Eat, Save, and Be Healthy

Listeria is a bacterium found in the environment.  And, a concern for foodborne illness in pregnant women and older adults.  Unlike Salmonella and E. Coli which can be controlled by high temperatures, Listeria will grow at refrigeration temperatures.  This makes it more of a concern especially with deli foods.

Healthy people do not normally have to worry about contracting Listeria.  But it is a concern for the elderly, newborns, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems. Symptoms of this foodborne illness include fever, tiredness, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.  More serious symptoms are meningitis and septicemia.

If you are in the groups of people who should be concerned, select foods less likely to be contaminated.

• INSTEAD OF CHOOSING:  Cold hot dogs, deli meats and luncheon meats out of the package.
• CHOOSE:  Hot dogs, luncheon and deli meats reheated to steaming hot.

• INSTEAD OF CHOOSING:  Cold salads made in the store such as ham, chicken, egg, tuna or seafood.

• CHOOSE:  Meat, egg, and seafood salads that you make at home.
• INSTEAD OF CHOOSING:  Raw (unpasteurized) milk and milk products.
• CHOOSE:  Pasteurized milk and milk products.
• INSTEAD OF CHOOSING:  Raw or undercooked eggs.
• CHOOSE:  Eggs that are cooked until both the white and the yolk are firm.
• INSTEAD OF CHOOSING:  Undercooked meat, poultry or seafood.
• CHOOSE:  Fully cooked meat, poultry and seafood.

You can also control Listeria in your home by making sure your sinks, counter-tops and cooking utensils are cleaned with hot soapy water before and after cooking food.

For more information check out the Ohioline Fact Sheet:  Listeria monocytogenes:  A Concern for Pregnant Women and Older Adults http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/pdf/5562.pdf

Author:  Linnette Goard, Field Specialist, Food Safety, Selection and Management, Family & Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension.

The weather has been nice enough lately to clean up the grill and move outdoors for a meal.  Keep in mind some simple steps to keep you and your family safe from foodborne illness:

• CLEAN – Wash hands and surfaces often.
• SEPARATE – Don’t cross-contaminate.  Keep raw meat and poultry apart from cooked foods.
• COOK – Use a food thermometer to be sure meat and poultry are safely cooked.
• CHILL – Refrigerate or freeze promptly.

One of the most common mistakes people make is serving cooked food on the same plate that was used to take the raw meat or poultry from the kitchen to the grill.  Don’t make that mistake!  Be safe by using separate plates, one for raw foods and one for cooked foods.  The same it true for utensils.  Use one set of kitchen tongs to place raw food on the grill and another to take it off once the food is cooked.  Or, take the time to wash the utensil in warm, soapy water before using it a second time.

Use a food thermometer.  Studies show that the color of cooked poultry and hamburgers is not a reliable way to determine if foods have been thoroughly cooked to kill bacteria.  The only way to be sure food is safely cooked is to use a food thermometer to measure the internal temperature.  All poultry products should reach a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F.  Ground beef and pork should be cooked to 160 degrees F.

And, finally be safe with leftovers.  Put leftovers away soon after you eat.  Don’t leave food in the “Danger Zone” (40 degrees F. to 140 degrees F.) for more than 2 hours.  The “Danger Zone” is where bacteria can grow and multiply rapidly.   Food that is left sitting on the table for several hours should not be eaten.  This food should be thrown away.

Source:  United States Department of Agriculture, Is it Done Yet campaign.  http://www.fsis.usda.gov/is_it_done_yet/

Author:  Linnette Goard, Field Specialist, Food Safety, Selection and Management, Ohio State University Extension