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Food Safety
Guidelines for Community Meals and Gatherings
Bowling Green,
(November, 2011)
– According to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, food-borne disease
causes illness in about 1 out of 6 US-Americans, 128,000
hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths each year. If you are
planning an upcoming community dinner or family gathering, one
must understand the importance of safe food preparation,
handling, and service.
When organizing a community dinner be sure to select a reliable
person to be in charge, one who can oversee preparation, service
and who will contact the local health department in regards to
any rules and regulations for serving food to large groups.
Be sure to select a location which can accommodate your food
preparation and storage needs. Does the location provide ovens,
refrigerators, freezers, source of clean water and adequate
holding equipment?
Ensure that family members and or volunteers wash their hands
with soap and water for at least 20 seconds prior to handling
food during any stage of preparation. Use separate work areas
for raw and cooked food, and never place cooked food back on the
same plate or cutting board that held raw food.
When cooking food for large group gatherings, be sure to
defrost food properly. You should thaw food in the
refrigerator. Allow approximately 1 day for every 4 to 5 pounds
when thawing in a refrigerator. Never thaw food at room
temperature; never thaw food in the microwave unless
it will be cooked immediately afterward.
You should cook food to the safe minimum internal temperatures
using a food thermometer to check the temperatures of meat,
poultry and casseroles. Poultry should be cooked to a minimum
safe internal temperature of 165oF. Reheat food
thoroughly to 165oF or until hot and steaming, reheat
gravies and sauces until they come to a boil.
Never partially cook food for finishing later because this could
increase the risk of bacteria growth.
Transport food safely by keeping hot food HOT and cold food
COLD. Avoid the temperature “Danger Zone”; which is between 41oF
and 135o F. Place hot foods in an insulated
container and cold foods in a cooler with a cold source such as
ice. Keep cold food in refrigerators, coolers or on ice,
remember cold food should be held at 40oF or colder.
Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator between 3 to 4 days at
40o F or below and for 4 to 6 months in a freezer at
0o F or below. Keep hot food in heated chaffing
dishes, preheated steam tables or slow cookers after they have
reached minimum internal temperatures.
Brad Espen,
Environmental Health Director, states that in order to be food
safe, one must remember the four following words “CLEAN,
SEPARATE, COOK and CHILL”. CLEAN your hands, utensils and
surfaces before preparation. SEPARATE raw and cooked foods and
use multiple stations for food preparation to avoid
cross-contamination. COOK food to proper internal temperatures
using a thermometer to ensure safe temperatures are reached.
Attempt to reduce time between cooking and serving to avoid
growth of harmful bacteria. CHILL leftover food promptly, using
small food safe containers and keep refrigerators at or below 40o
F. Remember when in doubt, throw it out!
Observing these friendly food safety reminders can help ensure
that any family or community gathering is safe for all those
attending.
For additional information on food safety and community
gatherings, please contact the Wood
County Health Department toll free at
866-861-9338.
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