Keeping Your Meat Safe
More and more Americans are becoming concerned about
ensuring the food they eat is safe. The American Dietetic
Association wants consumers to know that they can take
an active role in safeguarding their food by practicing
proper food-handling procedures. Below are tips that will
help you get your meat safely from the grocery aisle to
the kitchen table.
Buying
- Always look for the Safe Food Handling label on
packages
- The label indicates that the meat has been processed
safely and will give you tips for proper food handling
and cooking
- Make sure the meat is tightly wrapped
- Pick up the meat last and ask to have it bagged
separately from other groceries
Storing
- Always handle meats with clean, dry hands
- Store meat in the coldest part of the refrigerator
or in the refrigerator's meat bin
- Use fresh, raw meats stored in the refrigerator
within 3 to 4 days of purchase.
- Throw away ground meats, sausage and organ meats
after 2 days
- Freeze meats in freezer-safe wrap at 0°
- Cooked meats should be eaten or frozen within 3
to 4 days
Preparing
- Wash hands thoroughly for 20 seconds before, during
and after handling raw meat
- Use two separate cutting boards to avoid cross-contamination
- Use one for raw meats and the other for fruits
and vegetables
- Color-coded cutting boards can help you remember
which is which
- Defrost meats in the refrigerator or in the microwave
by using the defrost setting--never on the counter
- Cook meat that has been thawed in the microwave
immediately
- Do not re-freeze thawed meat
- Use a meat thermometer to cook to proper temperatures
- Cook ground meats to 160°F
- Beef, veal and lamb should reach 145°F
- Cook pork to 160°F
- Reheat leftovers to 165°F
- Always marinate in the refrigerator
- If you want to re-use marinade that has touched
raw meat, always bring it to a boil first
- Cooked meats should not be left unrefrigerated
for more than two hours
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