Safe Food Handling
Table of Contents 1. Importance of Food Safety 2. Food-borne Illness 3. Food Safety a) Purchasing Food b) Storing Food c) Preparing Food d) Cooking Food 4. Safe Internal Cooking Temperatures 5. Keeping Hot Food Hot and Cold Food Cold 6. Microwaves 7. Leftovers 8. Prevention and Control 9. Conclusion
The Importance of Food Safety As you will see, there are many things that you need to know to keep food safe. The responsibility for safe food belongs to everyone. Whether you are cooking for yourself, family & friends or with the people you support it is important to be aware of food safety to ensure that food-borne illnesses are avoided whenever possible.
Food-borne Illness Some people can get foodborne illness, also known as "food poisoning", and not even know they have it. Food poisoning is caused by eating foods that are contaminated. Symptoms can include: vomiting nausea stomach cramps diarrhea headache constipation persistent fever These symptoms can start suddenly, several hours or even days after you eat contaminated food. Most people recover completely from foodborne illness, but on rare occasions some people may suffer more serious effects. The groups at higher risk for serious health effects include pregnant women children under the age of 5, adults over the age of 60, and people with weakened immune systems.
Food-borne Illness The most recent average yearly estimates for food-borne illness due to known and unknown causes are: 30 food-borne bacteria, parasites and viruses: 1.6 million illnesses (40% of food-borne illnesses) 4,000 hospitalizations (34% of food-borne hospitalizations) 105 deaths (44% of food-borne deaths) unknown causes: 2.4 million illnesses (60%) 7,600 hospitalizations (66%) 133 deaths (56%) This means that every year, a total of about 4 million (1 in 8) Canadians are affected by a food-borne illness. Of these, there are about: 11,600 hospitalizations 238 deaths Source: http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/
Food-borne Illness In providing you with information to avoid any food-borne illness, there are a few things that will be covered within this module: Food Safety while purchasing, storing, preparing and cooking food; Knowing Safe Internal Food Temperatures while cooking food; Knowing how to Keep Hot Food Hot and Cold Food Cold; Properly cooking and reheating food in Microwaves; Storing and reheating Leftovers; and General Prevention and Control.
Food Safety Purchasing Food Tips: Buy cold or frozen food at the end of your shopping trip. Check the "best before" date on your food. Keep your raw meat, poultry, fish and seafood away from other food in your grocery cart. Examine fruits and vegetables carefully and avoid buying items that are bruised or damaged. If you use reusable grocery bags or bins, make sure to use a specific bag or bin for meat, poultry or seafood. Label the bag or bin with the type of food it carries. Click here for an interactive guide on safe food handling at the grocery store.
Food Safety Storing Food Tips: Label food. Check expiration dates. Keep out of the temperature Danger Zone (5 o C-60 o C). Store food in designated storage areas. Keep all storage areas clean and dry. For more information on how long we should store food, click here for a detailed Food Storage Chart.
Food Safety Preparing Food Tips: Proper Thawing Refrigerate at 41 F or lower. Under running water at 70 F or lower. In a microwave if the food will be cooked immediately. Meat, Fish, Poultry Use clean and sanitized work areas and equipment. Wash hands properly. Remove from refrigerator only as much as you can prepare at one time. Return raw prepared meat to refrigerator, or cook it immediately. Promptly clean and sanitize all equipment and utensils.
Food Safety Preparing Food Tips cont d: Produce Ice Do not expose to raw meat and poultry. Wash thoroughly under running water. When soaking, do not mix with other items. Ice must be made from drinking water. Ice used to chill should not be used as an ingredient. Use a clean, sanitized container and ice scoop.
Preparing Food Tips cont d: Food Safety Cleaning Your Tools and Kitchen Surfaces Cleaning anything that comes into contact with food will help eliminate bacteria and reduce the risk of food-related illness. This includes your hands, kitchen surfaces, utensils, fruit and vegetables and reusable grocery bags. Wash your hands. Use an alcohol-based hand rub if soap and water are not available. Separate your cutting boards. Use one board for produce and another for raw meat, poultry, fish and seafood. Plate or utensils used to handle raw food should be washed thoroughly with soap before reuse. Use paper towels to wipe kitchen surfaces. Otherwise, change dishcloths daily to avoid the risk of cross-contamination and the spread of bacteria.
Preparing Food Tips cont d: Food Safety Cleaning Your Tools and Kitchen Surfaces Avoid using sponges, as they are harder to keep bacteria-free. Sanitize countertops, cutting boards and utensils before and after preparing food. Use a kitchen sanitizer (as directed) or a bleach solution (5 millilitres, or ml, bleach to 750 ml of water). Rinse all items carefully with water. Wash your reusable grocery bags frequently. Cleaning Your food Wash your fresh fruit and vegetables with clean water before use. Use a vegetable brush on produce that have a firm skin (examples: carrots and melons). Do not use soap to wash your produce. Wash your produce under running water instead of soaking it in the sink. Bacteria in the sink could be transferred to your food.
Food Safety Cooking Food Tips: Thorough cooking is one of the best ways to kill bacteria that may be present in food. Bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria are killed by heat. Cook food completely, using a clean thermometer to measure the temperature. See Health Canada's safe internal cooking temperatures to learn the proper way of taking measurements and to make sure that the food has been cooked to a safe internal temperature. Before cooking fruit or vegetables, cut away any bruised or damaged areas, since harmful bacteria can thrive in these areas. Make sure that cooked foods don't come into contact with any food that hasn't been cooked. Keep hot foods at or above 60 o C (140 F). Bacteria can grow quickly in the danger zone between 5 C to 60 C (40 F to 140 F).
Safe Internal Cooking Temperatures Did you know? Colour does not always tell you if your food is safe to eat. Always follow internal cooking temperatures to be safe! Since harmful contaminants can't be seen, smelled or tasted, it's important that you cook your food to a safe internal cooking temperature to avoid food poisoning. Protect your yourself by using a food thermometer. Checking the temperature of your cooked meat, poultry, and seafood with a food thermometer is the only reliable way to make sure your food has reached a safe internal cooking temperature. Safe internal cooking temperatures vary for different types of foods, so it's important that you know what internal temperature your food needs to reach to be safe to eat.
Safe Internal Cooking Temperatures Here are a few tips to follow when checking to see if your food has reached the necessary safe internal cooking temperature: Remove your food from the heat and insert the digital food thermometer through the thickest part of the meat, all the way to the middle. Make sure that the thermometer is not touching any bones, since they heat up more quickly than the meat and could give you a false reading. If you have more than one piece of meat, poultry or seafood, be sure to check each piece separately, as temperatures may differ in each piece. For hamburgers, insert the digital food thermometer through the side of the patty, all the way to the middle. Oven-safe meat thermometers designed for testing whole poultry and roasts during cooking are not suitable for testing beef patties.
Safe Internal Cooking Temperatures Click here for a fully detailed chart on Safe Internal Cooking Temperatures. Each support location should also have a similar resource on internal cooking temperatures provided by the Windsor-Essex Health Unit. If your support location does not have this resource, please connect with your Manager.
Keeping Hot Food Hot and Cold Food Cold Bacteria die Avoid keeping food in the temperature Danger Zone of 5 C - 60 C Bacteria grow Bacteria stop growing 17.
Keeping Hot Food Hot and Cold Food Cold Bacteria continue to multiply to an unsafe level when food is in the Danger Zone (5 C - 60 C)
Keeping Hot Food Hot and Cold Food Cold Keeping Hot Food Hot We need to: Keep cooked food at 60 C or above until served; Refrigerate or freeze food that is to be prepared well in advance and reheat until steaming hot before serving; and Cook or reheat packaged food strictly in accordance with any directions on the label.
Keeping Hot Food Hot and Cold Food Cold Keeping Cold Food Cold We need to: Take cold groceries home to the refrigerator quickly as possible; Keep chilled and frozen food cold if it will be a long time before it can be placed in a refrigerator or freezer; Store cold food at 5 C or less; Keep cold food in the refrigerator as much as possible; Thaw frozen food in the refrigerator or microwave; Store and handle cold food according to any directions on the label; and Check the temperature of the refrigerator regularly.
Microwaves Using a microwave to defrost, cook, and reheat food is convenient and makes our day-to-day lives a lot easier. Still, it's important to remember that food poisoning can occur because of unsafe microwave cooking practices or improper food handling techniques. The following microwave cooking tips will help you prevent food poisoning: Defrosting Food In The Microwave Use only containers, lids, and wraps that are microwave-safe. Remove food from any packaging that isn't microwaveable (ex. Styrofoam trays or some plastic containers) before heating. This type of packaging could melt or warp, potentially causing harmful chemicals to leach into food. Defrost food completely before cooking it in a microwave. Having frozen and thawed portions in the same food can lead to uneven cooking. Cook food immediately after defrosting.
Microwaves Cooking Food In The Microwave Because microwaves can cook food unevenly, always use a digital food thermometer to check the internal temperature. General Instructions Cover food with a microwave-safe lid or plastic wrap that does not touch the food. Covering food in the microwave will help cook it evenly and thoroughly. Leave a small gap so that steam can escape. Cut food into small pieces. Smaller pieces cook more evenly. Arrange food items in a single layer on microwave-safe cookware for uniform cooking. Follow your recipe or instructions on the food's packaging. Adjust cooking times based on the power of your microwave. Food will take longer to reach a safe internal temperature in a lower-powered microwave.
Microwaves Cooking Food In The Microwave cont d Rotate and stir food several times during cooking to ensure that the heat is distributed evenly. Observe standing times for microwaved food after cooking. Standing times complete the cooking and allow for better heat distribution within the food. Debone larger pieces of meat and poultry since bones can cause uneven heating. Place thicker portions of meat and poultry around the outside of the dish. Turn the pieces at least once during cooking. Cook larger pieces of meat at 50% power for a longer period of time. This allows more time to heat the meat without overcooking it. Never partially cook meat, poultry, or seafood in the microwave. If you are using the microwave to defrost, immediately cook the food by using another cooking method such as a grill, an oven, or a stovetop.
Leftovers Many people enjoy eating leftovers from holiday festivities, family gatherings or from dining out. However, leftovers need to be properly handled. Here are some basic food safety tips to help keep leftovers safe. Handling Leftovers Before and after handling leftovers, wash your hands with hot soapy water, as well as all utensils, dishes and work surfaces. Keep foods out of the danger zone, between 5 C (40 F) and 60 C (140 F) to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. Throw away any cooked food left out at room temperature for more than two hours. Never rely on your nose, eyes or taste buds to judge the safety of food. You cannot tell if food is contaminated by its look, smell or taste. When in doubt, throw it out!
Leftovers Cooling Leftovers Refrigerate all leftovers promptly in uncovered, shallow containers so they cool quickly. Very hot items can first be cooled at room temperature. Refrigerate once steaming stops. Leave the lid off or wrap loosely until the food is cooled to refrigeration temperature. Avoid overstocking the refrigerator to allow cool air to circulate freely.
Leftovers Storing Leftovers Always use a clean container to hold the leftovers, or wrap the leftovers in leakproof plastic bags to prevent cross-contamination. Keep different types of leftovers separate. Eat refrigerated leftovers within 2 to 3 days, or freeze them for later use. Date leftovers to help identify the contents and to ensure they are not stored too long.
Leftovers Defrosting Leftovers Thaw frozen leftovers in the refrigerator or in the microwave. Ensure food is properly sealed. Use the defrost setting of your microwave and make sure leftovers are completely defrosted before reheating. If thawing leftovers in refrigerator, place the container or platter on the bottom shelf to avoid leakage on other foods during thawing. Consume or cook the leftovers immediately after they have thawed. Don't re-freeze foods that you've defrosted in the microwave!
Leftovers Reheating Leftovers Reheat leftovers to a safe internal temperature of 74ºC (165ºF). Use a digital food thermometer to check the temperature. Bring gravies, soups and sauces to a full, rolling boil and stir during the process. Discard uneaten leftovers after they have been reheated. If reheating in a microwave, use only containers and plastic wrap designed for use in the microwave. Loosen the lid or wrap to allow steam to escape. Stop the microwave midway through reheating and stir the food so that the heat is evenly distributed. Rotate the plate several times during cooking if your microwave does not have a rotating tray.
Tips: Prevention and Control You should always wash your hands with warm, soapy water for 15 seconds before and after you touch raw meat, poultry, fish, and seafood, and after using the washroom, handling pets or providing personal care. If you've used a plate or utensils to handle raw food, don't use them again until you've washed them thoroughly in the dishwasher or in warm, soapy water. Use one cutting board for produce, and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, fish, and seafood. Sanitize countertops, cutting boards, and utensils before and after preparing food.
Prevention and Control Use paper towels to wipe kitchen surfaces, or change dishcloths daily to avoid the risk of crosscontamination and the spread of bacteria. Avoid using sponges, as they are harder to keep bacteria-free. Clean your digital food thermometer in warm, soapy water between every temperature reading to avoid spreading bacteria. It is important to keep cold food cold and hot food hot, so that your food never reaches the "temperature danger zone" where bacteria can grow quickly and cause food poisoning. Remember to follow safe food handling practices when you shop for, separate, clean, chill, store, and cook foods.
Conclusion For further information, please click here to access the Government of Canada s Tips for Food Safety. If you have any questions or concerns about the information found within this module, please contact your Manager.