Right now, there may be an invisible enemy ready to
strike. He's called BAC (bacteria) and he can make you
and those you care about sick. In fact, even though
you can't see BAC -- or smell him, or feel him -- he
and millions more like him may have already invaded
the food you eat.
But you have the power to "Fight BAC" and to
keep you food safe from harmful bacteria. It's as easy
as following these four simple steps:
Clean: Wash hand and
surfaces often
Bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen and get
onto cutting boards, utensils, sponges and counter
tops. Here's how to "Fight BAC!":
* Wash your
hands with hot soapy water before handling food and
after using the bathroom, changing diapers and
handling pets.
* Wash your
cutting boards, dishes, utensils and counter topes
with hot soapy water after preparing each food item
and before you go on to the next food.
* Use plastic
or other non-porous cutting boards. These boards
should be run through the dishwasher -- or washed in
hot soapy water -- after use
* Consider
using paper towels to clean up kitchen surfaces. If
you use cloth towels, wash them often in the hot cycle
or your washing machine.
Separate: Don't
cross-contaminate
Cross-contaminate is the scientific word for how
bacteria can be spread from one food product to
another. This is especially true when handling raw
meat, poultry and seafood, so keep these foods and
their juices away from ready-to-eat foods. Here's how
to "Fight BAC!":
* Separate raw
meat, poultry and seafood from other foods in your
grocery shopping cart and in your refrigerator.
* If possible,
use a different cutting board for raw meat products.
* Always wash
hands, cutting boards, dishes and utensils with hot
soapy water after they come in contact with raw meat,
poultry and seafood.
* Never place
cooked food on a plate which previously held raw meat,
poultry and seafood.
Cook: Cook to proper
temperatures
Food safety experts agree that foods are properly
cooked when they are heated for a long enough time and
at a high enough temperature to kill the harmful
bacteria that cause food borne illness. The best way to
Fight BAC!:
* Use a clean
thermometer, which measures the internal temperature
of cooked foods, to make sure meat, poultry,
casseroles and other foods are cooked all the way
through.
* Cook roasts
and steaks to at least 145 F. Whole poultry should be
cooked to 180 F for doneness.
* Cooked ground
beef, where bacteria can spread during processing, to
at least 160 F. Information from the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) links eating
undercooked, pink ground beef with a higher risk of
illness. If a thermometer is not available, do not eat
ground beef that si still pink inside.
* Cook eggs
until the yolk and white are firm. Don't use recipes
in which eggs remain raw or only partially cooked.
* Fish should
be opaque and flake easily with a fork.
* When cooking
in a microwave oven, make sure there are no cold spots
in food where bacteria can survive. For best results,
cover food, stir and rotate for even cooking. If there
is no turntable, rotate the dish by hand once or twice
during cooking.
* Bring sauces,
soups and gravy to a boil when reheating. Heat other
leftovers thoroughly to at least 165 F.
Chill: Refrigerate promptly
Refrigerate foods quickly because cold temperatures
keep harmful bacteria from growing and multiplying.
So, set your refrigerator no higher than 40 F and the
freezer unit at 0 F. Check these temperatures
occasionally with an appliance thermometer. Then,
"Fight BAC!" by following these steps:
* Refrigerate
or freeze perishables, prepared foods and leftovers
within two hours or sooner.
* Never defrost
food at room temperature. Thaw food in the
refrigerator, under cold running water or in the
microwave. Marinate foods in the refrigerator.
* 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.
Be a BAC Fighter
Although an invisible enemy may be in your kitchen,
you have four powerful tools to "Fight
Back!": washing hands and surfaces often,
avoiding cross-contamination, cooking to proper
temperatures, and refrigerating promptly. So, be a BAC
Fighter and make the meals and snacks from your
kitchen as safe as possible.
For More Information About
Safe Food Handling and Preparation
USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline
1-800-535-4555
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday
with recorded messages available 24 hours a day.
FDA's Food Information and Seafood Hotline
1-800-332-4010
Recorded message and fax service available 24 hours a
day.
Partnership for Food Safety Education Web Site
fightbac.org
Or contact your local cooperative extension
office.
Apply the Heat ... and Fight
BAC
Cooking food to the proper temperature kills harmful
bacteria. So Fight BAC by thoroughly cooking your food
as follows:
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