Food Safety Tips~Keep your holiday weekend Food Safe!

I am  frequently amazed by the ideas and information I gain just by having a Twitter account.  Today, for a short time I was following the hashtag #checksteps, which happened to be all about food safety and I thought, perfect for this upcoming holiday weekend as well as all summer long.

Here are some of the food safety tips and reminders I found useful:

• Most foodborne bacteria grow fastest between 90-110 F degrees.  Bacteria also needs moisture to flourish.
• For safety, small children are at high risk for pathogens. FULLY COOK all meat/poultry before serving; 145 F degrees for beef/pork/veal/lamb, 160 F degrees for ground meats, 165 F degrees for all poultry.  Here's a link to the food temp chart.

• Don't wash food thermometers in the dishwasher, use hot soapy water.

• Like all perishables, leave mayo-based foods at room temperature for no more than 2 hours, or 1 hour in hot weather.
• If there's no access to running water, keep lots of towelettes and hand sanitizer around so everyone can keep their hands clean.
• Use the 2 hour rule; chill food when left out no longer than two hours at room temperature, or within one hour if outdoors in high heat.  Discard if left out longer.
• Use two platters and food thermometers; one for raw food and one for cooked food.
• Cook casseroles to 165 F and keep temperature at 140 F or higher.  Wrapping them in newspaper or a blanket helps trap heat if traveling a short distance.
• First, call a doctor or 911 for problems. And, here's a resource for reporting a food poisoning problem, you could help someone else!
• Some foodborne illnesses can lead to long-term conditions like arthritis, 3,000 Americans die each year from foodborne illnesses.  Long-term effects of food poisoning. 
• Here's a link for info on alcohol poisoning

More helpful links include:
Meat and Poultry Hotline:  1-888-MPHotline  weekdays 10 a.m.-4 p.m. EST.
Karen from USDA is available 24/7 at AskKaren.gov OR m.AskKaren.gov on your mobile phone.

I hope your holiday weekend is a safe one!  Enjoy!

Images used in this post borrowed from Google Image.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to leave a comment, I love to hear from you!. Have a fantastic day!

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