What’s the best way to cool food to keep it safe?

Great question, especially because September is National Food Safety Education Month. The first thing to remember is that chilling slows the growth of potentially harmful bacteria that may be present on food so it’s important to refrigerate perishable foods like meat and milk products, prepared foods and leftovers promptly to keep them safe.

Here are some safety tips:

• Place an inexpensive appliance thermometer in the center of your refrigerator’s food storage compartment, and check the temperature periodically. Cold foods should be kept 40 degrees or colder. Therefore, the air temperature in your refrigerator should be between 35 and 38 degrees.
• Allow room for cold air to circulate around refrigerated foods — don’t overload the refrigerator.
• Keep prepared perishable foods chilled until serving time.
• Refrigerate leftovers promptly. The general rule calls for refrigerating perishable foods in two hours or less after preparation; if the temperature in the kitchen or at a picnic is 90 degrees or above, refrigerate food within one hour or less.
• It’s OK to put hot foods in the refrigerator. Transfer leftovers or other hot, cooked foods to one or more shallow (two-inch) containers to speed cooling. Once cooled, cover refrigerated foods with a pan or bowl cover, plastic food wrap or aluminum foil.
• If serving buffet-style for a holiday or other special event with a crowd, place cold foods on a bed of ice. Dividing the food to be served into smaller serving pans or bowls — and replenishing supplies often — is recommended.
• Marinate meat and poultry with a cover in the refrigerator. Discard marinade rather than use it for another purpose.
• Thaw frozen food in the refrigerator. Place frozen food in a shallow pan or on a tray with a lip, and place them on the lowest shelf of the refrigerator to prevent cross contamination.
• Thawing frozen food on a kitchen counter or in hot water is not recommended. If you’re short on time, try thawing meat and poultry in airtight packaging in cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes to allow frozen food to continue thawing. Cook thawed food promptly. Thaw frozen food in a microwave oven only if you plan to continue cooking it immediately.
• Cooking partially frozen foods can compromise food safety. Outer portions may overcook while the center fails to reach safe-to-eat temperatures.
• Monitor refrigerated foods. If perishable foods including refrigerated foods and leftovers will not be used within a day or two, wrap and freeze them for a future meal.
• To learn more about storing food safely in the refrigerator and freezer, contact K-State Research and Extension — Douglas County.

How can I tell how much calcium is in the food I buy?

For packaged foods, the Daily Value for calcium on food labels is based on 1,000 milligrams of calcium. As a result, simply multiplying the number next to the percentage by 10 will yield the actual milligrams of calcium that one serving provides. If the label reads 15 percent calcium, one serving provides 150 milligrams of calcium. In case you are wondering, this calculation only applies to calcium. It does not work for other nutrients since the numeric basis for the Daily Value varies by nutrient.

Do I need extra calcium while breast-feeding my baby?

According to the Children’s Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine, supplemental calcium has had no affect on the calcium balance of nursing mothers, which is why calcium recommendations for nursing and nonnursing women are exactly the same: 1,000 milligrams per day for those 19 and older and 1,300 milligrams for those 18 and younger.

This means that if you’re diet already is calcium-rich, you probably don’t need supplements. However, if you have difficulty meeting your basic calcium needs, you might benefit from calcium supplements, such as the 200 to 250 milligrams found in multivitamins given to pregnant and nursing women. There also are some specific groups of women who might benefit from additional calcium while breast-feeding. These include women breast-feeding more than one infant and those who have had closely spaced pregnancies.