Busy cooks need to take time to prepare their offerings not only with taste and appearance in mind but also with safety and care in order to prevent food-borne illnesses.
Most food-borne illnesses cause flu-like symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting and only last a few days. But depending on the health of the person and the pathogen involved, the illnesses can be serious and have lifelong complications, such as kidney failure or seizures or, in extreme cases, death.
Some tips:
Wash up: First and foremost, those preparing food should wash their hands with soap and water, taking care to remove surface residue, dirt and food particles. Wash for at least 20 seconds, making sure to clean the palm, the back of the hand and between fingers.
People with long nails should take extra precautions to make sure there is no food or dirt remains under the nails. And, of course, wash hands after using the toilet.
To prevent cross contamination, wash hands after handling, say, a chicken, before working on the salad. And do not rely on sanitizers.
Hot and cold: Make sure hot foods are kept hot and cold foods cold. Hot foods should be kept at 140 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Cold foods should be 40 degrees Fahrenheit or less.
Do not leave food out longer than that. Instead, break leftovers into small portions and wrap and refrigerate them soon after eating.
A leftover should be consumed within three to four days,
All leftovers need to get to 165 degrees before it should be eaten if it’s a hot food.”
Care should be taken if one is having a buffet or putting out cut-up fruit or other perishable cold foods.
If guests are going to be late, be careful to keep the food at the proper temperatures, even if that means refrigerating it and reheating.
If bringing food to someone’s house, the same two-hour rule applies. If one is going across town, it is not a problem, but if one is traveling long distances, be sure food is kept at the recommended temperatures.
And, if you do mishandle food and leave it out too long (past 2 hours), throw it out.
People often are busy around the holidays and, to save time, may buy a hot cooked chicken in the grocery store for dinner. That should be the last thing put in the shopping cart.
Raw and cooked: When preparing food, keep raw food and cooked food separate so there is no cross contamination.
That is true, too, for those who may barbecue their food. Do not put cooked food on plates that held raw food. And, when bringing food home from the grocery store, place meats and poultry on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator so any drippings do not contaminate other foods like apples, which might be eaten raw.
People often enjoy eggnog around the holidays. But alcohol in the drink will not make it safe. Use a recipe recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in which the eggs are cooked.
Mail order: If sending food by mail order, make sure the company is reputable, uses professional packing standards, and does not leave the food sitting on the doorstep.
Although anyone can get sick from eating contaminated foods, certain groups of people are at higher risk: the very young, the elderly, pregnant women, individuals whose immune systems are compromised because of a chronic illness, or anyone undergoing chemotherapy or radiation or who uses medication that suppresses the immune system.
Wear closed-toe shoes that are skid-proof because of liquids that might be dropped. Also, don’t wear loose sleeves or shirts that are not tucked in and can catch on fire.
Safe eggnog
Ingredients:
1 quart of 2 percent milk
6 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
Ground nutmeg
Directions:
Heat milk in large saucepan until hot (do not boil or scald). While milk is heating, beat together eggs and salt in a large bowl, gradually adding the sugar.
Gradually add the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture while continually stirring.
Transfer the mixture back to the large saucepan and cook on medium-low heat. Stir constantly with a whisk until the mixture thickens and just coats a spoon. The food thermometer should register 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir in vanilla.
Cool quickly by setting the pan in a bowl of ice or cold water and stirring for about 10 minutes.
Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, several hours or overnight.
Pour into a bowl or pitcher. Fold in whipped cream. Then dust with ground nutmeg and enjoy.
Note: Adding a dash of rum won’t make it safe. Alcohol cannot be relied upon to kill bacteria.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20091221/articles/912211008&tc=yahoo
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