Marinate your grilled fare for taste and safety

(ARA) - Literally soaked in flavor, marinated foods are undeniably delicious. But did you know that marinating also makes your grilled foods safer?

Anyone who loves the delectable flavor of hot-off-the-grill foods has probably heard that cancer-causing substances -- such as heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs or HCAs) -- form when the proteins in red meat, pork, poultry and fish react to the high heat of grilling and when fat drips off the meat and produces smoke.

But the researchers aren't just pouring water on our coals; they're coming up with solutions, too. Chemists at Kansas State University found that marinating meat for an hour in spice blends can reduce the formation of HCAs by 80 percent or more. They credit the antioxidant properties of spices with this change. Other researchers suggest that marinades may buffer the heat that causes the problematic chemical reaction, or that a combination of sugar, oil, and acidic ingredients decreases the carcinogenic compounds.

Not that you need a scientific reason to marinate. Savvy grillers know marinating improves flavor and the process isn't labor-intensive. You can make your own signature marinades, or rely on the guaranteed results of quality mixes.

If you're looking for a healthy choice, Simply Organic offers a flavor-rich line of organic marinade mixes that include Zesty Herb Marinade, Steak Marinade and Garlic and Herb Marinade. They even offer the smoky flavor of mesquite -- minus the hazards of grilling smoke -- in their Mesquite BBQ Marinade.

For safe and delicious grilling with marinades:

* Choose lean cuts of meat, which will drip less and produce less smoke. Trim excess fat.

* Prick the surfaces of meats with a fork before marinating to allow flavors to penetrate.

* Marinate foods in the refrigerator -- not on the counter -- in a glass, plastic, or stainless steel pan.

* Keep in mind that marinades that have been used for raw meat, poultry or seafood need to be cooked thoroughly before eating. So don't baste with them during the last few minutes, don't dip your finger in the pan to taste and don't use the leftover marinade for sauce without cooking it first.

* Consider cooking meats in the microwave for a minute or so before placing them on the grill. Discard any juice that's produced during microwaving. Use tongs or a spatula, rather than forks, to reduce drips when turning foods on the grill.

* Cook over medium (rather than high) heat to avoid charring foods. Let flames settle down before cooking over coals or wood, and turn the temperature down to medium on a gas grill. If you do char a portion of the food, cut off that section before serving.

* Flip those burgers. Again. They'll cook faster (and produce fewer HCAs) if you turn them often.

* Consider other options, too, like soy burgers and soy hot dogs, portobello mushrooms and other vegetables. These foods don't have the same potential to produce harmful substances that can result from unsafe cooking procedures -- but they're delicious when marinated nonetheless!

Here’s a favorite recipe so simple, yet so delicious, from the kitchen of Chef Kendall McFarland, research and development manager at Simply Organic:

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked pasta
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 package of Simply Organic Steak Marinade Mix

Directions:

In a large bowl, toss the pasta with the olive oil and the Steak Marinade Mix. Serve as a warm or cold side dish.

Add olives, cheese or other vegetables if desired.

Staying with the same marinade for the complete meal, Chef Kendall also has this tasty recipe:

Tarragon Encrusted Salmon

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons softened butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 package Simply Organic Steak Marinade Mix
1 to 1 1/2 pounds salmon steak -- minimum of 1-inch thick

Directions:

Preheat grill. In a small bowl blend butter, lemon juice and Steak Marinade. Lay salmon on grill using a fish grill plate, skin side down. Spread a thin layer of butter mixture on fillets. Grill eight to 10 minutes or until salmon is just flaky.

Serve with sliced fresh tomatoes as a garnish.

For an online Summer Grilling Guide with many more useful tips and delectable grilling recipes, go to www.frontiercoop.com/grillingtips.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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A Makeover for Your Kitchen: Keep Your Ingredients Fresh

CC Note: The holiday season is upon us. While you're baking and singing all your favorite holiday favorites, be sure to follow these tips for keeping your pantry supplies fresh.

As you start to prepare for the holidays, are you afraid to open your cupboard and look for those baking ingredients? Do you wonder if they are OK or should be thrown out? Do these items ever get too old?

If seasonal baking is all you do, those leftover baking ingredients may be less than fresh. Even if you bake throughout the year, staple ingredients should be refreshed periodically.

It’s a good time of year to take stock of your baking stock. Make sure those homemade holiday cookies and cakes look and taste the best they can.

Dry ingredients like flours and spices are safe to use no matter how old they are. But they might not taste or perform as expected forever.

Be sure to always read labels, follow storage information and look at recommended use-by dates for all ingredients.

Remember that:

White flour keeps six to 12 months when stored in an airtight container or freezer bag in a cool, dry place to keep moisture low. Moisture content can affect your recipe.

For storage longer than a year, keep it in the refrigerator or freezer in an airtight container. All-purpose and bread flour will keep up to two years at 40 F in your refrigerator, according to the Wheat Foods Council. It can be stored indefinitely in the freezer.

Allow the flour to come to room temperature before using it.

Whole wheat flour keeps one to three months at room temperature. It becomes rancid if kept at room temperature for too long. For longer storage, put it in an airtight container or freezer bag in the refrigerator or freezer. It will maintain quality six months in the refrigerator and up to 12 months in the freezer.

White granulated sugar keeps indefinitely if properly stored. However, rotate the supply every two years for ease of use and quality. Store it in an airtight container or a heavy moisture-proof plastic bag. To soften hardened sugar, put it in a sturdy food-quality bag and pound it with a hammer. Smash smaller pieces with a mortar and pestle or break in a spice grinder.

Brown sugar keeps maximum freshness for four to six months. It’s important to store it in an airtight container to retain moisture and prevent hardening. Keep it in its original plastic bag, tightly closed, or transfer it to an airtight container or a moisture-proof plastic bag.

To soften brown sugar, heat it in a 250-degree oven for a few minutes. Or, place it in a microwave-safe container and cover loosely with a white, damp paper towel. Microwave on high and check it every 30 seconds.

Baking powder keeps 12 to 18 months and should be stored tightly covered in a dry place. Discard baking powder after its expiration date.

Make sure to use dry utensils to dip baking powder or soda. To test baking powder for freshness, mix one teaspoon baking powder with one-third cup of hot water. If it foams vigorously, it still has rising power.

Baking soda keeps 12 to 18 months and should be stored tightly covered in a dry place. Discard baking soda after its expiration date. To test its freshness, place one and a half teaspoons in a small bowl with one tablespoon of vinegar. If it fizzes, it will still leaven food. If it doesn't, use it in the fridge to catch odors.

Herbs and ground spices keep up to one year. Whole spices keep up to two years. Store them in a tightly covered container in a dark place. Air, light, moisture and heat speed their flavor and color loss. If you use a spice rack, place it away from light, heat and moisture.

Avoid storing above or near the stove, dishwasher, microwave, refrigerator, sink or heating vent. Use a dry spoon to handle spices or herbs. Don’t sprinkle them directly from the container into a steaming pot.

To check the potency of a ground spice, smell it. If its aroma is immediate, strong and spicy, it should still add flavor to your foods.

To test herbs, crush a small amount in your hand and smell it. If the aroma is still fresh and pleasant, it can still flavor foods. If there's no smell or an off smell, toss it.

Following these tips should help your holiday baked goods taste as fresh as possible. If you don’t check your supplies before the holidays, make a resolution to do it early next year.

By Elizabeth Andress
University of Georgia

Elizabeth L. Andress is a University of Georgia Cooperative Extension food safety specialist with the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences.

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FDA Reports Significant Progress in Protecting the Food Supply

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today released a report on its implementation of the Food Protection Plan that was launched a year ago to protect both domestic and imported food from accidental and intentional contamination. The Plan, which outlines strategies for prevention, intervention and response, is designed to address food safety and food defense for both domestic and imported products and covers the full lifecycle of food, by encouraging the building of safety into every step of the food supply chain.

"Science and 21st century technologies help drive the FDA's efforts to transform our food safety efforts from the Food Protection Plan into a reality," said Commissioner of Food and Drugs Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D. "Every day, the FDA is working with foreign countries, state and local governments, regulated industry and consumer groups to ensure the safety of the food supply. We also continue to work with members of Congress to achieve new authorities requested in the Food Protection Plan."

Listed below are the highlights of the agency's accomplishments in implementing the Food Protection Plan's three core strategies: The prevention of outbreaks of food-borne disease, and intervention and response if they occur:

PREVENTION

* The FDA is establishing offices in five regions that export food and other FDA-regulated products to the United States: China, India, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. The FDA has already hired staff for its offices in China and India.
* The FDA was part of a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) delegation to China to address food safety issues in both countries and to share ideas to address global food safety. U.S. and Chinese government officials discussed recent outbreak of foodborne illness in the United States related to fresh produce as well as the melamine contamination of dairy products in China.
* The FDA released the CARVER self-assessment tool for industry, to minimize the risk of intentional contamination of food, and conducted training seminars for industry on how to use the tool.
* The FDA held a meeting of with more than 200 federal, state, local, tribal and territorial partners to address the challenges of protecting the nation's food supply.
* The FDA is hiring an International Notification Coordinator to manage enhanced information exchanges between the agency and foreign counterpart regulatory authorities.
* The FDA approved the use of irradiation of iceberg lettuce and spinach for the control of pathogens, such as Escherichia. coli, in or on those foods.
* The FDA developed methods to detect melamine and cyanuric acid in feed and feed ingredients.
* The FDA is using genetic analysis to identify hundreds of Salmonella strains from seafood imports. The analysis provides information to trace outbreaks of Salmonella outbreaks and implement surveillance programs to ensure food safety.

INTERVENTION

* The FDA completed inspections of 5,930 high-risk domestic food establishments during the Fiscal Year (FY) 2008.
* The FDA piloted the program for inspection and sampling of high-risk companies in Denver and Minneapolis during the Democratic and Republican National Conventions.
* A targeted, risk-based inspection of a canning facility in 2008 identified cans with viable Clostridium botulinum spores and a recall was initiated. The FDA initiated this inspection, along with inspections of other Low Acid Canned Food (LACF) manufacturers, following four cases of botulism in consumers in 2007. The FDA increased inspection efforts to ensure that manufacturers of all types of LACF products are adhering to applicable FDA requirements. These actions illustrate the need for companies to operate under adequate preventive control systems.
* The FDA issued "Draft Guidance for Industry on Voluntary Third-Party Certification Programs for Food and Feed." Docket FDA-2008-D-0381 is available for viewing at www.regulations.gov.
* The FDA has developed a rapid detection method that uses flow cytometry to identify E. coli and Salmonella in food, now in use in poultry-processing facilities to detect and prevent bacterial contamination during food processing.
* The FDA is expanding its database of adverse drug events to include adverse feed events, which will allow the agency to respond faster to outbreaks of feedborne disease in animals, contamination episodes, and/or product defects.
* The FDA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection jointly issued a final rule on Prior Notice of Imported Food Shipments, and an accompanying Compliance Policy Guide (CPG) on Oct. 31, 2008; the rule and CPG were published in the Federal Register on Nov. 7, 2008.

RESPONSE

* The FDA is working with industry and the public to identify best practices for tracing fresh produce throughout the supply chain.
* The FDA has enhanced the agency's ability to coordinate a comprehensive response to foodborne illness events by authoring tools used to track emergency response resources and other locations of interest.
* The FDA hired two emergency /complaint-response coordinators to improve its response to emergencies that involve animal feed, including pet food.
* Following the detection of melamine in infant formula and milk products from China, the FDA worked with its state and local counterparts to rapidly canvas over 2,100 vendors of Asian products to remove any Chinese infant formula from the market and to sample milk-derived Chinese products to check for melamine contamination. The FDA also provided regular updates on its Web site, advising consumers which products to avoid because of melamine contamination.
* The FDA held regular briefing calls for consumer organizations during the outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul in the summer of 2008, and regularly updated a Web page that provided information on the investigation into the outbreak, and advised consumers how they could protect themselves and their families.
* The FDA has signed cooperative agreements with six U.S. states to form a Rapid Response Team to develop, implement, exercise, and integrate an all-hazards response capability for food and foodborne illness responses, to react more rapidly react to potential threats to our food supply.
* After reports from China of melamine-contaminated infant formula, the FDA worked with its state and local counterparts to quickly canvas over 2,100 Asian markets to remove any infant formula from China that might be available and to sample milk-derived products to check for melamine contamination.

The entire One-Year Summary of Progress under the Food Protection Plan is posted at www.fda.gov/oc/initiatives/advance/food/progressreport1108.html, and the Food Protection Plan is available at www.fda.gov/oc/initiatives/advance/food/plan.html.

The Food Protection Plan complements the Action Plan on Import Safety the President's Working Group On Import Safety unveiled one year ago to improve the safety of all imported products. HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt heads The Working Group. For additional information on the FDA's activities under the Action Plan for Import Safety, please visit: www.fda.gov/oc/initiatives/advance/imports/activities.html.

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Do Not Microwave Spinach?

Cooked some frozen spinach last night. Usually I just toss it in a bowl, slide it into the microwave and nuke it. For some reason, this time I checked the bag to see how long the directions said to cook the healthy green stuff. I was surprised to see that the only cooking directions on the bag said to do it the old fashioned way --- put it in a pot and boil it on the stove.

I thought maybe they stuck the microwave directions somewhere else, so I looked over the entire bag. Guess what? On the side, amidst a bunch of other bulleted info, it said "Do not microwave". They didn't say it wasn't recommended, it flat out says "do not microwave". Hmmm...

I've read in recent days that they (can't remember who "they" happened to be) are saying not to microwave meat. Meat cooked in the microwave, per the "they", doesn't reach the needed high temperatures in the middle needed to kill the bad stuff that lurks in meats unless you're willing to cook it long enough to ruin the outside.

I know there have been some spinach scares over the past few years, so I thought possibly the reason for the directive had to do with food safety. Possibly, just like meat, the spinach doesn't reach the temperatures needed to kill the nasties that may linger on the leaves.

I went on an Internet search to see if I could find the answer. Putting in "spinach" and "microwave" brought up tons of recipes and suggestions on how to cook and how long to cook. No warnings. So, I added the word "warning".

Nothing caught my attention other than the article I've posted below. Then I tried "do not microwave" and "spinach". Still nothing.

I'm going to go pull the bag out of the freezer and find a contact address so I can ask the company why they say not to microwave. I dutifully pulled out a pot and cooked it on the stove top rather than take a chance. I'll let you know if the company responds! More than likely it'll just be that it cooks up better on the stove.

HEALTH WARNING: Is your Microwave Safe?
December 7, 2006 at 8:14 pm
Recent Cancer News from Johns Hopkins University, of Maryland, focuses on dioxins, chemicals found in plastics frequently used in freezing and microwave cooking. Read on to determine if you are putting yourself and your family at risk with your cooking and freezing methods...