| Extension programs serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin.
The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas CooperatingExtension programs serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating Milam County Extension Office 100 E. 1st St . Cameron, Texas 76520 254 697-7045 Fax 254 697-7046 email milam-tx@tamu.edu February 11, 2010 Comments From Cheryl By: Cheryl Walker County Extension Agent Family and Consumer Sciences Don't Make Someone Sick Food safety starts at home with a few basic guidelines. Your personal hygiene and food preparation skills are keys to reducing the risks of foodborne illness from your kitchen. The last thing you want is for your kitchen to be known as a place someone got sick. First practice good personal hygiene. It may sound very simple, but a high percentage of foodborne illness is caused by poor personal hygiene. Wash your hands with soap and warm running water before handling food and any time your hands become soiled. This means that you need to re-wash your hands if you touch animals, change or handle a baby, smoke, eat, shake someone's hand, go to the restroom, or anything that may contaminate your hands. If you are ill with diarrhea, prepare food only for yourself. It is very easy to spread the bacteria from you to someone else. Another practice for good personal hygiene is to properly bandage and glove cuts and burns on hands before handling food. A number of foodborne illnesses can be transferred from your cut to the food. Sometimes this bacteria cannot be eliminated by cooking, so it could make someone sick. Food preparation is another important step to reducing foodborne illness caused in your kitchen. First avoid cross-contamination. Wash knives, cutting boards, and food preparation surfaces with hot water and soap after contact with raw poultry, meat, and seafood. Again, wash hands with soap and warm running water after handling raw and potentially hazardous foods. Next, when you are preparing foods in your kitchen be careful that cooked and ready-to-eat foods (like salads) are not contaminated by raw meat juices. Keep the foods separated and make sure you clean food preparation surfaces with hot soapy water before and after food preparation. The next guideline in food preparation is to keep your foods at the correct temperatures. Keep cold food at or below 40 F. Keep hot food at or above 140 F. Also refrigerate food in shallow containers within 2 hours of preparation. Use a thermometer to make sure the temperatures are correct. Also, use a temperature to make sure your food is cooked properly. Here are some basic guidelines for minium cooking temperatures: 165 degrees F. for all poultry, stuffed and reheated items 155 degrees F. for all ground meat (beef or pork), pork products 145 degrees F. for roast beef, corned beef, fish If you are serving hot dogs and lunch meats to pregnant, immunocompromised, very young, or elderly, heat them to steaming hot or 165 F before serving. Also a good rule for eggs is to cook eggs until both the yolk and white are firm. A few precautions in your kitchen can help keep everyone well and happy to enjoy the dishes from your kitchen. For more information on food safety risks for home or commercial food handlers, contact the Texas AgriLife Extension Service - Milam County office at 254-697-7045. Upcoming Programs and Deadlines Food Safety Certification Course: If you are a commercial food handler needing a food safety certification course, register for the March 8 and 9 course and testing. The cost is $110 for the course, national certification examination, coursebook and all course materials. Pre-registration is needed by February 19. Contact the Texas AgriLife Extension Service - Milam County office at 100 E. 1st Street in Cameron or on the following website under events http://milam-co.tamu.edu/ . If you have questions, contact the Milam County Extension Office at 254-697-7045 or email me at ce- walker@tamu.edu. H.E. Entries for Milam County Jr. Livestock Show: Entries for the Home Economics Department at the Milam County Jr. Livestock Show are due by February 26. Only home economics entries and fees may be submitted to the Milam County Extension Office any time prior to 5:00 p.m. on February 26 or at any of the entry nights. Forms are available at the Milam County Extension Office - 100 E. 1st Street in Cameron; website - http://milam-co.tamu.edu/ ; or at the Milam County Junior Livestock Show Entry Nights. The Entry Night for animal and home economics entries are as follows: Cameron at Youth Expo Bldg. on Thursday, Feb. 18 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Rockdale at Ag Shop on Monday, Feb. 22 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Thorndale at Ag Shop on Tuesday, Feb 23 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Final Entry Date at Youth Expo Bldg in Cameron on Friday, Feb. 26 from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. only. There will be a fee of $5.00 per entry. Late home economic entries will be accepted at the Milam County Extension Office until 5:00 p.m. on March 15, 2010. The fee for a late entry will be $10.00 per item. Complete rules are on the Milam County website and available at the Milam County Extension Office. If you have questions, contact the Milam County Extension Office at 254-697-7045. |
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