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Keeping Food Fabulous and Safe for the Fourth
Leigh-Anne Dennison, Managing Editor
Monday, July 03, 2006 — Fourth of July—the word conjures up images of picnics and barbecues with family and friends having fun, making memories and eating lots of fresh summer favorites. The American Red Cross reminds you that safety is a key ingredient in keeping the holiday festive and the food fabulous!
Spoiling Your Appetite
Mother Nature has been hitting the U.S. with some fireworks of her own already this summer. In the last few weeks, there have been many severe storm systems affecting much of the eastern seaboard, the New England area and the Gulf Coast states, causing serious flooding and knocking out power.
In addition, many parts of the country are experiencing extreme, even record-breaking heat, which also can trigger a brown out or full electrical outage when power grids become overwhelmed by demand. All of these weather-induced conditions can spoil your food as well as your party atmosphere.
Perishable foods should not be held above 40 degrees for more than 2 hours. Keep this in mind whether dealing with a power outage or a table spread with party foods for grazing guests, particularly foods with ingredients such as dairy, eggs or mayonnaise. If a power outage occurs and last 2 hours or less, you probably do not need to be concerned. If the outage lasts longer, all may not be lost but take steps to prepare and learn what should and should not be salvaged.
- Do not open the refrigerator or freezer. An unopened refrigerator will keep foods cold enough for a couple of hours at least. A freezer that is half full will hold for up to 24 hours and a full freezer for 48 hours.
- If it looks like the power outage will be for more than 2-4 hours, pack refrigerated dairy products, meats, fish, poultry, eggs and prepared foods or leftovers into a cooler—an inexpensive, Styrofoam one works fine—surrounded by ice.
- If it looks like the power outage will be prolonged, prepare a cooler with ice for your freezer items.
- Use a digital quick-response thermometer to check the temperature inside your refrigerator and to check food safety. If it has risen above 40 degrees, you don’t want to risk eating that food.
On the opposite end of the temperature spectrum, be sure to cook meats to a safe internal temperature that will get rid of any bacteria, and then hold them at an appropriate temperature—another great use for that instant-read thermometer. Put away leftovers as soon as possible.
Grilling and Chilling
For many people, cooking out is a relaxing way to prepare a meal. Even if you view it as a leisure activity, remember to stay alert and take proper precautions whenever you’re working with a hot grill:
- Do not grill indoors. When you are grilling, make sure it is at least 10 feet away from the house or any other building; do not grill inside a covered porch, garage or on or under an apartment balcony.
- Make sure tubes and seals on gas grills are free of leaks or cracks—especially the first time you’re cranking up the heat. After sitting all winter, hoses that run from the gas tank to the grill can get brittle and crack creating a serious hazard. Then, keep your nose open. The smell of gas could indicate there is a leak.
- Avoid clothing with long or loose sleeves when working the grill.
- Use chimney starters versus lighter fluid to ignite charcoal.
- Wipe down burners when using gas grills and remember to clean ports and make sure valves are completely shut off when cooking is done.
Menus for All Ages
One of the staples of the grill is hot dogs. Whether all-beef, turkey or soy, hot dogs will probably make the cut on most cookout menus this holiday. When it comes to children, cutting is just what you should do. Since frankfurters are the perfect size and shape to get lodged in a child’s throat, they should be cut lengthwise and then into smaller pieces. Other foods to watch out for include your favorite fruit side full of grapes and round melon balls, carrots cut on the diagonal and cubed cheese. Use care when giving these foods to children and supervise children while they eat.
Children aren’t the only ones who can choke on these bite-sized foods. Anyone can choke if they are:
- Trying to swallow large pieces of poorly chewed food.
- Eating while talking excitedly or laughing, or eating too fast.
- Walking, playing, or running with food (or objects, such as a whistle) in the mouth.
Learn to recognize the signs of choking and take precautions to prevent it.
Whatever you’re dishing up for your holiday celebrations this July 4th, serve up a side of safety—remember the old adage, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
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