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Seniors Need Wisdom on Food Safety
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An old adage states, "With
age, comes wisdom." Hopefully that wisdom includes lots of good
food safety information. Why? As we mature, our bodies change.
Seniors become more at-risk for illness and, once ill, it can
take them longer to recover.
Knowledge of safe food handling
is needed to help seniors stay healthy. It's important to understand
the effect of pathogens and other microorganisms on elderly
bodies. The best preventative is understanding the safeguards
necessary to remain free from foodborne illness.
Some of the
changes seniors undergo lessen the body's ability to combat
bacteria. For example, there is a decrease in stomach acid secretion,
which is a natural defense against ingested bacteria. And over
time, the immune system may become less adept in ridding the
body of bacteria.
Too, the sense of taste or smell — sometimes
affected by medication or illness — may not always sound an
alert when meat is spoiled or milk may be sour. By knowing how
the body changes and using safe food handling techniques, seniors
can easily protect themselves and reduce the risk of foodborne
illness.
Some seniors are homebound and must rely on delivered
food. Others are new widowers with little cooking experience.
Whether seniors are part of these groups or experienced cooks,
adhering to the following up-to-date food safety guidelines
is just plain good wisdom.
Guidelines for Safe Food Handling
Keep it safe, refrigerate or freeze. Refrigerate or freeze all
perishable foods. Refrigerator temperature should be 40 °F or
less; freezer temperature should be 0 °F or less. Use a refrigerator/freezer
thermometer to check the temperatures.
Never thaw food at room
temperature. Always thaw food in the refrigerator, or in cold
water or in a microwave. When thawing in the microwave, you
must cook the food immediately. Wash hands with warm soapy water
before preparing food.
Wash hands, utensils, cutting boards
and other work surfaces after contact with raw meat and poultry.
This helps prevent cross contamination.
Never leave perishable
food out of refrigeration over two hours. If room temperature
is above 90 °F food should not be left out over 1 hour. This
would include items such as take-out foods, leftovers from a
restaurant meal, and meals-on wheels deliveries.
Do not eat
raw or undercooked meat, poultry, fish, or eggs. The most important
thing is to use a food thermometer to be sure foods have reached
a safe minimum internal temperature.
Cook foods to the following
safe minimum internal temperatures as measured with a food thermometer:
- Beef, veal, and lamb steaks, roasts, and chops may be cooked to 145 °F.
- All cuts of pork to 160 °F.
- Ground beef, veal and lamb to 160 °F.
- Egg dishes, casseroles to 160 °F.
- Leftovers to 165 °F.
- Stuffed poultry is not recommended. Cook stuffing separately to 165 °F.
- All poultry should reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F.
When reheating foods in the microwave,
cover and rotate or stir foods once or twice during cooking
and check the food in several spots with a food thermometer.
Foods Purchased Or Delivered Hot
Eating Within Two Hours? Pick
up or receive the food HOT...and enjoy eating within two hours.
Not Eating Within Two Hours? Keeping food warm is not enough.
Harmful bacteria can multiply between 40° and 140 °F.
Set oven
temperature high enough to keep the hot food at 140 °F or above.
Check internal temperature of food with a meat thermometer.
Covering with foil will help keep the food moist.
Eating Much Later? It's not a good idea to try and keep the food hot longer
than two hours. Food will taste better and be safely stored
if you:
- Place in shallow containers.
- Divide large quantities into smaller portions.
- Cover loosely and refrigerate immediately.
- Reheat thoroughly when ready to eat.
Reheating? Reheat food
thoroughly to temperature of 165 °F or until hot and steaming.
In the microwave oven, cover food and rotate so it heats evenly.
Allow standing time for more even heating.
Consult your microwave
owner's manual for recommended cooking time, power level and
standing time. Inadequate heating can contribute to illness.
Foods Purchased Or Delivered Cold
Keep Cold Food Cold. Eat or refrigerate immediately. Cold food
should be held at 40 °F or
colder.
The Two Hour Rule. Perishable food should not be at room
temperature longer than two hours. Discard food which has been
left at room temperature longer than two hours. For room temperatures
above 90 °F, discard food after one hour.
| Cold
Storage Chart |
| Product |
Refrigerator (40 °F) |
Freezer (0 °F) |
| Eggs |
| Fresh, in shell |
3-5 weeks |
Do not freeze |
| Hard cooked |
1 week |
Don't freeze well |
TV Dinners
Keep frozen until ready to use |
|
3 to 4 months |
| Deli prepared convenience
foods such as egg, chicken, ham, and macaroni salads |
3-5 days |
Don't freeze well |
| Hot
dogs & Lunch Meats |
| Hot dogs, opened package |
1 week |
1-2 months |
| Hot dog, unopened package |
2 weeks |
1-2 months |
| Lunch meats, opened |
3-5 days |
1-2 months |
| Lunch meats, unopened
|
2 weeks |
1-2 months |
| Deli sliced luncheon
meats |
3-5 days |
Don't freeze well |
Soups and Stews
Vegetable or meat added |
3-4 days |
2-3 months |
| Ground Meat and Poultry
|
1-2 days |
3-4 months |
| Bacon |
7 days |
1 month |
| Sausage |
1-2 days |
1-2 months |
| Ham |
| Ham, fully cooked--whole
|
7 days |
1-2 months |
| Ham, fully cooked--half |
3-5 days |
1-2 months |
| Ham, fully cooked--slices
|
3-4 days |
1-2 months |
| Fresh Meat |
| Beef, steaks and roasts
|
3-5 days |
6-12 months |
| Pork, chops and roasts
|
3-5 days |
4-6 months |
| Lamb, chops and roasts
|
3-5 days |
6-9 months |
| Veal |
3-5 days |
4-8 months |
| Meat Leftovers |
3-4 days |
2-3 months |
| Fresh Poultry |
| Chicken or turkey, whole |
1-2 days |
1 year |
| Chicken or turkey pieces |
1-2 days |
9 months |
| Poultry Leftovers |
3-4 days |
4 months |
Other Food Safety Numbers
National Center for Nutrition and Dietetics
Consumer Nutrition Hotline
1-800-366-1655
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
Food and Drug Administration
1-800-332-4010
American Heart Association
1-800-242-8721
American Institute for Cancer Research
1-800-843-8114
Washington DC area only: (202) 328-7744
American Diabetes Association
1-800-232-3472
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Last Modified:
April 4, 2006 |
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