Food Safety Tips: Things you need to know
Clean: Keep hands and surfaces hygienic
- Wash your hands and kitchen surfaces frequently. Germs that cause food poisoning can survive in many areas and spread easily.
- Scrub hands with soap and warm or cold water for at least 20 seconds before, during, and after handling food—and always before eating.
- Wash hands thoroughly after touching raw meat, poultry, seafood, flour, or eggs.
- Clean utensils, cutting boards, and countertops with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item.
Separate: Prevent cross-contamination
- Raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs can transfer harmful germs to ready-to-eat foods, so always keep them separate.
- While shopping, store raw items away from other groceries.
- In the fridge, keep raw or marinating meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs separate from other foods.
- Store raw items in sealed containers or wrap them well to prevent juices from leaking.
- Use one cutting board or plate for raw meat/poultry/seafood and another for produce, bread, and ready-to-eat items.
- Raw chicken is ready to cook and does not need to be washed—washing can spread bacteria around your kitchen.
- If you choose to wash chicken, do it carefully and follow safe-handling steps.
Cook: Reach the proper internal temperature
Food is safe to eat only when it reaches a high enough internal temperature to kill germs. Color or texture alone cannot determine doneness. Click here for the Food Safety course
Always use a food thermometer for accuracy. Learn the correct placement for different foods.
Safe internal temperatures:
- Beef, veal, lamb, pork (whole cuts) & fresh ham: 145°F, then rest for 3 minutes
- Fish with fins: 145°F, or until flesh is opaque and flakes easily
- Ground meats (beef, pork): 160°F
- All poultry, including ground chicken and turkey: 165°F
- Leftovers & casseroles: 165°F
For microwaving:
Cook food thoroughly and allow the recommended standing time so cold spots heat evenly.
Know your microwave wattage:
- 800+ watts: use the minimum recommended cooking time
- 300–500 watts: use the maximum recommended time
- Reheat food to 165°F using a thermometer.
Chill: Refrigerate food promptly
- Bacteria grow quickly between 40°F and 140°F, the “Danger Zone.” Avoid leaving perishable foods out for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour when above 90°F).
- Keep your refrigerator at 40°F or below, and your freezer at 0°F or below. Use an appliance thermometer if needed.
- Divide hot food into shallow containers before refrigerating—they cool faster this way.
- Refrigerate perishable foods (meat, seafood, dairy, cut fruits, certain vegetables, leftovers) within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if exposed to high temperatures.
- Thaw food safely in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave—never on the counter, where bacteria can rapidly multiply.
