Penn State Ag Sciences Newsline -- March 11, 2008

Microwave cooking is convenient, but pay attention to food safety (:46)

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Suggested Intro:

MICROWAVE OVENS MAKE COOKING QUICK AND EASY. BUT AN EXPERT IN PENN STATE'S COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES SAYS RECENT CASES OF FOODBORNE ILLNESS SHOW THAT THERE'S MORE TO MICROWAVING THAN PRESSING THE RIGHT BUTTONS. MORE FROM GARY ABDULLAH:

Story:

(:19) LAST YEAR, THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL REPORTED MORE THAN 270 SALMONELLA CASES LINKED TO FOOD IMPROPERLY COOKED IN MICROWAVE OVENS. PENN STATE FOOD SAFETY SPECIALIST MARTIN BUCKNAVAGE SAY UNEVEN COOKING CAN LET GERMS SURVIVE IN MICROWAVED FOODS, AND HE RECOMMENDS THREE SIMPLE STEPS FOR AVOIDING FOODBORNE ILLNESS:

Bucknavage Actuality:
(:15) "FIRST THING THEY WANT TO DO IS MAKE SURE THEY ROTATE AND STIR THE FOODS TO ENSURE THAT THE HEATING IS UNIFORM THROUGHOUT THE PRODUCT. THEY WANT TO LET THE FOOD STAND AFTER MICROWAVING TO ENSURE THAT THE TEMPERATURE HAS BEEN EVENLY DISTRIBUTED THROUGH THE PRODUCT. AND YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU CHECK THAT YOU HAVE ACHIEVED THE PROPER TEMPERATURE."

(:12) BUCKNAVAGE SAYS ALL OVENS AREN'T CREATED EQUAL, SO BE PREPARED TO ADJUST FOR POWER VARIATIONS. AND ALWAYS COOK FOOD IN CONTAINERS RATED AS MICROWAVE- SAFE. FROM PENN STATE, I'M GARY ABDULLAH.

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Learn more:

MICROWAVE YOUR FOODS SAFELY

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