Food For Thought: Food Safety Tips For Family Reunions (NAPSA)—When it comes to family reunions, food safety should be embraced like a member of the family. If your reunion plans include everyone sharing the cooking, be sure to follow these four helpful steps from the USDA: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill, for preparing, serving, transporting, and storing food safely. Clean: Wash hands, utensils, and countertops often. Separate: Avoid cross-contami- nation. Do not let raw meat, poul- try, or fish—or their juices—touch other foods that will not be cooked. Cook: Cook food to a safe internal temperature. Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature. Steaks and roasts should heat to 145F, hamburgers to 160F, chicken and turkey breasts to 170F, whole chicken and turkey to 180F. Chill: Refrigerate or freeze perishable food within 2 hours, within 1 hour in temperatures above 90F. Whether you plan to take food Now You’RE Cookina—Use a food thermometer to check if food is cooked to a safe internal temperature. stove, oven, or microwave to reheat food to 165F. Bring sauces, soups, and gravies to a rolling boil. Serving Food: Similar rules follow here as with transporting foods: Keep hot foods hot—at or above 140F, and cold foods cold— at or below 40F. A perfect companion for your a cooler with a cold source such as family reunion planning is “Cooking for Groups—A Volunteer’s Guide to Food Safety.” This guide will take you throughall the steps necessary to safely plan and serve food for your family reunion. The guide is available Place an appliance thermometer in the cooler to ensure that the tem- fsis.outreach@usda.gov. across town or host the event in your own backyard, follow these additional food safety steps for a safe and successful event. Transporting Food: Keep cold foods at or below 40F. Put foods in ice or a commercial freezing gel. perature of the food stays safe. Keep hot foods at or above 140F. Wrap well and place in an insu- lated container. Reheating Food: Use the online at www.fsis.usda.gov. To order printed copies, E-mail For questions about meat, poul- try, or egg products, call the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline, toll free, at 1-888-MPHotline or visit www.fsis.usda.gov.
