Your Health Matters
By Claudia Parks, R.N.

Keep the Holidays Happy: Have CLEAN UP on your mind!

Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water for a full 20 seconds before and after handling RAWproducts. (raw meat- beef, poultry, seafood, lamb, porkbacon), eggs and vegetables. Use plastic or other non-porous cutting boards. Cutting boards should be run through the dishwasher- or washed with soap and hot water- after each use. Change your dishcloth or sponge frequently- If you wipe up juices from raw meat- this cloth should be put in the laundry immediately. Put your sponge or scouring pad in the dishwasher every time you run it. Use paper towels and then clean your counter top with strong soap and water and maybe even bleach.

Combat Cross-Contamination

Store raw meat, poultry, and seafood on a plate or tray, so raw juices don't drip onto other foods.

Use one cutting board for raw meat products and another one for salads and other ready-toeat foods, and wash cutting boards in between each use.

Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, (like sometimes you might do at the outdoor grill) unless the plate has been washed with soap & water.

Don't spread bacteria with dirty sponges, dishcloths, or towels. Bacteria often thrive in the moist areas of these items where bits of food may also exist. Use paper towels or freshly cleaned sponges or cloths and soap and hot water to clean food preparation surfaces.

Cook Safely

For meat, poultry, and other dishes, use a food thermometer to make sure foods are cooked to a safe internal temperature.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says to cook your meat at least to these internal temperatures:

145º F --- beef, lamb, veal

160º F --- ground beef, lamb, pork

165º F --- ground poultry

170º F --- chicken breast

180º F --- other chicken parts, whole chicken or turkey (measured in the thigh).

160º F --- Cooked egg dishes.

Cook fish until it's opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

When micro waving, make sure there are no cold spots in food (where bacteria can survive). For best results, cover, stir, and rotate food for even cooking. If there's no turntable, rotate the dish by hand once or twice during cooking.

When reheating sauces, soups, and gravies, bring them to a boil. Heat other leftovers thoroughly to 165º F.

Chill Thoroughly

Make sure the refrigerator temperature is 40ºF or below and zeroºF or below in the freezer. Occasionally verify these temperatures using an appliance thermometer.

Refrigerate or freeze prepared foods, perishables, and leftovers within 2 hours.

Never defrost or marinate food at room temperature. Use the refrigerator. You can also thaw foods in airtight packaging in cold water (change the water every 30 minutes, so the food continues to thaw). Or thaw in the microwave if you'll be cooking the food immediately.

Divide large amounts of leftovers into shallow containers for quick cooling in the refrigerator.

Don't over-stuff the refrigerator. Cold air must circulate to keep food safe.

Don't store raw or defrosted fish, poultry, or ground beef for more than two days, and other raw meats for more than five days.

At The Store

Don't let juice from raw meat, poultry, or fish drip on to your hands or any fresh foods in your grocery cart.

Shop for cold and frozen foods last and put them in the refrigerator or freezer as soon as possible.

Avoid un-pasteurized milk and juice, as well as foods that could contain raw eggs. And if your cookie or cake recipes call for eggs, make sure you don't eat- or let kids eat- any of the raw dough. (Bummer!)

Protect yourself and your family against the possibility of food-borne infections. A lot of people think that food poisoning is nothing more than a case of the green-apple two-step- trust me! It can be very serious and with long-term complication. Take care! Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Claudia Parks, RN, is a former doctor's office and emergency room nurse and retired as an educator from Fulton County Schools. She writes Your Health Matters as a public service; the information here is designed to help you make informed choices about your health. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of your physician. Claudia and her husband make their home in the beautiful north Georgia Mountains. You may contact Claudia at yhm@windstream.net