Good Lifestyle

"It's the grilled season and outdoor picnics. While the summer is the perfect time to bask and shake with friends and family, hot days are also the ideal breeding ground for some unwanted-bacteria guests and other microbes that cause a foodborne disease. .

According toDisease control centersEach year, about 48 million people suffer from a disease of food origin caused by bacteria such asE.COLI,Salmonella, andListeria. And these pathogens can cause more than one belly, vomiting and some additional trips to the bathroom, saysBarbara KowalcykcykckcykAssistant Professor of Food Science and Technology of the University of Ohio State and the Co-Founder of the Food Disease Research and Prevention Center. They can cause serious infections that can lead to hospitalization, especially among pregnant and postpartum women, older adults and those with compromised immune systems. In some cases, the disease of food origin has been linked to chronic conditions, such asIrritable intestine syndrome (IBS) And reactive arthritis, which can affect the quality of life, says Kowalcyk.

With recent reminders of Roman lettuce andeggsIt is important to know the basics of how to go to Pesky bacteria. While the common detection rules for the treatment of secure foods (wash your hands!), Here are 10 tips to avoid foodborne diseases. And for more cooking tips and cooking tips to protect the health of your family, subscribe to theEat this, not that!magazine-For limited time, you can get 50% of the coverage price!

The first ruler of safe food handling: know the temperature danger zone. "Bacteria that we are concerned can easily develop between 40 ° F and 140 ° F," said Leslie Thompson, PhD, Professor of Food and Security Sciences at Texas Tech University, so keep hot foods Hot and cold cold. "The prepared foods that have sat down for more than two hours (like lockers or parties) should be thrown," said the culinary nutrition expertJessica Levinson, MS, RDN, CDN.

When it comes to cooking, it's good to be a little toc. Thompson recommends washing your hands andCleaning cooking surfaces Frequently to avoid cross-contamination, especially after touching high-risk foods such as raw meat, poultry and eggs. This applies to the manipulation of pet food and treats like pork ears. And do not forget to clean yourfridge regularly. "Some pathogens of food origin likeListeria Can grow in refrigerated temperatures, "says Kowalcyk.

You know you should cook meat, poultry and seafood at a specific temperature to kill annoying bacteria, but how can you be sure it's hot enough? Use a cooking thermometer. KOWALCYK recommends using a peak-sensitive digital thermometer on a compositional model of the old school. You do not have to calibrate it and this will give a more precise reading, she says.

to cookminced meat At 160 ° F and poultry (including chicken on the ground and turkey) at 165 ° F. for pork and ham, cook at 145 ° F and be sure to let it rest for three minutes before eating. The meat continues to cook during this period so do not jump it!

Although you probably know how to use cutting boards and separate utensils for products, raw meats and skin foods, cross-contamination can also occur in your refrigerator. "Raw meat, poultry and seafood should be stored on the lower refrigerator tablet, ideally in a container to protect other objects on the drops shelf," explains Levinson. "Fresh foods and ready-to-eat foods such as fruits and vegetables should be stored in drawers produced or on shelves above raw meats to prevent the risk of cross-contamination."

Although it may seem like a good idea, rinse your meat or poultry before cooking is not going. "Red meat does not need to be rinsed," says Thompson. "If you rinse poultry, any contamination potentially on this poultry is now in your sink. You must clean and clean the sink and any surface it may have affected."

Fruits and vegetables are often consumed raw, which makes them probably carrying bacteria. "Food has become food in the environment and there are all kinds of things that can increase the risk of pathogens of food origin, animals passing through, runoff other fields and even Fertilizer if they use manure and it is not composted correctly, "Kowalcyk said. "Contamination can also occur during transport and storage."

Since jumping on cooking leaves all the potentially harmful bacteria intact, make sure to wash all your products before eating, even if you do not plan to eat the skin. (Think Melon andlawyer.) Kowalcyk recommends using simple old water and a scrub brush just before eating or preparing the products. And as bacteria like to hide in the water, make sure to dry your product with paper towels.

We understood-Greens of bagged salad are super responsibilities. But they are also linked to large epidemics of foodborne illness. "They put the greens in a huge water tank. If a head of lettuce is contaminated, it can spread," says Kowalcyk. Instead, she recommends buying a single letterhead, which has a lower risk of contamination.

If you bought enclosed greens, do not rinse them before eating. The enclosed greens are more likely to have broken leaves, which is an entry point for bacteria. If you wash your greens, you can broadcast all the bacteria that can be present, according to Kowalcyk.

According to Kowalcyk, bacteria sneak in fruits and vegetables through sections and tears. "When I go home and there is a torn sheet in my lettuce, I throw it. If there is a murdere tomato, I get rid of that," she says. Better to be safe!

Youmeal meal Like a boss on weekends, but should you immediately refrigerate or freeze your food? "If you make a stew and it's 180 degrees, you do not want to put this directly into the refrigerator or freezer, because it unnecessarily increases the temperature," says Thompson. "As long as it is above 140 ° F, it will not be favorable to the growth of microbes." Let your food release steam, but once the temperature plunges below 140 ° F, cool it.

Of course, you usually usesponge anddishes Wash the dishes and clean your kitchen, but these can be breeding grounds for microbes, explains Thompson. Frequently change rags and wash them in a dilute whitening solution. Make sure they are completely dry. Since bacteria love wet sponges, Thompson suggests using a quick scrub brush.