DATE:    7/23/99
CONTACT: Libby Hoyle, (864) 656-5713
EDITOR:  Giles Singleton, 

Take "The Clean Kitchen Test"

     CLEMSON -- In the home, food safety concerns revolve around
three main functions: food storage, food handling and cooking. To
see how well you're doing in each, take this quiz. Choose the
answer that best describes the practice in your household.
1. The temperature of my refrigerator is:
     a. 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
     b. 41 degrees Fahrenheit.
     c. I don't know; I've never measured it.
2. The last time we had leftover cooked meat, it was:
     a. Cooled to room temperature, then refrigerated.
     b. Put in the refrigerator immediately.
     c. Left at room temperature overnight.
3. The last time we had hamburgers, I ate mine:
     a. Rare.
     b. Medium.
     c. Well-done.
4. The last time I handled raw meat, poultry or fish, I cleaned
my hands afterwards by:
     a. Wiping them on a towel.
     b. Rinsing them under warm water.
     c. Washing them with soap and warm water.
5. Meat, poultry and fish products are defrosted in my home by:
     a. Setting them on the counter.
     b. Placing them in the refrigerator.
     c. Microwaving.

Answers - Correct answers are worth two points each.

1.  b. - Refrigerators should stay at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or
less.
2.  b. - Hot foods should be refrigerated as soon as possible 
and always within two hours after cooking.
3.  c. - Cooking food, including ground meat patties, to an 
internal temperature of at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit usually
protects against food-borne illness. Well-done meats reach that
temperature.
4.  c. - Wash hands with warm water and soap for at least 20
seconds before and after handling food, especially raw meat,
poultry and fish.
5.  b. or c. - The safest way to thaw food is in the refrigerator
or microwave oven.

Rating Your Home's Food Practices:

     Ten points - Feel confident about the safety of foods served
in your home. Six to nine points - Re-examine food safety
practices in your home. Some key rules are being violated. Five
points or below - Take steps immediately. Current practices are 
putting you and other members of your household in danger of
foodborne illness.
     This condensed version of The Clean Kitchen Test is adapted
from information provided by the FDA. For a copy of the complete 
test, including detailed recommendations on how to correct your
food safety practices, contact your county's Clemson Extension
office or visit http://fyd.clemson.edu/fsafe.htm.
                              END