Can Home Cooking Be Hazardous To Your Health? Local Inspector Offers Advice

By John Voket

Could your kitchen at home pass a restaurant inspection?

New research suggests that at least one in seven home kitchens would flunk the kind of health inspection commonly administered to restaurants.

The small study from California’s Los Angeles County found that only 61 percent of home kitchens would get an A or B if put through the rigors of a restaurant inspection. At least 14 percent would fail — not even getting a C.

“I would say if they got below a C, I’m not sure I would like them to invite me to dinner,” said Dr Jonathan Fielding, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

In comparison, nearly all Los Angeles County restaurants — 98 percent — get A or B scores each year.

The study, released recently, is believed to be one of the first to offer a sizable assessment of food safety in private homes. But the researchers admit the way it was done is hardly perfect.

The results are based not on actual inspections, but on an Internet quiz taken by about 13,000 adults.

While aspects of that “left coast” study resonated locally with Newtown Health District’s food inspector Suzette LeBlanc, she is the first to point out that no matter where the food is being served, “Inspecting licensed food service establishments and enforcing the Public Health Code Regulations is very different from how we function in our own home kitchens.

“With that said, proper planning and some basic common sense regarding food safety and sanitation may contribute to a healthy holiday season and New Year,” Ms LeBlanc added.

The key is in the planning.

Before grocery shopping, the local inspector advises that shoppers be certain there is adequate space in the refrigerator to store potentially hazardous foods, including space to defrost large roasts or turkeys. Ideal refrigeration temperatures range from 38 to 41 degrees Fahrenheit.

“The safest way to defrost those large roasts or birds is under refrigeration at a temperature of 45 degrees or less,” Ms LeBlanc advises. “Be sure to keep them below the other food in the refrigerator, so that those vegetables you plan to serve on your crudité platter will not be contaminated by dripping juices from the defrosting item.”

Then, mind these tips:

*Start with clean hands.

“Wash your hands with warm and soapy water before and after handling raw foods, after handling your pets, after blowing your nose, and especially after bathroom breaks.”

Do Not

Cross-Contaminate.

“Begin by cleaning all food contact surfaces: utensils, cutting boards, countertops. You can purchase sanitizing wipes or create your own sanitizing solution at home by combining ½ teaspoon of bleach to 32 ounces of water and placing into a labeled spray bottle,” Ms LeBlanc said. “Wash, rinse, and sanitize all food contact surfaces before food preparation. Be careful to sanitize between preparations of raw, potentially hazardous foods and ready-to-eat foods.”

Cooking in advance?

Consider that almost anything prepared in advance will likely require refrigeration once prepared. And cooling these foods in the proper timeframe is an essential element of food safety.

“You are looking to reduce the temperature of cooked foods from 140 to 70 degrees within two hours,” the local food inspector stated. “This can be achieved by reducing large portions into smaller batches before placing into the refrigerator to further reduce the temperature from 70 to 45 degrees within an additional four hours.”

Cook to the proper temperature, checking the temperature with a food thermometer.

“Some key cooking temperatures are: whole roasts 145 degrees, fish 145 degrees, ground meats 145 degrees, game meats and poultry, including stuffing, 165 degrees,” Ms LeBlanc said.

Avoid leaving food out on the countertop.

“Have plenty of reusable containers on hand to promptly pack leftovers within two hours of service,” she added. “This will minimize the length of time food is in the ‘danger zone’ between 140 to 45 degrees when bacteria may multiply.”

In regard to the Los Angeles study, experts do not necessarily believe its results are representative of all households, because people who are more interested and conscientious about food safety are more likely to take the quiz.

“You’ll miss a big population who don’t have home computers or just really don’t care” about the cleanliness of their kitchens, said Martin Bucknavage, a food safety specialist with Penn State University’s Department of Food Science.

A more comprehensive look would probably find that an even smaller percentage of home kitchens would do well in a restaurant inspection, he suggested.

Online Quiz Launched

In 2006, the LA County Health Department began a home kitchen self-inspection program, designed to help consumers learn how to store and prepare food safely. The department also began offering an online quiz with 45 Yes or No questions that simulates a restaurant inspection checklist.

People are asked, for example, if their refrigerator temperature is 41 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, whether raw meat is stored below other foods on refrigerator shelves, and whether fruits and vegetables are always thoroughly rinsed before they are eaten.

The current study is based on quizzes taken through 2008.

Overall, 34 percent got an A, meaning they correctly answered at least 90 percent of the questions. Another 27 percent got a B, 25 percent a C, and 14 percent failed to score at least a 70.

An estimated 87 million cases of food-borne illness occur in the United States each year, including 371,000 hospitalizations and 5,700 deaths, according to an Associated Press calculation that uses a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention formula and recent population estimates.

Many outbreaks that receive publicity are centered on people who got sick after eating at a restaurant, catered celebration, or large social gathering. In this summer’s outbreak linked to salmonella in eggs, several illnesses were first identified in clusters among restaurant patrons.

But experts believe the bulk of food poisonings are unreported illnesses from food prepared at home.

The study is being published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a publication of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Take the online food safety quiz by going to http://bit.ly/aMyIdw.

Associated Press content was used in this report.