Nothing is more important to us than the safety of the food we offer and satisfaction of our customers!
Our stores have among the toughest food safety standards in the nation. To help keep food safety
a priority in your home, check out this section for tips about proper food handling, cooking, and more.

Food Handling Tips -

To keep food safety a priority in your home, always remember these 4 basic food handling tips.

Clean - Bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen and get on hands, cutting boards, knives and countertops. Frequent cleaning can keep that from happening.

• Wash your hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds before and after handling food.

• Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils and counter tops with hot soapy water after preparing each food item and before you go on to the next food.

• Consider using paper towels to clean up kitchen surfaces. If you use cloth towels wash them often in the hot cycle of your washing machine.

• Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running tap water, including those with skins and rinds that are not eaten.

• Rub firm-skin fruits and vegetables under running tap water or scrub with a clean vegetable brush while rinsing with tap water.


Separate - Cross-contamination is how bacteria spreads. Keep raw meat, poultry and seafood and their juices away from ready-to-eat foods.

• Use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separte one for raw meat, poultry and seafood.

• Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs from other foods in your grocery shopping cart, grocery bags and in your refrigerator.

• Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry, seafood or eggs.


Cook - Even for experienced cooks, the improper heating and preparation of food means bacteria can survive.

• Use a food thermometer to measure the internal temperature of cooked foods, Make sure that meat, poultry, egg dishes, casseroles and other foods are cooked to a safe internal temperature. (See temperature chart)

• Cook ground meat or ground poultry until it reaches a safe internal temperature. Color is not a reliable indicator of doneness.

• Cook eggs until the yolk and the white are firm. Only use recipes in which eggs are cooked or heated thoroughly.

• Bring sauces, soups and gravy to a boil when reheating.


Chill - Bacteria spreads fastest at temperatures between 40F and 140F, so chilling food properly is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

• Chill leftovers and takeout foods within 2 hours. Keep the refrigerator at 40F or below and use an appliance thermometer to check the temperature.

• Refrigerate or freeze meat, poultry, eggs and other perishables as soon as you get them home from the store.

• Never defrost food at room temperature. Food must be kept at a safe temperature during thawing. There are three safe ways to defrost food: in the refrigerator, in cold water (changing out water every 30 minutes), and in the microwave. Food thawed in cold water or in the microwave should be cooked immediately.

Source: Be Food Safe

Temperature Chart -


 

Seasonal Food Safety Tips -
As the Holidays approach our minds drift to the wonderful meals and traditional goodies that will soon tickle our taste buds. By following a few Holiday food safety tips we can be assured that the foods we prepare will be a source of enjoyment.

•  Keep Cold Foods Cold below 41°F – Place bowls of food on top of containers of ice when serving buffet style meals.

•  Use clean bowls/utensils and fresh food when replenishing serving bowls.

•  ALWAYS work with clean hands, counter tops and utensils when preparing and serving food.

•  Cook foods until they are done and reach the proper internal temperature – DO NOT partially cook foods and finish cooking later.

• Foods prepared ahead should be refrigerated until served.

• Never thaw a turkey on the kitchen counter.
Thaw in refrigerator – keeping in mind that you will need 24 hours of thawing per 5 pounds of turkey.
 
Thaw in cold water – if wrapped in leak proof plastic, turkeys can be thawed in   cold water – change water every 30 minutes and allow for
30 minutes of   thawing per pound of turkey.
 
Thaw in microwave – More often than not the turkey is too large for the microwave; however, if using one, cook the turkey as soon as it is thawed.

•  Use a thermometer to ensure thorough cooking. Even if the turkey has a “pop-up” thermometer – check the temperature with a dial thermometer to ensure it reaches at least 165°F.

•  It is best to prepare stuffing separate from the turkey. If cooking the stuffing in the turkey – loosely stuff the turkey just before you put it in the oven with _ cup stuffing per pound of turkey. A thermometer should be used to ensure that the center of the stuffing reaches 165°F.

•  Do Not serve any food containing raw eggs.
Eggnog, if homemade, should be made with pasteurized eggs or heated to 160°F.
 
Cookie dough – do not “snitch” raw cookie dough or any other batter containing raw eggs.
 
Frosting/Icing – look for recipes that do not call for raw eggs or use pasteurized eggs.
 
Precautions should also be taken with ANY recipes calling for raw or lightly-cooked eggs. Use pasteurized egg product, or ensure that egg-mixtures reach a temperature of 160°F.

•  Food should sit at room temperature for no more than 2 hours.

•  Store leftovers in shallow containers (approximately 2 inches deep) and use within 3-4 days. Stuffing and gravy should be used within 2 days. Reheat gravy to a rolling boil before serving.

•  Unpasteurized apple cider is another holiday treat that may contain harmful bacteria. Heat cider to 160°F or purchase pasteurized apple cider – this is especially important when serving to the elderly, young children or those with weakened immune systems.

Other Food Safety Resources -

Be Food Safe
www.befoodsafe.org

Partnership for Food Safety Education
www.fightbac.org

U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
www.fda.gov

United States Department of
Agriculture Food Safety and
Inspection Service
www.fsis.usda.gov

Food Marketing Institute
www.fmi.org/consumer/
www.fmi.org/consumer/foodkeeper

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
www.cdc.gov

Minnesota Department of Agriculture
www.mda.state.mn.us

Minnesota Department of Health
www.health.state.mn.us

Minnesota Foodborne Illness Hotline
1-877-366-3455 (1-877-FOOD ILL)
   
Grocery Shopping Network - site