Food Safety

From Schiff's Professional Meat Cutters and Food Safety Experts

Schiff's encourages customers to lead healthier lives by following simple safety rules. Here are a few guidelines to remember when buying and handling food:

General Rules:

• Check the Date
• Make sure packages are closed
• Select Cold Items right before Checking out
• And always Clean It, Cool It, and Cook It!

Clean It!

Keep everything clean-hands, utensils, counters, cutting boards and sinks. That way, food will stay as safe as possible.

• 1 cap of bleach mixed with 1 gallon water makes the best sanitizer
• Always wash hands thoroughly in hot soapy water before preparing foods and after handling raw meat.
• Don't cross-contaminate!
  • Don't let raw meat or poultry juices touch ready-to-eat foods either in the refrigerator or during preparation.
  • Don't put cooked foods on the same plate that held raw meat or poultry.
  • Wash utensils that have touched raw meat with hot, soapy water before using them for cooked meats.
  • Wash counters, cutting boards and other surfaces raw meats have touched. Don't forget to keep the inside of your refrigerator clean.

Cool It!

Keep it cool, by following these guidelines:

• Place items in the refrigerator or freezer immediately
• Pack items in an ice chest with ice if it will take you more than an hour to get home
• Defrost frozen meats in the refrigerator - never at room temperature. If microwave defrosting, then cook it immediately after.

Cook It!

Cooking kills harmful bacteria. Cook It Safely. Cook It Evenly.

• Check Out Cooking Temperatures from the experts at Schiff's.
• The center of patties and meat loaf should not be pink and the juices should run clear.
• Crumbled ground meats should be cooked until no pink color remains.
• Ground beef and pork patties and loaves are safe when they reach 160 degrees F in the center; ground poultry patties and loaves, 165 degrees F.
• During broiling, grilling, or cooking on the stove, turn meat over at least once.

Leftovers and Storage

• After cooking, refrigerate leftovers immediately. Separate into small portions to chill more quickly.
• To reheat leftovers, no more than 4 days later, cover and heat to 165 degrees F or until hot and steaming throughout.

For more information about food safety, check out the USDA website at, www.fsis.usda.gov.