beef? Are they dangerous?

Any food of animal origin can harbor bacteria. Pathogenic bacteria, such as salmonella and E. coli, can make you ill.

It’s important to note that the presence of these harmful bacteria are not related to spoilage. Meat contaminated by these pathogens can look and smell perfectly fresh. Spoilage bacteria, on the other hand — the ones that cause food to develop bad odors and so on — are generally not harmful.

Ground beef safety standards are especially stringent because ground meats have more exposed surface area, which gives bacteria more opportunities to contaminate the meat. Bacteria multiply quickly in the Food Temperature Danger Zone — between 40°F and 140°F.

To prevent bacterial growth, keep ground beef at 40 °F or colder, and use it or freeze it within 2 days. Ground beef should always be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 160°F to make sure that harmful bacteria are killed.

Why is the presence of E. coli in ground beef a problem?

E. coli, including E. coli O157:H7, a strain that produces toxins in the intestine, can infect animals and contaminate muscle meat at slaughter.

This pathogen survives refrigerator and freezer temperatures and can multiply very slowly at temperatures as low as 44°F. A very small number of these bacteria is all it takes to cause serious illness or death, especially in children. Thorough cooking kills the bacteria, however, which is why the consumption of undercooked ground beef is such a concern.

Are “hamburger” and “ground beef” the same thing?

No. According to USDA regulations, products labeled “hamburger” may have beef fat added to it, but products labeled “ground beef” may not. In either case, the product can have no more than 30% fat by weight. Both can have seasonings added, but additional water, phosphates, extenders or binders may not be used.

What’s the difference between inspection and grading?

Inspection is mandatory for all meat sold in the United States, and is intended to ensure the wholesomeness of the product — that the animal wasn’t sick and that the meat is clean and fit for human consumption. It makes no determination with respect to quality or tenderness, however.

Meat that has been federally inspected and passed for wholesomeness is stamped with a round purple mark. Since the mark is put on carcasses and major cuts, it might not appear on retail cuts such as roasts and steaks.

Grading, on the other hand, is a system for evaluating quality, and is entirely voluntary on the part of meat producers. So while the cost of meat inspection is borne by the taxpayers, the meat companies themselves must pay for Federal inspectors to certify the quality of their products.

Beef grades commonly sold to the public or served in foodservice include USDA Prime, Choice and Select, with a shield-shaped stamp used to indicate the assigned grading. Most ground beef is not graded.

What does the “Sell-By” date printed on the package mean?

“Sell-By” dates are a guide for retailers and are only meaningful if the meat has been properly handled. The USDA suggests cooking or freezing ground beef within 2 days of bringing it home.

How can I know for sure what’s in my ground beef?

The best way to know for sure what’s in your burgers, ground beef or other ground meats is to grind the meat yourself. Check out this illustrated tutorial on how to grind your own burgers at home.

All About Food Safety

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:41:39 +0000

Sanitation & Food Handling Facts

There aren’t many absolute rules in the culinary arts, but following safe food handling procedures is a must. Here’s everything you need to know about food safety, what causes food to go bad and facts about food-borne bacteria and pathogens.

When Food Goes Bad

Food spoilage and food poisoning are caused by tiny organisms called bacteria. Find out what conditions bacteria needin order to thrive — and how to stop them in their tracks.

Food Temperature Danger Zone

The best defense against food-borne illness is stopping bacteria from growing — or at least slowing them down. We do that by keeping food out of the Food Temperature Danger Zone.

Symptoms of Food Poisoning

There are many different types of food poisoning, and each one of them has its own unique symptoms. Here’s a list of some of the most common food poisoning symptoms.

Ground Beef and Food Safety

These safety guidelines will give you tips on the best ways to handle, prepare and store hamburger and ground beefto minimize your chances of a food-related illness.

Chicken & Poultry Safety Tips

These safety and food handling guidelines will give you the scoop on preparing and storing chicken and poultry safely, including freezing and thawing tips and more.

Brown Bag Lunches and Food Safety

Bringing your lunch to work, or preparing lunches for your children to take to school, means food can go unrefrigerated for extended periods of time. Find out how to keep food safe when you’re brown-bagging it.

Cutting Boards and Food Safety

Cutting boards come in all shapes and sizes and are made of every type of material from wood and glass to plastic and acrylic. But which cutting boards are the bestin terms of food safety?

Common Food-Borne Pathogens

Find out about the most common food-borne pathogens, where they come from, how they’re commonly transmitted and what their symptoms are.

Slow Cookers and Food Safety

Slow cookers are a wonderful convenience, but anytime you’re dealing with low temperatures over long time periods, food safety is a concern. These simple slow-cooker safety guidelineswill help keep you and your family safe.

Hurricanes and Food Safety

Here are a few tips to help you prepare for a loss of power before a severe weather event, and what you can do after a storm to keep your food safe.

Symptoms of Food Poisoning

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:38:52 +0000

Experiencing These Symptoms Could Be a Sign of Food Poisoning

The symptoms of food poisoning can vary depending on what sort of bug you might be dealing with, but there are definitely some characteristic signs that show up in the most common forms of food poisoning.

For example, Salmonella poisoning, the most common type of food poisoning in America, features abdominal cramps, headache, nausea, fever, diarrhea and vomiting. These symptoms are quite general, and are likely to be present in pretty much every form of food poisoning you can think of. Moreover, while you’re in the throes of sickness, you may not be in the frame of mind to make a fine distinction between abdominal cramps and abdominal pain.

Food Poisoning or Flu?

Also, you might wonder whether the symptoms you’re experiencing are really signs of food poisoning, or whether it’s merely some sort of stomach flu or stomach bug. In reality, though, the terms “stomach flu” or “stomach bug” are just expressions used to describe symptoms that are, for the most part, caused by food poisoning. In other words, if you have the stomach flu or a stomach bug, you probably got it by eating something that gave you a case of food poisoning.

For that reason, simply looking at symptoms isn’t always enough to diagnose a case of food poisoning. You might also want to think about what you recently ate and where you ate it. For example, many people tend to feel a little queasy after their Thanksgiving dinner. It’s easy to attribute that to having eaten too much, when in reality it may be a case of Salmonella poisoning.

So, if someone else who ate the same food also has the same symptoms, that’s a strong indicator of a case of food poisoning.

This is an important point, because the question of whether it’s a “stomach bug” or food poisoning may seem like a matter of semantics. But it’s actually crucial to know, because if you ate contaminated food, you’re going to want to know about it so no one else in your household eats the same food. Alternately, if you got food poisoning from a restaurant, that could be a major public health hazard and it would be important for the local health department to know about it.

Note that there’s one special form of food poisoning, with its own unique set of symptoms and conditions, that we’ll get to at the end of this article. Here, then, are some of the most common food poisoning symptoms, and some of their most likely causes:

Vomiting

Vomiting is one of the most common signs of food poisoning. This makes sense, because if you ate something bad, your body is going to try to get it out, and sending it back out the way it came in is the best way to accomplish that.

Vomiting is one of the signs of food poisoning caused by the following bacteria:

Salmonella
Shigella
Listeria
Campylobacter jejuni
E. coli

Diarrhea

Diarrhea is another common food poisoning symptom, and it’s characteristic of the following bacteria:

Salmonella
Shigella (diarrhea could be bloody)
Listeria
Staphylococcus aureus
Clostridium perfringens
Campylobacter jejuni (diarrhea can be watery or bloody)
E. coli (watery, can turn bloody)

Headache

Yes, even a headache can be a sign of food poisoning, but usually it will occur in combination with some of the other symptoms described here. Headache can be present in food poisoning caused by these bugs:

Salmonella
Listeria
Staphylococcus aureus (in severe cases)
Clostridium perfringens
Campylobacter jejuni

Abdominal Pain / Abdominal Cramping

Again, there’s a pretty fine distinction to be made here, as it may not be so easy to isolate abdominal pain caused by cramping from some other type of abdominal pain. Nevertheless, this can be a symptom of some of these foodborne illnesses:

Salmonella
Shigella
Staphylococcus aureus
Clostridium perfringens
Campylobacter jejuni
E. coli (pain is severe)

Nausea

Another very basic symptom and not so easy to quantify, nausea can range anywhere from a mild queasiness to vomiting and severe abdominal cramping. Like headache, it will likely present itself in conjunction with some of the other symptoms listed here. Nausea is among the signs of these kinds of food poisoning:

Salmonella
Shigella
Listeria
Staphylococcus aureus
Clostridium perfringens
Campylobacter jejuni

Fever

Because the bacteria that transmit the illness are generally (but not always) causing an infection, one of the most common symptoms of food poisoning is a fever, as seen in the cases caused by these bacteria:

Salmonella
Shigella
Listeria (fever can be quite persistent)
Campylobacter jejuni
E. coli (sometimes; can be mild)

Dehydration

Dehydration can be caused by vomiting and diarrhea, so it’s another symptom that’s difficult to distinguish on its own. Still, you may experience dehydration when suffering from any of these forms of food poisoning:

Salmonella (particularly in very young or very old people)
Shigella
Clostridium perfringens

Muscle Pain / Muscle Cramping

Another reason people sometimes mistake food poisoning for the flu is that the flu can cause muscle aches, and so can some forms of food poisoning, including:

Listeria (backache)
Staphylococcus aureus
Campylobacter jejuni

Botulism: A Special Case

Botulism is one of the most deadly forms of food poisoning, and it’s caused by a bacteria that lives in an oxygen-free environment. This makes it different from other foodborne pathogens. Botulism also presents its own unique set of symptoms. You can see that they’re quite different from the symptoms described above. Botulism symptoms include:

Fatigue / weakness
Dizziness
Double vision or blurred vision
Dry mouth
Difficulty swallowing or speaking
Paralysis (in extremely advanced cases)