Alcohol Safety Articles

Ready to start grilling hamburgers? Bacteria is of special concern with ground beef - because when beef is ground - more of the meat surface is exposed to potential harmful bacteria. For this reason, ground beef must be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F, so as to kill all the bacteria and avoid foodborne illness.

Going to the beach? While preparing for the heat on your body - also plan on the effects of heat on your food. Foodborne illnesses increase during the summer because not only does bacteria multiply faster in warmer temperatures, but preparing food outdoors makes safe food handling more challenging.

Dinner and a movie date night? Ditch the leftovers, not your date!  Remember, leftovers are only safe for 2 hours at room temperature and won’t last through a movie - and only 1 hour if the temperature is over 90°F. After that time, bacteria growth can occur and cause food illness. Likewise, during warmer months bacteria multiply faster – so keeping food safe is more challenging.

Food safety not only affects continued patronage and sales of a food service business, but also public safety. Many businesses require food safety training, so being food safety trained will increase your chances of employment. Furthermore, businesses are willing to pay higher wages to those trained.

Bacteria are a member of a large group of unicellular microorganisms - some of which can cause human disease. Although most bacteria are harmless or often beneficial, some bacteria are pathogenic, or those that can pose a threat to human health or cause illness. Bacteria and viruses are responsible for most foodborne illnesses and are the biggest threat to food safety.