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Learn how to keep your kitchen safe and prevent foodborne illness with these helpful tips on handling and storing perishable foods. Understand why it's crucial to refrigerate certain items promptly and follow proper thawing and cleaning procedures. Discover practical advice to maintain food safety, such as discarding leftovers after a week and handling fruits and veggies correctly. Keep your food fresh and your family healthy by following these essential food safety guidelines.
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FOOD: Keep or Let’s play ... Toss?
University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension in Lancaster County Alice Henneman MS, RD Joyce Jensen REHS, CP-FS Lincoln–Lancaster County Health Dept. Questions? Email ahenneman1@unl.edu Updated June, 2010.This is a peer-reviewed publication. Updated, June, 2010 2
Toss? Keep or Tacos left on the kitchen counter overnight
Why toss tacos left out overnight? Even if you reheat tacos left out overnight, some bacteria can form a heat-resistant toxin that cooking won’t destroy. Refrigerate perishable foods within 2 hours!
Toss? Keep or Meat thawedall day on the kitchen counter
As with the tacos, bacteria may have formed a heat-resistant toxin when the meat was left on the kitchen counter. Why toss meat thawed at room temperature?
Here’s how to thaw ... The best place to thaw frozen perishable foods — like frozen meat, poultry, seafood, vegetables, fruit, and cooked pasta and rice— is in the refrigerator! Make sure your refrigerator is 40°F or lower.
Here’s how to thaw ... Thaw packages of meat, poultry, and seafood on a plate on thebottom shelf ofthe refrigerator. This prevents their juices fromdripping on other foods.
Here’s how to thaw ... When thawing perishable food in the microwave, cook it immediately after thawing. Some areas of the food may start to cook during microwave thawingand become warm.
Why immediately cook foods thawed in the microwave? Any bacteria present would not have beendestroyed and may reach optimal temperaturesfor growth. 12
Toss? Keep or Cut or peeled fruits/vegetables left at room temperature for MORE than 2 hours
Why toss cut fruit left out longer than 2 hours? When fruit is peeled or cut, bacteria on the outside can be transferred to the inside. 15
Food safety tip Remember: Refrigerate cut/peeled fruits, veggies & other perishable foods within 2 hours! Here’s how fast bacteria can multiply...
Just 1 bacteria in foods can grow to 2,097,152 bacteria in 7 hours!
5 steps for cleaning fruits & veggies • Remove and discard outerleaves.
Cleaning fruits & veggies • Rinse under clean, running water just before preparing or eating. Don’t use soap or detergentas it can get into produce and make you sick. 19
Food safety tip Remember: Clean fruits with peels ― even when the peel is removed ― such as melons and citrus fruits! Bacteria from the outside can transfer to the inside.
Cleaning fruits & veggies • Rub briskly —scrubbing with a clean brush or hands — to clean the surface.
Cleaning fruits & veggies • Dry with a clean cloth or paper towel.
Why dry the fruits & veggies? Moisture left on fruits and vegetables helps bacteria grow. Dry them if you won’t eat or cook them right away.
Cleaning fruits & veggies • Cut away bruised and damagedareas.
Toss? Keep or Leftover pizza refrigeratedwithin 2 hours after it was cooked
Why is the pizza considered safe? If perishable foods have been at room temperature less than2 hours (1 hour in temperatures above 90°F), they should be safe. Refrigerate promptly; eat within 3 to 4 days.
Toss? Keep or Leftovers kept in the refrigerator for over a week
Why toss leftovers refrigerated over a week? Even refrigerated leftovers may become unsafe after 3 to 4 days.
Food safety tip You can’t alwaysseeorsmellortaste if a food is unsafe. You could get sicktastinga food!
Remember: Whenin doubt...
Resources used: • Alabama Cooperative Extension System. The Food Spoilers: Bacteria and Viruses. http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/H/HE-0654 (Accessed June 15, 2010). • USDA. Safe Food Handling – How Temperatures Affect Food. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/how_temperatures_affect_food/index.asp (Accessed June 15, 2010). • USDA. Safe Food Handling: The Big Thaw – Safe Defrosting Methods for Consumers. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/big_thaw/index.asp (Accessed June 15, 2010). • U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Produce Safety – Safe Handling of Raw Produce and Fresh-Squeezed Fruit and Vegetable Juices. http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm114299 (Accessed June 15, 2010). • Source of images: Microsoft Image and Media Library and USDA Food Safetyand Inspection Service Image Library.
Thank you to the following people for reviewing this slide set ... • Julie Albrecht, Ph.D, R.D. • Phil Rooney, Ph.D., CP-FS • Amy Peterson, M.S., R.D. • Cindy Brison, MS., R.D. • Nancy Urbanec, B.S. • Zainab Rida, M.S., R.D. • Amy Stalp, Dietetic Student • Vicki Jedlicka, Extension Media Assistant
Extension is a Division of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln cooperating with the Counties and the United States Department of Agriculture. University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension educational programs abide with the nondiscrimination policies of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture.
