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FOOD
SAFETY BASICS
America's
food supply is one of the safest in the world.
Farmers and ranchers, food processors, supermarkets
and restaurants must follow strict rules and regulations
while getting food to you. These requirements
end, however, when the food goes into your shopping
cart, leaves the store and goes to your kitchen.
So
why should we worry about food safety? Because
most of the illnesses reported from "bad
food" are caused by bacterial contamination.
Nearly all these cases can be linked to improper
food handling, in our homes, supermarkets and
restaurants, which means they could have been
prevented.
Microorganisims
are with us always. They're on us and on animals,
in the air and water an on raw food. Some bacteria
are useful, such as those that cause cheese and
beef to ferment. But other bacteria cause foods
to spoil, and even others cause food poisoning.
BEWARE
THE "DANGER ZONE"
The
main difference between food-spoiling and food-poisoning
bacteria is the temperatures at which they survive
and grow. Bacteria that cause food to spoil can
grow at refrigerator temperature (below 40°F).
They usually make the food look or smell bad,
which is an obvious clue to throw it out.
Most
bacteria that cause food poisoning don't
grow at refrigerator temperatures. The best temperature
for these microorganisms to reproduce is around
100°F. But the actual temperature varies with
the organism and may range from 40°F or 140°F,
or the "danger zone." These are pathogens,
the type of bacteria that if eaten may lead to
illness, disease or even death.
To
prevent these bacteria from becoming harmful,
they must be stopped from multiplying. Pathogenic
bacteria are among the most important organisms
to control because of the illness they cause in
humans. The majority of them are invisible attackers;
they can't be seen, smelled or tasted.
If
contaminated food is eaten, people most often
get sick within 4 to 48 hours, and it's not always
easy to tell if the problem is the flu or food
poisoning. Use your judgment to determine if and
when medical care is needed. Call a doctor or
go to a hospital immediately if symptoms are severe,
such as vomiting, diarrhea, fever or cramps, or
if the victim is very young, elderly, pregnant,
has a weakened immune system or is already ill.
THREE
BASIC RULES FOR FOOD SAFETY
The
majority of food-poisoning bacteria can be controlled
by cleaning, cooking, and refrigeration. Follow
these three rules to the letter when preparing
food:
1.
Keep everything in the kitchen
clean.
2. Keep hot foods
hot.
3. Keep cold foods
cold.
See
also:
More tips for keeping food
safe to eat
Keep buffet food and away-from-home
food safe
FOR
MORE FOOD SAFETY INFORMATION
For
information about safe food handling and foodborne
illness, contact:
- Your
local health department
- Extension
home economists, listed in the phone book
- USDA's
Meat and Poultry Hotline, 800-535-4555, or TTY
800-256-7072 (weekdays, 10 A.M. to 4 P.M. eastern
standard time). Or, check out the USDA's Web
site at www.fsis.usda.gov.
- Food
Safety Education, USDA-FSIS, Room 2942-S, 14000
Independance Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250
- Consumer
Information Center, 719-948-4000. Pueblo, CO
81009
- www.fightbac.org
for up-to-the-minute food safety and food handling
information
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