SEVEN SAFETY STEPS FOR SUCCESSFUL HOLIDAY OR COMMUNITY MEALS

Whether preparing food for a family reunion, holiday celebration, or community gathering, people who are great cooks at home don’t necessarily know how to safely prepare and store large quantities of food for large groups. Food that is mishandles can cause food-borne illness. However, by following some simple steps, volunteer cooks can make the event safe and successful!

1. Plan Ahead – Make sure the location meets your needs.
1. Be sure you have enough oven, stovetop, refrigerator, freezer and work space.
2. Find out if there’s a source of clean water. If not, bring water for preparation and cleaning.
2. Store & Prepare Food Safely
1. Refrigerate or freeze perishable food within 2-hours of shopping or preparing.
2. Find separate preparation areas in the work space for raw and cooked food.
3. Never place cooked food back on the same plate or cutting board that held raw food.
4. Wash hands, cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and work surfaces frequently with hot, soapy water.
3. Cook Food to Safe Internal Temperatures – It’s the only way to tell if harmful bacteria are destroyed
1. Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat, poultry, casseroles and other food. Check temperatures in several places to be sure food is safely cooked.
2. Never partially cook food for finishing later because you increase the risk of bacterial growth.
4. Transport Food Safely – Keep hot food HOT . Keep cold food COLD .
1. Keep cold food at or below 40*F. Place in a cooler with a cold source such as ice or commercial freezing gel (cold packs).
2. Keep hot food at or above 140*F. Wrap well and place in an insulated container.
5. Need to Reheat? – Food must be hot and steamy for serving. Just “warm up” is not good enough.
1. Use the stove, oven, or microwave to reheat food to 165*F. Bring sauces, soups and gravies to a boil.
6. Keep Food Out of the “Danger Zone” (40 –140*F)
1. Keep hot food hot – at above 140*F. Place cooked food in chafing dishes, pre-heated steam tables, warming trays, and/or slow cookers.
2. Keep cold food cold – at or below 40*F. Place food in containers on ice.
7. When In Doubt, Throw It Out!
1. Discard food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
2. Place leftovers in shallow containers. Refrigerate or freeze food immediately.

For more food safety information call the toll-free USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555 or visit www.fsis.usda.gov

For a copy of Cooking for Groups: A Volunteer’s Guide to Food Safety , write: FCIC, item #604H, Pueblo, CO 81009.

HIT THE ROAD!

When traveling with food, be aware that time, temperature, and a cold source are key. Here are some tips to help keep your travels cool!

	Keep frozen foods in the refrigerator or freezer until you are ready to go.
	Always use ice or cold packs and fill your cooler with food. A full cooler will maintain its cold temperature longer than one that is partially filled.
	When traveling, keep the cooler in the air-conditioned passenger compartment of your car, rather than in the hot trunk.
	If you’ve asked for a doggie bag to take home from a restaurant, it should be refrigerated within 2 hours of serving.

SERVE & PRESERVE

When serving cold food at a buffet, picnic or barbecue, keep these “chilling” tips in mind.

1. Cold foods should be kept at 40*F or colder.
2. Keep all perishable foods chilled right up until serving time.
3. Place containers of cold food on ice for serving to make sure they stay cold.
4. It’s particularly important to keep custards, cream pies, and cakes with whipped-cream or cream-cheese frostings refrigerated. Don’t serve them if refrigeration is not possible.

THE TOP 4 COOL RULES

1. The Chill Factor – Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared foods, and leftovers within 2 ours or less. Marinate foods in the refrigerator.
2. The Thaw Law – Never defrost food at room temperature. Thaw food in the refrigerator, under cold running water, in the microwave or as part of the cooking process.
3. Divide & Conquer – Separate large amounts of leftovers into small shallow containers for quicker cooling in the refrigerator.
4. Avoid the Pack Attack – Don’t over-stuff the refrigerator. Cold air must circulate the keep food safe.

Did you know?

23% of consumers’ refrigerators are not cold enough!

FRIG QUIZ!

Put your knowledge of proper refrigeration to the test.

1. Should hot food be placed directly in the refrigerator? YES or NO
2. Refrigeration prevents bacterial growth. TRUE or FALSE
3. At what temperature should you set your refrigerator? ______ *F

ANSWERS TO ‘FRIG QUIZ:

1. YES, but divide large quantities of food into shallows containers for quicker cooling.
2. FALSE. Refrigeration slows , but does not prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
3. 40*F to discourage the growth of food-borne bacteria. Use an appliance thermometer to check the internal temperature of your refrigerator regularly.

HOW LONG CAN YOU STORE FOOD IN A REFRIGERATOR ?

This list below is a general guideline for sage food storage in a home refrigerator

Raw Poultry 1 – 2 days

Cooked Poultry 3 – 4 days

Ground Poultry 1 – 2 days

All Ground Meat 1 – 2 days

All Chops, raw 3 – 5 days

All Roasts, raw 3 – 5 days

Luncheon Meats, opened 3 – 5 days

Deli sliced meats 3 – 5 days

Raw Fish 1 – 2 days

Raw Shrimp 1 – 2 days

Cooked Seafood 3 days

Luncheon Meats, unopened 2 weeks

Eggs, uncooked, in shell 3 weeks

Eggs, hard cooked, in shell 1 week

INTERNAL COOKING TEMPERATURES

The following temperatures are recommended for consumer cooking. They are not intended for processing, institutional, or foodservice preparation. Food Service Professionals should consult their local food code or health department.

INTERNAL COOKING TEMPERATURES

FOOD TEMPERATURE

Eggs Cook until yolk

And white are firm

Egg casseroles 160*F

Egg sauces, custards 160*F

Turkey, Chicken 165*F

Beef, Veal, Lamb, Pork 160*F

Medium Rare 145*F

Medium 160*F

Well Done 170*F

Medium 160*F

Well Done 170*F

Fresh (raw) 160*F

Fully cooked (to reheat) 140*F

Cooked commercially 140*F

Vacuum sealed, and

Ready-to-eat

Chicken, Turkey – whole 180*F

Chicken, Turkey – dark meat 180*F

Poultry – breast 170*F

Duck & Goose 180*F

Fin Fish Cook until opaque and

Flakes easily with a fork

Shrimp, Lobster, crab Should turn red and flesh

Should become pearly

Opaque

Scallops Should turn milky white or

Opaque and firm

Clams, mussels, oysters Cook until shells open

To find out more about HOLIDAY FOOD SAFETY tune into “PLANOWIRED” on Plano Television Network (Channels a-30 & B – 58) during the month of December.