Food Safety from Package to Plate – Hamburger Edition

Practicing proper food safety helps to prevent foodborne illness. Foodborne illnesses are caused by pathogens (bacteria, viruses) that are either naturally present on food or may get on food through outside contamination. Symptoms of foodborne illness include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue, fever, and/or jaundice. These symptoms can appear as soon as a few hours, or… Read more

Barbecue Food Safety

Late summer brings many opportunities for eating outdoors–camping, cookouts and picnics. Be sure to follow these barbecue food safety rules while enjoying the weather! Clean your hands. Ideally, you’d wash with soap and water, but an alcohol-based sanitizer will do in a pinch. If you are traveling with food, pack uncooked meats separately from ready… Read more

Product Dating

Most people wonder, “How long can I keep a product after the product date has passed?” The answers to this question depend on a number of factors. Some are simple, others are complicated. There is no uniform or universally accepted system used for food dating in the United States. Dates and codes usually indicate the... Read more