The safe food kitchen

Nutrition Action Healthletter, Sept, 1991 by Lisa Y. Lefferts, Stephen Schmidt

Okay. So you already buy organic fruits and vegetables, antibiotic-free beef, nitrite-free bacon and cold cuts, and fish from clean waters.

You avoid raw shellfish, packaged foods mAth dubious colorings or preservatives, and microwaveable products that come in packages with special browning surfaces.

You eat a low-fat, low-sodium, high-fiber diet with lots of fruits and vegetables and complex carbohydrates.

And you poison yourself and your family by not knowing how to store, handle, and prepare all that wonderful food once you get it home from the market.

All right. Maybe we're exaggerating a little. But wouldn't it be a sin to let bacteria, viruses, molds, and other nasties destroy the health benefits of your good diet?

Well, don't do it. Keep a "Safe Food Kitchen." Here's how.

In the Fridge

Keep the temperature of your refrigerator just below 40* and your freezer at O*. Buy a thermometer and adjust your fridge's warm and cold knob until the temperature's right. * Put away leftovers as soon as possible, and certainly within two hours. Don't wait for them to cool. That just invites bacteria to multiply.

*Transfer food from hot pots and pans to containers before you put it in the fridge. Use the shallowest containers possible. The idea is to help the food cool quickly.

*In warm weather, keep whole-grain flour, crackers and breads in the refrigerator.

That helps protect their oils from becoming rancid.

* Don't keep raw fish in the refrigerator for more than 24 hours. Raw poultry will keep for one to two days, and red meat for three to five days. Leftovers should keep for about three to four days. Vacuum-sealed packages of luncheon meat will keep for about two weeks, but only five to seven days once opened.

In the Cupboard

*Store canned goods in a cool, dry place. That means not above the stove or under the sink.

*Throw out any cans that have dents, holes, rust, bulges, or leaks. lAvoid cans with seams that have been sealed using lead solder. The lead, which is extremely dangerous-especially for children and fetuses-can leach into the food. Feel along the seam through the label. If it feels bumpy, leave the can on the shelf. Chances are it has been soldered. Look for seamless cans or cans with welded seams. Welded seams feel smooth and even, and the metal around them is shiny (look at the seam between the label and the top or bottom rim of the can).

In a 1990 survey, companies reported using lead-soldered cans for domestic fish, vegetable oil, and peanut butter, and importing lead-soldered cans of mushrooms, fruits, fish, tomatoes, artichokes, pimientos, and water chestnuts. I Don't store acidic foods like tomatoes or citrus juices in open cans. If there is any lead in the solder, it can leach into the food.

There's a Fungus Among Us

if a food is moldy, don't smell it. Clean up around where it was stored, and check nearby foods to see if the mold has spread. I it's OK to cut away small moldy spots from hard cheese, salami, and firm fruits and vegetables like cabbage, bell peppers, and carrots. Keep your knife out of the mold, and cut out at least one inch around and below the spot. Store the food in a clean container, and use it as quickly as possible.

*You can scoop out tiny spots of mold from jelly or jam. Just make sure you wash the spoon carefully and then scoop out a larger area around the spot. If the jelly or jam tastes fermented, throw it out.

Invisible mold spores can easily penetrate soft foods, and some molds may contain cancer-causing toxins. That's why you should throw out these foods whenever you find mold on them, no matter how little: individual slices of cheese, any soft cheese (like mozzarella), cottage cheese, cream, sour cream, yogurt, bread, cake, rolls, pastry, corn on the cob, nuts, flour, whole grains, rice, dried peas and beans, peanut butter. Pots & Pans bAluminum. The evidence linking aluminum to Alzheimer's disease is not strong. Some-but not all-Alzheimer's patients have elevated levels of aluminum in their brains, but it isn't clear whether the metal is a cause or an effect of the disease. Alzheimer's appears to be on the rise, and more research needs to be done. But as of now there is not enough evidence to recommend that you throw out your aluminum pots and pans.

Cast Iron. It's safe, and can even add to your diet the iron that many-but not allpeople need more of.

Ceramic. The Food and Drug Administration says that ceramic cookware from China, Hong Kong, India, and Mexico may contain dangerous amounts of lead that can leach into your food. You can test your ceramics with a home lead-test kit (see "Dishes" below). OCopper. Don't use it if it's unlined. Acidic foods like tomatoes can cause copper to leach out of the pot and into your spaghetti sauce or whatever. And while we need a little copper in our diets, too much can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Most copper cookware is lined with tin or stainless steel, which is fine. But when the coating eventually wears out, your pots and pans will have to be replaced or relined.