Food Safety
Project Chill
Give Bacteria The Cold Shoulder
Keep The Temperature In Your Fridge At 40° Or Below
Use A Thermometer To Monitor
Most customers already realize the importance of keeping their refrigerators at a safe temperature. However, not all customers have a refrigerator thermometer at home to keep a check on the climate within their fridge. It is essential to maintain a safe temperature inside your refrigerator (40° or below), so that bacteria is abated and the likelihood of you becoming sick from a foodborne illness is decreased, particularly Listeriosis.
Most customers say they do not have a refrigerator thermometer because they already have a temperature control feature inside their refrigerator. However, a thermometer is far more superior in gauging whether or not the temperature within a refrigerator is sufficient. These thermometers are separate from the refrigerator and show the specific temperature, thus letting you know whether or not you need to adjust the dial in your refrigerator.
According to the USDA and the FDA, maintaining a safe temperature of 40° or below in your refrigerator is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of foodborne illness. According to the NSF International, you should check your thermometer when your refrigerator compressor turns on because this is when the temperature is the highest inside the refrigerator. If the thermometer shows a temperature above 40°, then adjust your refrigerator dial according to the manufacturer's instructions.
For more information on refrigerator thermometers or temperatures, please visit: www.fightbac.org
Listeriosis
There are many types of foodborne illnesses, but none of them are good news when you get infected. Infection occurs when you consume food or beverages that have been contaminated by illness causing pathogens. One such infection, Listeria, also known as Listeriosis is caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes.
Listeriosis is commonly associated with the following foods: raw meat, unpastuerized products, and ready-to-eat foods like lunch meats, hotdogs, and soft cheeses. People who are most susceptible to infection include pregnant women, unborn children, young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. Symptoms that are associated with Listeriosis are fever, muscle aches, nausea or diarrhea.
Listeriosis is particularly hazardous to pregnant women. This is because the infected woman may only have mild, flu-like symptoms, but this foodborne illness can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, or infection of the newborn. Since there are no vaccines for Listeriosis, it is imperative that pregnant woman and other high risk groups understand exactly how to handle the listeriosis bacteria.
Listeriosis is has been found to grow in refrigerated environments and although this makes this particular infection rather dangerous, there are many steps to reduce the likelihood of its presence. The first line of defense is your refrigerator; the internal environment's temperature should be 40° or below. Any out-of-date products should be thrown out and weekly refrigerator purges are a great way to keep these potentially hazardous products absent. Also, Listeriosis is associated with unpasteurized milk, so any product made with unpasteurized milk should be avoided. High-risk groups should be especially careful to avoid soft cheeses such as, Feta, Brie, Camembert, blue veined, and Mexican style cheeses unless they clearly state they are not made with unpasteurized milk. All fruits and vegetables should be washed before being eaten. Deli meats, hotdogs, and other ready-to-eat products should be reheated to steaming before consumption. Lastly, always cook food to the proper internal temperature because this will kill the Listeria bacteria.
Government agencies, along with the food industry have taken steps to reduce contamination of food by the Listeria bacterium. The Food and Drug Administration and the U. S. Department of Agriculture regularly screen food. When a contaminated product is found, food monitoring and plant inspection are increased, and if there is a problem, the product will be recalled.
