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Food safety
- July 30, 2008 11:18 AM |
- By Your Voice
Whether you're barbecuing with friends or making dinner for the family, preparing food is a great way to bring people together. But are you taking the necessary safety precautions?
What is the best way to prevent spoiling? What meats need to be cooked well-done to avoid illness?
Bonnie Lacroix has a BSc(HEc) from Macdonald College of McGill, a certificate in Food Science and PhD in consumer food safety and risk communication from the University of Guelph.
Bonnie Lacroix
On Friday, August 1 she took your questions on nutrition and food safety.
Read her answers below.
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Comments (10)
I want to use my crock-pot more, however, I will need to defrost the meat the night before. Is it safe to defrost the meat and place it in the fridge to use the next day?
Bonnie Lacroix: Hi Susie:
Experts agree that thawing most meats in the refrigerator is the safest way and that meat should be thawed before cooking in a crock pot. Once thawed, the meat should be cooked. Also, consider the size of the meat as a large cut or several pieces frozen together will take longer to thaw and may (or may not) be thawed overnight &
#&151; individual chicken breasts or legs will thaw more quickly than a whole chicken.
Enjoy the meals from your crock pot — and remember to keep the lid on the pot while cooking!
I believe high protein foods, such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy are more prone to be contaminated with a food poisoning bug. Is this the same for soya products?
Bonnie Lacroix: Hi Anne:
Any food or water source can become contaminated with a food poisoning bug (called a pathogen). The problem is that the bugs can’t be seen by the naked eye, so safe handling for all foods is a must.
The situation is further complicated in that some of the nastiest pathogens can cause illness when present in very small amounts and some people are more susceptible to illness or complications than others. People most at risk are young children, pregnant women, older people and those whose immune system is compromised by chronic illness or other factors.
Can I cook fresh chiccken to medium to reserve juicyness?
Bonnie Lacroix: Hi Albert:
You are correct in assuming that overcooked chicken is dry. However, the best way to ensure your chicken is juicy —yet safe — is to use a thermometer. The internal temperature of the chicken and ground chicken should be 74°C (165°F).
After pan-cooking the ground beef, how long can we keep it outside without putting it on the fridge ?
Bonnie Lacroix: Hi Hakan:
The general recommendation is to refrigerate foods — that would include cooked ground — beef within 2 hours.
If the surrounding area (like the kitchen) is hot then the recommendation is to refrigerate sooner (within an hour of cooking) if not served immediately.
Should packaged meat be rinsed before cooking?
Bonnie Lacroix: Hi JD,
Rinsing meat is not necessary as the heat of cooking is expected to kill any pathogens present.
Many people continue to rinse meat; however, they run the risk of actually spreading microbes around the kitchen — in the sink where the water drains, on the tap when they turn the water off, on the towel where they dry their hands, on the counter where the water splashes… you get the picture.
Hi
If i am grinding my own beef for burgers is it safe to serve it medium or medium-rare
Hi Dave:
It matters little who grinds the meat. If the meat is contaminated on the outside, grinding mixes everything together. I make my own patties by grinding the meat because I get to add the ingredients in the amounts that I want.
The way to ensure your burgers are safe (and juicy) is to use a thermometer for each burger. The colour of the interior is a poor indicator of safety because it is unreliable. Use a quick-read digital thermometer inserted in the side of the burger patty (hold the patty with tongs). The digital thermometer should not to be confused with a meat thermometer that is inserted in a roast while cooking in the oven. The internal temperature of the patty for safety should be 71°C (160°F).
Hi Bonnie,
If the freshness of meat is not fully known, that is if it is possible that its freshness is less than ideal, how effective is thorough cooking to remove the risk of illness? What pathogens remain after thorough cooking? What health risks do they present? What overall level of risk remains? What meats present higher risk?
Thanks,
Paul
Bonnie Lacroix: Hi Paul,
I am not sure what you mean by “fully known.” The questions you ask are the basis for a Safe Hood Handling 101 course and they are good questions. At the risk of oversimplification, here are some brief answers to your questions.
Freshness is often a quality issue — the fresher the better. Foods have a finite shelf life. Fresh meats last only a few days — generally the smaller the piece (as in ground meat) the shorter the time (use within 24 hours or freeze for future use). Pathogens likely to be on meat are usually killed by sufficient heat in cooking. Health risks of cooked foods including meats are likely due to contamination after cooking or cross contamination from another food, utensil, work surface, or person handling the food. Any food contaminated with an infectious dose of a pathogen presents a risk for illness and complications.
Now there are many different types of cutting boards which area available for use (wood and synthetic). I have heard that wood boards are better for health reasons when used for cutting meat. Is this the case, or are the new plastic boards better?
Bonnie Lacroix: Hi Richard:
The controversy continues. My take on the wooden versus plastic cutting board is the condition of the board in question is more important.
Get a new one (or several) if your cutting board is not in good repair that is free of deep cuts, nicks, grooves, or breaks which could harbour pathogens. If you want to be able to put your boards through the dishwasher, then plastic would be a better choice. There are also boards that are colour coded (green for uncooked foods such as salad ingredients; red for meats etc.). I use both wood and synthetic in my kitchen.
From a safety point of view, washing the board after use, not merely wipe it off, is more important.
Summer and Potato salad a perfect combination, but what about the mayonnaise? What are the tips for handling mayonnaise based dishes? Is there a difference between using mayo or a salad dressing with regards to food safety?
Bonnie Lacroix: Hi Lance:
Let’s bust the myth that mayonnaise causes food poisoning. Commercial mayonnaise actually has a relatively low pH or acidity level but the acidity is not high enough to use to protect foods.
Keep mayonnaise-based dishes cool — set the salad bowl in a larger bowl of crushed ice on your backyard buffet table, for instance. Put out limited quantities at a time and replenish with chilled salad from the refrigerator in a clean bowl. The difference between salad dressing and mayonnaise has to do with the ingredients used to make each.
How long can you leave leftovers in the fridge before eating them? Could you please assume that they have meat in them that was fully cooked.
Thanks
Betty
Bonnie Lacroix: Hi Betty:
Leftovers can usually keep safely in your refrigerator for a few days. If you haven’t eaten the food within four days, toss it as you are unlikely to eat it before it grows blue things (then definitely discard).
One way is to divide the leftovers into sizes you are likely to use and freeze what you won’t eat up quickly. One thing to remember is to put foods in a shallow (rather than a deep) container when refrigerating leftovers. This allows all the food, including the centre, to cool to a safe temperature quickly.