Source:  Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 5/22/09

The number of Americans taking various food safety precautions when handling food is down for nearly every action from 2008, according to the International Food Information Council Foundation's fourth annual Food and Health survey.

While 95 percent of the 1,064 American adults surveyed during February and March said they take at least one food safety precaution when cooking, preparing and consuming food, the numbers for specific actions show a disturbing trend:

• 87 percent wash hands with soap and water versus 92 percent in 2008
• 77 percent wash cutting boards with soap and water or bleach versus 84 percent in 2008
• 71 percent cook food to required temperature versus 76 percent in 2008
• 69 percent properly store leftovers within two hours of serving versus 79 percent in 2008 and
• 63 percent separate raw meat, poultry and seafood from ready-to-eat food products versus 70 percent in 2008.

In addition, only 50 percent of Americans surveyed report using different or freshly cleaned cutting boards for each product and only one in four use a food thermometer to check the doneness of meat and poultry items.

Microwave cooking

Americans are also faring worse when it comes to following microwave cooking instructions in 2009:

• 68 percent follow all the cooking instructions versus 79 percent in 2008
• 62 percent flip, rotate or stir during the microwave cooking process versus 72 percent in 2008
• 48 percent let food stand for appropriate time after microwaving versus 58 percent in 2008 and
• 48 percent increase or decrease cooking times based on the wattage of the microwave versus 58 percent in 2008.

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