Which is more harmful to animals – dairy or beef production?

 When it comes to dairy, there is a very common misconception out there. It’s the idea that unlike meat production, which obviously requires an animal to be killed, other animal products like cow’s milk can be produced without harm. “The animals get to live.” “I can enjoy a glass of milk or piece of cheese without any animal being hurt.”

 First, the facts

Let’s start with some basic mammalian biology that is often overlooked. For a female mammal to produce milk, she of course needs to first become pregnant. Impregnation of dairy cows is commonly carried out using artificial insemination, a procedure that requires sperm to be collected from a bull and then manually inserted into a restrained cow, through a process that involves both rectal and vaginal intrusion.

 The pregnancy lasts about 9 months. If born female, both dairy and beef calves will be raised to be repeatedly impregnated to produce new calves. If born male, they will be fattened and slaughtered at a premature age (that is, if the former are not considered surplus product and culled shortly after birth). The main conceptual difference between dairy and beef production systems concerns the milk produced by the female mother cows (“dams”), and the implications of its production and collection on the animals and their management.

 Long-term genetic selection for high milk yield in dairy cows has been recognised as a major factor causing poor welfare because it is associated with health problems, such as lameness, mastitis, reproductive disorders and metabolic disorders.

 Common housing and husbandry procedures for dairy cattle increase the welfare risks further. For example, while beef calves are commonly allowed to suckle milk from their mothers, dairy calves are separated from their mothers shortly after birth so that milk can be collected daily, several times a day, for human consumption. Understandably, separating a mammal from its offspring at such an early age has clear welfare implications for both sides of the dyad, especially when considering the conditions and management of the animals following the separation. For instance, upon separation, dairy calves are often kept in social isolation for several weeks (i.e. limited or no physical contact with their dam and other calves), a management practice that has been repeatedly shown to inflict behavioural and developmental harm on the animals.

 The study

In comparing the welfare of animals in dairy and beef herds, when raised using the most common production methods. Our hypothesis was that the welfare of dairy cattle is lower than that of beef cattle due to the higher level of (negative) human intervention in their lives.

 To explore this hypothesis, recruited 70 leading bovine welfare experts from Europe (35), North America (17), South America (8), Australia (5) and other regions of the world (5). The experts, with a median experience of at least 15 years, were asked to rate the likelihood of beef and dairy cattle experiencing a compromise to their basic health and functioning, affective states, and ability to engage in natural behaviours when raised in the most common production systems. The assessment provided by the bovine experts clearly showed that dairy cows are more likely to experience worse welfare than their counterparts in beef herds.

 The study investigated twelve areas of potential welfare concern:

 Inadequate diet

Inadequate water supply

Thermal discomfort

Resting discomfort

Injuries

Disease

Inability to move freely

Pain

Limited ability to express social behavior

Limited ability to express other normal behaviors

Negative affective states

Limited ability to experience positive affective states

 The higher welfare risk in the dairy sector was not limited to dairy cows—defined from first calving onwards—but also, to their calves. Experts rated the welfare risk of calves originating from dairy herds to be higher than that of calves originating from beef herds, regardless of the production goal, be it for red meat, veal, or to replace the dam. These findings contradict a very long and widely held belief in our society about the impact of dairy production on the welfare of cattle.

 What about organic/free-range products?

Study focused on the most common production systems, but similar contrasts between dairy and beef cattle are expected even if the best-known “welfare” conditions are provided to the animals. This is because animals in dairy herds are used for more than their meat, and this has implications for the experiences of the cows and their calves.

 Keeping dairy cows together with their calves (i.e. dam-calf dairy operations), with free access to pasture or simply providing them with pain relievers when needed may certainly improve their current welfare state, at least to some extent. Nevertheless, raising beef cattle in similar improved conditions (i.e. solely for their meat), is expected to compromise their welfare to an even lesser degree.

 Making a difference for animals

With a projected 20% increase in global milk production by 2029, the highest among all livestock commodities, the toll of milk production on animals in the dairy industry may require a thorough revision of our current societal, political and moral decisions.

 Decisions make day to day as consumers can make a difference. The next time you walk down an aisle of cooled food products at your local supermarket, or check the food menu of a local coffee shop, consider these two points:

 1. Dairy production = meat + milk production.

 2. Animals raised for dairy production suffer worse welfare conditions than those raised solely for their meat, regardless of whether they are raised for their meat or milk.

 As a consumer understanding the facts above, you can choose to support one production system, both, or neither of the two. I hope that our study will raise awareness to the link between dairy and meat production, and finally put to rest the myth that dairy production causes less harm to animals than beef production.

The biggest threat to biodiversity is on our plates

 The situation is dire. Research shows that our impact on the planetary biosphere is enormously damaging. And it is mostly due to what we put on our plates. The good news is we have the power to change that.

 While we obtain, globally, only about 18% of our calories from animal products, 78% of the world’s agricultural land is used to raise and feed farmed animals. That’s half of the habitable land on the planet used to provide only a small sliver of the food we eat. And the impact on biodiversity is huge.

 The bottom line is shocking.

An enormous fraction of this planet’s resources has been appropriated by us at extreme cost to the rest of the life on this planet. And, tragically, it’s getting worse. Indeed, a  seminal study published in 2018 powerfully showed the extent to which we have reshaped the biosphere already:

 96% of the mammalian biomass on Earth is now composed of humans and farmed animals; 70% of avian biomass is farmed birds.

 An earlier analysis by the University of Manitoba’s Vaclav Smil showed essentially the same thing.

 According to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services or IPBES (the biodiversity equivalent of the IPCC), we’re clearing land at an accelerating rate – mainly to feed livestock.

 As Oxford climate expert Marco Springmann has shown, it is mathematically impossible to meet our global carbon budget if current trends in meat and dairy consumption continue.

 What can we do about it?

The IPCC, the UNEP and the IPBES have all asserted that we must move rapidly  towards diets centered much more on plant-based foods. And, if we do so, the benefits will be enormous. Because eating plants directly requires far less land than eating animals, we could return vast tracts of land to the wild, while dramatically increasing our ability to feed the world.

 The benefits for biodiversity would be extraordinary. As a 2020 study published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature quantifies, re-wilding just 15% of the land currently used for agriculture could prevent 60% of the extinctions over the next several decades. Were we to restore 30% of the land to the wild, fully 70% of at-risk species could be saved.

 And, as a very important bonus, we’d also be creating the conditions to sequester some 30% of the carbon dioxide accumulated in the atmosphere since the start of the industrial revolution.

 There is hope

There is real reason for optimism. We can get off the destructive track we’ve been on by collectively changing the way we eat. Why not check out the multitude of plant-based recipes available online? And make sure to let your political representatives know of the need to quickly address this issue. Cultural traditions are strong, especially when it comes to food; but history has repeatedly shown that human societies are capable of stepping up to new challenges and changing long-lasting practices for the common good. We can and must make a difference.

Canadians should adopt a plant-based diet

 2023 is the second year under Canada’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan, a stepping stone toward the goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. “Net-zero by 2050” plans have been drafted by countries that have signed the United Nations Paris Agreement, in the pursuit of avoiding rises in global temperature above 1.5C. The World Meteorological Organization recently highlighted the need for strategies to support these emissions reduction goals, suggesting that global temperatures may breach 1.5C warming for the first time by 2027.

 The meaning of “net-zero” emissions and the necessary Canadian policy changes that will pave the way, including a shift away from animal agriculture.

 How is Canada measuring up?

A 2021 report by the Berlin Hot or Cool Institute entitled 1.5-Degree Lifestyles investigated GHG emission and lifestyle patterns in ten countries (Canada, Finland, United Kingdom, Japan, China, South Africa, Turkey, Brazil, India, and Indonesia) to identify what life might look like in 2030 in different geographical locations to avoid warming over 1.5C by 2050.

 The researchers examined consumption patterns in six categories (food, housing, personal transport, goods, leisure, and services) and their emissions impact. Groups within consumption categories with the largest emissions impacts were named “emissions hotspots”. The researchers identified lifestyle behaviours for individuals in each country to address emissions hotspots by evaluating hotspot item necessity, feasibility of alternative item consumption, and the emissions impact of consuming alternative items. The lifestyle behaviours that researchers deemed most effective for emissions reduction are ways individuals can live within a “fair consumption space,” an individual-specific consumption pattern that equitably meets needs without overconsuming.

 Among the ten countries, Canada’s emissions surpassed all other countries in every category. Within Canada’s food category, meat was concluded to be an emissions hotspot, responsible for 1.39 tonnes of carbon emissions per capita. The researchers concluded that adopting a vegan diet is the second most impactful emission-reducing lifestyle strategy for Canadians, behind car-free private traveling.

 A call to action for Canadians

Researchers have repeatedly emphasized that global GHG emissions and associated rising temperatures are driving us to an increasingly inhospitable world. Canada’s oversized contribution to global emissions compared to other countries, as confirmed by 1.5-Degree Lifestyles, is a call to action for Canadians to evaluate their choices. We will all need to make changes if humanity is to adapt to living consistently within our low emissions targets.

 The good news is that plant-based eating is a promising route to make individual positive change, and it is easier now than ever! Explore our website for information on the impact you can make and the steps you can take to increase the plant power of your life.

 

 

 

 

What is Food Safety?

 Food safety refers to routines in the preparation, handling, and storage of food meant to prevent foodborne illness and injury. From farm to factory to fork, food products may encounter any number of health hazards during their journey through the supply chain. Safe food handling practices and procedures are thus implemented at every stage of the food production life cycle in order to curb these risks and prevent harm to consumers.

 As a scientific discipline, food safety draws from a wide range of academic fields, including chemistry, microbiology, and engineering. These diverse schools of thought converge to ensure that food processing safety is carried out wherever food products are sourced, manufactured, prepared, stored, or sold. In this sense, food safety is a systemic approach to hygiene and accountability that concerns every aspect of the global food industry.

The following article defines food safety in manufacturing and explains the importance of food safety for the global food chain. Following a brief overview of the different regulatory bodies tasked with evaluating food safety around the world, the article outlines the key principles of effective food safety regulation, the history of food safety, and the consequences of unsafe food handling practices and procedures for companies and consumers.

 Food safety regulations in a globalized world

Food products are among the most-traded commodities in the world. As markets become increasingly globalized with each passing year, and as the world’s population continues to grow, the global food supply chain will only continue to increase in scale and complexity. Precisely because of these megatrends influencing the mass production and distribution of food, food safety compliance has never been more important.

 Every country has different regulatory bodies that preside over the definition and enforcement of domestic food safety standards. In order to sell or manufacture food products in any given country, domestic and international businesses alike are subject to the food safety legislation and enforcement measures of that nation. In the European Union, for example, food safety legislation is detailed in Regulation (EC) 852. In the United States, the Food Safety Modernization Act outlines the legal requirements for food safety.

 Around the world, the majority of laws about food safety are based on two concepts: HACCP and GMP:

HACCP – Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points is a systemic, risk-based approach to preventing the biological, chemical, and physical contamination of food in production, packaging, and distribution environments. The HACCP concept is designed to counter health hazards by identifying potential food safety problems before they happen, rather than inspect food products for hazards after the fact. The HACCP concept entails controlling for contaminants at a number of key junctures in the food production process and strict adherence to hygiene practices throughout.

 GMP – Good Manufacturing Practices are internationally recognized quality assurance guidelines for the production of food, beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, and medical devices. These guidelines lay out the protocols which manufacturers must implement to assure that their products are consistently high-quality from batch to batch and safe for human use, including mandatory product inspection at critical control points.

 There are also several privately-owned international organizations that provide comprehensive guidelines for auditing food manufacturers on the basis of food safety and hygiene. These international standards facilitate the global food trade by helping food industry players from different countries to ensure that food quality and safety standards are met in a way that transcends borders. In addition to complying with the food safety laws of the countries in which they are active, global market leaders in the food industry often pursue certification with a number of private food regulators. They may furthermore demand that the upstream and downstream suppliers they work with provide proof of the same certifications.

 Internationally recognized food safety organizations and certification programs include:

 IFS Food 6.1 – The IFS Food Standard is part of the Global Food Safety Initiative and is an international standard for performing audits of food manufacturing processes. Their compliance audits concern both the factory floor and administrative duties, with regulations on topics ranging from the installation of food defense and inspection equipment to thorough bookkeeping.  

 BRCGS – The British Retail Consortium Global Standards (formerly BRC) are a set of international consumer protection certifications that provide safety criteria for global food retailers, food manufacturers, packaging manufacturers, and food service organizations. Their certification for food manufacturers includes an assessment of the equipment used to detect and remove physical contaminants. 

 SQF – The Safe Quality Food Institute provides detailed safety programs tailored to the specific concerns of different food industry players. The various SQF codes are segmented to address the unique conditions of each stage of the food production life cycle, from agriculture to packaging, from manufacturing to retail. Each SQF program is internationally recognized.

 Each of these private food safety organizations have built their certification programs around ISO 22000, an international norm for food safety management systems:

 ISO 22000 – The International Organization for Standardization details a proactive management plan for food safety relevant for any organization along the food supply chain. ISO 22000 includes an interactive communication strategy between upstream and downstream industry players and a comprehensive system for management. Furthermore, the norm encompasses a model for how to implement a customized HACCP concept depending on the industry, product, and facilities. For instance, should a risk of metal contamination be identified, ISO 22000 may recommend the installation of a metal detector with a rejection mechanism to manage the hazard.

 Who is responsible for enforcing food safety standards?

While the international regulatory bodies listed above provide guidance, certification, and auditing services for global food manufacturers, they are not responsible for the active enforcement of food safety laws. Every nation defines and establishes its own laws and enforcement practices for food safety regulation, and these regulations may vary from country to country, and domestically from region to region. Bringing a food product to a foreign market requires compliance with the food safety and consumer protection laws of that nation and its regional governmental authorities.

 Generally speaking, international food safety standards are designed to facilitate compliance with food safety laws in major markets, simplifying the process of receiving approval from foreign governmental regulators. 

 The history of food safety

Foodborne illness has threatened human health since the dawn of time. In fact, many food preparation methods we still use today, such as cooking, canning, smoking, and fermentation, can be understood as primitive food safety measures, developed as a means of keeping people from getting sick.

 Today, we benefit from centuries of scientific and technological progress that have made an abundance of safe food and drink products something that many of us take for granted. But the concept of food safety as we know it today, and the rigor with which it is enforced, is a relatively new development in human history that is intimately tied to changes in the way we live and eat.

 In 1905, American author Upton Sinclair published his novel The Jungle, which featured horrific depictions of Chicago’s meatpacking industry. The ensuing public outrage led the U.S. government to pass the Meat Inspection Act the following year, establishing the first sanitary standards for slaughtering and butchering. This law marked the first time that food processing facilities were subject to regular audits and inspections by governmental authorities and some of the very first laws for food safety in manufacturing.

 Across Europe and North America, the industrial revolution ushered in the establishment of many regulatory bodies and foundational laws concerning food safety and inspection. As food production became increasingly mechanized and profit incentives climbed, laws were passed to prevent the intentional sale of food products that were misbranded, contaminated, or otherwise tampered with. It was during this era that ingredients and additives became subject to regulation.

 In the decades following World War II, electric refrigerators entered middle class homes across Europe and North America, changing the way that everyday people purchased and stored food. The era of home refrigeration sparked the rapid expansion of industrial food production, as well as a growing need for stricter food regulations. It was in this changing food landscape that Mars Incorporated became the first major food manufacturer to install metal detectors in their facilities in 1947.

 The shift from reactive to proactive food safety principles began when HACCP was born in 1959. Recognizing that testing finished products was not an effective means of ensuring food quality and safety, scientists at NASA collaborated with the Pillsbury Company to create a risk-based system that identified “critical failure areas” in production that posed health risks. With Pillsbury leading the way, this system of hazard analysis and control was adopted by a number of leading food manufacturers in the United States.

 By the mid-1980s, scientists around the world agreed that the proactive nature of HACCP provided a more effective means of controlling for food safety hazards than traditional inspection methods. The following decades saw the establishment of international regulatory bodies and third-party audit firms designed to implement and enforce preventative compliance in an increasingly globalized food industry. It is upon this groundwork that modern food safety regulations and practices are built.

 The seven principles of a safe food supply chain

While HACCP lays out the steps necessary to proactively ensure food quality safety in individual food production environments, a healthy supply chain also demands action on a collective level. The European Union identifies seven overarching food safety principles necessary for the entire food supply chain to operate for the public good.

  Corporate responsibility – Every company involved in the food supply chain is required to do their due diligence to ensure the quality and safety of a food product within the bounds of their responsibility. This includes implementing in-house controls according to HACCP. In addition, corporations assume liability for any damages their products may cause.

 Traceability – All food business operators in the EU are responsible for documenting where their materials are sourced and where they are sent. This documentation helps regulatory bodies quickly identify the source of contamination should a recall become necessary.

 Official food controls – Governmental authorities within the federal states are responsible for enforcing EU food law requirements through risk-oriented reviews, targeted sample collection, and regular inspections.

 The precautionary principle – Competent authorities are permitted to take precautionary measures if they believe the effect will minimize food safety risks. These precautionary measures will be reviewed on an ongoing basis as scientific data becomes available.

 Independent scientific risk assessment – A governmental institution that operates independently of political, social, and economic influences is responsible for scientifically investigating and assessing the risks that food products may pose to human health. In the EU, this institution is known as the European Food Safety Authority.

 Separation of risk assessment and risk management – Due to possible conflicts of interest, a clear distinction is made between those responsible for scientific risk assessment and those responsible for risk management.

 Transparent risk communication – The public must be promptly informed of imminent and potential food safety hazards. Circulating information about food safety problems is only possible if scientists, policymakers, and food business operators communicate transparently.

 The importance of food safety and the consequences of non-compliance

Food safety is highly important both financially and ethically. The consequences of failing to comply with food safety standards are manifold. In addition to being incredibly costly for companies who must recall their products, overhaul their processes, and manage the public relations crisis, inadequate food safety in manufacturing carries a significant human cost.

 The cost of food recalls for companies

Failing to implement an effective food safety protocol can lead to contaminated products entering the food chain. Once the defective product has been discovered, food businesses are subject to dramatic disruptions in their operations as they manage and assume the cost for product recalls.

 Food recalls cost companies an average of $10 million USD in direct, immediately measurable costs alone. But the long-term effect that a product recall can have on consumer trust is perhaps even more costly. Some 21 percent of consumers say they would never again purchase anything from manufacturer who had to recall one of their food products.

 The human cost of unsafe food

The importance of food safety to modern human life would be difficult to understate. Food safety problems are a leading cause of more than 200 preventable diseases worldwide. Each year, one in ten people will suffer from foodborne illness or injury. An estimated 420,000 people die every year as a result of eating contaminated food, and more than a quarter of these victims are small children.

 In addition to the immediate human cost, inadequate food safety comes with a greater ripple effect that impedes socioeconomic progress, especially in the developing world. The World Health Organization states that food safety, nutrition, and food security are inextricably linked. A lack of safe food creates a “vicious cycle of disease and malnutrition” which overburdens public health services, disrupts social and economic progress, and detracts from the quality of life.

 

 

Keeping "Bag" Lunches Safe

 Whether it's off to school or work, millions of peoples carry "bag" lunches. Food brought from home can be kept safe if it is first handled and cooked properly. Then, perishable food must be kept cold while commuting via bus, bicycle, on foot, in a car, or on the subway. After arriving at school or work, perishable food must be kept cold until lunchtime.

Why keep food cold?

Harmful bacteria multiply rapidly in the "Danger Zone" — the temperatures between 40 and 140 °F (4.4 °C and 60 °C). So, perishable food transported without an ice source won't stay safe long. Here are safe handling recommendations to prevent foodborne illness from "bag" lunches.

Begin with Safe Food

Perishable food (refrigerated), including meat, poultry and eggs, must be kept cold at all times. Eggs should be purchased cold at the store and kept cold at home. In between store and home, transport perishable food as fast as possible when no ice source is available. At home, refrigerate perishables promptly. Food should not be left out at room temperature more than 2 hours — 1 hour if the temperature is above 90 °F (32.2 °C).

Prepackaged combos are sometimes packed for lunch. These combos often contain perishable foods such as luncheon meats, cheese, and cut fruit that must be kept refrigerated, even though they may be cured or contain preservatives.

Keep Everything Clean

Before beginning to pack lunches, make sure to wash your hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds. Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and countertops with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item and before you go on to the next item. A solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach in 1 gallon of water may be used to sanitize surfaces and utensils. Keep family pets away from kitchen counters.

Don't Cross-Contaminate

Harmful bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen and get onto cutting boards, utensils, and countertops. Always use a clean cutting board. When using a cutting board for food that will not be cooked, such as bread, lettuce, and tomatoes, be sure to wash the board after using it to cut raw meat and poultry. Consider using one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for meat and poultry.

Packing Lunches

Pack just the amount of perishable food that can be eaten at lunchtime. That way, there won't be a problem about the storage or safety of leftovers. After lunch, discard all leftover food, used food packaging, and paper bags. Do not reuse packaging because it could contaminate other food and cause foodborne illness.

It's fine to prepare the food the night before, but pack lunch bags right before leaving home. Freezing sandwiches helps them stay cold. However, for best quality, don't freeze sandwiches containing mayonnaise, lettuce, or tomatoes. Add these later.

Insulated, soft-sided lunch boxes or bags are best for keeping food cold, but pack at least two ice sources with perishable food in any type of lunch bag or box you use.

 Keeping Cold Lunches Cold

Prepare cooked food, such as turkey, ham, chicken, and vegetable or pasta salads, ahead of time to allow for thorough chilling in the refrigerator [40 °F (4.4 °C) or below]. Divide large amounts of food into shallow containers for fast chilling. Keep cooked food refrigerated until time to leave home.

To keep lunches cold away from home, include at least two cold sources. You can use two frozen gel packs (not smaller than 5x3-inches each) or combine a frozen gel pack with a frozen juice box or frozen bottle of water. Freeze gel packs overnight. When packing your bag lunch, place them on top and bottom of the perishable food items to keep them cold. Of course, if there's a refrigerator available at work or school, store perishable items there upon arrival. If you place your insulated bag in the refrigerator, leave the lid or bag open so that cold air can keep the food cold.

Some food is safe without a cold source. Items that don't require refrigeration include whole fruits and vegetables, hard cheese, canned meat and fish, chips, breads, crackers, peanut butter, jelly, mustard, and pickles.

Keeping Hot Lunches Hot

Use an insulated container to keep food like soup, chili, and stew hot. Fill the container with boiling water, let stand for a few minutes, empty, and then put in the piping hot food. Keep the insulated container closed until lunchtime to keep the food hot — 140 °F (73.9 °C) or above.

Microwave Cooking/Reheating

When using the microwave oven to reheat lunches, cover food to hold in moisture and promote safe, even heating. Reheat leftovers to at least 165 °F (73.9 °C), making sure to use a food thermometer to be sure a safe temperature has been reached before consuming the food. Cook frozen convenience meals according to package instructions.

Food Safety While Hiking, Camping & Boating

 

Outdoor activities like hiking, camping, and boating are great ways to boost your mood, take in some fresh air and get a little exercise along the way. In many cases, these activities last all day and involve preparing at least one meal. If the food is not handled correctly, foodborne illness can be an unwelcome souvenir

General Rules for Outdoor Food Safety

Plan ahead: decide what you are going to eat and how you will prepare it; then plan what equipment you will need.

• Pack safely: use a cooler, or pack foods in the frozen state with a cold source.
• Whether in the wild or on the high seas, protect yourself and your family by washing your hands with soap and water or bring hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol before and after handling food.
• Raw meats may contain bacteria, so keep raw foods separate from other foods.
• Don’t bring perishable meat or poultry products without a cold source to keep them safe.
• Bring disposable wipes, hand sanitizer or biodegradable soap for hand- and dishwashing.
• If using a cooler, leftover food is safe only if the cooler still has ice in it. Otherwise, discard leftover food.

Food Safety While Hiking & Camping

As you venture out to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature, it’s important to plan your snacks and meals based on whether you’ll be out for a few hours or several days. One meal and some snacks are all you’ll likely need for a short hike but planning meals for a longer hike or camping trip requires more thought. Backpack weight is often top-of-mind for hikers and campers, who will be choosing foods and supplies that are light enough to carry over long distances. But even expert outdoors enthusiasts may forget about food safety as they plan their adventure.

Hot or Cold?

The first principle is to keep foods either hot or cold. Because it is difficult to keep foods hot without a heat source (although some insulated casserole dishes will keep things hot for an hour or so), it is best to transport chilled foods. Refrigerate or freeze the food overnight before you depart. For a cold source, bring frozen gel-packs or freeze some boxed drinks. The drinks will thaw as you hike and keep your meal cold at the same time. Trying to decide what to bring? For a day hike, just about anything will do if you can fit it in your backpack and keep it cold — sandwiches, fried chicken, bread and cheese, and even salads — or choose non-perishable foods. Most bacteria grow rapidly between 40 °F and 140 °F. This temperature range is known as the "Danger Zone." Bacteria can reach dangerous levels after 2 hours (1 hour if 90 °F or above). Your goal is to keep food out of that danger zone.

If you are "car camping" (driving to your site), you have a few more options. First, you will have the luxury of bringing a cooler. There are many options available. Foam chests are lightweight, low cost, and have good "cold retention" power. However, they are fragile and may not last through numerous outings. Plastic, fiberglass, or steel coolers are more durable and can take a lot of outdoor wear. They also have excellent "cold retention" power, but once filled, larger models may weigh 30 or 40 pounds.

To keep foods cold, you'll need a cold source. A block of ice keeps food colder for longer than ice cubes. Before leaving home, freeze clean, empty milk cartons filled with water to make blocks of ice, or use frozen gel-packs. Fill the cooler with cold or frozen foods. Pack foods in reverse order. First foods packed should be the last foods used. Ideally, pack your raw meat or poultry in a separate cooler. If you only have one cooler, then be sure to pack your raw meat or poultry below ready-to-eat foods. Take foods in the smallest quantity needed (e.g., a small jar of mayonnaise). At the campsite, insulate the cooler with a blanket, tarp, poncho or keep it in a shaded area. When the camping trip is over, discard all perishable foods if there is no longer ice in the cooler or if the gel-pack is no longer frozen.

"Keep Everything Clean"

The second principle is to keep everything clean. Bacteria present on raw meat and poultry products can be easily spread to other foods by juices dripping from packages, hands, or utensils. This is called cross-contamination. When transporting raw meat or poultry, double wrap or place the packages in plastic bags to prevent juices from the raw product from dripping on other foods. Always wash your hands before and after handling food, and don't use the same platter and utensils for raw and cooked meat and poultry. Soap and water are essential to cleanliness, so if you are going somewhere that will not have running water, bring it with you or bring hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. You can also use disposable, alcohol-based wipes to sanitize your hands.

Safe Potable Water

It is not a good idea to depend on fresh water from a lake or stream for drinking, meal preparation or cleaning, no matter how clean it appears. Bring bottled or tap water for consumption and to help in cleaning. Always start out with a full water bottle and replenish your supply from tested public systems when possible.

What Foods to Bring?

If you are backpacking for more than a day, the food safety situation gets a little more complicated. You can still bring cold foods for the first day, but you'll have to pack shelf-stable items for the next day. Canned goods are safe, but heavy, so plan your menu carefully. Advances in food technology have produced relatively lightweight staples that don't need refrigeration or careful packaging. For example:

·        pre-packaged, shelf-stable meals

·        peanut butter in plastic jars;

·         concentrated juice boxes;

·        canned tuna, ham, chicken, and beef;

·        dried noodles and soups;

·        beef jerky and other shelf-stable meats;

·        dehydrated foods;

·         whole or dried fruits;

·         nuts;

·         powdered milk and fruit drinks.

Powdered mixes for biscuits or pancakes are easy to carry and prepare, as is dried pasta. There are plenty of powdered sauce mixes that can be used over pasta but check the required ingredient list. Carry items like dried pasta, rice, and baking mixes in plastic bags and take only the amount you'll need.

Cooking at the Campsite

After you have decided on a menu, consider how you will prepare the food. You'll want to take as few pots as possible (they're heavy!). Camping supply stores sell lightweight cooking gear that nest together, but you can also use aluminum foil wrap and pans for cooking.

You'll need to decide in advance how you will cook. Will you bring along a portable stove, or will you build a campfire? Many camping areas prohibit campfires, so check first to ensure the food you bring can be properly prepared and will be safe to eat.

Use a Food Thermometer

Another important piece of camping equipment is a food thermometer. If you are cooking meat or poultry on a portable stove or over a fire, you'll need a way to determine when it is done and safe to eat. Color is not a reliable indicator of doneness, and it can be especially tricky to tell the color of a food if you are cooking in a wooded area in the evening.

When cooking, use a food thermometer to measure the temperature. Digital thermometers register the temperature in the very tip of the probe, so the safety of thin foods — such as hamburger patties and boneless chicken breasts — as well as thicker foods can be determined. A dial thermometer determines the temperature of a food by averaging the temperature along the stem and, therefore, should be inserted 2 to 2 ½ inches into the food. If the food is thin, the probe must be inserted sideways into the food.

It is critical to use a food thermometer when cooking hamburgers. Ground beef may be contaminated with E. coli (E. coli O157:H7 and other Shiga toxin producing E. coli), particularly dangerous strains of bacteria. Illnesses have occurred even when ground beef patties were cooked until there was no visible pink. The only way to ensure that ground beef patties are safely cooked is to use a food thermometer, and cook the patty until it reaches 160 °F.

Cook all meat and poultry to safe minimum internal temperatures:

·        Cook all raw beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before slicing or consuming.

·        Cook all raw ground beef, pork, lamb, and veal to an internal temperature of 160 °F as measured with a food thermometer.

·        Cook all raw poultry (raw or ground) to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer.

Heat hot dogs to steaming hot and reheat any leftover food to 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer. Be sure to clean the thermometer between uses.

Separate and Cleanup

Bring plenty of clean platters and utensils. Don't use the same platter and utensils that held raw product to serve cooked product. Any bacteria present in the raw meat or juices can contaminate the safely cooked product. If using a cooler, leftover food is safe only if the cooler still has ice in it. Return cold foods to the cooler, and chill leftovers promptly. Otherwise, discard leftover food. Find out if your campsite has clean water. If not, you can bring clean water for food preparation, handwashing, and cleaning utensils. You can also use sanitizers that have at least 60% alcohol content.

Food Safety While Boating

Keeping food safe for a day on the boat may not be quite as challenging as for a hike, but when you are out on the water, the direct sunlight can be an even bigger food safety problem. Remember the "Danger Zone" between 40 °F and 140 °F? Bacteria multiply rapidly at warm temperatures and food can become unsafe if held in the "Danger Zone" for over 2 hours. Above 90 °F, food can become dangerous after only 1 hour. In direct sunlight, temperatures can climb even higher than that. So, bring along plenty of ice, and keep the cooler shaded or covered with a blanket. If you can’t bring enough ice to keep foods cold, take along only non-perishable, shelf-stable foods.

Keep Your Cooler Cool

A cooler for perishable food is essential. It is important to keep it closed, out of the sun, and covered, if possible, for further insulation. Better yet, bring two coolers: one for drinks and snacks, and another for more perishable food. The drink cooler will be opened and closed a lot, which lets hot air in and causes the ice to melt faster. Pack your coolers with several inches of ice, blocks of ice, or frozen gel-packs. Store food in watertight containers to prevent contact with melting ice water.

Keep Cold Foods Cold

Perishable foods, like luncheon meats, cooked chicken, and potato or pasta salads, should be kept in the cooler. Remember the rule: keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold? And the 2-hour rule: no food should remain in the "Danger Zone" for more than 2 hours. Unless you plan to eat those luncheon meats within 2 hours or 1 hour if at elevated, warm temperatures of near 90 F., it needs to be kept in the cooler. For optimum safety, consider buying it the night before, refrigerating it in a shallow container and then packing it cold in the cooler.

Of course, some foods don't need to be stored in the cooler: whole fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, trail mix, canned meat spreads, jerky, and peanut butter and jelly. (However, once canned foods are opened, put them in the cooler.)

If you don't have an insulated cooler, try freezing sandwiches for your outing. Use coarse-textured breads that don't get soggy when thawed. Take the mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato with you to add at mealtime. In a pinch, plastic bags packed with frozen gel packs or ice will keep things cold until lunchtime. Freeze water in milk containers or plastic bottles for your cold source.

Cleanup

Cleanup on the boat is similar to cleanup on land. If using a cooler, leftover food is safe only if the cooler still has ice in it. Return cold foods to the cooler, and chill leftovers promptly. Otherwise, discard leftover food. Bag up all your trash to dispose of when you return to shore and clean up. Soap and potable water are ideal, disposable wipes and hand sanitizer can be used for sanitizing hands, utensils and surfaces.

 

 

Cleanliness Helps Prevent Foodborne Illness

 Spring has long been the time of year for annual cleaning projects around our homes. However, when it comes to safe food handling, everything that comes in contact with food must be kept clean all year long.

Food that is mishandled can lead to foodborne illness. While the United States has one of the safest food supplies in the world, preventing foodborne illness remains a major public health challenge. Preventing foodborne illness by following these four easy steps: Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill.

• Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often.
• Separate: Don't cross-contaminate.
• Cook: Cook to proper temperatures.
• Chill: Refrigerate promptly.

Cleanliness is a major factor in preventing foodborne illness. Even with food safety inspection and monitoring at Federal, State, and local government facilities, the consumer's role is to make sure food is handled safely after it is purchased. Everything that touches food should be clean. Listed below are steps we can take to help prevent foodborne illness by safely handling food in the home:

1. Wash hands with warm, soapy water for 20 seconds:
• before and after handling food
• after using the bathroom
• after changing a diaper
• after handling pets
• after tending to a sick person
• after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
• after handling uncooked eggs or raw meat, poultry, or fish and their juices.
   
2. If your hands have any kind of skin abrasion or infection, always use clean disposable gloves. Wash hands (gloved or not) with warm, soapy water.
    
3. Thoroughly wash with hot, soapy water all surfaces that come in contact with raw meat, poultry, fish, and eggs before moving on to the next step in food preparation. Consider using paper towels to clean kitchen surfaces. If you use dishcloths, wash them often in the hot cycle of your washing machine. Keep other surfaces, such as faucets and counter tops, clean by washing with hot, soapy water.
    
4. To keep cutting boards clean, wash them in hot, soapy water after each use; then rinse and air or pat dry with clean paper towels. Cutting boards can be sanitized with a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Flood the surface with the bleach solution and allow it to stand for several minutes; then rinse and air or pat dry with clean paper towels.

Non-porous acrylic, plastic, glass, and solid wood boards can be washed in a dishwasher (laminated boards may crack and split). Even plastic boards wear out over time. Once cutting boards become excessively worn or develop hard-to-clean grooves, replace them.
 

5. Don't use the same platter and utensils that held the raw product to serve the cooked product. Any bacteria present in the raw meat or juices can contaminate the safely cooked product. Serve cooked products on clean plates, using clean utensils and clean hands.
    
6. When using a food thermometer, it is important to wash the probe after each use with hot, soapy water before reinserting it into a food.
    
7. Keep pets, household cleaners, and other chemicals away from food and surfaces used for food.
    
8. When picnicking or cooking outdoors, take plenty of clean utensils. Pack clean, dry, and wet and soapy cloths for cleaning surfaces and hands.

Because bacteria are everywhere, cleanliness is a major factor in preventing foodborne illness. By keeping everything clean that comes in contact with food, consumers can be assured they are helping to do their part to Be Food Safe .