Food safety makes the holiday season much brighter

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The following is a press release from Klamath County Public Health.

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - It’s the time of year for people to come together and often share food. At family gatherings, we don’t think twice about having some of Grandma’s famous stuffing or Aunt Mary’s pecan pie. However, not everyone has the same standards about kitchen cleanliness.

Do you know someone who will only eat what they bring to a potluck? They may be an environmental health specialist, or just careful about the possibility of foodborne illness.

Klamath County Public Health’s Environmental Health division works with restaurants, mobile units and community event organizers to ensure everyone is on the same page about how to keep the community safe and healthy. That’s why it is always best to eat products from a certified or licensed kitchen.

There are ways to keep your kitchen safe, too.

Safe Food Handling: Four Simple Steps

Clean - Wash hands and surfaces often

  • Wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food and after using the bathroom, changing diapers, and handling pets.

  • Wash, rinse, and sanitize (usually with 1 capful of regular bleach per gallon) your cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and counter tops after preparing each food item, especially raw meats.

  • Consider using paper towels to clean up kitchen surfaces. If you use cloth towels, launder them often in the hot cycle.

  • Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running tap water, including those with skins and rinds that are not eaten. Scrub firm produce with a clean produce brush.

  • With canned goods, remember to clean lids before opening.

Separate raw meats from other foods

  • Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs from other foods in your grocery shopping cart, grocery bags, and refrigerator.

  • Use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood.

  • Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs unless the plate has been washed in hot, soapy water.

  • Don’t reuse marinades used on raw foods unless you bring them to a boil first.

Cook to the right temperature

  • Color and texture are unreliable indicators of safety. Using a food thermometer is the only way to ensure the safety of meat, poultry, seafood, and egg products for all cooking methods. These foods must be cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature to destroy any harmful bacteria.

  • Cook eggs until the yolk and white are firm. Only use recipes in which eggs are cooked or heated thoroughly.

  • When cooking in a microwave oven, cover food, stir, and rotate for even cooking. If there is no turntable, rotate the dish by hand once or twice during cooking. Always allow standing time, which completes the cooking, before checking the internal temperature with a food thermometer.

  • Bring sauces, soups and gravy to a boil when reheating.

Chill - Refrigerate foods promptly

  • Use an appliance thermometer to be sure the temperature is consistently 41° F or below and the freezer temperature is 0° F or below.

  • Refrigerate or freeze meat, poultry, eggs, seafood, and other perishables within 2 hours of cooking or purchasing. Refrigerate within 1 hour if the temperature outside is above 90° F.

  • Never thaw food at room temperature, such as on the counter top. There are three safe ways to defrost food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave. Food thawed in cold water or in the microwave should be cooked immediately.

  • Always marinate food in the refrigerator.

  • Divide large amounts of leftovers into shallow containers for quicker cooling in the refrigerator.