Cook it Safely!
It's a Matter of Degrees

September is National Food Safety Education Month^SM, created by the International Food Safety Council, a coalition of restaurant and food industry professionals certified in food safety.

As part of this annual event, the food industry works in partnership with the government and consumer organizations to help educate the public about safe food preparation. President Clinton’s National Food Safety Initiative recognizes and encourages observance of National Food Safety Education Month.

As professional chefs, owners of three restaurants, and hosts of the Food Network’s popular series Too Hot Tamales and Tamales World Tour, food safety is a top priority in our kitchens -- at work and at home. We hope it’s a priority in your kitchen, too.

Young children, the elderly, pregnant women and people who are ill or have a weak immune system are most susceptible to foodborne illness. However, most food-related illnesses can be prevented by following a few simple steps every day.

Cook It Safely is an important step to food safety. These tips for cooking it safely in your kitchen are based on the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s ServSafe^® food safety training program, which is used to train millions of restaurant and foodservice managers and employees. We’re sharing these tips from professionals because everyone needs to know how to handle and prepare food safely.

• Use a clean food thermometer to ensure that food is cooked to the proper internal temperature. This also applies to food cooked or reheated in a microwave. Keep the temperature chart below in a handy place .
• Food thermometers come in several styles, including instant-read digital thermometers which are recommended for measuring the temperature of thin food, such as hamburger patties and boneless chicken breasts.
• Oven-proof thermometers may be placed in food at the beginning of cooking and remain there throughout cooking. Instant-read thermometers are used to check internal temperature during cooking and after the food is cooked. Read the manufacturer’s instructions before use.
• As a general rule, insert the thermometer into the thickest portion of the food. For whole poultry, insert into the inner thigh near the breast, but not touching the bone. For thin food such as patties, insert an instant-read thermometer sideways, or at an angle.
• To prevent cross-contamination, wash the thermometer probe (the part inserted into the food) with hot water and soap after each use.
• Do not partially cook food and then finish later -- harmful bacteria will grow between the time you start and finish cooking -- even if you refrigerate the food in between.
• Do not roast food at temperatures below 325° F - bacteria may grow while cooking at this low temperature. Never cook a Thanksgiving turkey overnight in the oven below 325° F.
• When cooking in a microwave oven, make sure there are no cold spots in food where bacteria can survive. Cover food, stir and rotate for even cooking. If there is no turntable in your microwave, rotate the dish by hand once or twice. Stir food half-way through cooking, even if your microwave has a rotating turntable.
• Allow microwaved food to stand for a few minutes after cooking; this distributes the heat, cooking the food evenly. Check for doneness with a clean food thermometer.
• Reheat carry-out meals and leftovers to a minimum internal temperature of 165° F and stir to cook evenly. Bring sauces, soups and gravy to a boil when reheating.

Cooking food to the proper internal temperature kills harmful bacteria. Test for doneness with a clean food thermometer and follow the chart below.

Cook It Safely is an important step to food safety. There are other simple steps you can follow every day to keep food safe from harmful bacteria. You can Fight BAC!^™ and protect yourself and your family from food-related illness.

Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often

Separate: Don’t cross-contaminate

Cook: Cook to proper temperatures

Chill: Refrigerate promptly

Cook It Safely is the theme of National Food Safety Education Month ^SM 1999, created by the International Food Safety Council, a coalition formed by the National Restaurant Association to promote food safety education. As part of this annual event, the food industry works in partnership with the government and consumer organizations to help educate the public about safe food preparation.

Chef Mary Sue Milliken and Chef Susan Feniger are co-chairs of National Food Safety Education Month 1999. Restaurateurs, cookbook authors, television and radio personalities, Milliken and Feniger have made their mark with home cooking of cuisine from all over the world. Hosts of Food Network’s popular series Too Hot Tamales and Tamales World Tour, together they own and operate the critically-acclaimed Border Grill in Santa Monica, Ciudad in Los Angeles and the new Border Grill at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas (opening summer 1999). Their fifth cookbook, Mexican Cooking for Dummies will be published later this year. Their foods are also served on United Airlines flights to major cities in Central America.

The International Food Safety Council is proud to be a founding partner of the Fight BAC!™ public education campaign sponsored by the Partnership for Food Safety Education, a unique public/private coalition of industry, government and consumer organizations.

International Food Safety Council
250 South Wacker Drive, Suite 1400
Chicago, IL 60606
www.foodsafetycouncil.org

^* Distributed August 1999 for use in September 1999 as part of the International Food Safety Council's National Food Safety Education Month.

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