Food Safety For Summer

Most of us are pretty familiar with basic food safety principles. We know that certain perishable foods need to be refrigerated or frozen. We know that if there is a date that is on the package, that we generally need to dispose of it when it goes “past their date”, and that, on the whole, fresher foods are “better” than those that have been around for awhile.
However, a lot of us stop there, and rely solely on the instructions found on the package, that say “refrigerate after opening” or “Shake well.” As we get closer to summer (read: “Picnic Season,” it might be time for a look toward some good, basic, food handling principles. As a food safety instructor for the National Restaurant Association, I could start talking about the different food borne illnesses and issues that you can get if your food is “abused”. Rather than turn this column into a full blown health class, suffice to say the physical impact of a food borne illness or infection on your body are unpleasant, and will result in you spending a lot of time by yourself (or holding your child’s hand if he/she is unlikely enough to be affected) with low quality reading material. With that knowledge firmly in hand, what can YOU do to be sure that food you are purchasing is safe, and how can you ensure that your picnic (or school) lunch won’t be susceptible to the bacteria and viruses that can make you sick?
Let’s start with your trip to the store. In general, you rely on your grocer to ensure that the food has been handled safely up to the point that you purchase it. Like restaurants, grocery stores undergo regular health and safety inspections by regulatory agencies to ensure compliance with basic food handling principles. However, there is always a chance for human or production error. Just this week, I bought a gallon of milk from my neighborhood grocer. The milk was well within its accepted date range (according to the stamp on the carton). However, when I opened it, it more closely resembled cottage cheese. Clearly, something had gone wrong at some point.
What are some things you can do, as a careful shopper? Without being too paranoid, there are some very basic things. First, check expiration dates. Sometimes things get missed. You don’t necessarily need to get the carton of milk from the back of the refrigerator, but as long as you are reasonably sure you will use the product before it “expires”, you will be fine. There are some schools of thought that say “you have seven days” after the date on the carton, but I’ll leave that to your judgment. Another thing to know is that all coolers and freezers are required to have a thermometer somewhere on the inside. Look for this thermometer. A refrigerator should always be below 41 degrees, by health department standard (so should your refrigerator at home). The thermometer should be in the warmest part of the unit (usually by the door). A target temperature for a freezer is 0 degrees, but has a little more wiggle room. These temperatures are important, because they slow the growth of dangerous bacteria.
Thinking of taking some hot food with you? Unless you can keep that food at least 135 degrees, you have a limited amount of time with which to serve it. The same holds true for catered events. Once a food enters the “Temperature Danger Zone” (below 135 degrees), it generally should be consumed or tossed within 4 hours, otherwise, you risk the possibility that any bacteria which might be present may have grown to dangerous levels.
If you send your kids to school with school lunches, get some thermal lunch bags, and remember to throw an ice pack or two in the bags to help the sandwiches maintain temperature a bit longer. Don’t rely on your kids to remember to keep the bag in the classroom, or even in the shade. Ice packs can be a bit pricey, but can be considerably less expensive if you buy in bulk. Search on the internet, and you’ll find several resellers who sell them by the case. It’s worth the investment.
As we get closer to another Loudoun County summer, we know that our temperatures will get higher, so cold food will approach that “danger zone” more rapidly. Whether you are a regular outdoor enthusiast, or an infrequent picnicker, consider getting a thermal container. This can be one of those large, temperature stable bags that you see at the grocery store, a large ice chest, or something in between. Ensure you have plenty of ice, and make sure the ice chest will close. Put your perishables in the container first, and then put your ice packs on top, to help keep cool. Remember, cold air descends, and hot air rises. If you will be trying to keep things warm, a large ice chest (without the ice, of course) will work, as will the thermal bags. Keep the lid closed (hot air will escape almost immediately), and consider heating your food a little more than you normally would if you are going to be eating later in the day. Finally, don’t take your food out of its container until you are ready to serve it. Keep it covered, and monitor the time it is “at risk”. If you get past 4 hours, you should really consider throwing it out.
Finally, a word for all you grilling enthusiasts. We all know that we should cook chicken until it isn’t pink in the middle (it should actually be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees, if you keep a $5 thermometer handy). However, many of us like our beef cooked to different degrees. Briefly, your ground meats (hamburger, etc) should be cooked to an internal temperature of 155 degrees. Translated into cooking terms, this is roughly medium well. Many folks like their meats (burgers and otherwise) a little pink in the middle, some prefer “bloody”. While this is widely considered to have better “flavor”, you should know that only an internal temperature of 155 (for ground meats, 145 for steaks, etc) is sufficient to kill any bacteria that may have developed, or reduce it to safe levels. Leaving it short of that temperature, technically, can be risky.
I encourage you to play it safe. Keep your cold food cold, your hot food hot, and cook your meats thoroughly. Enjoy your summer picnics, barbecues, and reunions, and make sure you don’t take home any “unintended memories”.

(This article was written by Curt Newport, and originally submitted for publication in The May 2009 edition of The First Word.)