Cooking for Groups: A Volunteer's Guide to Food Safety- Garden-Robinson (NDSU Extension Service)

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Cooking or GroupsA Volunteer’s Guide toFood SaetyJulie Garden-Robinson, PhD, LRD

Food and Nutrition Specialist

FN-585 (Revised)

North Dakota State UniversityFargo, North Dakota

October 2011



Food that is mishandled can cause very serious

consequences or all, especially inants, the

elderly, pregnant women, and people with

weakened immune systems. For this reason it is

important that volunteers be especially careul

when preparing and serving ood to large groups.

The goal o this publication is to help

volunteers prepare and serve ood saely or

large groups such as amily reunions, church

dinners, and community gatherings — whether

the ood is prepared at the volunteer’s home and

brought to the event, or prepared and served at

the gathering.The inormation provided in this publication

was developed as a guide or consumers who

are preparing ood or large groups. Foodservice

personnel should be aware that this guide was

prepared or consumer use only. Foodservice

personnel should contact their local, district or

state health department or inormation on the

rules and regulations governing the preparation

o ood in retail or institutional settings. “Food

Saety Basics” (FN-572) is available rom county

oces o the North Dakota State UniversityExtension Service and is based on FDA and

North Dakota Food Code guidelines.

Adapted rom a publication by the United States

Department o Agriculture Food Saety and Inspection

Service



Foodborne Illness: What You Need To Know

What Is Foodborne Illness?Foodborne illness oten presents itsel as

fu-like symptoms such as nausea, vomiting,

diarrhea, or ever, so many people may not

recognize the illness is caused by bacteria or

other pathogens in ood.

Thousands o types o bacteria are

naturally present in our environment. Not allbacteria cause disease in humans. For example,

some bacteria are used benecially in making

cheese and yogurt.

Bacteria that cause disease are called

pathogens. When certain pathogens enter the

ood supply, they can cause oodborne illness.

Millions o cases o oodborne illness occur

each year. Most cases o oodborne illness can

be prevented. Proper cooking or processing o

oods destroys bacteria.

Age and physical condition place somepersons at higher risk than others, no matter

what type o bacteria is implicated. Very young

children, pregnant women, the elderly, and

people with compromised immune systems

are at greatest risk rom any pathogen. Some

persons may become ill ater ingesting only

a ew harmul bacteria; others may remain

symptom ree ater ingesting thousands.

How Bacteria Get in FoodBacteria may be present on products when

you purchase them. Plastic-wrapped boneless

chicken and ground meat, or example, were

once part o live chickens or cattle. Raw meat,

poultry, and eggs are not sterile. Neither is resh

produce such as lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts, and

melons.

Foods, including saely cooked, ready-to-

eat oods, can become cross-contaminated with

bacteria transerred rom raw products, meat

juices or other contaminated products or rom

ood handlers with poor personal hygiene.

Some o the leading causes o

oodborne illness outbreaks include:

•Failuretocoolfoodproperly

•Foodnothotenough

•Infectedfoodhandlers

•Preparationadayormoreaheadoftime

•Rawfoodmixedwithcooked

•Foodleftinthedangerzone(41oto140oF)

•Leftoverfoodnotreheatedhighenough

•Crosscontamination

In Case o Suspected Foodborne IllnessFollow these general guidelines:

•Preservetheevidence.Ifaportionofthe

suspect ood is available, wrap it securely,

mark “DANGER,” and reeze it. Save allpackaging materials, such as cans or

cartons. Write down the ood type, the date,

other identiying marks on the package,

the time consumed, and when the onset

o symptoms occurred. Save any identical

unopened products.

•Seektreatmentasnecessary.Ifthevictim

is in an “at risk” group, seek medical care

immediately. Likewise, i symptoms persist

or are severe (such as bloody diarrhea,

excessive nausea and vomiting, or hightemperature), call your doctor.

•Callthelocalhealthdepartmentifthe

suspect ood is served at a large gathering,

rom a restaurant or other oodservice

acility, or i it is a commercial product.

•CalltheUSDAMeatandPoultryHotline

(1-800-535-4555)ifthesuspectfoodisa

USDA-inspected product and you have all

the packaging.



Fight BAC!™When preparing or your special event,

remember that there may be an invisible enemy

ready to strike. It’s called BAC (bacteria) and it

can make you sick. But by ollowing our simple

steps, you have the power to Fight BAC!™ and

keep your ood sae.

Clean –– Wash hands and suraces oten.

Separate –– Don’t cross contaminate.

Cook –– Cook to proper temperatures.

Chill –– Rerigerate promptly.

Fight BAC!™ is a consumer educational

campaign sponsored by the Partnership or

Food Saety Education. The Partnership is a

public-private partnership o industry, govern-

ment, and consumer groups created to educate

the public about sae ood handling to helpreduce oodborne illness.

You can nd more inormation about Fight

BAC!™ at www.fghtbac.org.



When You PlanSelect a reliable person to be in charge.

The person-in-charge should contact the local

health department or inormation about the

rules and regulations governing preparation

and serving o ood or groups. The person-

in-charge should provide instructions to the

volunteers, answer questions, and oversee

the preparations, service, and cleanup o the

event.

Make sure you have the right equipment,

including cutting boards, utensils, oodthermometers, cookware, shallow containers

or storage, soap, and paper towels.

For outdoor events, make sure you have

a source o clean water. I none is available

at the site, bring water or cleaning o hands,

utensils, and ood thermometers. Develop a

plan or transporting equipment or cleanup

ater the event.

Plan ahead to ensure that there will be

adequate storage space in the rerigerator

and reezer.

When You ShopDo not purchase canned goods that are

dented, cracked or bulging. These are the

warning signs that dangerous bacteria may be

growing in the can.

Separate raw meat, poultry, and seaood

rom other oods in your grocery-shopping cart

and in your rerigerator.

Buy cold oods last. Drive immediately

home or to the site rom the grocery store. I the

destination is more than 30 minutes away, bring

a cooler with ice or commercial reezing gels

rom home and place perishables in it.

When You Store FoodMake sure you set the rerigerator temperature

to40°Fandthefreezerto0°F.Checkthese temperatures with an appliance thermometer.

Rerigerate or reeze perishables, prepared

oods, and letovers within two hours o shopping

or preparing. Place raw meat, poultry, and seaood

in containers in the rerigerator, to prevent their

juices rom dripping on other oods. Raw juices may

contain harmul bacteria.

rerigerator

reezer





When You Cook

When preparingood in the oven, set

the oven to at least

325°F.Cookfood

to the sae recom-

mended tempera-

ture. Check internal

temperature in

several places with

a ood thermometer.

Use a ood thermometer to check the internaltemperature o meat, poultry, casseroles, and

other ood. Check temperature in several places

to be sure the ood is evenly heated. Wash the

thermometer with hot, soapy water ater use.

Several types o thermometers are available,

including:

•Oven-sae –– insert 2 to 2½ inches deep in

the thickest part o the ood, at the beginning

o the cooking time. It remains there through-

out cooking and is not appropriate or thinood.

•Dial instant-read –– not designed to stay in

the ood during cooking. Insert probe the ull

length o the sensing area, usually 2 to 2½

inches. I measuring the temperature o a thin

ood, such as hamburger patty or boneless

chicken breast, insert probe sideways with the

sensing device in the center. About 15 to 20

seconds are required or the temperature to

be accurately displayed.

•Digital instant-read –– not designed tostay in ood during cooking. The heat sensing

device is in the tip o the probe. Place the tip

o the probe in the center o the thickest part

o the ood, at least ½ inch deep. About 10

seconds is required or the temperature to be

accurately displayed.

Never partially cook ood or fnishing later

because you increase the risk o bacterial

growth on the ood. Bacteria are killed when

oods reach a sae internal temperature.

Don’t use recipes in which eggs remain raw or

only partially cooked. Eggs should be prepared

immediately ater breaking. When possible,

substitute pasteurized eggs or raw eggs in

cooked dishes.

I a convection oven is used to prepare ood,

youmayreduceoventemperature25°F.Refer

to manuacturer’s instructions or additional

inormation.

A microwave oven can be used to prepare

ood, but care must be taken to make sure ood

reaches a sae temperature throughout.

•Stirorrotatefoodmidwaythroughthe

microwaving time to eliminate cold spots and

or more even cooking. Cover ood.

•Partialcookingmaybedoneinthemicrowave only i the ood is to nish cooking

immediately on the range, grill, or in a

convectional oven.

•Useafoodthermometerortheoven’s

temperature probe to be sure the ood

has reached a sae temperature. Check

temperature in several places.

•Observestandingtimesgiveninrecipesso

cooking is completed.

•Checkmanufacturer’sinstructions.



Recommended Cooking Temperatures*Internal

Product temperature (oF)

Egg and Egg DishesEggs Cook until yolk

and white are rm.

Egg casseroles 160

Egg sauces, custards 160

Ground Meat and Meat MixturesTurkey, chicken 165

Bee, veal, lamb, pork 160

Fresh Bee, Veal, LambMediumrare 145

Medium 160

Well done 170

Fresh PorkMediumrare 145(3-minutehold)

Medium 160

Well done 170

HamFresh (raw) 160

Fullycooked(toreheat) 140

Roast Bee Cookedcommercially, 140

vacuum sealed andready-to-eat

Poultry Chicken, turkey (whole) 165

Chicken, turkey (dark meat) 165

Poultry – breast 165

Duck and goose 165

Stufng Cooked alone or in bird 165

Sauces, Soups, Gravies, MarinadesUsed with raw meat,poultry or sh Bring to a boil

SeaoodFin sh Cook until opaque

and fakes easily

with orkShrimp, lobster, crab Should turn red and

fesh shouldbecome pearlyopaque

Scallops Should turn milkywhite or opaqueand rm

Clams, mussels, oysters Cook until shellsopen

Letovers 165

*These USDA consumer guidelines vary slightly rom the FDA and North Dakota Food Code temperatures. Foodservicepersonnel in commercial settings should consult with the ood code.

InternalProduct temperature (oF)



K e e p I t H o t – K e e p I t C o l d

o r Ju s t D o n ’ t K e e p I t !

Danger ZoneBacteriamultiplyrapidlybetween41and

140°F.Tokeepfoodoutofthis“dangerzone,”

keep cold ood cold and hot ood hot. Keep cold

ood in the rerigerator, in coolers, or on the

service line on ice. Keep hot ood in the oven,

in heated chang dishes, or in preheated steam

tables, warming trays and/or slow cookers.

When You Chill Food•Placefoodintherefrigeratorat40°Forlower.

•Don’toverlltherefrigerator.Coolairmust

circulate to keep ood sae.

•Dividefoodandplaceinshallowcontainers.

Slice roast bee or ham and layer in

containers in portions or service.

•Divideturkeyintosmallerportionsorslices

and rerigerate. Remove stung rom cavity

beore rerigeration.

•Placesoupsorstewsinshallowcontainers.

To cool quickly, place in ice water bath

and stir.

•Coverandlabelcookedfoods.Includethe

preparation date on the label.

When You Transport FoodKeep cold ood cold. Place cold ood in cooler with

a cold source such as ice or commercial reezing gels.

Use plenty o ice or commercial reezing gels. Cold ood

shouldbeheldatorbelow40°F.

Hotfoodshouldbekepthot,atorabove140°F.

Wrap well and place in an insulated container.



When You Reheat FoodHeatcooked,commerciallyvacuum-sealed,ready-to-eat oods, such as hams and roasts,

to140°F.

Foods that have been cooked ahead and

cooledshouldbereheatedtoatleast165°F.

Reheatleftoversthoroughlytoatleast165°F.

Reheat sauces, soups, and gravies to a boil.

•On Stove Top –– Place ood in pan and

heat thoroughly. The ood should reach at

least165°Fonafoodthermometerwhendone.

• In Oven –– Place ood in oven set no

lowerthan325°F.Useafoodthermometer

to check the internal temperature o the

ood.

•In Microwave –– Stir, cover, and

rotate ully cooked ood or even heating.

Heatfooduntilitreachesatleast165°F

throughout.

It is NOT recommended to reheat oods inslowcookers,steamtablesorchafngdishes.

This equipment is meant to hold hot oods

hot. Reheating in these containers may

allow oods to stay in the “danger zone”

(41and140°F)toolong.Bacteriamultiply

rapidly at these temperatures.

When YouKeep Food HotOnce ood is cooked or reheated, it should be

heldhot,atorabove140°F.Foodmaybeheldinoven or on serving line in heated chang dishes,

or on preheated steam tables, warming trays,

and/or slow cookers. Always keep hot ood hot.

Hotholdingforextendedperiodsmay

reduce the quality o the ood.

When You Keep Food ColdStoreinrefrigeratorsetat40°F.Ifthereisnot

enough room in the rerigerator, place ood in coolers

with ice or commercial reezing gels. Always keep cold

ood cold.



When You Serve FoodUse clean containers and utensils to store

and serve ood.

When a dish is empty or nearly empty,

replace with resh container o ood, removing

the previous container.

Keep It ColdPlace cold ood in containers on ice.

Holdcoldfoodsatorbelow40°F.

Food that will be portioned and served on

the serving line should be placed in a shallow

container. Place this container inside a deep pan

lled partially with ice to keep ood cold.

Food like chicken salad and desserts in

individual serving dishes can also be placed

directly on ice, or in a shallow container set in

a deep pan lled with ice. Drain o water as ice

melts and replace ice requently.

Keep It HotOnce ood is thoroughly heated on

stovetop, oven or in microwave oven, keep ood

hot by using a heat source. Place ood in chang

dishes, preheated steam tables, warming trays,

and/or slow cookers.

Check the temperature requently to be

surefoodstaysatorabove140°F.

When You Finish UpDiscard any ood let out at room tempera-

ture or more than two hours.

Immediately rerigerate or reeze remaining

letovers in shallow containers.



Additional InormationYour local NDSU Extension Service

county oce can provide general inormation

on sae ood handling practices. For additional

inormation and to ensure that all state

regulations or recommendations or ood

preparation and service are ollowed, contact

your local/district health department or the state

health department.

Visit the NDSU Extension Service website:

www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/ood.htm

Contact your local county oce o the

NDSU Extension Service or more inormation

about ood saety and nutrition.

For inormation about ood storage, request

“FoodStorageGuide”(FN-579).Handoutsand

ood saety posters promoting handwashing and

thermometer use are available, too.

Toll-Free NumbersUSDA’sMeatandPoultryHotline

1-800-535-4555

FDA’s Outreach and Inormation Center

1-888-SAFEFOOD

Food Saety Inormation is also availableon the ollowing sites:Food Saety and Inspection Service

www.sis.usda.gov

Government Food Saety Inormation

www.oodsaety.gov

Food and Drug Administration

www.csan.da.gov

Centers or Disease Control and Prevention

www.cdc.gov/oodsaety

Partnership or Food Saety Education

(Fight Bac!™)

www.fghtbac.org

USDA/FDA Foodborne Illness Education

Inormation Center at the National

Agricultural Library

www.nal.usda.gov/nic/oodborne/

oodborn.htm

The NDSU Extension Service does not endorse commercial products or companies even though reerence may be made to trade-names, trademarks or service names.

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For more inormation on this and other topics, see www.ag.ndsu.eduCounty commissions, North Dakota State University and U.S. Department o Agriculture cooperating. North Dakota State University does not discriminate on the

basis o age, color, disability, gender expression/identity, genetic inormation, marital status, national origin, public assistance status, race, religion, sex, sexualorientation, or status as a U.S. veteran. Direct inquir ies to the Vice President or Equity, Diversity and Global Outreach, 205 Old Main, (701) 231-7708. This

publication will be made available in alternative ormats or people with disabilities upon request, (701) 231-7881. 3M-06-01,1M-7-04

Documents

Cooking for Groups: A Volunteer's Guide to Food Safety- Garden-Robinson (NDSU Extension Service)