Food Safety Tips for Summer

Summer Food Safety Tips

Can you believe it’s already July? Summers here in the Midwest fly by, and that means spending as much time outdoors as possible. It’s important to enjoy the sunshine and warmth while we can! Which includes picnics and outdoor barbecues. However, the warm climate also creates the perfect opportunity for harmful foodborne bacteria to thrive. Follow these tips to keep your family and friends safe from foodborne illness this summer!

 

But first, understanding the “Temperature Danger Zone”

The temperature of your food is closely related to how safe it is to eat. Illness-causing bacteria multiply at high rates between the temperatures of 41F and 135F, which is why we call that range the “Temperature Danger Zone”. The goal is to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold; the latter being particularly important in the warm summer months. Be aware of foods that need temperature control for safety, which include meats, dairy products, cut fruits, and cut vegetables.

Tip 1: Keep an eye on the clock

Make note of what time you put food out for your outdoor gathering. All perishable foods, hot or cold, should be consumed within two hours of sitting out. That rule of thumb changes to one hour if the temperatures are 90F+.

Tip 2: Have more than one cooler

In July, coolers are a lifesaver for keeping cold foods cold. They are most effective if kept in the shade and opened as few times as possible. This means that having a cooler designated for drinks is key! Who doesn’t want an ice-cold drink on a hot July day? The more you open the cooler, the faster the temperature will rise inside. Having two separate coolers means enjoying your beverages throughout the event, while also keeping your food safely chilled.

Tip 3: Grill to the safe internal temperature

The grill takes center stage during the summer months, and temperatures are important in the cooking process as well. One of the most important tools for grilling is a meat thermometer! Grilled meats tend to turn dark and appear done on the outside quickly, but it’s important to check the internal temperature to ensure that your protein is safe to eat. Follow this chart to determine doneness:

Fish                                                      145 °F
Steaks, roasts and chops                      145 °F
Hamburgers (ground beef/pork)             160 °F. 
All poultry                                              165 °F 
Fully cooked meats (hot dogs, ham)       165 °F 

Serve your hot grilled items as soon as they are ready! 

Tip 4: Separate raw from cooked

Bacteria can spread from one food to another, so it’s best to keep your raw meats separate from everything else. Have two plates and two sets of utensils on hand. Have a plate and utensils designated for handling raw meat. Once fully cooked, use a new set of utensils to transfer the meat onto a clean plate or platter. If you are using a marinade prior to grilling, always throw the leftover marinade away. It cannot be used again once the raw meat touches it!

Take full advantage of the warmth and sunshine in these summer months! But don’t forget the importance of keeping the food safe for you and your loved ones. We wish you a happy and healthy summer season!

 

– Jess, MPPD, RDN, LD

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World Food Safety Day 2022 – Tips for Shopping, Storing and Preparing Food

World Food Safety Day

World Food Safety Day is June 7, 2022.

Food safety starts in your shopping cart. Keep produce separate from meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs in your shopping cart and in your grocery bags. Find more do’s and don’ts below and on the FDA Website

Learning the do’s and don’ts of food-safe meal prep can help prevent foodborne illness. Start putting them into practice to protect you and your family. For more information, visit the FDA Website

Tips For Reducing Food Waste

Let’s talk food waste.

Many families stocked up on groceries in the beginning of this pandemic and are now doing their best to limit extra trips to the grocery store. Although we may be enjoying more meals at home with our family, many of us are also struggling with food waste. Below are some great tips to keep your produce lasting longer, plus we’re sharing a delicious recipe that can have dinner on your table in less than 20 minutes!

Proper Storage

Clean and organize your fridge. Simply organizing your refrigerator may help you from wasting food. Always be sure that your food is visible! If you can’t see it- you’ll likely forget about it and it will spoil before you find it again. When bringing home groceries, always be sure the older items are closer to the front, and the newer items in the back. We call this the FIFI Method (First in, First Out).

Where do I store what?

When it comes to fresh produce, it can be tricky to know what items to store where in order for them to last longer. Here is a breakdown:

  • On the Counter
    • Bananas
    • Cucumbers (FYI -if you store them in the fridge, they are best within about 3 days.)
    • Garlic
    • Grapefruit
    • Lemons/Limes
    • Onions
    • Potatoes
    • + others
  • In the Fridge:
    • Apples
    • Asparagus
    • Berries
    • Cherries
    • Leafy Greens
    • Cilantro
    • + others

Don’t forget about ethylene producing foods! Apples, Avocado, Bananas, Cantaloupe, tomatoes, + more give off an ethylene gas. Be careful to place to not store these items next to each other or other ethylene sensitive produce items like cucumbers, lemons/limes, potatoes and grapes. Why does it matter? Produce that is stored incorrectly, will spoil quickly!

Plan your Weekly Menu

We’ve created a great Meal Planning Guide that will walk you through the HOW to meal plan, AND it even gives you a 7 day meal plan including recipes and shopping lists! (Can you say, “Yes, please!”)

Since we are all home more often, don’t forget to have a plan for breakfasts, lunches, and even snacks.

My favorite tip: Check your inventory (the refrigerator, freezer and pantry!) Plan your meals with the food that you already have on hand. For example, if you already have sweet potatoes, frozen corn, and a can of black beans, you already have some of the main ingredients for a simple recipe like our Southwestern Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

And if you REALLY want to make grocery shopping and meal planning easy… shop ONLINE from your HOME! It’s the best of both worlds…check your inventory as you shop and only purchase what you need! (Shop in-store or order online for pickup at all locations! (Or delivery if you are in the St. Cloud or Elk River area!

Featured Recipe Southwestern Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

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How does Date Labeling Impact Food Waste?
 
We’ve turned to Kim, our Food Safety and Nutrition Manager, Registered Dietitian to talk about this.

Do you ever wonder when you go grocery shopping “what do those dates on the packages actually mean”? Best if Used By, Sell By, Use By….what are these dates telling us?? Well, let me help explain.

Product dating is truly up to each manufacturer. Federal regulations actually do not require food products to be labeled with a date, with the exception of baby formula. If a food manufacturer does choose to date a product, this is where the requirements kick in. If using a calendar date, it must include both the month and the day. They must also include a year if it is a shelf stable or frozen item. In addition, this date needs to include a statement such as “Sell By”, “Use By”, etc.

 Interesting Tidbit – Although Federal regulations do not require dating on product labels, dating of select food items is required in 20 or so states, Minnesota and North Dakota are among those.

Product dating can be presented in basically two ways. Either through what is called Open Dating or Closed Dating. Open Dating is essentially calendar dating which is easily understood by the consumer. As I talked about earlier, this will include a month and a date and often the year. Closed Dating, on the other hand, also known as coded dating, is just that….a code. These codes can be presented in various forms including random numbers and letters which are not intended for the consumer to understand. These codes allow the manufacturers to track their products and may often represent the date of production, which manufacturing plant the product was produced in, etc.

A little more about open dating and the words typically used (from USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service):

  • Sell By – tells the store how long to display the product for sale. You should buy the product before the date expires.
  • Best if Used By – recommended for best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.
  • Use By – is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. The date has been determined by the manufacturer of the product.

As stated above these dates refer to the quality of the product not the safety which is a common misconception. Foods impacted by spoilage bacteria may exhibit changes in flavor and appearance and may have an off odor, these products should not be used due to poor quality. It is important to note that spoilage bacteria do not impact the safety of the food. Pathogens (organisms that will make you sick) do not give off any odors nor do they make food taste or look badly. It is also important to remember that mishandling of the product can cause rapid bacterial growth and if pathogens are present at even the slightest level this mishandling can cause the levels to grow and then foodborne illness can result. So, it is very important to handle foods properly, specifically those food items that are perishable (requiring refrigeration). Some examples of mishandling include:

  • Allowing product to sit too long in the Danger Zone..…remember “The Danger Zone”?? this is from 41°F-140°F
  • Thawing product at room temperature – this should always be done under refrigeration or if in a hurry under cool running water or in the microwave and cooked immediately afterwards

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Happy & Healthy Eating!

  • Amy, MS, RD, LD – Supermarket Registered Dietitian
  • Kim, RD, LD, CP-FS – Food Safety Manager, Registered Dietitian

 

Turkey Thawing Safety Tips

Thawing Turkey Safety Tips

Thawing Turkey Safety Tips

With Thanksgiving just a couple days away, I felt it would be good to talk about some food safety tips that apply most appropriately to this time of year especially to that which we enjoy most on Turkey Day…..the turkey!

For many of you, you probably already have the turkey thawing in the refrigerator because you know that big bird will require several days to thaw.  In fact, it is important to note, that for every 5 pounds of turkey there needs to be 24 hours of thaw time.  So, if you have a 10 pound bird, it would be important to begin thawing that today! If you’ve missed that window of opportunity to thaw in the refrigerator, there are a couple other things you can do:

 
  • Thaw in cold water. Cold water thaws turkey (wrapped in leak proof plastic) as long as you change the water every 30 minutes. You will need to allow for 30 minutes of thawing per pound of turkey. *Remember, water should be cold not hot.
  • Thaw in microwave. More often than not, the turkey is too large for the microwave; however, if using one, it is important to begin cooking the turkey in the oven as soon as it is thawed. Also, it is best not to use the microwave for the entire cooking process as microwaves have such uneven cooking, this could pose a food safety risk in portions of the bird not getting full cooked.
  • Another option is to purchase several turkey breasts as these will take less time to thaw. I know for some this is not the best option as many look forward to enjoying the turkey legs!…..Although, many of our stores carry this option as well.
  • Cooking the turkey from frozen is not the best option, but it is an option, nonetheless. This option is only appropriate for oven cooking, it is not recommended to grill or deep-fry a frozen turkey. To determine the approximate cooking time for a frozen turkey, follow this guideline from the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture):
    • Take the recommended cooking time for a thawed turkey and multiply it by 1.5 for an unthawed bird. For example, if a thawed turkey needs to cook for 5 hours, then a frozen one needs to cook for 7 1/2 hours.
 

Most importantly, to ensure the turkey was cooked to the minimum internal temperature, a thermometer MUST be used. No matter how you choose to thaw the turkey. Check the temperature with a thermometer to ensure it reaches at least 165°F. Even if the turkey has a “pop-up” thermometer. 165°F is the minimum internal temperature for safety.  More often than not the temperature of 180°F is used…just to be on the “safest” side.

Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention the stuffing. Especially due to the fact that many choose to cook the stuffing inside the turkey.  It typically is best to prepare stuffing separate from the turkey. Loosely stuff the turkey just before you put it in the oven with ¾ cup stuffing per pound of turkey. And remember your trusty thermometer should be used to ensure that the center of the stuffing reaches 165°F. More often than not the ingredients used in stuffing are all items that could be eaten without a whole lot of heating, but when this is added inside the bird, we need to take into account that the stuffing is now exposed to the raw juices from the turkey.  This then requires that the stuffing reaches at least 165°F to ensure it’s safety.

Enjoy this Thanksgiving Holiday with those most dear!

Eat Safe and Be Healthy!

Kim,
Coborn’s, Inc, Food Safety Coordinator

Halloween Food Safety

Coborn's Blog: The Kitchen Detective

Kim

Happy Halloween everyone!  Tonight is the night when many will roam the streets and knock on doors yelling “Trick or Treat!”.  There are several things to keep in mind to keep our trick or treaters safe on Halloween night from walking in a group, with a buddy or trusted adult to what type of costume to wear that will provide some warmth on this cold Midwest evening….brrrrrr – that is almost as frightful as Halloween can be! However, what I am going to offer today are some food safety reminders as they relate to Halloween, mainly on the topic of “food inspection”.  Continue reading

How to Clean a Wooden Cutting Board

 

Coborn's Blog: The Kitchen Detective

Kim

When we look at our options for cutting boards, wooden ones always seem to stand out as being a more stylish choice which bring a sophisticated look to our kitchen rather than plastic.  However, one often thinks what is the best way to wash these cutting boards?  Continue reading

Summer Cooler Safety

Summer Cooler Safety

www.cobornsblog.com - Coborn's Food Safety Coordinator, Kim

Kim

Summer is officially here and the perfect time for picnics – picnics in the park, picnics at the lake, picnics, picnics, picnics! When we think of preparing for a picnic, what is the essential item that every picnic needs? That’s right – a cooler! I’m here today to provide you with some tips to keep your picnic food safe utilizing your cooler. Continue reading

The Truth About the 5 Second Rule

The Truth About the 5 Second Rule

Coborn's Blog: The Kitchen Detective

Kim

Hi Everyone! My topic for today’s blog is the “5 Second Rule”. I think at some point in time we all have either given into the 5 second rule and/or at least contemplated it, right?  I, myself, can say that is true. Saying to myself… “Really, what could possibly be wrong with this, it was only on the floor for a second?!?!”  Well, let me tell you, there are various organisms including some fairly harmful bacteria that reside in the soil:  Listeria, Salmonella, E.coli… just to name a few. Granted, not all bacteria residing in the soil are harmful, but the reality is we do not know where these harmful ones are lurking. They don’t glow, smell or leave any type of calling card that let you know where they are residing, so it is best to presume they may just be there!

Also, just thinking about all of the places our shoes take us each day, from either walking across the grass to pick up something blowing in the wind to walking through a park or down a trail where a dog needed to do it’s business or a bird flew overhead leaving nature’s duty in it’s path. This leaves the bottoms of our shoes a nice little harborage area for germs, in turn leaving some of these bugs behind on the floor as we walk through the cafeteria or into the restaurant or across our own floor at home. Some might say, “Well, I remove my shoes when I get home.” I think we all have experienced, 5 Second Rule5 Second Rulethough, even if we are committed to taking our shoes off in our homes, that our floors still get dirty. Either from dust, old food debris that may have fallen on the floor from previous meals and even dirt (because we cheat from time to time, don’t we? “I just need to run in quick and get my cell phone that I left on the counter!”)  …your secret is safe with me.

If the potential for some harmful microorganisms lurking on the floor doesn’t raise a cause for just throwing the food out, what about the thought of any physical object sticking to the food item. A piece of hair, a small pebble or that little dust bunny. Biting into these physical objects makes eating not very pleasurable either.

So the next time someone shouts, “5 Second Rule!” Think twice… Do you want to take the risk? Or would you rather pick it up, throw it out, wash your hands (of course) and go for another bite of something that hasn’t spent even a second on the floor!

Wishing you healthy and SAFE eating!

Kim
Coborn’s, Inc, Food Safety & Nutrition Manager, Registered Dietitian

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