In the past few years there have been many recalls of food products; from spinach to lettuce and hamburger to canned food. Many people have started to buy their food locally. What are some other steps to that can help you protect your food supply? During a disaster or emergency, it will be crucial to make sure that your food is kept safe enough to eat.
Be sure to cook meat, eggs and poultry carefully. Eggs should be cooked until yolk is firm and meat should be cooked until it reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a meat thermometer.
Be careful not to cross-contaminate food
Utensils that touched food
Put cooked meat on a clean plate and not on the plate that held the raw meat.
Refrigerate leftovers immediately. Bacteria can grow quickly at room temperature. Divide large pots of food in shallow containers so that it can cool off more quickly.
Wash produce then remove outer leaves of a head of cabbage or lettuce. Wash your hands before preparing food. Rinse vegetables and fruit under running water.
Report suspected food borne illness to your local health department. This is how outbreaks can be detected.