A Quick Consumer Guide to Safe Food Handling

HE-502 (Revised) May 1996
Adapted by Pat Beck, NDSU Extension Service

This booklet tells you what to do at each step in food handling — from shopping through storing leftovers — to avoid food poisoning.

Never had food poisoning? Actually, it's called foodborne illness. Perhaps you have, but thought you were sick with the flu. Some 7 million Americans will suffer from foodborne illness this year.

Why? Because at the right temperature, bacteria you can't see, smell or taste can multiply to the millions in a few short hours. In large numbers, they cause illness.

It doesn't have to happen, though. Some 85 percent of cases could be avoided if people just handled food properly. So here's what to do . . .

When You Shop

Buy cold food last, get it home fast

• When you're out, shop for groceries last. Take food straight home to the refrigerator. Never leave food in a hot car!
• Don't buy anything you won't use before the use-by date.
• Don't buy food in poor condition. Make sure refrigerated food is cold to the touch. Frozen food should be rock-solid. Canned goods should be free of dents, cracks or bulging lids which can indicate a serious food poisoning threat.

When You Store Food

Keep it safe, refrigerate

Check the temperature of your refrigerator with an appliance thermometer available at a variety or hardware store. To keep bacteria in check, the refrigerator should run at 40^o F; the freezer unit at 0^o F. Generally, keep your refrigerator as cold as possible without freezing your milk or lettuce.

• Freeze fresh meat, poultry or fish immediately if you can't use it within a few days.
• Put packages of raw meat, poultry or fish on a plate before refrigerating so their juices won't drip on other food. Raw juices often contain bacteria.

When You Prepare Food

Keep everything clean, Thaw in refrigerator

• Wash hands in hot soapy water before preparing food and after using the bathroom, changing diapers and handling pets.
• Harmful bacteria multiply quickly in kitchen towels, sponges and cloths. Wash cloth items often in hot-cycle in your machine. Consider using paper towels to clean up meat and poultry juices. Avoid sponges or place them in the dish-washer daily to kill bacteria.
• Keep raw meat, poultry and fish and their juices away from other food for instance, wash your hands, cutting board and knife in hot soapy water after cutting up the chicken and before dicing salad ingredients. Also wash sink and kitchen faucet handles the raw meat or your "meat-covered" hands have touched with hot soapy water.
• Use plastic or other non-porous cutting boards rather than wooden ones. These boards should be run through the dishwasher after use.
• What about antibacterial sanitizers in the kitchen? Food handling experts feel hot soapy water used properly should protect you adequately against foodborne bacteria. However, kitchen sanitizers (including a mixture of bleach and water) can provide some added protection. NOTE: Sanitizer product directions must be followed carefully as products differ greatly.
• Thaw food in the microwave or refrigerator, NOT on the kitchen counter. The danger? Bacteria can grow in the outer layers of the food before the inside thaws. Marinate in the refrigerator too.

When You're Cooking

Cook thoroughly

It takes thorough cooking to kill harmful bacteria, so you're taking chances when you eat meat, poultry, fish or eggs that are raw or only partly cooked. Plus, hamburger that is red in the middle, rare and medium-rare steak and roast beef are also undercooked from the safety standpoint.

• Generally, cook red meat to 160� F. Cook poultry to 180� F. Use a meat thermometer to check that it's cooked all the way through.
• To check visually, red meat is done when it's brown or grey inside and there is no trace of pink, red or cloudiness in the juices; ground beef is brown in the center; and cooked meat has a firm or flaky texture. Poultry juices run clear. Fish flakes with a fork.
• Ground meat, where bacteria can spread throughout the meat during processing, should be cooked to at least 160� F. This means there is no trace of pink, red or cloudiness in the juices; ground beef is brown in the center; and cooked meat has a firm or flaky texture. You can allow large cuts like roasts to stay slightly pink in the center as long as they've reached at least 145� F (medium-rare). Do not serve any cut at this low temperature if you have scored (cut or poked with a fork) or tenderized it before cooking, thus forcing surface bacteria into the center.
• Salmonella, a bacteria that causes food poisoning, can grow inside fresh, unbroken eggs. So cook eggs until the yolk and white are firm, not runny. Scramble eggs to a firm texture. Don't use recipes in which eggs remain raw or only partially cooked.

Safe Microwaving

A great timesaver, the microwave has one food safety disadvantage. It sometimes leaves cold spots in food. Bacteria can survive in these spots. So . . .

• Cover food with a lid or plastic wrap so steam can aid thorough cooking. Vent the wrapping by slitting it or by turning back a corner, and make sure the wrapping doesn't touch the food.
• Stir and rotate your food for even cooking. No turntable? Rotate the dish by hand once or twice during cooking.
• Observe the standing time called for in a recipe or package directions. During the standing time, food finishes cooking.
• Use the oven temperature probe or a meat thermometer to check that food is done. Insert it at several spots.

When You Serve Food

Never leave it out over 2 hours

• Use clean dishes and utensils to serve food, not those used in preparation. Serve grilled food on a clean plate too, not one that held raw meat, poultry or fish.
• Never leave perishable food out of the refrigerator over 2 hours! Bacteria that can cause food poisoning grow quickly at warm temperatures.
• Pack lunches in insulated carriers with a cold pack. Caution children never to leave lunches in direct sun or on a warm radiator.
• Carry picnic food in a cooler with a cold pack. When possible, put the cooler in the shade. Keep the lid on as much as you can.
• Party time? Keep cold party food on ice or serve it throughout the gathering from platters from the refrigerator.

Likewise, divide hot party food into smaller serving platters. Keep platters refrigerated until time to warm them up for serving.

When You Handle Leftovers

Use small containers for quick cooling

• Divide large amounts of leftovers into small, shallow containers for quick cooling in the refrigerator. Don't pack the refrigerator — cool air must circulate to keep food safe.
• With poultry or other stuffed meats, remove stuffing and refrigerate in separate containers.

Reheating

• Bring sauces, soups and gravy to a boil. Heat other leftovers thoroughly to 165^o F.
• Microwave leftovers using a lid or vented plastic wrap for thorough heating.

Kept it too long?

When in doubt, throw it out

Safe refrigerator and freezer storage time limits are given for many common foods in the "Cold Storage" table inside this booklet. But what about something you totally forgot about and may have kept too long?

• Danger — never taste food that looks or smells strange to see if you can still use it. Just discard it.
• Is it Moldy? The mold you see is only the tip of the iceberg. The poisons molds can form are found under the surface of the food. So, while you can sometimes save hard cheese, salamis and firm fruits and vegetables by cutting the mold out, you must also remove a large area around the mold. Most moldy food should be discarded.

Cooking Temeratures

Product                      Fahrenheit
--------------------------------------------
Eggs & Egg Dishes               
  Eggs                     Cook until yolk
                          & white are firm
  Egg dishes                     160
--------------------------------------------
Ground Meat & Meat Mixtures     
  Turkey, chicken                165
  Veal, beef, lamb, pork         160 
--------------------------------------------
Fresh Beef    
  Medium Rare                    145 
  Medium                         160 
  Well Done                      170 
--------------------------------------------
Fresh Veal 
  Medium Rare                    145 
  Medium                         160 
  Well Done                      170 
--------------------------------------------
Fresh Lamb 
  Medium Rare                    145 
  Medium                         160 
  Well Done                      170 
--------------------------------------------
Fresh Pork  
  Medium                         160 
  Well Done                      170 
--------------------------------------------
Poultry         
  Chicken, whole                 180 
  Turkey, whole                  180 
  Poultry breasts, roasts        170 
  Poultry thighs, wings       Cook until
                                juices 
                              run clear
  Stuffing               
   (cooked alone or in bird)     165 
  Duck & Goose                   180 
--------------------------------------------
Ham                        
  Fresh (raw)                    160 
  Pre-cooked (to reheat)         140
--------------------------------------------

Cold Storage

These SHORT but safe time limits will help keep refrigerated food from spoiling or becoming dangerous to eat. These time limits will keep frozen food at top quality.

Product                Refrigerator (40o F)     Freezer (0o F) 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Eggs
  Fresh, in shell            3 weeks             Don't freeze 
  Raw yolks, whites          2-4 days            1 year 
  Hardcooked                 1 week              Don't freeze well 
  Liquid pasteurized eggs
    or egg substitutes,
    opened                   3 days              Don't freeze 
    unopened                 10 days             1 year 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Mayonnaise, commercial
  Refrigerate after opening  2 months            Don't freeze 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
TV Dinners, Frozen Casseroles 
  Keep frozen until
  ready to serve                                 3-4 months 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Deli & Vacuum-Packed Products 
  Store-prepared
    (or homemade) egg,
    chicken, tuna, ham,
    macaroni salads           3-5 days           Don't freeze well
  Pre-stuffed pork & lamb
    chops, chicken breasts
    stuffed with dressing     1 day              Don't freeze well
  Store-cooked convenience
    meals                     1-2 days           Don't freeze well
  Commercial brand vacuum-
    packed dinners with USDA
    seal                      2 weeks, unopened  Don't freeze well
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Soups & Stews              
  Vegetable or meat-added     3-4 days           2-3 months 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Hamburger, Ground & Stew Meats 
  Hamburger & stew meats      1-2 days           3-4 months 
  Ground turkey, veal, pork,
    lamb & mixtures of them   1-2 days           3-4 months 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Hotdogs & Lunch Meats    
  Hotdogs, opened package     1 week 
    unopened package          2 weeks            In freezer wrap, 
  Lunch meats, opened         3-5 days           1-2 months 
    unopened                  2 weeks 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bacon & Sausage 
  Bacon                       7 days             1 month 
  Sausage, raw from pork,
    beef, turkey              1-2 days           1-2 months 
  Smoked breakfast links,
    patties                   7 days             1-2 months 
  Hard sausage -
    pepperoni, jerky sticks   2-3 weeks          1-2 months 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ham, Corned Beef 
  Corned beef                                    Drained, wrapped 
    In pouch with pickling 
    juices                    5-7 days           1 month 
  Ham, canned 
    Label says keep
    refrigerated              6-9 months         Don't freeze 
  Ham, fully cooked - whole   7 days             1-2 months 
  Ham, fully cooked - half    3-5 days           1-2 months 
  Ham, fully cooked - slices  3-4 days           1-2 months 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Fresh Meat                  
  Steaks, beef                3-5 days           6-12 months 
  Chops, pork                 3-5 days           4-6 months 
  Chops, lamb                 3-5 days           6-9 months 
  Roasts, beef                3-5 days           6-12 months 
  Roasts, lamb                3-5 days           6-9 months 
  Roasts, pork & veal         3-5 days           4-6 months 
  Variety meats -            
    Tongue, brain,         
    kidneys, liver, heart,
    chitterlings              1-2 days           3-4 months 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Meat Leftovers               
  Cooked meat and        
    meat dishes               3-4 days           2-3 months 
  Gravy and meat broth        1-2 days           2-3 months 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Fresh Poultry             
  Chicken or turkey, whole    1-2 days           1 year 
  Chicken or turkey pieces    1-2 days           9 months 
  Giblets                     1-2 days           3-4 months 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Cooked Poultry, Leftover       
  Fried chicken               3-4 days           4 months 
  Cooked poultry dishes       3-4 days           4-6 months 
  Pieces, plain               3-4 days           4 months
  Pieces covered with         
    broth, gravy              1-2 days           6 months 
  Chicken nuggets, patties    1-2 days           1-3 months
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Power's Out

Your freezer

Without power, a full upright or chest freezer will keep everything frozen for about 2 days. A half-full freezer will keep food frozen 1 day.

If power will be coming back on fairly soon, you can make the food last longer by keeping the door shut as much as possible.

If power will be off for an extended period, take food to friends' freezers, locate a commercial freezer or use dry ice.

Your refrigerator-freezer combination

Without power, the refrigerator section will keep food cool for 4-6 hours depending on the kitchen temperature.

A full, well-functioning freezer unit should keep food frozen for 2 days. A half-full freezer unit should keep things frozen about 1 day.

Block ice can keep food on the refrigerator shelves cooler. Dry ice can be added to the freezer unit. Don't touch dry ice or breathe the fumes; follow handling directions carefully.

Thawed food?

Food still containing ice crystals or that feels refrigerator-cold can be refrozen.

Discard any thawed food that has risen to room temperature and remained there 2 hours or more. Immediately discard anything with a strange color or odor.

Is it Food Poisoning?

If you or a family member develop nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever or cramps, you could have food poisoning. Unfortunately, it's not always easy to tell since, depending on the illness, symptoms can appear anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 weeks after someone has eaten bad food. Most often, though, people get sick within 4 to 48 hours.

In more serious cases, food poisoning victims may have nervous system problems like paralysis, double vision or trouble swallowing or breathing.

If symptoms are severe or the victim is very young, old, pregnant or already ill, call a doctor or go to the hospital right away.

When to report foodborne illness

You or your physician should report serious cases of foodborne illness to the local health department.

Report any food poisoning incidents if the food involved came from a restaurant or commercial outlet.

Give a detailed, but short account of the incident. If the food is a commercial product, have it in hand so you can describe it over the phone.

If you're asked to keep the food refrigerated so officials can examine it later, follow directions carefully.

For more information on food handling, call USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-800-535-4555 10-4 weekdays Eastern Time

How this booklet was developed. USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service asked food scientists to analyze consumer handling of food in the home using a HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) approach. This booklet, the result of that effort, guides you past those critical points in everyday food handling where experts say making the "wrong" move could lead to foodborne illness.

Home and Garden Bulletin No. 248 U.S. Department of Agriculture
September 1990 Food Safety and Inspection Service
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1991-301-703

Adaptation by Pat Beck, NDSU Extension Service

HE-502 (Revised) May 1996