Know how. Know now.
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University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln-Lancaster
Extension in Lancaster County County Health Dept.
I wish I’d known
these things!
Questions? Email ahenneman1@unl.edu
Updated March, 2011. This is a peer-reviewed publication.
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10 Safety Myths
Don’t be “myth”-led!
Following are
the facts for 10
common food
safety myths...
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Myth 1
If it tastes
okay, it’s safe
to eat.
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Fact 1
Don’t count
on these to
tell you if
a food is Smell Taste
safe to eat!
Sight
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Estimates of foodborne illnesses
in the U.S. each year, about ...
48 million people
become ill
3,000 people die
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Would this
many people
eat something
if they thought
it tasted,
looked or
smelled bad?
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Even if tasting would tell …
Why risk getting sick?
A “tiny taste” may
not protect you.
As few as 10 bacteria
could cause some
foodborne illnesses,
such as E. coli!
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Myth 2
If you get sick
from eating a
food, it was
from the last
food you ate.
OOPS!
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Fact 2
It can take
½ hour to
6 weeks to
become sick
from unsafe
foods.
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You usually
feel OK
immediately
after eating
and become
sick later.
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Foodborne illness is
NOT a pretty picture!
Hey guys,
I have to
throw up!
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Myth 3
The worst that
could happen
to you with a
foodborne
illness is an
upset stomach.
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Fact 3
Upset stomach
Diarrhea
Fever
Dehydration
OOPS! (sometimes severe)
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Less common, but
possible severe conditions
Meningitis
Paralysis
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Death
Myth 4
If I’ve never been
sick from the
food I prepare,
I don’t need to
worry about
feeding it
to others.
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Fact 4
Some people have
a greater risk for
foodborne
illnesses.
A food you can Is the food safe
safely eat might for everyone at
make others sick.
the table?
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People with a higher risk for
foodborne illness
Infants
Young children and
Pregnant
older adults
women
People with weakened immune
systems and individuals with
certain chronic diseases
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Myth 5
People
never
used to
get sick
from
their
food.
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Fact 5
Many incidents
of foodborne
illness went
undetected in
the past.
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Symptoms of
nausea, vomiting,
and diarrhea
were often, and
still are, blamed
on the “flu.”
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Foodborne illness vs. flu
More common in More common in flu:
foodborne illness:
Respiratory
Gastrointestinal Chest discomfort
Nausea Cough
Vomiting Nasal congestion
Diarrhea Sore throat
Runny or stuffy nose
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More reasons for foodborne
illnesses than in the past ...
Bacteria have
become more
potent over
the years.
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Still more reasons ...
Our food now
travels farther
with more
chances for
contamination.
In days gone by, the chicken
served at supper may have been in
the hen house at noon!
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Myth 6
As long as I left
the lid on a food
that has sat out
too long, it is
safe to eat.
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Fact 6
Though food may be safe after
cooking, it may not be safe later.
Just one bacteria in the food can
double in 20 minutes!
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How many bacteria will
grow from one bacteria left at
room temperature for 7 hours?
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2,097,152!
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Refrigerate
perishable
foods within
two hours at a
refrigerator
temperature of
40°F or lower.
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On a hot day
(90°F or higher),
food should not
sit out for more
than one hour.
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Myth 7
If you let a food
set out for more
than two hours,
you can make it
safe by heating
it really hot!
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Fact 7
Some bacteria,
such as
Staphylococcus
(staph),
produce toxins
that are not
destroyed by
high cooking
temperatures. Image: Content provider: CDC/Matthew J. Arduino, DRPH,
Photo credit: Janice Haney Carr
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Did you know
“Staphylococcus”
comes from a Greek
word meaning
“a bunch of grapes?”
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Myth 8
If a hamburger is
brown in the
middle, it is
cooked to a safe
internal
temperature.
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Fact 8
1 out of 4
hamburgers
turns brown
before it has
been cooked
to a safe
internal
temperature.
http://origin-www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/Thermometers_Are_Key_FactSheet.pdf
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Which ground beef patty is cooked
to a safe internal temperature?
http://origin-www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/Thermometers_Are_Key_FactSheet.pdf
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This IS a safely This is NOT a
cooked hamburger safely cooked
(internal temperature hamburger.
of 160ºF) even Though brown
though pink inside. inside, it is
undercooked.
http://origin-www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/Thermometers_Are_Key_FactSheet.pdf
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Research shows
some ground beef
patties look done at
internal
temperatures
as low as 135ºF.
A temperature of
160ºF is needed to
destroy E. coli.
http://origin-www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/Thermometers_Are_Key_FactSheet.pdf
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How to use a food thermometer
1. Wash thermometer
with hot soapy water
before and after use.
2. Use before the food
is expected to be
“done.”
3. Place in the thickest
part of the food, not
touching bone, fat
or gristle.
4. Compare reading to USDA recommended
safe minimum internal temperatures.
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USDA recommended safe
minimum internal temperatures
Beef, veal, lamb: steaks & roasts - 145°F
Fish: 145°F
Pork: 160°F
Beef, veal, lamb: ground - 160°F
Egg dishes: 160°F
Turkey, chicken & duck: whole,
pieces & ground - 165°F
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Food thermometers & thin foods
On an “instant-read”
dial thermometer, the
probe must be inserted
in the side of the food
so the entire sensing
area (usually 2-3
inches) is positioned
through the center of
the food.
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Food thermometers & thin foods
When possible, use a
digital thermometer to
measure the
temperature of a thin
food. The sensing
area is only ½- to
1-inch long and easier
to place in the center
of the food.
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Digital and dial thermometers
in thin foods
Digital thermometer Dial thermometer
Photo courtesy of the Nebraska Beef Council
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Myth 9
Meat and
poultry
should be
washed
before
cooking.
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Fact 9
Washing meat and
poultry is NOT
necessary or
recommended.
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Washing increases
the danger of cross-
contamination,
spreading bacteria
present on the
surface of meat
and poultry to:
ready-to-eat foods
kitchen utensils
counter surfaces.
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Cooking meat and poultry to the
recommended internal temperature will
make them safe to eat.
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Myth 10
We should
be scared of
eating almost
everything!
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Fact 10
“... the American food supply continues to
be among the safest in the world.”
Robert E. Brackett, Ph.D., Director, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition,
Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
November 15, 2006 http://www.hhs.gov/asl/testify/t061115a.html
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Proper food
handling helps
assure that food
is safe to eat.
4 steps to
follow...
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Remember: When in doubt ...
TOSS IT OUT!!!
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Resources used:
Alabama Cooperative Extension System. The Food Spoilers: Bacteria and Viruses.
http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/H/HE-0654 (Accessed June 15, 2010).
CDC. Food-Related Illness and Death in the United States.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol5no5/mead.htm (Accessed June 21, 2010).
Robert E. Brackett, Ph.D., Director, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug
Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, November 15, 2006.
http://www.hhs.gov/asl/testify/t061115a.html (Accessed June 21, 2010).
USDA. “Is it done yet?” http://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/IsItDoneYet_Magnet.pdf (Accessed June 21,
2010).
USDA. Safe Food Handling – How Temperatures Affect Food.
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/how_temperatures_affect_food/index.asp (Accessed June 15,
2010).
USDA. Thermometers are Key. http://origin-
www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/Thermometers_Are_Key_FactSheet.pdf (Accessed June 21, 2010).
USDA. Why Does USDA Recommend Using a Food Thermometer?
http://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/thermometer.html (Accessed June 21, 2010).
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Bad Bug Book: Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and
Natural Toxins Handbook – Onset, Duration, and Symptoms of Foodborne Illness. Available at
http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FoodborneIllness/FoodborneIllnessFoodbornePathogensNatural
Toxins/BadBugBook/ucm071342.htm (Accessed June 15, 2010).
Source of images: Microsoft Image and Media Library, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
Image Library, CDC image library, original graphics created by UNL Lancaster County Extension
Office.
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Thank you to the following people
for reviewing this slide set ...
Julie Albrecht, Ph.D, R.D.
Phil Rooney, Ph.D., CP-FS
Cindy Brison, M.S., R.D.
Zainab Rida, M.S., R.D.
Amy Stalp, Dietetic Student
Vicki Jedlicka, Extension Media Assistant
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Know how. Know now.
Extension is a Division of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural
Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln cooperating with
the Counties and the United States Department of Agriculture.
University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension educational programs
abide with the nondiscrimination policies of the University of
Nebraska–Lincoln and the United States Department of
Agriculture.
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