Appetite Stimulants Nutrition Intervention

Table 12.5 Food safety practices a Food shopping 1. Check expiration dates on food and do not buy or use if the food is out of date. 2. Do not purchase ready-to-eat food from bulk food bins i.e., breads, nuts, dried fruit, candies. 3. Avoid all food in cans that are swollen, dented or damaged. 4. Avoid produce that is bruised or damaged. 5. Bag fresh fruits and vegetables separately from meat, poultry and seafood products. Food storage 1. Store perishable fresh fruits and vegetables i.e. cucumbers, tomatoes in a clean refrigerator at a temperature of 40 °F or below. 2. Refrigerate all produce that is purchased pre-cut or peeled. 3. Beef should be refrigerated at 40 °F and used within two days. Beef can be frozen at 0 °F and used within 6 months of the purchase date. Food preparation 1. Wash hands with water and soap for 20 s before and after any food preparation. 2. Wash fruits or vegetables under running water even if you are going to peel them. Do not use soap, bleach or commercial produce washes to clean fruit. 3. Dry produce with a clean cloth towel or paper towel. This will reduce the spread of bacteria. Do not wash meat, poultry or eggs. 4. Defrost all meats in the refrigerator. Do not defrost at room temperature. 5. Food-preparation surfaces must be cleaned fi rst. Wash surfaces thoroughly with soap and water and thoroughly dry. As an extra precaution, you can use a solution of one tablespoon unscented, liquid chlorine bleach in one gallon of water to sanitize washed surfaces and utensils. 6. 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 item. Cooking 1. Cook foods immediately after thawing. 2. All raw foods such as meats, poultry and entrees should be cooked until they are well-done. Beef should be cooked to 160 °F, depending on the cut. Chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 °F. Cold foods should be stored 40 °F, hot foods kept 140 °F. A home thermometer may help. Storage of cooked foods 1. Store leftovers within 2 h. By dividing leftovers into several clean, shallow containers, you’ll allow them to chill faster. Discard leftovers that were kept at room temperature for greater than 2 h. 2. Perishable foods fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy should be put into the fridge or freezer within 2 h. In the summer months, cut this time down to 1 h. 3. Do not use leftovers prior to reheating to 165 °F before serving. Baby foodinfant formula 1. Never put baby food in the refrigerator if the baby doesn’t fi nish it. Do not feed your baby directly from the jar of baby food. Instead, put a small serving of food on a clean dish and refrigerate the remaining food in the jar. If the baby needs more food, use a clean spoon to serve another portion. Throw away any food in the dish that’s not eaten. If you do feed a baby from a jar, always discard any remaining food. 2. Prepare safe water for preparing formula. Bring tap water to a roiling boil and boil it for 1 min. If you use bottled water, follow this same process. Cool the water to body temperature before mixing formula. 3. Sterilize bottles and nipples before fi rst use. After that, wash them by hand or in a dishwasher. 4. Formula can become contaminated during preparation, and bacteria can multiply quickly if formula is improperly stored. Prepare formula in smaller quantities on an as-needed basis to greatly reduce the possibility of contamination. Always follow the label instructions for mixing formula. Additional information may be found at www.foodsafety.gov. a Select recommendations from the United States Federal Drug Adminis tration’s Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill. 12 Nutrition