Improving Food Safety for You and Your Senior

Carry a Digital Thermometer

Carry a digital thermometer when you’re grilling. Whether the picnic is at home in the backyard or at a state park, check the temperature of everything that’s cooked on a grill. Make sure everything meets these guidelines.

• Hot dogs – 140 F
  Fish – 145 F
  Pork – 145 F
  Steak – 145 F
  Ground beef, pork, lamb, or veal – 160 F
  Chicken, turkey, and other poultry, including ground – 165 F

Meats need to stay in the refrigerator or a cooler with ice until it’s time to cook them. As tempting as it might be to marinate them in the morning and leave them in a bowl on the counter, this increases the chances of bacteria forming.

Keep Chilled Salads on Ice

Chilled salads need to be kept on ice or in the refrigerator. This includes potato salad, pasta salad, etc. If you have any hot salads, such as German Potato Salad, keep them in an insulated and covered container and use hot packs or a slow cooker to keep them warm.

Or, make them at the last minute and bring them to the table right after making them. As soon as people have taken what they want, move it to the refrigerator. Cold salads also need to be put into the refrigerator or cooler when people have finished serving themselves.

Pay Attention to Recalls

It’s estimated that one in six adults gets food poisoning each year. Knowing general food safety rules helps a lot, but you also have to be proactive and pay attention to recalls. Not every food recall is highly publicized in the local news.

One of the more recent recalls has been ongoing for several months. Frozen organic strawberries from retailers like Walmart and Costco may have been contaminated with the hepatitis A virus. It’s very important to check freezers for these strawberries and stop using them. If your dad may have ingested any, he should talk to his doctor.

Another recent one involved collard greens, kale, and spinach. The greens from certain farms are contaminated with listeria and should be disposed of or returned to the store. Checking the FDA’s recall website is important.

Arrange Home Care Year-Round

Is your dad good at keeping track of the foods he has in his fridge and freezer? Is he likely to let things sit for months and then try to eat them? Or, does he simply push things back and ignore them?

With a home care aide available to help him with meal planning, meal preparation, and housekeeping, his meals have a much lower risk of harming him. Arrange home care services and help your dad enjoy safe, nutritious home-cooked meals.

Sources:
https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep-food-safe/food-safety-by-events-and-seasons

If you or an aging loved one is considering home care in Washington Township, OH, please contact the caring staff at Touching Hearts at Home – Dayton OH today at (937) 870-2015.