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Have diabetes, but enjoy quality food? Try our Diabetic Recipes!
Having diabetes certainly limits some of the food you can eat, but with the right diabetic recipes you can still enjoy fine food. Sometimes, it is hard to know what foods are safe for you to eat. For your safety, you and your dietitian should work ...

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10 Smoky Tips To BBQ Food Safely
 


Cooking outdoors was once only a summer activity shared with family and friends. Now more than half of Americans say they are cooking outdoors year round. Use these simple guidelines for grilling food safely to prevent harmful bacteria from multiplying and causing food-borne illness.


1. Defrosting


Completely defrost meat and poultry before grilling so it cooks more evenly. Use the refrigerator for slow, safe thawing or thaw sealed packages in cold water. You can microwave defrost if the food will be placed immediately on the grill.


2. Marinating


Meat and poultry can be marinated for several hours or days to tenderize or add flavor. Be sure to marinate food in the refrigerator, not on the counter. If some of the marinade is to be used as a sauce on the cooked food, reserve a portion of the marinade before putting raw meat and poultry in it. However, if the marinade used on raw meat or poultry is to be reused, make sure to let it come to a boil first to destroy any harmful bacteria.


3. Transporting


When carrying food to another location, keep it cold to minimize bacterial growth. Use an insulated cooler with sufficient ice or ice packs to keep the food at 40° F or below. Pack food right from the refrigerator into the cooler immediately before leaving home. Keep the cooler in the coolest part of the car.


4. Keep Cold Food Cold


When using a cooler, keep it out of the direct sun by placing it in the shade or shelter. Avoid opening the lid too often, which lets cold air out and warm air in. Pack beverages in one cooler & perishables in a separate cooler.


5. Keep Everything Clean


Be sure there are plenty of clean utensils and platters. To prevent food-borne illness, don't use the same platter and utensils for raw and cooked meat and poultry. Harmful bacteria present in raw meat and poultry and their juices can contaminate safely cooked food.


6. Cook Thoroughly


Cook food to a safe internal temperature to destroy harmful bacteria. Meat and poultry cooked on a grill often browns very fast on the outside. Use a food thermometer to be sure the food has reached a safe internal temperature. Whole poultry should reach 180° F; breasts, 170° F. Hamburgers made of ground beef should reach 160° F; ground poultry, 165° F. Beef, veal, and lamb steaks, roasts and chops can be cooked to 145° F. All cuts of pork should reach 160° F. NEVER partially grill meat or poultry and finish cooking later.


7. Keep Hot Food Hot


After cooking meat and poultry on the grill, keep it hot until served -- at 140° F or warmer. Keep cooked meats hot by setting them to the side of the grill rack, not directly over the coals where they could overcook. At home, the cooked meat can be kept hot in a warm oven (approximately 200° F), in a chafing dish or slow cooker, or on a warming tray.


8. Serving Safely


When taking food off the grill, use a clean platter. Don't put cooked food on the same platter that held raw meat or poultry. Any harmful bacteria present in the raw meat juices could contaminate safely cooked food.


9. Safe Smoking


Smoking is done much more slowly than grilling, so less tender meats benefit from this method, and a natural smoke flavoring permeates the meat. The temperature in the smoker should be maintained at 250° F to 300° F for safety. Use a food thermometer to be sure the food has reached a safe internal temperature.


10. Pit Roasting


Cooking may require 10 to 12 hours or more and is difficult to estimate. A meat thermometer must be used to determine the meat's safety and doneness. There are many variables such as outdoor temperature, the size and thickness of the meat, and how fast the coals are cooking.


Copyright (c) Terry Nicholls. All Rights Reserved.






Terry Nicholls is the author of the eBook "Food Safety: Protecting Your Family From Food Poisoning". For more tips like these, and to learn more about his book, visit his website at http://tinyurl.com/3fr2t

yourguides@cogeco.ca






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Food News



Record number of Americans using food stamps: report (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
Food stamps, the main U.S. antihunger program which helps the needy buy food, set a record in September as more than 31.5 million Americans used the program -- up 17 percent from a year ago, according to government data.

Copia, a Food and Wine Center, Files for Bankruptcy (New York Times)
Copia, the ambitious food, wine and art center in Napa, Calif., has been struggling to define its mission and attract visitors since it opened seven years ago.

Top 11 Reasons For Fast Food's Popularity (CBS News)
Speed. That's the top reason nearly 600 adults and teens cited for frequently eating fast food in a new study. Nutrition and fun ranked last.

Top 11 Reasons for Fast Food's Popularity (MedicineNet.com)
Title: Top 11 Reasons for Fast Food's Popularity Category: Health News Created: 12/3/2008 Last Editorial Review: 12/3/2008

Youth troupes' food drive a success (The Arizona Republic)
Thespian troupes from Willow Canyon, Cactus and Maryvale high schools collected 1,845 pounds of food for local charitable food programs

Valu King Food Market opens in Eastlake (The Cleveland Plain Dealer)
Valu King Food Market, a new grocery concept wholly owned by Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle Inc., has opened its first store in Eastlake. The 28,000-square-foot store, located in the former Tops supermarket at 34700 Vine St. in the Vineyards Centre, sells...

Record number of Americans using food stamps-USDA (AlertNet)
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Clare House food drive appears to have reached goal (The Pantagraph)
BLOOMINGTON -- Organizers of the recent 14th annual Clare House food drive are sure the effort reached its higher-than-usual goal of 140 tons of food to meet growing demand.

Police: Food may have triggered fatal dog mauling (The Fresno Bee)
Authorities say food might have been the trigger for the fatal mauling of a 2-year-old boy by a family dog last week. Read comments

South Lake Tahoe food pantry runs out of food (Tahoe Daily Tribune)
There is grim desperation in the voice of an otherwise unflappable Joanne Shope, volunteer coordinator at Christmas Cheer, the South Lake Tahoe food pantry.