Food Safety At Home
Most people have some sort of fear around food, whether it’s preparing food, storage, or fear of foodborne illness. Top it off with the threat of COVID-19 transmissions, pesticides, chemicals, genetically engineered foods, and artificial ingredients, this can complicate things for the consumer about what is and isn’t safe. The reality is, that we live in a time where food safety practices are highly regulated and safe food is more accessible.
I notice this frequently in my 1:1 sessions where a client will say they don’t like to prepare raw poultry at home or they don’t feel comfortable or know how to store leftovers. This leads them to unfortunately make convenience food choices, but with a few safety tips, you will feel more comfortable preparing food and ensure you decrease the risk of contamination.
Here are 10 tips for food safety at home.
1) Allow Leftovers To Cool Before Storing
This is a common theme where people say they don’t trust leftovers, so they throw out the food or leave it sitting in the fridge and go for take-out or processed/packaged food for lunch instead.
The most important step for proper storage of leftovers is to not let them sit out at room temperature for no more than two hours. Anything beyond two hours allows for the growth of bacteria and so food should be discarded beyond that point.
Store food in small, shallow, air-tight containers, about 1-2” deep to allow food to cool properly before storing in the fridge. Avoid storing food in large, deep containers where the center of the food remains warm for a long time allowing for the growth of bacteria.
2) Know When Leftovers Will Expire
Another common concern with leftovers that people frequently ask is how long are leftovers safe to consume? A general rule for leftovers stored in the fridge is to eat them within three to four days. If you don’t plan to eat leftovers right away, consider freezing them. Leftovers can typically keep in the freezer for two to three months.
Try labeling leftovers you store in the freezer with the date so you know when it was stored and when you should discard them.
3) Know The 3 Methods To Thaw Food
Never thaw food on the countertop or at room temperature to avoid food falling into the temperate danger zone. The danger zone is between 40˚ F (4˚ C) and 140˚ F (60˚ C), and allows bacteria to multiply rapidly and cause foodborne illness.
Instead:
Thaw in the fridge. Place raw meat in a bowl or container so the juices don’t contaminate other foods in your fridge. This is more of a long-term method and you should plan for at least four to five hours per pound to thaw food this way.
Run under cold water or submerge in cold water. If you set the food in frozen water, plan to change the water every 30 minutes to avoid the food getting too warm. Remember - warmth allows for the growth of bacteria! If you do use this method, plan to cook the food immediately.
Thaw or defrost in the microwave. As with water submersion, plan to cook the food right away with this method. Follow the defrost instructions on your microwave to use this method.
4) Know The Food Temperature Danger Zone
Summer approaching means more picnics, cookouts, and beach days. With that comes perishable food sitting outside for long periods.
To ensure everyone has a fun and safe food experience, always remember to pack a thermometer. Check food to ensure it stays out of the danger zone, 40°F and 140°F - bacteria can double in number every 20 minutes when food is in the danger zone. Unfortunately, you can’t smell or taste when food goes into the danger zone, so that’s why it’s best to keep a thermometer handy to keep checking.
Pack an insulated cooler with ice or ice packs to transport food. Keep the cooler in the back seat of your air-conditioned car instead of the trunk to ensure the cooler stays below 40°F.
I like this cooler backpack for beach days or hiking. It makes it super simple to put all your food items in the cooler backpack for one person to carry, plus another backpack with drinks, games, and a blanket for another person - you're on your way to a fun day!
5) Don’t Let Food Sit Out Long
Have a graduation party? Baby shower? Fourth of July party? Make sure that food does not sit out more than two hours. Like your beach or picnic days, ensure you test both hot and cold food frequently to make sure they stay out of the temperature danger zone.
If it’s a super hot day, above 90°F, then food should sit out no more than one hour. When you’re having fun, and being a great host it’s easy to lose track of time. Set a timer on your phone to check food temperatures every 20 minutes and also a final timer to know when two hours are up and it’s time to put food away.
It’s not just meat that can grow bacteria, but any perishable foods, especially anything dairy-based like egg, tuna, or potato salads with mayo.
6) Avoid Cross-Contamination
If you’re having a big party or a day at the beach and won’t be able to wash tongs and serving utensils, bring or have two sets - one for handling raw meats and one for cooked meats. Using the same plate you initially had raw burger patty’s on to then serve cooked burgers is a huge no-no and can lead to foodborne illness.
Keep ready-to-serve foods like buns, fruit, clean utensils, and plates away from contaminated serving utensils. Whenever you have a BBQ or have a picnic, try to designate two separate areas. A prep area for raw/unprepared food and another for ready-to-serve foods and utensils. This eliminates any confusion or accidents with cross-contamination.
You can also use a color code system to make things easier. For example, you can have a green cutting board for meats and a red cutting board for fruits and veggies.
7) Frequently Clean High-Touch Surfaces
Keep a container of sanitizing wipes handy in the kitchen and frequently wipe down high-touch surfaces like countertops, door handles, appliances, and light switches.
You can involve the kids in this one and make it a habit to each grab a wipe after a fun time preparing food together and wipe down surfaces. It’s never too early to start educating your kids on food safety!
8) Know Internal Cooking Temperatures
Always check the internal temperature with a thermometer when cooking meat and poultry. I like this instant-read thermometer for meats and poultry.
Here is a guide for internal temperatures:
Beef, Pork, Veal & Lamb Steaks, chops, roasts - 145 °F
Ground Meats - 160 °F
Ground Poultry - 165 °F
Ham, fresh or smoked (uncooked) - 145 °F
All Poultry (breasts, whole bird, legs, thighs, wings, ground poultry, giblets, and stuffing) - 165 °F
Fish & Shellfish - 145 °F
Leftovers - 165 °F
9) Wash Your Hands
In a COVID world, we are now all ingrained to thoroughly wash our hands. But pre-COVID this was always the standard with food safety.
It’s important to wash your hands with warm, soapy water for 20 seconds in the following scenarios: handling food, using the bathroom, blowing your nose, coughing, sneezing, after handling uncooked eggs or raw meat, poultry, or fish and their juices.
This goes without saying for adults, but it’s good practice to start young with kids and get them used to proper kitchen hygiene around food. You can have them sing a favorite song while hand washing or practice counting to 20.
My toddler loves to take the opportunity to practice being “strong” and climb up on his tippy toes to reach the soap by himself. Whatever it takes to get kids in the habit of proper hygiene :)
10) Clean, Separate, Cook, Chill
Just remember these four steps, sort of like the stop, drop, and roll of food safety.
Clean - Wash hands, surfaces, and utensils often
Separate - Don’t cross-contaminate
Cook - Using the appropriate temperature
Chill - Refrigerate and freeze food appropriately
Remembering these food safety tips will ensure you have a fun and healthy summer!