4 Food-Safety Musts
By Aimee Harvey on Jun. 06, 2017WASHINGTON -- In the wake of serious foodborne contamination events—from Chipotle’s 2015 struggles with E.Coli outbreaks to the death of a convenience-store customer and the hospitalization of nine others in California due to botulism—food safety remains a key concern for foodservice operators across channels.
A California man died and nine other people were hospitalized in an outbreak of botulism originating from a convenience store in California. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) tested and confirmed that nacho cheese sauce that was sold at Valley Oak Food and Fuel in Sacramento County tested positive for the toxin that causes botulism. The toxin found in the cheese sauce is the same type identified in patients for whom CDPH has results.
Customer Martin Galindo died in the hospital weeks after consuming the sauce, according to reports.
“While there are still unanswered questions about this outbreak, these tragic illnesses are important reminders to be vigilant about food safety,” said CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith. “As we head into the summer barbecue season, both indoor and outdoor chefs need to be on guard against all foodborne illnesses.”
The USDA recently addressed the issue ...
In a recent release, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) reminded consumers to keep their family and themselves safe from foodborne illness by using a food thermometer to ensure meat and poultry is cooked to the correct internal temperature.
“The best and only way to make sure bacteria have been killed and food is safe to eat is by cooking it to the correct internal temperature as measured by a food thermometer,” said FSIS administrator Al Almanza. “It is a simple step that can stop your family and guests from getting foodborne illness.”
Recent research by USDA and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that only 34% of the public uses a food thermometer when cooking hamburgers. By not verifying meat’s internal temperature, chefs and consumers run the risk that pathogens may still be present. When eaten, hamburgers and other meats can make your customers sick, according to the USDA.
In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 48 million people suffer from foodborne illness each year, resulting in roughly 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.
Here are the USDA’s four musts for food safety ...
1. Clean
Make sure to always wash hands and food-prep surfaces with soap and warm water for 20 seconds before cooking and after handling raw meat or poultry. Encourage use of clean cloths and moist towelettes for cleaning surfaces and hands.
2. Separate
When taking food off the grill, use clean utensils and platters. Never put cooked food on the same platter that held raw meat or poultry.
3. Cook
Always use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat and poultry. Place the food thermometer in the thickest part of the food.
• Hamburgers, sausages and other ground meats should reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Poultry should reach a minimum temperature of 165 degrees.
• Whole cuts of pork, lamb, veal, and of beef should be cooked to 145 degrees.
• Fish should be cooked to 145 degrees.
Allow the meat to rest for three minutes before eating. A "rest time" is the amount of time the product remains at the final temperature, after it has been removed from a grill, oven or other heat source. During the three minutes after meat is removed from the heat source, its temperature remains constant or continues to rise, which destroys pathogens.
4. Chill
Place leftovers in shallow containers and refrigerate or freeze immediately. Discard any food that has been sitting out longer than two hours.