FOOD SAFETY II

FOOD SAFETY II





This is the second of a two-part article on food safety.  Food safety precautions must be taken at every stage of food production and serving.  In the previous edition of “Food for Thought” we reviewed safeguards for purchasing and storing food.  Now we delve into food safety procedures for preparing, cooking, and serving food, as well as kitchen sanitation.

First and foremost, an important concept to keep in mind is the “danger zone.”  The danger zone is the temperature range between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit; the range within which bacteria thrive.  Temperatures below and above this span decelerate the development of bacteria but don’t necessarily kill it.  For example, freezing food does not extinguish bacteria; it merely retards its growth.  (Freezing does kill parasites however).  Temperatures beyond 140 are required for most bacteria to meet their maker.  Chicken for example, must be cooked to 165 degrees to kill salmonella.  However, even properly cooked chicken, if left in the danger zone for a protracted period of time can become re-infected with new bacteria.   The general recommendation is that food should not be left in the danger zone beyond two hours.  If raw, I would cut this time in half.  Trichinosis by the way, a parasite that’s rarely an issue with pork today, croaks at 137 degrees.  So pork does not need to be cooked well done.  Food safety only requires science, not paranoia.

PREPARING FOOD

     Prior to cooking, most foods need to be prepped, i.e., thawed, cleaned, cut, marinated, etc.  Frozen foods naturally need to be thawed.  The absolute safest way is to transfer it to the fridge the day before.  However, a very efficient method, one that only requires a brief visit in the danger zone is to immerse the food in warm water.  Remove it the moment it’s thawed and immediately cook it to the proper temperature.  It is not recommended to leave frozen food on the counter at room temperature until thawed as it will languish in the danger zone too long.

     Many foods are washed prior to being used but as vital as this seems, it doesn’t do a whole lot for bacteria.  Washing only cleanses the surface of a food.  You can’t wash away the salmonella inside a chicken.  Heat is the arch enemy of bacteria, not water.  Nevertheless, rinsing your victuals can still remove debris and God knows what else that touched them in their trip from the farm to your kitchen.  And I assume it goes without saying that you’ll trim away any icky spots from your food before cooking.

     Finally, food that needs to sit for an hour or more, such as when resting dough or marinating meat, should be placed in the fridge and covered.  Do not re-use marinades unless you bring them to a full boil for a few minutes first.

COOKING FOOD

     When cooking food the goal is heating it to the target temperature required to kill its most common pathogen.  As stated chicken should be cooked to 165, (some say 170 in the dark meat), and pork to at least 137.  I usually aim for the low 140’s with pork.  Cook fish to 135-140.  This range will ensure any parasites, larvae, and other squirmy ickies have kicked the bucket.  Always use a meat thermometer.  Do NOT rely on a recipe’s cooking time.  Recipes can be wrong or your oven’s calibration can be off.

     And that brings us to beef.  Relatively speaking, there is less to worry about with beef, assuming it has been processed with strict sanitation methods.  Therein lies the rub.  If proper procedures are not followed, then the risk of E. coli rears its ugly head.  Nevertheless, people eat raw beef such as steak tartare and beef carpaccio the world over and aren’t dropping dead in droves.  Beef and lamb are cooked to 125 for rare, 130 for medium rare, 140 for medium, and shoe leather beyond that.     

Ground beef is more susceptible to pathogens than steaks or whole cuts.  Most authorities will cover their you-know-what and instruct you to cook it until there is no pink in sight.  I believe ground beef to be one of those foods where the fear is out is proportion to the risk.  Not that there’s no risk mind you.  Food neurotics will have a seizure when I say this but I’ve been eating pink ground beef for nearly five decades and have never got sick.  I’ve had numerous students in my cooking class report how they picked at their mom’s raw meatloaf mix as kids or how they or their parents always defrosted their burgers on the counter without incident.  Of course, if you’re the one parent in a million whose child dies from an E. coli infection, then probability theory and individual anecdotes mean nothing.  So you’ll have to decide for yourself where you stand on the ground beef issue.


SERVING FOOD

     Once again, the primary issue with food service is keeping food out of the danger zone.  Be very mindful of this when you throw a long party, especially an outdoor one or summer barbeque.  Do not allow meats, cold cuts, mayonnaise laden dishes such as potato salad, etc., to sit in the warm weather all day.  Uneaten burgers and dogs should be refrigerated and reheated later if necessary.  Cold dishes should be placed in containers on a bed of ice.

KITCHEN SANITATION

     Last but not least is kitchen sanitation.  Most of this is common sense but nevertheless bears reviewing.  Wash your hands!  Especially after touching any raw protein.  Hands are one of the primary venues for transmitting pathogens.  Make sure all your tools, particularly knives, and your counters are clean.  I use a cleaner with bleach for my kitchen surfaces.  Wash your knives after cutting any raw protein.  Microwave your sponges for 2 minutes to kill bacteria.  Don’t use the same towel you wiped the counter with on your board or knife.

     I cannot stress enough the importance of a clean cutting board.  Here some paranoia is warranted.  Cutting boards (and knives) are the primary sources of cross contamination.  Cross contamination is where you cut a raw protein like chicken on a board, and then use the board or knife to cut something else without washing it.  If the second item is also a raw protein that is going to be cooked, then it’s not a big deal.  But if you’re going to cut raw meat and then other items which will not be cooked, you must absolutely wash your cutting board and knife before the next item.

     There is debate in the culinary world about plastic boards being safer than wood.  Some claim that pathogens can infiltrate wood easier while opponents argue that as long as the wood is properly cleaned its fine.  I play it safe and cut my raw protein on plastic.

     Wood or plastic, raw meat or not, I scrub my cutting boards with a brush.  You can also disinfect them by soaking them in solution of one tablespoon of bleach for every gallon of water.  I don’t measure and I use more bleach.  I simply fill the sink, pour in an ample amount of bleach and soak them for a while.

FOOD SAFETY I

One day I had lunch at an Italian restaurant that I regularly patronized.  Six hours after my meal I was violently ill; the worst I’ve ever been, gastrointestinally speaking.  By the next morning I literally felt like the life was draining out of me.  That’s when I went to the ER.  The doctor said I had a classic case of salmonella poisoning.  It was a week before I felt completely back to normal. 

     Despite this experience I am still not a “germaphobe” by any means.  I take normal precautions with food but don’t go to fanatical lengths.  That’s because my personal introduction to salmonella doesn’t change the laws of probability.  The odds of being stricken with a food borne illness of any appreciable magnitude are still relatively low.  Of course this immediately thrusts us into the realm of subjectivity.  What is an “appreciable” magnitude and what is “relatively” low?  However we define these concepts, whatever the actual statistics are, the neurotic amongst us will always respond out of proportion to the real danger.  A perfect example is the horror many experience at the prospect of eating a raw egg.  Yet only one in 30,000 eggs is infected with salmonella.

     This doesn’t imply of course, that we should throw caution to the wind.  Food borne illness is a real danger, no matter how the mathematicians or the lay public delineates it.  When preparing food, precautions must be taken.  I just don’t advocate turning every risk in life into a crusade such as cooking everything well done, restricting oneself to only organic food, foregoing sushi, or the cuckoo who cleans her chicken with Brillo, (yes that’s a true story).  Interestingly, there’s a far greater probability of one becoming neurotic than encountering a serious food related illness yet our minds don’t become fanatical about warding off neurosis.  Hmmmmm.

     So with all that said, let’s review food safety procedures.  Food safeguards come into play at all stages of food production:  purchasing, storing, preparing, cooking, and serving food, and finally, kitchen sanitation.  In the first half of this article we will address food purchasing and storage.  In the next edition of “Food for Thought” we’ll delve into safety considerations when preparing, cooking, and serving food and kitchen sanitation.

PURCHASING

     The first guideline is to shop in a manner that maximizes freshness and minimizes storage issues.  I realize it’s easier to make fewer trips to the store and stock up.  But frequent trips means you’ll be using fresher food with less chance of consuming or throwing out old food.

     All food should obviously be inspected before acquiring it.  Space does not allow me to go into a treatise on every single food and what to look for.  You’ll have to do a little homework but common sense will ward off most dangers.

     Food should look fresh with no conspicuous indications of deterioration.  Vegetables and greens should be firm, vibrant, and devoid of discoloration.  All proteins should be purchased from a reputable purveyor.  Meats and seafood should sport a fresh sheen and color, and lack any blemishes or signs of desiccation.  They should also be free of any undue odors, especially seafood.  Moreover, when inspecting whole fish, ensure that the eyes are clear, the gills are bright red and the flesh is firm.  If you have the slightest doubt about how a product looks or smells, don’t buy it, no matter what the sale price.  Remember, products withering on the vine are prime candidates for the supermarket’s specials and sales.  Don’t forget to check expiration dates, don’t buy dented cans, and don’t let the food sit in the car while running other errands.

STORING

     Items not being used within an hour or so of purchasing should be refrigerated, (except foods that don’t require refrigeration such as onions or potatoes).  But again, use common sense.  Don’t leave your spuds on a sunny countertop.  Place non-refrigerated items in a cooler and darker area of your home. 

     While most vegetables can loiter in the fridge for a few days in a plastic bag, proteins should be placed in the freezer if not being consumed within 24 hours.  Foods like cheese or meats should be wrapped completely.  Other foods like mussels or clams need to breathe and should not be sealed in an air-tight bag.  Quite simply, if they suffocate they will die.  Eating dead shellfish is like playing Russian roulette.  Place them in a perforated bowl of ice inside a larger bowl to catch the melting water and then refrigerate.  Fish fillets should be set on ice while a whole fish should be encased in shaved or crushed ice, again with a bowl or tray underneath it.  If you can’t consume your shellfish or whole fish the same day, don’t buy it.  Fish fillets can also be frozen.

     Storage time varies for different foods and you should always err on the side of caution.  Refrigerated root vegetables can last a couple of weeks.  Softer veggies such as zucchini, eggplant, cucumbers, etc. should be used within a week.  As stated, meats should be frozen if not being used within a day.  Deli meats have a longer hang time but definitely consume them in less than a week.  Deli meats can look deceptively safe.  I once ate week-old ham that appeared, smelled, and tasted normal.  I even gave some to my cat.  We both got sick.

     Always date your frozen food and rotate your stock to use the older items first.  While they say you can get 6 months out of frozen protein I think three months or less is safer, not to mention better for the taste and texture.  Ground meat is more susceptible to pathogens and has less storage time than whole meats.  Try to use frozen ground meat within a month.  Remember, freezing doesn’t kill bacteria, it just impedes their growth.

     A final issue I wish to mention is storing a large pot of hot soup or stock.  Do not place a large, hot pot of either directly into the fridge.  Even in the fridge the liquid in the center of the pot will remain warm for quite some time.  Moreover it will heat up your refrigerator thus endangering your other foods.  Fill your sink with water and ice and place the stockpot into it.  Stir the fluid constantly until it has cooled and then place it in the fridge.  Water is a more efficient conductor than air and will cool your soup or stock much quicker. 

     Join us next time at “Food for Thought” as we continue our discussion of food safety. 

ANIMAL CRACKERS

The product we know today as Animal Crackers came into being in 1902, but it they had existed in similar forms for generations. In the late 1800s, ‘Animals’ (animal shaped fancy cookies) were imported from England. Many of the small, local bakeries in America made different versions called 'Animals' or 'Circus Crackers'. Bakeries began to unite into larger companies with regional and eventual national distribution at the end of the 19th century. One of these was the National Biscuit Company. Packaging became an important factor in marketing on a national scale. Their ‘Animal Biscuits’ were officially renamed 'Barnum's Animals' in 1902. During the Christmas season, the package was redesigned as a circus wagon with a string attached to it, so it could be hung as a Christmas tree ornament. They sold for 5 cents, and they were an immediate hit.

In total there have been 37 different varieties of animal crackers since 1902.  The current 17 varieties of crackers are  tigers, cougars, camels, rhinoceros, kangaroos, hippopotami, bison, lions, hyenas, zebras, elephants, sheep, bears, gorillas, monkeys, seals, and giraffes. There are 22 crackers per box.

More than 40 million packages of these are sold each year, and they are exported to 17 countries. They are turned out at the rate of 12,000 per minute, and nearly 6,000 miles of string are used on the packages. Christopher Morley wrote a poem named for them.
Animal Crackers
by Christopher Morley.

“Animal crackers and cocoa to drink,
That is the finest of suppers I think;
When I'm grown up and can have what I please
I think I shall always insist upon these.
What do YOU choose when you're offered a treat?
When Mother says, "What would you like best to eat?"
Is it waffles and syrup, or cinnamon toast?
It's cocoa and animals that I love most!

The kitchen's the cosiest place that I know;
The kettle is singing, the stove is aglow,
And there in the twilight, how jolly to see
The cocoa and animals waiting for me.

Daddy and Mother dine later in state,
With Mary to cook for them, Susan to wait;
But they don't have nearly as much fun as I
Who eat in the kitchen with Nurse standing by;
And Daddy once said, he would like to be me
Having cocoa and animals once more for tea!”

But the most famous reference to Animal Crackers is most likely in the Shirley Temple film 'Curleytop', in which she sang "Animal crackers in my soup, Monkeys and rabbits loop the loop, Gosh, oh, gee, but I have fun! "

Bill of Fare During the Siege of Paris

The Franco-German War (1870-71), brought about the fall of the Second Empire and the siege of Paris. This is a Menu from a dinner given in Paris during the 1871 Siege.

Note from Chef James, publisher of FoodReference.com
My thanks to George of Providence, Rhode Island for sending this copy to me. Here is a copy of his email:

October 2, 2006
Dear James, This document is in my possession. The original measures 3'' x 4.5'' held in between glass, and was given to me by Mrs. Grace Fraser here in Providence RI. she was a dear friend and passed away many years ago. I have always been fascinated by this rare artifact and thought how lucky we are to live and eat in this land of plenty, and ponder what the people of France had to deal with during this horrible time in history.
Be my guest and publish it on your site...I think it is very important for people to see and to think about.   George