Food Safety System

nourishment base hit Information Freezing and feed for thought expertty oods in the deep- arrest be they caoutchouc? Every year, thousands of chit-chaters to the agribusiness Meat and Poultry Hotline have questions about the safety of items stored in their home deep deep-freezes. The confusion seems to be based on the fact that few people understand how frost cheers pabulum. Here is some information on how to freeze provender safely and how prospicient to time lag it. F What Can You Freeze? You female genitals freeze almost either solid food. Some exceptions are canned food or cranks in shells. However, once the food (such as a ham) is out of the can, you whitethorn freeze it.Being able to freeze food and being pleased with the character after thawing are cardinal different things. Some foods simply dont freeze well. Examples are mayonnaise, cream sauce, and lettuce. Raw gist and poultry maintain their quality longer than their cooked counterparts because moistu re is lost during preparedness. Is icy provender Safe? Food stored constantly at 0 F or below depart alship canal be safe. hardly the quality suffers with lengthy deep freezer fund. Freezing keeps food safe by slowing the movement of molecules, causation microbes to enter a dormant stage.Freezing pre administers food for extended periods because it pr reddents the elevateth of microorganisms that cause both food spoilage and foodborne illness. Freezing to 0 F or below inactivates every microbes bacteria, yeasts, and molds present in food. at one time unthaw, however, these microbes can again become active, multiplying under the right conditions to levels that can lead to foodborne illness. Since they leave behind then grow at about the similar rate as microorganisms on fresh food, you must handle thawed items as you would both perishable food. Trichina and other parasites can be destroyed by sub-zero freeze temperatures.However, very strict government-supervised con ditions must be met. Home halt can non be relied upon to destroy trichina. Thorough cooking, however, go forth destroy all parasites. Does Freezing Destroy Bacteria and Parasites? Freshness and Quality Freshness and quality at the time of frost affect the condition of frigid foods. If frozen at peak quality, thawed foods step to the fore tasting better than foods frozen near the end of their useful life. So freeze items you wont use quickly sooner rather than later. Store all foods at 0 F or below to retain vitamin content, color, flavor, and texture.The freezing process itself does not destroy nutrients. In meat and poultry products, in that location is little change in nutrient value during freezer storage. Nutrient Retention The Food safety and Inspection Serv sparkler (FSIS) is the public health agency in the U. S. Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring that the democracys commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly l abeled and packaged. husbandry Meat & Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) USDA Photo PhotoDisc Food Safety Whileand InspectionCamping & Boating Food Safety Hiking, ServiceUnited States Department of Agriculture Freezing and Food Safety Enzymes Enzyme activity can lead to the deterioration of food quality. Enzymes present in animals, vegetables, and fruit drive chemical reactions before and after harvest, such as ripening. Freezing only slows the enzyme activity that call ins place in foods. It does not halt them. Enzyme activity does not harm frozen meats or fish and is neutralized by the acids in frozen fruits. But most vegetables that freeze well are low acid and take on brief, partial cooking to prevent deterioration. This is called blanching. For successful freezing, blanch or partially cook vegetables in turn water or in a microwave oven. Then rapidly chill the vegetables prior to freezing and storage. Consult a cookbook for timing. Packaging Proper packaging helps maintain quality and prevent freezer burn. It is safe to freeze meat or poultry directly in its original packaging, however this cause of wrap is permeable to air and quality may diminish over time. For prolonged storage, overwrap these packages as you would whatever food for long-term storage. It is not necessary to rinse meat and poultry.Freeze unopened vacuum packages as is. If you score that a package has accidentally been torn or has opened while food is in the freezer, the food is providedton up safe to use exactly overwrap or rewrap it. Freezer burn does not make food unsafe merely dry in spots. It appears as grayish-brown, leathery spots and is caused by air sexual climax in contact with the surface of the food. Cut freezer-burned portions away either before or after cooking the food. Heavily freezer-burned foods may have to be discarded for quality reasons. Color changes can occur in frozen foods.The bright red color of meat as purchased usually turns dark or gruesome brown depending on its variety. This may be cod to lack of oxygen, freezer burn, or abnormally long storage. Freezing doesnt usually cause color changes in poultry. However, the bones and the meat near them can become dark. Bone darkening results when pigment seeps through the porous bones of young poultry into the skirt tissues when the poultry meat is frozen and thawed. The dulling of color in frozen vegetables and cooked foods is usually the result of excessive drying due to improper packaging or overlengthy storage.Freezer Burn Color Changes Freeze Rapidly Freeze food as fast as possible to maintain its quality. Rapid freezing prevents undesirable large ice crystals from forming end-to-end the product because the molecules dont have time to form into the characteristic six-sided snowflake. Slow freezing creates large, troubled ice crystals. During thawing, they damage the cells and dissolve emulsions. This causes meat to drip and lose juiciness. Emulsions such as m ayonnaise or cream get out separate and appear curdled. Ideally, a food 2-inches thick should freeze completely in about 2 hours.If your home freezer has a quick-freeze shelf, use it. Never stack packages to be frozen. Instead, spread them out in one layer on various shelves, stacking them only after frozen solid. Freezer Refrigerator Temperatures If a refrigerator freezing compartment cant maintain 0 F or below or if the door is opened frequently, use it for short-term food storage. Eat those foods as soon as possible for best quality. social function a free-standing freezer set at 0 F or below for long-term storage of frozen foods. Keep an gubbins thermometer in your freezing compartment or freezer to check the temperature.This is important if you experience a power outage or mechanical problems. The temperature in the refrigerator should be set at 40 F or below. Check the refrigerator temperature with an appliance thermometer. Food Safety Information 2 Freezing and Food Safet y Freezer Storage clock Because freezing keeps food safe indefinitely, recommended storage times are for quality only. Refer to the freezer storage chart at the end of this document, which lists optimum freezing times for best quality. If a food is not listed on the chart, you may determine its quality after thawing. First check the odor.Some foods will develop a rancid or off odor when frozen too long and should be discarded. Some may not look picture perfect or be of high enough quality to serve alone, but may be edible and can be used to make soups or stews. Safe Thawing Never thaw foods in a garage, basement, car, dishwasher, or plastic garbage bag, out on the kitchen counter, outdoors, or on the porch. These methods can leave your foods unsafe to eat. There are three safe ways to thaw food in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave. The last two methods may be the fastest, however, the food must be cooked right away after thawing. . Its best to plan earlier for slow, safe thawing in the refrigerator. Small items may defrost overnight most food requires a day or two to completely defrost. Large items like turkeys may take longer, approximately 1 day for each 5 pounds of weight. 2. For faster thawing, place food in a leak test copy plastic bag and immerse it in cold water. (If the bag leaks, bacteria from the air or contact environment could be introduced into the food. Food may absorb water like a sponge, resulting in a watery product. ) Change the water every 30 minutes. After thawing, cook immediately. 3.When microwave-defrosting food, plan to cook it immediately after thawing because some areas of the food may become warm and begin to cook during microwaving. Refreezing Food thawed in the refrigerator is safe to refreeze without cooking, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through thawing. After cooking, foods that were previously frozen are safe to refreeze. If previously cooked foods are thawed in the re frigerator, you may refreeze the unused portion. Freeze leftovers within 3-4 days. Do not refreeze any foods left outside the refrigerator longer than 2 hours 1 hour in temperatures above 90 F.If you purchase previously frozen meat, poultry, or fish at a retail store, you can refreeze if it has been handled safely. preparation Frozen Foods Raw or cooked meat, poultry, or casseroles can be cooked or reheated from the frozen state. However, it will take approximately one and a half times as long to cook. Remember to discard any wrapping or absorbent paper from meat or poultry. When cooking whole frozen poultry, reassign the giblet pack from the cavity as soon as you can loosen it. Cook the giblet separately. Read the label on USDA-inspected frozen meat and poultry products.Some items, such as pre-stuffed whole birds, moldiness be cooked from the frozen state to ensure a safely cooked product. LOOK FOR THE USDA OR land MARK OF INSPECTION The inspection mark on the packaging tells yo u the product was prepared in a USDA or State-inspected plant under controlled conditions. Follow the package directions for thawing, reheating, and storing. Food Safety Information 3 Freezing and Food Safety Power Outage in Freezers If there is a power outage, the freezer fails, or if the freezer door has been left ajar by mistake, the food may still be safe to use if ice crystals remain.If the freezer has failed and a repairman is on the way, or it appears the power will be on soon, dont open the freezer door. If the freezer door was left ajar and the freezer continued to keep the food cold, the food should stay safe. A freezer full of food will usually keep about 2 days if the door is kept shut a half-full freezer will last about a day. The freezing compartment in a refrigerator may not keep foods frozen as long. If the freezer is not full, quickly group packages together so they will retain the cold more effectively. Separate meat and poultry items from ther foods so if they beg in to thaw, their juices wont drip onto other foods. When the power is off, you may want to put dry ice, block ice, or bags of ice in the freezer or transfer foods to a friends freezer until power is restored. Use an appliance thermometer to monitor the temperature. To determine the safety of foods when the power goes on, check their condition and temperature. If food is partly frozen, still has ice crystals, or is as cold as if it were in a refrigerator (40 F or below), it is safe to refreeze or use. Its not necessary to cook vulgar foods before refreezing.Discard foods that have been lukewarm than 40 F for more than 2 hours. Discard any foods that have been contaminated by raw meat juices. Dispose of soft or melted ice cream for qualitys sake. When it is freezing outside and there is snow on the ground, the outdoors seems like a good place to keep food until the power comes on. However, frozen food can thaw if it is exposed to the suns rays even when the temperature is very cold . The outside temperature could vary hour by hour and the temperature outside will not protect refrigerated and frozen food. Food may become too warm and foodborne bacteria could grow.Additionally, perishable items could be exposed to unsanitary conditions or to animals. Animals may harbor bacteria or disease never run through food that has come in contact with an animal. Frozen Cans Cans frozen accidentally, such as those left in a car or basement in subzero temperatures, can present health problems. If the cans are merely swollen and you are sure the swelling was caused by freezing the cans may still be usable. let the can thaw in the refrigerator before opening. If the product doesnt look and/or tactile sensation normal, throw it out. DO NOT TASTE ITIf the seams have rusted or burst, throw the cans out immediately. finish up the burst can in plastic and dispose of the food where no one, including animals, can get it. lawsuit eggs should not be frozen. If an egg accidentally freezes and the shell cracked during freezing, discard the egg. Keep any uncracked eggs frozen until needed then thaw in the refrigerator. These can be hard cooked successfully, but other uses may be limited. Thats because freezing causes the yolk to become thick and syrupy, so it will not flow like an unfrozen yolk or blend very well with the egg white or other ingredients. Frozen EggsFood Safety Information 4 Freezing and Food Safety FREEZER STORAGE CHART (0 F or below) Note Freezer storage times are for quality only. Frozen foods remain safe indefinitely. head Bacon and Sausage Casseroles Egg whites or egg substitutes Frozen Dinners and Entrees Gravy, meat, or poultry Ham, Hot dogs, and Luncheon Meats Meat, uncooked roasts Meat, uncooked steaks or chops Months 1 to 2 2 to 3 Unopened 12 3 to 4 2 to 3 1 to 2 Item Meat, uncooked ground Meat, cooked Poultry, uncooked whole Poultry, uncooked parts Poultry, uncooked giblets Poultry, cooked Months 3 to 4 2 to 3 12 9 3 to 4 4 2 to 3 to 12 4 to 12 Soups and Stews Wild game, uncooked 8 to 12 Food Safety Questions? Call the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline If you have a question about meat, poultry or egg products, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline toll free at 1-888-MPHotline or 1-888-674-6854, TTY 1-800-256-7072. The hotline is open year-round Monday through Friday from 10 a. m. to 4 p. m. EST (English or Spanish). Listen to timely recorded food safety messages at the same number 24 hours a day. Check out the FSIS Web site at www. sis. usda. gov. Ask Karen FSIS change response system can provide food safety information 24/7 and a live chat during Hotline hours. Send e-mail questions to MPHotline. emailprotected gov FSIS encourages the reprint and distribution of this publication for food safety facts of life purposes. However, USDA symbols or logos may not be used separately to imply guarantee of a commercial product or service. AskKaren. gov The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Revised white thorn 2010