Bakersfield College students and the community of Bakersfield had the opportunity to take part in a “hands on” holiday food safety demonstration on Nov. 17.
This informational seminar was put on as a collaborative effort between the Kern County Department of Public Health and the Kern County Environmental Health Department. The primary purpose of the event was to offer a forum for questions regarding the proper storage, thorough cooking, and clean-up of holiday cooking items in order to ensure the most enjoyable holiday dining experience.
“It is imperative that families that are preparing food this holiday season employ safe food handling procedures in order to ensure a successful holiday,” said Matt Constantine, chief environmental health specialist for the KCEHD. Constantine also teaches food safety at BC on a part-time basis.
According to literature distributed at the seminar, proper cleanup is essential to the success of food safety. The reading material recommends that food be kept fresh and free of bacteria, while raw foods should never be placed next to other foods, in order to prevent the dripping of raw juices onto other foods.
Additionally, for the preparation of meat and poultry dishes, it is recommended that foods be cooked to a safe internal temperature of 170 degrees and eggs should be cooked until the yolks and whites are firm or reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit on a food thermometer.
Experts warn that people should not become complacent when it comes to safe food preparation.
“Students must remember to take necessary steps to prevent a ‘food disaster’ during the holidays. we want students to have a good time this holiday season. food safety is truly the only way of ensuring a positive experience while around the table,” said Constantine. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently implemented a “virtual” representative system named “Ask Karen,” which is available 24 hours a day, that has the ability to answer an abundance of simple and complex questions.
During a session with “Ask Karen,” an individual asked the following question on the USDA Web site: Several slices of pizza have been left out overnight. Is the pizza still safe to eat?
The answer, in part, according to “Karen”: No. Perishable food should never be left out of refrigeration more than two hours. This is true even if there is no meat in the pizza.