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August 2003

There may be a difference between your perception of a clean kitchen and one that ensures food safety. Food safety depends upon safe food practices and revolves around 3 main functions:

• food storage
• food handling
• cooking

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the FDA have listed the following as important areas to ensure food safety.

• the temperature in your refrigerator should be 40º or less to slow bacteria growth
• meat, fish, and poultry products should be defrosted by placing them in the refrigerator or by using the “defrost” cycle of your microwave
• a cutting board used to cut raw meat, fish, or poultry should be washed with soap and hot water and then sanitized (1 teaspoon of chlorine bleach in 1 quart of water)
• when handling raw meat, fish, or poultry, clean your hands afterwards by washing them with soap and warm water
• hamburgers should be cooked to 160º or more (see this month’s FYI for safe temperatures for other meat, fish, and poultry)
• leftover cooked meat, fish, or poultry should be put in the refrigerator as soon as possible or within 2 hours after cooking
• any batter or raw cookie dough made with eggs should not be eaten until baked (raw eggs may carry salmonella; cook them thoroughly)
• the kitchen sink drain, disposal, and connecting pipes should be sanitized at least once a week (1 teaspoon of chlorine bleach in 1 quart of water)
• clean kitchen counters and other surfaces that come in contact with food with hot water and soap, then a bleach solution or a commercial sanitizing solution
• dishes should be washed and dried in an automatic dishwasher or washed by hand right away with hot water and soap and then air-dried
  

For Your Information: A meat thermometer is a must to insure food safety. Here are the internal temperatures for some cuts of meat, fish, and poultry: beef, lamb, veal  145º pork, ground beef  160º whole poultry, thighs 180º poultry breasts 170º ground poultry 165º seafood 145º

 
While trichinosis in pork is not the problem it once was, it’s still a good idea to cook it to the recommended internal temperature (see this month’s FYI).

Here is a recipe for a very flavorful rub for pork tenderloin or boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If you substitute dried herbs for the fresh, use 1 teaspoon instead of a tablespoon.

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

In small bowl, mix together rosemary, thyme, sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub meat or poultry with mustard then with herb mixture. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Grill or roast meat to an internal temperature of 160º.