BLACKSBURG, Va. – With summer on the horizon, more people are likely getting ready to fire up the grill, host parties, and spend time with friends and family. However, many functions with large amounts of food can be high-risk places for food poisoning. It’s important to maintain food safety and stay aware of how long something has been out, and if it’s time to put it away.
Melissa Wright, the director of the Food Producer Technical Assistance Network in Virginia Tech’s Department of Food Science and Technology, has outlined four key areas that everyone should look out for when maintaining food safety.
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“Safe food handling when eating outdoors is critical.”
Melissa Wright, director of the Food Producer Technical Assistance Network in Virginia Tech’s Department of Food Science and Technology
Clean
Wright reminds everyone to clean both your hands and surfaces thoroughly before food prep. Make sure to wash your hands after handling any raw food, and again before serving, and ensure that your eating surface and serving dishes are clean.
Separate
When prepping, make sure you keep everything separate to prevent contamination. Keep raw meats, raw fruits and veggies, and prepared dishes away from each other.
Cook
Cook everything to its necessary temperature to ensure all food is safe to eat. Here are the safe temperatures for food to be cooked:
- Whole steaks, roasts, pork, and fish: 145°F
- Ground meat: 160°F
- Poultry (ground or whole): 165°F
When cooking, remember not to reuse utensils to handle prepared food unless they have been washed in hot, soapy water.
Control temperature
When everything is cooked, be sure to keep everything at a safe temperature. The “Danger zone” is defined as between 40°F and 140°F, which is when foodborne bacteria can form most efficiently.
The key is to never let your picnic food remain in the “Danger Zone” - between 40°F and 140°F - for more than 2 hours or 1 hour if outdoor temperatures are above 90°F. This is when bacteria in food can multiply rapidly, and lead to foodborne illness.”
Melissa Wright, director of the Food Producer Technical Assistance Network in Virginia Tech’s Department of Food Science and Technology
If food is in the danger zone for more than two hours, it’s recommended that you don’t eat it out of safety concerns.
For the full article from Virginia Tech, click here.