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Food safety tips for students returning to college
Arkansas Students returning to college in the fall will pack up the essentials they need for survival--TV, laptop, MP3 player and cell phone. They also may be taking a microwave oven, tabletop grill, mini-fridge and toaster-oven. Unfortunately, many students never stop to think about food safety when cooking with these appliances, says Carla Haley, Miller County agent with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. "With the busy schedules most college students face, they eat whenever and whatever is convenient. When it comes to safely preparing meals, many college kids simply don't know what it takes to prepare food safely, and many could end up with a food-borne illness," Haley says. She offers several tips for parents to pass along to their college student so they don't spend time at the health services office on campus with a food-borne illness. When college students have extra money, they will probably buy pizza, Haley says. "Unfortunately, many students leave the pizza in the box, on the counter overnight and then want to eat it the next morning for breakfast," says Haley. "That gives harmful bacteria the green light to grow and multiply on the pizza." Perishable food should never be left out of the refrigerator more than two hours, one hour in hot temperatures. This is true even if there are no meat products on the pizza. One favorite activity of college students is tailgating for their school team. If the tailgating party includes hamburgers, there's only one way to assure that the hamburger is done, regardless of color. That is to use a food thermometer. Don't use color as a measure of doneness, Haley says. Ground beef may turn brown before it has reached a temperature at which bacteria are destroyed. A hamburger cooked to 160 degrees, measured with a food thermometer throughout the patty is safe. When cooking in a microwave, cover foods during cooking. Remember to stir or rearrange food and rotate the dish. Use a food thermometer to ensure the food reaches the appropriate internal temperature. "As a college student, I loved to receive my 'care packages' from home. Today, with all the shelf stable food products it is easier to mail these packages and include more than just cookies, crackers and candy," Haley says. Some great choices to include in your care package might include shelf-stable, microwavable entrees. These foods are not frozen and will stay fresh without refrigeration for about 18 months. Canned meats and fish as well as dried meat and poultry, such as beef and turkey jerky, are safe to mail. Bacteria can't grow in foods preserved by removing moisture. There are four basic principles to keep in mind when preparing foods: --Wash hands and surfaces often, before you begin to cook or reheat something, and after you handle any raw foods. --Separate raw meat, poultry, and egg products from cooked foods to avoid cross-contamination. Never place your cooked hamburgers on the same plate or container that you carried them to the grill on. --Use a food thermometer. --Refrigerate everything promptly. For more information about food safety, contact your county extension agent or visit www.uaex.edu and select Health and Nutrition, then Food Safety. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of Agriculture.
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