Home Food Safety

2. Home Food Safety

3. Home Food Safety Why Food Safety Is Important • 76 million cases of foodborne illness each year • 325,000 people are hospitalized annually • 5,000 deaths each year

4. Home Food Safety Consumers and Food Safety • 82% say food safety is “very important” • 97% think the person preparing food in the home plays the biggest role • 62% say they would find it “very helpful” for restaurants to provide storage and reheating instructions for “doggy bag” items

5. Home Food Safety Common Foodborne Illnesses

6. Home Food Safety Infections and its Symptoms How does foodborne illness occur? • Contaminated foods carry microbes into the body • Some microbes can overcome the body’s defenses and cause infections What are its typical primary symptoms? • Nausea • Vomiting • Abdominal cramps • Diarrhea

7. Home Food Safety Who’s at Risk? Everyone is at risk. Groups with an increased risk include: • Young children • Pregnant women • Elderly men and women • Individuals with autoimmune disorders, liver disease or decreased stomach acidity • Alcoholics – because of possible liver damage/disease • Individuals with reduced immune function due to chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and those taking steroids or antibiotics to treat immune deficiencies • Individuals who are malnourished • Individuals with viruses • Individuals in institutionalized settings

8. Home Food Safety Risks You Can Control • Improper refrigeration and storage • Poor personal hygiene • Cross-contamination • Contaminated food sources • Undercooking • Other time and temperature mistakes

9. Home Food Safety Ensuring Food Safety at Home • Wash hands often • Wash produce before cutting, cooking or eating • Wash utensils and cutting boards after each use • Keep kitchen surfaces clean • Keep raw meat and ready-to-eat foods separate • Cook food to proper temperatures • Refrigerate food promptly to below 40°F • Pay close attention to use-by dates

10. Home Food Safety Wash Hands Often Effective handwashing may eliminate nearly half of all cases of foodborne illness • Use warm, soapy water • Wash front and back of hands, up to your wrists and under nails • Handwashing should last 20 seconds (or through two choruses of “Happy Birthday”) • Rinse thoroughly • Dry with a paper towel or clean cloth or air dry

11. Home Food Safety When to Wash Your Hands Before you: • Prepare food • Eat meals • Feed children After you: • Handle raw foods (including meats, eggs, and fresh fruits and vegetables) • Switch food-preparation tasks • Use the restroom • Change a diaper • Cough or sneeze • Handle garbage or dirty dishes • Touch a cigarette • Use the phone • Play with a pet • Touch a cut or sore

12. Home Food Safety Kitchen Surface Safety • Clean kitchen surfaces, appliances and tools with hot, soapy water • Wash dishcloths and towels in the washing machine hot cycle • Sanitize sponges in bleach solution • Replace sponges frequently • Do not use dish towels for multiple jobs

13. Home Food Safety Keep Raw Meat and Ready-to-Eat Foods Separate • What is cross-contamination? • Keep raw and ready-to-eat foods separate

14. Home Food Safety Prevent Cross-Contamination • Store raw meat on bottom shelf of refrigerator • Wash all produce, even pre-packaged/pre-washed • Store washed produce in clean container • Wash plates between uses or use separate plates • Use one utensil to taste and another to stir food • Use clean scissors to open bags • Wear disposable gloves if you have a cut or sore

15. Home Food Safety Use Cutting Boards Safely • Use two cutting boards – one for raw meat and one for ready-to-eat foods • Wash boards thoroughly in hot, soapy water or place in dishwasher • Rinse • After cutting raw meat, wash, rinse and sanitize boards • Discard boards with cracks, crevices or scars

16. Home Food Safety Cook to Proper Temperatures • Harmful bacteria are destroyed when food is cooked to proper temperatures • The only reliable way to determine “doneness” is with a meat thermometer • Wash the thermometer in hot, soapy water after each use

17. Home Food Safety Taking Food Temperatures • How to Use a Thermometer* • *Remember to wash thermometer thoroughly after each reading.

18. Home Food Safety Safe Cooking Temperatures Beef, Lamb and Veal *Remember to wash thermometer thoroughly after each reading.

19. Home Food Safety Safe Cooking Temperatures Poultry *Remember to wash thermometer thoroughly after each reading.

20. Home Food Safety Safe Cooking Temperatures Pork *Remember to wash thermometer thoroughly after each reading.

21. Home Food Safety Safe Cooking Temperatures Miscellaneous *Remember to wash thermometer thoroughly after each reading.

22. Home Food Safety Refrigerate Food Promptly to Below 40°F • 40°F or above is food “danger zone” • Refrigerate within two hours – one hour in hot weather (90°F and above) • Store food in shallow containers to ensure even cooling • Add ice to thick items (e.g., soup, chili, sauces) to speed up cooling process • Set refrigerator to below 40°F – use a refrigerator thermometer

23. Home Food Safety Recommended Storage Time for Leftovers Sources: USDA,1 FDA,2 FMI3; Sept. 2004

24. Home Food Safety Every Meal, Every Day • Wash hands often • Keep raw meats and ready-to-eat foods separate • Cook food to proper temperatures • Refrigerate food promptly to below 40°F

25. Home Food Safety Additional Resources and Training • ADA/ConAgra Foods Home Food Safety…It’s in Your Hands® • www.homefoodsafety.org • “Home Food Safety…It’s in Your Hands® 2002 Survey: Comparisons to the 1999 Benchmark JADA,” September 2003. • www.adajournal.org • ADA Center for Professional Development • www.eatright.org • Partnership for Food Safety Education, FightBAC! • www.fightbac.org • Safe Food for You and Your Family (The American Dietetic Association Nutrition Now Series)by Mildred McInnis Cody, American Dietetic Association • Food Safety for Professionals (Second Edition) by Mildred McInnis Cody, M. Elizabeth Kunkel