Partnership for Food Safety Education

FightBAC!

New Recipes to Cure Home Cooking Fatigue

Recipes are quick, delicious and safe — just in time for National Food Safety Education Month!

Just when you’ve run out of ideas for easy and tasty meals at home, the non-profit Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE) has released new safe recipes and the online safe recipes activity for middle school kids learning at home.

The new Safe Recipe Cookbook features 10 recipes unlike those usually found online. These recipes include food safety prompts — and have been tested for deliciousness and for preparation times of 30 minutes or less.

“COVID-19 has us cooking more at home and also more aware of the importance of hand hygiene to our health,” said Shelley Feist, PFSE executive director. “The Partnership for Food Safety Education is proud to provide weeks’ worth of easy recipes that support your family’s overall good health because they include food safety prompts that, when followed, will reduce your risk of foodborne illness.”

The Safe Recipe Cookbook includes 30-minute meals that were entered in a summer contest by health and food safety communicators, food bloggers, and kids who care about food safety. All recipes entered in the contest were built using the Safe Recipe Style Guide.

Other just-released home food safety items available through The Story of Your Dinner include a short video for parents “Your Baby & Food Safety” — available in English and Spanish — activity sheets for kids, and many other resources to help ensure food safety in your kitchen now and throughout the holiday season.

To help home cooks keep their families healthy this fall, PFSE offers important food safety reminders:

1. Recent research from the USDA shows 97 percent of people fail to properly wash their hands when preparing a meal. This means with soap and water! Before cooking and after handling raw ingredients (such as meat, poultry, eggs and flour), wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds.

2. Rinsing raw poultry (or any raw meat) is not a safety step! Rinsing your chicken or turkey can spread harmful bacteria around your sink, countertops and onto your hands.

3. Always use a food thermometer to ensure meat, poultry and other foods have reached a safe internal temperature. Print this temperature chart to keep handy in your kitchen.

Here are all of the fun food safety and meal preparation resources (in English and Spanish) from StoryOfYourDinner.org:


The Story of Your Dinner and the 30-Minute Meals Safe Recipe Contest are supported by Cargill, Costco Wholesale, and the FMI Foundation. For more campaign information and resources, visit StoryOfYourDinner.org.

The Partnership for Food Safety Education brings safe recipe preparation straight into your home on a live event “Ready, Set, Cook It Safe!” on September 24, 2020.

Kids Building Safe Recipes Online Activity!

Kid Cooks Master Food Safety

Research shows that people who follow recipes with food safety instructions are more likely to practice food safety behaviors.* Consistently practicing food safety behaviors will help reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

When handwashing instructions are included in recipes, handwashing increases from 59% to 90%. Additionally, adding food thermometer instructions improves food thermometer use from 20% to 86%.

Isn’t that amazing? Recipes that include food safety steps help Fight BAC (harmful bacteria) because people follow them!

Right now, families are preparing more food at home. Parents support food safety education for their children. Middle school students are excited about food safety, but they have only basic food safety knowledge.**

Now, you can give students the tools and knowledge to create their own safe recipes!

The Safe Recipe Activity for Middle School Students incorporates ideas from the Safe Recipe Style Guide. The exact wording of the Style Guide was created under the guidance of food safety experts and adjusted with the direction of leading food journalists. It focuses on the areas where food safety practice is most important:

  • Handwashing
  • Avoiding cross-contamination
  • Produce handling
  • Temperature


You can find the safe recipe activity online in an interactive format and as a printable download! These two formats making it ideal for students who are attending school in the classroom or at home. The activity takes very little preparation, so it’s also great for parents and after-school programs.

Here’s how the activity works:

  • Students review a handout of the Safe Recipe Style Guide.
  • They choose one of the five provided kid-friendly “basic” recipes. The basic recipes are correct, but lack food safety instructions. Students can choose from the following delicious recipes: Vegetarian Lasagna, Breakfast Quiche, Turkey Burgers, Chicken Pepper Bake, and Pesto Salmon & Veggies.
  • Students use information in the Safe Recipe Style Guide to turn the basic recipe into a safe recipe.
  • Students take an online quiz to test how safe their recipe really is. The quiz explains the answer for each question, regardless of correctness. The students will finish the activity with a recipe that is not only tasty, but also safe.


The Safe Recipe Activity for Middle School Students meets several National Health Education and National Science Education requirements.

Virtual or in-person, this is a great activity to help middle school students learn about the science of food safety and create safe recipes!

Have a fun and safe school year!

*Journal of Food Protection **Journal of Food Science Education

Carly Gomez is a National Science Foundation graduate fellow pursuing both an M.S. and Ph.D. in Biosystems Engineering at Michigan State University. She served as an intern with PFSE during Summer 2020.

Is Your Dinner the Same Old, Same Old?

We’ve all been doing a lot more cooking at home lately. I mean, a lot. In fact, 51% of Americans have been preparing more meals at home.* Yet, only 26% have become better at planning those meals across the week.**

While it was fun at first to bake bread and take Instagram-worthy photos of our dinner, we’re now five months into a global pandemic and feel less inspired to plan meals.

Even I’ve had days when I’m tired of thinking about what to prepare — and I’m a chef!

It doesn’t matter if you’re single or have picky toddlers or a house full of teenage boys. Meal planning is a challenge for everyone.

Home cooks everywhere say the same thing: “I get tired of trying to decide what to make, so we eat the same things over and over again.”

You’re not alone in your meal prep weariness!

These days, we need to spend so much energy thinking about the big things — keeping our families safe and sending our kids to school — that we have zero energy left for other important everyday things, like what we should have for dinner.

The food industry calls it “family meal fatigue.”

The great news is that we can help each other out with easy inspiration!

Imagine a trustworthy online cookbook filled with delicious meals easy enough to prepare any night of the week. Imagine each of those meals having been tested and prepared by other home cooks to ensure they’re delectable family favorites and include basic food safety instructions. Now imagine you are a contributor of a meal idea that simplifies an evening of meal prep for another family!

You might be tired of your Turkey Sloppy Joes or the Chicken & Rice you make once a week, but it may be just the inspiration — and the recipe — someone else needs!

The next time you make one of your go-to meals, take a photo, and jot down the instructions using the Safe Recipe Style Guide. Send your recipe and photo to enter the 30-Minute Meals Safe Recipe Contest by August 17, 2020.

There’s no need to overthink the contest — you already have everything you need to enter!

Recipes from the contest will go into an online cookbook that the Partnership for Food Safety Education will share widely to help combat family meal fatigue. Imagine having your winning recipe make someone else’s day because they didn’t have to decide what to prepare or spend too much time making it! You’ll also be inspired by the recipes from others.

If you’re not sure about how to use the Safe Recipe Style Guide, we have a short video that walks you through the steps. There are only seven steps and, it’s a simple cut and paste!

Are you still not sure you have the right recipe? Because you do, trust me.

Salmon with Kale & White Beans

We all have recipes we make simply because they’re fast, simple, and everyone loves them.
Maybe you use chicken legs or boneless thighs, red or black beans, precooked rice, fish, vegetarian substitutes, ground turkey, or Italian sausages. Does your family love grilled sandwiches? Got a
twist on pizza using store-bought dough? Maybe you’re like me and make “clean out the fridge” salad with whatever you have on hand. Those recipes are perfect for others too!

Did we mention kids can enter too? Yes! You and your children (ages 5 to 17) can enter a recipe into the contest, but only two recipes per household.

If you haven’t done so yet, it’s time to enter your favorite dish in the Safe Recipe Contest! If you have a question about eligibility — or anything else — feel free to email me at mysaferecipe@fightbac.org.

Share this post using #sharemyrecipe. The contest deadline is August 17, 2020. Good luck!

*April 2020 Axios-Ipsos poll;  **May 2020 Hartman/FMI

Chef Leslie Owens is lead BAC Fighter on the 30-Minute Meals Safe Recipe Contest. Leslie is a chef and writer from Central Florida. She is guardian of the furry Stooges. Leslie created the “Salmon with Kale & White Beans” recipe pictured above.

Your Best Recipe, Only Safer! Enter the 30-Minute Meals Safe Recipe Contest!

Have you found that the coronavirus pandemic has set you up to do much more cooking at home? If so, you are among the 45%* of Americans who are cooking more meals at home now.

We’re excited to offer a great way for you to share that best main dish recipe you’ve been working on. Your winning recipe could be shared with thousands of other people through the Partnership for Food Safety Education’s Safe Recipe Contest!

The contest kicks off June 23, 2020, and it’s easy to enter! Here are the highlights:

  • Use the Safe Recipe Style Guide to write your recipe instructions — or turn your existing recipe into a safe recipe using the guide. It’s easy!
  • Take a high-quality photo (300+ PPI)
  • Visit the Safe Recipe Contest entry page and fill out the submission form, making sure to attach both your recipe and photo.


It’s that simple to enter!

Safe Recipe Contest Logo

You might ask — what is a safe recipe? A safe recipe incorporates basic food safety steps. So when you — or anyone — uses the recipe, you’ll be reducing your risk of food poisoning. The Partnership for Food Safety Education’s Safe Recipe Style Guide walks you through the process of writing a safe recipe.

When recipes contain food safety instructions, people follow them. In fact, 90% of people wash their hands using recipes with safety instructions, compared to only 59% who wash their hands while preparing food without safety instructions.

To enter the Safe Recipe Contest, you must be a U.S. resident and eligible in one of these four categories:

  • BAC Fighters – Health and Food Safety Educators, Nutrition Educators, Dietitians, Teachers or Cooperative Extension agents
  • Food Writers/Bloggers – You must have an active blog or social media platform where you promote/post recipes.
  • Kids – Any youth ages 5 to 17. You must have a parent/guardian permission to enter.
  • Employees of Food Retailers and Grocery Stores – Your employer must be a member of the Food Industry Association (FMI) or National Grocers Association (NGA).

Choose your category when you fill out the submission form.

One winner will be chosen from each of the four categories below for a cash prize of $50 AND the winning recipe will be featured in an online cookbook distributed to thousands of people through fightbac.org! Each category winner will be entered into the Grand Prize selection pool.

Qualified judges will choose a Grand Prize winner who will receive:

  • A total $100 cash prize
  • Feature in the safe recipes online cookbook
  • AND see their winning recipe developed into a professionally-produced recipe video in English and Spanish

How cool is that?

So bang your pots and pans (as you take them out to cook), and get ready to enter your recipe before the Monday, August 17 deadline! 

This is the first PFSE recipe contest, which is a major effort to make every recipe a safe recipe. We’re excited to see and (possibly share) your submission. You may enter two (2) recipes per household.

More contest information and official rules are available at fightbac.org/recipecontest. Please look around the rest of our site for dozens of free food safety resources. 

Don’t forget to sign up for our emails so you will NOT miss any news about the contest. 

Remember, your recipe entry must be received by Monday, August 17. Incomplete entries will not be considered. Winners will be announced online in early September 2020.

When you enter, be sure to Tweet about it by using #SafeRecipeContest! 

Don’t want to enter yourself, but know a great cook who should? Share the contest! 

With dozens of new delicious and safe recipes, pretty soon everyone will make improvements in handwashing, using food thermometers, rinsing produce and other healthy food preparation behaviors.

If you have any questions about the contest or the Safe Recipe Style Guide, please contact us at MySafeRecipe@fightbac.org.

We look forward to seeing your safe, delicious recipes! Good luck!

*April 2020 Axios-Ipsos poll

Chef Leslie Owens is lead BAC Fighter on the 30-Minute Meals Safe Recipe Contest. Leslie is a chef and writer from Central Florida. She is guardian of the furry Stooges.

Hot Off the Grill: Home Grilling Safety Tips

Families are doing more grilling this year. Nielsen reported that fresh meat alternative sales increased 255% in the last week of March (compared to the same week in 2019), fully outpacing the growth of meat sales, which increased 53% over the same period.

Fight BAC! is here to help you out with a few essential tips on handling meat safely, and how grilling safely at home can keep you and your family healthy.

Clean hands & surfaces

Washing your hands and surfaces the correct way will help reduce the risk of harmful germs:

  • Wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food.
  • Wash your cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and counter tops with hot soapy water after preparing each food item and before you go on to the next food.
  • Do not rinse raw meat or poultry before cooking it. This is not a safety step, and it could spread dangerous germs around your kitchen.


Thawing meat

woman and daughter washing at kitchen sinkYou may be buying more meats in bulk right now and freezing for later use. Make sure to thaw meats properly:

  • Never let raw meat, poultry, eggs, cooked food or cut fresh fruits or vegetables sit at room temperature more than two hours before putting them in the refrigerator or freezer (one hour when the temperature is above 90°F).
  • Never thaw food at room temperature. Food must be kept at a safe temperature during thawing.
  • There are three safe ways to defrost food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave. Food thawed in cold water or in the microwave should be cooked immediately

Marinades

Everyone loves a good marinade! Make sure to safely marinate and store your meat:

  • Always marinate foods in the refrigerator, not on the counter or outdoors.
  • Don’t use sauce that was used to marinate raw meat or poultry on cooked food.
  • Reserve a portion of the unused marinade to use as a sauce.

Grilling temps

meat thermometer checking grilled meatWhen it’s time to grill the food, cook it to a safe internal temperature for safety and quality. Use a food thermometer to be sure! 

  • Beef, pork, veal and lamb (roast, steaks and chops): 145 °F with a three-minute “rest time” after removal from the heat source
  • Ground meats: 160 °F
  • Poultry (whole, parts or ground): 165 °F
  • Eggs and egg dishes: 160 °F, but cook eggs until both the yolk and the white are firm; scrambled eggs should not be runny
  • Fin fish: 145 °F
  • Shrimp, lobster and crabs: flesh pearly and opaque
  • Clams, oysters and mussels: shells open during cooking
  • Scallops: milky white, opaque and firm
Download the Safe Minimal Internal Temperatures Chart
Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures Chart
Size: 99.75 KB Format : PDF
Preview

Avoid cross-contamination

chicken and produce kept separate on counterCross-contamination is how harmful bacteria can be spread. Improper handling of raw meat, poultry or seafood can create an inviting environment for cross-contamination:

  • Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry or seafood.
  • Use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry and seafood.
  • Be sure to have plenty of clean utensils and platters on hand.

Leftovers

After the meal, remember to handle leftovers safely to prevent foodborne illness:

  • Plan on enough storage space in the refrigerator and freezer. In the refrigerator, air needs to circulate to keep the temperature at 40 °F or below. Use an appliance thermometer in your refrigerator to monitor the temperature.
  • Divide large amounts of leftovers into shallow containers for quicker cooling in the refrigerator.
  • Leftovers stored in the refrigerator should be consumed within 3-4 days
  • Reheat leftovers to 165 °F before eating.

woman washing vegetables in kitchenTo help you Fight BAC!® (harmful bacteria) this grilling season, we’ve collected five grilling recipes with built-in food safety and hand hygiene steps.

Check out food safety videos on grilling and safe food preparation on the Food Safety YouTube channel.

Have a happy and safe grilling season!

Shawnte Loeri is the Communications Associate with the Partnership for Food Safety Education. She can be reached at sloeri@fightbac.org.