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Food Safety
Bacteria, Spoilage
What are spoilage bacteria?
Do spoilage bacteria make people sick?
How do bacteria spoil food?
"Bird Flu," or Avian Influenza
See
USDA's Fact Sheet
on
www.usda.gov/birdflu
Cookware & Equipment
How do I prevent cross-contamination (the transfer of harmful bacteria to food from other foods) when using a cutting board?
Should I use a wooden cutting board or a plastic one?
How do I clean my cutting board?
How reliable are pop-up timers in poultry as an indication of safe internal temperatures?
What types of kitchen thermometers are available, and how should each be used?
Is it safe to cook in a slow cooker, since it cooks at such a low temperature?
Food Storage, Preparation & Handling
How long is it safe to keep a turkey, or other meat or poultry product, in the freezer?
Is it safe to refreeze food that has thawed completely?
What is the safest way to thaw a frozen turkey?
What is a safe internal temperature for cooking meat and poultry?
How can I safely cook meat or poultry in the microwave oven?
Is it safe to eat leftover food that was left out on the counter to cool at dinnertime, then forgotten until morning? Will additional cooking kill the bacteria that may have grown?
Should a large pot of soup sit on the range until it cools, or should it be refrigerated hot?
What should I do to keep refrigerated and frozen foods safe during a power failure ?
How can I safely transport perishable foods to a picnic site, community supper, or family gathering?
Are canned goods still safe after a year? Two years? Longer?
Does FSIS or the Meat and Poultry Hotline provide instruction for home food preservation (canning or pickling)?
Foodborne Illness
What is foodborne illness, and what are the symptoms?
How can I prevent foodborne illness?
Is it safe to eat lightly cooked egg dishes, or use recipes that call for raw eggs?
Is it dangerous to eat raw or "rare" ground beef?
Is it safe to eat moldy cheese or salami if I cut away the mold? What about fruit, jelly, or bread?
Keeping Food Safe During An Emergency
Flood waters covered our food stored on shelves and in cabinets. What can I keep and what should I throw out?
How should I clean my pots, pans, dishes, and utensils?
How should I clean my countertops?
My home was flooded and I am worried about the safety of the drinking water. What should I do?
We had a fire in our home and I am worried about what food I can keep and what to throw away.
A snowstorm knocked down the power lines, can I put the food from the refrigerator and freezer out in the snow?
Some of my food in the freezer started to thaw or had thawed when the power came back on. Is the food safe? How long will the food in the refrigerator be safe with the power off?
May I refreeze the food in the freezer if it thawed or partially thawed?
Labeling, Dating, Food Additives
By law, must foods have a "use by" or "sell by" date?
What does "fresh" on the label of a poultry product really mean?
What are the labeling requirements for frozen, raw poultry?
What is the difference in quality between fresh and frozen poultry?
What is sodium erythorbate? Does it come from earthworms?
Meat and Poultry Inspection, & Other FSIS Programs
What is the Meat and Poultry Hotline and what type of questions does it handle?
Is all meat and poultry inspected?
Is all meat and poultry graded?
Who inspects egg products?
Natural Flavorings on Meat & Poultry Labels
What substances or ingredients can be listed as "natural flavor," "flavor," or "flavorings" rather than by a specific common or usual name?
Can the terms "dried meat or poultry stocks," "dried broth," "meat extracts," and "dried beef plasma" be listed on meat and poultry labels as "natural flavorings"?
If "pork extract" is added to a processed meat product for flavoring, can it be listed as "flavoring" in the ingredient statement or will it be identified as a "pork product"?
How will I know if there is monosodium glutamate (MSG) in a processed meat or poultry product?
Are MSG and hydrolyzed protein related?
Can hydrolyzed animal or vegetable protein be identified as "natural flavoring" on the label?
What Federal regulation defines what can be listed as a natural flavoring on the meat and poultry label?
Nutrition
Where can I find information on the nutrition of meat and poultry products?
Should the skin be removed from chicken before or after cooking?
What is the cholesterol content of eggs?
Product Appearance
What causes dark bones in cooked poultry?
What color is safely cooked poultry?
Why is pre-packaged ground beef red on the outside and sometimes dull, grayish-brown inside?
What causes iridescent colors on meats?
Product Recalls
What is a food recall, and what is its purpose?
Where can consumers find information on recalls of food products?
What should consumers do if they have a product that has been recalled?
Last Modified: September 6, 2006
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