The Food Safe Consumer

Who Needs Food Safety Education?

Results from the Food Marketing Institute's 1997 Trends survey show that 69% of the consumers surveyed consider food spoilage to be the greatest food safety threat, with only 17% citing bacterial contamination as a problem. Unsanitary handling and processing/preparation of foods barely ranked. Consumers have a limited knowledge of food safety issues, which in turn can affect their food handling practices. In fact, improper food handling at the point of preparation accounts for the largest number of foodborne illness outbreaks in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 97% of foodborne illnesses could be prevented by simply washing hands and improving food handling practices. So simply put, everyone who handles food needs to know safe food handling practices.

Upon completing the lesson, you should be able to:

• Identify the best defense against foodborne illness.
• List at least eight of the ten common consumer-based causes of foodborne illness.
• State the correct formula for making a sanitizing solution at home.
• Identify the correct type of cutting board to be used in food preparation.
• Identify three or more areas in the kitchen that need to be routinely sanitized.
• List at least three ways to ensure that cold foods stay cold in transit from the store to home.
• State the recommended temperatures for the refrigerator and freezer.
• List three storage procedures that keep perishable foods (fresh, frozen and leftovers) safe.
• Describe three safe methods for thawing foods.
• Describe three or more ways that cross-contamination can be avoided.
• State the minimum internal temperature required for the following cooked foods to be safe:

  ground meat;

  poultry.

• Identify the maximum period of time that turkey may be held at room temperature immediately following cooking.
• State the proper procedure for reheating leftovers.

Common Food Safety Mistakes at Home

The ten most common food safety mistakes (Plating It Safe: A Market-to-Mealtime Checklist to Help Keep Food Safe, the National Association of County Health Officials, the Beef Board and the Beef Industry Council of the Meat Board, 1994) follow:

• Counter top thawing.
• Leftovers left on the counter.
• Unclean cutting board.
• Marinating at room temperature.
• Excess lag time from the store to refrigerator.
• Using the same platter for raw and cooked meats.
• Restaurant doggie bag delay in refrigeration.
• Using the same spoon to stir and taste.
• Shared knife for raw meat and vegetables.
• Hide-and-eat Easter eggs left unrefrigerated.

Internet Activity: Visit the National Cattlemen's Beef Association web page at http://www.beef.org and scroll down to Safety in right column. Click on Fighting the Problem of Foodborne Illness. Scroll down the Fight BAC page and click on The Problem of Foodborne Illness. Next click on the bullet, Foodborne Illness: A Constant Challenge. Now click on The Costs of Foodborne Illness.

Let's see how we can prevent these faux pas (mistakes) and look at food safety tips for maintaining a clean kitchen. Purchasing, storing, preparing, serving and handling leftovers will be highlighted.

Maintaining a clean kitchen takes time and energy. But it's worth it to reduce the number of illnesses your family and friends come down with as a result of poor sanitation. We all want to prepare wholesome food, that has been handled, stored and prepared in a way that reduces the risk of contamination with disease-causing microorganisms or chemicals.

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture. The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. Information and Graphics on this site are copyright protected by LSU Agricultural Center's Louisiana Cooperative Extension Services, 1999. For more information on the EFNEP program, contact EFNEPMail@agcenter.lsu.edu.