Food Safety

The pork industry is committed to producing the highest quality, safe pork products for its customers. The Canadian Quality Assurance® On-Farm Food Safety Program for Canadian Hog Producers was implemented to provide the assurance that the pork industry is doing everything possible to produce top quality pork.

Consumers must also handle food properly to reduce the risk of foodborne illness. Follow these four basic steps for safe food handling:

CLEAN	Wash hands and surfaces often with warm soapy water. Use separate sponges and dishcloths for cleaning dishes and counters.
SEPARATE	Don't cross-contaminate. Keep raw meat, poultry and seafood juices separate from other foods.
COOK	Always cook foods to the recommended internal temperature. Meats, poultry and fish all have recommended internal cooking temperatures. All ground meats should be cooked thoroughly until no pink remains.
CHILL	Refrigerate or freeze foods (including leftovers) promptly to avoid the growth of bacteria.

BARBECUE SAFETY TIPS

Before cooking:

Always wash your hands before, during, and after handling any type of food, especially raw meat. Use soap and warm water for 20 seconds before and after handling.
Sanitize your cutting boards with a solution of 2 tsp/10 mL chlorine bleach in quart/1 L of water. Flood the board and let stand for a few minutes. Rinse thoroughly.
Preheat the barbecue before you use it. If using a charcoal barbecue, make sure you use enough charcoal, and that the charcoal is glowing red before you begin to cook.
Keep raw and cooked foods on separate plates.
Keep perishable foods, salds and meats in the refrigerator until you are ready to sue them. Use ice or freezer packs to keep foods in coolers cold.
Marinate meat in the refrigerator not at room temperature if marinating for longer than 30 minutes. Discard unused marinades unless used immediately to baste the same food on the grill.

During cooking:

To keep poultry out of the danger zone, pre-cook it in the microwave or oven if you can, and then barbecue it immediately.
Use a meat thermometer to ensure all meat and poultry reaches a safe internal temperature. For all ground meats, cook to well done. Test doneness with a meat thermometer parallel to the flat surface. Final cooking temperature should be 160°F (71°C).
If foods are burning during cooking, either raise the grill, or lower the temperature.
Cooked food from the barbecue should go on a clean plate, not the one you used to carry uncooked food out to the grill.

After cooking:

Cover all serving bowls.
Eat barbecued food as soon as it is cooked.
Foods should not remain at room temperature for more than 2 years (or even less in warm weather). Refrigerate leftovers in covered containers. and use them within two days.
Clean all utensils and work surfaces with a mild bleach solution.

For more information on food safety visit: www.canfightbac.org