IS MY FOOD SAFE ?

National Food Safety Education Month
"Be Cool - Chill Out! Refrigerate Promptly"

Hey Clay County, September is National Food Safety Education Month (NFSEM), an annual observance to focus attention on the importance of safe food handling and preparation in both home and commercial kitchens. Created by the foodservice industry in 1995, NFSEM is widely supported by federal, state, and local government agencies; the food industry; and consumer organizations. Be Cool- Chill Out! Refrigerate Promptly is this year's theme for NFSEM.

Harmful bacteria grow rapidly in the Danger Zone - the unsafe temperatures between 40 and 140 Degrees Fahrenheit - so it's important to keep food out of this temperature range. In addition, cold temperatures keep most harmful bacteria from growing; therefore, refrigerating food quickly is key!

Here are some helpful tips for keeping cold food cold:

Make sure the temperature in the refrigerator is 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below and 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below in the freezer.
Use a refrigerator/freezer thermometer to check the temperature. Don't overfill the refrigerator. Cool air must circulate to help keep food safe.
Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared food, and leftovers within 2 hours of purchase or preparation, or within 1 hour if the temperature is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Thaw food in the refrigerator. For quick thawing, submerge in cold water in airtight packaging, or thaw in the microwave, and cook the food immediately.
Divide large quantities of leftovers into shallow containers for quicker cooling in the refrigerator.
Marinate food in the refrigerator.
When transporting food, place cold food in a cooler with a cold source such as ice or commercial freezing gels. Keep the cooler in the coolest part of your car, rather than in a hot trunk.

Now, lets put your knowledge of proper refrigeration to the test.

Take the "Fridge Quiz"!


Question 1: Should hot food be placed directly in the refrigerator?

A. Yes

B. No


Here at the Clay County Health Department we have been notified of 6 different food recalls within the last 90 days. When recalls deal with product distributed in this area, then we notify the local retail food establishments. The product in most cases have already been pulled from the shelves; however, in a few cases the local store had not been notified from the distributor.
These recent recalled items included a large variety of lunchmeats, a large variety of dairy products and an investigation in Florida of a Typhoid Fever Outbreak Associated with frozen mamey fruit.

LIST OF WAYS TO REDUCE THE POSSIBILITY OF FOOD BORNE ILLNESS

 1. Keep cold food cold. Refrigeration should be 41 degrees Fahrenheit or colder. Or store at 45 degrees Fahrenheit or colder for 3 days or less.
2. Remember first in first out. Do not keep food in refrigerator for long periods of time.
3. Cook meat products thoroughly to recommended temperatures.
4. Wash hands thoroughly before food prep work and any time during when hands are contaminated.
5. Avoid cross-contamination by washing and sanitizing utensils, working surfaces, and hands after raw meat is prepared and before ready to eat products are handled.
6. Thoroughly wash raw vegetables and fruit before serving or cooking.
7. Use proper quick cooling procedures for large volumes of food to be cooled. (e.g. do not place hot foods in refrigerator that are over 4 inches in depth)


If you have any food safety questions feel free to contact Bill Jay Bruce, Director of Environmental Health, Clay County Health Department 601 East 12th Street Flora, IL., or call (618)-662-4406.