As June comes to a close, so does the Carod Properties National Home Safety Month blog series. We have shared valuable information on mold, child-proofing, and safety while away from home. Hopefully, you’ve gained some useful knowledge or reinforced knowledge you already possessed. To bring the series to a close we’d like share important tips on food safety, at home.
It seems like a week doesn’t go by when there’s not a news report of an E.coli outbreak or a salmonella scare. It’s frightening how many recalls there are a year on packaged food, not to mention the worries of food safety in restaurants. So, although America is a fast food nation, in fact we love convenience of any kind, many are preparing more meals at home and even growing their own! But, there’s still the issue of food safety. How can you protect yourself and your family from foodborne illness around your own table? Here are some tips:
- Start at the store—Check for: cleanliness, keep your foods separated in the cart, check cans for bulges and dents (damaged cans affect the integrity and lessen ability for the sterilization process have the intended effectiveness), inspect frozen foods packaging also (should not be damaged or have signs of frost or ice crystals), choose fresh eggs carefully (not just cracks, but clean and refrigerated); & be mindful of time and temperature (make your grocery shopping your last stop and put foods away immediately upon returning home; food safety experts suggest a 2-hour rule because harmful bacteria can multiply in the danger zone—40ᵒ and 120ᵒF—perishable food should not be left at room temperature for more than 2 hours)
- Wash your hands—proper hand hygiene can prevent nearly half of causes of foodborne illnesses
- Prevent cross-contamination—Cross-contamination is the physical movement of harmful bacteria; don’t have different food types in the same area, especially raw (like cutting boards, use different ones for different things or thoroughly sanitize in between uses)
- Don’t prepare food if ill—This seems simple enough, but the turned head to avoid coughing on the food is not enough…just go out that day or delegate the duties to someone else
- Temperature—Cook food to proper doneness, don’t leave food out/refrigerate (bacteria begin to form as cooked food begins to come to room temperature)
- Use proper storage—FDA does not require an expiration date for shelf-stable food…use good judgement, read labels and follow suggestions on how food should be stored, date foods you separate and package personally
If you’re going to do better, you must know better. As you can see, you don’t have to be a domestic goddess and grow and can your own food to ensure you know that you’re feeding your family healthy, safe food. You do, however, need to take some precautions so that what you are feeding them—from your home garden or your local grocery—won’t harm, just nourish! Stay safe!
