useful Information, of MEAT handling, got an email today....
thought I would share...
Handle Meat Safely
The food processing industry in the United States adheres to strict safety standards to ensure that none of the meats it produces poses the risk of contamination. But salmonella and other bacteria can still be present if meat isn't cooked to the right temperature. This shouldn't be cause for alarm, but simply a reminder to properly store and handle meat in the kitchen. Stay safe. All it takes is following a few simple precautions.
How should I safely handle poultry in the kitchen?
To ensure safety when you cook chicken or turkey, adhere to these simple guidelines:
Keep the poultry refrigerated at or below 40 F until it's ready to cook. Store it in its original wrapper in the lowest, coldest part of your refrigerator. If you won't cook it for a day or two, freeze it. (Make sure you eat it or freeze it by the suggested 'use-by' date.)
Don't thaw poultry at room temperature; it breeds bacteria. Instead, thaw it in the fridge: three to nine hours for chicken parts, up to 24 hours for a whole chicken, and between one and five days for a whole turkey, depending on its size. If time presses, poultry can be thawed in the microwave (following your oven's time and temperature directions) or immersed in cold water in an airtight bag. (If you thaw in water, change the water regularly to keep it cold.) Poultry should be cooked immediately after thawing.
Wash the chicken or turkey inside and out with cold water. Pat it dry. If it has a funny odor, don't even think of cooking it -- discard it.
Cook poultry until it reaches the following temperature:
165 F for ground poultry
165 F for boneless poultry (breasts)
170 F for bone-in chicken parts
180 F for a whole chicken or turkey
For an accurate measure, insert the meat thermometer in the thickest part of the inner thigh of the chicken or turkey. Consult the thermometer's instructions for more information.
When you're done handling raw poultry, wash your hands (and any utensil that came in contact with the raw poultry) thoroughly with soap and warm water. Also thoroughly clean the preparation area. Bacteria can travel from utensils to the cutting board, from the sponge in your hands to the meat, etc., so everything you used during preparation should be thoroughly disinfected.
Don't place cooked meat on a plate or cutting board that had raw meat on it.
How do I safely handle beef and pork in the kitchen?
To ensure safety when you cook beef, adhere to these simple guidelines:
Buy beef and pork that is cold and tightly sealed. Buy it at the end of your grocery trip and bring it straight to the refrigerator. Your refrigerator should cool at 40 F or less.
As with poultry, meat that you won't be using in the next two to three days should be frozen in airtight bags and thawed in the fridge or under cold water when you're ready to cook it. Make sure you eat or freeze meat by the suggested 'use-by' date. A good rule of thumb: If you can't remember when frozen meat was purchased, throw it away.
If you're going to marinate the meat, do so in a non-metallic, covered container. And be sure to marinade in the fridge, not on the counter. Discard the leftover marinade.
When you're done handling the raw meat, wash your hands (and any utensil that came in contact with the raw meat) thoroughly with soap and warm water. Also thoroughly clean the preparation area. Bacteria can travel from utensils to the cutting board, from the sponge in your hands to the meat, etc., so everything you used during preparation should be thoroughly disinfected.
Cook ground beef to an internal temperature of 155 F-160 F, or until its juices and center are no longer pink. Steak and roasts, on the other hand, can be eaten medium rare (145 F).
Pork should be cooked to a minimum temperature of 160 F (for medium doneness) or 170 F (well-done).
Don't place cooked meat on a plate or cutting board that had raw meat on it.
How should I handle meat or poultry leftovers?
If you have leftovers, place them in small portions in shallow containers and refrigerate them promptly after the meal. If you won't be eating them in two to three days, you can freeze leftovers in meal-sized portions using freezer paper or plastic wrap. Frozen leftovers should be eaten within three months. Never thaw and then refreeze leftovers.
Whether you'll be enjoying poultry, pork or beef for dinner, following the proper safety guidelines will help ensure an excellent meal.
Handle Meat Safely
The food processing industry in the United States adheres to strict safety standards to ensure that none of the meats it produces poses the risk of contamination. But salmonella and other bacteria can still be present if meat isn't cooked to the right temperature. This shouldn't be cause for alarm, but simply a reminder to properly store and handle meat in the kitchen. Stay safe. All it takes is following a few simple precautions.
How should I safely handle poultry in the kitchen?
To ensure safety when you cook chicken or turkey, adhere to these simple guidelines:
Keep the poultry refrigerated at or below 40 F until it's ready to cook. Store it in its original wrapper in the lowest, coldest part of your refrigerator. If you won't cook it for a day or two, freeze it. (Make sure you eat it or freeze it by the suggested 'use-by' date.)
Don't thaw poultry at room temperature; it breeds bacteria. Instead, thaw it in the fridge: three to nine hours for chicken parts, up to 24 hours for a whole chicken, and between one and five days for a whole turkey, depending on its size. If time presses, poultry can be thawed in the microwave (following your oven's time and temperature directions) or immersed in cold water in an airtight bag. (If you thaw in water, change the water regularly to keep it cold.) Poultry should be cooked immediately after thawing.
Wash the chicken or turkey inside and out with cold water. Pat it dry. If it has a funny odor, don't even think of cooking it -- discard it.
Cook poultry until it reaches the following temperature:
165 F for ground poultry
165 F for boneless poultry (breasts)
170 F for bone-in chicken parts
180 F for a whole chicken or turkey
For an accurate measure, insert the meat thermometer in the thickest part of the inner thigh of the chicken or turkey. Consult the thermometer's instructions for more information.
When you're done handling raw poultry, wash your hands (and any utensil that came in contact with the raw poultry) thoroughly with soap and warm water. Also thoroughly clean the preparation area. Bacteria can travel from utensils to the cutting board, from the sponge in your hands to the meat, etc., so everything you used during preparation should be thoroughly disinfected.
Don't place cooked meat on a plate or cutting board that had raw meat on it.
How do I safely handle beef and pork in the kitchen?
To ensure safety when you cook beef, adhere to these simple guidelines:
Buy beef and pork that is cold and tightly sealed. Buy it at the end of your grocery trip and bring it straight to the refrigerator. Your refrigerator should cool at 40 F or less.
As with poultry, meat that you won't be using in the next two to three days should be frozen in airtight bags and thawed in the fridge or under cold water when you're ready to cook it. Make sure you eat or freeze meat by the suggested 'use-by' date. A good rule of thumb: If you can't remember when frozen meat was purchased, throw it away.
If you're going to marinate the meat, do so in a non-metallic, covered container. And be sure to marinade in the fridge, not on the counter. Discard the leftover marinade.
When you're done handling the raw meat, wash your hands (and any utensil that came in contact with the raw meat) thoroughly with soap and warm water. Also thoroughly clean the preparation area. Bacteria can travel from utensils to the cutting board, from the sponge in your hands to the meat, etc., so everything you used during preparation should be thoroughly disinfected.
Cook ground beef to an internal temperature of 155 F-160 F, or until its juices and center are no longer pink. Steak and roasts, on the other hand, can be eaten medium rare (145 F).
Pork should be cooked to a minimum temperature of 160 F (for medium doneness) or 170 F (well-done).
Don't place cooked meat on a plate or cutting board that had raw meat on it.
How should I handle meat or poultry leftovers?
If you have leftovers, place them in small portions in shallow containers and refrigerate them promptly after the meal. If you won't be eating them in two to three days, you can freeze leftovers in meal-sized portions using freezer paper or plastic wrap. Frozen leftovers should be eaten within three months. Never thaw and then refreeze leftovers.
Whether you'll be enjoying poultry, pork or beef for dinner, following the proper safety guidelines will help ensure an excellent meal.
