Re-Writing Recipes with Food Safety Directions

- [Narrator] Re-writing recipes with food safety directions from the Penn State Extension Food Safety and Quality Retail and Consumer Team.

Do you have a favorite recipe?

Do you share recipes with family and friends?

Do you share recipes on social media or in your blog?

If so, this video will highlight how you can incorporate food safety directions into your recipes and the importance of these directions to help prevent food poisoning.

Safe food handling during food preparation is critical to prevent you and your loved ones from becoming sick.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year in the United States, approximately 48 million people will develop a foodborne illness, more commonly known as food poisoning with severe cases leading to 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.

While we may think we are handling food safely at home, observational studies of individuals preparing food indicate otherwise.

In a research study conducted by Kansas State University and Tennessee State University, researchers observed food safety practices of consumers preparing a parmesan sesame chicken recipe without food safety directions.

They observed that only 59% of participants washed their hands before starting to prepare the recipe.

Only 22% washed their hands after handling raw eggs with 56% washing their hands after handling the raw chicken.

Only 30% used a food thermometer to check the final cooked temperature of the chicken.

What does that mean?

Well, failure to properly wash hands before you start to prepare food and after handling raw eggs or meat can lead to cross-contamination.

This can result in the transfer of harmful germs to other foods or surfaces in the kitchen, which may come in contact with other foods.

Not checking the final cooked temperature of the chicken or other meats can result in under cooking.

These foods must reach a specific temperature to be sure harmful microorganisms are destroyed.

Even though the food may look done, if the proper temperature is not reached, these microorganisms may survive and potentially cause illness.

In both situations, the potential for foodborne illness to occur is increased.

The good news is by simply including some basic food safety instructions in recipes, safe food handling behaviors are improved, reducing the risk for foodborne illness.

Referring back to the Kansas State and Tennessee State study, when food safety instructions were added to the parmesan sesame chicken recipe, 90% of consumers washed their hands before preparing the recipe.

In addition, 63% washed their hands after handling raw eggs with 84% washing after handling the raw chicken.

85% now used a thermometer to check the final cook temperature of the chicken, quite an improvement from the initial observation when these instructions were not included in the recipe.

The great thing is you only need to add four basic food safety directions to your recipes to make them safer.

"The Safe Recipe Style Guide" developed by the Partnership for Food Safety Education is a tool that can help guide you as you rewrite your recipes.

It includes the important food safety steps on cooking temperature, hand washing, preventing cross-contamination and washing produce to add to recipes.

Let's take a recipe found on a popular food website and break it down to see how you can add these basic food safety steps.

Start all recipes by adding the direction to start with clean countertops and equipment and to wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, drying with a paper towel.

Remember only a little over half of the people in the study did this without the direction to wash hands, but 90% washed their hands with the simple reminder written into the recipe.

Proper hand washing steps include wetting hands with warm water.

Next, apply soap and begin to rub your hands together to work up a good lather.

Be sure you are scrubbing hands all over between your fingers and up your wrists for 10 to 15 seconds.

Rinse under warm running water, and then dry with a paper towel.

Use the paper towel to turn off the faucet.

The whole process should take about 20 seconds.

Here we have added the hand washing step to the recipe after touching raw meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, or raw flour too.

The next food safety direction involves fresh fruits and vegetables.

It is important to wash all fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs before preparing them.

To do this, gently rub these items under cold running water.

For firm vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots, beets, and melons, scrub with a clean vegetable brush under running water.

For fresh herbs, gently rinse under cold water and pat dry.

For ginger, use a clean vegetable brush to scrub the root.

If your recipe involves cooking, be sure to include the recommended final cooked temperature of the food in the directions.

In this case, the chicken must reach a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit on a calibrated food thermometer.

Cooking is the only step we have to destroy harmful microorganisms that can cause illness, but food must reach the correct internal temperature for this to occur.

The only way we know that is to check the temperature of the food with a thermometer.

The color of the meat, or its juices or the feel of the food are not indicators of doneness.

These are the final recommended temperatures when cooking.

Foods have different cooking temperatures, so be sure to have a chart you can refer to.

In general, all poultry should be cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, ground meat and other ground foods to 160 degrees Fahrenheit and items like roasts steaks and chops to 145 degrees Fahrenheit with a three minute rest time.

There are two styles of thermometers.

The bimetallic stem thermometer has a dial gauge, and the other type is one that displays the temperature in a digital format.

When using the bimetallic stem thermometer remember the sensing area is from the tip to the indentation.

This portion of the stem must be completely inserted into the food to get an accurate temperature.

In the digital display thermometer, the sensing area will be more at the tip of the stem.

Always read the directions on the package for the specific thermometer you are using.

When checking the final temperature of the food, always take the temperature in two locations and in the thickest part of the food.

The thermometer should not touch any bones in the meat or the bottom or sides of the pan.

If the food has not reached the correct temperature, then continue cooking until it does.

To prevent cross-contamination, include the following instruction.

Wash cutting boards, counters, utensils, serving plates, used in preparation of raw meats, poultry, seafood, eggs, and flour.

Also remember to wash your hands after using these items.

Never rinse raw poultry or meat.

Rinsing results in cross contamination as water droplets are easily splashed onto surfaces and foods near the sink.

For example, in this recipe, if we had rinsed the chicken, it could result in water droplets contaminating the produce we are using.

Remember, cooking is what destroys harmful microorganisms.

If the recipe involves marinating meat or poultry, then be sure to include the phrase, "do not reuse marinades used on raw foods." Let's review these basic directions to include in your recipes.

Always begin each recipe with the direction, start with clean countertops and equipment and to wash hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds, drying with a paper towel.

Also include hand washing after touching raw meat, poultry, eggs, and flour.

If the recipe calls for fresh fruits or vegetables include directions to wash these by gently rubbing the items under cold running water.

For firm vegetables and melons scrub with a clean vegetable brush under running water.

Fresh herbs can be gently rinsed under running water.

Include directions to cook meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs to the final recommended cooking temperature for the specific food.

This is the only way we have of destroying harmful microorganisms.

Finally, to prevent cross-contamination, include instructions to wash cutting boards, counters, utensils, and serving plates after touching raw meat, poultry, seafood, eggs and flour.

Do not reuse marinades used on raw food and do not rinse poultry or meat.

As mentioned, "The Safe Recipe Style Guide" will help you as you rewrite recipes with food safety directions.

It is available through the Partnership for Food Safety Education website.

We all have a part to play in preventing foodborne illness.

Rewriting your favorite recipes with food safety directions is an important step in reducing foodborne illness.