Let's Talk Turkey

SAFE THAWING

Turkeys must be kept at a safe temperature during the thawing process. While frozen, a turkey is safe indefinitely. However, as soon as it begins to thaw, any bacteria that may have been present before freezing can begin to grow again.

A package of frozen meat or poultry left thawing on the counter more than 2 hours is not at a safe temperature. Even though the center of the package may still be frozen, the outer layer of the food is in the "Danger Zone" between 41°F and 135°F — at a temperature where foodborne bacteria multiply rapidly.

There are three safe ways to thaw food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave oven.

Refrigerator Thawing

Plan ahead: allow approximately 24 hours for each four to five pounds in a refrigerator set at 41°F or below. Place the turkey in a container to prevent the juices from dripping on other foods.

Cold Water Thawing

Allow about 30 minutes per pound.

First be sure the turkey is in a leak-proof plastic bag to prevent cross-contamination and to prevent the turkey from absorbing water, resulting in a watery product.

Set the wrapped turkey under a steady stream of cold tap water 70°F, until thawed. Cook the turkey immediately after it is thawed.

Microwave Thawing

Follow the microwave oven manufacturer's instruction when defrosting a turkey. Plan to cook it immediately after thawing because some areas of the food may become warm and begin to cook during microwaving. Holding partially cooked food is not recommended because any bacteria present wouldn't have been destroyed.

A turkey thawed in the microwave must be cooked immediately.

SAFE STUFFING

Regionally in the U.S., it's called by various names: stuffing, filling, or dressing. The ingredients used in stuffing are often regional as well. Usually based on a bread mixture, other ingredients such as grains, pasta, fruits, vegetables, shellfish, sausage, giblets, and nuts are also used. The stuffing is then spooned into the cavity of whole poultry or a pocket cut into a solid piece of meat, or spread on a flat piece of meat and then rolled. Because stuffing is an excellent medium for bacterial growth, it's important to handle it safely and cook it to a safe minimum internal temperature as measured with a food thermometer. Here are some common questions consumers ask.

How do you safely prepare stuffing?

Stuffing should not be prepared ahead. The dry and wet ingredients for stuffing can be prepared ahead of time and chilled. However, do not mix wet and dry ingredients until just before spooning the stuffing mixture into a poultry cavity, in/on other meat, or into a casserole. If stuffing a whole turkey, chicken, or other bird, spoon the stuffing in loosely - about 3/4 cup of stuffing per pound. The stuffing should be moist, not dry, because heat destroys bacteria more rapidly in a moist environment.

How do you safely cook stuffing?

The stuffed meat, poultry or stuffing in a casserole should be placed immediately after preparation in an oven set no lower than 325°F. A food thermometer should be used to ensure that the stuffing reaches the safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F. If the stuffing is inside whole poultry, take the poultry out of the oven and let it stand 20 minutes before removing the stuffing. Refrigerate cooked poultry and stuffing within 2 hours.

Can you prepare uncooked stuffing ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze it?

Do not refrigerate uncooked stuffing. If stuffing is prepared ahead of time, it must be either frozen or cooked immediately. To use cooked stuffing later, cool in shallow containers and refrigerate it within 2 hours. Use it within 3 to 4 days. Reheat the cooked stuffing to 165°F just as for all leftovers. Do not stuff whole poultry with leftover cooked stuffing.

It is safe to freeze uncooked stuffing. Ingredients can be combined, put into a shallow container, and frozen immediately. To use it safely, do not thaw it before cooking. Cook the frozen stuffing until it reaches 165°F.

Should you precook ingredients used in a stuffing?

If you plan to prepare stuffing using raw meat, poultry, or shellfish, you should precook the raw ingredients before stuffing the item to reduce the risk of foodborne illness from bacteria that may be found in raw ingredients.

SAFE COOKING

 A food thermometer should be used to ensure a safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F has been reached to destroy bacteria and prevent foodborne illness.

Many variables can affect the roasting time of a whole turkey:

1. Set the oven temperature no lower than 325°F. Preheating is not necessary.

2. Be sure the turkey is completely thawed. Times are based on fresh or thawed birds at a refrigerator temperature of 41°F or below.

3. Place turkey breast-side up on a flat wire rack in a shallow roasting pan 2 to 2 1/2 inches deep.

4. For optimum safety, cook stuffing in a casserole. If stuffing your turkey, mix ingredients just before stuffing it; stuff loosely. Additional time is required for the turkey and stuffing to reach a safe minimum internal temperature (see chart).

5. For safety and doneness, the internal temperature should be checked with a food thermometer. The temperature of the turkey and the center of the stuffing must reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F. Check the temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.

6. Let the bird stand 20 minutes before removing stuffing and carving.

We wish you and your family a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday!

Reduce Up to 99% of Present Pathogens on Your Next Grocery Day

During the 1990’s grocery stores began offering reusable bags in an effort to reduce the environmental costs of plastic and paper grocery bags. The trend caught on and many Americans enjoy the benefits of using them. While ecologically friendly, many people are unaware of the physical dangers of reusable grocery bags if not properly washed. Reusable bags are often made of various plastics, canvas, or woven synthetic fibers - all of which can transfer harmful bacteria to contents if they not properly cleaned and maintained.

These bags are typically taken to the market time after time filled with everything from raw beef and poultry to ready-to-eat foods such as heads of lettuce or apples. Washing the reusable bags after use can eliminate harmful pathogens such as E.coli or Salmonella by 99.9% according to *STOP Foodborne Illness.

The Breakdown

• Reusable grocery bags are bags made of plastic, canvas, or woven synthetic fibers.

• Beginning in the 1990’s, supermarkets began offering reusable grocery bags in an effort to reduce the environmental costs of plastic and paper grocery bags.

• Reusable grocery bags tend to go unwashed after carrying raw meat products and have been linked to an increase in E. coli infections.

• By washing reusable bags either by hand or in a washing machine after use, present pathogens can be eliminated by 99.9%.

This principal also applies to other areas that will come into contact with your food. Lunch boxes, for example, should also be washed after every use. Another common mistake is to wash poultry in the kitchen sink, spreading harmful bacteria to large areas around and in the sink - potentially causing contamination. There is no need to rinse your poultry. When poultry is cooked to a temperature of 165⁰F or higher, the bacteria is reduced to levels that make the poultry safe to consume.

A few food safety tips for a healthy home:

·       The temperature of the refrigerator in your kitchen should be kept at 37⁰F-38⁰F. This will keep your cold food temperatures around the recommended 41⁰F or below. 

·       After you open a product, such as lunchmeat or potato salad, be certain to store it for seven days or less. The day you open the product is counted as day one. After seven days the potential exists for enough bacteria growth to make you ill. If the temperature of your refrigeration unit is off by even one or two degrees it is going to affect the safety of your food.

·       Clean the aerator on your kitchen faucet. Your spigot in your kitchen is typically the dirtiest in the house. Is this where you rinse fill your mop bucket AND rinse your vegetables? YUCK!

·       Don’t use sponges in your kitchen, as they harbor potentially harmful bacteria such as E.coli and Salmonella.

*STOP Foodborne Illness is a national nonprofit public health organization dedicated to the prevention of illness and death from foodborne illness by advocating for sound public policy, building public awareness, and assisting those impacted by foodborne illness.

STOP’s Stance

• STOP believes that reusable grocery bags are not a problem in themselves; it is the lack of consumer education on how to properly use them that causes foodborne illness.

• STOP encourages educating consumers on the risks of spreading pathogens through reusable bags and producing reusable bags with a clearly visible message and instructions to wash reusable bags after each use. This simple act could greatly reduce the illnesses spread through bags while maintaining the environmental agenda.

Back to School: 4 Ways to Pack a Safe Lunch for Your Child

It’s the beginning of August and it won’t be long until the wheels on the bus go round and round. That means that millions of parents across the country will begin to pack their children’s lunches. Whether it’s a shiny new Paw Patrol carrier, a character from Frozen, or a brown paper bag doesn’t matter. What is important is the safety of the food inside.

There are approximately 48 million foodborne illnesses in this country every year; that’s 1 in 6 Americans, add to that 128,000 serious cases that require hospitalization and 5,000 deaths. Those little darlings carrying those shiny new lunch boxes are among the most susceptible. It is believed that a large percentage of these illnesses are caused at home. Foodborne illnesses are 100% preventable. It is your responsibility to protect our youth and make certain their food stays safe until it’s consumed.

Many of these illnesses occur because someone didn’t wash their hands properly, didn’t cook the food thoroughly, contaminated equipment was used, products were purchased from unsafe sources or food wasn’t held at the proper temperature.

I recently read an article that stated the following:

In a recent study, lunches of 235 children were checked with at least one perishable food item 90 minutes prior to lunch. The results were astounding:

· 39% of lunches had no ice packs

· 45.1% of lunches had at least one ice pack

·  88.2% of lunches were found to be at a hazardous temperature

· 1.6% of perishable items checked were found to be at unsafe temperature.

This means that most children are eating food that is unsafe (at least according to this study).

Do you know what time your child eats lunch? What temperature is your lunch when you consume its contents? So, what’s a person to do? 

Make certain the food is not contaminated when it is initially packed.

· Wash your hands.

· Clean counter tops.

· Clean utensils, dishes, and anything else that’s going to touch food, including the lunch box.

Keep cold food cold.

Cold food needs to be kept at 41°F or lower:

· Use a cold pack.

· Freeze water, juice, and milk

· Keep packed snacks chilled in refrigerator overnight.

· Freeze items such as grapes, carrots, celery, sweet bread, cubed cheese, etc.

Keep hot food hot.

Hot food needs to be held at 135°F or higher:

· Put all hot foods and beverages in a thermos.

· Pour hot water in thermos prior to filling with food contents.

· Separate cold food from hot food.

Keep cold food COLD and hot food HOT. Every kitchen should have a calibrated thermometer.

What not to pack.

Stay away from proteins and carbohydrates, i.e. meats, pasta, potatoes, including chicken salad, potato salad, macaroni salad, egg salad, etc. These items pose a risk in anyone’s packed lunch.

So, wash your hands and pack those lunches with confidence!

How Safe is Your Ice?

Americans purchase several bags of ice every year. As you would suspect the majority of it is purchased during the summer months between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Bagged ice comes in many forms. Regardless of its form or the source of water it is derived from, ice is considered a food by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). If it is produced in one state and sold in another, packaged ice is regulated, as a food. FDA regulations require that packaged ice must be produced with properly cleaned and maintained equipment from water that is potable, and that it is stored and transported in clean and sanitary conditions.

 Handle ice like a food, treat it safely:

At Home

• Use clean, non-breakable utensils to handle ice, such as tongs or an ice scoop

• Avoid touching ice with dirty hands or glasses

• Store ice only in clean containers that are safe for storing food

For Picnics

• Raw foods that will be packed with loose ice in a cooler should be wrapped securely to prevent water from the melting ice from cross-contaminating the foods in the cooler -- for example, carrying juices from raw meat to vegetables (ideally you wouldn’t pack raw meats and vegetables in the same cooler)

• Put a separate bag of ice in a cooler to use in drinks. Don't use loose ice from a cooler full of raw foods for drinks

For Parties

If you plan to pour packaged ice into a tub or sink for guests to use in their drinks:

• First wash the receptacle thoroughly with a mixture of one teaspoon of unscented liquid bleach to a quart of water

• Rinse with clean water

• Let it air-dry or pat dry with fresh paper towels

• Be sure to have several scoops, tongs, or other utensils handy with which your guests can pick up ice without touching it with their hands

Another Tip: When you visit your favorite eating establishments take a look at the ice shoot. Is it clean? If not cleaned and sanitized regularly the beverage center can harbor potentially harmful bacteria and viruses. Have you ever seen someone stick their hand in that shoot?