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Script: Spiral Cut Ham |
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Intro:
Welcome to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service podcast. Each episode will bring
you cutting edge news and information about how FSIS is working to ensure public health
protection through food safety. While we’re on the job, you can rest assured that your
meat, poultry, and processed egg products are safe, wholesome, properly labeled, and packaged
correctly. So turn up your volume and listen in.
Host:
Welcome to “Food Safety at Home.” This is Kathy Bernard with the Food Safety
and Inspection Service. I’m your host for this segment. With me today is
Maribel Alonso, technical information specialist from the USDA Meat and
Poultry Hotline. Maribel and I will discuss hams, the most popular
springtime meat.
Hello, Maribel, welcome to the show.
Guest:
Thank you, Kathy. I’m pleased to be here.
Host:
Today we’re going to talk about fully cooked ham – those that are ready to
eat right out of the package. We’ll also discuss smoked and dried hams.
First of all, Maribel, where do hams come from?
Guest:
Ham is the meat from the hind leg of a hog, and as you have seen at the
store, it is available in many forms. Ready-to-eat hams and canned hams are
cooked at the plant and can be safely eaten right out of the package.
However, not all hams are ready-to-eat. If you see the safe handling label
on a ham that means it must be cooked by the consumer before eating.
Host:
Is it safe for everyone to eat ham straight from the package? What about
at-risk populations? Persons that have diabetes, cancer, HIV/Aids,
transplant recipients, older adults, and pregnant women?
Guest:
Persons in these at-risk categories should reheat packaged ready-to-eat ham
as well as luncheon meats, hot dogs, bologna, and other deli meats until
steaming hot or 165 ºF.
Host:
Okay, why are so many hams eaten in the springtime?
Guest:
Well, springtime is ham time. There’s a historical reason for
eating ham in the spring. The tradition goes back to pre-refrigeration days
on the farm. Hogs were slaughtered in the fall and cured for six to seven
months - just in time for springtime meals.
Host:
But I’m sure most hams today are not cured on the farm.
Guest:
That’s right. They are cured at plants inspected by the USDA’s Food Safety
and Inspection Service (FSIS) or by State inspection. All hams are processed
to USDA guidelines to kill trichina parasites and other pathogens. But
handling and preparing this popular meat requires some attention to food
safety.
Host:
Yes. Today there are so many kinds of hams that storage times and cooking
times can be quite confusing.
Guest:
Basically, hams are either ready-to-eat or require cooking by the consumer
before eating. Those spiral-cut hams you see are a type of ready-to-eat ham.
Host:
Our family enjoys spiral hams, but I reheated one and the glaze melted.
Guest:
Yes, that happened to me once. Spiral-cut hams are best served cold. If you
want to reheat carved ham, USDA recommends heating only those slices needed
and not the entire ham. Heating can dry out the ham.
Host:
What is the best way to reheat a spiral ham?
Guest:
To reheat a spiral-sliced ham in a conventional oven, cover the entire ham
or portion with heavy aluminum foil and heat at 325 ºF for about 10 minutes
per pound.
Spiral-sliced ham vacuum-sealed at a USDA-inspected plant will exhibit the
USDA mark of inspection on the label. These spiral sliced hams should be
cooked to an internal temperature of 140° F as measured with a food
thermometer.
For spiral-sliced hams that have been repackaged in any location, reheat to
165° F. Individual slices may also be warmed in a skillet or microwave.
Fully cooked hams can also be sold unsliced. These hams can be reheated in
an oven set no lower than 325° F and, like spiral-sliced hams, should be
heated to an internal temperature of 140° F as measured with a food
thermometer. For fully cooked ham that has been repackaged in any other
location or for leftover fully cooked ham, reheat to 165° F.
Host:
If my ham says it’s “smoked,” can I keep it longer than the fresh meat?
Guest:
Let me point out right up front that smoked ham and cured hams are NOT
cooked. Many consumers think that smoking prolongs the storage time for
meat. However, only dry curing -- the process used to make country hams and
prosciutto, and canning, preserve ham for longer periods. During
dry curing, fresh hams are rubbed with a mixture of salt and other
ingredients, and they may be aged from a few weeks to more than a year. They
are safe stored at room temperature because they contain so little water,
bacteria can't multiply in them
Host:
I’ve seen country hams hanging in stores, and they had mold on the outside.
Is that dangerous?
Guest:
Mold can grow on country cured ham during the long curing and drying process
because the high salt and low temperatures do not inhibit these organisms.
Wash country ham with hot water and scrub off the mold with a stiff
vegetable brush. Country hams can be soaked 4 to 12 hours or longer in the
refrigerator to reduce the salt content before cooking. Then they can be
cooked by boiling or baking. Follow the manufacturer's cooking instructions.
Host:
Okay. Let’s say I’ve got a ham in my refrigerator. How long can I keep it?
Guest:
Spiral-cut hams and leftovers from consumer-cooked hams may be stored in the
refrigerator 3 to 5 days or frozen 1 to 2 months for best flavor and
texture. However, frozen foods are safe indefinitely. Storage and cooking
times for hams sealed in packaging will vary. USDA has some extensive charts
on the FSIS Web site. Take a look at the publication, “Ham from the Farm to
the Table,” for more information about ham storing and cooking, and to read
a glossary of ham terms.
Host:
You can learn more about Food Safety of Ham by visiting the FSIS Web site at
www.fsis.usda.gov. That’s
www.fsis.usda.gov. Or visit our virtual representative “Ask
Karen” at askkaren.gov. A-S-K K-A-R-E-N.G-O-V. Ask Karen represents another way FSIS
reaches out to consumers in support of its public health mission to assure
the safety and security of America’s food supply. Available 24 hours a day,
7 days a week, Ask Karen prompts consumers to type food safety questions
directly into an extensive database that provides instant responses to more
than 1500 questions.
Guest:
Consumers may also call our toll-free USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline at
1-888-MPHotline. That is 1-888-674-6854.
Host:
That’s it for this week. We’ve been talking to Maribel Alonso from the USDA
Meat and Poultry Hotline. Thank you so much, Maribel, for your helpful
guidance on the safe handling and storage of ham. I’m Kathy Bernard and I’d
like to thank you for joining us for this episode of “Food Safety at Home.”
And remember, “Be Food Safe.”
Outro:
Well, that’s all for this episode. We’d like your feedback on our podcast. Or if you
have ideas for future podcasts, send us an e-mail at
podcast@fsis.usda.gov. To learn more about food safety, try our web site at
www.fsis.usda.gov. Thanks for tuning
in.
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Last Modified: March 31, 2009 |
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