Maintain Food Safety While Cutting Food Waste
Food safety is a major concern for the United States. The federal government estimates that there are about 48 million cases of foodborne illness annually — the equivalent of sickening 1 in 6 Americans each year. And each year these illnesses result in an estimated 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.
But food waste is also a major concern. According to the federal government, the U.S. leads the world in food waste, with people in America discarding nearly 40 million tons of food every year. That’s worth more than $161 billion and comes to about 219 pounds of waste per person, or 30 to 40 percent of our food supply. Most of this wasted food is sent to landfills where it decomposes and produces methane. Landfills are the third largest source of methane emissions, which are a big factor in climate change because methane is so effective at absorbing the sun’s heat, which warms the atmosphere.
The food industry and consumers are the chief sources of food waste in the United States. Within the food industry, waste occurs at every step — on the farm and with packers, processors, distributors, and retailers. Some of it is the result of economic forces, some of management problems, and some is caused simply by dumping products that are less than perfect in appearance. Several federal agencies are cooperatively working with food industry entities to identify ways of reducing food waste.
For consumers, much food waste results from a misunderstanding of what the various wordings on product date labels mean, along with uncertainty about the storage of perishable foods. Confusion over date labeling accounts for an estimated 20 percent of consumer food waste.
Ways to Avoid Wasting Food
- Be aware of how much food you throw away.
- Don’t buy more food than can be used before it spoils.
- Plan meals and use shopping lists. Think about what you are buying and when it will be eaten. Check the fridge and pantry to avoid buying what you already have.
- Avoid impulse and bulk purchases, especially produce and dairy that have a limited shelf life. Promotions encouraging purchases of unusual or bulk products often result in consumers buying foods outside their typical needs or family preferences, and portions — potentially large portions — of these foods may end up in the trash.
- Check the temperature setting of your fridge. Use a refrigerator thermometer to be sure the temperature is at 40 °F (4 °C) or below to keep foods safe. The temperature of your freezer should be 0 °F (-18 °C) or below.
- Avoid overpacking your fridge. Cold air must circulate around refrigerated foods to keep them properly chilled.
- Wipe up spills immediately. It will reduce the growth of Listeria bacteria, which can grow at refrigerator temperatures. Also, cleaning up spills — especially drips from thawing meats — will help prevent cross-contamination, where bacteria from one food spread to another.
- Keep it covered! Store refrigerated foods in covered containers or sealed storage bags, and check leftovers daily for spoilage.
- Refrigerate peeled or cut produce for freshness and to keep them from going bad.
- Use your freezer! Freezing is a great way to store most foods to keep them from going bad until you are ready to eat them. The FDA’s FoodKeeper app has information on how long most common foods can be stored in the freezer.
- Check your fridge often to keep track of what you have and what needs to be used. Eat or freeze items before you need to throw them away.
- When eating out, become a more mindful eater. If you’re not terribly hungry, request smaller portions. Bring your leftovers home and refrigerate or freeze them within two hours and check the FoodKeeper app to see how long they’ll be safe to eat.
- To keep foods safe when entertaining, remember the two-hour rule. Don’t leave perishable foods out at room temperature for more than two hours, unless you’re keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold. If you’re eating outdoors and the temperature is above 90°F (32°C), perishable foods shouldn’t be left out for more than one hour.
Adapted from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s article “Maintain Food Safety While Cutting Food Waste.”
VIDEO: Food Waste & Food Safety at Home
Spring Forward with Food Safety
Many of this season’s celebrations involve perishable foods like eggs, beef, ham and lamb. These foods need to be handled properly at home to prevent food poisoning.
Safe Egg Handling
Eggs are a big part of many spring celebrations and activities. Kids love to decorate and dye them, hide them, and cook them with their families in festive foods.
Follow these eggs-pert food safety tips with kids and families to keep them safe this spring season:
- Wash hands with soap and water before preparing food and after handling raw eggs.
- Prevent cross-contamination. Wash cutting boards, counters, utensils, and serving plates after touching raw eggs, meat, poultry, and seafood.
- Remember the two-hour rule. Don’t leave eggs out at room temperature for more than two hours.
- Cook eggs and dishes containing eggs until the internal temperature reaches 160° F on a food thermometer.
- For egg hunts and other activities, only use eggs that have been refrigerated. Discard eggs that are cracked, dirty, or have been out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Get more safe egg handling advice to keep you and your young ones healthy this season.
Handle & Cook Meats Safely
The meat is the centerpiece of any holiday meal. Make sure yours is a showstopper by handling and cooking it safely:
- Wash hands with soap and water before preparing food and after handling raw meat and poultry.
- Cook ham until the internal temperature of 145 °F on a food thermometer with a three-minute “rest time” after removal from the heat source.
- Bake beef brisket, fat side up in a baking dish, in an oven set no lower than 325 °F. The brisket is safe to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 145 °F on a food thermometer with a three-minute “rest time” after removal from the heat source.
- Cook all raw lamb steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F on a food thermometer with a three-minute “rest time” after removal from the heat source.
Spring Clean Your Way to a Safer Kitchen
It’s important to know the difference between cleaning and sanitizing. They aren’t the same thing. Both are important to help prevent the spread of harmful germs.
- Cleaning removes germs, dirt, and impurities from surfaces or objects. Cleaning works by using soap (or detergent) and water to physically remove germs from surfaces. This process does not necessarily kill germs, but by removing them, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading infection.
- Sanitizing lowers the number of germs on surfaces or objects. This process works by disinfecting surfaces or objects using a diluted liquid chlorine bleach solution (combine 1 tablespoon liquid chlorine bleach with 1 gallon of water in a clean bucket).
Learn more about when to clean and when to sanitize at home.
Follow these food safety tips to help your family and friends have an egg-cellent spring celebration!
Partnership for Food Safety Education Grows with New Board Members, Partners
The Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE) announces several appointments to its Board of Directors. PFSE is a non-profit, public health organization that develops and promotes education programs to reduce foodborne illness risk for consumers.
The Partnership appointed four new board members:
- Jane DeMarchi, president of the North American Millers’ Association
- Stefanie Evans, Ph.D., vice president of quality and food safety sourcing and design at Danone North America
- H. Lester Schonberger, Ph.D., associate extension specialist with Virginia Tech/Virginia Cooperative Extension
- Sharon Mayl, partner at DLA Piper, appointed as board advisor
“We’re so happy to welcome our new board members,” said Harold Chase, PFSE board chair and director of government affairs with NSF. “Our talented Board of Directors is dedicated to stewarding PFSE to be effective at helping people reduce their risk of foodborne illness at home.”
Rotating off the board are Michael Roberson, director of corporate quality assurance with Publix Super Markets and past board chair, as well as Shauna C. Henley, Ph.D., family and consumer sciences educator at University of Maryland Extension. The Partnership is grateful for their dedication to food safety education and servant leadership.
PFSE also welcomes six new contributing partners: Albertsons, Amazon, Diversey, Home Chef, JBS and SmartLabel by Consumer Brands Association. Contributing partners help to keep food safety education resources free to access and provide thought leadership to program development and strategy.
“The Partnership’s historical leadership in public-private collaboration is unique and important to making an impact on foodborne illnesses,” said Britanny Saunier, PFSE executive director. “We’re grateful to have the thought leadership of our Board of Directors, contributing partners, federal liaisons and food safety educators to advance awareness of safe food handling practices for people preparing meals at home.”
View the full list of PFSE Board of Directors and the partner organizations who support this work.
About the Partnership for Food Safety Education
The Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE) is a non-profit, public health organization with a mission to develop and promote effective education programs to reduce foodborne illness risk for consumers. This important work is done through a historically significant cross-sector collaboration with the federal government, food industry, consumer groups, and scientific associations. PFSE supports more than 13,000 health and food safety educators with free, science-based safe food handling messages who reach 8.5 million U.S. households each year. Food safety professionals, health educators, and consumers can download free food safety education information from the Partnership’s website at www.fightbac.org.
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
You 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
When 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
Avoid cross-contamination
Cross-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.
To 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.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 8
- Next Page »