Food Safety For YOU! 2007 Edition

We all eat out and bring in food. In the past, most food was prepared in the home - but today, fifty cents of every food dollar is spent on food prepared outside the home. This includes ready-to-eat foods from restaurants and supermarkets. Here's the way to make these meals even more enjoyable.

Eating Out

Eating in a restaurant, cafeteria, or a fast-food place is usually a safe and enjoyable experience. All foodservice establishments are required to follow food safety guidelines set by state and local health departments. But you should also take actions to ensure that your food is safe. Keep these rules in mind: Clean, Cook, and Chill.

Clean: When you eat out, look at your physical surroundings before you even sit down. If they're not up to your cleanliness standards, you might want to eat somewhere else.

Cook: No matter where you eat, always order your food cooked thoroughly, especially meat, poultry, fish, and eggs. When you're served a hot meal, make sure it's served to you piping hot and thoroughly cooked, and if not, send it back.

Don't eat undercooked or raw foods, such as raw oysters. People with liver disorders or weakened immune systems are especially at risk for getting sick. Also, avoid eating raw or undercooked eggs. They can be a hidden hazard in foods like Caesar salad, custards, and some sauces. If these foods are made with pasteurized eggs, however, they are safe. If you are unsure about the ingredients in a particular dish, ask before ordering it.

Bringing In

It seems like meal portions are getting bigger and bigger, and many people are packing up leftovers to eat later. Care must be taken when handling these leftovers.

The Doggie Bag: If you will not be arriving home within 2 hours of being served, it is safer to leave the leftovers at the restaurant.

Get Food Home Fast: Remember that the inside of a car can get very warm and bacteria can grow rapidly. For safety's sake, it's best to go directly home after eating out and put your leftovers in the refrigerator.

Nearly 40% of people ages 15-24 eat their main evening meal out 3 or more times per week. 76% of consumers now eat their main meals away from home at least once per week. Young shoppers, singles, and men are among those who eat out most often. 14% of shoppers opt for takeout or home delivery pretty much every time or fairly often.

Let's Do Lunch!
We're on the go and often carry our lunches to work or school - or pack lunches for others.
Use these TIPS to pack a safe lunch!

• Keep them clean! Make sure your hands, food preparation surfaces, utensils, and lunch boxes are clean. Use hot, soapy water to effectively get rid of bacteria. Also, remember to thoroughly rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water before packing them.

• If you're making sandwiches the night before, keep the sandwiches in the refrigerator and pack them to go in the morning.

• Keep hot foods hot. Use an insulated thermos for soup, chili, or stew. First, fill the thermos with boiling water and let it stand for a few minutes. Then empty the thermos, and fill it with piping hot food. Keep the lid tightly closed until lunchtime.

• When packing lunch boxes, take cold foods right from the refrigerator and freezer and pack them in a box. Include a cold pack.

• Freeze single-sized juice packs overnight and place the frozen drink in with your lunch. The juice will thaw by lunchtime, but it will still be cold. The frozen drink will also keep the rest of the lunch cold.

• Don't let food sit in warm temperatures for very long. Eat it or put it right back in your lunch box with a frozen cold pack. Any perishable food (e.g., meat, poultry, or egg sandwiches) that were not eaten at lunch should be discarded if proper storage is not available.

Food Safety A to Z Reference Guide

Hypertext updated by dms 2008-JUL-06