 How Do We Know Our Food Supply is Safe?
By Jack Etzel
There’s a clear commonality among human beings that no one can
deny; we all have to eat. So before we eat up, let’s read up so that
we might become smarter about how to avoid getting ill (or worse) from
what we’re putting into our mouths. For the past 22 years, John
Stella has been the state’s food safety supervisor for a 10-county
region of southwestern Pennsylvania. He was born into a family poultry
farming operation and later became a biologist, and has served as a
food safety expert in municipal and private industry. For the past 30
years, he has been employed by the Pennsylvania Department of
Agriculture (PDA), where he works from an office in Gibsonia. North
Hills Monthly Magazine (NHMM): It would seem that most of us should be
more aware of food safety today than, say, a generation ago. How true
is that? John Stella: When it comes to food safety, it’s a matter of
being educated so you know what issues to look for. As regulators, we
know that the biggest abuses of food safety happen in the home. We
even know that one big reason for that is because when they cook, most
people keep repeating methods and ways of doing things in the same way
that they were taught, or doing what they were exposed to for
generations.
NHMM: Can you give us an example? Stella: Oh, putting frozen food
out on the counter to thaw, instead of making use of the proper
temperatures to defrost items. That’s just one example of simply not
knowing the risks and dangers associated with thawing food the wrong
way. In the food industry, when we do inspections we ask store
employees why they do certain things, and they often say that they
were taught to do it that way. Employees sometimes don’t understand
why they have to do things in a certain way to best protect the food
supply.
NHMM: Since we started this by mentioning temperatures, I would
guess that quite a few people at home don’t even own, much less use,
thermometers in their refrigerators or freezers. Stella: And you’re
talking about a piece of equipment that most home cooks were never
taught to use, despite the importance of a thermometer. A residential
refrigerator is not made to be opened and closed frequently. Those
compressors can’t recover quickly enough, and often the food inside is
thought to be just fine between 40 and 45 degrees, even if they have a
thermometer in the refrigerator. In the food industry, refrigerated
food must be kept at 41 degrees or less, and that would be a very good
standard in your own home as well. The rule of thumb is ‘the closer to
freezing, the better.’ Considering the small amount that a
refrigerator thermometer costs, it could be a valuable investment.
Everyone should also own and use a meat thermometer, too. People still
prepare meat by sight or touch.
NHMM: For anyone who bothers to read labels in stores, the
globalization of our food supply is obvious. Is expanding importation
a concern to you? Stella: It is a concern. The Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) checks the ports for imported products, but
there’s a fallacy or misconception that a large portion of these foods
are checked at the ports. The truth is, it’s likely that less than 1
percent is actually checked. Only within the last five or six years
have we been sending our investigators to other countries to check on
their processing methods. That check is designed to cut down on
shortcuts that might be taking place and it’s important. Meanwhile, on
the national level, it’s the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) that regulates meat, poultry and egg products. NHMM: Whether
a person is in the kitchen or at the store, what advice would you
offer?
Stella: You mentioned labels. Read the labels and directions on
everything. What temperature should be used for cooking something?
Should it be kept frozen? Look at the expiration dates on every
purchase and respect them.
I also think that anyone today who works in a kitchen should go on
the Internet to research the subject. It’s easy to gain very important
knowledge on food safety that didn’t exist a generation ago. Just do a
Google search by putting in the words ‘food safety.’ You’ll learn new
facts that you never knew. You don’t have to become versed on the
professional level of food safety, but read articles that spell out
basic concepts. That would include proper temperatures for storage;
proper temperatures for cooking a variety of foods; the risks
associated with particular foods; the risks of cross contamination in
the kitchen; and even discussions on related subjects, such as
allergies. NHMM: Allergies? I never imagined that your position as a
food safety supervisor included such things as allergies. Stella: We
often get complaints from people who thought that there was something
wrong with their food, only to find out after the fact that they
either have a food allergy or food sensitivity, or that as they aged,
they might have developed one. As we age, that can and does happen.
NHMM: Your bottom line? Stella: Consumers should know that our food
supply is safer than it’s ever been. Ever expanding knowledge and
expanding technology means that we’re getting better at what we’re
doing. On the other hand, we’re never satisfied.
For more information including answers to specific questions about
food safety, use the phone numbers or websites listed below:
PA Dept. of Agriculture, Region 4 (10-county area/southwestern PA)
724-443-1585 (Gibsonia, PA) PA Dept. of Agriculture:
www.agriculture.state.pa.us
717-787-4737 (Harrisburg, PA) For nonprofit organizations holding
food fundraisers: Use the above contacts to get information regarding
your Pennsylvania Food Safety Certification course and manual before
your next event. |
