Members of the Buckhannon Rotary Club received some valuable information about food safety during their meeting Tuesday.
Debbie Huber, ServSafe certified for 12 years and a ServSafe instructor for four years, spoke to members about safe ways to handle, keep and prepare foods.
The ServSafe Food Safety Training Program leads the way on providing current and comprehensive educational materials to the restaurant industry, Huber said. More than 2 million food-service professionals have been certified through the ServSafe Food Protection Exam, which is accredited by the American National Standards Institute conference for food protection.
Huber handed out information sheets on how long foods can be stored safely in a refrigerator or freezer and internal cooking temperatures for different types of foods.
After safely preparing food, you must cook it to the correct minimum internal temperature, she said. This will reduce dangerous micro-organisms to a safe level. Always use a thermometer to verify final cooking temperatures.
The minimal internal cooking temperatures for some common foods are: poultry, 165 degrees for 15 seconds; ground meat, 155 degrees for 15 seconds; pork, beef, veal and lamb, steaks and chops, 145 degrees for 15 seconds; and roasts, 145 degrees for four minutes.
Huber also stressed the importance of clean hands while preparing foods.
"Wash your hands often," she said, "and also wear plastic gloves to help prevent the spread of germs.
Huber and her husband, James, own several local Wendy's in the area.
For more information, go to www. foodsafety.gov.
In other business:
- Rich Guttman of the Morgantown Rotary Club presented the Golden Gavel to Dave Long, president of the Buckhannon Rotary Club.
- The social night will be at 6 p.m. March 29 at Graceland Inn in Elkins.
- Career Day is scheduled for March 29 from 9:35 a.m. to 10:05 am. at Buckhannon-Upshur High School.
Rotary meets at noon Tuesdays at Chapel Hill United Church.
