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Keep food safe at summer gatherings

ESCANABA — Whether you’re the one cooking or eating, being aware of food safety practices can help prevent food poisoning this summer at picnics, cookouts and outdoor parties.

Bacteria, viruses and parasites cause more than 250 food-borne diseases that cause food poisoning. Bacteria multiply faster in temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees. Common symptoms of food poisoning are diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, fever, flu-like conditions and vomiting.

Listera monocytogenes, or Listeria, is one of the most dangerous bacteria. It is rare, preventable and most prevalent in the summer months. Listeria causes listeriosis and can grow in temperatures lower than 41 degrees. It can affect high risk groups — pregnant women, the elderly and people with a compromised immune system — and cause bacteremia meningitis, fetal loss and death.

“That’s what makes it so scary,” said Public Health Delta and Menominee County Health Officer Mike Snyder. “There have been no recent reports of Listera. The bacteria can grow in cold temperatures, in a refrigerator, unlike other bacteria. Cooking food throughly will kill it.”

Listeria can be found in pre-packaged foods, soft-ripened cheeses, raw vegetables, store bought meat salads (chicken, ham, seafood, tuna), deli meats and hot dogs.

“If you feel you have food poisoning, rest and get plenty of fluids so you don’t become dehydrated,” says Snyder. “If you’re not getting better, contact your doctor first and then the local public health department. We will investigate for an underlining cause of the food poisoning.”

Snyder said there is no particular time of year when food poisoning cases peak.

“The number of reports we receive a year varies per year and the number of outbreaks,” said Snyder. “I’ve seen a large outbreak of over 200 people sick, to one person sick. People usually contribute food poisoning to the last meal they ate. That’s usually not the case. It can take up to 72 hours to feel the affects — it could be three days, most are 24 to 72 hours. It depends on how quickly bacteria builds up in the stomach.”

The source can be anything — including a food handler.

There are four basic steps to prevent food poisoning while people enjoy food outdoors — clean, separate, cook and chill.

Carry a combination of water, soap, wet disposable cloths or moist toilettes, paper towels and a hand sanitizer to clean hands while preparing food without a water source. Clean plates and utensils should be available to keep raw and cooked meats separate. Clean the top of worktops and the grill before staring to prepare and cook. For added protection, clean the work top with one tablespoon of unscented bleach in a gallon of water.

“It is very important to wash your hands before, during and after preparing food,” said Snyder. “Hand sanitizer will never beat proper hand washing.”

Produce should be rinsed after spoiled parts are cut off. Bacteria is likely to grow in any spoiled areas. Before cutting produce, scrub melons, avocados, and other hard skinned fruit and vegetables with a produce brush. Soft skinned produce can be rinsed off with cold water to remove dirt. Dry the produce with a paper towel or clean towel.

Washing raw meat, eggs or bagged produce marked “pre-washed” may cause cross contamination. Do not reuse a plate that previously had raw meat on it without the plate being washed with hot soapy water first.

The best way to determine if meat is cooked through is by using a food thermometer. It also prevents overcooking. Internal temperatures vary depending on the meat. Steak, pork, fish and shellfish should be cooked until it is at 145 degrees, ground meat 160 degrees and poultry, fully cooked ham, hot dogs and leftovers at 165.

“Properly cook foods to prevent food poisoning,” said Snyder. “Brats, burgers should read a temperature of 155 with a food thermometer. Poultry should be 165. Before cooking keep raw meat cold, 41 degrees or below. Improperly cooked poultry is the most common cause of food poisoning.”

Never partially cook food to save time, doing so allows bacteria to grow and survive. Only partially cook meat to transfer it immediately outside to another cooking source to finish it.

Keep raw meat below 41 degrees until cooking time. Marinate meat in a cooler or refrigerator and never use it on cooked food unless it is boiled to kill harmful bacteria.

A smoker is another way to cook meat outside. Thaw meat completely for an even cook and to keep it out of the danger zone — 40 to 140 degrees. Slow smoking methods do not thaw fast enough, keeping food in the danger zone longer. Once meat is thawed, cook or refreeze it within one or two days.

Use two thermometers for a smoker, one to test the temperature inside the food and the other testing the temperature inside the smoker. A smoker should have a constant temperature between 250 and 300 degrees. Always cook with approved pans, not cans, to prevent chemical contamination. Only use approved starters, briquettes or wood, not gas or paint thinner when grilling. After 10 or 20 minutes charcoal should have a grey ash when red hot. For safety and quality reasons, allow meat to rest three minutes before consuming.

If hot food will not stay hot while in transit, plan ahead to cool the food and carry it to the event cold. Reheat the food to the correct temperature after arrival. Foods like chicken salad and desserts that are in individual serving dishes can be placed directly on ice in a shallow container set in a deep pan filled with ice. Drain off water as ice melts and replenish the ice as needed. Hot foods can be set aside on a grill or held warm in a crock-pot.

Here are some tips for keeping food cold in an insulated cooler longer.

– Have enough ice and frozen gel packs.

– Pack perishables from the refrigerator or freezer directly into a cooler.

– A fully packed cooler will stay cold longer. Add ice to fill the open space if any remains.

– Keep raw meat in a separate cooler or neatly packaged at the bottom of a cooler to prevent juices from cross contaminating other perishables.

– Store food in airtight containers so water from melting ice doesn’t come in contact with other items.

– Take more than one insulated cooler. Reserve one for beverages. If beverages are in the same cooler as perishables the food will warm quicker each time someone grabs a drink.

– Consider taking more than one food cooler. Depending on the length of the activity one cooler may be packed with immediate needs, lunch and snacks, while the other cooler could hold food for later.

– Carry a thermometer in the food cooler. It should register lower than 41 degrees inside the cooler.

– At the beach partially bury the cooler in the sand, cover it with a blanket and have a shade source above it. Keep the cooler out of direct sunlight.

Food should not be left out more than two hours, one hour if temperatures rise above 89 degrees. Leftovers should be stored as small portions in clean containers and used or frozen in four days.

“The best prevention from getting a food borne illness is hand washing and proper cooking,” said Snyder.

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