This week, the Office of the Attorney General\u2019s \u201cConsumer Caution Corner\u201d outlines the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s seven food safety steps for successful community meals.<\/p>\n
Whether preparing food for a family reunion or a community gathering, people who are great cooks at home do not necessarily know how to safely prepare and store large quantities of food for large groups. Food that is mishandled can cause foodborne illness. However, by following some simple steps, volunteer cooks can make the event safe and successful!<\/p>\n
1. Plan Ahead \u2014 Make sure the location meets your needs. <\/p>\n
\u2022 Be sure you have enough oven, stovetop, refrigerator, freezer, and work space. <\/p>\n
\u2022 Find out if there is a source of clean water. If not, bring water for preparation and cleaning. <\/p>\n
2. Store & Prepare Food Safely. <\/p>\n
\u2022 Refrigerate or freeze perishable food within two hours of shopping or preparing; one hour when the temperature is above 90 \u00b0F. <\/p>\n
\u2022 Find separate preparation areas in the workspace for raw and cooked food. <\/p>\n
\u2022 Never place cooked food back on the same plate or cutting board that held raw food. <\/p>\n
\u2022 Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and work surfaces frequently with hot, soapy water. <\/p>\n
\u2022 Wash hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food and after using the bathroom, changing diapers, or handling pets. <\/p>\n
3. Cook Food to Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures \u2014 It is the only way to tell if harmful bacteria are destroyed! <\/p>\n
\u2022 Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat, poultry, casseroles, and other food. Check temperature in several places to be sure food is cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature. <\/p>\n
\u2022 Never partially cook food for finishing later because you increase the risk of bacterial growth. <\/p>\n
4. Transport Food Safely \u2014 Keep hot food HOT. Keep cold food COLD.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Keep hot food at or above 140 \u00b0F. Wrap well and place in an insulated container. <\/p>\n
\u2022 Keep cold food at or below 40 \u00b0F. Place in a cooler with a cold source such as ice or frozen gel packs. <\/p>\n
5. Need to Reheat? Food must be hot and steamy for serving. Just “warmed up” is not good enough. <\/p>\n
\u2022 Use the stove, oven, or microwave to reheat food to 165 \u00b0F. Bring sauces, soups, and gravies to a boil. <\/p>\n
6. Keep Food Out of the “Danger Zone” (40-140 \u00b0F). <\/p>\n
\u2022 Keep hot food hot\u2014at or above 140 \u00b0F. Place cooked food in chafing dishes, preheated steam tables, warming trays, and\/or slow cookers. <\/p>\n
\u2022 Keep cold food cold \u2014 at or below 40 \u00b0F. Place food in containers on ice. <\/p>\n
7. When In Doubt, Throw it Out! <\/p>\n
\u2022 Discard food left out at room temperature for more than two hours; one hour when the temperature is above 90 \u00b0F. <\/p>\n
\u2022 Place leftovers in shallow containers. Refrigerate or freeze immediately. <\/p>\n
Be Food Safe! Prepare with Care. <\/p>\n
\u2022 CLEAN. Wash hands, utensils, and surfaces often. <\/p>\n
\u2022 SEPARATE. Do not cross-contaminate. <\/p>\n
\u2022 COOK. Use a food thermometer. <\/p>\n
\u2022 CHILL. Chill food promptly. <\/p>\n
For additional food safety information, visit BeFoodSafe.gov and AskKaren.gov or call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854).<\/p>\n
Each week, the OAG\u2019s Consumer Protection Education Program (a.k.a. \u201cThe Consumer Caution Corner\u201d) shares Federal Trade Commission, Federal Communications Commission or USDA publications to promote education and awareness among the community while also enabling consumers and businesses with the \u201cknow-how\u201d to identify and protect themselves from unfair and deceptive trade practices and other marketplace schemes. <\/p>\n
If you would like to file a consumer complaint, pick up a form at the OAG (on Capital Hill) or request a form by email from consumer_counsel@cnmioag.org. After completing the consumer complaint form, submit it by email or in-person. <\/p>\n
We cannot act as your private attorney. If you need legal assistance, we will recommend that you contact a private attorney or legal aid organization. We cannot give legal advice or act as your private attorney.<\/p>\n
*** This week, the Office of the Attorney General\u2019s \u201cConsumer Caution Corner\u201d outlines the U.S. Department…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[2626,17888,17889,86],"class_list":["post-257859","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-opinion","tag-attorney-general","tag-clean","tag-hot","tag-oag"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/257859","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=257859"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/257859\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=257859"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=257859"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=257859"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nMichael J. Cyganek is consumer counsel of the CNMI Office of the Attorney General.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"