The Midwest United States is under a heat dome that is causing triple-digit temperatures and heat-wave conditions. Among the health warnings and weather advisories, there is an oft-overlooked heat-related concern: food safety issues. Here are tips to avoid food-borne illness from heat-tainted foods.
The FDA, in conjunction with FoodSafety.gov has compiled a food handling guide with special summer precautions. There are four rules of thumb that if followed, can prevent many illnesses from tainted food.
* Wash hands between each step of food preparation. Use hot water and sanitizing soap. Wash hands, under nails and up the arm.
* Avoid cross-contamination. Clean surfaces between each step of preparation. If you are making hamburgers and preparing vegetables, wash surfaces (counters, cutting board, knives, utensils) after contact with each food. Wash surfaces with a bleach disinfectant. Use hot water.
* Cook raw foods, especially meat, to proper internal temperatures. Here is a meat cooking guide. This is especially important when grilling. It's more difficult to adjust the flame and control the heat in a gas or charcoal grill or wood fire.
* Refrigerate promptly. Extremely hot weather breeds more bacteria. Food spoils more quickly. Food-borne illnesses spread faster in hot, humid weather. Opened food should not sit out for more than fifteen minutes in extremely hot weather. Of special risk are dairy products, milk, cheese, eggs, condiments, mayonnaise and meat. At a picnic or buffet, keep these foods on ice or in a cooler.
Here are other food safety tips:
* Expiration dates don't reflect weather conditions. Mold sets in more quickly in baked goods and vegetables. Use perishable items, like meat, bread, dairy products, fruit and vegetables well before the expiration date. If food looks spoiled or smells funny, don't take chances. Discard or return to the store if the expiration date hasn't passed.
* Discard leftovers promptly. Don't consume leftover opened food from outdoor picnics or BBQs. If you bring food to the beach, discard leftovers immediately. Even packaged foods like chips, fruit, sandwiches, cookies, beverages, vegetables and snacks, get contaminated. Foods opened to the elements can easily become contaminated. Insects land on food. Salmonella contamination is spread quickly outdoors. Beaches are a prime target for E. coli.
* Insects thrive in hot weather. Meal worms love breakfast cereal and grains. Freeze or refrigerate these items to prevent spoilage.
* Rinse produce especially potatoes, onions, lettuce, spinach, apples, peaches and berries. If you peel produce, rinse before and after, to avoid contamination from preparation. Rinse meat. Remove the skin from poultry. Food-borne bacteria gets trapped under the skin. Rinse the chicken in warm water after you have cleaned it.
Marilisa Kinney Sachteleben writes about weather conditions, especially weather-related health and wellness concerns.
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