Food Safety

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Storage and Prep: Fish

Fish: Like poultry, Salmonella and E. Coli are common food borne illnesses that are commonly found in fish that has not been prepared correctly. Preparing fish to prevent illness’ is similar to poultry. According to US Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) fish and shellfish are more likely to cause food borne illnesses than any other category of food product. The outbreaks from the fish are usually because they were consumed raw. Therefore, none of the bacteria could be killed prior to consumption. However, cooking fish first will take care of that problem

Storage and Prep: Poultry

Poultry: At the food store, there are some things to look at when purchasing poultry. First, look at the packaging and make sure it is not torn or leaking. Also, the sell-by and use-by dates should not have past. When you purchase poultry, you need to get it home and refrigerated as soon as possible. The best temperature to use is 45 and 40 degrees F. The poultry should be used within 3-5 days of purchase. If you want to freeze the poultry in its original package, wrap the package again with foil or plastic wrap. Before touching the poultry make sure that you have washed your hands with soap and warm water also, after handling the poultry wash your hands thoroughly. If the poultry has been frozen, do not thaw it on the counter or microwave instead, thaw it in the refrigerator. Whole chickens may take up to two days to thaw while boneless breasts should thaw overnight. To avoid bacterial growth in the poultry, make sure the food is not left at room temperatures (40-140 degrees F) for more than one hour. However, many believe freezing the meat will kill any food borne bacteria and illness but the only way to kill them is by thoroughly cooking the food. You also must be very cautious to not cross contaminate other foods. Cross contaminations occurs when raw poultry even the juices from it, come into contact with other food products. This is especially dangerous because when it comes into contact with foods that will be eaten raw, it can cause severe illness’s to occur. To be sure you do not contaminate other foods, after preparing the poultry, make sure you disinfect the counter tops along with anything else that may come into contact with other foods to prevent food borne illness’.

Storage and Prep: Beef

Beef: When you purchase beef, you must refrigerate or freeze the meat as quickly as possible to avoid spoilage of the meat. To determine how long the meat can be stored, look at how the meat is wrapped. If it is wrapped with transparent film it able to be refrigerated for up to two weeks and does not need to be rewrapped because storing with the film still in tact is the best method. However, when freezing it for longer than two weeks you should use aluminum foil, freezer paper, or plastic freezer bags and remove as much of the air from them as possible before sticking in the freezer. To prepare the frozen meat properly do not defrost beef at room temperature. Instead, defrost from frozen in the refrigerator to help prevent bacterial growth. Allow 24 hours to defrost a 1-1.5-inch thick package of ground beef, 12 hours of ½-3/4 inch thick patties and 12-24 hour to defrost steaks. When the meat is fully defrosted, cook as soon as possible to help prevent bacterial growth.