Coach on Call Four Simple Steps to Prevent Food Poisoning

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1 Coach on Call It was great to talk with you. Thank you for your interest in. I hope you find this tip sheet helpful. Please give me a call if you have more questions about this or other topics. As your UPMC Health Plan health coach, I m ready to help in any way I can. Did you know? One in six Americans get sick from food poisoning each year. Fruits and vegetables, especially contaminated salad greens, account for nearly half of the illnesses. Most people will recover without lasting health problems. But what about the others? Food poisoning sends more than 100,000 Americans to the hospital each year. It can cause kidney failure, chronic arthritis, and brain and nerve damage. It kills about 3,000 Americans each year. The most common cause of death from food poisoning is contaminated poultry. Food poisoning is more likely, and more likely to have serious effects, in pregnant women, older adults, and people with chronic illnesses. Each step includes many parts. But don t be overwhelmed. Just like driving a car, each step will become automatic as you practice it over and over. 1. Clean. Soap kills germs. Wash your hands the right way for 20 seconds with soap and running water. Include the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails. Singing Happy Birthday from beginning to end, twice, takes about 20 seconds. Wash your hands: Before you eat. Before, during, and after you prepare food. Before and after you care for someone who is sick or treat a cut or wound. After you handle uncooked eggs or raw meat, poultry, seafood, or their juices. After you blow your nose, cough, or sneeze. After you touch an animal or animal waste. A healthier life is life on is the on line the for you! line for you! C UPMC_13_0125 Copyright 2013 UPMC Health Plan, Inc. All rights reserved C ON C FT CARE FD PSNING C (MCG) 07/08/13 PDF

2 Page 2 of 4 Coach on Call After you touch garbage. After you use the toilet. Wash surfaces and utensils after you prepare each food item. Use paper towels or clean cloths and hot soapy water. Wash the cloths often in the hot cycle of your washing machine. Rinse fruits and vegetables in cool running tap water before you prepare them. Do this even if you plan to peel them. Germs can spread from the outside to the inside as you cut or peel fruits and vegetables. First cut away bruises or damaged areas. Remove and discard outer leaves of lettuce. Then rinse. Do not use soap, detergent, bleach, or commercial produce washes. Dry with a paper towel or clean cloth towel. Do NOT rinse raw meat, poultry, or eggs. If you rinse them, the juices may splash onto your sink and countertops. This spreads harmful germs (bacteria). All commercial eggs are washed before they are sold. Washing them at home can spread germs. This risk increases if the shell becomes cracked. 2. Separate. Raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs contain harmful germs that can spread to other foods. Keep raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs away from cooked meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs. Do not combine them on the same plate or paper plate, such as when grilling. Use separate cutting boards and utensils. Wash cutting boards, plates, and utensils after each use in hot, soapy water. Use paper plates once and throw them away. Replace a cutting board when it is very worn or has hard-to-clean groves. At the grocery, keep meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs away from all other foods in your shopping cart. Put them in separate plastic bags at the checkout. In the fridge, keep meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs separate from all other foods. Put them in closed plastic bags or containers. Freeze them if you do not plan to use them within a few days. Keep eggs in their carton on a shelf in the fridge. Do not store them in the door. 3. Cook. To kill germs, food must be cooked to a high enough temperature. Cook raw sprouts, such as alfalfa and clover, to reduce the risk of illness. Use a food thermometer when cooking meats, poultry, and fish. Do not rely on color and texture to tell if the food is done. Put the thermometer in the thickest part of the food. Do not touch bone, fat, or gristle. Throw out all marinades used with raw meat, or cook them thoroughly. Cook foods to no less than the minimum temperatures on the attached chart. Post the chart in your kitchen where you can refer to it easily. Note that some foods need rest time after cooking to make sure that harmful germs are killed.

3 Page 3 of 6 After each use, clean your food thermometer with hot, soapy water. Keep food hot (at 140 F or above) after cooking. Germs grow as the food cools. Use a slow cooker or warming tray. Microwave food thoroughly (to 165 F). Follow the cooking directions on the food label. For example, stir the food in the middle of heating. Follow standing times exactly. These steps let cooler areas of the food absorb heat from the hotter areas. 4. Chill. Germs grow very quickly unless you chill foods fast and keep them cold enough. Refrigerate perishable foods within 2 hours. Do so within 1 hour in the summer. Keep an appliance thermometer in your fridge and freezer. Your fridge should be between 40 F and 32 F. Your freezer should be at 0 F or below. Allow cold air to circulate around food while it chills. Do not over-stuff your fridge. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Divide large amounts into several clean, shallow containers so they will chill quickly enough. About thawing: Always thaw meat, poultry, and seafood in the refrigerator, never on the counter. Keep it on a plate or pan so the juices do not drip on other foods. For faster thawing, put frozen food in a watertight plastic bag. Submerge in cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes. Cook the food right away. Or thaw in the microwave. Follow the directions that come with your microwave. Cook the food right away. Or cook food from the frozen state. Keep in mind it will take longer. Do NOT refreeze thawed meat, poultry, or fish. Always marinate foods in the fridge, never on the counter. Throw out all marinades used with raw meat, or cook them thoroughly. Know when to throw food out. Even foods that look or smell fine may be spoiled. Never taste food to see if it is safe! How long is it safe to keep food in the fridge or freezer? Follow the attached chart. Post it in your kitchen where you can refer to it easily.

4 Page 4 of 6 Take Action 1. Look back over the tips above. First, give yourself credit for those you already do! Then, choose two that are not yet habits. 2. Make a plan below to start to practice them this week. Be specific. For example, 1. I will buy a food thermometer on Saturday and use it on Sunday when I make roast chicken. 2. I will rinse fruits and vegetables in running water this week, even if I plan to peel them Keep the attached charts of safe cooking temperatures and storage times where you can refer to them easily. Examples: Post them on your fridge. Or keep them in a kitchen drawer. Over time, choose other tips to practice until they become a habit. The more tips you follow, and the more consistent you are, the safer you and your family will be. This tip sheet is adapted from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website at See the site for helpful videos, tips for buying a food thermometer, and much more.

5 Page 5 of 6 Minimum Safe Cooking Temperatures Post this chart in your kitchen where you can refer to it easily. Note that some foods need rest time after cooking to make sure that harmful germs are killed. Category Food Cooking Temperature ( F) Rest Time Ground Meat and Meat Mixtures Beef, pork, veal, lamb 160 None Turkey, chicken 165 None Fresh Beef, Veal, Lamb Steaks, roasts, chops minutes Poultry Chicken and turkey, whole 165 None Poultry breasts, roasts 165 None Poultry thighs, legs, wings 165 None Duck and goose 165 None Stuffing (cooked alone 165 None or in bird) Pork and Ham Fresh pork minutes Fresh ham (raw) minutes Precooked ham (to reheat) 140 None Eggs and Egg Dishes Eggs Cook until yolk and None white are firm. Egg dishes 160 None Leftovers and Leftovers 165 None Casseroles Casseroles 165 None Seafood Fin fish 145 or cook until None flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork. Shrimp, lobster, and crabs Cook until flesh is None pearly and opaque. Clams, oysters, and mussels Cook until shells None open during cooking. Scallops Cook until flesh is milky white or opaque and firm. None Adapted from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Go to Accessed 11/29/12.

6 Page 6 of 6 Safe Storage Times for the Fridge and Freezer Note: Freezer storage times are for quality only. Frozen foods stay safe forever, if they stay at 0 F. Category Food Refrigerator (40 F or below) Salads Egg, chicken, ham, tuna and macaroni salads Freezer (0 F or below) 3 to 5 days Does not freeze well Hot dogs Opened package 1 week 1 to 2 months Unopened package 2 weeks 1 to 2 months Luncheon meat Opened package or deli sliced 3 to 5 days 1 to 2 months Unopened package 2 weeks 1 to 2 months Bacon Bacon 7 days 1 month Sausage Sausage, raw from chicken, turkey, 1 to 2 days 1 to 2 months pork, beef Hamburger and Other Ground Meats Hamburger, ground beef, turkey, veal, pork, lamb, and mixtures of them 1 to 2 days 3 to 4 months Fresh Beef, Veal, Lamb, and Pork Steaks 3 to 5 days 6 to 12 months Chops 3 to 5 days 4 to 6 months Roasts 3 to 5 days 4 to 12 months Fresh Poultry Chicken or turkey, whole 1 to 2 days 1 year Chicken or turkey, pieces 1 to 2 days 9 months Soups and Stews Vegetable or meat added 3 to 4 days 2 to 3 months Leftovers Cooked meat or poultry 3 to 4 days 2 to 6 months Chicken nuggets or patties 3 to 4 days 1 to 3 months Pizza 3 to 4 days 1 to 2 months Eggs or Products with Eggs Raw eggs in shell 3 to 5 weeks Do not freeze. Instead, beat yolks and whites together; then freeze. Raw egg whites 2 to 4 days 12 months Raw egg yolks 2 to 4 days Yolks do not freeze well. Raw egg accidentally frozen in shell Use right away after thawing. Keep frozen; then refrigerate to thaw. Hard-cooked eggs 1 week Do not freeze. Egg substitutes, liquid, unopened 10 days 12 months Egg substitutes, liquid, opened 3 days Do not freeze. Egg substitutes, frozen, unopened After thawing, 7 days or 12 months Use-By date Egg substitutes, frozen, opened After thawing, 3 days or Do not freeze. Use-By date Casseroles with eggs 3 to 4 days After baking, 2 to 3 months Eggnog, commercial 3 to 5 days 6 months Eggnog, homemade 2 to 4 days Do not freeze. Pumpkin or pecan pies 3 to 4 days After baking, 1 to 2 months Custard or chiffon pies 3 to 4 days Do not freeze. Quiche with filling 3 to 4 days After baking, 1 to 2 months Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Go to Accessed 11/29/12.