Is Your Recipe Safe?

(NC)—Sure, it tastes great and earns rave reviews from everyone sitting at the dinner table. But is your favourite recipe also a safe one? To prevent serving up foodborne illness at the dinner table, follow this helpful checklist when preparing a meal:

Marinating

• I am marinating in a covered container in the refrigerator. Uncooked meat, poultry or fish in a marinade is perishable.

• I am marinating meat for less than 24 hours.

• I have disposed of leftover marinade to avoid cross-contaminating other foods.

Cooking Meat

• I avoid cooking meat at low oven temperatures. Slow cooking at temperatures under 325°F (163°C) can create a bacteria-friendly environment.

• I cook meat thoroughly. Consuming undercooked or raw poultry, fish or meat is risky, as harmful bacteria may be present.

• I cook red meat to at least 160°F (71°C) and poultry to at least 180°F (82°C).

• I use a meat thermometer. Look for products on the forefront of food safety, like Maple Leaf hams and turkeys with built-in meat thermometers. When the meat has been safely cooked, the thermometer will pop up to let you know it's ready to eat.

By carefully preparing and cooking your food, you can minimize the risk of foodborne illness. Food processing companies, like Maple Leaf, recognize the importance of food safety. To read more tips on enjoying safe recipes, and to learn more about Maple Leaf's commitment to food safety assurance and innovation, visit www.mapleleaf.com.

- News Canada

News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web.

News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial "fill" items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.