Take a Fresh Look at Frozen Foods this Holiday Season

December 15, 2016

Dr. Donna Garren, Senior Vice President of Regulatory and Technical Affairs, Frozen Food Foundation

In honor of the holiday season, the Frozen Food Foundation invites you to take a fresh look at frozen foods and follow the four easy steps in the Story of Your Dinner consumer education campaign.

Frozen. How Fresh Stays Safe.
Freezing is nature’s pause button. Freezing simply pauses just-picked and just-baked foods, keeping them at their peak of freshness and locking in their flavor and nutrients.

Freezing, one of the oldest methods of preserving foods, can keep foods fresh for a longer period of time. Freezing is a natural way to keep foods safe by preventing microorganisms from growing and by slowing down the enzyme activity that causes food to spoil. Modern freezing techniques used by fruit and vegetable growers and makers of prepared meals capture and preserve food at the peak of its freshness and nutrient content.

When preparing the variety of options available to consumers in the frozen food aisle, remember to always read and follow the package cooking instructions to achieve the right temperature to make your foods safe and delicious.

Another important tip to remember this holiday season is if you can’t eat your leftovers quickly, freeze them, because cold temperatures slow the growth of harmful bacteria.

Frozen. How Fresh Stays Nutritious.
Did you know that frozen fruits and vegetables are as rich in nutrients and, in many cases, are packed with even higher nutrient levels than their fresh counterparts?

Two Frozen Food Foundation-commissioned studies conducted by the Universities of Georgia (UGA) and California-Davis (UC Davis) reveal that frozen fruits and vegetables are as rich in nutrients, and often more so, than fresh-stored produce.

Frozen. How Fresh Stays Accessible.
About 40 percent of the food produced in the United States each year is never eaten, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, amounting to about $162 billion lost every year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

All of this wasted food is staggering considering 17.5 million U.S. households are food insecure.

Frozen foods mean less wasted food and access to well-balanced, portion-controlled nutritious meals in every season and community. In fact, research published in the British Food Journal shows that frozen food generates 47 percent less food waste at home than non-frozen food, so families can save money while still eating healthy meals.

We’ve got your back this holiday season with safe, nutritious and easy to prepare frozen foods. Print

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5 Top Food Safety Tips for the Holidays and Every Day

December 13, 2016

Mike Robach, Vice President, Corporate Food Safety and Regulatory Affairs, Cargill

Holiday parties are a staple this time of year. I’m in the midst of planning several for friends and family right now. With my job focused on preventing foodborne illnesses, I believe one of the worst things that could happen to any host is to spark an illness due to unsafe food handling techniques.

Tola Oyewole

Arming yourself with the knowledge to safely prepare your holiday spread doesn’t have to be difficult or time consuming. In fact, it’s as simple as Cyber Monday shopping—it can be done from your couch, in your pajamas. Tips for safe food handling are at your fingertips when you visit sites such as the CDC or the USDA. You can even find specifics for the food you are preparing, from the safe handling of turkey to beef to eggs.

For quick reference, here are the top five tips I remind my family of every time we are in the kitchen preparing a meal:

1.Clean hands and surfaces often—Wash all utensils and preparation surfaces, including cutting boards, with hot soapy water. Use warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds to wash hands before and after handling food.

2. Separate foods—Don’t transfer bacteria from one food to another. Keep raw meat, poultry and seafood away from other foods that won’t be cooked. Remember to re-wash all surfaces—and your hands—after handling raw foods.

3. Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables—Rub firm-skinned produce, like cucumbers and apples, under tap water. Rinse all produce before peeling, as microorganisms on the surface can be easily transferred with a peeler or knife blade. Pat dry with a paper towel.

cargill-stir-frying-veg

4. Cook to safe temperatures—A host’s best friend is their thermometer. Use it consistently to ensure foods reach a temperature that kills harmful bacteria that can cause illness. The Partnership for Food Safety Education has an excellent list of safe internal temperatures.

5. Know how long leftovers can last—Refrigerate leftovers as soon as possible, in shallow containers, so they cool off more quickly. Shelf life of leftovers varies by food—but most are only good for three to four days. Use the USDA’s AskKaren service 24/7 via computer or mobile device to ask how long your specific leftover will remain fresh.

Check off this list, visit those websites and feel pride—and confidence—that your guests will leave with full stomachs and happy hearts, but not with a foodborne illness.

About the blogger

Mike Robach serves as vice president for corporate food safety, quality and regulatory affairs at Cargill. Mike has worked closely with the USDA and FDA regarding food safety policy, HACCP, and regulatory reform based on science. He has also worked with the World Organization of Animal Health (OIE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on harmonized animal health and food safety standards. He is the current Chairman of the Board of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI).

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The Partnership for Food Safety Education in HGTV Magazine

February 26, 2015

The Partnership for Food Safety Education was featured in the October/November edition of HGTV Magazine. It may feel wasteful to toss what seems (and smells) like good turkey and stuffing, but Thanksgiving leftovers really should not be kept for a week. Executive Director Shelley Feist explained, “You can’t see, smell, or taste E. coli or salmonella and if your food is harboring either bacteria, it could make you sick.”

Temperature and time cause bacteria to grow, which is why it is so important your refrigerator be cold enough and you not keep leftovers too long.   Even when refrigerated properly (at 40 °F), leftovers should be eaten, frozen or discarded within 3 to 4 days.  When heating and storing leftovers keep the following in mind:

• Refrigerate cooked leftovers promptly – within 2 hours. Use an appliance thermometer in your refrigerator to ensure your refrigerator is at 40 °F or below.
• Divide leftovers into smaller portions and store in shallow containers in the refrigerator.
• Reheat cooked leftovers to 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer. Sauces, soups and gravies should be reheated by bringing them to a boil.
• When microwaving leftovers, make sure there are no cold spots in food (where bacteria can survive). Cover food, stir and rotate for even cooking.