July 1, 2015

FOOD SAFETY 101

At MANNA, food safety is a TOP priority because many of our clients have compromised immune systems.  The hot summer months are a great time to update your own food safety knowledge. With many outdoor events and barbecues, we often overlook proper handling food. 1 in 6 Americans gets sick from food poisoning, resulting in roughly 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths each year. You can prevent food-borne illness by being more cautious and it’s easy! Help keep your family and friends safe and healthy with these simple food safety practices below.

1. Practice good hygiene and wash your hands before eating, preparing food, or between foods that would cross contaminate such as red meat and fresh vegetables. Always wash hands with warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds.
2. Marinate your food in the refrigerator to prevent bacteria from growing.   Always reserve a portion of unused marinade to brush on food while it is cooking. Never re-use marinade that was used to flavor raw meat, poultry or fish.
3. Preheat your grill approximately 20-30 minutes before grilling. For charcoal grills, the coals should be just coated with ash.
4. Use a food thermometer to ensure that food is cooked to the proper temperatures.
5. Food should never sit at room temperature for more than two hours. Use chafing dishes, slow cookers, and warming trays to keep hot food hot. Keep cold foods cold by nesting them in bowls of ice or rotating items into the refrigerator/freezer.

Keep these tips in mind always and grill on!