Focus on food safety in the kitchen

Foodborne illnesses affect 48 million people a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and – notwithstanding various gag-inducing, headline-grabbing outbreaks tied to fast-food chains and romaine lettuce farms – the majority of these sicknesses can be sourced to our own kitchens.

At home, we frequently handle raw meat and unwashed produce in the sink, atop the counter, on the grill, but unfortunately not everyone follows proper food safety protocols. Given that it’s the season for backyard barbecues and organic farm stands, here are several guidelines to follow to protect your family’s health:

Food storage

If your fridge has a meat compartment, use it to store your meats, poultry and fish to keep them fresh and separated from other foods. If your fridge does not feature such a space, store raw meat and fish on the lowest shelf and wrap it in plastic to avoid leaking or dripping. Put these foods in the freezer if they won’t be cooked for a few days.

Hand washing

It may go without saying to wash your hands before preparing a meal, but some might forget this step if they are rushing to get dinner on the table on a weeknight. Scrub your hands, including under the nails, with soap and hot water. Plus, remove any jewelry that might touch the food you’re cooking. Washing your hands after handling food is a good idea, too, especially when going from raw meat to other meal components.

Food washing

As for the food itself, all vegetables and fruits should be washed, even fruits with skins to keep bacteria on the outside from spreading. It may seem counterintuitive, but food safety experts actually recommend against washing raw meat or poultry prior to cooking, because bacteria can splash onto countertops and spread to clothes, utensils and other food. That’s called cross-contamination, and it can lead to illnesses, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Cutting boards

Another way to prevent cross-contamination is to use separate cutting boards for meats, eggs and produce. For example, if you’ve filleted a fish on one board, switch to a clean one to chop the red onion.

The cutting boards themselves bear watching. Wooden and plastic cutting boards should be replaced over time. The USDA recommends non-porous cutting boards, such as those made of bamboos, which holds up better to knives and prevents cuts from forming where bacteria can be trapped.

High temps

Cooking meat at the proper temperature will destroy any harmful bacteria. Use a food thermometer to gauge the internal temperature of meats and seafood. The minimum temperature ground meat should be cooked is 160 degrees and 165 degrees for other meats. Seafood should be a minimum of 145 degrees. The website www.foodsafety.gov has a list of proper temperatures by food category.

Rest time is important as well. It’s a key period, with the meat removed from the heat source and maintaining its ideal cooking temperature, when harmful germs are destroyed.

Sell-by dates

Always check to make sure your food is not expired. Even when you are in a store shopping, check a product’s “sell by” date, which shows how long the product can be on sale. As for the “best if used by” dates, these refer to flavor and quality but shouldn’t be used to determine safety, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

Healthy lifestyle

A healthy immune system can lessen the severity and impact of a foodborne illness. This can be achieved several ways, including maintaining a healthy diet, getting plenty of sleep, and regularly taking a probiotic with 12 to 14 strains of beneficial bacteria. The supplement also can enhance digestion, helping eliminate toxins and waste.

And remember, preventing foodborne illness itself is part of a healthy lifestyle.

John Walczyk is a registered compounding pharmacist at Johnson Compounding & Wellness in Waltham (www.naturalcompounder.com). Readers with questions about natural or homeopathic medicine, compounded medications, or health in general can email john@naturalcompounder.com or call 781-893-3870.