Health News
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom
You might have heard about the recent recall of raw ground turkey from supermarket shelves. Salmonella (a type of bacteria causing food-borne illness) was found during routine testing, with a quick removal from stores. Food contamination does seem to occur more often in ground meats (including poultry, beef, pork, and lamb), and with good reason. It?s not just the uncooked meat that can be affected, but the meat grinders can be loaded with bacteria, easily passed along to the meat.
So, what to do? You don?t have to give up eating your favorite burger, but it?s a good idea to rethink how you?re cooking it. While you don?t need to cook your meat until it?s the texture of shoe-leather, it?s important to follow national guidelines to optimize food safety.
Cooking ground meats kills bacteria, including salmonella, but temperature matters. Skip the visual testing, as in ?it looks done to me?, and use an instant food thermometer. Instant is the key word ? as this type of thermometer registers the temperature in real time. It is definitely a worthwhile purchase that you can use for a variety of cooked foods.
Cook ground meat (beef, pork, veal, lamb) to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. And ground poultry (turkey, chicken) to 165 degrees. This is the temperature that studies show kill bacteria - definitely limiting your risk of food-borne illness.
And one last tip. to further avoid food-borne illness, make sure to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours (within 1 hour if you?re outside and the outdoor temperature is approaching 90).
Simple preventive measures like these can go a long way when it comes to food safety!
What other tips do you have?
- Store Holiday Leftovers Properly For Better Flavor And Food Safety
Leftovers are a great way to stretch your food budget, but proper handling of them is important to make sure they maintain their taste and remain bacteria-free, says the Institute of Food Technologists. In a news release, the institute suggests...
- Lose Power In A Storm? Keep Your Food Safe
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Power outages often accompany big storms. While Hurricane Sandy might not knock out your electricity this time, it?s good to know the basics of food safety related to your refrigerator and freezer. If you don?t already have...
- Safe Outdoor Eating
Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom With the start of the holiday weekend, many of us will be firing up the grill. Is there anything better in the summertime than an outdoor cookout with friends and family? While you?re preparing and cooking your favorites, keep in...
- Beware Of Sprouts!
by Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom "Sprouts? (the nutrient dense version of new plant shoots from the seeds of beans, alfalfa, and radishes) go hand in hand with the term "healthy food." But with new cases of food-borne illness linked to sprouts of all kinds, we...
- ?the 5-second Rule? And Food Safety
by Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Food safety advice is everywhere, and we?re always hearing debates about ?use by dates? and ?sell by dates? as well as the ?right? internal temperature for meat consumption. Yes, food-borne illness is a problem, and we?re always...
Health News
Top Food Safety Tip: Cook It!
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom
So, what to do? You don?t have to give up eating your favorite burger, but it?s a good idea to rethink how you?re cooking it. While you don?t need to cook your meat until it?s the texture of shoe-leather, it?s important to follow national guidelines to optimize food safety.
Cooking ground meats kills bacteria, including salmonella, but temperature matters. Skip the visual testing, as in ?it looks done to me?, and use an instant food thermometer. Instant is the key word ? as this type of thermometer registers the temperature in real time. It is definitely a worthwhile purchase that you can use for a variety of cooked foods.
Cook ground meat (beef, pork, veal, lamb) to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. And ground poultry (turkey, chicken) to 165 degrees. This is the temperature that studies show kill bacteria - definitely limiting your risk of food-borne illness.
And one last tip. to further avoid food-borne illness, make sure to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours (within 1 hour if you?re outside and the outdoor temperature is approaching 90).
Simple preventive measures like these can go a long way when it comes to food safety!
What other tips do you have?
- Store Holiday Leftovers Properly For Better Flavor And Food Safety
Leftovers are a great way to stretch your food budget, but proper handling of them is important to make sure they maintain their taste and remain bacteria-free, says the Institute of Food Technologists. In a news release, the institute suggests...
- Lose Power In A Storm? Keep Your Food Safe
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Power outages often accompany big storms. While Hurricane Sandy might not knock out your electricity this time, it?s good to know the basics of food safety related to your refrigerator and freezer. If you don?t already have...
- Safe Outdoor Eating
Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom With the start of the holiday weekend, many of us will be firing up the grill. Is there anything better in the summertime than an outdoor cookout with friends and family? While you?re preparing and cooking your favorites, keep in...
- Beware Of Sprouts!
by Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom "Sprouts? (the nutrient dense version of new plant shoots from the seeds of beans, alfalfa, and radishes) go hand in hand with the term "healthy food." But with new cases of food-borne illness linked to sprouts of all kinds, we...
- ?the 5-second Rule? And Food Safety
by Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Food safety advice is everywhere, and we?re always hearing debates about ?use by dates? and ?sell by dates? as well as the ?right? internal temperature for meat consumption. Yes, food-borne illness is a problem, and we?re always...