The Super Market is the First Step

Since we're in college, we cant have our parents grocery shop for us anymore. This means that we have to know the rules and regulations for when we buy certain foods. We may think that our food is perfect when we buy them, but that's not the case. Don't let the perfect packaging and set up fool you! There's still some food that you have to really check and look at before you put them in your cart. According to  kidshealth.org, they offer some great tips on how to grocery shop safely and to look out for certain things. First, once you get all your dried foods like cereal, bread, granola bars, and chips, you then get all your refrigerated foods last. Second, check expiration dates on whatever meat, poultry, or fish you buy. Third, don't buy any food that has a weird smell or odor. Even if it's not expired, you need to trust your instincts to know that certain meat or fish isn't good. You should even tell a worker so that they can get rid of it to make sure no one else purchases it. Fourth, I didn't even know this, but make sure to place meats in their own plastic bags so that no juice can flow onto any other foods you have in the cart. But if you don't want to get a plastic bag, just make sure your meats are separated away from other foods so they don't clash or mix. Fifth, separate your raw meats, poultry, and fish from any fruits and vegetables that you'll eat raw. I'm sure once you bite into your apple you don't want the taste of fish in your mouth. That's pretty gross. Sixth, make sure the eggs you buy aren't cracked and that they're clean. Also make sure that their grade A or AA. According to southernstates.com, Grade AA means the eggs are nearly perfect and grade A means eggs appear the same as AA, but slightly lower interior quality. A few last things would be don't buy fruits that are spoiled or have dents because bacteria can easily come through, don't buy unpasteurized milk, ciders, or juices because they can have harmful bacteria, and make sure to pre-stuff your turkey or chicken before cooking. I believe this information is important for us because we don't come to realize that it does start in the grocery store. We have to have our eyes and mind open when we're picking out whatever foods we want. One wrong decision can lead down a dangerous road.

Gavin, M. L. (Ed.). (2014, November). Food Safety. Retrieved February 23, 2018, from https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/food-safety.html#

How to Grade and Size Eggs. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2018, from https://www.southernstates.com/articles/size-grade-eggs.aspx

How to Keep Your Food Safe!

Is it just me, or am I the only one who gets in the mood to cook once I see a mini recipe on Facebook or Instagram? My favorite page to follow is Tasty on Facebook, but what I'm trying to say is that I enjoy cooking once in awhile. I would be able to make something that I enjoy, and I didn't have to go out and buy something. When it comes to cooking, we have to remember that there's certain rules while your preparing/cooking your meal. According to Foodsafety.gov "Some foods are more frequently associated with food poisoning or foodborne illness." (2018) So this means that we have to be extra careful with how we treat our food. We have to make sure we clean our hands and entire cleaning area, and wash any fruits or vegetables that will be used. MAKE SURE YOU SEPARATE YOUR FOOD! don't let any juices from raw food touch any food that is ready to eat or else it'll get cross contaminated. Make sure your food is cooked at the proper temperature and this hyperlink https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/mintemp.html will tell you certain temperatures for cooking meat, poultry, seafood, and other foods. When you're all done eating, make sure you refrigerate your leftovers so the cold temperatures can keep the harmful bacteria away. The longer you leave food out in the open, the more bacteria that'll grow on it. Some tips would be for meats to be cooked thoroughly to keep away the most harmful bacteria, but it could get contaminated again if not stored properly. For turkey, you have to make sure its thawed, prepared, cooked, and stored properly. With chicken, you have to wash it and make sure its cooked at the proper temperature. Fruits and vegetable juices must be treated to kill bacteria, and seafood also have to be cooked thoroughly to keep away bacteria. All in all, this information is important for us because if we don't handle our food right, we will face the consequences. Most of these foods have bacteria like E.Coli, samonella, and listeria. All of them can make us sick, so in order for that not to happen we have to treat our food responsibly, and remember the keys of success to keep our food from getting bacteria.

Introduction

Hey everyone! as you may know already my name is Italia Mendez, I'm a senior here at EIU, and I'm a community health major. I'm a real chill person, I like to stay in and watch movies but I also have some exciting nights with my friends. I chose food safety as my topic because someone took mine, but food safety is important to know about. Cleaning around your cooking area, making sure not to cross contaminate, and knowing what temperature to keep your food can help your health. I hope you guys enjoy my blog!