WE are in the thick of summer and readers are reminded of four simple steps they can take to protect themselves from food-borne illnesses: clean, separate, cook and chill. As the temperature rises, so does the risk of food-borne illness. Hot, humid weather – as in coastal cities like Jeddah and Dammam, creates the perfect conditions for the rapid growth of bacteria. Summer also means more people are cooking outside at picnics, barbeques and camping trips, without easy access to refrigeration and washing facilities to keep food safe. To minimize the risks of food-borne illness, follow these four easy steps when handling and preparing food. Step One • Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often to avoid the spread of bacteria. • Wash your hands with hot, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before handling food, and after handling raw meats or poultry, using the bathroom, touching pets or changing diapers. • Always wash raw fruits and vegetables in clean water. You cannot tell whether foods carry surface bacteria by the way they look, smell or taste. Step Two • Separate: Keep raw meats and poultry separate from cooked foods to avoid cross-contamination. • When you pack a cooler for an outing, wrap uncooked meats and poultry securely, and put them on the bottom to prevent raw juices from dripping onto other foods. • Wash all plates, utensils, and cutting boards that touched or held raw meat or poultry before using them again for cooked foods. Step Three • Cook: Make sure you kill harmful bacteria by properly cooking food. Traditional visual cues like color are not a guarantee that food is safe. Don't guess! Take a digital instant-read food thermometer along to check when meat and poultry are safe to eat. • Cooked foods are safe to eat when internal temperatures are: • 71 degrees C (160 degrees F) for ground meat • 74 degrees C (165 degrees F) for leftover food and boned and deboned poultry parts • 85 degrees C (185 degrees F) for whole poultry Step Four • Chill: Keep cold food cold. • Perishable foods that are normally in the refrigerator, such as luncheon meats, cooked meat, chicken, and potato or pasta salads, must be kept in an insulated cooler with freezer packs or blocks of ice to keep the temperature at or near 4 degrees C (40 degrees F). • Put leftovers back in the cooler as soon as you are finished eating. Simple rule When in doubt, throw it out. __
