What You Don’t Know About Food Handling Could Make You Sick
“I’ve heard consumers say that because they are vegetarians they don’t need to be concerned about food poisoning,” says Bonnie Lacroix, an experienced dietitian who has personally answered more than 25,000 consumer inquiries about handling food. “That just isn’t true. Bacteria can multiply quickly in any moist food that is left at room temperature – even prepared oatmeal, cooked rice, vegetables or pasta.”
In fact, a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers the top four foods most likely to cause foodborne illness as mixed dishes (such as sandwiches, casseroles and burritos), greens and vegetable salads, turkey, and fruits and vegetables.
Lacroix, who is currently doing graduate research at the University of Guelph on consumer understanding and behaviour relating to safe food handling continues: “Most people know that raw foods, such as meat, poultry, eggs – and to a less extent, fruits and vegetables – can carry bacteria. But there are also bacteria in the air and on our skin, all of the time. Thus even packaged, canned and cooked foods, once opened, have the potential to become contaminated.”
Canadians tend to greatly underestimate the risk of food-borne illness, with 88 per cent believing they have never been sick as a result of eating contaminated food. But according to Lacroix, there are about 30 deaths and an estimated 2 million cases of food-borne illness each year in Canada. “Anyone who is sick for a day and thinks he has the 24-hour flu is probably suffering from food-borne illness.”
Microorganisms exist all around us and they can easily get into and spoil any food. “But,” Lacroix adds, “we wouldn’t want to live in a sterile world. Many microorganisms are beneficial. We must accept that hazards are always present, but take care to reduce the likelihood that the microorganisms will spoil the food we are going to eat.”
Much of the research and media attention has concentrated on food handling practices at the farm, processor, store or restaurant level, yet it is in the home where many problems occur. A 1999 audit of North American homes found risky situations in two out of three households. The three major violations were cross-contamination between raw and cooked food, failure to adequately wash hands before handling food, and leaving leftovers, such as last night’s pizza, out on the counter.
Habits to Fight BAC!™
BAC™, a mascot of the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education, helps to illustrate some simple habits to adopt in order to reduce the risk of food-borne illness.
CHILL
·Make sure your refrigerator maintains a temperature of 40°F (4°C) or lower. Keep your freezer at 0°F (-18°C).
·Refrigerate or freeze all perishables, including leftover foods, within two hours – or discard.
·Never defrost meat, poultry or fish at room temperature. Defrost in the refrigerator by placing it, in its freezer wrapping, on a tray or plate on the bottom shelf. If using the microwave to defrost, cook immediately.
·Marinate meat, poultry and fish in the refrigerator.
SEPARATE
·Keep raw meats, poultry, fish and eggs away from other foods, including cooked meats or cold cuts, during storage and preparation.
·Take care that juices and marinades from raw meat, poultry and fish do not drip onto other foods.
·When basting meat, poultry or fish during cooking, use fresh marinade. Throw out any used marinade.
·Always keep foods covered during storage.
·Use separate cutting boards for raw meats, poultry and fish; and for vegetables, fruits and breads.
CLEAN
·Use hot soapy water to wash hands, utensils and surfaces before, during and after preparing foods. Don’t forget the underside of the refrigerator door handle.
·Bacteria can grow and multiply in the kitchen sponge if it is not thoroughly washed in hot water and soap immediately after each use.
·After using cutting boards and utensils to prepare raw meat, poultry, fish or eggs, wash thoroughly and sanitize with a mild bleach and water solution.
·Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly, particularly if they will be eaten raw.
·Household pets and even some pet treats carry harmful bacteria, so keep them away from foods. Also be sure you wash your hands after petting your animals or handling their food.
COOK
·Cook meat, poultry, fish and eggs to the recommended safe temperatures.
·Use a meat thermometer, inserted into the centre of the food, to judge doneness. Poultry, ground meats and rolled stuffed steaks and roasts should be cooked to well done. Muscle meats, such as roast beef or steak can be served rare on the inside as bacteria exist only on the surface and are killed when the outer surface is cooked.
·Serve cooked foods immediately so they don’t linger at room temperature.
Chill Out -- Meat and Poultry Handling and Storage Guide