A safe food handling label should be on all raw or partially precooked (not ready-to-eat) meat and poultry packages. The label tells the consumer how to safely store, prepare, and handle raw meat and poultry products in the home.

All poultry should reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F. (Sources: Kitchen Thermometers; Use a Food Thermometer)

Because freezing keeps food safe almost indefinitely, recommended storage times are for quality only. Refer to the freezer storage chart at the end of Focus on Freezing, which lists optimum freezing times for best quality. If a food is not listed on the chart, you may determine its quality after defrosting. First check the odor. Some foods will develop a rancid or off odor when frozen too long and should be discarded.

Yes, it is safe to eat chicken and other poultry products that have been fully-cooked (fried, boiled or grilled). Do not eat poultry meat that is still pink or half-cooked/half-boiled eggs.

Is it safe to eat leftover food that was left out on the counter to cool at dinnertime, then forgotten until morning? Will additional cooking kill the bacteria that may have grown

Poultry and poultry products can be prepared and consumed as usual, with no fear of acquiring infection with the avian flu virus. One should continue to follow good hygienic and cooking practices. The virus is destroyed at a temperature of 70o C for 30 minutes. After handling poultry and eggs, one should wash hands and other exposed parts with soap and water.

America's food is among the safest in the world. But bacteria are everywhere, including on food, like meat, poultry, and egg products. If food isn't handled safely, harmful bacteria can multiply to dangerous levels and make people sick. There are four key safe food handling steps promoted under a national educational campaign by the Partnership for Food Safety Education called Fight BAC!®. These steps include: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill. Cook" is one of the key steps.

There is no evidence that avian influenza can be transmitted through eating poultry or eggs. However, make sure poultry and eggs have been thoroughly cooked.

You can safely eat poultry (chicken, turkey, pheasants, ducks, etc) and poultry products if they are fully cooked. Keep all surfaces, cutting boards and utensils used to prepare raw chicken and eggs separate from other foods.

On the basis of current scientific evidence, the Food Standards Agency advises that avian flu does not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers. This is because for people, the risk of catching the disease is from being in close contact with live poultry that have the disease and not through eating cooked poultry, game or eggs.

Almost. Starting in early-to-mid October '07, we will be introducing the option of organic meat and poultry. We'll probably start with poultry. If you have an existing order in the system and want to add the organic meat/poultry option, login to your account and modify your order. There will be an additional charge for organic meat/poultry based on our cost of the protein. We'll send out an email to notify you when you can begin ordering organic meat and poultry.

The color of cooked meat and poultry is not a sure sign of its degree of doneness. For instance, hamburgers and fresh pork can remain pink even after cooking to temperatures of 160° F (71° C) or higher. The meat of smoked turkey is always pink because components within the smoke bind to the muscle pigment to form a stable pink pigment. Only by using a food thermometer can you accurately determine that meat has reached a safe internal temperature.

At this time we are only offering the packages that are listed on our ordering page. In the future, we may offer custom packages.

Birds, like people, can have the flu. Avian influenza or bird flu was first identified over 100 years ago during an outbreak in Italy. Over the years, the disease has appeared from time to time in regions all over the world. Avian influenza spreads easily among wild birds, but it can also infect domesticated birds including chickens, turkeys and ducks. Left untreated, avian influenza can devastate an entire flock of chickens.

There are two types of food contamination: Bacterial and Chemical. Chemical is when some kind of chemical gets into the food (e.g., plates not washed properly, soap residue left on, or someone pours bleach into the salad dressing instead of vinegar) Bacterial is what most HAACP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) programs try to prevent. Originally, the HAACP procedures were invented by NASA, to ensure the safety of the astronaut's food.

Keep uncooked products under refrigeration as much as possible. If you are not going to cook and eat the product the same day as purchased, it is generally advisable to freeze it until use. Cooked, left over, meats and poultry should be refrigerated within 2 hours after cooking. If it is necessary to keep cooked meats and poultry without refrigeration longer than 2 hours maintain their temperature at or above 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

No, meat and poultry should never be thawed in the conventional oven or at room temperature. There is greater danger of bacterial growth and food spoilage for food thawed at room temperature. Thaw meat and poultry in the refrigerator in the original wrappings. To speed thawing, loosen the wrapping. To keep other foods safe, put the thawing meat and poultry in a pan on the bottom shelf. For a quicker method, immerse meat or poultry in a watertight bag into cold water. Thaw until it is pliable.

Slaughtered meat and poultry should be put under refrigeration (32 - 36°F) immediately to remove animal heat from the carcass. Prompt and thorough chilling is important to reduce bacterial growth and decrease the action of enzymes which can lower the quality. Bone souring in beef and pork may also occur if carcasses are not properly chilled. Chill pork, lamb or veal 24 hours; beef 5 to 7 days.

You can buy it seasonally through Fruited Plain Cooperative Organization in Champaign-Urbana and directly from the farm. From late May through November you also can purchase it on Saturdays from the Moores at the Urbana Farmer's Market at Lincoln Square Mall. On Sundays, you can purchase it at the Frankfort Country Market in Frankfort, Illinois.

Freezer burn does not make food unsafe, merely dry in spots. It appears as grayish-brown leathery spots and is caused by air reaching the surface of the food. Cut the freezer-burned portions away either before or after cooking the food. Heavily freezer-burned foods may have to be discarded for quality reasons.

Yes, it is safe to eat properly cooked poultry. Cooking destroys germs, including the bird flu virus. The US bans imports of poultry and poultry products from countries where bird flu has been found.

Yes, eating properly cooked poultry, as well as eggs, is safe. The U.S. government has banned imported poultry from countries affected by bird flu. At the present time, bird flu is not present in the U.S. For protection against many types of food borne diseases, such as Salmonella, all poultry should be cooked to 165? F or hotter. Cooking also destroys flu viruses.

This does not present a risk. At the present time, the H5N1 strain of bird flu that has spread through poultry farms in southeast Asia and into eastern Europe is not present in the U.S. Even if the H5N1 strain were to appear in the U.S., transmission from birds to people would require close contact with birds, such as handling, butchering or exposure to bird droppings.

There is no evidence to suggest that you can become infected by eating properly cooked poultry and eggs. Proper handling and cooking of poultry provides protection against this virus, as it does against many viruses and bacteria, including Salmonella and E.coli. Safe food handling and preparation is important at all times.

CCC will not provide "Best Used by Dates" unless they are required in accordance with specific country regulations.