Food Safety & Storage

Beginning FoodsMrs. Moscinski

Microbes

• Another names for germs/bacteria

• Many are harmless and helpful

• Food Spoilers– Can be seen at work– Make food look and smell

bad

• Food Poisoners– Are invisible – Make you sick

Foodborne Illness

• Definition: a sickness caused by eating food that contains a harmful substance

• Caused by dangerous or harmful bacteria

E. Coli

• Common sources:– Raw or rare ground beef– Unwashed produced– Unpasteurized milk or

apple cider– Unchlorinated water

• Symptoms– Start about 7 days after

infected– Serve stomach cramps– Nausea or vomiting– Watery and bloody stools

Staphylococcus

• Common Sources:– Prepared foods left too long at

room temperature– Ex: meat, poultry, egg

products, mixtures such as tuna, chicken, egg and potato salad, cream-filled pastries

– Humans w/ infections (cut or cold)

• Symptoms – Starts 2-6 hours after infection– Headache– Vomiting– Diarrhea

Salmonella

• Common Sources:– Raw or undercooked poultry,

eggs, meat and seafood– Unpasteurized milk

• Symptoms:– Starts 12-36 hours after

infection– Headache– Vomiting– Diarrhea– Fever

Botulism

• Common Sources:– Improperly processed, home-

canned or commercially canned foods

– Look for cans with dents, leaking or milky liquids

• Symptoms:– Starts 12-48 hours after

infection– Slurred speech– Double-vision– Trouble breathing or swallowing – Droopy eyelids– Can be fatal

Bacterial Growth

• Conditions for Growth:– Warmth (40°-140°F)– Moisture– Food Source

• To Prevent Growth:– Heat – kills bacteria

(above 165°F) - cooking– Cold – slows growth

(below 40°F) – refrigerate – Freezing – stops growth

(below 0°F) – freezer

Food Safety

• Means keeping food safe to eat by following proper food handling and cooking practices – Keep yourself and you

kitchen clean– Don’t cross-contaminate – Cook food thoroughly – Refrigerate food

promptly

Personal Hygiene

• Wash hands vigorously for 20 seconds

• Keep a clean kitchen– Keep pets out of the

kitchen–Wash tops of cans

before opening– Change dishtowels

often

Don’t Cross-Contaminate

• Occurs when harmful bacteria spread from one food to another

• Have at least two cutting boards: one for meat, one for produce

• Plastic cutting boards are easier to wash, use for meat

• Discard cutting boards when they develop impossible to clean grooves

Cook Food Thoroughly

• Use a thermometer to test the internal temperature of a food– Temperature registered at

the thicket part of the food– Usually 160°F, but varies

with different foods

• Serving– Hot foods hot– Cold foods cold – Two-hour rule: don’t keep

food out for longer (1 hour in high heat)

Refrigerate Food Promptly• Refrigerate or freeze

food promptly, before brought to room temperature

• Throw out food that has been sitting out too long

• Never defrost food at room temperature – Place food in a container in

the refrigerator – Place in a water-tight

plastic bag and submerge in cold water, change water every 30 minutes