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VACATION
INJURIES

temperature control; cleaning Fig. 2, FDA Minimum Cooking Temperature/Time Standards
and separating prevent contam-
ination and cross-contamina-
tion, respectively.

COOK and CHILL judiciously. Inadvertent cross-contamination is frequently the cause
As listed in Figure 2, foods of serious FBI.

have different safe cooking tem- While there are many additional specific practices that promote food
perature standards. These are safety, one can reasonably protect family and friends by remembering:
based upon a combination of
the necessity to kill typical flora KEEP HOT FOOD HOT, COLD FOOD COLD,
while not overcooking foods. FROZEN FOOD FROZEN, OR DON’T KEEP IT
Higher temperatures/longer
times are allowed as personal and: COOK-CHILL-CLEAN-SEPARATE
desires. Notice three unique Enjoy your travels and summer fun with safe food practices!
standards: rare roast beef main-
tains a cool, red center by cook- References and Additional Resources:
ing to an internal temperature • CDC statistics, 2011: www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/2011-
of only 130°F, but held for a
very long time; reheating any foodborne-estimates.html
food requires cooking to at least • FDA Model Food Code, 2013: www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceReg-
165°F; use of a microwave ap-
pliance requires a special time standard. Once a hot food is properly ulation/RetailFoodProtection/FoodCode/ucm374275.htm
cooked, it must be held at 135°F or higher. It is best to use plentiful • CDC information for consumers, 2015: www.cdc.gov/food-
volumes of ice or ice-water slush for chilling hot foods and keeping
cold foods cold. Crushed or cube ice provides excellent contact with safety/groups/consumers.html
food containers to help insure that they remain at or below 41°F.
Reusable blocks of coolant are satisfactory, but should be placed Lawrence R. Suddendorf, PhD, MT (ASCP) is orig-
above containers within a cooler for best effect. The Code does not inally from Cincinnati, OH. He directed medical lab-
prescribe a specific temperature range for frozen foods; it states that oratories and taught Medical Laboratory Science in
the food must be frozen solid with no evidence of thawing. Many many venues, both civilian and military over the past
labels now include storage and preparation instructions. These pre- 47 years. Currently, Larry serves as a consultant and
dominantly exceed the basic standards discussed here. instructor in food safety while also continuing to teach online medical
laboratory science. He resides in Kerr County with his wife, Joan, a
CLEAN and SEPARATE retired Registered Nurse.
Proper hand washing is the principle means of preventing spread

of any communicable disease, including the FBI. Sanitizing gels
should only be used as a last resort, substituting when warm water
and soap are not available. The isopropyl alcohol is not a universal
sanitizer, and dirt should be removed from hands first. Dishes and
utensils should always be cleaned with the hottest water possible
(171°F is the recommended sanitizing temperature, but may not be
possible in home or outdoor locations.). Disposable items can cer-
tainly add a safety factor when serving food, but these must be pro-
tected or wrapped prior to use. Whenever working with different
foods, especially between raw and cooked or when handling any of
the potential allergens, clean and separate containers and surfaces

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