Is your favorite family recipe safe?
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Do you have a cherished family recipe that has been treasured and passed down from generation to generation? Many of us have a favorite recipe or two that has been passed down to us from someone we care about. Often, we might prepare and share these beloved recipes without realizing they could contain outdated directions or methods that are no longer consistent with what we now know about food safety.
Pathogens, those germs that make us sick, can change over time. So can our understanding of them. For example, in 1990, the United States Public Health Service called E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria, and Campylobacter the four most serious foodborne pathogens in the United States.
Twenty years before that, three of these (Campylobacter, Listeria, and E. coli) were not even recognized as a source of foodborne disease. Today the “big six” pathogens that cause foodborne illnesses consist of Salmonella typhi, non-typhoidal Salmonella, E.coli, Shigella, Norovirus and Hepatitis A.
Although everyone should prioritize food safety, some people need to take extra care when comes to food preparation. These groups include older adults, young children, people with weakened immune systems and pregnant people. Michigan State University Extension recommends we evaluate our old recipes for food safety. A few things to check:
- When cooking meat and poultry, or casseroles containing those ingredients, the oven temperature should be set to a minimum of 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Lower temperatures may not heat the food fast enough to prevent bacterial growth. Avoid any directions that call for partial cooking or the browning of foods that will be saved and cooked later. Bacteria present in these foods will not be destroyed. If you need to partially cook food in the microwave for any reason, finish cooking it by another method immediately afterward.
- Avoid recipes in which eggs remain raw or are only partially cooked. Cook eggs until the yolk and whites are firm, not runny. Be especially careful of dishes like Caesar salad dressing, mousses, chiffons, homemade ice cream, mayonnaise, hollandaise sauce or eggnog. When making these dishes, start with a cooked custard base that has been heated to a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit and then chilled. You could also use pasteurized eggs or egg products.
- When a recipe calls for marinating, marinate in a covered container in the refrigerator and not on the counter. Additionally, marinating time in the refrigerator should not exceed the recommended storage time for the type and cut of fresh meat or poultry being used. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, most recipes recommend marinating for six to 24 hours. Finally, do not reuse the marinade unless you boil it. Leftover marinade could contain dangerous pathogens.
- With regard to canning recipes, ensuring the methods used are up to date is especially important. The science behind some of these processes has changed over time. Make sure to compare your recipe to one for the same product from a research-based source. An example of a website where you can find research-based recipes is the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Remember, before you prepare that cherished family classic or pass on that treasured recipe to a friend, make sure to check and see if any food safety revisions are necessary
For answers to your food safety questions, call MSU Extension's Food Safety Hotline at 1-877-643-9882. For more information on food safety, visit MSU Extension's Safe Food & Water website.
