Food Safety: Don't Let Foodborne Sickness Spoil the Party

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You are cooking to impress. You are so busy focusing on your extraordinary menu that you didn’t notice one invisible, uninvited guest: bacteria. It didn’t even knock! But you’ve invested too much talent and valuable time for your guests to go home with food poisoning.

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Here's how to throw a great party, with no regrets involved.

Clean Up

Foodborne bacteria covet cutting boards, utensils, sponges, countertops and hands, says the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE).

Fight back the simplest way, and wash up.

Test Your IK

(Your "In Kitchen" Smarts)

How well do you follow these basic guidelines?

You use one cutting board for fresh produce, another for raw meat, poultry and seafood.
You don’t return cooked food to whence it came in its raw state. Instead, you use a new plate.
You put meat, poultry and seafood in protective, sealed bags to alleviate in-fridge dripping.
You boil or toss marinade once it has been in contact with raw meat.
You reheat sauces, soups and gravies to a rolling boil.
You use a clean food thermometer to ensure foods are cooked all the way through. Bacteria need time and the right temperature to be happy.
You know that microwaves can leave cold spots in food where bacteria can survive. So you cover food, stir and rotate for even cooking.
You own chafing dishes or warmers that keep hot food above 140 degrees during the party.
You don't let anyone eat food that has stayed above 40 degrees or below 140 degrees for longer than two hours — or for half that time if the room is very warm.

Wash your hands — always for at least 20 seconds — after using the bathroom or after changing diapers or petting your lovable pets. The FDA says up to 20 percent of us don’t wash hands and surfaces before preparing food.
Wash all utensils in hot, soapy water before and after food preparation and especially after preparing raw meat, poultry, eggs, or seafood.
Run cutting boards (including plastic, non-porous, acrylic) through the dishwasher, or wash in hot, soapy water after each use. Keep in mind that many wooden boards and utensils, because they’re porous, can't be cleaned to standards. They also don’t hold up well in dishwashers. If wood appeals, consider using a wooden board for fruit, vegetables or breads; plastic boards for meats. Always buy a new board if yours is excessively worn.
On a cutting or counter surface, use a disinfectant or bleach and water mixture for added “oomph.” You don’t want to ingest harmful chemicals, so read labels for cautions about use in food-prep areas. Rinse thoroughly with clean water and allow the surface to dry naturally and completely before the next use.
Sanitize your kitchen sink drain, disposal and connecting pipe: What you can’t see can cause problems.
Use paper towels to clean kitchen surfaces; wipe, then throw away. Sure, cloth towels are tempting when in reach, but risky. If you use them, wash frequently on “hot” in your washing machine.
Scour your meat thermometer after each use.

Get it Hot

Reaching the right temperature inside your meat is crucial for beating the belly blues. Don’t guess! Use that thermometer to match the following chart from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA):

Product	°F
Eggs & Egg Dishes
Eggs	Cook until yolk and white are firm
Egg dishes	160
Ground Meat & Meat Mixtures
Turkey, chicken	165
Veal, beef, lamb, pork	160
Fresh Beef
Medium Rare	145
Medium	160
Well Done	170
Fresh Veal
Medium Rare	145
Medium	160
Well Done	170
Fresh Lamb
Medium Rare	145
Medium	160
Well Done	170
Fresh Pork
Medium	160
Well Done	170
Poultry
Chicken, whole	180
Turkey, whole	180
Poultry breasts, roast	170
Poultry thighs, wings	180
Stuffing (cooked alone or in bird)	165
Duck & Goose	180
Ham
Cooked from raw	160
Pre-cooked (to reheat)	140
Fin Fish	Cook until opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
Shrimp, Lobster, Crab	Should turn red and flesh should become pearly opaque.
Scallops	Should turn milky white or opaque and firm.
Clams, Mussels, Oysters	Cook until shells open.

Fabulous Fruit and Veggies

When getting your daily Fab Five:

Thoroughly wash fresh produce under running water.
Use a vegetable brush to scrub “firm-surfaced” veggies, like potatoes or carrots.
Remove damaged or bruised areas where bacteria can thrive.

Keep it Cold

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) reminds us that refrigeration at 40° or below is critical to preventing food-borne contamination: Trust a fridge thermometer.

Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared foods and leftovers within two hours of purchase or use. Marinate foods in the refrigerator.
Don’t defrost at room temperature — thaw in the refrigerator. For a quick thaw, submerge in cold water in an airtight package or thaw in the microwave if you will be cooking it immediately.
Separate large amounts of leftovers into small, shallow containers for quicker cooling in the refrigerator. Don’t over-stuff the refrigerator. Allow cold air to circulate, or temperatures can rise to bacteria’s liking.
Discard aging foods as recommended in the USDA Cold Storage Chart found here(please visit HousekeepingChannel.com from a wired computer to access this link).

Your guests know you’re a superb chef. You know you’re a smart one too. Bon appétit!

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Don't Let Foodborne Sickness Spoil the Party: Created on February 10th, 2006. Last Modified on January 21st, 2014

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Don't Let Foodborne Sickness Spoil the Party