When you're shaking off the winter blahs with a good spring cleaning, take the time to target harmful bacteria that can lurk on kitchen surfaces and even in your refrigerator. A clean and dry kitchen helps Fight BAC! and protect you and your family from foodborne illness.
How safe is your kitchen?
Did you know that many cases of foodborne illness results from poor food handling at home? Your kitchen could be a high risk environment. Bacteria can thrive in food that is improperly stored or handled. Reduce the risks by following these tips from Canada's food safety experts. Play it "food safe" in your kitchen!
Get off to a CLEAN start!
- Hand washing is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of foodborne illness. Do you wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water before and after handling food? Wash again when you switch from one food to another.
- Are your countertops and utensils clean and sanitized? Sanitizing reduces bacteria and can prevent foodborne illness.
- It's important to thoroughly clean everything that comes in contact with your hands or your food! Don't forget about kitchen cloths . . . faucet handles . . . sink drains . . . garbage disposals . . . can opener blades . . . refrigerator handles . . . small appliances . . . utensils, and so on.
- To tackle bacteria, mold and mildew, clean interior refrigerator surfaces with hot water and soap. Rinse with a damp cloth; dry with a clean cloth.
Avoid using sponges because they are harder to keep bacteria-free.
Here’s how to make your own bleach sanitizer
- Combine 5 mL (1 tsp) of bleach with 750 mL (3 cups) of water in a labelled spray bottle.
- After cleaning, spray sanitizer on the surface/utensil and let stand briefly.
- Rinse with lots of clean water, and air dry (or use clean towels).
For more information on handling food safely visit chicken.ca or the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education or the government of Canada’s food safety website.
We’ve heard for years that chicken needs to be handled and cooked properly because of the potential for harmful bacteria. Bacteria are everywhere though, and while most are harmless or even beneficial to humans, some can make us sick. All foods, including meat, fruits, and vegetables, have the potential to cause food-borne illness and proper care needs to be taken when handling, cooking, storing or serving all foods. But, what are the proper methods for the safe handling and cooking of chicken? 
Once again, children are heading back to school and it’s time to remember the basics for sending them off with safe (and healthy) lunches.
Camping is a great way to spend some quality time outdoors during the few Canadian summer months and if you can endure the bugs, there are a lot of activities, such as hiking and swimming, to keep everyone entertained and happy. But one thing to seriously consider before heading to your camp site is what type of food to bring with you and how you’ll be storing it.
Here are some handy tips to take some of the guess work out of it.
1. Prepare a menu for your trip.
If you’re planning an overnight camping trip, you’ll still need to be careful of what foods to pack but less concerned than if you’re camping out for the week. Planning a menu is a great way to make sure you have all the supplies you need.
2. Consider the following foods.
Keep all foods in tightly sealed containers and separate meats and drinks into their own coolers to prevent any cross contamination.
Frozen meats such as chicken, are suggested. Because they need time to thaw, they’ll stay cold for longer than fresh meat. Pack a separate cooler specifically for your meats to avoid cross-contamination. Consider marinating meat before freezing it; this way all you’ll have to do is thaw and cook it. Once thawed, meat should be consumed within two days, but most importantly, when cooking meat, make sure you have a food thermometer handy that way you’ll know when meat is properly cooked through. (You’ll find this information under “More Tips”)
Whole grain breads, such as bagels are great for breakfast. Bring them frozen and let them thaw. They’ll last longer this way.
Peanut butter is a great topper for bagels or other whole grain breads and is also a good source of protein.
Whole grain pastas can be boiled in a pot over an open fire with the proper camping cookware. Add in tomato sauce, herbs and seasonings for a very simple dish that will please the kids, or add sundried tomatoes, garlic, herbs, seasonings and a splash of olive oil for a simple yet flavorful meal.
Sweet potatoes can be baked in foil and have plenty of flavor just on their own. They are also packed with antioxidants!
Canned beans such as chick peas, red kidney beans and black beans can be heavier to carry but make great bean salads. Because they are high in fiber, they’ll fill you up and you’ll probably have some leftovers. Toss in a can of tuna, chicken or salmon for some extra protein!
Condiments such as oils, different types of vinegars, salt, pepper, dried herbs and spices are a great way to make marinades for your meats or a super tasty dressing for that bean salad! You may want to consider some lemons, limes or oranges too! Use the juice and zests to add some zing!
Granola and trail mix make a great snack!
PLENTY of water!!! Keep any drinks in a separate cooler. You’ll often be grabbing drinks from this cooler letting warm air into it, so avoid storing foods in the same cooler as your drinks.
Remember, you are camping and therefore sharing the great outdoors with Canadian wildlife, so if you’ll be away from your camp site for a while, find a safe place to hide your food. After all, you didn’t do all that meal planning to feed the raccoons and bears!
More tips: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency offers some great tips on preventing food borne illness while camping, including a list of internal cooking temperatures. Check out their handy tips here 
Picnic time isn’t just for teddy bears, it’s for anyone who enjoys the great outdoors! Whether you’re planning a romantic picnic with your partner or spending some quality time with your family, there are a few things you need to prepare in order to make your picnic enjoyable.
The first thing you’ll need to do is prepare a check list. Keep it simple but make sure you bring enough supplies to keep everyone clean, safe and comfortable. Here’s a handy list to get you started.
Supplies:
Freezing chicken is a great time and money saver, but if you’re using chicken from the freezer, you’ll need to plan ahead and leave yourself plenty of time to defrost safely. There are three methods for safe defrosting – in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave. Never defrost your chicken at room temperature in the kitchen sink or on your counter!
The long thaw
The easiest method of defrosting is in the fridge overnight, but for smaller cuts of chicken you can get away with putting your frozen meat in the fridge in the morning if you want it defrosted by dinner. It’s also perfectly fine to keep the frozen meat in its original packaging while defrosting, but just take care to put it on a separate plate so that no juices drip onto the other foods in your fridge. Once thawed, the meat can keep in the fridge for 1-2 days, again, remembering to keep the meat covered so that other foods are protected. Take a look at our 
The four easy lessons of clean, separate, cook and chill can prevent harmful bacteria from making your family sick.
Clean
Bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen and get on hands, cutting boards, knives, and counter tops. Frequent cleaning can keep that from happening. And always wash hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds before and after handling food.
Separate
Cross-contamination is how harmful bacteria spread. Keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood and their juices away from foods that won’t be cooked.
Cook
Even for experienced cooks, the improper heating and preparation of food means bacteria can survive. Use a food thermometer – you can’t tell if food is cooked safely by how it looks.
Chill
Bacteria multiply fastest at temperatures between 4°C (40°F) and 60°C (140°F), so chilling food properly is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.
Research findings by the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education reveal that despite the fact that a majority of adults feel confident they understand and follow safe food handling procedures, a sizeable number do not consistently follow certain safe food handling practices.
Some examples:
ety was a discipline where he could meld his interests in science, society and policy -- more formally known as risk analysis.
His lab, a research team of 20 undergraduates, graduate students and research assistants, edits the daily bites listserv which have over 12,000 subscribers in 70 countries.
According to his blog bio, he leads a diverse group of students that seek “innovative ways to compel everyone in the farm-to-fork food safety system -- individual producers, retail employees, and consumers, among others -- to acknowledge and adopt best practices to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.”
Doug has been saying for years that food safety is not simple. There is no silver bullet. Food safety is complex, constant and requires commitment.
Dr. Doug Powell and his colleagues, especially Dr. Ben Chapman, now of North Carolina State University, are a primary source for food safety information during outbreaks and are often quoted in mainstream media reports. Doug also regularly films short food safety videos and podcasts that are posted on the blog or posted to YouTube.
Visit the blog to see it for yourself at 
