10 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Food Safety
Q. What is the best way to thaw frozen foods?
There are several ways to thaw frozen foods, including under cold running water, in the refrigerator, or with a microwave.
Q. Do microwaves make foods irradiated?
No, the rays emitted from a microwave destroy the bacteria contained in the food product. They do not damage the food itself.
Q. How long can foods safely be stored in a refrigerator or freezer?
Most food items including fresh meats (pork, lamb, beef, and veal), deli foods, and salads can be stored for three to four days in the refrigerator and four to 12 months in the freezer. Poultry and ground meats can be stored one to two days in the refrigerator and two to three months in the freezer. The duration of storage will sometimes affect the taste of the food but not the safety.
Q. Is it safe to eat leftovers without reheating them?
No, some cases of food-borne illnesses can be attributed to leftover foods that are improperly heated. Leftovers are sometimes cooled improperly, allowing bacteria to grow. If a sufficient amount of heat treatment is not given to the food, someone may get sick. Microwaving can effectively kill bacteria in this scenario.
Q. What is cross-contamination?
Cross-contamination is when bacteria are transferred from one object to another. That object could be food or a food surface. For example, blood juices from meats can leak onto vegetables stored below them, thus contaminating the vegetables. Cross-contamination could also occur when a kitchen rag that contains bacteria is used to wipe a kitchen surface that was previously clean and sterile.
Q. What is the best way to determine if a food has been cooked properly?
Everyone should invest in a food thermometer. Taking an internal temperature is the only true way to determine whether a food has reached the proper internal temperature. The appearance of meats and other cooked food products can be a misleading indicator of whether the food is done.
Q. How long can foods be left out for serving once they have come out of the oven?
Foods that come out of the oven should be consumed within two hours or properly refrigerated after that. If not, foods could linger in the "danger zone" (between the ranges of 40° to 140° Fahrenheit) for too long. In the danger zone, bacteria multiply quickly.
Q. Why can a steak be served medium rare but hamburgers have to be cooked to proper internal temperatures?
A steak served medium rare is an intact muscle. If the butcher has done a good job, all of the bacteria will be on the outside of the steak. The steak can be served medium rare because the bacteria on the outside will die during normal cooking. A hamburger has been ground up, and all of the bacteria that were on the outside of the steak or solid meat are now ground up and dispersed throughout the product. Now you must use a thermometer to ensure that the internal temperature is high enough to destroy the bacteria on the inside.
Q. What is a potentially hazardous food?
A potentially hazardous food is any food that is naturally contaminated with bacteria. Many food products are naturally contaminated with Salmonella (chicken, eggs, turkey, pork) and E. coli (beef and pork). These foods need to reach proper cooking temperatures to ensure everything is killed. Also, many food products that are consumed raw such as oysters and sushi are considered potentially hazardous if not stored at the proper temperature.
Q. What symptoms should I expect with a case of food-borne illness?
A food intoxication can be recognized by a sudden onset (one to four hours) of vomiting and nausea. This occurs because the bacteria contained in the food have released a toxin that makes people sick. A food infection like salmonellosis can lead to symptoms such as vomiting, abdominal cramps, fever, nausea, and diarrhea. Usually these symptoms elaborate themselves 12 to 48 hours after the ingestion of a contaminated food. In this case, the bacteria have had a chance to multiply and colonize a person's intestinal tract.
