Super Bowl food safety

Published Feb. 3, 2010
By Staff Sgt. Melissa E. Gasca
95th Aerospace Medicine Squardon

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Many of us wait all season for that ultimate Sunday celebration, a time where the two best NFL teams battle it out for the title of "Super Bowl Champions".

It is a time filled with opening our homes to family and friends, providing a plethora of food and drink and gathering around the 60" plasma television screen to watch the biggest game of the year.

Even though not everyone shares the same enthusiasm for football, they are invited to the big party if not to watch football, then at least for good food and socializing amongst peers.

Unfortunately some will end up doubled over with stomach pain or even possibly taking a short TDY to a small room with a porcelain throne. Lack of knowledge and unsafe cooking practices can be a significant factor contributing to Foodborne Illness occurrences during this time of celebrations and parties. The keys to keeping our foodborne illness rate low are education and prevention.

A foodborne illness is contracted from consuming contaminated foods or beverages. There are many different types of foodborne illnesses because there are many different pathogens that can contaminate food. Statistically, the United States counts approximately 76 million illnesses, more than 300,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths due to foodborne illness each year.

There are several ways to reduce the risk of a foodborne illness. Consistent hand washing is one of the best. Twenty seconds of skin to soap contact or singing the Happy Birthday song while scrubbing away is sufficient. Hand washing should occur before each food preparation and before eating or drinking. Hand washing should also occur after each restroom use, blowing your nose, or touching anything with a high potential for contamination, such as doorknobs.

Equally important is proper cooking and holding temperatures. Poultry must be cooked at 165°F for a minimum of 15 seconds, while beef, pork, and fish must be cooked at 155°F for a minimum of 15 seconds. All ready to eat hot foods must be maintained at or above 135°F. All cold foods, such as potato or macaroni salad, should be maintained at or below 41°F.

Finally, avoid cross contamination by separating raw meat, poultry, and egg products from all ready to eat foods. This includes using clean knives and cutting boards between foods. Don't cut the raw chicken for the stir fry, and then use the same knife and cutting board to prepare the ready to eat salad.

We all enjoy the excitement of the much anticipated Super Bowl Sunday, but no one wants to be responsible for getting friends and family sick. So be smart about food safety and remember to wash your hands! For more information on food safety, please contact Public Health at (661) 277-2244 or reference http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/.