July 4th Food Safety Quiz – Test Your Knowledge

The CDC estimates that each year roughly 48 million people get sick from a foodborne illness, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die.

A food hazard is any agent that has the potential to pose a threat to human health or cause illness. Food hazards are generally classified by their sources:

• Biological hazards include bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
• Chemical hazards include natural toxins and chemical contaminants (cleaning and sanitizing agents, natural toxins, drugs, food additives, pesticides, industrial chemicals, and other toxins).
• Physical hazards are foreign objects which include glass, metal, plastic, bone chips, hair, insects, pest droppings, etc.
• Food allergens are a sub-category of natural toxins within chemical hazards.

Foodborne illnesses increase during summer because not only does bacteria multiply faster in warmer temperatures, but preparing food outdoors makes safe food handling more challenging. Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 41°F to 135°F (5°C to 57°C).

The FDA Food Code identifies the temperature danger zone as 41°F to 135°F. Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 41°F to 135°F (5°C to 57°C). This range of temperatures is referred to as the “Danger Zone.” The USDA – Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) rounds off and sets the temperature danger zone as roughly 40°F to 140°F.

FAT TOM is a mnemonic device used in the food service industry to describe the six favorable conditions required for the growth of bacteria. It is an acronym for food, acidity, time, temperature, oxygen and moisture.

Although foodborne illness can affect anyone, young adults are the least susceptible. Other groups have a greater risk, such as: infants, the elderly, cancer patients, diabetes patients, pregnant women, and other people with weakened immune systems, such as those with HIV/AIDS, diabetes, or an organ transplant.

According to FDA, you should use plain soap and water, rub your hands together to make a lather, and scrub them well for at least 20 seconds.

Using any container will not matter if food is contaminated beforehand. Cross-contamination is the transfer of harmful substances or disease-causing microorganisms to food by hands, food-contact surfaces, sponges, cloth towels, and utensils that touch raw food, are not cleaned, and then touch ready-to-eat foods. Cross-contamination can also occur when raw food touches or drips onto cooked or ready-to-eat foods.

The bacteria and viruses that cause the most illnesses are Norovirus, Hepatitis A, Salmonella, Shigella, E.coli. These pathogens are responsible for the vast majority of illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths in the U.S.

The only way to know food has been cooked to a safe internal temperature is to use a food thermometer.

According to the USDA, cook all poultry (whole, pieces, and ground) to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F – as measured with a food thermometer.

Cook all raw ground beef, pork, lamb, and veal to a minimum internal temperature of 160°F  – as measured by a food thermometer.

The USDA recommends cooking pork to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F – as measured by a food thermometer.

According to the USDA, seafood should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F – as measured by a food thermometer – and appear opaque and separate easily with a fork.

E coli. is the bacteria most often associated with undercooked beef and hamburger. Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria normally live in the intestines of healthy people and animals. When cattle are slaughtered and processed, E. coli bacteria in their intestines can get on the meat. If the pathogens are present when meat is ground, then more of the meat surface is exposed to the harmful bacteria. Infection symptoms include diarrhea (sometimes bloody), fever, and abdominal cramps – accompanied with nausea and vomiting.

Salmonella is the greatest food illness risk found in undercooked or raw chicken. Salmonella are bacteria found in the digestive tracts of animals and humans and are shed through feces. Symptoms of infection are generally typical of gastroenteritis (diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain) – along with fever, chills, and headache.

Raw shellfish (oysters, clams, mussels) can be contaminated with a variety of foodborne pathogens such as E. coli, Norovirus, and Vibrio vulnificus – and can put you at a high risk for infections. Because shellfish are filter feeders and concentrate virus particles present in their environment, shellfish become contaminated when their waters are polluted with raw sewage.

Follow the 2-hour rule: Do not let perishable food sit out at room temperature for more than 2 hours. If the temperature is above 90 degrees, limit that time to only 1 hour.

Refrigerate any leftovers promptly in shallow containers. Discard any food left out more than 2 hours (1 hour if temperature outside is above 90°F). According to the USDA, leftovers need to be re-heated to an internal temperature of at least 165°F – as measured with a food thermometer – for 15 seconds or more – in order to kill any bacteria.

About 90% of all food allergy reactions occur in only 8 foods or food groups. The 8 major food allergens include: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish (lobster, crab, shrimp), wheat, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts – according to the U.S. Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA).