Eggs~ Respectfully

Loved the world over in every culture they are consumed, eggs provide what can only be described as the perfect food—packaged excellently by nature, abundant in production, loaded with an affordable source of protein, versatile to cook with and tasty as can be. Eggs are an elegantly simple food, and as such, we can sometimes overlook the fact that handling and using eggs must be done with respect for food safety.

Every year, there are reports of food poisoning due to the misuse of eggs during the cooking process. As recently as October of this year, the Food and Drug Administration issued warnings about a recent Salmonella Enteritis outbreak concerning infected organic eggs distributed throughout several states.  Salmonella can cause very unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms in most people, but among the very young, the elderly and the sick, its health risk can have deadly results. Taking care when cooking with eggs will greatly reduce the risk of Salmonella infections. A raw egg will sometimes be infected with the bacteria without our knowledge, and there’s no way to detect this with the naked eye, so properly cooking eggs will ensure that they’ll be safe to eat, and here’s how:

When making scrambled eggs, make sure that they are cooked to firmness and never served “runny”.

For fried, boiled, poached or baked eggs, cook them until both the yolk and the white are firm.

When using eggs as binders in recipes such as casseroles, cook the dish until the internal temperature registers 160 degrees F.

Whenever possible, look for pasteurized eggs or egg products.

Serve cooked eggs or recipes containing eggs immediately after cooking. Refrigerate the remaining leftovers and consume them within 3-4 days of cooking.

Eggs are great picnic and tailgating food, but remember to store your eggs in an insulated cooler with enough gel packs or ice to keep them cold, and consume any leftover hard-boiled eggs within 7 days of cooking.

 Food safety is the first line of defense when considering how to best protect yourself and those you feed so that eggs can continue to be enjoyed as a healthful bounty at the table. Food safety education is our specialty at A Training Company. We can provide you a powerful knowledge base with which to continue your food service career with assurance.

Food Safety During the Holidays

During the winter holidays, the enduring symbol which brings people together is the conviviality of sharing food, whether it’s that batch of cookies your eight year old cousin made, or grandma’s time-honored recipe for eggnog, food is meant to be a part of what sharing in the season’s happiness means. Additionally, it’s a time of year when we may cook food that is somewhat unfamiliar and challenging to us, or food which is cooked by others who rarely venture into a kitchen, who are none the less spurred on by their desire to participate and share their love. Unfortunately, it’s also a time when care and attention to food safety may be overlooked, and sometimes with very unpleasant results.

During the holiday season, you may have people of all ages and health status in your home, from your healthy teenager to your pregnant friend to your elderly fragile parent in attendance. With a house full of people to feed and receive food from, your refrigerator is being opened and closed much more often than normal, and at some point, there’s just no more space in it for that one last appetizer or dessert, so food which would otherwise be chilled gets placed on a serving table. The cold winter weather requires a nice cozy home, so the air temperature is also higher than normal, and there are folks buzzing in and out of the kitchen or using the area as a gathering space to chat. All of these factors may provide the perfect environment for food poisoning, and given vulnerable segments of your guest list from the very young to the elderly to pregnant women, the results can be devastating.

Fortunately, a little pre-planning can make all of the difference, and can actually save you time not to mention worry:

Always use clean cutting boards and sanitize each between usages. Having several sanitized boards “at the ready” will ensure that any last minute cutting before serving will be safely done.

Slice your turkey, ham or other meats completely. Place only the amount which you think will be eaten on your serving platter, and then immediately refrigerate the rest. Should you need to plate more, do so from the remaining refrigerated meat, and simply re-heat before serving. Leaving meats out for more than two hours will begin to create an environment in which bacteria will begin to grow and thrive.

Remember that any dips which are dairy- based should also be served on an “as needed” basis. Fill your serving bowl with a hearty serving, refrigerate the rest in an air-tight container and replenish as the dip disappears.

Soft cheeses like brie or camembert left out unrefrigerated for over two hours can cause serious health issues like listeria and seriously compromise the health of those who are pregnant or who otherwise have seriously compromised immune systems. It’s best to choose other tasty, harder cheeses, since they are much less vulnerable to spoilage, and your guests will enjoy their flavors in safety.

Desserts containing whipped cream should be kept refrigerated until ready to plate and serve, with the remaining unserved portion returned to the refrigerator before guests are served.

Any food which has been left out for four hours or more should be thrown away without exception.

Holidays are meant to be times when we reminisce about heartfelt memories of the past as well as another opportunity to make new memories to share in the years to come. With a bit of education, thoughtfulness and care on our part as hosts, we can keep these gatherings happy and healthy too. Food safety is invaluable at home or on the job, and we at A Training Company will be happy to help you gain food safety knowledge with confidence!