June 7 is World Food Safety Day.
Did you know that unsafe food containing harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances causes more than 200 diseases?
Food safety is a shared responsibility between governments, producers and consumers. Everybody has a role to play, from farm to table, to ensure the food we consume is safe and will not damage our health.
Let’s talk about restaurant leftovers. Eating at restaurants is returning to a common practice again. Follow these food safety tips so you can enjoy your restaurant leftovers without risking your health.
First, perishable foods should be brought directly home and refrigerated. The faster the food is refrigerated, the lower likelihood of bacterial growth. Meat and poultry leftovers are safely refrigerated at 40 degrees Fahrenheit up to four days. Eggs and lunch meats are safely stored at 40 degrees Fahrenheit up to five days.
When reheating leftovers, use a food thermometer to check the food’s internal temperature. The food is safe to eat once it reaches 165 degrees. Never taste food to determine its safety. You can’t see or taste harmful bacteria, so when in doubt, throw it out!
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For more information on food safety, visit https://foodsafety.ces.ncsu.edu/ or www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety.
Brandi Silver is the Family and Consumer Sciences Extension agent for Burke County. Contact her at 828-764-9480 or bsilver@ncsu.edu. The North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Burke Center is located at 130 Ammons Drive, Suite 2, Morganton, NC 28655 or visit us on the web at burke.ces.ncsu.edu
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