Intro:
Welcome to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service “Food Safety At Home” podcast series, featuring topics for the safe handling, preparation and storage of meat, poultry and processed egg products.
Narrator:
Welcome to “Food Safety at Home.” I’m Kathy Bernard with the Food Safety and Inspection Service. I’m your host for this segment.
Today we’ll be talking about lunchmeat safety. Let’s listen in as two friends discuss lunchmeats at the deli counter.
(2 women in grocery store, at the deli counter)
Nadine:
Hello Sue! How are you doing?
Sue:
I’m fine Nadine, good to see you. Have you been waiting long at the deli?
Nadine:
No, not too long. The line seems to be moving quickly. So, when’s your baby due?
Sue:
Next month, it’s going to be a girl!
Nadine:
Congratulations!
Staff –Deli Counter:
Serving number 4…
Nadine:
Oh! Excuse me a second it’s my turn …Hi!
Staff-Deli Counter:
Can I help you?
Nadine:
I would like a pound of ham and ½ pound of salami.
Staff-Deli Counter:
Coming right up..
Nadine:
Thanks. Sue you should get some salami; it’s on sale this week!
Sue:
Oh I can’t eat lunchmeat, unless I cook it first, because I’m pregnant.
Nadine:
What? I’ve never heard of that!
Sue:
It’s true, Dr. Jones told me not to eat lunchmeat because lunchmeat such as; bologna, salami and other ready to eat products can contain a bacteria called “
Listeria” that may be harmful to me and the baby.
Nadine:
Wow, I need to learn more about “
Listeria”, I never knew that!
Sue:
Well, I looked it up on line at
www.fsis.usda.gov, there’s a lot of information on the Food Safety and Inspection Service’s web site about how persons at risk, and I’m at risk because I’m pregnant, should avoid eating lunchmeats without heating them first. That also includes hot dogs, bologna and other ready to eat foods. I can only eat them if I reheat them till steaming hot. There’s even a podcast that you can listen to about “
Listeria” on the web site, it explains everything. You should check it out.
Nadine:
I will. Thanks for the information.
(weeks go by, and they meet again at the grocery store registers)
Nadine:
Sue! Congratulations on the baby, you look great!
Sue:
Thanks. She is doing very well; she is already 2 weeks old.
Nadine:
Wow, How time flies. Since I haven’t seen you in awhile, I wanted to mention that I went to the FSIS Web site that you told me about last time I saw you, and boy did I learn a lot about food safety! I am now into the habit of checking the sell by dates on my packaged lunch meat, I know that deli sliced lunchmeat can be stored in the refrigerator 3-5 days or 1-2 months in the freezer. But if I purchase pre-packaged lunch meat I would have 2 weeks in the refrigerator, unopened, or 3-5 days after opening and 1-2 months in the freezer. Of course, anything that stays in the freezer longer is still safe, it just might hurt the quality of the meat.
Sue:
I am so glad you learned more about food safety, it’s so important to keep your family safe.
Narrator:
You can find all of this information and more, by visiting the FSIS Web site at
www.fsis.usda.gov. Or visit us online for assistance from our virtual representative “Ask Karen” at
AskKaren.gov.
Consumers may also call our toll-free USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline. That’s 1-888-674-6854.
That’s it for this week. We’ve been talking about lunchmeat safety. 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:
Thanks for listening to this Food Safety At Home podcast. Let us know what you think of this podcast by sending your comments to
podcast@fsis.usda.gov.
|
|
Actions
