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Microwave Food Safety
There are simple techniques you
can use to ensure that food cooked in microwave is safe to eat.
"Cold spots" are the biggest problem in microwave oven. They are the
main reason for microwave
related foodborne
illnesses, because if food is not cooked evenly, the pathogen bacteria
survive.
Tips to Microwave
Food:
- If
there is no turntable, then food must be manually rotated.
- Place thicker portions of food
toward the exterior of the microwave dish.
- All
containers must be microwave safe. Never use storage containers like
cheese containers, margarine tubs or any others than can cause chemical
reaction to migrate into food.
- Cover
food you are cooking or reheating to provide safe and even heating.
- Never
let plastic wraps or thin plastic storage bags touch food you are
cooking.
- Never
microwave baby formula or baby food because of possibility of uneven
heating.
- Do
not use foam trays and store wraps for defrosting or cooking because
they are not heat stable and chemicals can migrate into food due to
heat.
- Always
cook meat immediately after micro thawing because some areas of frozen
food may begin to cook during the defrosting time.
- Heat
leftovers and precooked food to at least 74ºC (165ºF). It should be steaming and hot to
the touch.
- Never partially cook food in microwave.
Use thermometer to verify the food has reached a safe temperature.
TIPS:
- If
you are not sure your utensils are microwave safe, do a little utensil
safety test. Place the empty utensil into microwave oven alongside with
1 cup of water in a glass measure. Microwave on high for about 1
minute. If your dish remains cool, it's safe to microwave.
Related Links:
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Did You Know?
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Bacteria
(especially E. coli) may be used to replicate DNA in the form of a
plasmid. This DNA is often chemically modified in vitro then inserted
into bacteria to select for the desired traits and isolate the desired
product from by-products of the reaction. After growing the bacteria
and thereby replicating the DNA, the DNA may be further modified and
inserted into other organisms. More...
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Bacteria
grow best in
the temperature range between 4ºC and 60ºC. Temperature below
4ºC, and temperature between 60ºC and 74ºC, will not
kill bacteria, but it will not allow them to multiply enough times to
cause an illness. In order to kill pathogenic bacteria you need
temperatures above 74ºC. Temperature is the easiest factor to
control in order to prevent bacterial growth.
Find
out more...
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Bacterial
intoxication will typically have shorter incubation period than
infection (with sudden onset), which usually only lasts one day and
fever is rarely present. More...
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Improperly
handled
food and equipment, poorly washed dishes and multi-service articles
have potential to spread pathogenic bacteria and open the door for
dangerous foodborne diseases. More...
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