After School Snacking
By Diane Van, Food Safety Education Staff Deputy Director, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
More than 15 million school-aged children are home alone after school. That means they’ll be making their own afterschool snacks, without anyone supervising their creative concoctions. Will your kids be eating on their own during the week? If so, you might want to go over these guidelines with them—before they run straight to the refrigerator and snack mindlessly in front of the TV, with their feet on the table and the family dog in their lap.
Clean up first:
- Put your books, book bags, and sports equipment on the floor, not on kitchen counters or the table. Germs from your stuff could wind up on the eating surfaces.
- Wash your hands! Hands carry lots of germs, and not washing is a top cause of food poisoning. This is especially important after greeting our pet, giving it a treat, or even touching its toys or housing.
- Always use clean spoons, forks and plates.
- Wash fruits and veggies with running water before you eat them, even if you plan to peel them.
- Do not leave cold items--like milk, lunchmeat, hard cooked eggs, or yogurt--out on the counter at room temperature. Put these foods back in the fridge as soon as you've fixed your snack.
Foods to avoid:
- Any perishable food left out overnight, such as pizza, even if it isn’t topped with meat. Perishable food should never be left in the temperature “Danger Zone” of 40 to 140°F for more than two hours.
- Lunchbox leftovers, like sandwiches or other "refrigerator type" foods you didn’t eat at school. Throw out these leftovers and their plastic or foil wrapping instead of saving them for later.
- Unbaked cookie dough, because it may contain raw eggs that can have Salmonella bacteria.
- Bread, cheese, or soft fruits or vegetables that look bad or have even small spots of mold.
When using the microwave:
- Don’t use the microwave if you have to reach over your head to open it. It’s easy to spill hot food or liquid as you take it out, which can burn your skin.
- Use only microwave-safe plates, bowls, and utensils. Some containers can melt or warp, causing spills and also leaking harmful chemicals into your food. Ask your parents to keep microwave-safe dishes in a certain cabinet.
- Cover food with a lid, plastic wrap, or wax paper, turning up one corner to let steam escape while the food microwaves. Also, rotate or stir food halfway through cooking. This helps avoid cold spots and better destroys bacteria.
- Read package instructions carefully, or ask your parents what settings to use for your favorite snacks. If a microwaveable meal says to let the food “stand” after the timer goes off, don’t skip this step. The food is still cooking even though the microwave has stopped.
- Use pot holders to remove items from the microwave, and hold the food away from your face as you remove the lid to avoid burns from the hot container and steam.
- Never pop any food right from the microwave into your mouth. Allow the food to cool for several minutes before eating.
- Here are some tips for specific microwaveable snacks:
- Jelly doughnuts, fruit pastries, and pocket-type sandwiches. Break these open before eating. The filling can get very hot and burn your mouth, so open them to let them cool.
- Popcorn. Let the bag sit for several minutes before opening. Steam from the bag can burn your face, eyes, arms, and hands.
For more information on food safety for back to school, visit these links:
Podcasts:
- Back to School Food Safety Update: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Script_Back_to_School_Update/index.asp
- Bag Lunch Preparation for Warm Weather: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Script_Bag_Lunch/index.asp
- Lunchmeat Safety: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Script_Lunchmeat/index.asp
- Safe After School Snacks: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Script_Safe_Snacks/index.asp
Videos:
- Lunchmeat Safety: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZVehBXFCfo&feature=channel_video_title
- Back to School Food Safety: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov1Qo6kwZgM&feature=channel_video_title
Fact Sheet:
- Food Safety Tips for College Students: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Food_Safety_Tips_for_College_Students/index.asp
Is Your Ice Safe?
By Howard Seltzer, National Education Advisor, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, FDA
On average, American consumers buy four bags of packaged ice each year - not surprisingly, 80 percent of it between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Packaged ice may be shaved, cubed, nuggeted, or crushed. It may be made from tap water, spring water, or purified water. But no matter what the shape or the source, ice is considered a food by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). If it is made in one state and sold In another, packaged ice is regulated, as a food. FDA rules require that packaged ice must be produced with properly cleaned and maintained equipment from water that is safe and sanitary, and that it is stored and transported in clean and sanitary conditions.
To make sure you handle packaged ice safely, treat it like it's a food:
At Home
- Use clean, non-breakable utensils to handle ice, such as tongs or an ice scoop
- Avoid touching ice with dirty hands or glasses
- Store ice only in clean containers that are safe for storing food
For Picnics
- Raw foods that will be packed with loose ice in a cooler should be wrapped securely to prevent water from the melting ice from cross-contaminating the foods in the cooler -- for example, carrying juices from raw meat to vegetables
- Put a separate bag of ice in a cooler to use in drinks. Don't use loose ice from a cooler full of raw foods
For Parties
If you plan to pour packaged ice into a tub or sink for guests to use in their drinks:
- First wash the receptacle thoroughly with a mixture of one teaspoon of unscented liquid bleach to a quart of water
- Rinse with clean water
- Let it air-dry or pat dry with fresh paper towels
- Be sure to have several scoops, tongs, or other utensils handy with which your guests can pick up ice without touching it with their hands
When the Power Goes Out
A refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours and a full freezer for about 48 hours if they are not opened. If the power is out for a prolonged period, the best bet to keep food cold in the refrigerator or freezer is dry ice, if you can find it. If you can't, block ice or packaged ice are useful alternatives, but ice will melt, so put them in water-tight receptacles or wrap them in an Intact plastic bag (packaged Ice bags often develop leaks from handling) so that they won't make a mess as they melt.
Keep Food Poisoning from Ruining your Vacation
By Diane Van, Food Safety Education Staff Deputy Director, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
We look forward all year to our summer vacations. Whether you’re camping, hitting the beach, boating, or relaxing in a mountain cabin or beach house, you’ll probably be packing food.
Plan Ahead
When planning meals for a vacation, think about buying shelf-stable foods, such as canned foods, to stay safe. If you are packing perishable foods (meat, poultry, eggs, and salads) for eating on the road or to cook at your vacation spot, plan to keep everything on ice in your cooler. Have plenty of ice or frozen gel-packs on hand before starting to pack food. Consider packing drinks in a separate cooler so the food cooler is not opened frequently. Read last week’s blog to learn more tips on packing a cooler.
Pack Safely
Double wrap or place raw meat and poultry in plastic bags to prevent juices from raw products from dripping on cooked foods, or foods meant to be eaten raw, such as fruits.
For long trips, take along two coolers — one for the day's immediate food needs, such as lunch, drinks or snacks, and the other for perishable foods to be used later in the vacation. Limit the times the cooler is opened. Open and close the lid quickly.
Once your vacation starts, follow these food safety tips:
When Camping
Keep the cooler in a shady spot. Cover it with a blanket, tarp or poncho, preferably one that is light in color to reflect heat.
Always wash your hands before and after handling food, and don't use the same plate and utensils for raw and cooked meat and poultry. Soap and water are essential to cleanliness, so if you are going somewhere that will not have running water, bring it with you. Disposable wipes will do for hands, but you’ll need soap and water for the dishes.
When Boating
If you are boating on vacation, or out for the day, make sure the all-important cooler is along. Don't let perishable food sit out while swimming or fishing. Remember, food sitting out for more than 2 hours is not safe. The time frame is reduced to just 1 hour if the outside temperature is above 90 °F.
When at the Beach
Plan ahead and take along only the amount of food that can be eaten to avoid having leftovers. If grilling, make sure local ordinances allow it.
Bring the cooler! Partially bury it in the sand, cover it with blankets, and shade it with a beach umbrella. Bring along disposable moist towelettes for cleaning hands.
When in the Vacation Home or the Recreation Vehicle
If a vacation home or a recreational vehicle has not been used for a while, check leftover canned food from last year. The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline recommends that canned foods which may have been exposed to freezing temperatures over the winter be discarded.
Also, check the refrigerator. If unplugged from last year, thoroughly clean it before using. Make sure the refrigerator, food preparation areas, and utensils in the vacation home or in the recreational vehicle are thoroughly cleaned with hot soapy water.
For more information on summertime food safety, see:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Food_Safety_While_Hiking_Camping_&_Boating/index.asp
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/High_Altitude_Cooking_and_Food_Safety/index.asp
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Handling_Food_Safely_on_the_Road/index.asp