Tag Archives: summer

Grilling & Food Contamination

Summer is here! What a perfect opportunity to get outside and enjoy the warm summer air we’ve all been craving! For some individuals, spending time outdoors could involve hiking, boating, or reading in the shade, but one thing we can all agree on, summer is the perfect time to enjoy some of our favorite foods on the grill. Whether with family, friends, or even coworkers, cooking food on the grill appears to be a popular summer activity. With summer holidays approaching, like the Fourth of July, it is important to keep your celebrations healthy and safe by following food safety tips to prevent contamination while grilling.

According to the FDA and the USDA Food Safety organizations, there are grilling food safety tips to be followed for all food types:

  • Be Clean: First, make sure to wash your hands thoroughly, especially after touching any form of raw meat. Before consumption, make sure to rinse off fruits and vegetables as there may be bacteria on the surfaces. Never rinse off raw meat as this can increase your risk of cross-contamination.
  • Separate: Keep raw meats away from other foods such as salads, dips, or fruit. Be conscientious of not using the same utensils for putting raw meat on the grill, and for taking cooked meat off the grill. Using the same utensils that touched raw meat could be covered in harmful bacteria, which can contaminate the cooked meat.
  • Temperature: Use a food thermometer to check if food is fully cooked. Sometimes grilling can give you a false impression where food looks fully cooked on the outside, but is under cooked on the inside. The recommended internal temperature for beef, pork, lamb, and veal is 145°F, ground meat is 160°F, whole poultry is 165°F, and fish is 145°F.
  • Fruits and Vegetables: Lastly, make sure to be aware of how long fruits and vegetables should be cooking on the grill. Thicker cut fruits and vegetables will have to cook longer than thinner pieces. Although, fruits and vegetables do not have to reach a minimum internal temperature like meat, it is still important to cook them thoroughly.

Although grilling out in the summer can be a fun thing to do, it is important to take action and be careful in preventing the harmful spread of bacteria to our food. To learn more about additional tips and guidelines to follow when cooking various foods this summer, check out the FDA and USDA Food Safety organization websites to learn more.

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It’s Getting Hot in this Processing Environment!

Summer is approaching and that means temperatures are rising and it’s going to start getting HOT! For most of us summer and warm temperatures correlate with going to the beach, having a picnic, or enjoying the outdoors for the few months of warm weather we have (at least here in Wisconsin!), but one idea we want to make sure doesn’t get forgotten is staying hydrated, and this includes during work hours too!

Fluids, electrolytes, and heat stress products are our friends all year round, but especially on those pesky, humid summer days at work. Depending on the processing facility, temperatures can easily reach 100°F+ on a hot summer day. These high-temperatures can be dangerous, and could lead to severe injury such as heatstroke and heat exhaustion, if a person is not properly hydrating. Hydrating regularly, and staying cool has many added health benefits associated with it that can help the body daily, this includes: keeping our skin healthy, optimum digestion, eliminates toxins in the body, and optimize the energy produced through our cells (Choi, pp. 6).

Many individuals are not aware of how important staying hydrated is, especially during the workday. A recent survey was conducted on how much financial loss is estimated in decreased productivity each year due to employee dehydration. The recorded amount was $2.5 billion (Choi, pp. 10). To avoid these situations, employers should take advantage of workplace hydration program for employees, and provide heat stress products when needed.

Nelson-Jameson offers a variety of products that can help your business stay running efficiently, and keep your employees hydrated and healthy. Sqwincher™ drink mixes provide the optimal combination of fluids and electrolytes to keep your employees hydrated. They are perfect for hot, humid food processing environments. In addition to thirst quenchers, we also have Heat Stress Products, which contain unique water-activated cooling crystals. All employees need to do is immerse the bandana, neck wrap, or hard hat liner in cold water for 5 to 15 minutes, and it will keep them cool all day. Another option is a cooling vest. The Radians Arctic Radwear® Cooling Vests are made with Advanced ARCTIC™ Technology that uses a unique 3-layer fabric system which absorbs, stores, and releases water to keep your body temperature cool and safe. You just immerse the vest for 1 to 2 minutes, wring, and wear.

Make sure to help keep your employees hydrated and cool this summer! With temperatures increasing everyday, it’s important to keep these products on hand, to help your employees stay safe and healthy.

Sources:

Choi, J. (2017, October 27). Why It’s Important To Drink More Water At Work. Lifehack. https://www.lifehack.org/639312/why-its-important-to-drink-more-water-at-work.

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Summer Food Safety for Moms-To-Be

Source: Downthemeadow.com

Source: Downthemeadow.com

Summer is here, and if you’re like us in the lab, you have sunshine, beaches, backyard cookouts, picnics, and Listeria monocytogenes on your mind. Warm weather and good food are two things we can all appreciate; however, unfortunately these conditions are also ideal for foodborne illness caused by Listeria.

According to the USDA’s Crystal McDade-Ngutter, Ph.D: “Listeria monocytogenes is a dangerous bacterium that you should be on the lookout for all year round—especially in the summer months. Listeria can cause a foodborne illness called listeriosis. It can grow at refrigeration temperatures and is one of the deadliest foodborne illnesses.” Listeriosis can be fatal, and is especially dangerous to numerous populations, including pregnant women.

For those expecting or hosting someone that is expecting at their next summer barbeque or picnic, consider these preventative measures that can help keep pregnant women and their mini-barbeque/picnic goer safe this summer:

  • Do not eat hot dogs, luncheon meats, or deli meats unless they are reheated until steaming hot.
  • Avoid getting fluid from hot dog packages on other foods, utensils, and food preparation surfaces, and wash hands after handling hot dogs, luncheon meats, and deli meats.
  • Do not eat soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, and Camembert, blue-veined cheeses, or Mexican-style cheeses such as queso blanco, queso fresco, and Panela, unless they have labels that clearly state they are made from pasteurized milk.
    • It is safe to eat hard cheeses, semi-soft cheeses such as mozzarella, pasteurized processed cheese slices and spreads, cream cheese, and cottage cheese.
  • Do not eat refrigerated pâté or meat spreads.
    • It is safe to eat canned or shelf-stable pâté and meat spreads.
  • Do not eat refrigerated smoked seafood unless it is an ingredient in a cooked dish such as a casserole. Examples of refrigerated smoked seafood include salmon, trout, whitefish, cod, tuna, and mackerel which are most often labeled as “nova-style,” “lox,” “kippered,” “smoked,” or “jerky.” This fish is found in the refrigerated section or sold at deli counters of grocery stores and delicatessens.
    • It is safe to eat canned fish such as salmon and tuna or shelf-stable smoked seafood.
  • Do not drink raw (unpasteurized) milk or eat foods that contain unpasteurized milk.
  • Use all refrigerated perishable items that are precooked or ready-to-eat as soon as possible.
  • Clean your refrigerator regularly.
  • Use a refrigerator thermometer to make sure that the refrigerator always stays at 40 °F or below.

Follow these tips to ensure that you and your little one have a fun and safe summer. For additional summer food safety tips, check out Krisina Beaugh’s “Checklist For the Perfect Summer Picnic.”

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