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Food Safety In The College Dorm
A new TV feature is available on the USDA FTP site. The new TV feature can also be seen on USDA's YouTube channel and seen and downloaded as a video podcast.
YouTube: dorm food safety
video podcast: dorm food safety iTunes
RSS Page: dorm food safety RSS
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Password: Newscontent1
Filename for TV Feature: dorm food safety
The new file is in QuickTime Movie (H.264 )
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FEATURE – FOOD SAFETY IN THE COLLEGE DORM
INTRO: If your college student is now living in the dorm, the USDA can help with some food safety tips. USDA’s Patrick O’Leary has more. (2:11)
THE COLLEGE CAMPUS IS A PLACE OF HIGHER LEARNING, BUT NOT ALL LESSONS HAPPEN IN A LECTURE HALL. INFORMATION ON FOOD SAFETY IS AVAILABLE FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, AND IT COULD HELP STUDENTS AVOID SICKNESS THIS SEMESTER.
Kathy Bernard, USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service: Dorms typically have microwaves and we find that students typically don’t have the food safety basics to use them safely. It’s really to have these food safety basics to keep foodborne illness from ruining your semester.
THE EXPERTS SAY TO START AND END WITH A CLEAN OVEN. REMOVE SPLATTERS AS THEY OCCUR SO FOOD RESIDUE WON’T BECOME DRIED-ON. AND ALWAYS FOLLOW THE COOKING INSTRUCTIONS ON THE PRODUCT PACKAGE.
Bernard: Know the wattage of your microwave oven. To find it, look on the inside of the oven door or in the owner’s manual, or you can test how long it takes to boil a glass of water. If it takes two minutes or less it’s a very high wattage oven, around 1100 watts. Four minutes or longer it’s a lower wattage. Around 625 watts. If your microwave’s wattage is lower than the wattage recommended on the package cooking instructions it will take longer than the instructions specified to cook the food. The higher the wattage the faster it will cook food. And if the cooking instructions don’t recommend cooking the product in a microwave, don’t do it.
TO SAFELY COOK FOOD IN THE MICROWAVE, COVER WITH A LID OR MICROWAVE-SAFE PLASTIC WRAP, LEAVING A CORNER OPEN TO RELEASE STEAM. AFTER REHEATING, AND A STANDING TIME, USE A FOOD THERMOMETER.
Bernard: The temperature should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit, unless otherwise stated on the label. That’s the internal temperature that will kill any harmful bacteria if present.
IF YOU STORE LEFTOVERS IN THE MINI-FRIDGE, MAKE SURE IT’S 40 FORTY DEGREES FAHRENHEIT OR BELOW, AND STORE LEFTOVERS WITHIN TWO HOURS OF SERVING. FOR MORE FOOD SAFETY TIPS, VISIT: WWW.FSIS.USDA.GOV OR FIGHTBAC.ORG/COOKITSAFE, OR ASK KAREN A FOOD SAFETY QUESTION ON LINE OR FROM YOUR PHONE. OR CALL THE USDA’S MEAT & POULTRY HOTLINE AT 1-888-MPHOTLINE. FOR THE U-S DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, I’M PAT O’LEARY.
