With the recent recall of Hudson Foods Inc. beef patties, believed tainted with E. coli bacteria, it’s a good time to re-examine food safety on the home front.
No doubt you’ve got some burgers planned for grilling in the waning days of summer; here are some safe-handling tips to keep in mind:
– When shopping, choose packages of ground beef where wrapping isn’t torn and the meat is cold. Put the package in a plastic bag so juices won’t drip onto other foods. Check for a “sell by” or “use by” date; some producers and retailers voluntarily print them.
– Store ground meat in the coldest part of your refrigerator if you plan to use it right away. Otherwise wrap packages with foil or heavy freezer wrap and freeze for two to four months. Never thaw meat on the counter; always use the refrigerator or microwave, then cook promptly.
– When preparing to cook, keep raw meat away from other food; wash your hands, all utensils and cutting boards with hot, soapy water after handling. Use separate cutting boards for meat and vegetables, if possible.
– When cooking, check meat patties or loaves visually–the center should not be pink and juices should run clear. Crumbled ground meats should have no pink remaining. If baking, set the oven no lower than 325 degrees. If broiling, grilling or cooking on the stove, turn the meat at least once. Use a meat or “quick-read” thermometer, available at supermarkets, household and kitchen stores, to take the guesswork out of cooking. Ground meat prepared as patties, meat loaf or meatballs should reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees, measured with the thermometer placed in the center (and thickest) part of the meat.
– For grilling, never partly grill meat (or poultry or fish), then finish cooking later. Don’t reuse marinade from raw meat or poultry on cooked food unless the marinade is boiled first for five minutes to destroy any bacteria. Don’t put cooked food back on a plate that held the raw meat or marinade. After grilling, keep meat hot until served, such as setting burgers to one side of the grill where they remain hot but will not overcook. Indoors, cooked meat can be kept hot in a 200-degree oven, in a chafing dish or slow cooker or on a warming tray.
– For storing after cooking, refrigerate or freeze meat within two hours of taking it off the grill, one hour if the air temperature is above 90 degrees. Divide large quantities into small amounts so they’ll cool more quickly in the refrigerator or freezer. When using as leftovers, reheat to 165 degrees.
For more information on food safety, contact:
– The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline, 800-535-4555. It is staffed during business hours by home economists and offers 24-hour recorded information. The USDA’s Internet home page is www.usda.gov/fsis
– The Industry Council on Food Safety has available by mail a free brochure, “Recipe for Safe Food Preparation.” Call 800-266-5762.
