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                              Safe Meat Handling  Part 1
Cleanliness |Cook Right |Proper Thawing |Freezer Burn
Freezing |Wrapping |Keeping Bag Lunches Safe

***NOTE***
TWO HOURS is the MAXIMUM time perishable foods should be at room temperature. This INCLUDES the time they're on the table during your meal. Just ONE bacterium, doubling every 20 minutes, can grow to over 2,097,152 bacteria in 7 hours!

THE 3 C's OF SAFE MEAT HANDLING 

KEEP IT COLD 

In the hot summer months, make your meat selection last to ensure that the meat stays as cold as possible. Choose packages that are cold and tightly wrapped without tears or punctures. 
Bacteria continue to multiply slowly in the refrigerator. If you do not plan to cook meat with 2 to 4 days, or within 24 hours for ground meat, wrap and freeze. 
Defrost meat in fridge, not on counter. Room temperature will allow the growth of bacteria on the surface of the meat, even while the inside remains frozen. When defrosting in the microwave, remove the exterior portions as they defrost. This prevents portions of the package overheating or starting to cook. 

Defrost frozen ground beef patties before cooking. If cooked frozen or only partially defrosted, patties may appear cooked on the outside while not completely cooked inside. 
Many barbecue recipes recommend bringing steaks to room temperature before grilling, but this is unnecessary and can lead to meat being left too long at room temperature. Steaks can be successfully barbecued directly from the refrigerator. If steaks are especially cold, they may be removed from the fridge no more than 1/2 hour before grilling. 
Return leftover cooked meat to fridge as soon as possible. Although cooking destroys bacteria, new bacteria in the air and on surfaces of dishes etc. can re contaminate the meat. These quickly multiply at room temperature. 

KEEP IT CLEAN   To Top Of Page

Wash hands thoroughly before and after handling raw meats or poultry. Wash work surface and utensils that have come in contact with raw meat or poultry juices. 
Use a clean plate to transfer cooked patties from the barbecue. Never place cooked meat on the same platter that contained raw meat. 
Any leftover marinade used to marinate meats should be boiled for 3 to 5 minutes before using as a sauce. Do not reuse marinades unless boiled for 3 to 5 minutes before storing in the refrigerator. 
Take care that juices from meats do not drip onto other foods in the fridge. Foods of particular concern are those that are not usually cooked, like cheese, salad greens or cold cuts. 

COOK IT PROPERLY 

Steaks and roasts can be enjoyed rare, provided that the exterior surfaces are well cooked. Bacteria exist only on the outer surfaces of meats. 
Cook ground beef until no longer pink in the centre. Any bacteria that may be present on the surface of the meat can be mixed throughout the meat in the grinding process. Thorough cooking will kill any bacteria present. 
Cook ground beef as soon as possible after defrosting. Cook without interruption; partial cooking may encourage bacterial growth before cooking is complete.

Freezing and Thawing
Meat Products  

Frozen meat, poultry and fish can also be cooked without thawing if extra cooking time is allowed. The amount of time will depend on the size and shape of the cut. Large frozen roasts can take as much as 1 1¦2 times as long to cook as unfrozen cuts of the same weight and shape. 

Select only high quality, fresh meats to freeze. Cured meats, such as ham and bacon, can only be frozen for a short period of time,1 to 3 months. The salt in cured meats, hastens rancidity. Store-bought meat is ready to be frozen as is, or cut into more usable portions and frozen. Store-brought meats need to be over wrapped with freezer wrap since their clear packaging is not moisture-vapor resistant. 

Freshly slaughtered meats…

These meats need to be cooled to below 40° degrees Fahrenheit with 24 hours to prevent souring or spoiling. The meat should be chilled from 36 -48 hours at 32° - 36° degrees Fahrenheit. After 48 hours, pork veal, and lamb are ready to be cut-up, wrapped and frozen. Variety meats such as liver or sweetbreads, are also ready to be wrapped and frozen. Beef may be left at the 32° - 36° degrees Fahrenheit for a total of 5 to 7 days to age the meat. Aging makes the meat more tender and flavorful.

Proper thawing of meat is extremely important.

To prevent food spoilage; meat, and poultry should never be thawed at room temperature unprotected. There is a much greater danger of bacterial growth and food spoilage for food thawed at room temperature. Thaw meat and poultry in the refrigerator in the original wrappings. To speed thawing, loosen the wrapping.

For a quicker method, immerse meat or poultry in a water tight bag in cold water and thaw until pliable. Or, the meat or poultry can be thawed in its original wrapper in two or three layers of paper bags at room temperature. The bags act as insulation keeping all of the product cold.

Frozen meat, poultry and fish can also be cooked without thawing if extra cooking time is allowed. The amount of time will depend on the size and shape of the cut. Large frozen roasts can take as much as 1 1¦2 times as long to cook as unfrozen cuts of the same weight and shape.

Proper thawing of a protein product is important because some food spoilage that may develop on protein products will not be killed during the cooking process.

A special note about poultry and stuffing.  To Top Of Page


Poultry should not be stuffed before freezing. During freezing or thawing, food poisoning bacterial could easily grow in the stuffing. Commercially stuffed frozen poultry is prepared under special conditions that cannot be duplicated at home. Leftover stuffed poultry should be divided into poultry and stuffing pigeons and frozen or refrigerated separately.

Another often asked question, about poultry, concerns the maroon colored bones or pink meat in frozen poultry after it is cooked.
The coloring hemoglobin or coloring matter in the bones is a natural occurrence. There is nothing wrong with the meat.

Preventing Freezer Burn
Good packaging will prevent "burned" food.

Protect all your foods by choosing packaging material that is moisture-vapor-resistant. Containers made of aluminum, glass or plastic work well because water and vapor can't pass through them. Don't use butcher paper or waxed paper for freezing. They aren't vapor resistant. 

Poorly packaged frozen food dries out, loses its original freshness, and natural colors, flavors, and nutritive values. The process, called freezer burn, is irreversible and affected portions of the "burned" food should be discarded. 

The loss of moisture from poorly packaged frozen food adds to frost from other moisture sources. This increases the defrosting task for the freezer or for you.

Oxygen can damage frozen foods.

Frozen foods must be packaged in containers that close tightly. If oxygen can reach the food, it will speed poor meat flavors, darken light colored fruits, and may cause boilable pouches to burst. Oxygen won't damage vegetables as much as it does other foods, because vegetables are protected somewhat by a natural, built in antioxidant.


Polyethylene bags

These are excellent for freezing food. They must be from one-and-a-half to three mils thick. Thinner bags won't protect the food, and thicker ones are hard to twist adequately at the top for sealing. Good bags cost more money than thin ones, but they will protect food and they can be reused.

Other good packaging materials include heavy aluminum foil and laminated and coated sheets. Use just enough to cover the food and make a good closure.

Handle frozen foods with respect. Adding the proper packaging to good food and using the right freezer temperature will yield the best-tasting food.
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Freezing Meat And Poultry
Wrap good quality meat securely using these tips.

The quality of frozen meat depends on the quality of the meat you choose, the way it is prepared for the freezer, and the quality of  the wrapping materials you use. 

When you freeze meat and poultry, you are freezing expensive foods. You will want to do a good job of preparing meat for the freezer to be sure you get your money's worth when the meat comes out of the freezer. 

Freeze meat while it is fresh and in top condition. The quality of the meat will not improve in the freezer. The meat you buy at the grocery store usually is not wrapped in moisture-vapor-proof freezer materials. Remove the cello-phane and the paper or styrofoam plate and rewrap the meet for freezing.

Be sure you buy the right kind of wrapping material.

Choose a moisture vapor-proof wrap so that you can seal out air and seal in moisture. There are several good wraps on the market. Pliable wraps such as freezer foil and transparent moisture vapor-proof wraps and certain types of plastic bags are good for wrapping bulky, irregularly shaped meats. 

Freezer papers, waxed coated cartons and laminated freezer paper are good for some cuts of meat. Casserole dishes containing meat sometimes are frozen in the dish in which they will be reheated or baked.

As you prepare the meat for freezing, trim off excess fat and remove bones whenever it's practical. There's nothing wrong with freezing the bone, except that it takes up more space in the freezer.

You should not add salt to the meat because it shortens the storage life of the meat. On the other hand, spices and freshly ground pepper prolong the freezer life of ground pork.

When you're freezing poultry, remove the giblet. Separate the liver and freeze it separately, and never stuff poultry before you freeze it.

You'll probably want to wrap your food in "family sized" packages, but remember not to over-do it. Smaller packages freeze more quickly and defrost faster than larger ones. When you wrap several chops, patties or individual pieces of meat together put double thicknesses of wax paper between them so they'll be easier to separate while they're thawing.

Wrap the meat tightly pressing out as much air as you can. One of the most popular methods of wrapping is called the drug store wrap.

Here's how it's done.  To Top Of Page


Place the food in the center of a sheet of foil or laminated paper. Bring the edges of the sheet together over the meat. Fold the paper over to make a lock fold. Continue the fold, drawing the wrapping tightly around the food and then, press the fold flat
against the food. Fold in both ends of the wrapping, excluding as much air as possible. Air left in the packages causes meat to dry out. Also, the oxygen in the air will cause the fat to oxidize which results in an off-flavor in the meat. Fold the ends over the seal with freezer tape.

If you use plastic bags…

Squeeze out as much air as you can, then twist the top tightly and close it with a rubber band or the fasteners which came with the bags. Label the package properly. Be sure to include the kind of meat, poultry or fish, the cut, the weight, or number of servings and the date.

Freeze meat at once, at zero degrees Fahrenheit or colder. Leave some air space between the packages when you first put the meat in the freezer. Your home freezer is not designed to freeze several hundred pounds of meat at one time. If you're freezing
more than five percent of the freezer capacity at one time, it is best to have the meat frozen rapidly at a locker plant before storage.

Putting in more than the recommended amount at one time raises the temperature to above zero degrees Fahrenheit. As a result, slow freezing takes place and large ice crystals form in the meat, causing the tissue to break down. Then, when you thaw it, the juices seep out.

You should check your freezer storage chart for suggested maximum storage times. Frozen meat will be best if it's used before the maximum time indicated.To Top Of Page

Keeping "Bag" Lunches Safe
Whether it's off to school or work we go, millions of Americans carry "bag" lunches. Food brought from home can be kept safe if it is first handled and cooked safely. Then, perishable food must be kept cold while commuting via bus, bicycle, on foot, in a car, or on the subway. After arriving at school or work, perishable food must be kept cold until lunchtime.

Why keep food cold? Harmful bacteria multiply rapidly in the "danger zone" -- the temperatures between 40 and 140 °F. So, perishable food transported without an ice source won’t stay safe long. Here are safe handling recommendations to prevent foodborne illness from "bag" lunches.

Begin with Safe Food
Perishable food, such as raw or cooked meat and poultry, must be kept cold or frozen at the store and at home. Eggs should be purchased cold at the store and kept cold at home. In between, transport perishable food as fast as possible when no ice source is available. At the destination, it must be kept cold. Food should not be left out at room temperature more than 2 hours (1 hour if the temperature is above 90 °F).

Prepackaged combos that contain luncheon meats along with crackers, cheese, and condiments must also be kept refrigerated. This includes luncheon meats and smoked ham which are cured or contain preservatives.
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Keep Everything Clean
Wash your hands before you prepare or eat food. Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and countertops with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item and before you go on to the next item. A solution of 1 teaspoon of bleach in 1 quart of water may be used to sanitize surfaces and utensils. Keep family pets away from kitchen counters.

Don't Cross-Contaminate
Harmful bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen and get onto cutting boards, utensils, and countertops. Always use a clean cutting board. When using a cutting board for food that will not be cooked, such as bread, lettuce, and tomatoes, be sure to wash the board after using it to cut raw meat and poultry. Use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for meat and poultry.

At lunchtime, discard all used food packaging and paper bags. Do not reuse packaging because it could contaminate other food and cause foodborne illness.

Packing Lunches
Pack just the amount of perishable food that can be eaten at lunch. That way, there won't be a problem about the storage or safety of leftovers.

It's fine to prepare the food the night before and store the packed lunch in the refrigerator. Freezing sandwiches helps them stay cold. However, for best quality, don’t freeze sandwiches containing mayonnaise, lettuce, or tomatoes. Add these later.

Insulated, soft-sided lunch boxes or bags are best for keeping food cold, but metal or plastic lunch boxes and paper bags can also be used. If using paper lunch bags, create layers by double bagging to help insulate the food. An ice source should be packed with perishable food in any type of lunch bag or box.
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Keeping Cold Lunches Cold
Prepare cooked food, such as turkey, ham, chicken, and vegetable or pasta salads, ahead of time to allow for thorough chilling in the refrigerator. Divide large amounts of food into shallow containers for fast chilling and easier use. Keep cooked food refrigerated until time to leave home.

To keep lunches cold away from home, include a small frozen gel pack or frozen juice box. Of course, if there’s a refrigerator available, store perishable items there upon arrival.

Some food is safe without a cold source. Items that don't require refrigeration include fruits, vegetables, hard cheese, canned meat and fish, chips, breads, crackers, peanut butter, jelly, mustard, and pickles.

Keeping Hot Lunches Hot
Use an insulated container to keep food like soup, chili, and stew hot. Fill the container with boiling water, let stand for a few minutes, empty, and then put in the piping hot food. Keep the insulated container closed until lunchtime to keep the food hot – 140 °F or above.

Microwave Cooking/Reheating
When using the microwave oven to reheat lunches, cover food to hold in moisture and promote safe, even heating. Reheat leftovers to at least 165 °F. Food should be steaming hot. Cook frozen convenience meals according to package instructions.