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Food safety tips when cooking at home

How to keep foodborne illnesses at bay

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The warnings are out there: unsafe food handling and not practicing food safety leads to a myriad of ill effects, even acute sickness. Yet, data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) suggests that, on average, one in every six Americans get sick annually from food poisoning.

Protect you and your family from becoming another statistic by adhering to the following tips. 

Have two different (dedicated) cutting boards - one for fresh produce and the other for raw meats, including poultry and seafood.

"Cross-contamination frequently occurs between ready-to-eat foods and raw meats," said Jessica Sewell, chef-de-cuisine at Pacific Grill in Tacoma. "When you cut-up chicken, then chop lettuce on the same board or in the general area, harmful bacteria spreads."

To prevent cross-contamination, use separate plates during food preparation for produce and raw meats, wash cutting boards before switching tasks, and discard boards with too many cracks and crevices.

"Proper hand-washing is essential," said Sewell. "It may sound silly or trivial, but it's one of the most important things you can do in the kitchen."

HHS recommends washing hands frequently with warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds - the equivalent of singing the ‘happy birthday' song twice - to avoid spreading bacteria while cooking. Experts say this will significantly reduce half of all cases of foodborne illnesses, along with colds and flu.

Sewell agrees with HHS that the safest way to clean kitchen surfaces and countertops is to sanitize with a chlorine bleach solution (1 tablespoon of bleach to 1 gallon of water or 1 teaspoon of bleach to 1 quart of water is effective).

The Pacific Grill chef suggests washing vegetables and fruits under clean running water before peeling to prevent the spread of bacteria from the outside in. However, she cautions against using detergents or soap.

"These non-food solutions can still linger and be ingested," she said. "Some people purchase organic veggie wash or stick with organic produce, instead." HHS advocates using a vegetable scrubbing brush.

Experts from the American Dietetic Association and ConAgra Foods concur with HHS, that storing food at temperatures below 40-degrees slows the growth of harmful bacteria.

"Keep food out of the danger zone," said Sewell. "Bacteria grows rapidly when food isn't kept below 40-degrees or above 140-degrees."

The ‘danger zone' is why food should be defrosted in the refrigerator, why marinades should be refrigerated, why leftovers and perishable foods should be chilled soon (within an hour during summer and warmer temperatures), and why cooked foods becomes contaminated again if not stored promptly, according to HHS.

"Keeping cooked food warmed to the right temperature," Sewell said, "and not leaving it out too long to cool for example, is critical to food safety."

Experts also advise against adding raw meat marinades (and leftover juices) to season other meals; they recommend cooking meals from scratch to avoid possibility cross-contamination.

Sewell agrees, "I'd also suggest using one spoon to taste food and another to stir and mix."

For more information visit www.foodsafety.gov and www.homefoodsafety.org .

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