Food Safety
Food goes bad when germs too small to see grow in your food. These germs can make you sick even when the food does not look, smell or even taste bad. You can take some simple steps to keep your food safe to eat.
Clean
- Wash your hands with soap and warm water before touching any food or utensils.
- Clean cutting boards and knives with hot soapy water after each use.
- Rinse all fruits and vegetables in running water before using them.
Separate
- Keep raw foods away from foods that are ready to eat. Be extra careful with raw meat, chicken, turkey, eggs, and fish.
- Keep raw foods from dripping on other foods or serving plates.
Cook
Cooking helps destroy germs. A meat thermometer is the best way to tell that a food is cooked to a safe temperature.
- Cook roasts and steaks to medium-rare or 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cook ground meat to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. It should not be pink in the middle after it is cooked.
- Cook whole poultry (turkey or chicken) to 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cook eggs to 160 degrees Fahrenheit or until they are set and no longer runny.
Chill
Cold temperatures slow germs down.
- Thaw frozen meat, poultry or fish in the refrigerator, not on the countertop.
- Put leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer promptly.
- Use many small containers instead of one large container to store leftovers. Putting leftovers in smaller containers helps them cool down faster.
- Keep cold foods at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Additional Information
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