[Sca-cooks] Pennsic food

[Philippa Alderton]

I've been discussing this thread with Andrew MacRobb,
and, since he was a health inspector for many years
before he retired, he thought he'd share with you some
of the knowledge he's gained about food storage,
specificly with Pennsic in mind (He's been to the last
26).

Phlip

OK. There are several heat stabilized meat products
that are available; in addition to canned meats (note:
if it says PERISHIBLE:KEEP REFRIGERATED it is not safe
to leave out, canned or not) there are a FEW products
made the old fashioned way that actually can be left
out of refrigeration. DAK sausages, Smithfield Hams
and Turkeys (REAL SMITHFIELD BRAND ONLY!!!) are among
these. Look for the fine print; there are three grades
of warning 1. Needs no refrigeration (safe to leave
out) 2. Refrigerate After Opening (safe to leave out
only as long as the original wrapper is intact) 3.
Keep Refrigerated (Not safe to leave out of
refrigeration- by the time you can get it to your
campsite from the nearest store, it is not safe to
eat). Remember: it may look and taste like a product
that was safe to leave out if made the old fashioned
way, but most modern products are made by shortcut
methods that are not safe to leave out more than an
hour. Bringing an ice chest with you when shopping is
RECOMENDED.

Cheeses: Whole, intact cheeses in wax (not wedges) are
generally safe until cut. Then they should be eaten or
placed in the ice chest. There are small individual
size cheeses (ie Baby BonBel) that are safe. Most
cheese is in the refrigerate after opening category. I
know there are cheese clubs that send cryovac packaged
wedges of cheese through the mail, apparently without
problems, but I wouldn't trust a store wrapped cheese
to be safe. Stick with small packages that you can eat
at one time and you should be safe.

Eggs: Whole, uncracked eggs are reasonably safe to
leave out of refrigeration, but should be kept cool
(an evaporative cooler- a box covered with a damp
cloth, or reasonable shade) should be sufficient to
keep them safe. Cracked or broken eggs should be
discarded.

Mayonnaise or similar "salad dressings": Keep in
original container and only remove from the jar with
CLEAN utensils. Keep lid on jar tight. Need NOT be
refrigerated even after opening, but will taste better
if they can be kept cool. I know this surprises a lot
of people, but these products, by themselves, are not
considered as "potentially hazardous foods" because of
their low pH, but mix them with other foods and this
changes, which is why salads made with these dressings
are so hazardous.

Milk and milk products: Check label. There are ultra
pasturized milk products that are shelf safe until
opened. Small containers that can be finished at one
meal are better than gallon size jugs.

Other dangerous foods: Cooked potatoes; raw potatoes
can be left out because they contain a heat labile
poison (strychnine) that prevents microbial growth.
Cooking destroys the poison making them good to eat
for both us and the bugs. High protein veggies like
beans, lentils, peas etc are "dangerous when wet" and
should be handled carefully once rehydrated from the
dried state.

Ice Chests: As long as they contain enough ice to keep
them cold they are safe for food storage, but this is
a twice daily check. Cubes cool quickly but don't
last. Blocks take longer to cool but may last 2-3 days
or more. Chests stay cool longer if covered with a
damp towel (white is best).

Dishwashing: after washing, utensils, pots and pans
etc should be allowed to sit fully immersed in a one
tablespoon/gallon solution of chlorine bleach for one
minute before air drying or drying with disposable
paper towels. Cloth towels should NOT be used.

Handwashing: The waterless cleaner in the portacastles
is far better than nothing, but cooks should wash
their hands in soapy water before cooking. Using a
hand sanitizer after washing is also recomended.

Safe handling time: Generally, you have only about one
hour of safe handling time for hazardous foods before
they may grow enough pathogens to be dangerous.
Cooking will not guarantee the food will be safe if
mishandled; there are heat stable toxins that are
produced by some types of pathogens. Under the
primitive conditions at Pennsic, better to throw out
most leftovers than try to save them.

Gastroenteritis is no fun at the best of times. Having
the runs at Pennsic where the nearest "facility" may
be 100 yards or more away is a REAL bummer. I have
been there (remember Pennsic XIII?).

Any questions? If so, I can clarify them at:

macrobb at dnaco.net

Andrew MacRobb

Stefan- if you wish, Andrew said it's perfectly fine
to include this in the Florilegium.

Phlip

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