Leaving food out of refrigeration too long can lead to the growth and development of bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enteritidis, and Escherichia coli. These bacteria can cause harmful illnesses. Bacteria grows and spreads most rapidly in environments ranging in temperatures from 40 degrees to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cooking food to a safe temperature helps assure that the food we consume is rid of bacteria and other potential harmful germs. Meat, in particular, needs to be cooked to a certain temperature to assure safe consumption, and the temperature varies from meat to meat, anywhere from 140 degrees to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. All poultry for example, such as turkey, goose, duck, chicken, and so on should be cooked to 165 degrees. Fresh pork and ham should be 145 degrees, as well as fresh veal, lamb, and beef. Egg dishes should be cooked to 160 degrees, and most fin fish should be cooked to 140 degrees.
Food thermometers should be inserted into the meat while it is still cooking over the heat source.
All hot food should remain hot, and all cold food should remain cold. This means keeping hot food in warming trays, steam tables or slow cookers above 140 degrees, and fresh food refrigerated, or on ice below 40 degrees.
You can't see, smell, or taste bacteria, making the preparation that much more important. Even when reheating food it is still important to pay attention to the temperature of the food.
Preparing your food on clean services, separating all raw and uncooked foods from cooked foods is highly important to avoid contamination. Washing hands and all surfaces of the food is important, and so is prompt refrigeration for any left over food.
While the food supply in the United States is very safe it is the most common country for food poisoning, most likely due to the high rate of eating out and restaurant dining that is part of the culture here. Researching into the health and safety of where you buy your food is the easiest thing you can do to prevent illness.
"Safe Minimum Cooking Temperatures." Food Safety. US Department of Health and Human Services, n.d. Google. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. <http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/mintemp.html>.
"Danger Zone Food and Safety Inspection Service." US Department of Agriculture. USDA, n.d. Google. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. <http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/safe-food-handling/danger-zone-40-f-140-f/ct_index>.
"Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart." US Department of Agriculture. USDA, n.d. Google. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. <http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/safe-food-handling/safe-minimum-internal-temperature-chart/ct_index>.
Cooking food to a safe temperature helps assure that the food we consume is rid of bacteria and other potential harmful germs. Meat, in particular, needs to be cooked to a certain temperature to assure safe consumption, and the temperature varies from meat to meat, anywhere from 140 degrees to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. All poultry for example, such as turkey, goose, duck, chicken, and so on should be cooked to 165 degrees. Fresh pork and ham should be 145 degrees, as well as fresh veal, lamb, and beef. Egg dishes should be cooked to 160 degrees, and most fin fish should be cooked to 140 degrees.
Food thermometers should be inserted into the meat while it is still cooking over the heat source.
All hot food should remain hot, and all cold food should remain cold. This means keeping hot food in warming trays, steam tables or slow cookers above 140 degrees, and fresh food refrigerated, or on ice below 40 degrees.
You can't see, smell, or taste bacteria, making the preparation that much more important. Even when reheating food it is still important to pay attention to the temperature of the food.
Preparing your food on clean services, separating all raw and uncooked foods from cooked foods is highly important to avoid contamination. Washing hands and all surfaces of the food is important, and so is prompt refrigeration for any left over food.
While the food supply in the United States is very safe it is the most common country for food poisoning, most likely due to the high rate of eating out and restaurant dining that is part of the culture here. Researching into the health and safety of where you buy your food is the easiest thing you can do to prevent illness.
"Safe Minimum Cooking Temperatures." Food Safety. US Department of Health and Human Services, n.d. Google. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. <http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/mintemp.html>.
"Danger Zone Food and Safety Inspection Service." US Department of Agriculture. USDA, n.d. Google. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. <http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/safe-food-handling/danger-zone-40-f-140-f/ct_index>.
"Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart." US Department of Agriculture. USDA, n.d. Google. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. <http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/safe-food-handling/safe-minimum-internal-temperature-chart/ct_index>.
