Q: Can anyone enter food products at the Douglas County Free Fair next week?

A: There are several opportunities for the general public to enter exhibits at the Douglas County Free Fair. For a complete listing, go to: www.dgcountyfair.com. In the food and food preservation area, anyone can enter foods to be judged in Open Class Food Preparation and Preservation, the Naturally Nutritious Food Festival and the Birthday Cake Contest.

¢ “Open Class” means that it is open to anyone who is interested in exhibiting. In Open Class Food Preparation and Food Preservation, youth and adults can enter a variety of nonperishable food products and home-canned and dehydrated products from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, Building 21. Judging will be Tuesday. To find out more about what food and food preservation products are acceptable, how to package them, how many to bring and special rules, please refer to the Web site listed earlier or call K-State Research & Extension-Douglas County at 843-7058.

¢ If you are interested in bringing perishable items, foods that feature Kansas ingredients or foods that emphasize good health, good nutrition and/or natural ingredients, then the 17th Annual Naturally Nutritious Food Festival might be just up your alley. Entries will be accepted from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 2 in Building 21 at the fairgrounds. Judging begins at 7 p.m. After the announcement of the category winners and overall champions, samples of the food products are offered to everyone who is observing the event.

¢ The Birthday Cake Contest offers a third opportunity to bake and exhibit at the fair. If you like to make and decorate cakes, don’t miss out on this fun event. Cakes will be judged on appearance, originality and taste appeal. Birthday cake entries will be accepted from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Aug. 5 in the kitchen of Building 21. Judging will begin at 1:30 p.m. Following the judging, the cakes will be shared during the 4-H Centennial Birthday Celebration, starting at 3 p.m., south of the blacktop area.

¢ If you just want to see all of the 4-H and Open Class food exhibits, Building 21 will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Aug. 2 through Aug. 5. Or, if you want to buy some of these yummies, come to the Food Sale from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday or from 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 2 at Building 21.

Q: What temperature should frozen chicken products be cooked?

A: Good question. Perhaps you heard in the news that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), in collaboration with the Minnesota Departments of Health and Agriculture, has recently investigated cases of salmonellosis associated with a class of frozen entrees that contain raw chicken. These frozen, breaded, boneless chicken products that may also be stuffed or filled and appear browned are raw and must be cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees. Using a food thermometer is the only sure way of knowing food has reached a high enough temperature to destroy foodborne bacteria.

In addition to illnesses in Minnesota, there are least 34 cases of salmonellosis across the U.S. connected to consumption of uncooked chicken entrees. More than 25 companies produce and distribute frozen, raw chicken entrees at the retail level. The entrees come in many varieties, such as chicken cordon bleu, chicken Kiev and chicken with mushrooms and wine sauce.

Because these products are often filled with additional ingredients, they also may take longer to reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees than chicken breasts that do not contain fillings.

FSIS believes that in some cases, consumers may not realize that the breading on these products has only been pre-browned and these frozen entrees contain raw chicken. FSIS also is concerned that consumers may not be following cooking instructions or that because of the variability of microwave ovens, the instructions may not yield a product that reaches a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees.

FSIS is requiring new labels for these products that clearly state that they contain raw chicken and must be fully cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees. In addition, FSIS is taking steps to ensure that cooking instructions are effective, understandable and practical. Consumers should contact the manufacturer if following the cooking instructions is not practical or yields a product that is unacceptable in terms of taste or texture.

For your information, the full public health alert can be viewed by selecting “News & Events” at www.fsis.usda.gov.

– Susan Krumm is an Extension agent in family and consumer sciences with K-State Research and Extension-Douglas County, 2110 Harper St. She can be reached at 843-7058.