Five Sources of Food Poisponing That Will Surprise You!

5. Fresh Raw Produce  

• Animal waste contaminates produce in the field                              
• Contaminated farm equipment; unsanitary storage facilities
• Wash foods well before cut for salad; wash foods like melons before cutting in to them

4. Your Counter Top and Sponge 

• Easy for home counters, sponges and cutting boards to become contaminated
• Clean counter tops with antibacterial spray  
• Replace sponges, wash cloths and kitchen towels often; allow dishes to air dry
• Use color coded cutting boards: at least one for meats and one for fresh veggies and fruits; do not stack cutting boards in storage

3. Barbeques    

• Luke Warm “Cold” Foods
• Cold foods (e.g. potato salads, macaroni salad, etc.) should be kept below 40F; food left out should not be eaten after 1 hour
• Cross contamination between barbeque plates
• Use separate plates for raw and cooked foods and different utensil for turning and removing cooked meat

2. Leftovers

• Please see table for keeping time of leftovers; for large amounts of leftovers, store right away in shallow pans
• When leftovers are not reheated to above 165 F for 15 seconds

1. Your Hands and the Hands of Others

• The Norovirus is often spread person to person or in food handling
• Laws about proximity and accessibility of hand washing facilities
• Washing hands at home in between handling 

Food Safety Facts

1.       Food borne diseases cause about 76 million illnesses (about 1 in every 4 Americans) and 5,000 deaths in the US each year.

2.       Freezing does not kill bacteria

·         Freezing will only  slow bacterial growth                               

3.       About ½ of the food poisoning outbreaks were sourced at a restaurant (CDC: 1998-2002)

·         About 20%of outbreaks begin at home                 

·         7% originate in school or work place cafeterias

4.       The majority of food borne illness is carried by a mixed dish (not a single food; about 56% of outbreaks with a known origin)

o   Fresh veggies are responsible for about 3-4 time more outbreaks of food borne illness than eggs!

o   36% of food poisoning outbreaks have an unknown vehicle (the experts don’t know what kind of food it came from!)

o   Poultry causes more outbreaks than any other protein 

5.       Food borne disease can be caused by bacterial, viral, or parasitic or chemical contamination.

6.       Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points HACCP is the system used by facilities to maintain the safety of food

General Food Safety Tips

1. Keep hands clean
2. Cook meats, especially ground meats thoroughly
3. Keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot before serving
• Hot foods must be kept at a temperature of 140F or higher before serving
• Refrigerator temperature is between 35-40F- bacteria grow the slowest temperature--a packed frig will become warmer due to poor air circulation

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5510a1.htm?s_cid=ss5510a1_e#tab8