10 Easy Ways To Protect Your Family From Food Poisoning

10 Easy Ways To Protect Your Family From Food Poisoning
Terry Nicholls

Do you realize the many ways that bacteria can contaminate the
food YOUR FAMILY eats? Do you know how to tell if your food is
THOROUGHLY cooked to keep YOUR family safe from Food Poisoning?
Do you know what to do if you or SOMEONE YOU LOVE gets Food
Poisoning?

When it comes to food preparation and storage, "Common Practices"
could be POISONING your family!

Here's how to avoid the problem entirely:

1. Plan For Safety

Make sure you have the right equipment, including cutting boards,
utensils, food thermometers, cookware, shallow containers for
storage, soap, and paper towels. Make sure you have a source of
clean water. Plan ahead to ensure that there will be adequate
storage space in the refrigerator and freezer.

2. Shop Smart

Prevention of food poisoning starts with your trip to the
supermarket. Pick up your packaged and canned foods first. Buy
cans and jars that look perfect. Do the cans have dents? Don't
buy canned goods that are dented, cracked, or bulging. These are
the warning signs that dangerous bacteria may be growing in the
can. Are the jars cracked? Do they have lids that are loose or
bulging? The food may have germs that can make you sick. Look for
any expiration dates on the labels and never buy outdated food.
Likewise, check the "use by" or "sell by" date on dairy products
such as cottage cheese, cream cheese, yogurt, and sour cream and
pick the ones that will stay fresh longest in your refrigerator.

3. Store Food Properly

After shopping, get home as soon as you can. Then put food into
the refrigerator or freezer right away. Make sure to set the
refrigerator temperature to 40� F and the freezer to 0� F. Check
temperatures with an appliance thermometer. Be sure to
refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared foods, and leftovers
within 2 hours of shopping or preparing. Place raw meat, poultry,
and seafood in containers in the refrigerator, to prevent their
juices from dripping on other foods. Raw juices may contain
harmful bacteria. Eggs always go in the refrigerator.

4. Prepare Food Safely

Wash hands and surfaces often. Bacteria can be spread throughout
the kitchen and get onto cutting boards, utensils and counter
tops. To prevent this, wash hands with soap and hot water before
and after handling food, and after using the bathroom, changing
diapers, or handling pets. Wash everything else before and after
it touches food. Use paper towels or clean cloths to wipe kitchen
surfaces or spills. Wash cloths before you use them again for
anything else. Use the hot cycle of your washing machine. Wash
cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and counter tops with hot,
soapy water after preparing each food item and before you go on
to the next item. A solution of 1 teaspoon of bleach in 1 quart
of water may be used to sanitize washed surfaces and utensils.

5. Cook Food Thoroughly

Cook food thoroughly until it is done. Cooked red meat looks
brown inside. Poke cooked chicken with a fork. The juices should
look clear, not pink. Dig a fork into cooked fish. The fish
should flake. Cooked egg whites and yolks are firm, not runny.
Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat,
poultry, casseroles and other food. Use a thermometer with a
small-diameter stem. Insert the thermometer 1 to 2 inches into
the center of the food and wait 30 seconds to ensure an accurate
measurement. Check temperature in several places to be sure the
food is evenly heated.

6. Chill Food Promptly

Place food in the refrigerator. Don't overfill the refrigerator.
Cool air must circulate to keep food safe. Divide food and place
in shallow containers. Slice roast beef or ham and layer in
containers in portions for service. Divide turkey into smaller
portions or slices & refrigerate. Remove stuffing from cavity
before refrigeration. Place soups or stews in shallow containers.
To cool quickly, place in ice water bath and stir. Cover and
label cooked foods. Include the preparation date on the label.

7. Transport Food Safely

Keep cold food cold. Place cold food in cooler with a cold source
such as ice or commercial freezing gels. Use plenty of ice or
commercial freezing gels. Cold food should be held at or below
40� F. Hot food should be kept hot, at or above 140� F. Wrap well
and place in an insulated container.

8. Reheat Food Correctly

Heat cooked, commercially vacuum-sealed, ready-to-eat foods, such
as hams and roasts, to 140� F. Foods that have been cooked ahead
& cooled should be reheated to at least 165� F. Reheat leftovers
thoroughly to at least 165� F. Reheat sauces, soups, and gravies
to a boil.

9. Serve Food The Safe Way

Use clean containers and utensils to store and serve food. When a
dish is empty or nearly empty, replace with fresh container of
food, removing the previous container. Place cold food in
containers on some ice. Hold cold foods at or below 40� F. Food
that will be portioned and served should be placed in a shallow
container. Place the container inside a deep pan filled partially
with ice to keep food cold. Once food is thoroughly heated on
stovetop, oven or in microwave oven, keep food hot by using a
heat source. Place food in chafing dishes, preheated steam
tables, warming trays and/or slow cookers. Check the temperature
frequently to be sure food stays at or above 140� F.

10. Complete Your Meal Experience Safely

Cooked foods should not be left standing on the table or kitchen
counter for more than 2 hours. Disease-causing bacteria grow in
temperatures between 40� F and 140� F. Cooked foods that have
been in this temperature range for more than 2 hours should not
be eaten. If a dish is to be served hot, get it from the stove to
the table as quickly as possible. Reheated foods should be
brought to a temperature of at least 165� F. Keep cold foods in
the refrigerator or on a bed of ice until serving. This rule is
particularly important to remember in the summer months.
Leftovers should be refrigerated as soon as possible. Meats
should be cut in slices of 3 inches or less and all foods should
be stored in small, shallow containers to hasten cooling. Be sure
to remove all the stuffing from roast turkey or chicken and store
it separately. Giblets should also be stored separately.
Leftovers should be used within 3 days. Discard any food left out
at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Copyright (c) Terry Nicholls. All Rights Reserved.
Terry Nicholls is the author of the eBook "Food Safety:
Protecting Your Family From Food Poisoning". For more tips like
this and to learn more about his book visit his site at
http://tinyurl.com/3fr2t