Clean Cutting Boards Are Not Enough

Not so long ago, concerns about food poisoning focused mainly on trichinosis from undercooked pork and salmonella from foods like potato salad at picnics. In years past, I had no qualms about eating and serving steak tartar, homemade eggnog and Caesar salad dressing made with raw eggs, rare burgers, scallop ceviche (the fish "cooks" in acid) and even raw oysters and clams. Nor did my guests hesitate to indulge in such foods.

But times -- and dangerous food poisoning organisms -- have changed. Today, almost no food is exempt from possibly harboring a micro-organism or microbial toxin that can make people sick and, in some cases, kill them. While millions of consumers worry about pesticide residues and additives in foods, the real hazards lie in microbial contamination and improper food handling, especially in the home.

Having paid close attention to recent warnings about cooking temperatures, cutting boards and the consumption of raw and undercooked foods, I thought I knew everything I needed to know about safe food handling and consumption. For example, I am a fanatic about handling raw poultry: everything it touches, including the kitchen sink, gets scrubbed immediately after use with hot, soapy water. And when I go grocery shopping in the summer, I bring a cooler along to keep cold foods cold during the half-hour drive home.

But in researching this column, I learned several valuable new lessons about food safety and have made adjustments accordingly in how I handle food, cooking utensils and cleanup. I also learned that the organisms that spoil food and make it look, smell or taste bad are not the same as those that cause food poisoning, which produce no obvious change in the food but can make a consumer very sick.

The Basics

Washing hands often and thoroughly, and not just after using the toilet, could eliminate nearly half the cases of food-borne illness, experts estimate. Before and after every food preparation task and between tasks like handling raw meat and then cutting vegetables, wash your hands with warm, soapy water for 20 seconds, then dry them with a disposable towel or clean cloth towel. Wash under rings and fingernails; use a nail brush if necessary.

Keep hot foods hot (above 140 degrees Fahrenheit) and cold foods cold (below 40 degrees). Microbes thrive between 40 and 140 degrees, and subsequent cooking or reheating may not destroy toxins.

Refrigerate or freeze both raw and cooked meats, poultry, fish and eggs as soon as possible after purchase. Do the same with leftovers and with foods you prepare in advance. It is best to chill cooked foods as quickly as possible; use shallow containers to speed cooling, and do not wait for them to reach room temperature before refrigerating them.

Wash all produce, even packaged salad mixes and vegetables, those that say "prewashed" or "triple washed" and those that will be peeled, like bananas, oranges, melons and avocados, especially if they are not going to be eaten right away. The skin could be contaminated and when the fruit is cut, food-poisoning organisms could spread to the flesh.

Do not drink "raw" (unpasteurized) milk or apple cider. If you buy unpasteurized cider, heat it to 160 degrees, then chill it before you drink it.

Have at least two cutting boards. Dedicate one (preferably not wood) to raw meats, poultry and fish. Immediately after use, wash it in hot soapy water or in the dishwasher. Periodically sanitize it with a solution of chlorine bleach and replace it when it develops significant grooves. Use a second board (this can be wood) only for cutting bread, vegetables, fruits and other foods that are not cooked.

Avoid cross-contamination. Keep raw meats, poultry and fish in their original packages and place them on platters on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator to prevent their juices from dripping on other foods. Wash scissors and knives used to open the packages. Never handle cooked food with utensils or platters that held raw food unless they have been thoroughly washed. Also, boil marinades for one minute if they are to be used for basting.

Thaw meats, poultry and fish in the refrigerator -- never on the counter -- or in the microwave oven or in a sealed package in cold water that is changed every half hour. Read and follow the "safe handling instructions" now required by the United States Department of Agriculture on all packages of raw poultry and meat. Also, marinate raw foods in the refrigerator.

Kitchen cloths and sponges can harbor all sorts of organisms. Wash dishcloths and towels in hot water often. Disinfect sponges in a chlorine bleach solution or by microwaving them on high for one minute, and replace them when worn.

Buy a refrigerator thermometer. The refrigerator should always be below 40 degrees, and the freezer at or below 0 degrees. Do not put highly perishable foods on the door. Milk and eggs are best kept in the body of the refrigerator.

Cooking for Safety

The rules for safe cooking depend on the food. The wise cook will buy -- and always use -- a food thermometer, either the kind that is inserted before cooking or the instant-read variety.

EGGS -- Check the contents of the carton in the store and do not buy it if any egg is cracked or if the shells look dirty. Store both raw and cooked eggs in the refrigerator. Use only pasteurized eggs (available in some supermarkets or by calling (800) 447-3447), never ordinary raw eggs, in foods that will not be cooked. Cook all egg-rich dishes to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

POULTRY -- Insert a food thermometer into the thickest part away from bone and gristle. Cook ground chicken and turkey to an internal temperature of 165 degrees, boneless roasts and breast meat to 170 degrees, and whole birds, thighs and drumsticks to 180 degrees. Poultry should be stuffed just before it is cooked, and the stuffing should reach 165 degrees (if the bird is done first, remove the stuffing and finish cooking it separately). For frozen poultry, allow one and a half times the normal cooking time. Carve whole birds fully when done and refrigerate the extra meat and the carcass immediately.

MEATS -- All cuts of pork should be cooked to 160 degrees, although a fully cooked ham can be reheated to 140 degrees. Ground meat (as in hamburgers, meatloaf and meatballs) must be cooked to 160 degrees to kill the dangerous type of E. coli bacteria. Do not rely on color; even if brown all the way through, the internal temperature may not have reached 160. Roasts and steaks are less of a worry, since any dangerous organisms will be on the surface and killed by the time the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. One exception, however, is meat that has been tenderized by pricking; it should be treated like ground meat.

Both the Food and Drug Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture operate hot lines on food safety. Both are staffed by operators Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Eastern time. The hot lines also offer recorded information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Agriculture Department line, which deals with meat and poultry, is (800) 535-4555. All other foods are handled by the F.D.A. line, which is (888) 723-3366.

The New York Times
January 30, 2001