Food Sanitation and
Safety
BAC (foodborne bacteria) could make you and
those you care about sick. In fact, even though
you can’t see BAC—or smell him, or feel him—
he and millions more like him may have
already invaded the food you eat.
Foodborne illness can strike anyone.
People who are at a higher risk for developing
foodborne illness include:
Pregnant
Women
Young
Children
Older Adults
People with
Weakened Immune
Systems
Following these four simple steps are critically
important:
Chill
Clean
Cook
Separate
Chill :
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Is it safe to put hot food directly into the
refrigerator?
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Yes! Separate large amounts of hot food into
shallow containers so the food can cool quicker.
Does refrigeration prevent bacterial growth?
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Frig Quiz!!
No – refrigeration helps slow bacterial growth
At what temperature should you
set your refrigerator?

40° or below
Chill :
According to both the USDA and
the Department of Agriculture,
refrigeration at
40°F or below
is one of the most effective
ways to reduce risk of foodborne
illness.
Microorganisms grow more rapidly at warmer
temperatures, and research shows that keeping a
constant refrigerator temperature of 40°F or below
helps s l o w growth of these harmful microbes.
Chill:
The Cool Rules
“Use This Tool To Keep It Cool” Use a refrigerator
thermometer to be sure the temperature is
consistently 40°F or below.
“The Chill Factor” *Refrigerate or freeze perishables,
prepared foods and leftovers within two hours of
purchase or use. *Always marinate foods in the
refrigerator.
“The Thaw Law” NEVER defrost food at room
temperature or on the kitchen counter!
Thaw food in the refrigerator.
For a quick thaw, submerge in cold water in an airtight
package or thaw in the microwave if you will be cooking
it immediately.
“Divide and Conquer”: Separate large amounts of
leftovers into small, shallow containers for quicker
cooling in the refrigerator.
“Avoid the Pack Attack” Do not over-stuff the
refrigerator. Cold air must circulate
to keep food safe.
“Don’t Go Too Low” As you approach 32°F ice crystals
can begin to form and lower the quality of some foods
such as raw fruits, vegetables and eggs.
“Rotate Before It’s Too Late” Use or discard chilled
foods as recommended in the USDA Cold Storage
Chart found at
http://www.foodsafety.gov/~fsg/f01chart.html.
Goin’ to a Picnic… 
When serving cold food at a buffet, picnic, or
barbecue, keep these “chilling” tips in mind:

Cold foods should be kept at 40° or colder.

Keep all perishable foods chilled right up until serving
time.

Place containers of cold food on ice to make sure they stay
cold.

It’s particularly important to keep custards, cream pies,
and cakes with whipped-cream or cream-cheese frostings
refrigerated. Don’t serve them if refrigeration is not
possible.
140oF
40oF
Clean
How long should you
wash your hands to
send bacteria down
the drain?
a. 5 seconds
b. 10 seconds
c. 15 seconds
d. 20 seconds
Answer: 20 seconds
Wash hands, utensils, and surfaces in hot, soapy water
before and after food preparation and especially after
preparing raw meat, poultry, eggs, or seafood.
Also, remember to wash your hands after using the
bathroom, changing diapers, or handling pets.
Cutting boards (including plastic, non-porous,
acrylic, and wooden boards) should be run
through the dishwasher or washed in hot,
soapy water after each use. Discard boards
that are excessively worn.
Consider using paper towels to clean up
kitchen surfaces. When done, throw away the
towel. If you use cloth towels, wash them often
in the hot cycle of your washing machine.
Fruit & Veggies: Recipe for Safety
Prep the Kitchen — Before preparing fruits and
vegetables, wash your hands and clean your
cutting board and utensils with hot, soapy water.
Add Water — To remove any lingering dirt,
thoroughly wash fresh produce under running
water.
Scrub Thoroughly — Use a vegetable brush to
scrub fruits and vegetables that have firm surfaces
such as potatoes, carrots, etc.
Cut Accordingly — Cut away any damaged or
bruised areas. Bacteria can thrive in these places.
Cook
Safe Cooking Quiz
1. Bacteria in food can be destroyed by thorough
—C—o—
o—
k i—
n g— —.
2. What’s the best way to make sure meat and poultry are
cooked thoroughly?
a. Feel it with your fingers.
b. Judge it by its color.
c. Use a food thermometer.
d. Taste it.
3. After you’re done checking the temperature of a food,
what should you do with the food thermometer before
using it again?
a. Wipe it off with a paper towel.
b. Place it in another food item and check its temperature.
c. Shout “hooray!”
d. Wash the food thermometer in hot, soapy water.
4. Who Am I? I’m an All-American favorite,
especially among kids. Before eating me, make
sure I’m steamy hot.
Hot dog
Cook It Right . . .
Foods are properly
cooked when they are heated for a long enough time and at a
high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria that can
cause foodborne illness. And these temperatures vary,
depending on the food.
. . . And Keep It Hot
On a buffet table, hot foods should be kept at 140° F or
higher. Keep food hot with chafing dishes, crock pots, and
warming trays.
Beef/Pork
• Cook beef roasts and steaks to 145° F for medium rare -160° F for
medium.
• Cook ground beef to at least 160° F.
• Cook raw sausages to 160° F.
• Reheat ready-to-eat sausages to 165° F.
• Cook pork roasts, chops, or ground patties to 160° F for medium, or
170° F for well done.
Poultry
• Cook whole poultry to 180° F.
• Cook chicken breasts to 170° F.
• Cook stuffing to 165° F.
Eggs
• Cook eggs until the yolks and whites are firm.
• Don’t use recipes in which eggs remain raw or only partially cooked.
Fish
• Cook fish until it’s opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
• For food safety reasons, avoid eating uncooked oysters or shellfish.
Leftovers
• When reheating leftovers, heat them thoroughly to at least 165° F.
Separate
Lather Up
Always wash hands, cutting boards,
dishes, and utensils with hot, soapy
water after they come in contact
with raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
Safely Separate
Separate raw meat, poultry, and
seafood from other foods in
your grocery shopping cart
and in your refrigerator.
Take Two
If possible, use one cutting
board for fresh produce and
use a separate one for raw
meat, poultry, and seafood.
Seal It
To prevent juices from raw meat,
poultry, or seafood from dripping
onto other foods in the refrigerator,
place these raw foods in sealed
containers or plastic bags.
Clean Your Plate
Never place cooked food back on
the same plate or cutting board
that previously held raw food.
Marinating Mandate
Sauce that is used to marinate
raw meat, poultry, or seafood
should not be used on cooked
foods, unless it is boiled before applying.
Meat

Meat contains the following nutrients:

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Protein
Iron
Fat
B vitamins
Protein
Protein is made up of building blocks called:
amino acids
When the diet does not contain enough complete
protein, growth stops and muscles weaken.
Iron



Iron is needed to make hemoglobin, which is
present in red blood cells.
Hemoglobin transports oxygen from the lungs
to the cells and removes waste.
When the supply of iron is low, there are too
few red blood cells and a condition known as
anemia occurs.
Fat

Meat also contains fat, which is an essential
nutrient. Often meat contains a thick layer of
fat around the meat muscle, which can be
removed before cooking or eating.
Marbling- small amounts of fat
throughout the lean that provide
tenderness, flavor, and moistness.
more marbling occurs in prime cuts
of meat.
Types of Meats:
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Beef - from cattle over one year in age and
the meat is bright red in color.
Veal – from cattle three to fourteen weeks old
and the meat is pink in color.
Pork – from hogs or pigs usually not more than
one year old. Lean pork is usually grayish pink.
Mutton – from mature sheep and the meat
is dark red.
Lamb – from sheep not more than fourteen
months old and the meat is dark red.
Game – duck, pheasant, etc.
Poultry – chicken, turkey, etc.
Venison – very lean meat from deer.
Variety meats – organs of animals including brain,
liver, kidneys, heart, tongue, etc.
Amount needed per person

Boneless meat (ground beef/hamburger):

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Small amount of bone (steak):
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4-5 servings per pound
3-4 servings per pound
Large amount of bone (spareribs):

1-2 servings per pound
Methods of tenderizing meats:
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Pounding
Grinding
Scoring
Marinating
Preparation methods:

Dry heat – roasting, broiling, grilling

Moist heat – braising, stewing
Meat Vocabulary
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Saute – cooking foods in a small amount of fat
Marinate – to cover in liquid to tenderize and flavor
foods
Marbling – flecks of fat that are visible within the
muscle tissue of meat
Baste – to coat with a liquid to tenderize
Cottagen – tough protein material that forms
connective tissue and holds muscle fibers together
Elastin – another type of connective tissue (gristle)
Papain – enzyme from a papaya used in meat
tenderizers
Meat Storage


Fresh meat should be stored in the
refrigerator (covered) for no longer than 2-4
days.
Ground meat will lose its bright red color, but
is safe to use. If not used within 2-3 days,
wrap and store in the freezer.
Inspection and Grading of
Meat:
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The U.S. government agency responsible for
inspection and grading of meat is the USDA.
They make sure that the meat is safe to eat.
The three general grades of beef are:
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Prime – most expensive and highest quality
Choice – very good quality most commonly found
in supermarkets
Select – good quality also found in supermarkets
Meat cookery:

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Cook meat at a low temperature. The best way to
test for doneness is to use a meat thermometer.
The thermometer should be placed in the center of
the meat away from fat and bones so that you get
an accurate temperature reading.
Salt is added at the end of cooking to help retain
water so that the meat doesn’t dry out.
The safest way to thaw frozen meat is to put it in the
refrigerator. If thawing under cold water or using the
microwave, make sure to cook the meat immediately
after thawing.
Ground Meats
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Ground beef has up to 30% fat
Lean ground beef has up to 22% fat
and is called ground chuck.
Extra lean ground beef has up to
15% fat and is labeled ground round.
To reduce the fat in ground beef
thoroughly drain and rinse beef after cooking.
Cook ground meats until they are no longer
pink to ensure that all bacteria/e.coli is killed.
Poultry

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Poultry is tender and can be cooked using dry heat
methods.
Light meat is leaner and has a
milder flavor than dark meat.
Dark meat is more flavorful and
tender because it contains more fat.
Skins are non-digestible and are high in fat.
Cook poultry and test with a meat thermometer for
an internal temperature of 107° for parts and 180°
for the whole bird. Juices should run clear.
Food Safety Quiz
1.
T or F After buying poultry, you should remove the store wrapping,
wash the meat thoroughly and rewrap it before refrigerating or freezing.
False. Handling raw poultry or meat increases the chance of bacterial infection. Leave the food in the store
wrap to refrigerate. To freeze, add a layer of foil or freezer wrap.
2.
T or F You store an already opened bottle of salad dressing in the
refrigerator. You notice the dressing has become cloudy. You should
discard the dressing because of possible contamination.
False. Oils will last longer (once opened) in the refrigerator. They tend to become cloudy, but quickly
up at room temperature.
3.
clear
T or F Eating rare hamburger is riskier than eating rare steak.
True. Hamburger is chopped meat, that means it has been handled more than the steak. The extra
handling in grinding and cooking makes it more likely to harbor bacteria. It is possible but unlikely for
raw steak to be contaminated.
4.
T or F You usually can tell if a food is contaminated by how it looks,
smells or tastes.
False. A food can be contaminated with dangerous bacteria yet look, taste, and smell perfectly
normal.
5.
_____ Which of these is still safe to eat after sitting at room
temperature for more than two hours? (A) baked potato, (B) meat loaf
wrapped in foil, (C) meat loaf in a pan, (D) boiled rice, (E) none of the
above.
E—None of the above. These are cooked foods and should be kept hot or refrigerated immediately
after mealtime. Bacteria thrives at room temperature. Although rare, cases of potentially fatal
botulism have been reported from baked potatoes left at room temperature too long.
6.
T or F Adding mayonnaise to food increases the risk of food poisoning.
False. Mayonnaise has an undeserved “bad reputation” as a food spoiler. Most mayonnaise contains acid (in
the form of lemon juice or vinegar) and salt, which slow the growth of bacteria. But, like any perishable
food, those containing mayonnaise should be refrigerated to be safe.
7.
_____ Which of these CANNOT be safely stored at room temperature?
(A) An already opened jar of peanut butter, (B) an unopened canned ham,
(C) an opened can of solid shortening. P. S. We assume the peanut
butter will be stored with the lid tightly shut and the shortening will also be
stored with a lid in place
B—the unopened canned ham. Some canned hams are partially cooked in the processing. This means
bacteria might survive until the ham is fully cooked. Fully cooked canned hams can be stored without
refrigeration. How can you tell? Read the label for storage instructions.
6.
T or F When packing foods for a picnic, it’s better to keep the cooler in
the trunk while you travel than in the car.
False. Trunks are heat boxes. The car might be hot from standing in the sun, but while driving either air
conditioning or open windows will cool it. If the car is left standing in the sun on a hot day, food should not
be left in either the trunk or the passenger compartment.
7.
T or F Eggs will stay fresh longer when stored in the refrigerator’s egg
holder than when left in their original container.
False. Store eggs in the original container. Egg holders in refrigerators are usually built into the door and often
do not stay cold enough. The container also helps prevent eggs from picking up the odors of other foods.
Do not wash eggs before storing as this removes a natural firm that protects against spoiling.
8.
T or F You bring raw steaks to the barbecue on a plate and place them
on the barbecue with tongs. When the steaks are finished grilling, it is
NOT safe to remove them with the same tongs or put them back on the
same plate.
True. Remember to assume raw meat and poultry might contain bacteria. This means the tongs and plate
might be contaminated. The grilled steaks might be bacteria free, but reusing the plate or tongs could
infect them. Use a clean plate and tong.