030316 Food Safety for Your Family

You probably have lots of concerns about the foods you give to your child. Is it a nutritious meal? Will he eat it? Is there too much fat? But one thing that may not cross your mind as you're slicing and dicing in the kitchen is food safety.

Why is food safety important? And how can you be sure your kitchen and the foods you prepare in it are safe? Keep reading to find out.

Why Food Safety Is Important Proper food preparations are necessary to prevent the spread of bacteria, such as E. coli, and foodborne illnesses, such as salmonellosis, campylobacter infections , and listeriosis. These preparations include knowing how to select foods in the grocery store, how to store them in your kitchen, and how to clean your kitchen.

In the Grocery Store The grocery store is your first stop on the way to food safety. To ensure the freshness of your refrigerated items (meat, dairy, eggs, and fish, for example), put these in your cart last. If your drive home is longer than 1 hour, you might want to consider putting these items in a cooler to keep them fresh.

When purchasing packaged meat, poultry, or fish, be sure to check the expiration date on the label. Even if the expiration date is still acceptable, don't buy fish or meats that have any unusual odors or look strange. Ground beef should be red, not any shade of brown; a whole fish is fresh when its eyes are clear, not milky. In the refrigerator, put meat, poultry, and fish in separate plastic bags so that their juices do not get on your other foods. It's also important to check inside egg cartons. You should make sure the eggs, which should be grade A or AA, are clean and free from cracks.

Don't buy:

fruit with broken skin (bacteria can enter through the opening in the skin and contaminate the fruit)

unpasteurized ciders or juices (they can contain harmful bacteria)

prestuffed turkeys or chickens

In the Kitchen Before you put the groceries away, check the temperature of your refrigerator and freezer. Your refrigerator should be set for 40 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius), and your freezer should be set to 0 degrees Fahrenheit (-18 degrees Celsius) or lower. These chilly temperatures will help keep any bacteria in your foods from multiplying.

The first items you should put away are those that belong in the refrigerator and freezer. Keep eggs in the original carton on a shelf in your refrigerator (most refrigerator doors do not keep eggs cold enough).

Raw meat, poultry, or fish should be cooked or frozen within 2 days. Raw ground meats can be stored in the freezer for a maximum of 4 months; cooked meats can be frozen for a maximum of 3 months.

It's important to refrigerate any leftovers as soon as possible after cooking. If left to sit at room temperature, bacteria in the food will multiply quickly. To facilitate the cooling process, you might want to divide the leftovers into smaller containers. Also, remove stuffing from poultry after cooking and store separately in the refrigerator. Consume leftovers within 3 to 5 days or throw them out.

Follow these handling and cooking guidelines to prevent foodborne illness in your family:

* thaw meat, poultry, and fish in the refrigerator or microwave, never at room temperature

* cook thawed meat, poultry, and fish immediately

* throw away any leftover uncooked meat, poultry, or fish marinades

* cook meat until the center is no longer pink and the juices run clear

* cook crumbled ground beef or poultry until it's no longer pink

* use a meat thermometer to tell whether meats are cooked thoroughly - most thermometers indicate at which temperature the type of meat is safely cooked, or you can refer to the recommendations below (place thermometer in the thickest portion of the meat and away from bones or fat)

* scrub all fruits and vegetables with plain water to remove any pesticide residue or dirt

* remove the outer leaves of leafy greens, such as spinach or lettuce

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