THE HEART OF THE MATTER
a special program of the National Emergency Medicine Association (NEMA)

Week: 555.1 Topic: The FDA's Kitchen Food Safety Producer/Host: Steve Girard

NEMA: Keeping your kitchen safe...coming up....

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NEMA: Your kitchen looks spotless...but how are your food handling, preparing and storing practices? I took the Food and Drug Administration's recently revised Kitchen Food Safety test.Here the results:

I found out my frig should be set at 41 degrees...I hadn't checked, ever...

I knew enough to put the leftovers in the frig right after we finished dinner.

I hadn't sanitized my sink and garbage disposal in a long time....

When I re-use my chopping board...I sometimes just used hot water to wipe it off... hot water, soap and a mild bleach solution is best.

I never allow any pink remaining when I cook hamburgers...

Never allow the kids to eat cookie dough that's been made with eggs... Big mistake on my part.

I always use hot water and soap on my counters...but a mild bleach solution helps avoid spreading food borne disease.

I learned never to use the soaking water to wash the dishes...and we should towel dry instead of rack dry.

And I did pretty well on the last one...I always wash with an antibacterial soap after handling raw meat or fish.

Do some of these areas strike home with you? The most important thing you can do for your family in the kitchen is keep it safe. I'm Steve Girard.

Show # 555.1

Addendum: Here's the actual FDA Kitchen Safety Test.

#1...the temperature in my refrigerator is	A) 50 degrees * B) 41 degrees C) Haven't checked
#2...Last time we had a meat dish, we	A) cooled it to room temperature, then put it in the frig... *B) put it in the frig immediately C) left it out overnight...
#3...My sink was last sanitized...	A) can't remember... B) a few weeks ago... *C) last night.
#4...When I'm going to use the chopping board again after cutting up some type of raw meat or fish, I...	A) just use it again.. B) wipe it with a damp cloth... *C) wash it with hot water, soap, and a mild bleach solution...
#5...When we last ate hamburgers, I had mine...	A) rare B) medium *C) well-done
#6...When we last made cookie dough,	A) it was made with raw eggs and I gave some to the kids... B) we bought in the store, so we all had some... *C) we didn't eat any, we waited til after they baked.
#7...I clean my counters with...	A) water B) water and soap *C) water, soap, and then a bleach or sanitizing agent
#8...My dishes are...	A) washed in a dishwasher and air dried B) left to soak, and then washed in the same water *C) washed in the sink with hot water and soap, then towel dried
#9...I cleaned my hands last time I handled raw meat or fish...	A) by wiping them on a towel B) rinsing them under tap water *C) washing with soap and warm water